Riotbeard

It will probably depend a lot on the state of economy in 2 years, and the state of the EU in two years. Good luck with your decision!

God I love the Grad Cafe. I find it very entertaining, and I love how everybody (including myself) pretentiously tell someone there being pretentious. For what its worth, I network best with a beer in my hand, I am just not good in the office/professional world, so I avoided contacting people this year, and it worked out better for me, but I think everybody's approach is and should be different.

I would just ask (I think the apartment thing and budgeting is a good context for when you ask), but they know we are poor grad students and need/want to know what we can afford, etc. It's not like you are a millionaire penny pinching. It's a reasonable question, and they know the students positions.

There are a lot of cheep places down McFarland from little five in "Cabbage Town." Most the neighborhoods are mid-gentrification, so there are a mix of young and old people, but a decent area nonetheless. My friends had a house for the prices of APTs you are talking about. That's my thoughts to you future Atlantans.

I can't imagine it's the math score I got a 790, and that is 92%. The amount of English and history people who got there are not a lot not to brag you kicked my ass on verbal (although my verbal % was higher than my math%, America ?!). Sorry but I can't imagine that was it...

I got an offer without funding last year, and decided to take a year off, but was able to improve my application with the extra time. Good luck.

It seems a little more common this year due to budget crunches. Hopefully, they will figure something out!

Accepted with funding: 5 Accepted w/out funding:1 Waitlisted: 1 rejected: 4 American Studies: 0/2 Applied to: too many, but it worked out. I actually got into with funding (and an akward bidding war against nobody really...) my #3 choice and got waitlisted at my #2, but I am going to a school I applied to on a whim (see below). I did not really look that school closely except to quickly adapt my SOP, but they gave me a fellowship, so that peaked my interest. When I went to visit I got an incredibly hospitable welcome and a big hug from the department secretary (Southern Ivy= Southern Hospitality apparently). They wined and dined me a bit, but overall, it was the feel of the program, the professors and students I met, and my awesome advisor that got me there. It was really unexpected and excited. So I declined the offer from my #3 school and pretty quickly withdrew my name from # 2's waitlist. Overall it was a very good season for me since striking out last year. Also I got a funded offer before I expected to hear back from anybody, so I knew I had somewhere before getting any rejections which was nice. I did have an interesting telephone call with UNC's DGS. I had not heard, so I called and the DGS and she was like: "oh, I think you were rejected, but we should've gotten you a letter out earlier." Rest assured a few days later I was officially rejected. And at Georgia, graduate admissions never sent my transcript to the department, so when I called the department they had to get it from the graduate school. This was all after acceptance letters had been sent out, and I had not heard anything. After they got my transcript, they put me on the waitlist, but they were very non-commital, and I knew where I wanted to go so... I withdrew.

<br /><br /><br /> Where is this guy and why did he retire?! haha!

I am just bringing ten editions of the bible, each with more accessable and poorly written prose.

I got a e-card from the departmental secretary, but as far as hardcore info and intros has been very quiet. I keep hoping to know what classes are offered, but I can't register yet because I have an H1N1 immunization hold... I know all first year grad students (and my program does not have a terminal masters but the 4+1 program) have to take an intro to historical studies class, so I will get to know all the younguns like myself.

I have met one member of my cohort. My program is small only 12 offers were made and I think 7-8 accepted. I got to meet this cohort member, because we both visited at the same and were put together in an apartment. We didn't have a meet and greet day or interviews, and we have not had a mass e-mail introducing us. It will be an exciting mystery day when we have orientation. The other member I met is about my age although he got a master's while I took time off (code for: didn't get funding last year). Hopefully they will get us together soon digitally, but I have to remind myself it is a busy time with exams and everything. I have been in contact with my advisor, and they seem to be a bit stressed right now, because they are totally revamping the structure of the program.

I feel like giving my views on this question. I was a English/history major undergrad (and am reasonably well versed in lit. crit.), and I think it's a relevant question to history, although it takes slightly different shapes. I think good criticism and critical writing, in particular, is an art. In the case of history, it takes on the question of narrative vs. scientific/factual history (which I don't think really exists). I think the critic interacts with the text/historical record to further narrative developement/interpretation, and I think the best historians and critics (foucault being able tow both disciplines) and through his criticism creates a new narrative/reality. While we can't all be Foucaults, I think it is an ideal to strive toward for all scholars in the humanities. That being said when discussing a specific text, it must be textually grounded. As critics and historians, we are bound by interpretation, and interpretive acts are our creativity as critics/interpretors of culture.

Yeah Congrats! The rest of the blog is pretty accurate of people in many of our condition.

<br /><br /><br /> I totally struck out last year, but dusted myself off, made my apps much better this year, and am starting in the fall. You can do it too!

<br /><br /><br /> As an indication that they hadn't done the reading. It was after multiple lectures on why we should do our reading, etc. It was an easy common knowledge questoin. What event triggered WWI and where did it occur?

After asking our class to read like a hundred times (this was history 102). My professor did a pop-quiz at the beginning of class where he asked two question all within the first page or two of assigned reading. He then immediately graded them and kicked out more than half of the class for getting both right. I really liked my Undergrad Mentor, he was a bada$$ old man.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/03/04/81-graduate-school/ I am always upset/ amused how often this blog seems to be making fun of me... but I still love it.

<br /><br /><br /> It's very hot and there are hills, and it's humid. You should bring your bike, but expect to leave it at home some days.

Travel to Charleston and Ashville (North Carolina) Those are two of my favorite cities in the Southeast. I did undergrad in Charleston, and it is a fantastic small city (Interesting history, decent Art/theatre scene, fantastic food, and loads of other things I currently miss). I have never been to Clemson though... it sound like you will do fine though. I like South Carolina in general a lot despite its glaring faults.

<br /><br /><br /> When I was English Major, I would always put a heading on the page for note taking, and end up writing a sentence the whole time... I love an English Discussion class. As far as reading notes, I tend to write in the book, and if I think something is super important I use a sticky note. I like the tech-savy stuff you guys do though, I may have to start once I get my new Mac!

<br /><br /><br /> I don't page number beyond requirements has anything to do with it's quality of reception. If you want to get it published you can always expand later. I think it's more about quality not quantity.

<br /><br /><br /> I am in a similar situation. I won't miss much, cept my family a bit, and the ethnic grocery stores near my apartment.

That being said, I am scared s**tless while incredibly excited. I can't believe I have to write my thesis in only a little more than a year (the program I am in is slightly accelerated...) and after sitting on my a$$ this past year, and in three years, I have to write my dissertation! But I am not worried about the ivy leaguers outshining me! This nothing against the ivy league. I have met plenty there who are smarter than me and some not...

At the program, I am starting at in the fall, I am by far the least pedigreed of the Americanists offered spots. Two others came from Yale and another from U. Chicago, and me from a non-descript state school. I just had different qualifications though. Apparently my research experience was strong, and my letters of rec. showed a familiarity not as common from some candidates coming from top 10 schools (he did not say this was necessarily the case compared to any of my new cohort just compared to other applicants). Don't worry, you'll be fine. They would not have accepted you, if they did not think you were qualified.