urbanhistorynerd

I saw the DGS yesterday - all the emails are out as well as the waitlist. HMES and HEAL is different story though, I'm not sure what is going on with them, but I bet they follow a similar pattern. I just want to say congratulations to everyone admitted to Harvard and that i look forward to seeing you all very soon during visiting students day!

We had the faculty meeting on graduate admissions on Monday, so most likely individual POIs are beginning to send out emails/make calls.

If anyone is admitted to Harvard, DM me if you would like some information on the faculty, graduate students, program, school, etc, etc. I am a first year PhD there, a member of the HGSA and helping to coordinate this years admissions visit. Tomorrow is the official faculty meeting on graduate admissions, so everyone who applied should receive something in the next week or two.

Current Harvard PhD student here - to my knowledge, McCormick students are often funded through this program called the "Initiative for the Science of the Human Past at Harvard." Basically McCormick has been working on this for a while and many of his recent admits are working on it as well, so they are funded through the program and not through the graduate school. That being said, I have a person in my cohort who is working with McCormick. I can connect you if you'd like. https://sohp.fas.harvard.edu/

If it is lecture based, I typically bring a notebook and pen and put down some scribbles. For discussions and seminar style classes, I bring a notebook but I don't take notes. I just jot down any ideas, books, people, etc, that I find important. Most likely the theory and methods course, much like my "Writing History" course in the upcoming semester, will be a series of discussions about the reading material assigned that day. In that case, I typically take detailed notes, usually one or two sentences per page, and then a chapter summary. Of course, all of this depends on the amount assigned. I'll write better notes if it is only one book compared to three.

Anyone at Northwestern University visiting?

Haha, same! I have an honors thesis to write, archives to go through, and man, it is tough. Although there is a great sense of stability that I feel now.

Who did you write to work with? I'm visiting the department next week - I can feel out some specific people if you'd like me to.

This is a somewhat off topic question, but is it ever okay to ask a prof who wrote you a letter of recommendation to look at it after you receive notification from graduate school?

Go with the one who funds, that being School B, unless you hear back on funding from School A. I'm sure they would offer funding for the PhD at School A, so it might be the MA you'd have to pay for. In this case, I would recommend School B. One, you'll get funded, and if they fund for an MA, that usually indicates that there is other money there (research assistant, more chances to TA for extra cash, etc) for MA students. Two, it'll probably give you more flexibility if you are still wanting to change fields. From what I know about MA to PhD programs is that you start the beginnings of your diss in your MA or at least work on some foundations for it. Even if School B isn't that hot on medieval/early modern, an MA is mostly just classes & I'm sure you could probably do an independent study or two on a specific history that isn't offered there.

I heard back from Harvard - admitted w/funding. To my knowledge they have sent out all their admits, waitlists, and rejections.

Got waitlisted at UMD as an "alternate for funding and admission." Nice but my blood shines crimson now. Has anyone else heard back from UMD? I specifically applied to work with David Freund.

Good information - and interesting/useful comments - and my dilemma is this: part of being an legalization activist is also being open (not loud) about your drug use in a movement to normalize it. Of course, it never be a thing I'd eagerly bring up in conversation say with a staff member or my adviser, but with my colleagues, it be the same way I'd discuss alcohol. Additionally, I think legalization in Massachusetts makes for a different attitude than say in Texas or New Mexico. And @Sigaba very true regarding drug usage and the possible or sometimes even likely effects on your studies. In the case I'm thinking of, it be similar to take a weekend or a day off and relaxing, but with cannabis. And I'm not sure about Harvard. I'd assume that the stick goes further up. Going to working class oriented university, I've found that most of my professors have been very open about their recreational usage. I think that is an intersection of the 'student ghetto' and strong counterculture in the neighborhood that surrounds my university and that we've been known to historically harbor faculty that are way more sympathetic and engaged in those lifestyles. But, I'm sure I'll have to adjust that perspective a lot when it comes time to go to the Ivy.

Haha, I've only been admitted to graduate school for a few weeks now and I have discovered this.

Hello everybody! This is a sort of an odd question, but with cannabis legalization & decriminalization along with the progressive acceptance of recreational use, I'm wondering how that flows in graduate school. Of course, I'm not speaking to actively smoking a joint in your department lobby, but among grad students & professors, what is the overall feel about this? Specifically when it comes to graduate student recreational or medical use. I've been a member of Students for Sensible Drug Policies for a while now, so I've always felt that my opinions on drug usage have been far more liberal than most people's, but I've been surprised at a few responses recently. In short, is going home with a few colleagues and sparking a spliff as normal (or getting that way) as leaving class and getting drunk at the bar? Also - my apologies if I am breaking a rule on this forum/website my discussing drug usage.