khigh

I have had coffee with her a few times, been to consortium meetings with her, and she was my undergrad advisor's advisor. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't talk with her quite a bit these past few months.

I don't know about OP's ambitions, but I know I would be happy, ecstatic even, to teach at a regional university (Minnesota State Mankato, Cameron University in Lawton, Ok, University of Alaska-Anchorage and the like). From what I can see, there, a PhD from a "mid-tier" program is as good, if not better than, an Ivy education. Cameron, my alma mater, has 5 history professors. They are from OU (3), UMN, and Texas Tech. We had a guy from Vanderbilt for a year, but he had a one year contract and they didn't extend it.  I was on the hiring committee for university positions and one of their concerns was the COST of hiring an Ivy grad. Ivy grads typically demanded more pay in their applications. They also don't think they have the one-on-one classroom training like the state schools.  My largest class was capped at 30 students and upper division classes are capped at 20 (I had a class of 4 for Mediterranean history, 3 for French II). The hiring committee, and I, believed that there is a difference between a "research professor" and "teaching professor." How happy is a "research professor" going to be when the split is 75% teaching, 20% service, 5% research? Are they going to be happy sponsoring History Club and hosting movie nights? What about serving on a dozen university committees outside their field?

Anecdotally, I was able to afford ONE application. $300 with the GRE is a lot when you are supporting yourself and a family.  That's a car payment and insurance, 1/3 of my rent, or groceries and gas for the month. I went without sending anyone Christmas presents this past year because Christmas money became GRE/App money. Thankfully, my family understood.

Had 'the talk' today with boyfriend about what happens if I don't get accepted to the history program.  Law school apps for the U aren't due until July, so that's plan B. I would be perfectly happy doing sports contract law and sports player management. I took the LSATs last year and scored very high, enough that I meet all the requirements to get into law school with no problems.
I'm much less stressed with having a logical backup plan.

Anecdotally, I was able to afford ONE application. $300 with the GRE is a lot when you are supporting yourself and a family.  That's a car payment and insurance, 1/3 of my rent, or groceries and gas for the month. I went without sending anyone Christmas presents this past year because Christmas money became GRE/App money. Thankfully, my family understood.

Anecdotally, I was able to afford ONE application. $300 with the GRE is a lot when you are supporting yourself and a family.  That's a car payment and insurance, 1/3 of my rent, or groceries and gas for the month. I went without sending anyone Christmas presents this past year because Christmas money became GRE/App money. Thankfully, my family understood.

I always go back to one from a few years ago when I need a laugh. I need to find it again, but it says "It's cold and they're mean" about the University of Minnesota.

Not in your field, but I just looked at my writing sample after reading through this.  I have one footnote with question marks instead of the date because I should have looked for a date later. I couldn't remember at the time of writing the paper if it was 1588 or 1589. In another part, I have a whole phrase left untranslated in the body of the paper.  The rest of it looks like this: ..."writing in English." 1 I really hope they see that the rest is correct, the topic is good, and that my translations are done well. I had reworked part of my paper before I submitted it and it just looks like I oopsed on that part.
1 Footnote or Ibid., The original reads:" ...writing in Early Modern Dutch"

Honestly, I went to a SLAC and my primary advisor wrote a total of one recommendation letter in 3 years. If I get into the one program I applied to, I will have to give a lot of credit to my writers. One was my advisor- I did an independent study/directed reading with him, he was the faculty advisor for many of my clubs, and I spent all four years in his office working on various projects. He is an alum of the program I am applying to. One was the department chair- I also worked closely with him and he was co-faculty advisor for clubs and I traveled with him to conferences. The third was the University President- I was Student Government Vice President my Junior Year and President my Senior Year, so I served on 15 university committees from Academic Appeals (actually did this one for four years) to President's Planning and Student Activities Funding and Faculty Senate as the student rep.
Do you know how difficult it is to craft relationships like that in four years? I was on campus 14-16 hours a day, especially in my last 2 years. They will be able to tell the adcomm exactly what my strengths and weaknesses are. Will other people have this kind of letter writer? No.  Many people would rather go to undergrad at a large state uni or an Ivy, but you aren't going to get the same relationships as at a SLAC. I graduated with 6 people in my program. 

I've been thinking about the order of phone calls I will make: boyfriend, undergrad advisor, parents in that order.  Then I would order mugs/tshirts for all of them. And then drink all the wine. 

For some reason, the first thing I thought of was the scene in The Red Violin with the girl in Maoist China during the Cultural Revolution. I think your area of interest is very intriguing! 

Now seriously, it is fine to have a good opinion of your program, but if you want to give advice to others, you have to be reasonable. To say that the two best programs for medieval science are Wisconsin and "perhaps" Harvard, somehow implying that Harvard is slightly worse than Wisconsin, is simply ridiculous. 

Stop trying to make Wisconsin happen, it's not going to happen.

Call everyone. Cry. Chug wine. Not necessarily in that order. 

Honestly, I went to a SLAC and my primary advisor wrote a total of one recommendation letter in 3 years. If I get into the one program I applied to, I will have to give a lot of credit to my writers. One was my advisor- I did an independent study/directed reading with him, he was the faculty advisor for many of my clubs, and I spent all four years in his office working on various projects. He is an alum of the program I am applying to. One was the department chair- I also worked closely with him and he was co-faculty advisor for clubs and I traveled with him to conferences. The third was the University President- I was Student Government Vice President my Junior Year and President my Senior Year, so I served on 15 university committees from Academic Appeals (actually did this one for four years) to President's Planning and Student Activities Funding and Faculty Senate as the student rep.
Do you know how difficult it is to craft relationships like that in four years? I was on campus 14-16 hours a day, especially in my last 2 years. They will be able to tell the adcomm exactly what my strengths and weaknesses are. Will other people have this kind of letter writer? No.  Many people would rather go to undergrad at a large state uni or an Ivy, but you aren't going to get the same relationships as at a SLAC. I graduated with 6 people in my program. 

So FYI this is the way most state schools work. Those with nominations to university-level funding tend to find out about a week before those receiving department-level funding.

Freak out begins today.  First person just posted on the survey that they got accepted to the program I applied to. 

I hope so.  It looks like the past few years, they have sent out acceptances over a few days and then rejections after that.  I want this more than anything.

Freak out begins today.  First person just posted on the survey that they got accepted to the program I applied to. 

Honestly, I went to a SLAC and my primary advisor wrote a total of one recommendation letter in 3 years. If I get into the one program I applied to, I will have to give a lot of credit to my writers. One was my advisor- I did an independent study/directed reading with him, he was the faculty advisor for many of my clubs, and I spent all four years in his office working on various projects. He is an alum of the program I am applying to. One was the department chair- I also worked closely with him and he was co-faculty advisor for clubs and I traveled with him to conferences. The third was the University President- I was Student Government Vice President my Junior Year and President my Senior Year, so I served on 15 university committees from Academic Appeals (actually did this one for four years) to President's Planning and Student Activities Funding and Faculty Senate as the student rep.
Do you know how difficult it is to craft relationships like that in four years? I was on campus 14-16 hours a day, especially in my last 2 years. They will be able to tell the adcomm exactly what my strengths and weaknesses are. Will other people have this kind of letter writer? No.  Many people would rather go to undergrad at a large state uni or an Ivy, but you aren't going to get the same relationships as at a SLAC. I graduated with 6 people in my program. 

You don't know what is going on with their life or how they got their money. Maybe they worked in undergrad.  Maybe their parents do help.  Maybe they have been saving for awhile. Maybe they have someone to split the bills with.  I don't see how it is productive to spend time comparing yourself to them or judging them.

Judging by the past years on the survey, UMN should be sending acceptances this next week after MLK Day. I’m already nervous. 

Judging by the past years on the survey, UMN should be sending acceptances this next week after MLK Day. I’m already nervous. 

Judging by the past years on the survey, UMN should be sending acceptances this next week after MLK Day. I’m already nervous. 

If you're looking to an MA as a stepping stone for a PhD, no, there are not any online-only programs that I would recommend.