chelsea_soccer

So, I wasn't sure where to post this question exactly, but this forum seems as good as any. Basically, I am wondering what responsibilities schools that accept an applicant have toward that applicant. Specifically, I am curious if they would accept an applicant without having a professor in the applicants interest area. I understand there may be differences between an MA program and a PhD program, but here's my basic situation: I applied and was accepted with a full funding fellowship to an MA program. Since it's an MA program and I specified on my statement of purpose which professor I thought most shared my interests, I didn't think to contact the specific professor I wanted to work with. When the graduate adviser spoke briefly with me about why I should go to his school he mentioned that I would most likely be working with that professor. Since then, I inadvertently became friends with a current MA student in that program who thinks that the professor I'm hoping to work with is due for sabbatical this year or next year. Would the school accept me if this is the case? And if so, will they feel obligated to find a suitable replacement for me to work with or am I on my own? It's a fairly small program and I think that the professor there whose interests would be the next closest to my own are not very close at all so I'm kind of worried. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks

Thanks for the information! One of my advisers at my current school said something similar to me when I was going through the decision process. I hope to follow a similar path as you did.

I've only been poking around on these forums for a little while, but they seem pretty awesome. I rather wish I had found them a few years ago. Anyway, I noticed that there are lots of academic high-rollers here going to and applying to top ten programs. I think that's great and I hope for those people 100% success except for when they're competing for the same spots of jobs as me in the future (because I'll most likely lose LOL). I was just wondering how many people on here attend or are planning to attend regular state universities for graduate school (specifically history)? What was/is your experience like? Is there anybody on the board who has gone to or knows about the history program at Utah State University? I'm starting there in the fall and I'd be very interested to hear about it. Thanks.

thanks for the help. Clearly nobody on this board is shy about continuing graduate student stereotypes. I found a sample of what a language exam might look like and i was wondering if anybody can verify that theirs was around the same difficulty level? If so, I'm no longer worried. Thanks. http://www.indiana.edu/~best/examinations/spanish_placement.shtml

As an undergraduate I passed 4 semesters of spanish with Bs, and I've noticed that pretty much every MA and PhD program I look at says it requires language proficiency in a second language. I am studying early american history so I don't really plan on using that second language at all. In fact, I don't think I remember very much of what i learned and I'm really nervous how well I'll perform if they ask me to prove that I can still read spanish. Essentially, I am wondering if the MA programs will take a look at my undergrad transcript and say "yep, 4 semesters of spanish. Good enough, check." or if I'll have to take some sort of exam upon arrival? I guess if the latter is the case then I'll have to rosetta stone and try to brush up. Please help! and feel free to expand beyond the scope of my question if you know what I should be asking rather than what I am. Thanks!