cliopatra

I'm starting this thread again for those waiting it out for the 2012 application season. It's going to be a long 4-6 months!

Check out this thread it is extremely helpful (especially for #3). as to the recommended length: you could as the director of graduate studies of the specific program as to what an appropriate length would be. At the schools I have been looking at, I haven't seen anything over over 2000 words. When in doubt, ask!

I can see how it would look like you're not trusting their judgement, but at the same time, it's crucial to know if it will be a strong letter. I guess what this means is that before they even get started on the letter, like you said, ask them if it's going to be strong. If not, then don't bother. When I asked for letters while applying for my M.A. I asked them in general what the letters would say. I didn't feel like it was out of line and based on their responses, they were happy to oblige.

Can you explain how it is rude to ask the professor if they can give you idea of the contents of his/her letter? I don't think it's rude at all, in fact, the professor should be telling the student what is in that letter because their future is at stake. If the letter won't be strong then that saves everyone some time. The student can find another letter-writer and the professor doesn't have to write a mediocre letter. Or maybe it will be a sign that it's not a good idea to apply to grad school if you're finding it hard to get strong letters.

Yes I think you should leave it sealed. There's a huge debate about whether students should have the right to see their letters (personally I think they should). A thoughtful letter reccomender will let you see it, I think. But if it is sealed leave it this way as you said, honour his wishes. You have every right to go talk to this person and ask if they can give you an idea of what they said about you. There's a certain amount of trust that goes with recommendation letters and you would be breaking that if you opened the letter (it's different when they leave it unsealed it means you are free to see it). Be up-front about your intentions as should they: you want to know if this letter gives you a shot at being accepted, and they should tell you honestly if they think you're grad school material. Saves everyone from wasting their time. "I would be happy to" is a good sign usually.

goldie I received one the other day saying how they had too many PhD students, but they forwarded my e-mail to another prof who was delighted to hear from me and is willing to take me on. Can you ask that prof to refer you to someone else in their dept? or would that person be the obvious choice? If you really like the school/dept. why not ask?

Good luck to those writing GREs! Finally heard back from 3/6 inquiries. Feeling a lot better about this process today.

Does anyone have dyslexia? I chose to keep it to myself but I find I'm balancing feelings of having to explain why I have so many typos/incorrect vocabulary in my writing, and not wanting to need special treatment. I think most profs. understand it's human nature and like teachgrad said, let us off the hook for a few typos. I'm definitely not going to send a follow up to potential prof 'sorry I'm dyslexic excuse my incorrect wording/typos.' I know it's wrong that I'm worried about how I will be perceived, but I still keep it to myself. In academia you never know how you will be accepted despite having learning challenges.

thanks mae. the one I completed is for the uni. where I did my M.A. so I know I'll have a supervisor there! I keep hearing that if you don't secure potential supervisors before you apply, there's a good chance you will not be accepted as a random "hey where did you come from?" applicant. I'll keep y'all posted if they reply! *crossing fingers*

Friends, I'm feeling pretty crappy right now. I sent out about 6 inquiries to potential supervisors at different schools this week, and so far I haven't heard back from anyone. sigh. I know I'm probably worrying too much and it's only been a week. It's also a crazy time of year. This is only the beginning how am I going to handle 6-8 more months of this!

For my M.A. apps I ended with "Your department is an excellent milieu in which to pursue my interests because..." Hope this helps!

I wrote a potential supervisor a few weeks ago and realized after I hit send that I had an obvious typo. I wrote "I interested in studying..." instead of "I am interested in studying..." He wrote me back regardless and probably realized that I'm only human! But yeah, I felt like a tool after realizing I had done that. Happens to the best of us!

Oh and take comfort in knowing that almost everyone in that room is a little nervous too!

I hear ya. This is a class that just started right? Or has this been a problem before? Maybe when the novelty of the class setting dies down you will feel more comfortable expressing yourself? I would like to think some professors are aware of issues like this for students and will take this into consideration when handing out grades. Do you write really strong papers? Another thing to remember is that you don't always have to be talking/thinking about what to say. Slow doesn't = bad. People think differently and whatever conclusions you come to in your head are not less or more valuable if they took 10 minutes to get at instead of 2 minutes. I think you can contribute more with sparse but really insightful and original comments rather than chiming in with whatever is on your mind every time the discussion takes another direction. If this is performance anxiety, like any other fear I think the more you face it the easier it will become!

please don't be upset! It's only one course. I applied for my MA with B pluses in two history courses. Are you in grad school right now? If you're worried about applying with a B+ on your UG transcript, it won't hurt you.

From my understanding in most Canadian departments a a thesis is a larger paper usually over 100 pages, comprised of chapters and entails a much broader scope. There is a defense following presentation of the thesis to the department. A research essay is not a thesis. It is a paper usually in the 35-60 page range meant to be published as an article once the MA is complete. Some MA programs have essay streams (usually 1yr) and thesis streams (2yrs). Writing a research essay involves more coursework in most programs. I think this depends on the department. I've also seen mediocre or average students get As or do really well because grades are inflated in grad programs. Just because they're in grad school doesn't mean most of them are hardworking and really smart. Now I don't see their written assignments but I hear them in class. Most people who brag about their grades usually are doing the worst. So I guess this goes back to my original question: how do you know if your grades are fair? How do you find out where you rank in comparison with your colleagues? Yes and I think this is how it should be. I'm not disputing my A minuses I deserved them. Just wanted to get a feel for what other people in different departments think about their grading system and the value of an "A." What about the A+? I've seen it on assignments but never as a final grade in Humanities.

Everyone learns and processes information differently. Know your learning style and harness it to your advantage. They might have skimmed the book for the most relevant passages/arguments. Or maybe they read book reviews prior to class. Do you know how to gut a book? There are different strategies on getting the information you need in a timely fashion so that when you come to class you have a grasp of some of the material and are able to follow/participate. Some of them look like they're into it but they might be daydreaming. Others might be spewing out BS that they pulled out of their asses. What's giving you trouble following? Are you having trouble with the material in general or do you have issues with concentration? Are you doing most of your readings before class? I know it's hard to get everything done, and sometimes it's unrealistic, but you really should be skimming through most of the material, at least. For the courses that you don't prepare for, that's your fault (and we've all done that from time to time no judgment here). Doesn't mean you have to read page by page but are you taking notes while you read? Does taking notes help you to remember the material? Maybe your classmates are better at thinking spontaneously. Maybe you need take more time to process the readings and to come up with points and questions before class? Part of you feeling like you're not following or learning anything might be performance anxiety. I had that and I know what it's like to feel like you're not contributing anything to the discussion, despite having prepared before class.

Thanks for replying. It's a two year program. No thesis, internship (no grade just satisfactory), heavy coursework, and a 40 page research essay (which is a course on its own and is like a mini-thesis). In all, I had 9 courses the research essay included as one. The 10th "credit" is my internship. The program I'm in is very competitive it's only offered as an MA, but the department admits only 6-9 students per year. I think something around 50-60 usually apply. It's hard to get in but our department is not known as being tough on grades. I think we're normal. It was a lot harder to earn an A compared to my UG department, but then again this is grad school and it's a totally different ball game. I think you and dimanche are right, basically have to focus on what I can control. Can't change these grades and I think I meet almost all (or sometimes am above) the requirements for PhD programs I will be applying to. I am very self-critical (as most grad students are) and those little minuses remind me that I could have done a little bit better! I find it very strange how some departments offer number grades whereas others letters. I'm sure this hurts some students who are applying and have to have their grades converted over to another system. It looks nice seeing all those As on the transcript but when you calculate that into a 4.0 scale it amounts to 3.7 or 3.8 I believe.

That's something I worry about too. My rule is to always let the person with higher status take the lead when it comes to informality. For example, if you're not sure how to address someone in person or in e-mail, check their signature. Super formal with the titles and position? Stick with Dr./Prof. Did they sign with their full name? I would still use Dr./Prof. Did they sign first name only and the signature doesn't appear? You can call them by their first name. But never be the first to do so. Wait for their lead.

What are your opinions on getting an A- in History grad programs? I've been hearing different things. Some profs tell us that an A- is great, and others that an A- means you're doing okay but really should be getting As. An A isn't really given out in our dept unless work is top-notch (which I agree with). So it's really hard to earn an A. I hear from people in other programs in various departments that As are expected and usually given. Seems there are large discrepancies. B + is a warning sign. So what's the deal with A-? Reason I ask is because I'm going to apply to PhD programs (Canada) and have finished the M.A. with four A minuses and five As. Is this good? I don't know what my classmates are getting we've maintained a friendly policy of just not sharing grades with each other. Thanks.

nutrition chart

I'm also worrying and haven't even submitted any apps yet. What do you think we're all worried about? Possible rejections? Or having to wait several months to find anything out? What's on your minds?

young blood