vanasme

I'm a history of science person! Specifically, I'm interested in studying the history of medicine... we'll see what happens with the results of my applications to know if it's even a possibility!

I believe the University of Minnesota has sent out their notices via email... I was rejected .

Wow... this has really spun out of control... Anyways, the only thing I did was report it to the head of my department. I didn't want to be a "tattle-tell" at other universities because we applied to some of the same places. What I MIGHT do is let the University that accepts her know (anonymously) and let them deal with it. What would REALLY set me over the edge is if she is accepted somewhere that I am denied... So I guess I'm just playing the waiting game right now.

I'm finishing the grueling task of filling out applications for Masters programs (a masters in the History of Medicine/Science and Technology) and like most applicants, I'm just wondering how I compare. Here's some basic numbers: Cumulative GPA: 3.61 History GPA: 3.68 GRE Verbal: 510 GRE Math: 730 GRE AW: 4.5 To go into further detail, I think that my GPA is ok - not outstanding, but not horrible either. I know that weakest part of my application is quite obviously my verbal score on the GRE. I'm taking it again in a couple of weeks and I firmly believe that I'll do better this time... I've been memorizing vocab and going over analogies like mad! I can honestly say that the analytical writing score was a shocker, but I've really tried to figure out EXACTLY what the readers are looking for and I think I'll do better the second time around. My main concern at this point is not necessarily my GRE score (I really believe I can do much better the second time around), but that the rest of my application doesn't seem to make up for my lackluster test scores. I'm graduating this upcoming May, but I'm graduating a year early and consequently, I had to smash a lot of things into 3 years that most people complete in 4 years. Do you think that the admissions committees will look at this favorably? I think I have a pretty strong writing sample and personal statement (both have been read by a trustworthy professor and he says they are strong), but I really don't haven't anything to show for my History major other than my grades... I haven't presented at any conferences or worked with a professor on his/her research or had any sort of internship. Are any of these things going to affect my ability to get into fairly competitive MA programs? (There are very FEW History of Medicine programs and consequently, they're very competitive). Also, I was recently selected to participate in a fairly competitive seminar offered by leading historians in my city, but by taking the seminar, I'm making my life A LOT more difficult scheduling wise... and by a lot more difficult I mean nearly impossible. With this being my last semester, I have to squeeze in quite a bit of unfinished graduation requirements and unfortunately, the seminar is 6 credit hours instead of your standard 3 credit hours, which cuts into the time I have to take other classes. Would taking the seminar really strengthen my application? I don't think it will because I won't even have started the seminar when my applications are due, but maybe it would be helpful to say I was selected and will begin in January...? Any thoughts? If I didn't take the seminar, I could take a history of medicine course... which would be an AMAZING opportunity because the history of medicine is RARELY taught at the undergraduate level... it's the first time its ever been taught at my university and the only course in my city. I also don't know if taking this class would at all affect my graduate school applications, but I don't know if I can pass up the opportunity to take the class! Finally, I think my letters of recommendation are fine, but I don't exactly think they're glowing either. The professors I asked all knew of my work in the classroom and I'm assuming they wrote favorably about my potential for graduate level work, but I do not believe that the letters offered anything too personal and I'm nervous that they're "cookie cutter" letters. Unfortunately, I did not decide that I wanted to go to grad school until pretty late in the game (at the start of the summer) and I didn't really have a lot of time to get to know my professors before I had to ask them to write me a letter of recommendation. So what do you think? How does my application look? Are there any last minute recommendations? Should I take the seminar class or the history of medicine class?

Just a quick update... I informed the head of my department and he said that he would look into it... To be honest, it seemed like he didn't believe me or that I was only saying something because I was jealous... It was very strange. Hopefully he was just having a bad day. In other news, I prodded my classmate about her forgery and she stated that "well, I wasn't stupid enough to use professors that still teach here" AHHHHH I wish I had this conversation recorded! I don't know why she keeps telling me things... I guess she just thinks she can trust me, bur really she's just digging herself into a deeper hole! I'm still undecided on whether or not to contact the schools that she's applying to... maybe an anonymous letter...

I made an appointment to speak with the head of my department to give them a heads up about the whole thing... I can't sit by idly, but I don't want to inform other universities either... I just don't think it's my place to say anything. Hopefully the head of the department will take matters into his own hands. I'll let you guys know what he says!

Needless to say, I was APPALLED at what I heard and I definitely let her know...I would like to think that she'll get caught without my saying anything, but I'm going to be LIVID if she is actually accepted to schools that I applied to and am rejected from (which is pretty likely)... The thing is, she's an EXTREMELY intelligent woman, just socially awkward... which is why she had to make-up letters of recommendation. She's graduating with honors, has a 3.9 GPA, has an excellent writing sample and personal statement (I've read both), but ZERO people skills... I just hope she gets what she deserves for doing something so foolish... How often do universities actually check up on the veracity of letters of recommendation? Hopefully pretty often!!! I know that I had to provide email addresses for my professors... I wonder what on Earth she gave them!?

There is girl in many of my classes and this last semester, we've gotten fairly close. I wouldn't say we're best friends or anything, but we've hung out a couple of times outside class... mainly to discuss papers we're working on or to share class notes. Anyways, the other day we were both talking about grad school applications and the topic of letters of recommendation came up. I casually asked her who she asked and her response was "I actually didn't ask anyone... promise not to say anything?... I just made up my own letters of recommendation and signed the envelope with my professor's name... I mean, it's not like they'll know the difference and if I don't get into grad school I don't know what I'll do with my life..." At this point my jaw was literally down to the floor in disbelief!!! I couldn't believe what she had told me!!! I've worked VERY hard to form some form of a relationship with my professors this semester and I can't believe that she would do something so... crazy! So now what? We're applying to some of the same schools and I feel like I have an obligation to say something, but I don't want to seem like a "tattletale" to the universities I'm applying to... but the injustice of it all makes me want to scream! Is it likely that she'll just get caught? Ahhh I'm so annoyed at the nerve of this girl, but I don't know what I should or shouldn't do... ANY suggestions are welcome!

I took the GRE last weekend and I'm pretty upset with my scores... V470/Q730 (I haven't received my writing score, but I'll be surprised if I got lower than a 5). Although my quantitative score is high, my verbal score is abysmal... What's even worse is that I'm applying to History of Medicine (MA) programs that are highly competitive (there are only 4 worthwhile ones in the country) and with such a low verbal score, I'm sure my application won't even be looked at. I've always been a "math and science" person, but my interests lie in history, which is pretty unfortunate... Anyways, I need to improve my verbal score and I need to improve FAST. I obviously have to take the GRE again and it looks like I'll have to take it at the end of November to get my scores in time to submit my applications. Do you have any tips or suggestions on how to improve my verbal score? I used Kaplan's and Princeton Review's prep books, but they obviously weren't enough... I also bought a stack of 500 "commonly" used vocab on the GRE, but I think I saw 1 of the 500 words I memorized... ANY help is appreciated!!! P.S. At the end of the test, it asked for me to state which Universities I would like my scores sent to and I *stupidly* entered the four schools I'm applying to... Is this going to effect my acceptance chances even though I'm taking the GRE again? I know that the universities would still see my first score, but I'm assuming it would have been better for me to send my second set of scores (assuming that they're an improvement)... any thoughts?

^ If I could financially swing waiting a year and then applying I would... but I can't. If I go more than 6 months without being a full time student I have to start paying back my loans, something that I definitely won't be able to do! I have to stay in school basically until I can get a "real" job and can afford to start paying off the loans. (which is EXTREMELY frustrating!)

^ I wish I had a whole year I really only have until october because I need my applications in by November 1st (thats my personal goal). I'm planning on moving into their office... making myself very accessible haha. I don't really know what else to do, other than be an active member of their class... any other suggestions? Oh and if official deadlines are generally in January, is November 1st a good time to try to have all of my applications in? I've heard that I should ask for letters of recommendations MONTHS before I need them, but I don't have months If I ask by the 1st of October, is it realistic that they will have the letters in by November 1st? Thanks for all the help.

In general, how difficult is it to be admitted into a masters program in history (history of medicine specifically). I'm not thinking of going to Yale or any other ivy league, I'm looking at middle tier programs. I know that the difficulty depends on the school I'm applying to, but in general, what are the statistics I'll need to have to be admitted somewhere? I currently have a 3.6 overall GPA and a 3.6 in my history classes. I feel that my writing sample is pretty strong (it makes use of a lot of primary sources) and I believe I can write a strong statement of intent/purpose/whatever else universities call it. The problem is that since I decided so late in the game to look at graduate school (versus medical school) I really don't have any professors I feel comfortable asking for a letter of recommendation. I'm going to work on this as soon as classes start up in the fall so I'll at least have three professors to write letters of recommendation. I am concerned that the professors won't know me well enough to write anything other than a "formula" letter, but at this point I need to concentrate on finding professors that are willing to write me a letter of recommendation, anything is better than nothing. Also, I've decided to graduate a year early (I'm finishing in my undergrad in three years versus four) for financial reasons. I'm going into considerable debt to finish my undergrad and since it's possible for me to finish in three years, it really doesn't make sense for me to pay for a fourth year. Is that at all going to hurt or work to my advantage when applying to masters programs? I'm assuming it won't make much of a difference, but I'm just not sure. Thanks again for any help!

I would prefer that the program had the label "history of medicine" because it generally means that there is more support for the the degree, but it doesn't HAVE to have the label. ^I've seen this list before, but there are a lot more universities that offer a history of medicine program which is why my search is so difficult! ^Thanks for that - I've never seen it before!

I've finally decided that I'm going to get my masters in the history of medicine... now the question is WHERE to start looking!? I realize that Washington University in St. Louis and all of the major Ivy league schools have a History of Medicine program, but can anyone help me locate other universities? I've been just checking every (I'm not joking here - I really don't know where to begin) university that has a masters in history and then seeing if they have a history in medicine program as well. Any chance that a list of programs exists? I know it's a shot in the dark, but I guess it can't help to ask, especially at this point. ANY help is appreciated! P.S. I'm interested in programs in the U.S. AND Canada

When I came to college as a freshman I was a pre-med biology major... fast forward three years and I'm a history major, french minor. For my first year of college I was a biology major and pre-med. I eventually dropped the biology major and became a history major, added a french minor, but continued to be pre-med. After a couple rough semesters as a pre-med student, I've realized that I've lost my passion for medicine and I REALLY want to do something with history (be a professor - like 90% of all other history majors...). The problem is that I'm going to be senior and have only now realized that medicine just isn't for me and I feel way behind. Since I was taking so many classes for pre-med I haven't been able to concentrate on history as much as I would have liked. Therefore, I will have to use the summer after my senior year to finish up all requirements. I will still have my commencement ceremony in May, but I will still have 2 classes to finish up that following summer. My question is, how does that affect graduate school (I'm looking at masters programs right now), if at all. I will have finished my degree by the time I enter graduate school, but I'm not going to be done until the end of June... is that going to matter at all? Another concern of mine is that I really don't have any history professors that I would be comfortable asking for a letter of recommendation. Because I was so focused on medicine, I put all of my efforts into establishing relationships with my science professors and only talked to my history professors outside of class if I had a question about something mentioned in class, or questions I had on a paper I was writing. Therefore, I really don't think I had any lasting impressions on any of my history professors, so how do I find people to write my letters of recommendation? Do I just hope I can establish a relationship with my professors at the beginning of next year and ask them? I'm just frustrated because I have a true passion for history and I feel that I have a strong GPA (a 3.6 overall, some of the science classes killed me, and a 3.7 in my history courses) and a strong writing sample that uses a lot of primary sources. Since I'm a french minor I'm proficient (at least in reading) in another language which I'm sure will help. I also think that I will do well on the GRE, but since I've decided on history so late in the game I'm worried that it's just too late. I know that realistically it's not, but I'm just nervous because I feel that I've made up my mind so late. Finally, I really don't know where to begin looking for graduate programs. I'm looking at getting my masters first because I don't think that I would be admitted into a PhD program without extremely strong letters of recommendations, a higher GPA, and more "experience" like working with a professor or publishing. The problem is that since I'm so new at all of this I really don't know where to begin looking. I want to get my masters in Colonial American history, but I don't what to look for in a school to determine if it has a good colonial america program. I'm sure that this is a long stretch, but is there any sort of list that ranks graduate programs? I would REALLY prefer to stay in Chicago (I'm a student at Loyola University now) because I love the city and honestly couldn't imagine living anywhere else, but I know that I have to realistic and think about my future. I know that Loyola, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Depaul offer a masters in history (University of Chicago and Northwestern only have PhD programs), but I wouldn't consider Depaul and I'm pretty sure that Loyola doesn't specialize in Colonial American history so that pushes me towards to UIC, but I just don't know if they have a reputable program... Does anyone have any suggestions for Chicago or elsewhere? I'm willing to go anywhere in the U.S. that isn't the middle of nowhere - location is pretty important to me, I don't think I could survive somewhere with a population of 10 people... I'm also willing to go to Canada because I have a lot of family there (mainly in Ontario) and I know that in Canada you're MUCH more likely to be awarded a TA position as a masters student, which is almost unheard of in the U.S. and it's also a lot cheaper... I have a decent amount of debt from undergrad and I know that I'm going to into a lot more debt, but I have to REALLY look at cost as well... So I guess this post just show how confused I am on all of this and I would REALLY appreciate any advice! Thanks in advance!!!