LucasL

Has anybody heard back from Notre Dame? The waiting is killing me.

Just heard back from Rice. They waitlisted me. Do you guys think it is a lost cause or I still having chances to get that spot? I hope to have more luck with Notre Dame.

Just submitted my two applications: Notre Dame and Rice. Now I just need to focus on my M.A. thesis and don't freak out.

@OHSP I have decided to apply a little bit late this year, so only two professors answered my e-mails (the professors I thought would not responding me). If I did not succeed this year, in the next I'll seriously consider take a look at more schools. At NYU professor Sibylle Fischer would be a great fit for me. @APThank you for the advice!! Actually I'm receiving advice from several people who are already attending graduate schools in the US. My e-mails are being carefully written accordingly with the formal demands that are current in the US. Maybe I did not email professors that would be a perfect fit for me. I confess that I did email professors whose research object is Hispanic American colonial societies. There are not so many professors in the US working with Early Modern Portugal and/or colonial Brazil. I'm sure being a foreigner studying in the US is a challenge. Where are you from?

Yes, but if my applications do not work within this cycle, I can try again next year. Update: Just received my TOEFL scores - 103 (25 - Reading; 28 - Listening; 26 - Speaking; 24 - Writing). Do you think that such TOEFL scores could help me about my low GRE scores? Rice has a minimum of 90 on TOEFL, Notre Dame has a minimum of 80 with at least 23 on the Speaking section.

I will explain what I pretend to do in my dissertation throughout my SOP.

I'm working hard on it. I did not applied to NYU because the professor I e-mailed from there did not answered me. I'm only applying to schools whose professors answered my e-mails. My research interests spins towards intelectual History within the Habsburg empire between 1580-1640. Why this timeframe? As my focus is Early Modern Portugal, this period has extreme political importance. Portugal, between 1580-1640, was absorbed into the Spanish empire as one of its autonomous parts (like Catalunia and Holland). My idea is to study political debates held between Portuguese, Luso-Brazilian and Spanish intellectuals in order to legitimate their own points. Portuguese intellectuals rose between 1580-1640 in defense of the Portuguese independence in relation to Spain. Spanish intellectuals, however, responded the Portuguese intellectuals' arguments with their own. Those debates were mostly, as far as I know, on what was a just rulership, the source of legitimation of kings and governments, etc.

Do I have any chance? Hi, guys! My research interests are pretty unusual when it comes to the historiography produced in the US: The Early Modern Luso-Atlantic world, specifically the political and intellectual History of that time-geographic frame. I'll apply to the Ph.D. in History programs of Notre Dame and Rice University this year. I'm very excited about my chances, although my low GRE scores (149 Verbal, 145 Quant, 3.5 AWA). Luckily Notre Dame neither Rice has minimum requirements for GRE scores. My applications strenghts are: I- 4 years of research experience (both funded and voluntary) II- Teaching experience III- Strong recomendation letters from professors with whom I work very closely with IV- Fluent Portuguese (mother tongue) and Spanish V- Advanced Latin reading skills VI- Overall undergrad GPA 3.0 VII- Pursuing a M.A. with excellent grades VIII- Already contacted the professors that I want to work with and they encouraged me to apply. One of them I met in person here in Rio de Janeiro, and we had a terrific two hour long conversation (the professor from Rice). Anyone applying to Notre Dame and/or Rice?