histori041512

Another update from Michigan. Looks like the department might only take students who are eligible for a specific fellowship that the graduate school splits with the History department. Usually that is around 4 students but this past cycle it was 6.

Michigan is planning to accept some students for Fall 2021 but not a full cohort. No clue on how many students or for what areas. There were a lot of European historians in the Fall 2020 cohort so I am not sure if they plan to accept more in the coming year.

Haven't heard anything official but it sounds like some might be 100% online while others could be hybrid.

I am also moving to Ann Arbor. I've found a complex but haven't signed my lease yet. I am planning to negotiate the rent price down given that I've already heard from at least one professor I am taking a class from that it will be mostly online. I think Michigan is likely looking at offering two options this fall: 100% online option for students who want it or hybrid online/on campus courses for smaller courses/grad classes and classes with labs. You can always request a virtual tour of apartments. My landlord showed my current place and she just walked through and showed the potential renter via video call.

I don't have information about your program but you will love Montclair. I grew up there and it is beautiful and a great location. Housing might be expensive if you want to live closer to the center of town. I hope you enjoy it there.

Anyone currently attending: what, if anything, are you hearing about coronavirus provisions for Summer and Fall in your program? I know the university I work for right now has made all summer classes online out of precaution and the departments seem to be in a major state of disarray. I've seen post on here and Reddit where people are worried about funding, admissions revocations, classes starting on time, and all that jazz.

I am a sucker for war movies. Some of the ones I recommend are Letters from Iwo Jima, A Testament of Youth, '71, Hacksaw Ridge, and Dunkirk. Derry Girls is a hilarious comedy about a group of friends living in Derry during the Troubles in the 90s. I am also a fan of Peaky Blinders, The Crown, The People vs. OJ Simpson, and Band of Brothers. There is also an infinite list of documentaries I love too.

Haven't been to NYU but unless you have $60,000 to spend right now, you are better off taking the full ride and then redirecting your specialization back to your goals once you get into a PhD program. Don't go into so much debt when the job market is the way it is now. I am going straight into a PhD program but I applied for an area of study that wasn't a main focus in my undergrad research.

The grad program lead emailed yesterday to say they are offering students the option to defer to next year with all of their funding. He said it might be a good option for international students to consider. That could potentially get the waitlist moving.

Has anyone decided where they are going yet?

I totally agree that this is the right decision. As I am on the East side of Washington state/western Idaho, I am concerned about getting sick myself but I'm more concerned about getting other more vulnerable people sick.

I work at WSU and can answer any questions you have about it or the area. I work with the grad school and one of my coworkers is in the History PhD program now.

I am reaching out to some current students today. The director of the graduate program said that would be a good option for us and that they will be having teleconference meetings on the other information they wanted to share with all of us who were coming.

You should try asking in the History forum. There are some people there who have experience with MAPSS and can give you advice on funding.

I am pretty set on Michigan but I really did want to see the town and meet the cohort and other grad students. I was planning to try to scope out a potential roommate. I'll have to start looking at Facebook groups so something now.