[Can I get into a top History PhD program?]

This is not an exclusive forum, and Zeemore is quite qualified to advise the OP, as she has pointed out, more so than someone who is nominally in a history program (such as myself, or you, since you didn't deign to offer the OP any real advice pertaining to professors in the field). In any case the OP is in a stage where most general information is helpful.

And I think you should answer the question about why you thought one sentence in an informal post was the OP defining every aspect of his work in terms of his race and gender. Do you not hear the rest of us who say that is an exaggeration?

Also your implication that people who object to your tone just can't handle the "intense" debate culture of academia also is a bit off-base. It is possible to be both passionate and respectful, and your posts are generally not the latter. I find your elaboration, even parts I disagree with, interesting and worthwhile, but that doesn't excuse the fact that you hijacked a thread with a personal attack and then told one of the discussants with practical experience in the subject that she wasn't worthy to take part in the conversation because she is in a different field. Rude and unacceptable.

I really appreciate this qbtacoma, thank you.

[Can I get into a top History PhD program?]

ZeeMore21--

You have, again, misread a post. My comments were directed at those members of this BB who want to study history at the graduate level in a history department. (Hence, my emphasis on the word "history".)

• Why are you offering advice/guidance in a forum for history and in a thread asking about admissions to a doctoral program in history?
  
• Is it your actual experience that getting into a doctoral program in English is the same as getting into one in history?
  
• Do the conventions on an internet BB translate into the 'best practices' of professional academic history?
  

Given that your last post was headed with "Zeemore," I understood your entire post as directed toward me, my mistake.

Given that this is a public forum, I can give advice anywhere I feel like I am able to. It is because I disagree with you that you now have an issue with me being in a field outside of History...and you have yet to explain why you made such a generalization of the OP's post. Because the OP is studying African American history, and I study this in combination with African American cultural studies, yes, I am qualified to give advice.Because I am familiar with the professors the OP mentioned, again, I thought I could be helpful. And since I have had a successful admissions year, I am very eager to give any tips I can to help others in any way. Obviously, people don't have to take my advice if they don't think it would be helpful, but that doesn't mean I won't give advice in the first place. I actually don't see how my advice is less helpful than yours, if we can even call that your initial post advice in the first place. I responded directly to what the OP was asking. I don't think you would disagree with advice I gave in a previous post to the OP, that one's personal statement and writing sample is important. Whether it is a English graduate program or a History graduate program, this is advice can be helpful.

I am not saying that what is found on this forum is the model for how one should conduct themselves in an academic setting. However, I do understand that this is pretty much an informal setting, and people usually let down their guard here.

[Can I get into a top History PhD program?]

Consequently, if a direct question about why someone describes himself a certain way strikes you as too strident, you may want to reconsider your field of study. Otherwise, you might prepare yourself for the possibility that, somewhere along the line, someone is going to ask you a question you dislike, you don't understand, you don't know how to answer, or you don't find relevant. How you address that question (or avoid answering that question) is going to shape how others regard you as a historian.

I actually don't believe I need to rethink what field I am in, I will be just fine. Yes, I do find connections between my identity and what I study, and I also have the academic credentials to establish myself in my field.

Like I said in the post you just quoted, I was curious as to why you felt that race and identity "figured so prominently" in the OP's post...though the OP only mentioned it briefly. I thought your statement was a gross generalization of the OP's post. The main point of the OP's post was to ask for advice about his qualifications, perhaps he used his identity and gender as a simple introduction....I have seen countless posts on this forum where posters new to GradCafe introduce themselves giving basic, personal information.

To add on to what you just said, I also think that how you ask a question is just as important.

[Can I get into a top History PhD program?]

And also...I doubt that if the OP did decide to include his background in a personal statement that he would start his personal statement the way he started his original post. There are ways to discuss your background creatively and intellectually in your personal statement, where you are drawing interesting connections between your background and your research interests.

And Strangelight, I definitely do understand what you are trying to say...I just think that Sigaba came off very rude. Race and gender actually took up one short line in the OP's initial post...there was no reason to accuse the OP of filling up his entire post with his identity. That clearly isn't true. If Sigaba was actually curious about why the OP introduced himself the way he did, there could have been a non-accusatory way of asking a question...and I am sure the OP could have provided an explanation if he wanted to.

[Can I get into a top History PhD program?]

others can advise you on specific people to work with much better than i can, because this is outside my field, but i'll throw this out there for anyone:

i am not sure how wise it is to mention personal details or life history as a motivation for subject of study in your SOP. i'm not saying it's bad, i'm saying i'm definitely not sure if it's a positive or a negative. some professors and programs probably like to see some sort of personal connection between the applicant and the topic, but in my limited experience in grad school (two years in), saying "this is important to me because it's part of my family history" is usually taken as a negative in an SOP. not because we shouldn't or can't have those personal connections, but because it seems unprofessional and less serious than "i hope to contribute to and alter this historiographical debate."

i've seen far more applications crash and burn on the "this is my personal history" SOPs than i've seen succeed. that's not to say you can't mention it in an SOP or that it's a death knell, but... i think the more cautious approach is to include that sort of information in private conversations with PAs and to leave it out of the SOP itself. just my two cents on that.

as far as the OP identifying himself, i took sigaba's comment to mean that it was interesting that the OP chose to identify himself at all. those details don't change any of the advice or the shape of his project or his desired academic aims. at the same time, most of these threads are filled with superfluous information. to the OP in particular, there are probably university fellowships reserved for minority applicants (i know this is the case in my own program) so i think mentioning race and/or gender should occur somewhere in your application so that you're eligible for these, but i would strongly avoid including this information in your SOP. you can study the impact of the civil war on black women's rights while being black, white, male, female, etc. my sense is, again from my own limited experience, that adcoms will react to the inclusion of this material in your SOP more like sigaba did ("why is this information relevant?") than how many others have.

so... in sum... any personal or identity-related connections to anyone's topic are valid and legitimate and probably worth mentioning in an informal setting, but i'd strongly discourage including any of this information in an SOP.

I guess this is all on a case by case basis. Personally, I don't think that addressing one's identity or background should only be constricted to "informal settings"...I don't really think that there really has to be this binary of formal/informal...and I don't know how helpful this binary is to begin with. Perhaps you could elaborate on that Strangelight. I actually did include my identity in the opening of my personal statement, because it was important enough to be there. I am a child of West African immigrants, and this background definitely led to my interest in black migration studies. I initially was too embarrassed to include my background in my personal statement, but my adviser actually encouraged me to include it. My identity actually has been a significant part in my intellectual development and academic growth, so I definitely think it was wise and helpful to include it in my personal statement. Given that I had a fairly successful application season this year, I don't think including my identity in my statement was negative.

[Finding a Significant Other while in Graduate School]

Oh, I completely agree that there are definitely advantages to someone outside of academia, but it's just been my experience that some of my friends partners don't realize that we do more work than the 12 hours we spend literally teaching, or that grading is actually HELLISH work, or that academic and intellectual pursuit is worthwhile even if "only a handful of people are going to read it." Also, it's extremely nice to have the same vacation schedules because I know that a friend of mine who is engaged to a lawyer hates that she has so much time off for Christmas and summer but they can't do a lot of vacationing together because he doesn't get that much time off.

Definitely! I have friends outside of school who don't understand that reading and writing actually take time....they assume that studying English Lit is a piece of cake. I think you advice definitely encourages me not to shut all doors...perhaps dating someone outside of my field might be something to think about. Thanks for your help!

[Finding a Significant Other while in Graduate School]

I do understand Timshel

I would like to add, from my own experience, that dating someone outside of academia can be difficult in itself, which is why many of us inter-marry. (not necessarily in the same field/department, but academia nonetheless) It is hard for an outsider to understand the stress and pressure that goes into grad school and the job, and they often don't understand our "work." They think we only have to "work 12 hours a week" or only have to "write a paper." My husband is also a graduate student, and it has helped that we both understand what is asked of us. It also helps that we have the same schedules. Many of my friends who aren't with people in academia list the differences in their careers as a huge issue in their relationships--it's just hard to understand our work from the outside looking in.

I actually only have experience dating others from school, which is why I am thinking that dating outside of school might be something I should think about. While someone from academia might understand what I am going through as a doctoral student, I am also sure that there are people in the outside world who can also be sympathetic. Again, because I don't have experience dating outside of school, I am leaning towards meeting people who are not in academia. I know that for myself, I do get caught up in everything school-related, and forget that there are people who actually exist outside of academia who are just as smart, interesting, fun, and intelligent as those who are in academia.

[Text books - where to get them?]

For the most part, I use Amazon to purchase school books. If there is a book I need that I know for sure that I will not keep it, I borrow the book from the library.

[Has anyone lost a parent or someone close to them while in grad school?]

Thank you all for your kind words and support. I would also like to extend my sympathy to all who have lost someone.

BassAZ, I found most of your post to be kind, but saying the death of someone who meant more to me than anyone else in the world is a "blip" in my life is callous, and insulting to the memory of my mother. If I lived to be 1000 years old, and the time I spent with my mother was a fraction of my life instead of a significant proportion of it, losing her and the grief that comes with that loss would still be much more than a "blip".

Hi lantern, I really am so sorry about your loss. I definitely agree that the grief you have over loosing someone is not a blip.....I lost my grandmother 7 years ago, for example, and I think that grief can be circular....there will be things that trigger a sharp feeling of grief even now, especially with all of my memories.

I guess the only advice I can give you is that yes, the grieving process will be hard, but definitely make sure to share this grief with others...talk to a counselor, or a pastor if you attend a church, a mentor/adviser, or even your friends and family. Don't try to do the healing process by yourself.

[Finding a Significant Other while in Graduate School]

Thanks for the advice everyone, really. While I do know of people finding successful relationships online, I don't think online dating is for me. I think I will just stick with meeting people through social activities.

[How many is "too many"?]

Hello, all!

So I've been having discussions with family members and friends regarding my horrible intelligent decision to apply to a Ph.D. program this year, and I brought up that I am applying to 8. Usually I get the "WOW, that's a lot!" reply. So, I cut it down to (possibly) 6 (it's hard to let go of #7). How many are you all applying to? Is 6/7/8 too many?

Thanks!

Since you are applying to doctoral programs, but if so, I would say that you should add about 4 or 5 more schools to your list. Given how competitive graduate admissions have become, applying to only 6 schools would be a bit risky in my opinion.

[Finding a Significant Other while in Graduate School]

UnlikelyGrad is absolutely right. One of my colleagues came to town single just over two years ago and married her (now) husband yesterday. She met him by getting involved with a local church that had a young adult group that organizes regular get-togethers. Another colleague met a long-term boyfriend through a community yoga group.

Thanks for providing some examples runonsentence! I definitely feel a lot more optimistic now : )

[Finding a Significant Other while in Graduate School]

Get involved in some activity outside of school--church, special interest group, volunteer community service group, you name it. I'm one of those people who has their finger in several pies at once and I've met a LOT of really cool men this way. Didn't do me a lot of good for many years because I wasn't single then--but I can see that my "getting involved" habit is really going to pay off now that I am back on the market.

I really love this idea...thanks!

[Finding a Significant Other while in Graduate School]

Hi everyone,

I normally stay away from very personal topics, like dating and relationships, but I genuinely would like advice on dating while in graduate school. I currently am single and am wondering about how I go about meeting people in a new city and new school. From experience, I definitely will not be doing any inter-departmental dating, but I am kind of thinking that I might want to stay away from dating students in general. I think it would be nice to date someone who is out in the workforce...it can get tiresome thinking about school 24/7, and it would be nice to have someone who is outside of academia who can put things into perspective for me when I am going crazy over a seminar or a paper for example.

So, I would really like advice on how I go about meeting someone who could potentially be a significant other. I am a female who will be 24 in a month, so marriage/having a family has been on the back of my mind...I hear too many stories about females in academia who have regretted sacrificing their personal lives in order to excel as a graduate student and then as a professor. One of my old advisers even scared me into really thinking about how I want to go about finding a husband and raising a family- she told me that although I am still young, I am a female so I really have to have my personal life planned out fast if I want to be able to balance academia and a love life/family. This is a bit stressful!

Although graduate school and having a career are definitely important to me, I do want to be able to have a personal life and find happiness outside of academia. So again, if anyone can help me out with this dilemma, I would be grateful! I've been a bit embarrassed to bring this subject up, but it has been weighing on me, so I figured I would put this out there. I'm also sure there are others who may have a similar question.

[Suggestions for a second-time applicant]

Thanks for the support! And yep, all eight of the schools were "Top 20" (or maybe "Top 30" or something--those rankings can be so subjective). In hindsight, some were clearly a poor fit for me and, aside from their prestigious name, probably wouldn't offer me much. I will be reapplying to three schools, though--Duke, CUNY Grad, and Cornell--because I think they're excellent fits for me regardless of ranking.

That's great that you were able to weed down some schools, fit is definitely important! Not trying to be a salesperson for my school but you should definitely look into Vanderbilt if you are considering going into Southern literature. The Southern Agrarians actually came together at Vanderbilt, so you can only imagine how influenced the English department is by southern literary history.

[Would it be weird/bad/unwise to start my SOP like this?]

I am having a similar issue with my SoP. I am still struggling with that whole not wanting to do the cliche thing in it. But it sounds like I am starting off with something similar anyway. It's currently much more of a "when I was little, i didnt want to be exactly this, I wanted to be that....and after much going farther away, came back and found this as a much better fit", and have tried to go into a "and here is why" kind of essay.

I agree with The Hanged Fool here...I would definitely cut out the "I wanted to do ------ ever since I was a child." It's a big no-no from what I have heard from my own advisers..members of the admissions committee will more than likely throw away your application if you start your personal statement with that line. Wanting to study something since childhood doesn't really prove that you are actually capable of studying that subject at the graduate level, or working in that field as a scholar/professor. Plus, that line just sounds way too cliche/juvenile to be included in a serious document such as a personal statement for graduate level work.

[Suggestions for a second-time applicant]

Hi cquin, will be rooting for you this upcoming application season! When you say that you only applied to top tier schools, what ranks were these schools? Were they all top 20?

[Would it be weird/bad/unwise to start my SOP like this?]

To the OP, I don't think that you need to mention that you got rejected last year. Just explain that you have the focus to do it, show all the work that you have done in the past year, stating that you realized that what you had done was not enough(without necessarly putting in those terms) and move on.

I am having a similar issue with my SoP. I am still struggling with that whole not wanting to do the cliche thing in it. But it sounds like I am starting off with something similar anyway. It's currently much more of a "when I was little, i didnt want to be exactly this, I wanted to be that....and after much going farther away, came back and found this as a much better fit", and have tried to go into a "and here is why" kind of essay.

I still don't think the OP has to include the fact that last year's rejection made him/her understand that he/she "wasn't enough." Not getting into the program last year doesn't mean the OP wasn't good enough, but perhaps his/her strengths/qualifications weren't strongly articulated. With this in mind, it may not be helpful to spend anytime in the personal statement addressing weaknesses. The personal statement should really be about explaining why you are qualified for the program, and you should give strong evidence supporting this argument.

[Please be September already]

Will be relocating in 2 weeks! Very excited to be in a new location and around new people! Classes don't start until Aug. 24th though.

[Give me a reality check:]

My argument was that the writing sample was important, and not the personal statement. That's where the committee gets their information about your writing, not from a goofy statement of purpose. I actually don't disagree with anything you said prior to the above statement.

Oh my god. You'll need to become less paranoid to survive graduate school. Oh, wait--you're probably in an English Department, right? You'll need to become much MORE paranoid.

My use of caps is simply to add expression to the writing, not to insult you. Chill.

Hmm...don't really get the whole connection between paranoia and being in an English department that you are trying to make, because there isn't any. I will leave that comment alone.

But again, I don't really see how a personal statement could be all that goofy...it is here that you are basically explaining your intellectual growth/development while also explaining why a specific program would be helpful to you. I'm sure admissions committees must take this document seriously. And again, I'm sure every school weights different components of the application package differently.

[Rosetta Stone?]

Okay, so I know this is a popular topic, but I'm new to the boards, so it's new to me. All schools require at least one language and some require two, which is sort of an issue for me. I took 3 years of French in high school and 1 class in college, and I've been to France a couple of times so I think with a little brushing up, I could definitely pass a competency exam. However, I'm still worried because A.) I don't know another language at all, which means I will have to learn a new one for schools that require two and B.) Even for the schools that only require one, my area of interest is ethnic American lit, and I primarily focus on latino/a and Caribbean lit, so I'm pretty sure they aren't going to accept French and instead want Spanish.

So, long story short, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to learn Spanish. So now I'm wondering, what is my best option? Some say to take some language courses now, as an auditor (I teach at the university so I can't technically be a student, too), some say wait and take them at the school you get into, and some have suggested buying Rosetta stone and just learning it from that to take the proficiency exam, especially since buying Rosetta Stone costs about as much as it costs to take a college course anyway.

So, I'm looking for advice here. What are others doing or have done? Or, in my unique situation, is there one option that is better for me?

I wouldn't regret taking French just yet...it depends on what islands you would be studying, since there is both Haiti and Martinique.

[MLA Membership]

I actually am still not a member...I plan on applying for membership as soon as I start my doctoral program this fall. I really don't think being or not being an MLA member will make or break your application.

[Would it be weird/bad/unwise to start my SOP like this?]

I actually got rejected last year by the same school that I will be attending this year. I treated my rejection as though it never happened. It was a new admissions cycle and I was competing with a different group of applicants...I saw no reason to bring up a prior admissions cycle. Between the rejection and the time I re-applyed to the school, I definitely felt like I had grown both academically and professionally, and I think my personal statement reflected this naturally. There was no need to actually state that the previous rejection inspired me.

[PhD student hanging out with MA students?]

Zee, I think this MS/PhD divide is a program-by-program thing, rather than a sciences thing. I'm in the sciences and it hasn't been so rigid anywhere that I've been, though it is slightly more of a thing in my MS program than it was at my more we're-all-part-of-the-same-university-community undergrad school.

I find the concept of different classes for master's and PhD students to be a questionable practice, but my own program does it with a few classes (the others are just normal grad classes), so I'm aware that it exists. My undergrad school didn't have this distinction, and it also allowed undergrads who met the prereqs to take grad classes at will, which seems like a sensible setup to me.

Thanks for clearing that up starmaker, I am not in the sciences, so I was going on what the other science posters were saying. I personally am glad that I don't belong to a department which treats MA students totally different from doctoral students....it makes the department feel much friendlier and way more collegial. This definitely is just my opinion though, perhaps there are other doctoral students who prefer that type of rigidity and division. I just am still a bit confused as to the value of such a rigid division.

[Questions - please help]

Sorry, I didn't mean to cause a stir with that comment. It was really just said offhand. I don't have statistics, but from looking at the schools I have been looking at, it was just an observation I had made, so it may be inaccurate.

On no, Morgan18, you didn't cause any stir. I was simply giving an opinion that perhaps you might want to consider the overlapping of all of these subjects. You can definitely take what I am saying with a grain of start...I am in Cultural Studies, not History, so perhaps you are coming from a different methodology. I was just thinking that perhaps acknowledging overlap would make you a more well rounded scholar. Like I said before, you definitely don't have to concentrate fully on race, gender, and sexuality....but I don't see how you will be able to avoid entirely issues of identity, I'm thinking of the area of religion as an example.

As for the second half of my comment, I wasn't gearing that to you, but another poster here.