aspiringhistorian

I'm sorry if this is a basic question (and I'm sure it varies from program to program), but does the writing sample need to come from a graded course? For instance, I'm currently being funded by my college for summer research and am supposed to emerge from this program with, obviously, written work. Could I conceivably submit this as my writing sample as part of a History Ph.D. application?

This is a genial thread, and has put a lot of my questions to rest Thanks so much you guys, you're all a great help.

I have been- and intend to continue in graduate school- specializing in Modern European History with a focus on nationalism via mega-events (such as the Olympics, World's Fairs, etc), architecture, propaganda, etc. So far I've worked with countries such as France, Italy, and Germany, and I currently have a grant that supports the study of Soviet and American nationalism during the Cold War at the Olympics. It's a little outside what I generally work with but I wanted to get a more robust background in the subfield so that I could write a more effective senior thesis this coming year. So if anyone knows of any American schools that seem to support such an interest, please let me know!

Prospects as a prospective History Ph.D. in the job market do scare me, and I do wonder whether or not spending the better part of the next decade getting this degree is going to be worth it. Ultimately, given that it is something I (and I assume, you) really enjoy doing, I can't imagine what the alternative would be. There's the option of a professional degree such as law or business, but if the options are diving into the job market now with a B.A. or later with a Ph.D., I'd rather wait. The pay-scale is often higher depending on your degree so even if you do wind up getting a job outside your field, you've benefitted from having been on that track and, who knows, if the prospects get better later on, you'll be more qualified than if you hadn't done it. Although I do believe that the graduate school you come from makes a difference in terms of the quality of your academic job later on, I also do believe that if you produce academic and scholarly work and make yourself competitive within the field, you'll be fine. My dad used to teach at OSU and my mom got her Ph.D there... she seemed happy with it and it is a respectable place to build up from. I wouldn't worry too much about it, but I would definitely make the best of your time there.

I think it's definitely alright to submit the old GRE scores. In fact, I would almost discourage taking the new one if you can avoid it simply because it's a new system that the admissions committees may not know how to interpret as well as the old one. Of course, a couple of years down the road, I would say the opposite... but you're fine for now!

Maybe if you try studying for it (probably the new GRE at this rate) and taking a reliable practice test, you can see where you stand. If you feel as though taking it will bring down the quality of your application, you can forgo the experience and if you find that it could support it with a little more studying, etc then it would be worth a shot! However, your GPA is above the minimum required... if you were at a 3.1 or thereabouts, it would be different... but you could probably get away without taking it if you really didn't want to.

I'm just nervous because it seems like the graduate school application process is a little less formulaic than the undergraduate process... so even designating a university as a "safe" option is difficult. But I'll work on it, thanks!

I'm gearing up to apply for a PhD in History and I'm becoming more and more terrified (while also becoming more and more excited). At the moment, I have a list of about sixteen respectable schools and I'm not sure if I'm setting myself up for an unnecessarily stressful/expensive application process or if this is common. I'm going through them and double-checking the faculty and whether or not they could support my specialty within Modern European history, so it may change and be whittled down (or, god forbid, expanded) as the summer goes on. How many schools are you applying to or are you thinking of applying to?

Hi there! I'm a rising senior at a liberal arts college just outside Philadelphia and I'm planning on applying to a PhD program in History for the Fall of 2012! Generally, I'm interested in Modern European history with a concentration in nationalism and nationalist theory (in Western/Eastern Europe/Russia). Right now I'm studying for the GRE in July, compiling a (long) list of schools, and doing a research fellowship that should prepare me in some way for the BA thesis I'm going to have to do this coming year... I'm so glad that there is a community for all of this that can help me freak out a little bit less! M