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Pleiades

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Everything posted by Pleiades

  1. I am a first year history Ph.D. student (straight out of undergrad) who has been contacted by a professor from my undergrad university asking me to help organize a panel for a city-wide consortium next April. There is another alum of my old uni in my grad program who has helped put together a panel for this conference before, so this prof wanted me to do it with her, but she'll be too busy with her dissertation to help out with this. So now I'm in a weird position where I haven't even GONE to an academic conference yet but I'm being asked to organize a panel for one. I don't want to burn bridges with this professor and turn down what might be a great opportunity, but I also don't know what to do - mostly because I don't even fully know what this will entail. I'm going to email him and ask for more details before committing to this, but I wanted to post a thread to ask whether any of you have experiences organizing panels at conferences. I should add that I believe the consortium encourages presentations from current grad (and even advanced undergrad) students, so I suppose I could possibly get some of my fellow grad students to present from my program. What do you think about my situation? Does agreeing to this sound like a bad idea, or am I being needlessly hesitant? What are your thoughts on organizing conference panels?
  2. I don't believe Rice accepted any Masters-only candidates this year. There were 9 of us who were accepted (and only about 5 will be attending), and they all seemed to be Ph.D. applicants (most already had their master's as well, though I didn't). Because they give full funding to all who get in, I don't know if they would accept and fund master's students. Good luck with applications!
  3. I also started college when I was 16, but luckily, having two majors led to me taking 5 years to graduate (yeah, I'm the only person in the world who was happy she didn't graduate in 4 years, lol). Now I'm 21 now and starting my PhD in the fall. It's refreshing to finally be 21, because people have finally stopped going into shock when they realize how young I am. It really is all about how confident you are and how you conduct yourself. I think everyone else has given you good advice that I would echo. There's no need to bring up your age too often, unless people ask...and at that point, they'll probably just be surprised to find out how young you are because they'd have thought you were older. The main thing I want to say is that LJK brings up a great point. Don't discount undergrads as potential good friends. Not all of them party like crazy, and they can be a great source of friendship. I plan on being friends with people in my grad program of course (and already really like the people I've met from visits), but your friendships from undergrad can be very fulfilling. I definitely want to stay in touch with the wonderful friends I've made from my old university. I also recently became good friends with a FRESHMAN who is starting at my university too, because we have mutual friends...it's weird, but hey, she's awesome and fun to be around. Also, loads of people who go to prestigious universities aren't douchebags about it; I truly doubt the undergrads would care that you didn't go to a university as highly ranked as your new institution. You already know that age isn't all it's cracked up to be, since you were able to get so far (props!) despite being young. Similarly, one's year in college (whether it is grad or undergrad) is also no indicator of his/her worth as a friend. Sometime I would recommend is to be sure to make time to have fun. One thing I do worry about is that since I've been so busy in college for years and will continue to be a student for years, I'll be missing out on important experiences in life (during what are supposedly the "best years" of my life). But I don't think graduate school is any reason to forego fun. Take road trips on breaks (after doing the bulk of your studying beforehand so you don't get behind). Go to concerts. Walk around your city. Appreciate nature as you hike and go camping. And do all of this in amazing company, with friends (and/or a significant other) whom you love! Even though my past few years of undergrad have been stressful, I made the decision to make time for more of these experiences, and I've now really come to appreciate life in college. Good luck; you can do this! And it's going to be fantastic to be only 24-27 by the time you graduate with your Ph.D.! Imagine getting a tenure-track job before 30...that'd be one accomplishment.
  4. This is a tough decision. I'm not sure how competitive it is to get into the other medieval history Ph.D. programs, so that's something you should look into before deciding to try again next application cycle with a focus on those fields. What area would you be focusing on? Medieval Middle East? Rome and Greece/other areas of Europe? I don't really have experience since I wasn't applying to any Classics-type programs, but I hear that doing medieval history/cultures/lang is harder these days because it's not one of those areas that are currently "in vogue," so maybe those programs are harder to pursue - and the job market might be worse in a few years when you're trying to get jobs in those fields as opposed to Middle East. I may be completely wrong though, so I'd recommend doing lots of research on the situation for Medievalists these days. I think you should talk to the MES people at Chicago and find out about whether there is a possibility of increased funding for the second year like you mentioned you had heard, because that would be very helpful. Look into outside funding as well. I'm about to decline an offer of admissions to the MA of MES at Chicago right now and my heart is twinging a little because the chance to study the Middle East at Chicago would be an unbelievable opportunity. However, I just can't afford it and luckily I've been accepted to one of my top choices of programs for my Ph.D. (though now I'll be focusing on Modern Middle Eastern - US relations and history, since the school I'll be attending has a different focus). If you decide to stick with the Middle East, this MA in MES might indeed be your stepping stone to landing that coveted fully funded PhD position for Middle Eastern studies (and I don't know if it'll make you more competitive at getting into Chicago's Ph.D. program but it seems like it would - but ask about that too). All in all, it might be better to go into debt if you have none previously if you do decide you want to ultimately focus on the Mideast. Otherwise, waiting another year and applying to a greater variety of programs isn't a bad idea! Good luck! It's hard out here for a liberal artist.
  5. I got into the MA of Middle Eastern Studies at UChicago and was offered a half funding package worth $22,000 of the tuition. I won't be going because I wouldn't be able to afford racking up 44,000 in debt for two years of study as well as the living costs, but there's at least some financial support there (and this is without FLAS or any other scholarships).
  6. What the hell, that sounds horrible! But for all those who are now freaking out about the University of Houston, let me just reassure you that despite this supposed incident, the institution is actually a great school to attend for both your undergrad and grad programs. I'm about to graduate from it with my BA and start a Ph.D. program elsewhere and though the university does tend to have ridiculous administrative issues, I still love the place! Their economics department also isn't as bad as the OP is making it out to be. I've taken a basic microecon class taught by a cool Ph.D. student and he seemed very positive about his experiences there. Also, one of my closest friends was an econ major at UH and she loved the program and the professors in the department. So take this complaint with a grain of salt - though it might be a good idea to double check that they read your application carefully enough to know what program you were in at your last university, lol. Just go to the visit weekend, talk to grad students and faculty, and make an educated decision. I'm sure you won't encounter similar problems of this proportion.
  7. I won't have to move because I'll be attending a Ph.D. program in the same city I'm currently in, but if I was looking for a roommate and there were people on this forum who I've talked to before and were accepted to the same programs, it doesn't seem like asking to room with them is a bad idea. It sounds a little better than craigslist!
  8. I'm glad we have this thread for the next group of applicants! Throughout the messy, stressful, hopeful, soul-consuming process of applying to graduate programs, I came across many helpful links and recently emailed them to a friend who will be applying soon. There are a lot of great threads on these forums too, so to make it easier for next season's applicants, I think it would be a good idea to link people to those as well. The American Historical Society's newsletter, Perspectives, has an excellent general guide on applying to grad school: http://www.historian...809/9809PRO.CFM Great tips on the basics of being a competitive applicant:http://www.historian...raduate-school/ How to decide what programs to apply to, what to ask people from the schools you're contacting (or on the visit weekends once you're accepted): http://www.historian...d/Questions.cfm What not to do: http://girlscholar.b...r-graduate.html General advice from a guy who's in a philosophy program (it's a different field so all the advice doesn't apply, but this was still helpful): http://www.mathewlu....rad_school.html Tips on how to approach professors of interest at a program you're considering applying to to see if they're accepting students as an advisor, and to introduce yourself and your research interests (which, as everyone has stated in this thread, might not be effective, but it can be worth it depending on the POI): http://science-profe...ting-to-me.html Advice on how to ask for LORs, and what kind of a "packet" you should prepare for each recommender when asking him/her to write you a letter: http://www.socialpsy...org/rectips.htm Excellent threads on what you need for your Statement of Purpose (and much of this was echoed by my undergrad thesis director who is also on my university's graduate admissions committee): This is a typical anti-getting-your-phd-in-history article: http://suburbdad.blo...g-cycle-of.html and this is a good response: http://crookedtimber...to-grad-school/ You're going to read so many articles and have a lot of people tell you that this grad school/career in academia thing is a bad idea. That you wont be able to do it, that you're not going to find a job, that if you put forth this effort in some other field you'd actually find success in life, etc. It scared me, it still scares me, and often left me feeling hopeless. However, we just have to hope that we'll be those exceptions. And know that you should never get in debt to get a Ph.D. It's just not worth it because it's doubtful that you'd be making enough soon after graduation to pay off that debt. So try your hardest to get a funded offer and go for it; this way, even if you end up only teaching at a community college (which may not be a bad thing) or never getting a tenured professorship, at least you're not in debt and you got to study what you love! And once you're in, here's some advice to help you out: http://chronicle.com...-students/26326 (this is something that should be helpful for all of us who will be starting in the upcoming year). There's this incredibly addictive web comic (now a variety of books!) called phdcomics (i.e. Piled Higher and Deeper). I read basically all of them in a month-long period, and this prepared me for what grad school will be like almost as much as all these articles. The main characters are STEM field grad students, so some of it isn't accurate for us. There are, however, two characters in the social sciences and the humanities. Here are some particularly good and/or relevant ones: http://www.phdcomics...php?comicid=294 http://www.phdcomics...hp?comicid=1015 (lol, this is what the application cycle can be like...make sure you minimize these days of bad productivity by starting early!) Finally, here's an awesome pamphlet someone on gradcafe made - it's a guide for families and friends of people who are applying to grad school. Hilarious and true. Side one: http://i52.tinypic.com/28qtekp.jpg Side two:http://i55.tinypic.com/so75m1.jpg Best of luck to all.
  9. When I got rejected from UT after being accepted with great funding from Rice, I started to doubt myself again. lol, and then I had a nightmare that same night that I got an email and a call from Rice telling me they had made a mistake and they would have to revoke their offer! I woke up feeling horrible but went back to sleep and had some slightly happier dreams, so it was only when I was rereading my Rice letter later that day that I remembered the terrifying dream. Don't worry about it being a mistake that you were accepted to a prestigious school while being rejected from other lower-ranked programs; lots of strange factors go into choosing candidates. Also, I guess you won't have a really hard decision ahead of you this next month when trying to decide where to go.
  10. Yes, the last school I'm waiting to hear back from is Georgetown! The results page says that people have been receiving their letters in the mail over the past two days, so I can't wait to get home and check my mail today. Not that I'm expecting much good news...I just want to know.
  11. Yep, when you are applying for Middle Eastern history doctoral programs, all the best schools will recognize that Arizona AND Georgetown are both fantastic for Middle Eastern studies. All other things being equal, I would personally lean towards Georgetown if I could afford it just because their modern Arab history program is so strong (and that's what I applied to focus on there). Since you're studying Iran, I think you would want to go with who has the best faculty for your specific area. Though both schools have great reputations (with Georgetown being more "prestigious"), you will want to make your decision based on which school can offer you the best scholars, classes, and research opportunities for you. You should probably research both schools some more, read up on the works of the profs and get in touch with them, and talk to current grad schools so you can make a more informed decision. Are you getting any funding? If not, I'd probably go with Arizona because, as sidiosquiere said, it's cheap to live there! D.C. is super expensive. Plus, Tuscon's weather isn't half bad. No matter what you choose, you're in a good place because both programs are excellent and will make you a viable candidate when you apply for Ph.D. programs. Good luck!
  12. I was wondering why I still hadn't heard from Chicago too, since I've seen both acceptances and rejections on the results page for a couple of weeks now. Today I got an email from them and a PDF attachment that says the following: I got a half tuition scholarship worth $22,284 too, which makes me very happy. I won't be going to Chicago since I've already been accepted to an excellent Ph.D. program with funding, but it does feel good to know that I was at least admitted to the university. So to all you who are still waiting, silence doesn't necessarily mean bad news; maybe you'll still at least get that consolation M.A. (which might end up having good enough funding for you to attend). Good luck!
  13. Pleiades

    Georgetown

    Still waiting...I'm assuming I'm out of the running since they've sent out some acceptances (at least, they sent them out to a few Americanists according to the results page). I'm doing Middle Eastern history and so far I haven't seen any responses in the results about that field. One person posted that he/she was rejected via email on Feb 18th so I'm wondering what it means for those who haven't received any word at all yet. Maybe we're wait listed?
  14. Hi owltlaw (I love the name, btw)! Congratulations on being accepted to their linguistics program. The area around Rice is probably the perfect place for you to move to in Houston because you can hang out at Rice Village! It seems similar to Little Five Points in that there are lots of eclectic shops (both big retail and independently-owned) and delicious restaurants with all types of food; you can just stroll through and always find things to do. Another close area is Montrose, which is known for its LGBT community but also a lot of awesome art and restaurants. Rice is in the middle of the Medical Center and Museum district, and you're within walking distance of the wonderful Hermann Park, which is always beautiful and has the Miller Outdoor Theater so you can (often) enjoy free live music and other entertainment. The art scene in Houston is fantastic; we've got big museums as well as various art galleries spread throughout the city (with many close to Rice). You'll find hippies AND yuppies in these areas, because the residential area near Rice (called "West University") has become increasingly expensive to live in due to gentrification.
  15. Thank you, Bukharan! I got to meet Dr. Makdisi last week (since I live here in Houston and I talked to him in person after he called me) and I was kind of star-struck. I agree; I'm loving all the Middle Eastern historians I'm meeting on these forums! I see that you got into four fantastic schools - congratulations! I also applied to Chicago and have been waiting to hear back...but I'm pretty sure I didn't make it since they've clearly sent out the first round of acceptances. What's your top choice of school to attend?
  16. It's not a main concentration but I am also interested in Arab immigration to the U.S. and their immigrant experiences; I can then do something specifically about the Middle East as a second field (as one current student is doing for British colonialism with a second field about Iraq). I'm really excited about the opportunity to work with Dr. Ussama Makdisi. Thanks!
  17. Congratulations on the acceptances to UT! I'm still a little hopeful because I applied to do Middle Eastern history at UT and so far the admits seem to be only European history. And speaking of the Middle East, congratulations to TaraDanielle on getting into NYU! But I'll be content if I don't get into any other programs because I got the official email from Rice yesterday (after being called by the director of grad studies last week) that says that I've been accepted to their Ph.D. program! I've been walking on sunshine for the past few days, especially since the news came right before my birthday. Best birthday ever!
  18. I just got accepted to History Ph.D. program and I'm ecstatic. I'm 90% sure I'll be attending; I'm just waiting to hear back from the other schools to which I've applied. I'm actually a native Houstonian so if you have questions about Houston and want to talk, let me know! Congratulations!
  19. I got the same email. This is my first response from any of the schools, and though I'm handling the rejection fairly well, it just doesn't give me too much hope. But like you said, I'm glad I know now rather than later! I had been in contact with one of the professors specifically in the field of Middle Eastern history (which is a growing area at UIUC) and he told me how they don't have many MidEast students. And on the results page, one of the UIUC history admits was Middle Eastern history; I suppose in a cohort of 10-12 people, they would only be able to accept one or two in that area. But let's stay positive!
  20. Yes, my Plan B will be finished before Plan A (grad school+TT teaching job) since I have an education minor and am getting certified to teach high school history by the time I graduate next May. As Sparky has also said, I would be happy teaching the subject in a high school...but I hope that I can follow my dreams and do research, write, and teach at a university one day! I also don't mind the idea of being an adjunct at a community college even if it'll be for many years. I attended one for some basic classes because it made financial sense at the time, and I had some amazing professors there.
  21. I know what you mean! After not doing as well as I had expected given my practice test scores, I went on a forum rampage to read all threads relating to the GRE to find out how screwed I am with my mediocre score; most of them made me hyperventilate, lol. Thank you for posting. I've since calmed down and have a lot of other things going for me, so this post has given me hope.
  22. Well, I turned in the application yesterday! You guys were right; I had nothing to lose (except $70), so we'll see how this all turns out. The expense of living in D.C. might be an issue, but it all depends on funding if I'm even accepted. I'm well on my way to being fluent on Arabic, so hopefully that'll help (but then I remember that there are others who are already perfectly fluent in Arabic and often even Turkish). Oh, applications - fun stuff!
  23. You have people in your grad program? Unbelievable, I thought it was populated by robots! lol. Sorry, I'm confused; are you saying half of the people in your cohort got an MA first? The two MA options are my "safe" schools.
  24. Yeah, the only reason I'm applying for the MAs at two of the schools is that they do not have a Ph.D. only track until you get your masters (though one of them allows you to move onto the PhD without reapplying once you are accepted to the MA program). Luckily, these schools do offer some type of funding for masters programs. So I've decided to apply and see what happens.
  25. From all the info I've read on this site and others, you should really take the time to tailor your statement of purpose for each school to which you're applying. One of my professors is on our grad program's admissions committee, and he told me he can always tell when the students put very little effort in to find out about the school and mention the reason they want to attend the institution, and the professors who the student would be interested in working with. I'm no expert, but your statement of purpose is trying to convince the schools that you will be great for THEM, so you should mention the school.
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