TransnationalHistory

I've only been to college park for a day/ driven through a few times, so I'm not an expert, but I do know the general area. It's pretty suburban/boring. I mean, it's not dead, but the area between Baltimore and Washington D.C. is all kinda the same. The good news is you'll have two cities nearby that you can easily visit on a weekend, and you'll probably be busy enough during the week that whatever entertainment the university produces should suffice.

That's an uncomfortable situation to be in. But if it helps, I know UMich said that they were going to have their travel agent contact early next week all those accepted to arrange plane tickets for their open house in March.

I agree with those who argue that calling a PhD "Dr." is a little silly. Sure, if a particular person wanted me to use that title for them I would, but not without judging them as being a bit stuck up for it. I don't think the fact that referring to PhDs as "Dr." predates calling those with medical degrees "Dr." is relevant. There are countless archaic social customs we no longer recognize. Especially in America, people's titles refer to their profession. People with other advanced degrees don't have special titles that refer specifically to their degree. It's an obvious point, but we call people in the medical profession "Dr." because they are doctors. I think Professor is better since it refers to actual job done...plus, it's pretty safe to assume that all humanities professor have PhDs, so it's a bit unnecessary to feel the need to flaunt it. The only exception I can think of is at a conference or any gathering of academics where you can't necessarily assume everyone presenting is currently teaching. In that case "Professor" would be wrong. But within the context of a college/university "Dr." seems silly.

Not really sure, but try Queens. Long Island City is really a fairly reasonable train ride away, and is an interesting neighborhood in it's own right. You might have better luck finding something cheap there.

As an Africanist, I can say that my experience has been identical, with the exception that my field offered to 5 acceptances in hopes of getting 3-4. That's an interesting bit of info on the stipend...I would have never thought applying for 2011 would have any economic perks.

I heard back from the professor who wrote one of my LORs who currently works at NYU. He said the way it works is basically like that....first they have to under-yield overall. That might never happen (and sounds like it didn't last year) Then if it does under-yield overall, they decide who to take of the waitlist based on which field under-yielded the most. He said it's quite possible I'm the only Africanist on the waitlist, and I imagine it might be the same for all fields. He also said the African field made either only one or two offers (yikes) so yeah, it seems pretty unlikely for me.

I really like the idea of Ypsi (or even detroit once I get to the dissertation stage), but I've heard a lot of warnings not to live in Ypsi because of transportation. That the buses are always late or canceled when it snows, and if you get a car then you have to deal with an impossible parking situation. But since you are happy with your choice, I'm guessing this has not been a big problem for you?

Well, a little research on these boards suggests that last year they took zero people off the list. But we can still hope....I mean, the economy is getting a little better, right?

What would you say about the extra day? I'm guessing Vanderbilt will want to get rid of my on the 19th, but if Michigan won't take me till the 20th, then I have nowhere to stay the night of the 19th...could I ask Vanderbilt to pay for an extra night if they only have to pay for a one-way ticket maybe? As for your question, I asked a professor at Michigan who contacted me if there was anything I needed to bring to the visit. They made it clear they don't expect anything from prospective students...it's mostly them selling the school to you. So certainly prepare questions to ask the professors you are interested in, but I wouldn't worry about getting any tough questions directed your way.

I'm an Africanist, and I just got my decision: Waitlisted. This was my top choice, and so I do feel a little torn. They say they will let me know no later than April 15th, but that makes me nervous, as I'm sure my other programs will want to know sooner than that what my choice is. Obviously I feel lucky to have gotten into two great programs, and waitlisted is better than nothing. I just wish I knew what my chances were of getting off the waitlist.

I know there is another board for this, but I figure a lot of questions are specific to the program...what we care about will be different than a MFA prospective or an engineer. Anyway, my question is purely logistical/economic. My two campus visits are schedule back to back. Vanderbilt is 18-19, and Michigan is 20-22. I've yet to get a schedule from Vanderbilt, but I'm guessing that means they expect me to leave on the 19th....however Michigan is organized to welcome students on the 20th. So I'm not sure where to stay then. Additionally, I'm not sure which school should pay for the Nashville to Ann Arbor ticket. Do schools ever split the cost? I know Michigan has their own travel agency that they connect you with. I have no idea how Vanderbilt works, or if they even pay for travel expenses at all....they just mentioned I was invited to visit when I got my acceptance. If anyone has any experience with this I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks!

So obviously Ann Arbor is a college town...any my worry is that with a population of 112,920, and a student population of 41,674, plus I'm sure some lingering post-grads, it might be hard to meet people outside of academia. Not that I don't enjoy people that are academic, but I also really enjoy people who are not. Are pretty much all the people under 35 in Ann Arbor connected to U of M?

Basically what others have said, but I'd really highlight your teaching experience on your statement of purpose. One of the professors who wrote me a letter of recommendation used to serve on the admissions board for a top grad program, and he gave me some good advise on my SOP. His comment was that the first paragraph is in some ways the most important, and should lead with what makes you stand out from most applicants. As he put it, everyone applying to top programs is going to have a thesis, so don't lead with that. In my case, I had helped edit/ghostwrite a political memoir that related to my field of history. I also had experience dealing with non-western archives, which he encouraged me to stress. Then after I dealt with what I hoped would make me more unique, I launched into describing how these things built on my thesis. Anyway, grad school is not just about writing a book-worthy dissertation...it's also about learning how to be a good teacher. So the fact that you've already proved to have aptitude and motivation for teaching should be a big plus. Even if it's not specifically in your field. Anyway, I can't see this possibly hurting you...a full-time job would make it harder for anyone to finish their MA. Just make sure you mention this in the SOP.

I don't have much to base this on (just two schools) but of the two, it's actually the more prestigious school has been much more assertive in contacting me. I got a long and personalized email from a professor asking when they could call me, and then later I received an email (with an offer to talk on the phone) from a second professor in the department, plus they assigned a student finishing up her dissertation to contact me...and she really took a lot of time to answer any questions I had. Meanwhile, the other school just gave me a standard letter from the DGS. I emailed a few students there with some questions, but haven't heard back yet. I'm still keeping my mind open, and won't really be able to make a choice till I actually see the two programs in person, but this initial period does make me think the one department might be overall more supportive. But we'll see. Also, only one school gave an informal offer of funding, while no word from the other school....though money is sorta the least important part to me, as long as it's adequate.

Actually, there are a lot of postings on the results page that are for just history. My only guess based on your new bit of information is maybe the first round was people they really wanted, and then they went back to figure out how much additional funding was available before making a final list. But that's just a guess.

Not that I know, but from what I can see on the results page there were only two acceptances posted today. The rest have been in joint programs. Obviously not everyone uses this board, but it seems like if there are only two posted they have not notified everyone yet.

sorry, but I've never spent more than $500 a month in rent, currently spend $440, including all utilities. And I personally find the city to be pretty bike friendly, so I don't bother with the subway. And I find the food cheaper than anywhere else, both in terms of supermarkets like Food Baazar and the various cheap restaurants to be found. Brooklyn is only expensive if you live in a trendy (williamsburg, greenpoint, etc.) or professional (park slope, dumbo, etc.) area. Plenty of cheap rent elsewhere.

Disagree on two points: The only southern city I lived in was New Orleans, and I found it very easy to have a car. It was small enough that I could bike most anywhere in a short amount of time, and since the weather rarely got too cold, it was also pleasant/enjoyable. While I'm sure this might not be true for all southern cities, I imagine many are small enough that's not too hard to pull off. Secondly, NYC only has a high COL in Manhattan proper. Brooklyn and Queens can be just as cheap as anywhere else. I grew up in Baltimore, which isn't the easiest for biking, but the areas around the two main academic institutions (JHU and MICA) have all a student needs within biking/walking distance. There are many cities that might require a car for the average resident, but around the campus are easy for walking/biking.

Congrats! What's your field, and was the email from a professor in your field or the DGS?

Same, and I'm assuming rejection, especially since someone here said they only took one person from my field. I can understand letting the accepted/waitlisted people know first, but I don't get why they'd stagger rejections...but oh well.

Hey, I'm not an expert, and as far as I can tell it's a bit of a crap shoot no matter what, but just a few words on my experience so far.... I applied mainly for African History, yet I've never taken an African History class...I went to a small Liberal Arts College that didn't even have a single Africanist on the faculty. I did take an Anthropology class that was basically an African History class, but still. I did my senior thesis on a topic that was half British history, half African history. But the chapter I submitted, while dealing with transnational themes, was far more European in focus. But I felt it was my strongest chapter (easier to have access to Western archives than African archives), so I went with it. What I did have on my side was doing some ghostwriting/editing for a Nigerian political activist. But formally, I don't have that strong of a background in what I aim to study. I've gotten into two good programs so far, so I think it's more important to show that you can write well with primary sources vs. experience with your specific field...though obviously both can't hurt. It's hard to get a job period these days...I'd advise sticking with the restaurant job, and try and find something part-time or even unpaid that relates to history/research. I mean, if you can get a paying job that relates to history great, but I know I certainly didn't have any luck with that. Additionally, one the professors who wrote one of my letters of recommendation told me it was quite possible I'd get into nowhere the first time around, but that I shouldn't assume that meant nowhere would want me if I reapplied.

I'm in exactly the same boat.

Thanks, that information helps a lot!

Congrats! Just curious, were you invited to their prospective students weekend?

25. I have no idea how age factors in, but personally if I was an ad com I'd be somewhat skeptical of people going into grad school straight out of college. Not that someone fresh out of school can't be intellectually ready, but more that grad school (at least PhD programs) is a long-term commitment. I think it's good to at least see what options exist outside of academia before you sign away the next 5-7 years of your life to a degree that may or may not get you a good job right away. I'm glad I've had the last four years to do a variety of things, and now I feel confident that academia is the right choice for me.