TransnationalHistory

Thanks for all of your input!

Up until now, every email I've received from a program was signed with a full name, and so I would respond with Professor [insert last name]. But I just got an email from one professor in my field, and they signed the email only with their first name. I guess I'm inclined to still respond with a formal title, but does anyone know what the proper etiquette for this is? I know the program prides itself on being supportive/friendly....so if a professor signs an email with a first name, is that how they want you to address them? I know this is nitpicky, but I want to make a good first impression. Thanks!

Hey, looking to revive this topic. I'm going to be visiting Vanderbilt for an open house weekend in March, and before I go I have a few questions: 1. I've been to Nashville once. I was really just passing through, but on my night there I was hoping to catch some live music. To give an idea of my tastes, I enjoy classic country (Hank Williams/ Johnny Cash/ Patsy Cline/etc.) as well as blues from the 20s-50s (everything from Robert Johnson to Howlin' Wolf) as well as rockabilly (Roy Orbison, etc.) and early rock (Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddley). I realize the era of this music is over, but in other places (Clarksdale Mississippi/ New Orleans/ Cajun Country) I've been able to find live music that suits my liking. However in Nashville all I could find was what seemed like tourist traps...really bad cover bands of the classics. But I really didn't know where to look. So if anyone has an idea of where to see an interesting show that's a bit more genuine, I'd love to know. 2. Is there a division between where graduate students spend time and where undergrads are? I get the sense the East Nashville is where I'd live if I end up attending, but any thoughts on this in general? 3. On the car thing: I imagine I'd eventually get a car, but I might not get it together before arriving at school. How easy would it be to bike from East Nashville to campus? Is it really unfriendly to cyclists? 4. What's the relationship like between the university and the city? Is there hostility? I imagine that Vanderbilt is overall more liberal/affluent than the general population, does this cause tension? 5. Any great/cheap places to eat near campus? Especially pulled-pork or mexican? Thanks!

Got an acceptance letter from the DGS from Vanderbilt tonight. Based on the letter, I get the impression all their decisions have been made. No specifics on funding.

That's great to hear. Why do you think they bother with a prospective weekend if it has nothing to do with chances? What an odd way of doing things.

I got an email today offering me admission from the DGS. My field is African History, but the letter made it sound like decisions are out for all fields.

Noticed an acceptance listed on the results page for American History. Anybody else? And if that person is here, did you get a sense if they were telling everyone today or just your field?

I have not read every post in this, but I get the sense most people are worried about money. On living cheaply in NYC, I'm an expert. I've been here four years, spending anywhere from 8k-12k a year. So yes, that 23k stipend, it's more than enough. If you feel you must live in Manhattan, it's possible. Morningside/Indwood for Columbia, or Alphabet City for NYU ofer the chance to spend $600-$700 a month for a shared place. But we're talking tiny rooms, tiny kitchens, tiny bathrooms, most likely. So live in Brooklyn or Queens! In Queens check out Sunnyside....it's close to the city, and I have a few friends who really like it there. In Brooklyn, you have three general options for cheap rent: Bushwick, Bed Stuy and Sunset Park. Of the three, I'm partial to Bed Stuy. Don't let anyone tell you it's dangerous, it's not. People still raise their eyebrows about it because it has a past, and there are *gasp* mostly black people here. Anyway, I live in a great old brownstone, have a huge room, wood floors, large windows, my own bathroom, huge closets, and I pay $440 month, including all utilities. I have several friends in the area, and the most anyone I know pays is $550, and they have two rooms. Bushwick can also be cheap, especially around the Halsey L stop, but it has less of neighborhood feel and less trees than Bed Stuy does. A lot of Bushwick is somewhat industrial, which I personally don't really like for a place to live. Sunset Park is a cool neighborhood, and can get to Union Square in 30 minutes. There is a huge park, lots of Latino restaurants and it's the location of Brooklyn's Chinatown. The only downside is with the trains it's hard to get around to other parts of Brooklyn. Food & Drink: There is more cheap food available in New York than any other city I've lived. Yeah, you can spend a lot, but there is no need. I don't know where to start with all the options available. Chinatown is affordable pretty much across the board, Koreatown in Midtown is a bit more but no that much. Bushwick has countless great and cheap Latino places, around St. Marks there are several cheap Japanese places with $8 pitchers of beer to boot. You can still get a 99 cent slice of pizza in different parts of the city, albeit not top quality. Anyhow, for groceries C-Town, Key Foods, Food Bazaar, etc...lots of big box discount places. As far as cheap bars, there are countless, just look on Yelp. Lots of places in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Alphabet City, East Village. Transportation: The subway is expensive, and it keeps going up...it's over $100a month. Not sure exactly, since I don't use it. If you are new to the city, it's a good way to start, but seriously consider a bike. The city has expanded the bike lanes considerably in the last 4 years, and biking is almost always faster than the trains. Really. Plus then you don't need to spend money on a gym membership. Entertainment/Culture: Fat Cat in the West Village has live jazz every night for just a $3-$5 cover, NYU and Columbia students get discounts at the Metropolitan Opera, and pretty much every museum in the city has a day or night where it's free admission or pay as you wish....and the MET and Brooklyn Museum are always pay as you wish. Honestly, this is a really easy to live cheaply. NYC has an expensive reputation because there are some extremely rich people here who spend tons of money, but remember there are also a lot of poor people who call this city home.

Considering this board is mostly Americanists and Europeanists, it's seems odd that there is only one acceptance from that category. I get the impression they make the decisions by field, so it's possible your field has not finalized their choices yet.

I grew up in Baltimore and still have friends/parents there, so I feel like I can give fairly accurate advice. First, Baltimore is not dangerous per say. Sure, The Wire is a part of Baltimore, but unless you plan on getting in on the drug business it's pretty easy to avoid it. There are places you don't want to be walk alone late at night, but you should feel safe taking the bus anywhere during the day, and certainly should feel safe driving anywhere and anytime. I always find it somewhat disturbing when people talk about a "scary" experience driving down North Avenue. Give me a break. This is not a city of rampant car-jacking. As far as a car goes, it's not needed, but it would be nice. You could certainly get by without one, but don't count on the buses. The monthly pass is overpriced when you consider how often they are late, and I mean really late. Lines are always getting cut due to budget problems. But the winters are pretty mild, so get a bike, and live mildly close to campus. Really, you'll be busy as it is with school, and there is plenty within a short bike ride or walk to keep you happy. Living: Charles Village is the obvious choice. It can get more expensive, but you can also get lucky. I had a friend who lived there a few years ago for $350 a month....granted it was a small room, but it was prime location. Mount Vernon is great too, a bit further away, but safe and an easy bike ride away. The Mount Royal Tavern is also one of my favorite bars of all time, at least when it's not overrun with MICA kids....Another place to consider is Hampden. It used to be solid working class, now it's starting to become a bit "hip" in parts, but still has some pretty cheap rent and is close to campus. Also, next to Charles Village is Waverly. Parts of Waverly might have more crime than everyone is comfortable with, but it's really eased up in the last decade. It will be a lot cheaper than Charles Village, so it's worth checking out....trust your gut. Plus Waverly has "The Book Thing," which gives tons of free books away every weekend. Mostly crap, but I always find some gems every visit. Other notes: Great Mexican food can be had in the area slightly above Fells Point. It will require a car, but Matthews Pizza is worth a visit....semi-deep dish pizza that's always satisfying, cheap, and the atmosphere in the place is just perfect. By which I mean, it's sorta a classy hole-in-the-wall. The Charles is the best place to catch an independent film, and last I checked they have discounts on certain weeknights. Nam Kang is my favorite Korean restaurant, it's open very late at night and can get pretty rowdy during the post-bar crowd hour, and then there is slightly surreal karaoke hotel above that you can rent by the hour, and bring whatever you want in with you. It's always a little unclear when they officially close as they sorta change it depending on how business is going...but anywhere between 4am-6am. The warehouse scene is hit or miss, take it with a (big) grain of salt, but don't write it off entirely. And again, Baltimore really isn't that dangerous, just don't be stupid.

Thanks, that's helpful information!

Just saw the first result (a rejection) on the board. Anyone else hear from Vanderbilt? I wasn't expecting to hear from them till March since they were the latest due date for me, but clearly at least one person got a decision. It was a Latin Americanist, and their note said that field could only take one person this year, so maybe this does not apply to all fields? If you did hear back, can you let us know your field? Thanks!

Not a typo on my part....so unless the professor made an error in the acceptance email, it's 23k. He also did say "something like $23k," so I imagine that could mean a few thousand less. I'll be getting a more formal letter in the mail in a week or two, so I'll let you know if it changes.

I can't predict your chances for any program, but my GRE scores were not steller....650 V and 700 Q. But so far I've gotten into at least one school. From talking to the professors who wrote my LOR, the biggest thing that counts is what you bring that stands out from the rest. Most applicants have decent to excellent GRE scores, so that's not really the best way to get into a program. An internship is a great start. Try publishing some undergrad research if you can. And make sure you have a strong writing sample. Your GRE scores, from what I can tell, are perfectly fine. They won't impress anyone, but they are not going to raise a red flag either.

Yes, to quote: "An offer letter with all the details will reach you in early March. But in brief, the offer will include--over five full years--something like $23,000 per year in stipend, plus tuition, plus health insurance, plus a certain amount of research funding." Not sure if it helps you, but they let me know that in my field (African) they accepted five people, including myself. Good luck!

Just got into Michigan! Got a personal e-mail that said the Graduate Admissions Committee had a meeting this afternoon.

Just got into Michigan! Got a personal e-mail from Derek Peterson. In the email he said the Graduate Admissions Committee had a meeting this afternoon. Also, if it helps anyone, the email said 4 other people were admitted this year to the field: 1 American, 3 Africans.

Anyone have any inside information when NYU might start sending out notifications? Or at least invites to their open house?

Just checked Minnesota's online apply yourself page....rejected. It was dated today, and I notice another rejection from today on the results page, so it looks like if you're still waiting a decision will be up soon. Anyway, since I'm already starting to think about another round of application, for the other African History applicants, what sort of language skills do you have? I've just got French, with the idea that I'd learn an indigenous language over the summers. To be competitive, do you think it's good to try to show you've started learning an African language already?

Damn. Well I guess that makes me feel a little better.

Actually just checked my Northwestern account, rejected. I figured they would have at least emailed saying a decision was waiting there. Anyway, it was dated today (the 15th) so if you've been waiting it's worth a check.

Hey, it seems like most people posting rejection/acceptance are either in American or European History. Anyone applying to the African field hear anything yet? I applied to Chicago, Northwestern, Minnesota, Michigan, Columbia, NYU and Vanderbilt (Atlantic) and I've heard nothing so far. Thanks!