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tapshoes

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    North NJ
  • Program
    American History

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  1. I am leaning toward a decision, but still have reservations about making it official. So, here goes: School 1 A very large department with lots of faculty, in a public university with some budget issues, though I have five years of guaranteed funding which I'm told will not be effected by any potential cuts that should occur in the future. My two prospective advisors are huge in the areas I want to focus on--one is a senior faculty member, the other is about 10 years out of her PhD (that's a guess!). They both publish a lot, and have gotten offers from the most prestigious schools in the US, but have opted to stay at this institution. I've met both of them, have talked with them numerous times over email/phone, and get the sense that they will be genuinely supportive of my project--and I have been very open about the fact that I see a few different directions in which I might want to take my work. Their current students/co-advisees have said great things about them both, and that they are an amazing team. One first year student already has a publication in the pipeline, which his advisor helped him secure. Plus, their students are regularly placed in tenure-track jobs. The biggest downsides are the distance from where I currently live (and thus distance from my partner and family), the overall ranking of the program (bottom end of top 20, though most profs/grad students I've spoken to think this is an amazing department, despite the rankings...), and the funding ultimately pales in comparison to what I'm being offered from the other school I'm considering. School 2 Moderately sized department but a VERY small graduate program (think 6-8 students in the entire cohort, and I'd be the only one doing US History), in a prestigious private university that has no budget issues to speak of. Five years of guaranteed funding that, frankly, is beyond generous (almost twice as much per year as some of my other offers). My prospective advisors are very supportive and seem to genuinely want me to come, though their work differs quite a bit from my own (one or two have the same general subfield, but we differ markedly in thematic/geographical/chronological focus). That said, I am not intimidated by having to figure things out on my own, working independently, etc. With THAT said, some of the current students seem a bit isolated, perhaps because the cohort size is so small and winters can be long and harsh (I hear seasonal depression is common). Some students are also unhappy about the lack of course offerings in the graduate program. Many students end up taking some undergrad courses with advanced readings on top in order to fulfill their seminar requirements. (No students at School 1 complained about the intellectual environment/structure of the program.) This school is about a four hour drive and is thus, in theory, closer to where I live. But it's not necessarily easy to get to this place via mass transportation. I think it's pretty clear which program I'm leaning toward...ultimately, what still makes this a difficult decision is 1) the great funding and 2) perceived prestige of School 2. I'd appreciate any thoughts/tips, here or in PM!
  2. I received an email from the Department of Ed. this afternoon, notifying me that I've been selected as an alternate candidate. According to the letter, alternates are awarded fellowships if there are remaining funds after "the financial commitment to the continuing Javits fellows has been met." Any current/prospective fellows out there know how this works if you already have full-funding offers?
  3. Another way to look at it, though, is that there is still some value in the exchange you had with the prof who was annoyed by your email...would you really want to work with someone who is annoyed by an email from a potential student? Everyone on the boards will say the same thing, and I think it's absolutely true: the admissions process is a crap shoot. No two people will employ the same strategies and come out with the same results. Give a lot of time and careful thought to what's in your control (writing sample, personal statement, GRE, who you choose for recs, and yes, getting in touch with profs if you choose to do so), leave the rest to chance, and keep your head up!
  4. This is an excellent point. Getting into schools is tough, but it's only the short game! Which is another reason not to get too worked up over rejections, which are inevitable no matter how great you look on paper.
  5. My experience proved otherwise. Last year: I applied to seven schools, made little effort to contact professors at those programs, and received six rejections and one offer of admission without funding. This year: I applied to eleven schools, contacted professors at most programs, and was accepted to four programs with full funding, one without funding, wait-listed at another, and received only five rejections. Like most aspects of the application process, I think there's no general rule of thumb to go by when it comes to contacting professors. For anyone thinking about it, though, I would only write to profs whose interests genuinely align with your own. You don't want to seem as if you're selling yourself (though, clearly, they know this is precisely what you're doing). Just be brief, express your interest in applying, and shoot a short question about their work that demonstrates how your interests overlap. As Transnational notes, It's also not a bad idea to ask professors if they plan to take students during the year you are applying. There's no point in applying if your prof will be leaving, retiring, etc. One more thing, and I think this is crucial. Ask your undergrad/MA advisors who they know at the schools where you plan to submit applications. It's a small world, and it may be that your thesis advisor knows some of the people you want to work with. Take advantage of your network! As long as you're thoughtful and not presumptuous in your email, I don't think it can hurt.
  6. I also received the MA offer, with full tuition reimbursement. Unless the city of Chicago accepts buttons as payment for food and housing, I'll pass.
  7. I did a few things differently. First, I networked. A lot. I wrote to multiple professors at each school where I applied, and whenever possible I met with them in person. A POI at one of my top choices came to NYC to give a lecture, for example, so I went to the event and introduced myself. I didn't put myself out there like this when I first applied. Sure enough, the schools where I was accepted this year were also the schools where I had positive conversations with prospective advisors. You have to build on your own network, but also take advantage of your current network: ie, does your undergraduate/MA advisor (not sure of your background) know professors at the schools where you're applying? Second, I sat-in on a graduate seminar at a school in the NYC area. This helped me distill ideas for my project, which brings me to the next point... ...I re-wrote my personal statement. More accurately, I wrote about 15 drafts of my personal statement before submitting applications this year, and I sent it to anyone I thought might be able to give me feedback. This isn't to say that I wasn't careful with my personal statement last year--I was. This year, though, I had a much clearer sense of what I wanted to do, and much more time to work the draft. I was also able to mention in my statement that I was auditing a course, and added a note about what I'm doing to prepare myself for the languages I'll need for my project. I reconfigured my writing sample. Last year I submitted an edited down chapter for my senior thesis. It was a good chapter, but in retrospect I think it depended too heavily on one set of primary sources from an archive where I researched. This year I condensed that chapter even further so that I could include elements from the second chapter of my thesis, where I provide context with secondary sources and work with a more diverse group of primary sources. Overall, I think it was a better balanced piece of writing that could stand on its own as a paper, not merely a "writing sample." I also had a much catchier introduction this time around, which I think is very important. The last thing was that I applied to a much larger, diverse pool of schools. Last year I focused on programs in the Northeast, as I wanted to stay in PA/NY/NJ area. Some of these schools were fits, while other were a stretch. This year I committed myself to applying to schools that make sense not just geographically, but in the context of my proposed project. I'll probably have to study outside of my beloved New Jersey/Pennsylvania circle of family, but so it goes. Strangelight is correct in her post below that there is much to this process we don't control. You could put together the most impressive graduate application anyone's ever seen, but if you apply to a school that isn't the right fit, if your prospective advisor isn't taking students, if the department is taking fewer students in your field, etc., than you could still be refused a seat. I know that isn't necessarily comforting, but you should understand that these application decisions aren't based solely on the merits of your work--you can't take any of it personally! I hope it works out this year, but if you have to apply again, take advantage of every element of your application that's in your control. You'll get there!
  8. I'll chime in here and say that I, too, was demoralized when I applied to eight programs last year and was only admitted to one without funding. For what it's worth, in this second round of applications I've been accepted into four programs with full funding, one program with funding in the air, one wait list, and a few other rejections. Ultimately, don't beat yourself up. The admissions process is very random. So much of the decision depends on factors beyond our control, ie funding, how many students your prospective advisor/field accepted in previous years, departmental politics, etc. I'm sure you'll get in, but if it doesn't work out this year, don't sweat it...seriously. You can try again next year and spend the next few months tweaking your application and making contacts. Good luck!
  9. I studied at Rutgers as an undergraduate and work there now, so I have some knowledge of the area. Roundtrip fare from NY Penn to New Brunswick is $26. NJ Transit instituted an absurd fare hike a few months (or maybe even a year?) ago. That said, I've met a few graduate students who commute from New York. Most of them lived in Brooklyn, where rent can be cheaper, but that really depends on where you're living, as some parts of Brooklyn are just as expensive as Manhattan. The vast majority of the graduate students I've met at Rutgers live in Highland Park. It's quiet, rent is affordable, and it's a 15-20 minute walk from campus, depending on where your department is located. My two cents? Avoid living in NY and commuting to Rutgers, unless you have money to burn. You might want to consider other places in NJ if you have a car. Shoot me a message if you have any other questions!
  10. I also went to the Prospective Students Weekend, and received my official Wait List notice today. I'm not entirely surprised--at the weekend, I could tell that some of the prospective students might make a better "fit" with the Department. To those of you still waiting to hear, don't give up hope! This is my second time through the application process, and overall, my impression has been that this whole thing can be a bit of a crapshoot.
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