[Improving apolication for next year?]

I personally think this mentality is BS. Especially the part about "your in trouble if you can't get into a top 15 program" Of course a Ph.D. from Berkeley or Princeton can make securing a job easier but plenty of grads from schools in the Top 50 and even below have landed great positions recently (even in this market). UCSB for example landed 10 tenure track positions for grads in 2007-2008. Going to a slightly lower ranked school can sometimes offer benefits that you couldn't get at top tier department. Up and coming faculty who are younger and more willing to incorporate you into their research for example. And don't forget that a school might be ranked in the top 5 of all schools, but they might be unimpressive in your field. UPENN for Latin America for example. And there is no point talking about how the job market is atrocious, because anybody who is still in the process of applying to school won't be on the job market for almost 10 years. Let all hope that it improves, but really who knows.

I think the key is to find schools that are a great fit for your interests and that you have a realistic chance of getting into. Why waste your time applying to places that won't even look at your application. Honestly what you need to get into a decent program and get funded is a good overall package. That can take time. If you need to take a year off to make yourself a better candidate. Take that time. I took two years preparing after undergrad. Specifically you need a good GPA, GRE's as close to 700 and 6.0 as possible, a serious commitment to your field (I moved to Colombia for a year and a half to work on my Spanish and do heavy reading in my areas of interest. Do all the entry level reading in your field, and be able to talk about which historians and books influenced you. LORs from teachers who believe that you are ready for a Ph.D. program (ask them if they think you are) and show those letter writers, what you are doing outside of class to prepare for the application process and the graduate work. That way they will realize how committed you really are and express that in their writing. Writing samples: I wrote a thesis as a senior on a topic related to my field, and got an A, but it still was nothing that was going to impress committees. Even though you might have a great 25 page paper, with a good argument, what you need to show is your ability to do research (Primary Source research) . I took my 25 page thesis tossed it and wrote a 45 pg paper arguing the same thesis but based almost entirely on primary sources. Don't worry too much about Pg limits, I sent my whole paper to every school and got no complaints. Again this takes time, but take that time if you need to. Lastly, actually read the work of the professors you want to work with, and not just an article. Read a good portion of one of there books or two or three articles. And then use that as an introduction to contact them. Don't let a tepid response from faculty you contact get you down. When you make initial contact they don't know much about you so sometimes all they can say is we share interests and lets hope you get in. And refer to their work specifically in your statement of purpose. The SOP is basically a clean and succinct explanation of this entire package, just sell yourself. If you have spent the time accomplishing the things above, selling yourself will be easy.

I hope this info will be helpful for anybody preparing for there applications, or applying a second time round.

OP,

With the current state of the job market - very few people got jobs this year from even from the top schools - you should still consider my advice strongly even if the job market is expected to clear up by the time you finish your program.

[Improving apolication for next year?]

You need research experience, excellent command of languages, and a crystal clear idea of what you want to do in order to get into a top notch school. I wouldn't waste time on an internship (you won't be doing any in grad school, right?). If you apply again, then I highly suggest you aim as high as you can. The job market is atrocious, and you will be in trouble if you do not gain admission into a top 15 school.

[Davis, CA]

Davis gets a bad rap, but it's mostly from people who have never been there.

I loved my experience as an undergrad. The town is very suburban despite its undeserved reputation as a rural school. You can see Sacramento in the horizon from many town locations. It's apparently the second most educated town in the country, but I am unsure of the metric. The families who live here are very open and very friendly green-liberal-types. The town has gone out of its way to maintain a "progressive small town"feel.

There are many nice scenic walks and bike rides around town. The bike culture here is insane. If you are into bikes as I am, then you will be in heaven. I read a map once and the map showed that the town had more than 40 (!) parks where you bike around, walk, play softball, etc. Nice restaurants. Walking downtown is pleasant.

Weather: Varies between two extremes by California standards. Summer months are hot and dry (85-95deg av) and winters are cold and rainy (40s-50s days, 30s nights).

Where to go: I've lived in the Bay Area for all of my life, and many exciting things are in driving distance. San Francisco is 1.5 hours southwest, Sacramento is 15 minutes east, Napa range (for hiking) is 1 hour west, Napa valley is 1.5? hours west, the Sierras are 1.5 hours northeast, and Reno is 2.5 hours northeast. Indian casinos are within an hour by car.

Housing: The most expensive area is South Davis. North Davis is next. Students usually populate these two areas because these areas have shopping centers. West and East Davis are both in the lower in price, quieter, and less obnoxious (in my opinion). If you want to bike to campus, then live in South Davis or West Davis. These two areas have long, dedicated straightaway bike paths. You can bike to campus from just about everywhere since every street connects to a small bike path. Most people overestimate how often they will bike to campus, though, since the weather is rarely "perfect".

Houses are usually available but are variable in quality. Some of my friends had bad experiences with landlords trying to rip them off.

[Admitted - Anyone else feel anxious?]

I'm in at 2 places now and I'm realizing I will have to spend my whole summer reading to feel like I can even deal with grad school. I am excited to learn, but worry about looking dumb when talking to profs or other students and they know about people I may only have heard of. Oh and right now I teach undergrad (randomly... in a field I did major in) and have IS every day I teach. If anyone were to ask pointed questions I'd probably break down.

I feel similarly. I'm trying to "get smarter" before graduate school by reading and continuing my language training so that I don't embarrass myself!

[History Admissions 2009]

It's always a party in Dwinelle Hall. Congrats on the acceptance. What is your area of interest? Are you seriously considering Berkeley?

Hi,

Berkeley is just down the road from me and I match up well with my advisor, so it is a perfect fit for me. I will be in an Asian field, but I'd prefer not to blow my cover. Congrats on your acceptance, also!

[Admitted - Anyone else feel anxious?]

I gained admission to one of the leading schools in my field. I felt shocked at first. Then ecstatic. Now, I'm frightened.

I am coming from a middle tier school to one of the best schools in the country. I can feel the inferiority complex coming. I don't consider myself to be anywhere near the smartest people in my school. It's almost as if my admission was an accident. I've even had qualms about whether I should accept or not. What keeps me going are all the kind congratulatory emails from my family, friends, and old professors.

I don't mean to keep this discussion to those who gained admission to top schools because I recognize that everyone can feel that way to some extent. But does anyone feel this pressure to perform to the best of abilities and to live up to your potential? I"m worried that it will bug me even more as I progress through graduate school.

[History Admissions 2009]

A little late for the party :oops:

I received a personal email from my professor on Feb. 10th telling me that I had been accepted into Berkeley. I didn't receive official notice until I checked my spam filter.