thedig13

There's a How I Met Your Mother reference somewhere in there.

There's a Futurama episode in which a Physics professor named Katz turns out to be a highly sophisticated puppet controlled by an intelligent cat. This just reminded me of that.

I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you feel unwelcome, but you may be in the wrong thread. This one is for History PhD programs and their applicants. If you're interested in Math/CS, I suggest the forums for those fields: http://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/48-mathematics-and-statistics/ http://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/33-computer-science/

All this discussion about writing samples and their importance prompted me to re-read my writing sample. I then encountered a very small non-sequitur. Namely, the first sentence of a particular paragraph is mostly-relevant to the rest of the paragraph, but it could have been significantly better at introducing the rest of the paragraph. Other people who've read my sample, including the editor of an academic journal, did not notice this error. However, once I noticed it myself, it became very obvious to me. Obviously, I addressed the problem, and all future drafts of my writing sample will include the change. However, because I've already sent out a number of applications, some of my top-choice schools will receive this flawed draft. My question is this: knowing that most of my previous readers have missed the error, how likely is it that an adcom will notice it? And, if they notice it, how much will a single sentence in a 23-page writing-sample matter? I understand that it's a tiny part of a broader picture, but I also recognize the importance of the writing sample in the admissions process, and don't want to underestimate the impact of an error in my application. I am also aware that applicants to graduate programs are naturally neurotic to an irrational degree. However, I still have to throw this question out there.

Given that my interests have evolved since the first time I added my name to this list, I thought I should post again to make sure my information is up-to-date. American History R_Escobar (20th century, American Indian), crazedandinfused (antebellum, intellectual), hopin'-n-prayin' (southern, religious), stevemcn (transnational), Simple Twist of Fate (early American), zb642 (20th century, labor/working-class culture), BCEmory08 (19th-20th century Catholicism, labor), irvinchiva10 (20th century, immigration/immigration reform) natsteel (early American political culture and intellectual history) unforth (19th century US political and military history, US Civil War) hbeels (colonial, early national, 19th century, transappalachain west, historical memory of these eras/areas) thedig13 (20th century U.S.; built environment, modern consumer culture, race, and immigration) Weepsie (North American Mapping, Exploration and Trade, Anti-Communism/Socialism in Interwar period, bit of a mixed bag) lafayette (19th c. [with a dash of 20th], urban, intellectual) vtstevie (Revolutionary/Early Republic New England, infrastructure/economic) macmc (Feminist, gender, and LGBT history) HistThrift (early America, indigenous history) European History Kelkel (Modern Germany, political), goldielocks (Britain), SapperDaddy (Eastern and Central Europe), kotov (Modern Romania, Holocaust, labor), RevolutionBlues (Modern Western Europe/France labor and leftist politics), theregalrenegade (18th/19th cent British Empire/environment), jrah822 (19th century Britain; emphasis on colonial relationship to India), grlu0701 (Intellectual & cultural history,fin de siecle Germany and Italy), naturalog (modern European [mostly German] intellectual and cultural/sexuality and gender/political radicalism), runaway (Eastern/Central, memorialization & visual culture), Sequi001 (Modern France, gender and sexuality, colonialism/imperialism) Abetheh (19th/early 20th century Germany and France, religious politics vs secularization) NeutralKate (Modern Russia, modern European economic history) Crackerjacktiming (Modern Germany, gender and sexuality) GloFish (USSR, Stalinism, Soviet-American Relations) jamc8383 (19th/20th century France, interwar culture, relationship between body, mind & place) Heimat Historian (19th/20th century Germany, migration, settler colonialism) African History Oseirus (precolonial/early colonial West Africa), Singwaya18 (20th century East Africa), Safferz (20th century Horn/Northeast Africa), The People's Scholar (Spanish colonialim in Africa- i.e. middle/West Africa) Jogatoronto (Psychiatry in early colonial West Africa) ronwill06(Social and political radical movements) Heimat Historian (German settlements in Southern Africa) Latin American History CageFree (20th century, Southern Cone), BH-history, The People's Scholar (18th-19th century Colombia) StrangeLight (20th century Central America) Heimat Historian (German settlements in Southern cone and Mexico) East Asian History alleykat (Modern China) kyjin (Pre-Modern Japan) aec09g (Modern Japan) pudewen (Late Imperial China) kdavid (Modern China; focus on the Republican period) Near/Middle Eastern History uhohlemonster, (modern Israel, Iran, Palestine) oswic (modern Egypt, gender) Conmel (modern pan-Islamic thought/networks) Atlantic World sandyvanb crazedandinfused Global/World History cooperstreet (Cold War) melissarose8585 Heimat Historian (German settlements throughout world) Jewish History uhohlemonster, (modern Israel) hopin'-n-'prayin, kotov (Holocaust), naturalog (sometimes modern European/Holocaust), runaway (memorialization & visual culture), ticklemepink (20th c. Germany/U.S) Science/Technology/Environment shaxmaty1848 (Cold War) StrangeLight (environmental history, ecological distribution conflicts) Social annieca (Cold War and Post-Cold War East and Central Europe) Classical and Medieval Hogs of War (Monastic Studies and Conflicts in Authority) telkanuru (high Medieval intellectual and social history, Cistercian studies) Cultural StrangeLight (gender, race, ethnicity, and religion) hbeels (race/ethnicity, religious, masculinity/feminimity, print/literature) crazedandinfused (race, nationalism, performance, rhetoric) alleykat (religion, race/ethnicity, cultural relativism) Heimat Historian (German culture in transnational context) Canadian History truthfinder (New France, religious)

I think you'll be fine. As has been previously stated, switches between fields (especially related fields) is not uncommon. Also, your Political Science research touches upon historical topics in your field, which is good, and you have at least some undergraduate training in History. Also, people who know multiple languages relevant to their field of study have a massive advantage in the admissions process. Many programs will automatically throw out otherwise-qualified applicants who don't already know relevant languages, and I've heard stories about multilingual applicants with minimal training in history getting into strong programs. I'd also imagine (but cannot confirm) that people who don't know their languages but manage to get into programs anyway tend to drop out at a higher rate, since they have to not only do the work of a typical graduate student, but also pick up new languages at the same time. As long as you can write a strong statement of purpose that successfully explains your change-of-discipline, and convinces people that you're prepared to enter History PhD programs (i.e.: highlights your foreign language training, mentions your history minor, and emphasizes that your research, although technically done in a different discipline, still reflects competence and familiarity with historical topics), I think you could put up a very competitive application. All this, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt. My field is the furthest thing from South Asian history, and I have absolutely no idea how much language training the typical PhD in that field needs.

Yeah. I'm pretty sure you may have misheard that. Various professors have explicitly told me that the statement of purpose and writing sample are thoroughly scrutinized and that a single error on either one can make or break an application. I think, when your professors say that the "writing sample doesn't matter," they may have been referring to the writing portion of the GRE. I have heard some professors tell me that they only really look at GRE writing/verbal scores if the statement of purpose or writing sample fails to impress and the committee needs some other way to determine the applicant's writing abilities. Of course, at the most respected programs, if your writing sample or statement of purpose fails to impress immediately, that would probably kill your application right there anyway, so in that sense, I suppose the GRE writing section doesn't matter. All of this, of course, is speculation. I am aware that different programs place varying levels of importance on the GRE, and use/interpret the GRE differently in the admissions process. I do, however, stand by my statement that the writing sample and the statement of purpose are critical to the application, because they're the only components of the application that offers firsthand evidence of your writing abilities (or lack thereof), and because every professor I've talked to has told me that a bad writing sample or statement of purpose will kill an application.

I have used my brother's address as my "temporary" contact address, and although I trust him, I am also aware that many letters of admission need a response within a certain amount of time, and because he lives 400 miles away, there may be an issue with getting me the letters. Long story short, I feel like it would be best if I received letters personally and/or via e-mail. At this point, I don't mind if the answers come via snail mail, I'd just like to know that I'll also be notified online so that I can have my based covered.

After a neurotic and painstaking process, I have, indeed, been able to whittle it down to just under two pages. Thank you for this advice. Does anybody have an answer to my letters-by-mail or letters-by-internet question?

Both of them work for my purposes. I vaguely prefer the margin-adjustment over the font-size-adjustment, because there's a two-line gap at the bottom of the second page for the font-adjustment draft, whereas the margin-adjustment draft is nicely filled-out. Would adcomms favor one method of cheating the system over the other?

One more question: The instructions for UCLA's statement of purpose call for a double-spaced document with a two-page limit. I have tried shaving off as much as humanly possible, but am still exactly 3 lines into my third page. If I adjust the margins from the default (1") to something slightly smaller (0.9", a barely noticeable change), the document shrinks to two pages. I recognize that default margins are typically 1", but nothing on the UCLA website indicates a preference for margin size. If I go with the 0.9" margins, how big of a deal will it be? I honestly don't think I can shave off any more without losing something I consider exceptionally important, but I don't want to take this last resort if it means my chances of admission will take a hit. Alternatively, I could just go with 1" margins and go 3 lines over the limit. Would that be better?

Due to some unexpected developments, I may be moving around quite a bit over the next several months, and my current address may not reflect what it will be come February/March/April. How often do graduate programs send actual mail? I am under the impression that most letters relating to admissions and funding made online, but would like to know if anybody has had experience/knowledge to the contrary.

Hello, GradCafe -- I have just sent off my GRE scores. For schools that use department codes, I entered in the codes specified. For others that explicitly stated that they do not use department codes, I went with the "Undecided" option (0000). However, upon sending the score, the department codes defaulted to "Not Listed" (5199) for the programs where I didn't enter specific department codes. Is this normal? Will each department still receive my scores? Should I be worried? Input from any and all individuals is appreciated, but especially welcome from people who have had similar experiences and know firsthand whether or not this prevents programs from seeing your scores.

I've been around this forum for a while, and, as I'm finally finishing off my last year of undergraduate coursework, I'm considering taking a swing at the current application season for incoming Fall 2014 students. Let me know what you think; feedback and thoughts on how to improve my application are especially welcome. University: Public research university; national ranking has bounced around between 90 and 120 over the last several years Major: History BA, with minor in Creative Writing GPA: 3.92 GRE: Not yet taken; practice tests anticipate good-not-great scores, probably around 160V, 160Q. Will be taken early November, just in time for the earliest deadlines. Interests: United States after 1945; urban history, consumer culture, race, and immigration Research Experience: - 4 years with Ethnic Studies professor; research focused on 1992 Rodney King Riots and Korean-American migration; culminated in well-received documentary films and in-progress mapping data - 1 year with Public History professor; research focused on prison-industrial complex; culminated in a well-received museum exhibit - 1 year with History professor; research focused on Civil Rights Movement; culminated in library exhibit - Honors Thesis in progress, advised by aforementioned History professor specializing in Civil Rights Movement Writing Sample: From my Honors Thesis; features a strong amount of primary-source research on a relatively un-touched historical topic that reflects an intersection of urban history and race. LORs: Three letters from the same Professors mentioned in "Research Experience"; all three LORs expected to be very strong; two LOR writers, including my thesis advisor, well-known in their fields Languages: Spanish; one year of traditional coursework plus one summer abroad in Argentina. SOP: Sought to highlight research experience and present my interests in a compelling manner. Proposed a prospective future research topic revolving around the dichotomies of fantasized consumerism and racial oppression in post-WWII Los Angeles, but also indicated that my interests remain malleable and dynamic. Top-Choice Programs: - Columbia, for various professors specializing in urban history and consumer capitalism - Princeton, for specific professor specializing in the intersection of suburbanization and race - Yale, for various professors specializing in race and immigration - UCLA, for specific professor specializing in urban history, race, and immigration

I have a question about how to follow up your initial contact e-mail with a POI. I've already sent out introductory e-mails to my POIs, and have gotten some responses back. However, I am left wondering how extensively should I communicate with a POI throughout the application process. For instance, in response to my introduction e-mail, most replies run along the lines of "Thanks for your interest; let me know if you have any further questions about our program." Although I am extremely proud of my strong introductory e-mail, I have to wonder if such a brief back-and-forth is enough to make an impression. So, long story short, my question is this: How much contact should a prospective applicant have with a POI during the application process, and, if the answer is "more than just 2 or 3 e-mails," what can I say, ask, or do to keep the dialogue running while making a strong impression?

I remember reading The Iliad when I was 14; I took a course on the cultural heroes of different civilizations throughout the ages. We went from The Iliad to Joan of Arc to John Wayne to, yes, Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns. I wish I could take it again; it was awesome, but, at the time, I didn't appreciate exactly how fantastic the course was. And, an update on my current reading list: - Paco Ignacio Taibo II's '68 - Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time - Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Even better; I can learn on my own time at my own pace. With my top choices, do you think I'm reaching too high?

Not sure yet. I'm thinking about taking a GRE test-prep course first. If I were to take the GRE in late September, would that be too late?

Hello, all. The Fall 2014 application season is coming up in a few months, and I'm thinking about throwing my name in there. I'd like your thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of my application, as well as whether or not I'd be a serious candidate. University: Undergraduate at a public research university, ranked between 75-100 nationally Major: History Concentration: United States Minor: Creative Writing GPA: 3.91 GRE: (Not yet taken) Languages: Spanish (1 year academic credit, will have 1.5 by application season) Study Abroad: University of Belgrano in Argentina, coursework in Spanish (forthcoming summer 2013) Awards/Distinctions: Several distinctions for academic excellence, including two major university scholarships Research Experience: - Honors Thesis (in progress), on the Black Panther Party's education programs in the San Francisco Bay Area; have presented at a university symposium - 3 years with a tenured Ethnic Studies Professor, focusing on Korean-American migration and the 1992 LA Riots; produced, among other things, a documentary film on the 1992 LA Riots - 6 months with two Associate Professors of History, focusing on the history of California Prisons; producing a major museum exhibit - 1 year with a Professor of History, focusing on Civil Rights History; produced multiple library exhibits Current Interests: 20th-century U.S.; built environment, modern consumer culture, race, and immigration LORs: Three professors, all of whom I've done research with (see above) - 1 tenured, well-known Professor of History; knows me well; also advising my Honors Thesis - 1 Associate Professor of History; knows me reasonably-well; will know me well by application season - 1 tenured Professor of Ethnic Studies; knows me very well Application Season: This Fall 2013, to begin Fall 2014 Top Choices: Columbia, Princeton, Yale, UCLA, Brown Thoughts?

Now that it's been a while since I've contributed to this thread, I feel that it'd be an appropriate time to update my reading list... For academic reasons (coursework and/or research): Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle The Port Huron Statement Huey P. Newton's Revolutionary Suicide Eric Schlosser's Reefer Madness For leisure: Alan Moore's Watchmen

I would like to take you up on this offer. Should I send you a PM?

Well, it depends on what you mean by "urban spaces." For instance, statistically, approximately 40% of all property damage (an estimated $1 billion in total) was isolated to Korean-American businesses, especially liquor stores and mini-marts. This is a pretty serious disproportion, and reflects some serious anti-Korean-American sentiment behind the riots. Also, consider the fact that legal decisions made in Simi Valley (a mostly-white, pro-police community with little-to-no emic knowledge of inner-city life) sparked riots that were mostly-isolated to the segregated neighborhoods of the inner-city. If you look at an actual map of where the violence occurred, it's pretty evident that the brunt of the destruction was clustered around immigrant and/or working-class communities. Not sure if that helps address your curiosity at all...

Oh. No need to apologize. I wasn't horrendously offended or upset by your post; if anything, I was being facetious. Although I indeed haven't studied either writer/historian in-depth, I recognize that I'm still learning, and have gotten used to the idea that there are historians, writers, and concepts that I still need to explore.

Also try The Spitting Image by Jerry Lembcke.

Despite being an undergraduate, I will be responding to the OP, because he/she was kind enough to include "or hope to specialize in" in nice little parentheses. I'm hoping to specialize in 20th century United States history (Yay, job market!) with an emphasis on urban space, cultural identity, social perception, and the dynamics of power between different groups. For instance, a friend of mine was born and raised in a Spanish-speaking immigrant community within 1950s Los Angeles, and one thing that always captivated me was this very sharp juxtaposition between the image/culture of 1950s LA (the glamour of Hollywood, suburban development, the creation of the freeway) and the reality of immigrant life in the shadows of this glamorous illusion. Actually, once my Spanish improves (currently on my 3rd academic quarter of instruction and going to study abroad over the summer), I hope to write a paper on this very topic. Got interested in this subject simply because a lot of my research points me to these themes. I've done a lot of work on the 1992 LA Riots, with particular emphasis on the ethnic tensions which drove the violence, as well as how the violence was mostly-isolated to very specific urban spaces. Also, my Honors Thesis is on the Black Panther Party, founded by Oakland African-Americans who, in the short term, wanted to protect Oakland's black community from the police, who they viewed as a brutal, racist, and unaccountable gang of outsider thugs, and, in the long term, wanted to spark a revolution of cultural pride and social awareness ("Black Power").