ReallyNiceGuy

I politely disagree that they are unicorns. You'll just have to do a lot of research on programs to locate them. Furthermore, there are schools who have effectively shaped their department around funding MAs.
My MA is funded and I received 2 other such offers.
What you need to do is research MA programs as thoroughly as you would any other program.
Almost every department will tell you something along the lines of "we do fund MAs, but the group of MA admits are placed in competition with each other for the funding (meaning something like 1/10 receives the money; that's just an example)." The other, and I think possibly the "more likely to pay dividends" scenario is a school that offers a MA but does not offer a PhD. In this case, you're certain (well, sorta certain depending on the department/school) to get money (since no money is going to the PhD students the MA is the terminal degree) and you're also not going to be treated like a pariah. By that I mean, the faculty doesn't have X number of PhD students they are focusing on and then all of a sudden they're getting pestered by some first year MA student (don't take that the wrong way, I'm in a MA program too). 
(Please keep in mind everything I just posted is about 40% what I've learned in a MA program and 60% what I've been told on here.)
 
Finally, they ARE rare. So, unless you are REALLY lucky, you're likely going to have to relocate.
 
As far as getting money once you're in from a place that didn't promise you anything? I really haven't the slightest clue.
 
/my longest gradcafe post ever

Ok, this is going to sound very harsh but: If you can't figure this out on your own, grad school isn't for you.

Thanks, you too! I'm currently finishing my undergrad at UofT. The History department here is wonderful; I would love to return for my PhD. Good luck!!

When this process started I was really just hoping for 1 "yes." Now I have choices between legitimately great programs. I'm pretty stunned really.

I wish I had some way to filter my emails so that I wouldn't get excited for new messages only to find some invitation to some event I've never heard of.

Just keep editing it down until you get to two pages, sorry. Changing font or margin size is never a good idea, especially when the department prints out a stack of SOPs and it looks obvious to anyone who sees yours. If everyone else can whittle their statement down to two pages, so can you. The best SOPs are cogent and concise.

NewEnglandNat and telkanuru matter more than me by virtue of the fact that both of them are in outstanding programs.
 
That said, I've probably talked to around 30 professors (including 4 from universities on your (levoyous) list) about this process at this point. While they've all had different things to say about this or that, there has been one constant in all of their remarks: the writing sample is what students should worry about and what they should spend their time on.

You're a really nice and helpful person. So- well done and congratulations.

I know that Florida State funds at least 1 MA per cohort, but I think it might even be 2.

If anyone else is waiting, I just received a "yes" on my FLAS for SWSEEL.
I assume you'll get word soon. I received information via email.
 

I politely disagree that they are unicorns. You'll just have to do a lot of research on programs to locate them. Furthermore, there are schools who have effectively shaped their department around funding MAs.
My MA is funded and I received 2 other such offers.
What you need to do is research MA programs as thoroughly as you would any other program.
Almost every department will tell you something along the lines of "we do fund MAs, but the group of MA admits are placed in competition with each other for the funding (meaning something like 1/10 receives the money; that's just an example)." The other, and I think possibly the "more likely to pay dividends" scenario is a school that offers a MA but does not offer a PhD. In this case, you're certain (well, sorta certain depending on the department/school) to get money (since no money is going to the PhD students the MA is the terminal degree) and you're also not going to be treated like a pariah. By that I mean, the faculty doesn't have X number of PhD students they are focusing on and then all of a sudden they're getting pestered by some first year MA student (don't take that the wrong way, I'm in a MA program too). 
(Please keep in mind everything I just posted is about 40% what I've learned in a MA program and 60% what I've been told on here.)
 
Finally, they ARE rare. So, unless you are REALLY lucky, you're likely going to have to relocate.
 
As far as getting money once you're in from a place that didn't promise you anything? I really haven't the slightest clue.
 
/my longest gradcafe post ever

I agree with the poster above who mentioned that this thread could really help some people avoid a mound of debt.
Is it possible to "sticky" threads on this board?
If not, it should likely be bumped constantly.

I'm interested to hear other people's opinions on this issue.
I thought the general attitude toward graduate GPAs was "do as well as you possibly can, but do not prioritize a 4.0 over research and writing your thesis."
Further, I know for an absolute certainty that at least some MA programs basically hand out 4.0s. My undergraduate institution's MA program is notorious for this.
There are also other schools that make real efforts to combat grade inflation.
If I'm just a first year graduate student and I know this then I'm certain that ADComms do.
Basically, I'm surprised that a person could make straight A- throughout their entire graduate career, produce a good sample, get good letters, and write a good SOP and be punished for that A-.
That's really baffling to me.

I'm interested to hear other people's opinions on this issue.
I thought the general attitude toward graduate GPAs was "do as well as you possibly can, but do not prioritize a 4.0 over research and writing your thesis."
Further, I know for an absolute certainty that at least some MA programs basically hand out 4.0s. My undergraduate institution's MA program is notorious for this.
There are also other schools that make real efforts to combat grade inflation.
If I'm just a first year graduate student and I know this then I'm certain that ADComms do.
Basically, I'm surprised that a person could make straight A- throughout their entire graduate career, produce a good sample, get good letters, and write a good SOP and be punished for that A-.
That's really baffling to me.

One year ago, I was in your situation.
I'm older than you. And during my first attempt at college- well, I didn't take it very seriously. I finally finished my BA at a school that doesn't have a reputation- it's not a bad reputation, it's not a good one- because no one knows it even exists. And my GRE was just above average.

I applied to 9 programs, got into 8, and was offered funding at 3 (2 MA programs and 1 PhD). I chose one of the funded MAs because literally everyone says that an applicant with a MA has a considerably better shot at a great PhD program.

I addressed my "issues" in the first paragraph of my SOP. When I apply for a PhD program I won't address it at all because, as someone on here once told me "they will know you are not a 'blue blood' almost immediately." Depending on how dramatically you improved, you might not have to say anything? If you had a 2.2 when you were 19 but went back to school when you were 25 and scored a 4.0 for 3 straight years I would be really surprised if anyone cared about that 2.2. That said, there are people on here who are at places like Princeton and I have the sense to defer to their wisdom.

I got some really good advice from people on this board like TMP, StrangeLight, SimpleTwist, natesteel, and New England Nat, so I'm here to try to be that for someone else. My point is to tell you that it can be done. Good luck.

One year ago, I was in your situation.
I'm older than you. And during my first attempt at college- well, I didn't take it very seriously. I finally finished my BA at a school that doesn't have a reputation- it's not a bad reputation, it's not a good one- because no one knows it even exists. And my GRE was just above average.

I applied to 9 programs, got into 8, and was offered funding at 3 (2 MA programs and 1 PhD). I chose one of the funded MAs because literally everyone says that an applicant with a MA has a considerably better shot at a great PhD program.

I addressed my "issues" in the first paragraph of my SOP. When I apply for a PhD program I won't address it at all because, as someone on here once told me "they will know you are not a 'blue blood' almost immediately." Depending on how dramatically you improved, you might not have to say anything? If you had a 2.2 when you were 19 but went back to school when you were 25 and scored a 4.0 for 3 straight years I would be really surprised if anyone cared about that 2.2. That said, there are people on here who are at places like Princeton and I have the sense to defer to their wisdom.

I got some really good advice from people on this board like TMP, StrangeLight, SimpleTwist, natesteel, and New England Nat, so I'm here to try to be that for someone else. My point is to tell you that it can be done. Good luck.

I'm an aspiring historian, so I also applied to many history programs. I received a couple of fully funded offers, and I have accepted one.
Those of you who were waitlisted at UNC-CH, Indiana, or Kansas now have -1 student in front of you! I hope that helps someone on this board. I wish everyone luck!!!!

I'm an aspiring historian, so I also applied to many history programs. I received a couple of fully funded offers, and I have accepted one.
Those of you who were waitlisted at UNC-CH, Indiana, or Kansas now have -1 student in front of you! I hope that helps someone on this board. I wish everyone luck!!!!

I'm really enjoying the math and statistics and graphs.
<--- Economics and Political Science double minor

6/7 thus far.
I'm really hard on myself by nature and I was utterly convinced I'd end up 0/9.
I'm glad to be wrong for once.

As far as entertainment is concerned: I'm so thankful that it's NHL season since that's the only sport I care to acknowledge.
And I really cannot stomach American pop music or anything that surrounds it.

Does that make me a snob?
If so, I'm sorry


And I agree with TMP's sentiment on pgs138-139; this board has made me considerably better and has helped me with "what goes where" so much. I am thankful that everyone on this site is neurotic and obsessive.

I didn't receive the Wisconsin email- bummer. I wonder if that means "I don't care about you!" (FEAR style) or if it means "yeh we know you'll fill out FAFSA because my god you're poor."

I'd like to join the group of Wisconsin applicants who have been faced with a "pending" for quite some time.

I'm glad we have this thread for the next group of applicants! Throughout the messy, stressful, hopeful, soul-consuming process of applying to graduate programs, I came across many helpful links and recently emailed them to a friend who will be applying soon. There are a lot of great threads on these forums too, so to make it easier for next season's applicants, I think it would be a good idea to link people to those as well.


The American Historical Society's newsletter, Perspectives, has an excellent general guide on applying to grad school: http://www.historian...809/9809PRO.CFM

Great tips on the basics of being a competitive applicant:http://www.historian...raduate-school/

How to decide what programs to apply to, what to ask people from the schools you're contacting (or on the visit weekends once you're accepted): http://www.historian...d/Questions.cfm

What not to do: http://girlscholar.b...r-graduate.html

General advice from a guy who's in a philosophy program (it's a different field so all the advice doesn't apply, but this was still helpful): http://www.mathewlu....rad_school.html

Tips on how to approach professors of interest at a program you're considering applying to to see if they're accepting students as an advisor, and to introduce yourself and your research interests (which, as everyone has stated in this thread, might not be effective, but it can be worth it depending on the POI): http://science-profe...ting-to-me.html

Advice on how to ask for LORs, and what kind of a "packet" you should prepare for each recommender when asking him/her to write you a letter: http://www.socialpsy...org/rectips.htm

Excellent threads on what you need for your Statement of Purpose (and much of this was echoed by my undergrad thesis director who is also on my university's graduate admissions committee):


This is a typical anti-getting-your-phd-in-history article: http://suburbdad.blo...g-cycle-of.html and this is a good response: http://crookedtimber...to-grad-school/

You're going to read so many articles and have a lot of people tell you that this grad school/career in academia thing is a bad idea. That you wont be able to do it, that you're not going to find a job, that if you put forth this effort in some other field you'd actually find success in life, etc. It scared me, it still scares me, and often left me feeling hopeless. However, we just have to hope that we'll be those exceptions. And know that you should never get in debt to get a Ph.D. It's just not worth it because it's doubtful that you'd be making enough soon after graduation to pay off that debt. So try your hardest to get a funded offer and go for it; this way, even if you end up only teaching at a community college (which may not be a bad thing) or never getting a tenured professorship, at least you're not in debt and you got to study what you love!

And once you're in, here's some advice to help you out: http://chronicle.com...-students/26326 (this is something that should be helpful for all of us who will be starting in the upcoming year).

There's this incredibly addictive web comic (now a variety of books!) called phdcomics (i.e. Piled Higher and Deeper). I read basically all of them in a month-long period, and this prepared me for what grad school will be like almost as much as all these articles. The main characters are STEM field grad students, so some of it isn't accurate for us. There are, however, two characters in the social sciences and the humanities. Here are some particularly good and/or relevant ones:
http://www.phdcomics...php?comicid=294
http://www.phdcomics...hp?comicid=1015 (lol, this is what the application cycle can be like...make sure you minimize these days of bad productivity by starting early!)

Finally, here's an awesome pamphlet someone on gradcafe made - it's a guide for families and friends of people who are applying to grad school. Hilarious and true.
Side one: http://i52.tinypic.com/28qtekp.jpg
Side two:http://i55.tinypic.com/so75m1.jpg


Best of luck to all.