lexi87

Do you think the professors actually read the personal statement, though? I mean, mine is pretty awful. I can't see why they'd be terribly interested in it...it seems like they have enough samples of our writing as it is.

I'm pretty sure both are required.

Just submitted my first application! It actually felt really great to finally get it over with. Hope everyone is managing to enjoy the holiday despite the application stress!

I had a similar conversation with a professor about a month ago and I was also nervous about it. I'm not good at talking on the phone (and never have been - as a kid I would run away from the phone rather than take a call, no joke), but it actually went really well. The first few minutes were kind of awkward, and you should be prepared for that (exchanging pleasantries, etc is going to be semi awkward with someone you've never met), but don't worry - we ended up speaking for over an hour and after the first few minutes it was totally comfortable. The professor asked me questions about how I got interested in the region I'm studying, my language prep, previous research and travel experiences, etc and that led to a conversation about how she got interested in the region. She gave me some really valuable insights about how the admissions process works at her school, and what kinds of things I should highlight in my statement of purpose. I had some questions written up on a post-it note beforehand (i.e. how big are classes? how many grad students study the region? etc...definitely nothing earth-shattering). We talked about funding as well, and by the end she said she would advocate for full funding for me with committee. All in all, I was worried about it, but by the time I hung up I was actually much more at ease with the whole admissions process. Not sure if any of this is helpful, but good luck! And remember, history professors aren't public relations execs or politicians...they probably get the being shy thing.

What would you consider a professor telling you that you'll be admitted? I'm having trouble reading between the lines of the email responses I've received. "You'd be a terrific fit"? "I will be reading your application with especial interest"? One of those lines plus asking for a writing sample or subsequently talking on the phone for an hour?

I've heard that Wisconsin offers very little funding to those accepted into the history department...can anyone verify this? Are there any multi-year fellowships available, or is funding a year-to-year thing? I'm most likely applying, but I definitely can't attend without funding, so I'm wondering if it's worth the application. Thank you!

Does anyone know if most schools will accept more than three recommendations (i.e. whether their online application systems will allow me to register more than three)? I have three recommendations from historians (one undergrad prof, one undergrad thesis advisor/prof, one grad history prof who's had me in class recently) but I've been out of undergrad for a couple years now and want to submit a recommendation from one of my law profs as well. Anyway, I spent last night filling in online applications and that. got. mundane. quickly. But it's such a good way to procrastinate! Ahh.

Ahhh yes, exactly. The professors who are writing me recommendations have assured me that I don't need to apply to a ton of schools, but I am so tempted to apply to, oh, 20. Just to make sure I get in somewhere. I want to trust their judgment, but I keep envisioning being rejected across the board.

Is anyone else having trouble narrowing down their list of schools? There are maybe 4 schools that would be perfect for my research, a few others that have great resources in my particular region, and then others that are decent fits. I'd prefer not to apply to 15 schools (just the fees for sending my GRE scores to all those schools would be ridiculous), but I really do want to get in somewhere. At the same time, I realize that my chances of getting into school A, which is basically a perfect fit but super competitive, may actually be better than my chances of getting into school B, which isn't as good of a fit but is objectively less competitive...ugh!

Thank you so much for the advice everyone! Very helpful!

Hi everyone! I'm new here but am applying for programs this fall as well. I'm not sure if the veterans have any insight but I have a couple questions... 1) What are the typical yield rates for these programs? I see stuff like "6 incoming students" and freak out...so for a program that's looking for a class of 10 students, or 20 students, how many people will they usually admit? 2) I've gotten a few replies from professors who want to have a phone conversation. What can I expect from this? Ahhhh. 3) How much should I be reading into professors (after I've made initial contact with them) wanting to talk on the phone/asking for a writing sample/offering to revise drafts of my statement of interest? Obviously I'd love to think that this is a good sign, but I really don't want to get my hopes up... Thanks in advance! I really just want to get in somewhere...totally wish we could find out before February because I know the wait is going to kill me. Good luck to everyone!!!