annieca

I think if your heart is telling you School B, then go with School B. From your accepted list, I'm taking a guess that the one you feel "at home" at is Madison? Madison is also a whole lot cheaper rent-wise than Chicago, NYU or Columbia. Your MA is 2-3 years of your life. Why live in a place/go to a school where you just would grit it out? AND, a final note - if the relationship between the department and its students doesn't improve at School A, then the prestige is not so helpful. You want professors who will glowingly write your recommendations for PhD program or jobs. Prestige will only get you so far. My gut says go with your heart. Hope that helps!

At Maryland I believe they don't tell you about financial aid until sometime in July, after they've dolled out all their money to their undergraduates. This, of course, excludes TA/GA/RA and fellowship opportunities so I'll just be waiting purely to hear how much I can take out in loans.

There's a quote I love that might help you decide. "Flip a coin. Not because it decides anything. But because for that moment the coin is in the air, you know exactly which one you're wishing for." I am not saying by any means that this is a decision to do by a flip of a coin, but the logic still holds.

@CrazyCatLady - Of course! I'll PM you my contact stuff because I imagine I won't be checking this site very frequently in a few months.

I agree with everyone who posted above. Yes, thesis writing is helpful for experience, but otherwise, not essential. Here's why: For those who are applying to MA or PhD programs straight out of undergrad (in my experience, about half of the people), they're applying in the fall or winter of their senior year. For many, many people this means they haven't written or polished their thesis enough for use as a writing sample. Then, there's some programs in undergrad that don't write their thesis until second semester (I'm one of those). And then there's some that don't even HAVE a thesis option for undergrad. So, yes, it's great for experience but it's just that. Experience.

I am starting my MA/MLIS at Maryland this fall, so I can offer a few pointers. 1) It definitely does help with employability 2) It is true that most of the time you have to apply separately. This can get ridiculously expensive, fast. For example, at Indiana and IUPUI where there is a MA/MLIS in either History or Public History and Library Science or Archives, you have to apply to each department separate and send GRE scores separately. That meant the $55 (I think) application fee x2 for Indiana and then x2 for IUPUI 3) Maryland has one application. It's through the iSchool and is called HiLS (pronounced hills, not HiLS). As I've experienced so far you work through the iSchool mostly, although you are definitely in contact with the History Department. 4) Some universities are better at the dual degree than others. Chapel Hill for example - you take your Archives classes at Chapel Hill and your Public History classes at North Carolina State which is in Raleigh. Granted, Chapel Hill and Raleigh are like, half an hour from each other in traffic, but still. It's not so much a dual degree as it is a joint degree. If anyone wants more info about Maryland, I'd be happy to share!

Thankfully, Maryland has been very upfront with me about the costs. I know how much it's going to be, and while I know it's going to be painful, I know what it is. They've also been great about letting me know that while the iSchool doesn't have assistanceships, the University-wide ones will be up shortly. Maryland for me! So, incredibly excited! Now if my undergrad institution and I could work this snaffu with credits out...

Hiya! I'm there in the Fall as well! I'll be doing a dual Masters in Library Science, specializing in Archives and one in Public History. So, so excited! I've been to the campus a couple times before but definitely excited to be in the DC area again. I love it so much. The cost of living, not so much. If I sound bubbly, it's because I am honestly ridiculously happy about the process being over and Maryland accepting me.

Haha, yes. I did! I wondered if it was because of that horrible letter of rec, or my GRE or if I just wasn't capable of high-caliber Public History work. But, it's really just a matter of lots of people being amazing (including ourselves) and not enough spots. And trust me, if you're over the moon about going to Yale, then everything else will fade away. I know I am SO SO jazzed about Maryland right now. I've been researching fun facts about the University and remembering others from my past visits. Like the dairy on campus that has Fear the Turtle ice cream that I will now be exposed to constantly. Thank goodness I'm going to be broke! The only thing hindering my "jazz" about Maryland is the snaffu I've hit with transfer credits from my study abroad place and my home institution. I'm between 2-6 credits short. Thankfully, there's lots of online classes at my local community college so I can take something stupid like History 103 (x2) and have it transfer back to Carroll. As for the funding thing - I'm going into my MA/MLIS unfunded. But, I've been told Maryland is great about funding people and you just have to pounce on the assistanceships website when they come up sometime during the summer. Looks like I know what website is going to become my new home!

I started apartment hunting until I realized that I have absolutely no idea what my budget is. The area I'm looking at has ridiculous rent ($900 for a studio? Eeek!!!) and I haven't gotten my loan package yet. But, I have a family friend in the area that I plan on making a trip to see and apartment hunt early in the summer. That way I can get a head-start on the process instead of moving up early and getting what's left. I'm going to be downsizing a LOT but, thankfully, either of my parent's houses (they're retiring and becoming half-time snowbirds) are a 10-13 hour drive away. I can always get them to mail stuff. The hardest thing is going to be getting rid of clothes - I need both cold weather and hot weather, as usual. Okay, that won't be the hardest thing. The hardest thing is going to be resisting Ikea - there's one in the town where my new university is!

I am happy to say that I have made a decision! Out of respect for my mother who wants me to wait for the magical funding that is suppose to appear in the next 10 days, I'm not saying where. But, it feels so, so good to have decided. There was a little doubt in my mind but then I just said, "No, you know exactly where you want to be." It's funny - when I started this search a long, long time ago I said that school was my favorite. Then other schools claimed first and now, here I am, going to attend that first school in the fall. I was so exhausted by this process and I just wanted it to be over. It made me wonder if I was just tired of the process or if I didn't want to go to graduate school. Well, I've decided and I am over the moon, can't stop smiling, looking at apartments and so incredibly excited. Verdict: It was the process. Good luck to everyone else in their decision making process. We're almost done!

Christian Appy also has an Oral History-based book called Vietnam: The Definitive History - that's pretty good. Otherwise, for general anti-war protests, I'd try Kenneth Heineman's Campus Wars. Hope that helps!

Well, here's my two cents on the GRE: Do the best you can but don't freak out about it. I applied to programs where I was very, very unlikely to get funding anyway so I won't speculate about how important it is for funding. For admission though, don't worry about it so much. I mean, think about it. Most of us are going into history programs that won't require a smidgen of math. (I'm ignoring you economic historians right now.) If you bomb the math section it doesn't make you less of a historian. It just shows that math isn't your strong suit. Or that you haven't had math in awhile. When I took the GRE I hadn't had the geometry/trig/algebra II stuff on the GRE in at best, 3 years, at worst, 5. That, and for the qualitative section you are competing against engineering guys and gals and math majors and physics majors. Do your best. Take some practice tests and brush up on your vocab. But don't ever freak out about it. If you start freaking out about the GRE and take it in the summer as is usual, you're going to be freaking out nearly constantly for 10 months. It's exhausting.

Thanks for the questions! Definitely helped me think things through. I've decided but I'm waiting to make it official until closer to the official reply date.

Honestly, I've had the opposite. I've only been talking about my decision with my parents, my sister and my adviser back home since I'm in the UK right now and the time difference is hellishly annoying. My adviser wants me to go where I'm happy, as does my sister I think. My parents... there's an undercurrent to go to the school with less debt but they know I'm going to make my own decision. But I've enjoyed reading the facepalms on this thread!

So, here's the deal. There's two offers of admission I'm seriously considering but I cannot decide between the two. School A: In a smaller city in the Midwest; Rent would be somewhere around $500 a month (1 bed) and tuition around $16,000 a year. It would be one Master's in Public History, taking 2 years. I would be required to do an internship (almost always paid) for one semester, though this often takes place in the summer. School B: In a large metropolitan area on the East Coast. Rent would be upwards of $900 (studio) and tuition around $22,000 a year. It would be one Master's, but there's two "majors" - Archives Administration and Public History taking 2.5-3 years. Have the chance to work with some national archival institutions, some for money, others not. Neither are funded. School B allows you to apply to assistanceships in any department but this year does not offer any assistanceships in the department. School A is still getting back to me on financial aid but it sounds like it's just that one internship. My heart and my head are telling me two different things. I'm going the first year unfunded no matter what but there's an iffy chance of funding for second and third year. There's also the question of whether I can get a job at an Archives without a ALA-degree (Public History is run out of the History department at School A). Ultimately, it comes down to whether I want less debt or more connections within the archival world. Any thoughts?

Well, it's down to two. IUPUI and Maryland. I didn't think it would be those two, but hey! Maryland and IUPUI are amazing schools in their own right. But of course, I need to talk to them about financial aid stuff and I want to talk over the phone because Maryland's emails have been nothing but cryptic and it's a little harder to be indirect over the phone. Thank goodness for Skype subscriptions because I imagine I'm going to be put on hold for awhile. I'm hoping to have a decision by the end of the week and start looking for apartments next week. I'll officially make a trip to one of the two cities when I get back to the states to find an apartment and sign a lease and all that jazz. Man, I'm so ready for this to be over!

The UK has this thing called the Russell Group which is apparently the big thing. It's a list of 20 schools that they consider top-tier. As far as I know, the 20 don't change - only their position within the Group. In that vein, I wouldn't say it's the same. And yes, the UK does have some rankings in "Student Satisfaction" which I swear, they ask the first years and not the third years. I'm only going to speak for the UK here, but I think it's definitely an American export. *And* it's something we place much more importance on than in the UK. I have friends applying for PhD's in International Politics and Law in the UK and they want to go to Edinburgh or Kings College. They know those are good and they're in the Russell Group. To them, it doesn't matter where, as long as they're in there somewhere. I have had many, many of my British and European friends say that Americans are the most competitive people they have ever met in the world. And I tend to agree. Rank schools by job placement rates, fine. Rank them by connections? Iffy. But to have this squabbling over #2 versus #5? That seems petty. It also seems just... wrong to rank entire History departments. Stanford is amazing for East European modern history but can Harvard or Yale say the same? As many have said before me and many will say after me, it is all about fit. And if you find the right schools for your research needs then choose the one where you are the most likely to be guaranteed a job. My two cents.

So, opinion question for y'all - I received a letter (PDF) from Maryland saying I was accepted to the SLIS Department and the Archives Specialization. They said it would only be official when I heard from the Graduate School (a formality I assume) and that if I didn't hear back in a timely manner, I should contact them. The question is... what's a timely manner? It'll be a week tomorrow since I got the letter. I know that's probably early to contact them, but I want to find out about funding as soon as possible and I think I can only do that through their portal which I can't register on until I'm officially accepted.... Ah, bureaucracy, thy name is graduate school admissions!

About Indiana funding - I've been asked to apply for scholarships but nothing else. Sorry for the no news-ness!

Anyone heard about funding at Maryland? It's my top choice but I need funding!

As a future archivist and someone who has worked in two archives I cannot stress enough the resource that is the archivist. We know our collections and if we don't know the answer we *will* scour the earth to find it out for you. Ask us! Good luck on your research!

Waiting for funding news...always the best part of the application season I think.

If you're going for in-state residency, NC is the place to try to get it. They are fairly liberal about the whole policy. Illinois...not so much. I got an email from IUPUI today that said "Hey, you forgot this part of your application!" when I wasn't required to submit it for Bloomington which has identical criteria. Luckily, it was something I couldn't physically provide them until last week or so when grades were announced at my study abroad institution. Waiting to hear about funding at Maryland. It's where I really, really want to go but I cannot do it without funding. But I was so so happy to get in!!

Right now I have the choice (in the US) between Maryland or Indiana-Bloomington. Bloomington doesn't have an archives concentration and, no offense to Bloomington itself, I'm not a fan. Maryland - the program is run through the History Department so it's HiLS and I have been told some MA or HiLS students *do* get TA positions. How many out of this current year is another question all together. But, looking at Maryland, I've got $20k saved up but that would leave me with $115,00+ in debt, which is absolutely INSANE for an archives position when the average archives worker makes something like $45,000 a year and that's after a few years in. I'm not trying to talk myself out of the US options I have at all - I really want to be back in the US for a multitude of reasons. I just, financially, can't swallow it without assistanceships or RA positions, etc. Thankfully, the school in the UK isn't making me commit until late July, early August, so I have the luxury of being able to wait until after National Reply Date to decide. How goes the process for everyone else?