annieca

I remember arguing with a professor that if you answered E, you were really setting yourself up for a logical impossibility. I mean, think about it. If 1, 2 and 3 are correct, then they can't be not correct as well. And if you choose "All of the above" you are saying that the three choices are both correct and incorrect.

Still didn't get the point though.

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!

He's got a bit of a deer-in-headlights look about him in class. It could be that this is a theory course and so it's above most of our heads, so take what I say with a grain of salt. The questions he asks - he phrases them as if he's not sure of himself and not just the material. I know that's a vague comment but it's the best I can give you without going into specific conversations. I have learned that professors in graduate school (and many in upper-level undergrad) demand confidence. Even if you're dead wrong about the comment in question, having belief in yourself and what you believe is something that comes with time and practice. It is also what sets apart the graduate student from the undergrad in my opinion. (Well, that and about 400 pages of reading a week)

I second this. The new PhD cohort at Maryland is 9 students I believe. Only one of them came straight from undergrad and you can tell he wasn't quite ready for it. That being said, some students can handle it. You know you better than anyone but if you're thinking of applying to somewhere twice, I would definitely wait let things take their course, even if that means taking a year off.

Today is Day 2 for me, so it's a little early. That being said...
 
- I love my advisor. He's also willing to be a co-advisor with two other professors whom will all help out when my thesis comes around
- The campus, while big, is actually managable. The only not fun aspect is parking. (8 minute drive to campus, 7 minutes to find parking)
- My theory class is going to be fairly easy regarding the written work. We also get to do rewrites!
- Still figuring out the money situation but it's going. Slowly.
 
 
My biggest problem is having night classes. I need my glasses to drive at night because my contacts don't block out the glare. However, that means wearing my glasses to class, which I hate, hate. I'm thinking of maybe just wearing my glasses over my contacts for the drive home?

Oh the sillyness. And here is where I feel embarrassed because I didn't even know what nascent meant until I just looked it up.
 
On the different themes issue I wonder if this is completely different for HiLS (History and Library Science) students than it is for straight History? When I applied to programs I was not just applying to HiLS but also Public Humanities and some other ones that had different names. I suppose history is history is history (except when it isn't). It reminds me of the divide between my fellow historians and my fellow archivists. We pick a school based on the specialization, yes, but to a lesser extent. Archives is still a huge specialization - do you want to do film archives, music, work on processing, digitization, MARC/EAD/DACS records? But I digress.
 
I think the best way forward is one where your professors and other rec letter writers recognize your strengths as a historian and don't focus on the specific subfield. Correct me if I'm totally off base here, but my recommenders wrote more about my research in generalized terms than ever getting into the specifics of what I actually researched.

Yeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh another historian!!!!!!! Here's my advice:
 
1. Contact the department. Do not start choosing schools by their reputation, choose them by their department. It is nice to apply to an Ivy League school but if your interests do not match, it is stupid. I wanted to apply to Harvard, besides there is generous funding from my country to go there but my interests did not even come close to those of the department.
 
2. Do your research. This is connected to the one before. Really investigate where you want to go, not only for the academics but also for the place. I did not apply to a place I did not want to live in. Check if your hobbies are available, for example, I checked out for field hockey teams. Ask EVERYTHING to grad students, most are happy to help you and to meet you if they have a chance. Many will advice you one the mood in the department, funding, housing, etc. Furthermore, they know very well the departments rankings/interests focus and thus can advice you to also try elsewhere.
 
3. Take your time to prepare your app. I was working full time so I started in July with the contacting the department/POIs and preparing GRE. I finished my applications in December. Take your time to write your SOP, show it to professors/friends in grad school. Many grad students I had met were happy to read it for me, even though I did not apply to their school. Take time to prepare for GRE. Although it's rubbish, expensive and almost pointless, it is necessary and you cannot fight the system. I had an excellent private teacher who started with the writing section and because I could write logically, I could also read logically. I got excellent results. My advice here is DO prepare it, and choose your course wisely. Work on your letters of recommendation, do not just ask for them. Meet your professors/employers, tell them about your ambitions, be clear on what is expected from them. Your SOP and CV should show the adcomms how great you are and why making you an offer is the best decision they will ever make. Now, I understand that you Northamericans are quite skillful in "decorating" your accomplishments, especially (I envy this a little bit ) because ALL your accomplishments have names. So you won the "Robert Smith Senior essay of the Year on how to dehydrate an amphibian's limb". So, do not put yourself down here.
 
4. Narrow your choices. Many people may not agree with this. I believe you shouldn't apply to more than seven schools. First of all, its loads of money. Second of all, if you did points 1 and 2 thoroughly then you will not be able to apply to more than 6/7. I had an EXCELLENT fit with a program I really really wanted to apply to but the POIs responded my e-mail very late and then he did not answer again. I could have applied, but how much do I want to be accepted in a place where they did not show any interest? Mmmm, I don't know. Another example, I was a great fit with a professor in a program on the west coast. He acknowledged that and was happy to talk about my application, but advised me that there was no funding and it was almost pointless for me to apply. Finally, one professor directly told me he was not taking any students this year. So, communication is basic and although I would have applied to, say, 10 programs, I ended up with 5. Which programs? The ones that are best for you. 
 
5. Be confident. You will have an offer from a place that really really wants you. It doesn't matter how badly you wanted to go into another program. They just don't want there. I mean: be prepared for rejections but be confident that a rejection is not a bummer, it just means you did everything you had to do and the department had to choose. This is difficult because you feel stupid when someone else gets into a top school and you don't. In the end, all that matters is the acceptance, not the rejection. 
 
6. Be realistic. Do not yield to emotional stress and drama. If you get in, great. If you don't, it is not the end of the world. Be an adult in your application, show your real potential as a historian. Be prepared to make decisions. Save money. Have a plan B (a master's elsewhere? Year abroad? You name it). Listen to those who praise you and those who criticize your work. Learn from mistakes. Get yourself published, it's awesome. 
 
Mmmmm I sound to motherly, don't I? You get more or less what I mean right? 

Digital history and Digital humanities are huge. In fact, I got sick of hearing about it as an archivist, but it is super sexy and people go nuts over it. 

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.

Honestly, this is where I think the coin comes out. Both schools look like they could be places for you. If your heart says B then go with B. But if you really can't decide, flip a coin.
 
I'll be saying this a lot in the next 4 days but, "Flip a coin. Not because it decides it. But for the moment that that coin is in the air, you know exactly what you want."

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.

Taking out so much money in loans for a MA in the humanities is a poor decision. You have a great sounding funded offer, and I'm not exactly sure why you are so torn now. Seems like a no-brainer - go with the funded offer, especially since you say there is a great advisor and better fit for your interests. You can get your MA there and then go to a better ranked school for your PhD if you think that's so important.

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 think that as long as you obey the golden mantra ("leggings are not pants"), you'll be fine.

I just received my rejection letter from UPenn, so now I can officially say that I will be attending Yale for my MA! Whew, what a long, drawn-out process!
 
I must say that I initially felt really disheartened and discouraged after being rejected from 3 out of the 4 schools I applied to this year. Did anyone else feel like there was something academically wrong with them? Thankfully, I understand that I should not take rejection letters so personally as there are a plethora of reasons--aside from academic merit--for rejections. 
 
Anyway, I am thankful to have joined some of the discussions on the forum and I wish everyone the best of success!! 

I have also decided where to go!
 
It came down to a choice between the place where I thought I'd personally be happiest on a number of fronts (Interdisciplinary Program) and the place where I'd be set up best for a traditional academic career (History Program).
 
I visited the Interdisciplinary Program and absolutely loved it.  I waited a while to see if the warm glow would die down, but it didn't. 
 
When I turned down the history program, I felt a twinge of regret, but that dissipated, and I'm at peace with my decision.  
 
Exhale.

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!

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!

This is great advice, and I wish someone had given it to me sooner in my career.

My one bit of advice is don't focus so much on photocopying that you don't take in info from the archives.  If you just photocopy and leave, you may lose connections that you make on the spot and then find more (possibly even more interesting things than you came for!).  Also make friends with archivists, most of the time they know more than you about their collections(although not always true...), and can point you to collections you didn't know existed.

Well, everyone, it's been a wild season of ups and downs, but I've now received responses from all the programs to which I applied, have finished up my campus visits, and have now accepted my offer at Princeton (a wonderful department -- New England Nat does not lie!). I hope everyone who hasn't heard back yet hears in the positive soon, and if any 2014-ers have any questions about the process, don't hesitate to reach out at any time and message me. I'm no expert, but I think I did a couple things right (and probably just as many wrong). Thanks for all the support, history grad cafers! Y'all are the best. So glad to be done with this process. Now on to the real work -- which I wish you all the best of luck in, as well.

While you are not wrong in terms of big picture, you are speaking in generalizations that do not always hold up.  Tulane for the five years of funding only requires "service" for years 2 and 3, which ammounts to T.A.ing twice (in my case this did not include tedious work grading but was done purely for pedagogical purposes) and teaching two course as the instructor of record.  Year 1 is pure fellowship, as are the two years after you become ABD.  As a rich private school, Tulane also has a lot of travel funding.  We also bring in a decent amount of big name speakers.  I can name at least one top 20 (Just barely out of the top 10) public school where the students are stuck ta-ing for most of their graduate career.  You do say to disregard the rankings' face value then proceed to immediately re-enforce the discourse the rankings create.  Moreover, as someone (and plenty before this person) else said, correlation is not the same as causation. 
 
Most of the people at Tulane do most of their research outside of the bounds of the region (although not everyone as regional history is a strong suit).  I can't speak for every programs' "actual quality" but neither can you, and you are generalizing beyond your knowledge base based on a highly problematic list that ultimately re-enforces your own position and claims to superior education.  So much of the rankings is based on poles of people's perceptions, that the idea that they ultimately speak to what type of funding you get or some sort of objective quality is outrageous.  I would say there probably is often a disconnect in resources to those at well-endowed private schools compared to many state schools.  This is something I can speak to, having talked to a number of people at both types of universities and the types of funding packages I received from state institutions.
 
What is obnoxious and worth pointing out in both your and N. E. Nat's comments (and Nat I understand where you are coming from, and as far as a distant internet persona, I genuinely like you), is the way you generalize other programs based on limited source base, then act as if you are coming down on high to tell the commoners to face the facts.  I know you don't mean it that way, but that is certainly how I read it and it can be read.  Most people are where they are because it's the best place they go into with funding or had a better opportunity for some reason at a lower ranked program.  I took my name off a higher ranked waitlist, because Tulane put together just such a package as you refer to as being unique to a top 10 school.  Also, you are telling this to people who are living with the "adversity" that you speak of.  I assure you everybody is aware of what you are saying, but the truth is some of us started off much further down and while not impossible, it is very difficult to get into a top program from a very unknown state school in a state not known for quality public education.  Therefore, those of us in such situations have to take the certainly riskier route through lower ranked PhD programs, to try and claw for jobs at very poorly regarded branch schools or at a liberal arts college (which is my dream job, btw).  The result is that you come off sounding like an imperialist trying to tell the Africans how to build a railroad, without supplying any of the means to actually build said metaphorical railroad.  While some of your argument is right in a pure dollars and cents way, your ultimate point is that someone like me should probably have just not attended grad school, which is not only unpopular, but it's an argument made completely out of context of an individual's work and worth.  It also lumps every PhD program from some arbitrary range of the list into some sort of identical mold.  You can also make your points in such a way that come off better.  The "let me tell you the hard truth of your position" approach comes off as highly paternalistic.

Got accepted to Maryland today! Woohoo!!! It was a bit of a surprise, but.. woohoo! If I get funding it is a definite contender.

Please don't think like that.  You were selected.  That school made the right choice.  Not being selected at other schools doesn't invalidate your acceptance.  Selecting applicants is an inexact science.  And the applicant pool is different for each school, even those schools that are similar.  Even when the applicant pool is very similar, the school that accepted you might have picked you over Joe, while another school picked Joe over you.  You just don't know.  And included in what you don't know is who is on the adcoms at each school.  Someone reading your writing sample at one school might love it, while someone at another school might think it's just okay.  Most professors in my MA program liked my writing.  I had several papers handed out to the entire class to read and discuss.  I had one professor who thought I sucked and told me so.  We've all run across that professor who doesn't think as highly of our work as others do.  Maybe a professor like that read your writing sample at a certain school.  You just don't know.  There are too many variables for us to try to figure this process out. 

Got accepted to Maryland today! Woohoo!!! It was a bit of a surprise, but.. woohoo! If I get funding it is a definite contender.