Hello all. I've been going through the forums here for a while, looking for help, but haven't found much that helps me out.
Here's my situation: I'm a May 2010 graduate from a decent school with high honors, Phi Beta Kappa, great GPA, etc. I'm not particularly worried about getting into grad school - I don't mean I assume that I will, just that it's not among my worries at this point. What I am worried about, however, is finding the right school and/or advisor. I am wanting to seek a PhD, but a solid MA program would be tempting as well.
So, basically, I have no idea how to find out who the best people to study with would be. I've looked at journals, talked to my professors, emailed a few professors recommended by others (looking for advice, not as potential advisors), cold-searched the history departments of various schools, etc. I honestly don't know how to find the professors and schools where I can have the best experience. I also don't know who the "names" in my field are, or really how to find out - there weren't any German historians at my undergrad who would know.
BTW, I am interested, per thread title, in German/Central European political history. In particular, I want to study power structures and transitions in the Holy Roman Empire and Prussia. There's a definite focus in my interests on medieval history, but I also want to look at early modern Prussia and the formation of the German state.
So, I'm hoping that some of the brighter minds on here can help me out with this process. How should I go about locating my POIs, and how do I know who is a worthy scholar and who is a schlub? Any help at all would be greatly appreciated, as this is my biggest hurdle for grad school.