Utah State University

[chelsea_soccer]

I've only been poking around on these forums for a little while, but they seem pretty awesome. I rather wish I had found them a few years ago. Anyway, I noticed that there are lots of academic high-rollers here going to and applying to top ten programs. I think that's great and I hope for those people 100% success except for when they're competing for the same spots of jobs as me in the future (because I'll most likely lose LOL). 

I was just wondering how many people on here attend or are planning to attend regular state universities for graduate school (specifically history)? What was/is your experience like?

Is there anybody on the board who has gone to or knows about the history program at Utah State University? I'm starting there in the fall and I'd be very interested to hear about it. Thanks.

[amercanist]

I've only been poking around on these forums for a little while, but they seem pretty awesome. I rather wish I had found them a few years ago. Anyway, I noticed that there are lots of academic high-rollers here going to and applying to top ten programs. I think that's great and I hope for those people 100% success except for when they're competing for the same spots of jobs as me in the future (because I'll most likely lose LOL).

I was just wondering how many people on here attend or are planning to attend regular state universities for graduate school (specifically history)? What was/is your experience like?

Is there anybody on the board who has gone to or knows about the history program at Utah State University? I'm starting there in the fall and I'd be very interested to hear about it. Thanks.

Well, I received my MA in history from a smallish state university and I loved it. After my BA I knew I wasn't ready for the rough and tumble graduate programs and getting my MA in a program that I was familiar with was great. I was able to build a rapport with the profs, more so than in my UG years. I learned what the study of history was about and reified my belief that I wanted a PhD. During my final year at the MA level, I started probing professors at my school and they offered trenchant advice in what to look for in PhD programs - the sense I got from them is that while the school is important, the name of your advisor and quality of your research is far more so when it comes to job seeking. Indeed, because of their willingness to "vouch" for me in my recommendation letters, I now have been offered a slot at a top-tier university, but more importantly, with an advisor who is a giant in his field. Had I started this process right after my BA, I would not have known the politics behind graduate school and what to look for in PhD programs. Not to mention, I would not have had a substantive body of work to "show off" in my applications - by this I mean, though it is far from great research, my writing sample shows original thought and I had the opportunity to present it at some conferences, something I think enhanced my application. In the end, then, do you best, publish as much as you can, and write a really good dissertation and I'm sure you'll compete with anyone from those Ivy League schools. Good luck to you.

[chelsea_soccer]

Well, I received my MA in history from a smallish state university and I loved it. After my BA I knew I wasn't ready for the rough and tumble graduate programs and getting my MA in a program that I was familiar with was great. I was able to build a rapport with the profs, more so than in my UG years. I learned what the study of history was about and reified my belief that I wanted a PhD. During my final year at the MA level, I started probing professors at my school and they offered trenchant advice in what to look for in PhD programs - the sense I got from them is that while the school is important, the name of your advisor and quality of your research is far more so when it comes to job seeking. Indeed, because of their willingness to "vouch" for me in my recommendation letters, I now have been offered a slot at a top-tier university, but more importantly, with an advisor who is a giant in his field. Had I started this process right after my BA, I would not have known the politics behind graduate school and what to look for in PhD programs. Not to mention, I would not have had a substantive body of work to "show off" in my applications - by this I mean, though it is far from great research, my writing sample shows original thought and I had the opportunity to present it at some conferences, something I think enhanced my application. In the end, then, do you best, publish as much as you can, and write a really good dissertation and I'm sure you'll compete with anyone from those Ivy League schools. Good luck to you.

Thanks for the information! One of my advisers at my current school said something similar to me when I was going through the decision process. I hope to follow a similar path as you did.