2022 Application Thread

[CoffeeCatsCorgis]

Hi everyone, it's my first time posting here! I'm an MA student applying to PhD programs. My research interest is late and post Soviet women's history. My Masters thesis focuses on themes of marriage, emigration, and material survival and I hope to continue working around similar themes for my dissertation. I'm looking at UChicago, UPenn, Rutgers, Princeton, Harvard, UCSB, and possibly Stanford. Currently trying to find time to work on apps while I simultaneously organize the oral history research I've done for my thesis and work on my language skills. Oh, and I'm also married and trying to navigate my partner's job transferring to wherever we wind up! It's been one hell of a summer.

I've emailed faculty (had a few positive conversations so far!) and have a couple rough drafts for SOPs. When do you guys suggest emailing your letter writers? Would I be foolish to only ask faculty from my MA program and skip my undergrad professors? 

[TMP]

9 hours ago, CoffeeCatsCorgis said:

Hi everyone, it's my first time posting here! I'm an MA student applying to PhD programs. My research interest is late and post Soviet women's history. My Masters thesis focuses on themes of marriage, emigration, and material survival and I hope to continue working around similar themes for my dissertation. I'm looking at UChicago, UPenn, Rutgers, Princeton, Harvard, UCSB, and possibly Stanford. Currently trying to find time to work on apps while I simultaneously organize the oral history research I've done for my thesis and work on my language skills. Oh, and I'm also married and trying to navigate my partner's job transferring to wherever we wind up! It's been one hell of a summer.

I've emailed faculty (had a few positive conversations so far!) and have a couple rough drafts for SOPs. When do you guys suggest emailing your letter writers? Would I be foolish to only ask faculty from my MA program and skip my undergrad professors? 

Have a look at Ohio State.  There is strong WGS and Russian/Soviet history faculty.  Apparently, OSU has an amazing archive of microfilms from the USSR.  One of their PhD candidates is finishing up a fantastic dissertation on LGBTQ in 1980s USSR - won plenty of research fellowships for it!

[CoffeeCatsCorgis]

On 8/13/2021 at 8:04 PM, TMP said:

Have a look at Ohio State.  There is strong WGS and Russian/Soviet history faculty.  Apparently, OSU has an amazing archive of microfilms from the USSR.  One of their PhD candidates is finishing up a fantastic dissertation on LGBTQ in 1980s USSR - won plenty of research fellowships for it!

Wow, just looked at their page, that's amazing! Thanks for letting me know, I will definitely reach out. 

[thatlastmoment]

Hi all! This is my first time applying for Ph.D. programs, which is daunting. I want to focus on social/political movements and labor and gender issues during the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era in the U.S., and possibly also studying historical fiction. I've looked at a few programs (all in the Northeast), but I was wondering if any of you know of programs that are strong in these areas that I should be looking into?

[TMP]

5 hours ago, thatlastmoment said:

Hi all! This is my first time applying for Ph.D. programs, which is daunting. I want to focus on social/political movements and labor and gender issues during the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era in the U.S., and possibly also studying historical fiction. I've looked at a few programs (all in the Northeast), but I was wondering if any of you know of programs that are strong in these areas that I should be looking into?

That is incredibly broad topic, which makes it sound like you can apply to most programs.  What brings you to the PhD specifically? What books spark your curiosity? Are you interested in transnational or comparative methods?

[TheWitWitch]

Hi everyone, 

I am new here, and this year will be my first time attempting to get into a PhD at US. I have recently finished my master's degree. 
As a matter of fact, I've sent cold e-mails and have had nice responses to it. In fact, I already have some informal Zoom calls set up. And while I think this is great, I have no clue what should I do or say in these meetings. 

Does anyone have some advice to give me? 

[dr. t]

Have questions. 

You need to figure out numerous things, from how engaged a possible advisor tends to be to where their students are now. Often, figuring out ways of getting answers without directly asking will result in better answers. 

Basically, figure out what you think you need to succeed in a program, and what you want from it. Then figure out how to get that information from a source which is likely to paint a rosier picture than reality (intentionally or not) if confronted directly.

[AP]

Re: Reaching out to faculty.

This week, Kevin Kruse tweeted the following. Responses within our field varied enormously and this tells you that admissions are not the same across the board. Kruse is kind of an exception because he is incredibly famous. However, I wouldn't be surprised if others in other departments feel the same way. Notice how he explains that he is one of many Americanists who make a decision and that decision does not depend on that first email or first zoom meeting. 

In other words, reaching out might not do a lot in terms of admissions. 

That said, as many pointed out, many times the reaching out is more about you making the decision if you want to invest time, money, and energy to a specific program. For example, I had faculty interested in my work when I reached to them but they kindly discouraged me from applying because funding was not available for international students like myself. I would have never known that. 

In any case, I am posting this here because I think it adds a healthy caveat to conversations we have been having.

YMMV

 

[Sigaba]

2 hours ago, AP said:

In other words, reaching out might not do a lot in terms of admissions. 

To @AP's point, season after season across, disciplines and fields, members of this BB have lamented how professors' in person expressions of interest and enthusiasm in an applicant do not translate to offers of admission.

My hunch is that this dynamic may increase this season as many continue to hunker down and to limit social interaction because of ongoing concerns over COVID-19. People are getting chattier.

(I am definitely old school. I am not a fan of academic historians using social media. But since Kruse didn't ask me, I'll go back to yelling at the clouds.)

@TheWitWitch, I recommend that you go into the Zoom calls with a serviceable understanding of the interests and outlook of the professors to whom you talk.

[AfricanusCrowther]

4 hours ago, AP said:

Re: Reaching out to faculty.

This week, Kevin Kruse tweeted the following. Responses within our field varied enormously and this tells you that admissions are not the same across the board. Kruse is kind of an exception because he is incredibly famous. However, I wouldn't be surprised if others in other departments feel the same way. Notice how he explains that he is one of many Americanists who make a decision and that decision does not depend on that first email or first zoom meeting. 

In other words, reaching out might not do a lot in terms of admissions. 

That said, as many pointed out, many times the reaching out is more about you making the decision if you want to invest time, money, and energy to a specific program. For example, I had faculty interested in my work when I reached to them but they kindly discouraged me from applying because funding was not available for international students like myself. I would have never known that. 

In any case, I am posting this here because I think it adds a healthy caveat to conversations we have been having.

YMMV

 

I wonder if how much it matters that Kruse works in a huge field at a huge department. In my field, where there are great programs that have only two professors who can train students, reaching out before applying seems more valuable.
 

I certainly would not advise anyone to try to schedule a Zoom call in their first email.

[AP]

On 9/3/2021 at 3:16 PM, AfricanusCrowther said:

I wonder if how much it matters that Kruse works in a huge field at a huge department. In my field, where there are great programs that have only two professors who can train students, reaching out before applying seems more valuable.
 

I certainly would not advise anyone to try to schedule a Zoom call in their first email.

I think the point he was making was that it might be valuable for an applicant to sense the POI, but probably not for the POI. 

At heart, I think this directly points to the fact that admissions vary widely program to program and a good pre-application interview can have an effect on your admission or not. 

[psstein]

On 9/3/2021 at 3:16 PM, AfricanusCrowther said:

I wonder if how much it matters that Kruse works in a huge field at a huge department. In my field, where there are great programs that have only two professors who can train students, reaching out before applying seems more valuable.

I agree. When you're in a relatively small subfield, it's a different story than someone in arguably the largest field in the US.

[jpc34]

From my limited experience so far, emailing with and speaking to potential advisors has definitely helped me get deeper insight into individual schools and the application process in general. Obviously some professors want a lot of pre-application contact and others don’t, so it probably behooves applicants to pick up on that when and if the POI responds to their email. 

[hydro]

Does anyone have a template for reaching out to Professors? I'm swamped in work right now and don't remember where in the forum the general template is located from past discussions. 

[TMP]

10 hours ago, hydro said:

Does anyone have a template for reaching out to Professors? I'm swamped in work right now and don't remember where in the forum the general template is located from past discussions. 

search.... function?

[MatildaMedievalist]

I don't know how to directly reply to the Kruse quote above, but I'm wondering if people have any experience with the opposite. I reached out to a potential advisor with just a basic introduction, and he immediately responded with an invitation to Zoom and ask questions about the program. What kind of things are useful to ask at this pre-application stage? 

[4everstudent]

I also do not know hot to directly reply, but @Mbarreiro0711 I have had this happen a few times this cycle. I would take it as a positive sign that they are interested in whatever was said in the email you sent. In my experience, professors have asked to expand or initially state what my potential dissertation topic will be. I would ask what kind of advisor they are and/or how many students they currently are working with. The relationship that the department has with other departments, you would be surprised they do not all have established working relationships. The topic of funding comes in usually combined with if you are coming in with a B.A. or an M.A. I did make sure to ask, if it is not listed on their website, how many of their graduates are finding jobs afterwards and is there support in that process. 

[TheWitWitch]

Hello, 

 

I have another question. In the application forms, they ask which universities I am also applying for. Should I or should I not answer that? 

 

 

[exitiumax]

On 9/21/2021 at 4:11 AM, TheWitWitch said:

Hello, 

 

I have another question. In the application forms, they ask which universities I am also applying for. Should I or should I not answer that? 

 

 

I don't think there's a certain answer for this but, anecdotally, I left that section blank on all of my applications and got accepted to the three schools I applied to.

[TMP]

Keep in mind, a positive sign from your POI (Person of Interest) should still be taken with a grain of salt. You never know what the ultimate pool will look like. Notwithstanding, this is a good start to begin networking for your PhD career and beyond.

[Calgacus]

On 9/3/2021 at 11:03 AM, AP said:

Re: Reaching out to faculty.

This week, Kevin Kruse tweeted the following. Responses within our field varied enormously and this tells you that admissions are not the same across the board. Kruse is kind of an exception because he is incredibly famous. However, I wouldn't be surprised if others in other departments feel the same way. Notice how he explains that he is one of many Americanists who make a decision and that decision does not depend on that first email or first zoom meeting. 

In other words, reaching out might not do a lot in terms of admissions. 

That said, as many pointed out, many times the reaching out is more about you making the decision if you want to invest time, money, and energy to a specific program. For example, I had faculty interested in my work when I reached to them but they kindly discouraged me from applying because funding was not available for international students like myself. I would have never known that. 

In any case, I am posting this here because I think it adds a healthy caveat to conversations we have been having.

YMMV

 

 

I may be off but my interpretation of the Kruse tweet was that he was specifically commenting on prospective students currently asking for *Zoom meetings.* It doesn't seem like he said don't contact would-be advisers at all -- and it has been a longstanding custom for students to send introductory emails to potential advisers, even if only to find out whether they (or their caucuses) are accepting students in the upcoming cycle. It seems the pandemic has made some folks a little too Zoom-happy though, and I agree there's not much point in soliciting the additional time investment of a video call from a potential adviser before applying. If they preemptively offer to chat then sure, go for it, otherwise I would say stick to email communication until you're accepted.

Edited October 2, 2021 by Calgacus

[hydro]

Are y'all submitting a historical writing sample? I feel like I'm at a disadvantage because I don't have a historical writing sample since I'm switching fields. I do have a writing sample where I interviewed 20 people to showcase my research skills, hopefully this is good enough. My SOP will also highlight why I want to use oral history methods. 

[TheWitWitch]

Yah, mine is a historical writing sample.  

 

However, I was wondering... Would you be able to adapt your previous writing sample? And make it more of a history one? I mean, you have the sources, you conduct 20 interviews. What are they about? Is there any historical aspects in it? Maybe intersections?  

I suppose (but then again, just a thought)you could select maybe three interviews that contains topics that dialogue between them, and write a new one. Describe what kind of Oral History methodology you are going to use...maybe you follow more of an Alessandro Portelli (that conducts a more corporal type of analyzes) or maybe a Paul Thompson (a more traditional approach to Oral History).... Maybe establish a dialogue with the field of History of the Present Time, since they are very into Oral History and Trauma.... Define a period that embraces your interviews, what are they talking about, what historical vestiges do they portray in their narratives...

 

I do not know if this is doable on time, but I think it could demonstrate to the committee that even though you are switching fields, you already have a foundation in the historical research....Maybe, again, not start from scratch, but adapt what you already have....

I am not much of an Oral History researcher, but have a lot of friends who are. So, anyhow, if you need some help with it, just send me a message. I will be glad to help you. 

[jpc34]

Now that we’re well into October, where are other people at in the process? Finalizing lists, preparing SOPs? I think it’s kind of interesting that this forum is relatively quiet compared to last year. 

[hydro]

3 hours ago, jpc34 said:

Now that we’re well into October, where are other people at in the process? Finalizing lists, preparing SOPs? I think it’s kind of interesting that this forum is relatively quiet compared to last year. 

I secured my 3 letters and I have a polished writing sample (@TheWitWitch thanks for the suggestions and the offer to help), so all I need to do is write the research part of my statement of purpose and reach out to potential faculty members I want to work with.