Let's get this history party started!

[sankd]

This is cycle 3 for me, of sorts. The first time was an amateurish wash. The second was for MA programs. It's the real deal this time, though.

Michigan

Minnesota

North Carolina

Texas

Maryland

UCSB

UCSD

Arkansas

Purdue

WashU

UCLA

Field: 20th Century Middle East. I know Arabic, German, and a South Asian language nobody here knows (but there are 46 million of us).

I just want to say that it was awfully hard to find schools that even offered Middle East as a field of study, much less a potential advisor that wasn't doing medieval/Iran/Turkey/North Africa. I don't really have a concern with my application. There are just so many factors involved that I'm fine with whatever happens. Texas was a bit of a throwaway because it was the first one and those never go as well as the later applications.

PM if you want to know what I'm actually studying or who I want to work with. I'll spare the board all of the details.

[gradwoes]

I'm getting the feeling that I probably did not apply to enough schools...but anyway, applying for South Asian history.

Applied to:

Princeton

Chicago

Harvard

Columbia

Tufts (maybe - app not due until Jan. 15th)

GPA: 3.93

Maj: 4.0

MA: n/a - no results until June.

GRE: 650 v, 740m, 5 writing.

Waiting sucks - BLERG.

[KScrooge]

20th century international/cultural history

Minnesota

UNC Chapel Hill

UT Austin

Michigan

Temple

Rutgers

UMD

Indiana

Yale

WashU

UConn

Good Luck!

[my future is history]

Schools:

Harvard

Stanford

U Chicago

Stats:

GRE:

760 Math

740 Verbal

GPA: 4.0

Languages:

Native English, fluent Japanese (incl. classical), fluent Korean (incl. classical), intermediate Chinese (no classical)

LoR includes my adviser, who was a dissertation reader for potential adviser's diss at Stanford. She's well known in field and turned down a spot at Berkeley.

I'm actually pretty happy at Wisc, my adviser is made up of four parts win and three parts awesome. I'd just like to go somewhere with a package. The funding situation here, while not the worst, is definitely stressful. Also on the job market, having more of a brand name doesn't hurt...

[BadgerHopeful]

So are you applying as a transfer student?

[TMP]

So are you applying as a transfer student?

One cannot apply as a "transfer" student. S/he has to start all over again, if credits don't meet the school's approval. S/he may also be subjected to 4 year package instead of 5, because if the credits transfer. So, I can see why s/he might want to take a chance and see what happens at these schools with more stable funding situation.

[Vladimir Lennon]

Chicago

Columbia

Cornell

Harvard

Michigan

Northwestern

NYU

WashU

Princeton

Texas

Modern (South)Eastern Europe

GPA: UG total - 3.7, UG major - 3.8

GRE: V - 710, Q - 760, AW - 5.0

I believe I have an all-around solid application. Unfortunately, I'm pursuing a somewhat unfashionable field, so it evens out.

[EricaMarie]

...After seeing other people's GPAs and GREs, I am now officially scared out of my mind that I just wasted four months of my life applying to schools that will look at my application and laugh at me...But for giggles....

Yale

UPenn

Columbia

UVa

Johns Hopkins

Boston U

UConn

CUNY Graduate Center

GPA: 3.35

Major GPA: 3.35

GRE: 500v, 600q, 5.5aw

600v, 570q, 5.0aw

Applying to programs as an early American historian, focusing on late colonial, early republic....and feeling quite inadequate now...

[natsteel]

...After seeing other people's GPAs and GREs, I am now officially scared out of my mind that I just wasted four months of my life applying to schools that will look at my application and laugh at me...But for giggles....

Applying to programs as an early American historian, focusing on late colonial, early republic....and feeling quite inadequate now...

Numbers aren't everything, EricaMarie. SOP, LORs, and writing samples, I believe, are far more important. You're in my field and applying to similar schools, so I'm interested in what sub-field you plan to focus on? Also, I've taken classes at the Grad Center as an undergrad and know some of the professors. Did you have someone specific in mind you'd like to work with?

[MegMill]

Applying to programs as an early American historian, focusing on late colonial, early republic....and feeling quite inadequate now...

i agree w/ natsteel. numbers arent EVERYTHING. not at all. and it's so easy to get discouraged on this site. when i first joined, for a few days, i wallowed in my inadequacies. but you know, you've got attributes that no one else on this forum could even dream of having. you are you. and that's not some pie-in-the-sky bullshit line either; it's true. and as long as you accentuated what makes YOU YOU in your personal statement, your imperfect scores seem to fade in importance.

(this was meant for me, too! lol)

[rmcclymo]

Arghhhh, my GRE scores are going to be the death of me :-( I had never taken a standardized test in my life (cause I am Scottish and we don't bother with such things), and the lady at the testing centre obviously couldn't understand my accent and claimed I called her "man" and not "mam"!!! I was so flustered by this interaction as she led me into the room, it took me quite a while to calm down. Anyway, here is where I am applying (PhD) and my stats etc:

Boston College, Chicago, Columbia, Emory, Georgetown, Northeaster, NYU, Pitt, Princeton and Yale

Undergraduate GPA: 3.92

Major GPA (History): 4.00

Graduate GPA: 4.00

Major GPA (History): 4.00

GRE: 640v, 680q, 4.5w

I am applying to programs in World/International/Global History, focusing on environmental policy in Africa in a global context. My BA is in World History, as will my MA (fingers crossed) and I also have a BSc in Marine Engineering from a previous life :-)

I think that my statement of purpose is strong; at the very least it is quite specific of the direction I want to go in with each particular scholar. My LoRs should be good as all wrote me wonderful letters for a part-time position teaching at another University. Hopefully my writing sample will provide an insight into interdisc methodologies I use??? Who know! Now the waiting begins - blargh!!!

Edited December 23, 2010 by rmcclymo

[MegMill]

Arghhhh, my GRE scores are going to be the death of me :-( I had never taken a standardized test in my life (cause I am Scottish and we don't bother with such things), and the lady at the testing centre obviously couldn't understand my accent and claimed I called her "man" and not "mam"!!! I was so flustered by this interaction as she led me into the room, it took me quite a while to calm down. Anyway, here is where I am applying (PhD) and my stats etc:

Boston College, Chicago, Columbia, Emory, Georgetown, Northeaster, NYU, Pitt, Princeton and Yale

Undergraduate GPA: 3.92

Major GPA (History): 4.00

Graduate GPA: 4.00

Major GPA (History): 4.00

GRE: 640v, 680q, 4.5w

I am applying to programs in World/International/Global History, focusing on environmental policy in Africa in a global context. My BA is in World History, as will my MA (fingers crossed) and I also have a BSc in Marine Engineering from a previous life :-)

I think that my statement of purpose is strong; at the very least it is quite specific of the direction I want to go in with each particular scholar. My LoRs should be good as all wrote me wonderful letters for a part-time position teaching at another University. Hopefully my writing sample will provide an insight into interdisc methodologies I use??? Who know! Now the waiting begins - blargh!!!

You have nothing to worry about. The GRE is a "soft factor" ... it really is bogus. I've always heard that as long as you get over the 1200 hump (which you've have), the GRE doesn't matter at all. It's just a sorry excuse for a guard-keeper.

Your GPA is stellar, in both UG and your Master's program. You are going to be just fine!

[BadgerHopeful]

Oh great, now I'm worried - I didn't make it past the 1200 mark!

[sankd]

Oh great, now I'm worried - I didn't make it past the 1200 mark!

Don't be worried. The GRE is really one of the last factors in your application, and I say that as someone who got a score over 1300.

Edited December 25, 2010 by sankd

[gradwoes]

I'm getting the feeling that I applied to way too few schools. Is 4-5 enough (mind you, these are 4-5 pretty competitive schools)? If you want to know anything more specific about my academic background, PM me...

[breakfast]

I wouldn't worry about it.

There are big name advisors outside of the Ivy League. I think sometimes people here get too hung up on status sometimes.

I only applied to 4-5 and got a funded offer. It only takes one. I don't know how some of these people have the time or money to apply to more programs than that, to be honest.

[Vladimir Lennon]

I'm getting the feeling that I applied to way too few schools. Is 4-5 enough (mind you, these are 4-5 pretty competitive schools)? If you want to know anything more specific about my academic background, PM me...

I get the feeling I applied to way too many. The most important thing is whether the schools are a good fit for you or not in terms of the faculty there and your expected field of study.

[natsteel]

All of my mentors said 10 was about the right number because it allowed you the broadest choice of schools, i.e., dream/realistic/"safety." In the end, I ended up applying to 11. But, I am an early Americanist, and I had excellent to good fits with faculty at all the schools to which I applied. If you only have a real fit at 6 programs then it doesn't make sense to apply to more than that.

[BadgerHopeful]

Don't be worried. The GRE is really one of the last factors in your application, and I say that as someone who got a score over 1300.

Let's hope so, for my sake!

[EricaMarie]

Numbers aren't everything, EricaMarie. SOP, LORs, and writing samples, I believe, are far more important. You're in my field and applying to similar schools, so I'm interested in what sub-field you plan to focus on? Also, I've taken classes at the Grad Center as an undergrad and know some of the professors. Did you have someone specific in mind you'd like to work with?

I plan on focusing mostly on revolutionary era America. I'm writing my masters thesis on the point at which the American Revolution actually began, and I wanted to focus on some constitutional issues during my Ph.D.

I had wanted to work with Carol Berkin--my thesis advisor knows her well, and recommended her highly. Unfortunately, she has told me she's not taking any more students, as she's retiring in two years, so I'm kind of stuck there. Do you have any recommendations for me?

[natsteel]

I plan on focusing mostly on revolutionary era America. I'm writing my masters thesis on the point at which the American Revolution actually began, and I wanted to focus on some constitutional issues during my Ph.D.

I had wanted to work with Carol Berkin--my thesis advisor knows her well, and recommended her highly. Unfortunately, she has told me she's not taking any more students, as she's retiring in two years, so I'm kind of stuck there. Do you have any recommendations for me?

I pm'd you some more info.

[barricades]

Well, I ran into this forum only after sending off all my applications, so I might as well get involved during the stressful period of waiiiiiiiting....

Anyway.

Field: Modern French History — I'm interested in urban history, intellectual history and the relationship between literature and history, and the intersections between all these areas. I'm also drawn to the methodological and theoretical aspects of historiography, such as what differentiates writing history from writing literature, and what are the potentials and risks of using literature as archive.

Schools (it's a ridiculously tough list, I know):

Berkeley

USC

UCLA

Michigan

Chicago

Columbia

NYU

Yale

Princeton

Harvard

Brown

Cornell

UNC

Undergrad: Flagship State University

GPA Overall: 3.83

GPA Major: 4.0

Honors program.

Departmental honors (involved writing an honors thesis).

Graduated with Distinction.

GRE:

Verbal: 730

Quant: 740

AW: 5.5

Extras:

I conducted archival research in France for my honors thesis (received an undergraduate research grant for it).

I am advanced in French (I was a French minor) and I am a native speaker of another European language besides English (although not quite pertinent to my field of study).

Phi Beta Kappa

I have a few awards under my belt (outstanding honors thesis, outstanding graduating minor in French, several journalism scholarships and awards).

I interned at a couple of high profile places (large media company that, according to the stereotype, every professor loves, and pretty prominent and academically oriented publisher). Hopefully that will catch some professor's eye in a good way

I think my recommendations are pretty good. One of them is from my thesis coordinator and closest adviser. He's not tenured yet, but I think he wrote a strong and passionate letter on my behalf. The same can be said about a French literature professor who's kind of a big shot (and a distinguished professor in the university). I changed the third letter writer depending on the school.

I'm mostly worried about my SoP. I'm afraid I don't have a narrow enough research interest (although I met with some professors at some of these schools who said they actually discouraged students from applying with to narrow an interest. Yay). I begin my letter with a relatively long anecdote (for those schools who allowed 1000 words or more), which I think may go either way.

Finally, I did talk to some potential advisers, and some conversations went well, and others not so well (I'm really awkward and insecure, especially over the phone). I'm afraid I didn't ask the right questions, and I didn't ask anyone directly if they would be able to advise me, since that seems a tad presumptuous.

[BadgerHopeful]

Barricades, you didn't have to tell us you do modern French history - your username gives it away

[my future is history]

Barricades, you didn't have to tell us you do modern French history - your username gives it away

@ Barricades:

It shouldn't be a problem if you're applying straight from undergrad to grad school. I think if you're applying with an MA you should have a narrower research area, but from undergrad a broader SoP should be fine. I still have my SoP from Wisc (where I'm at now) and my interests were so broad and vague it's embarrassing to look at now.

@ Badgerhopeful

I guess I'm applying as a transfer student, but I'm sure I'll have to redo the coursework portion either way. Hopefully I won't have to do another MA thesis though. Also send me a PM if you have any questions about UW, I can give you my email.

[meo03]

I too found this forum after I finished the application process. Fortunately I've gotten a lot of advice from people who have been "in the game" for a while, and I hope that I have put together a good set of apps. We'll all find out in the next couple of months!

The Details..

Field: antebellum U.S. South, particularly politics and identity in the borderlands.

Undergrad: Florida State (2006) Major:History. Minor: Philosophy

Post-Grad hodgepodge: DePaul University

Numbers:

Undergrad GPA: 3.4 (overall) 3.7 in history

Post-Grad GPA: 4.0 (20 total hours comprised of graduate and undergraduate courses and independent study)

GRE: V: 660

Q: 600

AW: 5.5

Extras:

Teaching Experience, French speaker, Lived abroad for a couple years between Florida and Chicago, working part time at the Chicago History Museum Archives.

Schools..

in order of wish and a prayer:

Duke

North Carolina

Virginia

Vanderbilt

Emory

WashU

Georgia

South Carolina (MA)

Kentucky (MA)

So, there you have it.

Full disclosure-- this is my second attempt at the application process. I didn't get in anywhere when I applied in 06 as a senior at FSU, and it's not hard in retrospect (of course) to see why-- i put together a fairly amaturish application, from the writing sample right on through the statement of purpose. I feel I have done things the right way this time, we shall see what it warrants.

Best of luck to everyone!