Fall 2012 applicants

[oryantin]

Hi,

Considering nearly all applicants of this year have made their decisions, it is time to initiate a new topic in which we can share -what to do and how to do stuff. I was following thegradcafe for a while but did not become a member. Apart from what I have done during my MA studies, I think I need to start preparing the required documents like TOEFL and GRE scores, SOP, writing sample etc. In this long process, sharing experiences will make us better candidates. So let's begin ahead of time!

Best

Orient

Edited March 23, 2011 by orient

[RPits]

Hi Orient,

I second that emotion. I'm currently wrapping up my MA thesis (it's been too long), and will be preparing applications for the fall. So much to do. Perhaps we can keep the dialogue going and provide some peer support for each other when needed!

[oryantin]

Thanks for your reply, Rpits. I just wanted to see who are new to the process. I suppose they will start coming towards and after this summer. Anyway, I am an international applicant, and will be applying for History and Middle Eastern Studies PhD programs. Specifically, I am interested in Ottoman and early Central Asian sufism between 11th and 16th centuries. Soon, I will begin writing my MA thesis on a 16th century Ottoman sufi, and meanwhile will be applying to doctoral schools. It seems a bit difficult and tiring though. Focusing more on the application process after June, it will be enough to complete only the first chapter of thesis that I will use in applications as a sample paper. Luckily, you have a finished thesis in your hands

It seems this topic is not an attractive one for now. Until the time is right, whenever we need it, we can give it a life

Sooo keep in touch and good luck!

[Safferz]

*wanders into thread*

I'm a Canadian undergrad, planning to apply to direct-entry Ph.D programs in African history in the fall. I'm interested in gender and nationalist movements in East Africa. It's been really fascinating to follow the forum during this last round of graduate school applications, and I plan to get started on my application materials over the summer. I've also just started studying for the GRE, and plan to write the test in late July.

[RPits]

Well, it's nice to know that this thread is here for support if we need it in the coming months!

Unfortunately, my current area of interest isn't as unique (which is obviously worrisome!). You both sound like you're doing interesting work! I'm finishing my thesis on the women's Antisuffrage Movement in Upstate New York and the political organization women decided to form in retaliation to enfranchisement (The New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage). I'm interested in conservative and oppositional movements, with primary focus on the early twentieth century.

So, throw in another Americanist hopeful who is geared towards women and gender studies to the 2012 mix. Yikes.

Anyway, if either of you want to stay in touch, feel free to contact me before tensions run high. We're going to need all of the support we can get !

[sidiosquiere]

So glad to see that there are people applying to study Middle Eastern history! Good luck!

Hi,

Considering nearly all applicants of this year have made their decisions, it is time to initiate a new topic in which we can share -what to do and how to do stuff. I was following thegradcafe for a while but did not become a member. Apart from what I have done during my MA studies, I think I need to start preparing the required documents like TOEFL and GRE scores, SOP, writing sample etc. In this long process, sharing experiences will make us better candidates. So let's begin ahead of time!

Best

Orient

[oryantin]

So glad to see that there are people applying to study Middle Eastern history! Good luck!

Hi sidiosquiere, thank you!

Are you also a Middle east historian? What do you study?

[sidiosquiere]

Hi sidiosquiere, thank you!

Are you also a Middle east historian? What do you study?

Hi Orient,

Yeah, I applied to study modern Middle East history this recent admission cycle. I don't know where I will be going yet. My interests are in the social and cultural history of the late Ottoman Empire. Where are you think of applying to?

[vtstevie]

You guys will be seeing quite a bit of me over the next year or so!

Americanist, Revolutionary period/Early Republic (speaking of non-unique areas of specialization)

Best of luck to you all

[oryantin]

On 3/26/2011 at 11:58 AM, sidiosquiere said:

Hi Orient,

Yeah, I applied to study modern Middle East history this recent admission cycle. I don't know where I will be going yet. My interests are in the social and cultural history of the late Ottoman Empire. Where are you think of applying to?

Happy to see another Ottomanist here! I'll be glad if you share your experiences with me (we can talk through PM as well). I am thinking of applying to at least 7 schools. At the top of list, there is Washington University in St. Louis where the best professor in my area (I think so, also best fit) is currently working. Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Michigan, UT Austin, Rice, New York U, McGill, Chicago and Minnesota are other schools that include at least one Prof. working a similar topic with me. I can add one or two safety schools having an Ottomanist even if his/her interests do not directly coincide with those of mine.

[Henry Hudson]

Hi Safferz!

You may want to apply to both US and Canadian programs. It can be a tough time to get into many choice US programs. Having an MA can make you a stronger candidate.

*wanders into thread*

I'm a Canadian undergrad, planning to apply to direct-entry Ph.D programs in African history in the fall. I'm interested in gender and nationalist movements in East Africa. It's been really fascinating to follow the forum during this last round of graduate school applications, and I plan to get started on my application materials over the summer. I've also just started studying for the GRE, and plan to write the test in late July.

[Safferz]

Hi Safferz!

You may want to apply to both US and Canadian programs. It can be a tough time to get into many choice US programs. Having an MA can make you a stronger candidate.

For sure! I will apply to my current school as well (UofT), and I've been told by one of my professors, who is on the admissions' committee, that I would be a direct-entry admit. It's a great department, but I will try my luck and see if I can get into a better school in the States.

[vtstevie]

I'm curious as to how many programs you folks are applying to? As an early Americanist, there is no shortage of people I'd like to work with at highly reputable schools and I have a "longlist" going right now of about twelve programs. Applying to all of them seems excessive, but one adviser of mine told me to aim for 10 - even that seems like a lot (I applied to 6 undergrad and like 4 MA). Still, I don't want to limit my chances of admission - what if I don't apply to school X but, in some alternate universe, they were the only ones that let me in with funding?!

[TMP]

I'm curious as to how many programs you folks are applying to? As an early Americanist, there is no shortage of people I'd like to work with at highly reputable schools and I have a "longlist" going right now of about twelve programs. Applying to all of them seems excessive, but one adviser of mine told me to aim for 10 - even that seems like a lot (I applied to 6 undergrad and like 4 MA). Still, I don't want to limit my chances of admission - what if I don't apply to school X but, in some alternate universe, they were the only ones that let me in with funding?!

Whatever your sanity allows you. My limit was 8. I was brain-dead writing that last SOP.

[cyborges]

I'm curious as to how many programs you folks are applying to? As an early Americanist, there is no shortage of people I'd like to work with at highly reputable schools and I have a "longlist" going right now of about twelve programs. Applying to all of them seems excessive, but one adviser of mine told me to aim for 10 - even that seems like a lot (I applied to 6 undergrad and like 4 MA). Still, I don't want to limit my chances of admission - what if I don't apply to school X but, in some alternate universe, they were the only ones that let me in with funding?!

if you start early, you can apply to as many as 15 and not feel crazy. obviously you should write one SOP if possible, just substitute the end matter for each program. I say apply to as many as possible since we all know it's a crap shoot to be admitted even to your best fit (in most cases, props to all those who got like 10 admissions). i applied to 15 and was accepted to three programs in the generally agreed-upon top 10. the only thing that is really prohibitive is cost.

[_wanderlust]

It's so good to see that I'm not the only Fall 2012 applicant already thinking about this!

I'm graduating with my BA in history this May and I'll be applying to PhD programs this fall for Fall 2012 admission. There was no way I was going to be able to put time away to ace the GREs while working on my BA degree and working two jobs. :-/

My interests are intellectual history, US history in a transnational context, Progressivism in the United States... and I'm also interested in resistance to totalitarian regimes (as one of my professors says, "That will be your second book.") It's cool to see that there's a great diversity of interests in this forum.

Anyways... GRE stuff... Are you guys going to be taking the old GRE or the new GRE? I'm hesitant to take the new GRE... being allowed to use a calculator means that the math is probably harder.

[Montholon]

Well, here goes nothing.

I'll be graduating with a History and Modern Languages (French and German) double major in May '12, looking at applying for admission in Fall 2012. i'm taking it reasonably easy senior year (except for my thesis) so that I'll have time to do applications, GRE review and all that. As for research interests, I'm probably the black sheep here in that my main interests are European diplomatic/military (specifically, the interplay between changing notions of war, diplomacy, and nationalism from the start of the French Revolution all the way down to 1914, however, this said, my main interest is in the Napoleonic era), so I know my options are limited. Favourite schools so far are Florida State, Ohio State, Princeton, and UNC, but I've got a few others I'm looking at.

Anyone else insane enough to want to do military?

[oryantin]

Montholon, in courses I took before I was also impressed with military history. But I am more interested in social and cultural history. And Wanderlust, actually I did not know the difference between the old and the new GRE I was planning to take it in early August. All of us who posted something are looking at different parts of history. We are still in the same process though

Good luck to you all!

[Montholon]

Montholon, in courses I took before I was also impressed with military history. But I am more interested in social and cultural history. And Wanderlust, actually I did not know the difference between the old and the new GRE I was planning to take it in early August. All of us who posted something are looking at different parts of history. We are still in the same process though

Good luck to you all!

Orient, what period of Ottoman history are you into? I just saw your earlier post that said you were interested in Ottoman cultural history; last semester I did an independent study about reform in the 19th century (Tanzimat and all that) and have been toying with the idea of integrating Ottoman stuff into my own research- lots to be had here with the connection between revolutionary France and the court of Selim III!

[sidiosquiere]

Orient, what period of Ottoman history are you into? I just saw your earlier post that said you were interested in Ottoman cultural history; last semester I did an independent study about reform in the 19th century (Tanzimat and all that) and have been toying with the idea of integrating Ottoman stuff into my own research- lots to be had here with the connection between revolutionary France and the court of Selim III!

tanzimat and ottoman! i love reading these words on this forum. the site is becoming less euro- and american- centirc. great! no offense to europeanist and americanists.

[Montholon]

tanzimat and ottoman! i love reading these words on this forum. the site is becoming less euro- and american- centirc. great! no offense to europeanist and americanists.

Oh, I'm definitely a Europeanist, but I find Ottoman studies fascinating (and woefully underrepresented compared to Arabic studies)

[sankd]

tanzimat and ottoman! i love reading these words on this forum. the site is becoming less euro- and american- centirc. great! no offense to europeanist and americanists.

Let's start talking about tulips and decline theory and make them feel weird!

[oryantin]

Let's start talking about tulips and decline theory and make them feel weird!

Haha, anlamazlar ama... When I first started doing my MA, I definetely wanted to study the late Ottoman period, ideologies like Turkism, Islamism etc. Now, things significantly changed. Presumably, I'll write a thesis on the personality of an Ottoman khalveti sufi who lived in Sivas (mid-Anatolia) in 16th century. I want to look at his tekke's (islamic monastery) social and cultural history as well. In broad terms, I am interested in religion stuff. Mysticism among its sub-fields always made me excited the most.

Speaking of the tulip era, they just wanted remain in peace. It is not all about sultan's entertainments, midnight parties...

[Mertonian]

Hey Orient, that's a mighty interesting topic (I am a Balkan historian, much more modern than that, but still have a burning interest in Ottoman studies). I recently attended a talk by Dr. Ayfer Karakaya-Stump who works on this kind of stuff. She was a post-doctoral fellow at Cornell this past year, working on "Sufism and the making of Heterodox Islam in Anatolia" and her talk was on the Qizilbash and their origins: it was very illuminating. From what I gather she has landed a tenure-track position at College of William & Mary from next year, so may be she is another specialist in your area that you might be interested in!

[oryantin]

Hey Orient, that's a mighty interesting topic (I am a Balkan historian, much more modern than that, but still have a burning interest in Ottoman studies). I recently attended a talk by Dr. Ayfer Karakaya-Stump who works on this kind of stuff. She was a post-doctoral fellow at Cornell this past year, working on "Sufism and the making of Heterodox Islam in Anatolia" and her talk was on the Qizilbash and their origins: it was very illuminating. From what I gather she has landed a tenure-track position at College of William & Mary from next year, so may be she is another specialist in your area that you might be interested in!

Hi Mertonian, thank you very much. I definetely heard her name but did not know she got a position. And I could not find her name among the faculty members of William & Mary, though. Perhaps it is because she was newly hired. Of course it is good to know that she is there whenever I need help