Fall 2012 Applicant Chit Chat

[crazedandinfused]

Book review here as well. I have it whittled down to 3 or 4 books but it's kinda like Sophie's Choice....... Any tips?

[iamincontrolhere-haig]

For choosing a book for the book review: I asked myself "if I could have written any book, which one would it be?" So, if I wanted to study the American South, I would choose The Strange Career of Jim Crow. Since I want to study the Cold War, I obviously chose We Now Know (kidding--though the more I think about it, the more I think it could have made for somewhat fruitful review). I think choosing a book that looms large in the historiography of your field has its benefits, although you do risk sounding unoriginal. Also consider if your potential advisers at Yale have slightly different interests than your potential advisers elsewhere. It could be beneficial to tailor your book review to their specific research and teaching interests.

I briefly flirted with the idea of writing about Marc Bloch or EH Carr, but thankfully decided against it.

[goldielocks]

Good points, iaich-h.

I struggled with choosing a book, because the one that influenced me the most was actually written by the prof I'm applying to work with. And I did not want to attempt that. So I sort of lied and chose something else.

[Safferz]

For choosing a book for the book review: I asked myself "if I could have written any book, which one would it be?" So, if I wanted to study the American South, I would choose The Strange Career of Jim Crow. Since I want to study the Cold War, I obviously chose We Now Know (kidding--though the more I think about it, the more I think it could have made for somewhat fruitful review). I think choosing a book that looms large in the historiography of your field has its benefits, although you do risk sounding unoriginal. Also consider if your potential advisers at Yale have slightly different interests than your potential advisers elsewhere. It could be beneficial to tailor your book review to their specific research and teaching interests.

I briefly flirted with the idea of writing about Marc Bloch or EH Carr, but thankfully decided against it.

Great advice! I'm going to review Susan Geiger's 'TANU Women: Gender and Culture in the Making of Tanganyikan Nationalism, 1955-65'. My research interests relate to women/gender and African anticolonial nationalisms, and Geiger's interventions in the historiography of African nationalism, as well as her theoretical approaches to gender and nationalism, shaped my thinking about the subject more than any other work I've read. I plan to read it again before writing my review.

Safferz, congrats on finishing the SOP draft. I keep scratching mine and starting over. It's frustrating. I also have to do the book review... Yale?

I had the worst SOP-writing anxiety before actually starting it, since I was so overwhelmed by the thought of beginning a task that would likely carry the most weight in my application. I think the key is to just do it and start writing, even if what you have isn't great at first. Break through the paralysis! The earlier you start, the more time you'll have to review and revise. It also helped that I promised my referees a draft to look at by mid-Oct, so the pressure of having a deadline certainly forced me to get to work.

[crazedandinfused]

The book that I want to review, and the one which really, really deals with my subject is John Stauffer's The Black Hearts of Men: Radical Abolitionists and the Transformation of Race. It's tough though, because while it's undoubtedly a work of history, Stauffer is a professor of English and Afr-American Studies....... He uses alot of literary analysis, but he does so in order to make a strong historical argument. I would think that this is not really a problem, right?

The other direction I would want to go would be reviewing a book that is stylistically similar to what I want to do. Briggs' Victorian Cities and Wilentz's Chants Democratic are the awesome and brilliant books that made me want to be a historian in the first place.

In the end, I hope I can compete with all of you in applying to Yale. I'm intimidated by the folks that are already teaching and presenting at conferences.

Edited October 15, 2011 by crazedandinfused

[maeisenb]

Comforting to hear that everyone is going through the same fun with their book reviews and SOPs, since the entire process is just overwhelming. I've finished one draft of my SOP, but it was promptly torn apart. Good times.

[iamincontrolhere-haig]

In the end, I hope I can compete with all of you in applying to Yale. I'm intimidated by the folks that are already teaching and presenting at conferences.

Tell me about it! It seems like a great deal of the people whom Yale admits come in with MAs, MPhils, or JDs. Oh, well--it's always going to be a "reach" school.

The SOP is indeed painful. If I could just put it out of my mind how consequential it is for my applications, I might be able to have a bit more fun writing it it. It's more likely to kill me than to get any easier, though. So it goes.

[Sigaba]

Book review here as well. I have it whittled down to 3 or 4 books but it's kinda like Sophie's Choice....... Any tips?

Know your audience, know how the work fits into the historiography of the subject, know how it addresses the broader concerns of the subfield, field, and the profession, especially if you are applying to Yale. (Based upon my debriefing for why I did not get in, my choice of book played a significant role in the decision.)

If you pick an older work, especially one like The Strange Career of Jim Crow, consider the utility of demonstrating a clear grasp of its impact on the field and the extent to which that impact has remained steady, or has increased, or has diminished. This task can be achieved by spending time with Reviews in American History as well as by finding longer historiographical essays in related journals. This grasp does not need to be detailed to the n^th degree but it should reflect an understanding that historiographical debates change over time.

If you pick the work that inspired you to become a professional academic historian, consider the value of being very discreet with your value judgements, especially if your field of interest is political, diplomatic, naval, military, or aerospace history or any other field that remotely sounds like "the great white man" top-down narrative approach to the past. Unless you've been very well schooled and carefully mentored as an undergraduate, you may be unaware of the intense debates among historians over field, subject, and method. Be true to who you are and how you see yourself developing. Yet, do not box yourself in.

If your field falls into the category of contemporary history, keep in mind that you are writing for historians, not politicians or policy makers. Keep firm in your own mind the differences between analyzing and editorializing.

If you pick a work that represents the cutting edge, such as Stephanie McCurry's Confederate Reckoning, consider the utility of curbing your enthusiasm. Regardless of how impressed you are, or think it settles long standing debates, or believe it breaks new ground methodologically, or believe that it raises new questions that will significantly alter a field's trajectory for decades to come, all such judgements--or the opposite--are provisional.

(That being said, the history of the Civil War era will never be the same again. )

If you have in mind a book that invites for any reason the question "Is this really a work of history?" consider picking another book. If you insist on using such a work, nail the answer in a short paragraph. (That is, avoid sounding uncertain or defensive.)

If you want to pick Tango by Professor Foxtrot because you either want to be like Professor Foxtrot or to work with Professor Foxtrot, and either Foxtrot or another SME might read it, consider discussing how Tango fits not only into the relevant historiographical debates but also in the trajectory of Foxtrot's career. Be certain to note if Foxtrot's view in Tango was reformulated, enhanced, revised, or renounced in a subsequent work.

If you pick a work that is actually a collection of essays (such as Society and Culture in Early Modern France, History and Strategy, or Makers of Modern Strategy), identify ways to group the individual essays around themes. These themes should be more than the obvious but not so abstract that you come across as being "too cute".

If you pick a work that has multiple editions, consider the utility of convincing your audience that you are intimately familiar with each previous edition and the relative merits of each compared to the most current iteration.

But above and beyond all else, remember not to freak out and to have fun.

Edited October 16, 2011 by Sigaba

[TMP]

What Sigaba just said. Remember Yale has hundreds and hundreds of applications for less than 15 spots. Is this book review worth the stress?

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from applying to Yale but just more of helping to think about where your priorities should lie in terms of creating a strong application for each school you apply, not just Yale and would the potential result could be if you just concentrated all of your time on Yale.

[crazedandinfused]

Great advice Sigaba, and point well taken, TMP. That said, I'm gonna do it. I figure if the book that I want to do is reviewed in Reviews in American History, then its status as a work of history is pretty solid. Even if it's written by a very interdisciplinary scholar (which is what I would want to be anyway......

On creating a strong application for each school, beyond tailoring the SOP and contacting profs what more is there? I suppose I could do so through my writing sample but that may be like opening pandora's box........ LORs?

Edited October 16, 2011 by crazedandinfused

[Safferz]

What Sigaba just said. Remember Yale has hundreds and hundreds of applications for less than 15 spots. Is this book review worth the stress?

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from applying to Yale but just more of helping to think about where your priorities should lie in terms of creating a strong application for each school you apply, not just Yale and would the potential result could be if you just concentrated all of your time on Yale.

That is discouraging. I don't think trying to do a great job on Yale's application is a problem, and I wouldn't assume doing so would come at the expense of other applications.

[SecondBlackPrez]

I looked on the website and it says that the book review needs to be no more than 2 pages. Does this mean two pages double spaced or single spaced?

Thanks

[modern]

I know that people has been admitted to Yale with reviews of very new books, very old classic books, books from current and former Yale faculty, and even with books that clearly oppose the views of some of the faculty that they end up working with (of course the latter seems a risky choice and I'm sure many professors certainly won't like it, but the fact is that some do).

In all honestly, the most important things are that you pick a very good book and write a very good review, and that both the book and the review clearly relate to the reserach interests stated in your Statement of Purpose.

Only after reading the book from start to end start reading reviews written about it. But definitely read these reviews, see if you are missing something extremely important, and try to say something they have not addressed some point.

Also, if you really don't know what to pick, a safe choice could be chosing a first book from a relatively recent graduate of that program (Yale), or from a former student of one of the professors that you want to work with (maybe even from before they started teaching at Yale).

[modern]

I looked on the website and it says that the book review needs to be no more than 2 pages. Does this mean two pages double spaced or single spaced?

Thanks

If they don't specify, you can do as you wish.

[crazedandinfused]

I want my danged GRE scores....................

[SecondBlackPrez]

Can anyone answer my question? double spaced or single spaced...

[remenis]

Can anyone answer my question? double spaced or single spaced...

Since they don't say, I don't think they can penalize you for either choice, but I assumed they meant double spaced.

[TMP]

Double spaced, just like your SOP. Better to be on the safe side- as in make your paper easy to read on very tired professors' eyes.

[cooperstreet]

In the end, I hope I can compete with all of you in applying to Yale. I'm intimidated by the folks that are already teaching and presenting at conferences.

If it makes you feel any better, I know someone who had a publication accepted in one of the top three diplomatic history journals, and didn't get in to a lot of programs. My point is that it is a crapshoot, so keep your hopes up--there are no guarantees.

[Sigaba]

Great advice Sigaba, and point well taken, TMP. That said, I'm gonna do it. I figure if the book that I want to do is reviewed in Reviews in American History, then its status as a work of history is pretty solid. Even if it's written by a very interdisciplinary scholar (which is what I would want to be anyway......

On creating a strong application for each school, beyond tailoring the SOP and contacting profs what more is there? I suppose I could do so through my writing sample but that may be like opening pandora's box........ LORs?

C:

Then by all means go for it! Please consider the utility of the following if you address question "Is this a work of history?" First, point out how the work advances one or more historiographical debates. Second, if historians who specialized on the topic either use a multidisciplinary approach, anchor your work in that tradition. Third, be very artful when you define key theoretical terms. Fourth, do some extra legwork to see if a potential reader may really have a bee in his/her bonnet about either the book or its methodological approach. With this knowledge, you could deftly and respectfully acknowledge the issues of controversy and offer a thoughtful counter point. (Ah, if I knew then what I knew now...but I'm not bitter.)

In regards to TMP's question regarding the Yale book review (YBR), please keep in mind that regardless of where you end up, you will be asked to write quite a few book reviews during your coursework. In some instances, those assignments will benefit from the leg work, stressing, and sweating you did in preparing the YBR.

[goldielocks]

Wise words, as usual, Sigaba.

What did everyone end up actually accomplishing this weekend, by the way?

I only finished half of what I wanted (Isn't that always how it goes?). But I did manage: two papers for courses, two course books read, cataloged several dozen scans for the thesis, worked on the SOP, basked in the fact that the GRE is done, worked on a conference paper for November, exercised diligently, did my laundry, and slept.

The last three are probably the most important.

[cooperstreet]

Hrm... I have an H-Diplo book review on a book in my field. Is there any harm in using that for the Yale Book Review?

[Sigaba]

Hrm... I have an H-Diplo book review on a book in my field. Is there any harm in using that for the Yale Book Review?

IMO, there are three risks to such a submission.

First, in some quarters, "double dipping" is looked upon as a form of plagiarism. (On another BB, there was recently a good debate on the topic.) If a member of an admissions committee shares that view, and if that person does some background research, you may put your candidacy at risk--especially if it is unclear that you and the person who wrote the H-Diplo review are the same person.

Second, it could ruffle feathers. Give it some thought. An applicant recycles an essay for one of the more important aspects of an application to a prestigious program could unintentionally send a message that he/she is "mailing it in."

Third, elsewhere, you asked about making an issue of your "character" in your LoR. If you do travel that route on your LoR and then recycle a book review, how might that come across?

[TMP]

I just wouldn't do it if I were you unless it was exceptionally well-written and reviewed. Do another review to show that you can do book reviews on a consistent basis because as Sigaba pointed out you you may be doing them on a continual basis in graduate school. Use this Yale book review as a mental exercise- professors will always ask you about books you've read and you may as well start getting familiar with those that influenced you work.

[crater21]

This might have been covered on another thread, but I thought I'd get some advice from history folks.

How are you all managing your reference letters? Any best practices to recommend? Do you give each referee a package with your application materials and links to online application so they can input the letter? Is anyone using a dossier service?

I am temperamentally unsuited to asking people for favors. So I hate asking for reference letters, even though professors have been really nice and have offered to do it. I know many professors are happy to do it, but I still don't like asking for them. So, I just want to make the process as efficient and glitch-free for them as possible.

Any advice on managing / tracking / submitting letters would be appreciated!