Fall 2012 Applicant Chit Chat

[holdon]

Can anybody help me out on this following: I have writing samples that are not related to my field of study. Since applications are mostly due in the next two weeks, is it worth trying to finish up the field related writing sample or should I just go ahead with ones that are graded well but unrelated?

Thanks

[remenis]

Can anybody help me out on this following: I have writing samples that are not related to my field of study. Since applications are mostly due in the next two weeks, is it worth trying to finish up the field related writing sample or should I just go ahead with ones that are graded well but unrelated?

Thanks

I guess it depends how unrelated? Are you thinking of using another history paper which isn't exactly related to the subfield you want to work in? Or are you talking about using a writing sample from a completely different field?

[holdon]

Hey! Another history paper!

[maeisenb]

Not to be pushy about it, but that still didn't really answer Remenis's query. Are you talking like late 19th century American vs early 19th century American or are is your paper like on Stalinist Russia and you do 19th century American...

[holdon]

The paper i wrote was on environmental history of Latin America in the 19th century, whereas I want to switch to Sexuality in Modern Europe!20th

Oh sorry not to be clearer! The paper I have written is on

[StrangeLight]

use the best paper. if they're both history papers, if they both use primary historical sources, if they both posit research questions and arguments, use whichever one is best, even if it's not what you work on anymore.

the biggest things you want to demonstrate with these writing samples is 1) your ability to work with primary sources to make original arguments, 2) your ability to work with primary and secondary sources written in languages other than english. your SOP would/should demonstrate your knowledge of your intended field of study (modern europe and sexuality) by outlining a research project that would advance discussion in your new field, so your writing sample doesn't need to be related to your new topic. even if you can't demonstrate a lot of knowledge of modern european history or history of sexuality yet, those are things you can learn through the readings in your graduate seminars. knowing that stuff before you apply is FAR less important than demonstrating that you can actually DO history, which is what the writing sample is for.

[holdon]

Thanks, very helpful people

I'm agonizing a bit as it's so close and i just CANNOT seem to churn out something right, particularly given that my paper and SOP are becoming sorta indistinguishable apart from the word limits!!

[TMP]

Do... not... skimp... on the quality of your writing sample. Rushed papers may lead to more mistakes than those that have been looked over and sitting around.

[taybaxter]

Whew just submitted my first three apps today. It's a relief to have at least a few signed, sealed and delivered (so to speak!).

[Loimographia]

So, I'm going to admit to a rather pathetic, worrywart and nitpicky question: when applications ask for the "title" of a recommendation giver, does anybody here know what the heck that means? I assumed they were referring to, say, distinguishing Assistant profs from Full profs, but then it occurred to me that they might just be asking for whether to refer to the LR as "Miss" or "Mrs." in their automated e-mail, and that when my prof received the notification, that he might take umbrage at be referred to as "Dear Assistant Prof XX" as if I were deliberately trying to remind him that he hasn't received full professorship yet O.O Now I'm mortified that I might have stupidly offended a professor I completely adore...

(To be honest, this minor panic diversion is somehow keeping me from completely panicking over the rest of my application, since I just sent in my first app today and the finality of it hasn't quite set in yet)

[crazedandinfused]

Agonizingly waiting for that last letter.... It can be submitted ON the 1st, right?

[maeisenb]

So, I'm going to admit to a rather pathetic, worrywart and nitpicky question: when applications ask for the "title" of a recommendation giver, does anybody here know what the heck that means? I assumed they were referring to, say, distinguishing Assistant profs from Full profs, but then it occurred to me that they might just be asking for whether to refer to the LR as "Miss" or "Mrs." in their automated e-mail, and that when my prof received the notification, that he might take umbrage at be referred to as "Dear Assistant Prof XX" as if I were deliberately trying to remind him that he hasn't received full professorship yet O.O Now I'm mortified that I might have stupidly offended a professor I completely adore...

(To be honest, this minor panic diversion is somehow keeping me from completely panicking over the rest of my application, since I just sent in my first app today and the finality of it hasn't quite set in yet)

Although I'm hesitant to weigh in cause it was apparently keeping you calm about other things, I'm pretty sure it really doesn't matter at all...

[A Finicky Bean]

Agonizingly waiting for that last letter.... It can be submitted ON the 1st, right?

Letters can go in ON the 1st, yes. I have just found out that my one reference has not turned in a bunch of letters that are due this week....and is not responding to my emails and I won't be on campus to see her personally before the 1st (out of town, not just lazy)...now I'm very worried as letters have to get in or the app will be incomplete and won't be considered. And I did everything I had to do!!! **panic face**

[taybaxter]

Just talked to another professor at a top choice school of mine. More contacts = More confidence.

[Sparky]

now I'm very worried as letters have to get in or the app will be incomplete and won't be considered. And I did everything I had to do!!! **panic face**

LORs can be late.

Case in point: for the school I am at, one of my profs didn't submit the LOR until something like two weeks past the deadline. You can see how that worked out.

A lot of it comes down to, (1) as you as YOU get YOUR part of the app done on time, and (2) as long as THEY have all the LORs by the time they sit down with the giant pile of apps, it's okay if something like an LOR or an official transcript sent from your undergrad comes in late. The number of humanities programs who actually look at apps before winter break is asymptotic to zero. (I think my PhD app cycle, one history person heard unofficially from one program over break.)

[TMP]

Professors give each other breaks. They don't give students/applicants breaks. We aren't just *that* special enough.

[A Finicky Bean]

LORs can be late.

Case in point: for the school I am at, one of my profs didn't submit the LOR until something like two weeks past the deadline. You can see how that worked out.

A lot of it comes down to, (1) as you as YOU get YOUR part of the app done on time, and (2) as long as THEY have all the LORs by the time they sit down with the giant pile of apps, it's okay if something like an LOR or an official transcript sent from your undergrad comes in late. The number of humanities programs who actually look at apps before winter break is asymptotic to zero. (I think my PhD app cycle, one history person heard unofficially from one program over break.)

I hate to argue, but it depends on the school. I just received an email from Illinois: Urbana-Chapaign stating that apps will be considered incomplete until all elements, inc. recommendations, are in and they must be in by the deadline. After the deadline only complete apps will be considered. Just a word of warning...

[Sigaba]

Were I in a position where elements of my application were going to be late, I'd make sure that I had verifiable confirmation from the program to which I was applying that I'd not be penalized for the tardiness.

That is, I'd not place my candidacy at the mercy of scuttlebutt on the internet.

My $0.02.

[Sigaba]

Thanks, very helpful people

I'm agonizing a bit as it's so close and i just CANNOT seem to churn out something right, particularly given that my paper and SOP are becoming sorta indistinguishable apart from the word limits!!

holdon--

Consider the following option.

• Make an bullet-point outline of both your SoP and your writing sample where each has 7±2 points.
  
• Make sure that the overlap between the two documents reflects the fact that your intended course of study differs from the topic of your writing sample.
  
  • For example, you might want to use your SoP to elaborate your general approach to history and historiography that you mention in passing in your writing sample.
    
  • Or you might want to increase the distance between the SoP and the writing sample by allowing fewer points of overlap.
    

However you approach this suggestion--and that includes ignoring it--do take TMP's guidance to heart. Do not shortchange yourself on the writing.

[StrangeLight]

So, I'm going to admit to a rather pathetic, worrywart and nitpicky question: when applications ask for the "title" of a recommendation giver, does anybody here know what the heck that means? I assumed they were referring to, say, distinguishing Assistant profs from Full profs, but then it occurred to me that they might just be asking for whether to refer to the LR as "Miss" or "Mrs." in their automated e-mail, and that when my prof received the notification, that he might take umbrage at be referred to as "Dear Assistant Prof XX" as if I were deliberately trying to remind him that he hasn't received full professorship yet O.O Now I'm mortified that I might have stupidly offended a professor I completely adore...

(To be honest, this minor panic diversion is somehow keeping me from completely panicking over the rest of my application, since I just sent in my first app today and the finality of it hasn't quite set in yet)

they want to know if the prof is an assistant prof, associate, full prof, distinguished, etc. do NOT write "mrs." i saw a prof flip out last week in seminar when a student referred to an author as "mrs. X." they want to know the recommending professor's rank, that's all.

[TMP]

"Dr" is preferred over "Mr." or "Mrs." They deserve it after years of slaving away in graduate school!

[sandyvanb]

One application down, nine to go! Now I have to create my powerpoint for tomorrow...

[Sparky]

Were I in a position where elements of my application were going to be late, I'd make sure that I had verifiable confirmation from the program to which I was applying that I'd not be penalized for the tardiness.

That is, I'd not place my candidacy at the mercy of scuttlebutt on the internet.

My $0.02.

I agree.

I guess I should qualify what I said earlier: if, by some chance, you don't realize that one of the LORs is missing and it is already PAST the deadline, all hope may not be lost.

For the one school whose deadline I *did* realize (a different) one of my LORs would be late, due to snail mail/weather-related snafus, I did contact the program and verify. They said it was fine, but on the other hand, they were happy I had let them know. It's just in the case of my current school, it hadn't even crossed my mind that this particular LOR would be missing--the prof had sent the letters to the other schools already.

[taybaxter]

Word of caution to everybody: After converting a writing sample from word to PDF ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS double-check the PDF both before putting it on the app site and after you put it on the site. Even if you've spent weeks editing your sample--like I did--you can still be messed up by a damn computer.

I submitted three apps the other day along with writing samples. Two of them had writing samples attached that were electronically garbled somewhere along the line from converting my word document to PDF to putting it on the website...all of the apostrophes in my samples were somehow turned into quotation marks . I didn't notice it when I uploaded them because I only opened each just long enough to see that the upload worked. Fortunately, I caught it yesterday when when I went back to see if my recs had been uploaded. I've been working with both grad schools this morning to remedy the problem and I'm happy to say that both have been very good about replacing the bad samples with good ones. *whew*

Edited November 30, 2011 by taybaxter

[TMP]

Wow, that's so weird. I've never had that issue. Then again, I probably uploaded them as .doc as there was no special formatting.

Either way, it's always worth actually checking the PDF file of your application when prompted. I've found silly mistakes in data entry fields. Like misspelling one of my recommender's names.