How does a lighter courseload affect graduate admissions?

[thedig13]

Just wondering. I'm currently a second-year undergraduate at a college where 16-unit workloads are the norm, but I've loaded up on enough unit-credit that I can take a 12-unit workload for my last 2 years here and still graduate on time. I'll probably take more upper-division history than is actually required to graduate (I anticipate taking about 11 to 13 upper-division courses, 5 of them in my field of study, while the minimum is 9 upper-division courses with 4 in the field of specialization). My reasoning is that I'll be able to do better in each individual class with a lighter courseload, maximizing my GPA.

However, my obvious concern is how much this reduced workload will look on an application to graduate school. Do schools really care? Will the fact that I took more History courses compensate for the fact that I'm taking fewer courses overall? What are the pros and cons of my decision? Would it behoove me to reconsider?

[irvinchiva10]

I actually think that's a great plan. Not only will your application look all the more impressive because you challenged yourself beyond your school's requirements, but you will probably learn much more than you would taking a bunch of intermediary courses. Also, a light course load, at least in theory, gives you more time to focus on other things that are just as or more important when in comes to getting into grad school. For instance, you'll have more time to study for the GREs, cultivate strong relationships with faculty at your school (for LORs), discover your specific interests, develop a substantial thesis, and reach out to historians you want to work with at a PhD level.

in short, go for it. It sounds a lot like what I did, except I overestimated the amount of time I would gain (e.g. I crammed for the GREs, I didn't get a chance to really reach out to potential advisors, etc.). But, this approach earned me one acceptance so far, so I think it should serve you well.

Edited February 17, 2012 by irvinchiva10

[TMP]

I disagree. Make the most of your time in college! Take courses in other departments. Curious about how the sun was born? Take astronomy. Take courses in other disciplines that complements well with history such as philosophy, English, foreign languages, geography, sociology, etc. At a top program like Michigan, they do require students to take one field outside of the department to ground them a bit more. Also, it really can't hurt to take at least one quantitative thinking course like stats as those kind of skills will be the new norm for historians down the road.

There is a reason why I love history so much: it complements with so many disciplines well that the other disciplines really do make a difference in my own work in terms of methodology and perspective. For example, I've taken literature courses and listening to the professors' methodological approaches to the language of the text, many it be in English or a translated work, helped me to be more critical of my primary sources (in English or another language) and how I understood them. You'll gain better analytical skills this way.

[irvinchiva10]

I disagree. Make the most of your time in college! Take courses in other departments. Curious about how the sun was born? Take astronomy. Take courses in other disciplines that complements well with history such as philosophy, English, foreign languages, geography, sociology, etc. At a top program like Michigan, they do require students to take one field outside of the department to ground them a bit more. Also, it really can't hurt to take at least one quantitative thinking course like stats as those kind of skills will be the new norm for historians down the road.

There is a reason why I love history so much: it complements with so many disciplines well that the other disciplines really do make a difference in my own work in terms of methodology and perspective. For example, I've taken literature courses and listening to the professors' methodological approaches to the language of the text, many it be in English or a translated work, helped me to be more critical of my primary sources (in English or another language) and how I understood them. You'll gain better analytical skills this way.

I forgot to mention this since I assumed you weren't planning on taking just history courses from here on out. But, tmp is right. As you complete your history coursework, you should also look into classes that pique your personal interests. For instance, I've taken astronomy and art history courses just for the hell of it and, if nothing else, they are quite entertaining.

[thedig13]

I disagree. Make the most of your time in college! Take courses in other departments. Curious about how the sun was born? Take astronomy. Take courses in other disciplines that complements well with history such as philosophy, English, foreign languages, geography, sociology, etc. At a top program like Michigan, they do require students to take one field outside of the department to ground them a bit more. Also, it really can't hurt to take at least one quantitative thinking course like stats as those kind of skills will be the new norm for historians down the road.

There is a reason why I love history so much: it complements with so many disciplines well that the other disciplines really do make a difference in my own work in terms of methodology and perspective. For example, I've taken literature courses and listening to the professors' methodological approaches to the language of the text, many it be in English or a translated work, helped me to be more critical of my primary sources (in English or another language) and how I understood them. You'll gain better analytical skills this way.

Even with a 12-unit workload every quarter from here on out, after completing my History major, my Creative Writing minor, and my Foreign Language requirement, I'll still have room to squeeze in about three or four other upper-division classes. I've looked through the syllabus, and, outside of the history department, there's not much I haven't already taken that piques my interest (over the last 2 years, I've had the good fortune of ending up in classes that both relate to my interests and fulfill breadth requirements). However, if a class pops up and I find it appealing (say, for example, a Political Science course on the Arab Spring or Environmental Politics), I'll definitely use it to fill my open spots.

I've taken coursework on Environmental Economics, Philosophy, Literature, Statistics, Computer Science, Dance, Media Studies, Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Geology, and Political Science, and these classes have essentially answered any burning curiosities/fascinations I have ever had. At this point, I'm not particularly interested or curious about anything that I can't have explained by reading the first 2 paragraphs of a Wikipedia article.

That being said, do you think graduate programs will frown upon my decision to take fewer overall courses but more courses in history (again, note that even with this decision, I'll have plenty of room to plug in any courses I decide I'm interested in)?

[StrangeLight]

they do not care if you have a light courseload for a year or two. they don't really pay attention to WHEN you took your classes, to be honest, unless there appears to be a strong upward (or downward) trend in your GPA over time.

if you have extra time at the end of your degree, i strongly suggest to use the time to take foreign languages. LANGUAGES MAKE OR BREAK AN APPLICATION, EVEN FOR AN AMERICANIST OR BRITAINIST. if you're studying US history, but you have korean, you could potentially write a dissertation about korean migrant workers in the textile industry in los angeles. already your project sounds super cool and it stands out. it'll also help you in the long term to get a job if you have a ton of languages.

i've seen profs gush over a student's application with 2 or 3 languages on it. they can teach you how to do history in a year or two (and will teach you how, even if you think you already know how when you get there). teaching you an entire language is a lot more time-intensive.

now, you should also have fun and have a life, so i'm not saying you need to fill your free time with classes... but if you're going to take some non-history courses, MAKE IT LANGUAGES. you'll thank me later (or not, it's ok).

[Simple Twist of Fate]

I don't have any insight about what ad coms think about a light course load, but I just wanted to mention this... Since you probably have an idea of the sub field you're going into, be conscious of taking classes that seem to be related. I know that this sounds obvious, but I realized that from my transcript, it looked like I had only taken one class in my sub field. I had to spend some precious sop space showing how I had engaged with my time/region in classes that don't necessarily appear to be related just from the course title.

Languages are a great point. Keep in mind that you're paying tuition now, and for the most part it's going to be the same or similar with or without an extra language credit. If you have to pay for language classes in the future, that will be a net loss. I'm a big proponent of maximizing the value of your education (which has led to four very stressful but productive years of taking the full number of credits possible).

Good luck in a couple of years. The fact that you're thinking this far ahead indicates that you're well ahead where I was when I was in your position.

[Safferz]

I agree with everything that's been said, but I'd also add that it's a good idea to do independent research early -- I know a lot of American schools have an honours thesis during your final year, but I really think it's best to try and work on an independent studies project or something similar during your third year under the direction of a professor so you can produce a paper based on primary sources (and ideally related to what you'd like to do in grad school). You'll have something to polish and use as your writing sample when you apply for grad school in the fall of fourth year, and you can even try and get it published or present your research at a conference. It's also a great way of exploring your research interests, getting familiar with the historiography and debates, and refining your research questions so you have a sophisticated statement of purpose by the time you apply. Also get to know your professors and perform well in their classes, so you can have three strong letters of reference.

[virmundi]

If you can, learn another language. It doesn't really matter how many you already know -- if you have a bit of extra space in there, squeeze in another language or continue to improve one that you already know. Even for programs where a second (or third, fourth, etc.) language isn't a necessity, the ability to utilize another language can only be useful and helpful when applying to Ph.D. programs and, quite possibly, for your future research.

Edited February 17, 2012 by virmundi

[thedig13]

I agree with everything that's been said, but I'd also add that it's a good idea to do independent research early -- I know a lot of American schools have an honours thesis during your final year, but I really think it's best to try and work on an independent studies project or something similar during your third year under the direction of a professor so you can produce a paper based on primary sources (and ideally related to what you'd like to do in grad school). You'll have something to polish and use as your writing sample when you apply for grad school in the fall of fourth year, and you can even try and get it published or present your research at a conference. It's also a great way of exploring your research interests, getting familiar with the historiography and debates, and refining your research questions so you have a sophisticated statement of purpose by the time you apply. Also get to know your professors and perform well in their classes, so you can have three strong letters of reference.

Yes. That's part of the reason I loaded up on classes so much in my first two years: so that I could gain "senior status" as a Junior and get to work on my Senior Thesis in the Winter of my Junior year, polish it over the summer, and have it ready by Fall of my fourth year.

Also, for those of you who are recommending languages, I really appreciate the advice. I'll be taking Spanish as a Junior and will spend 6 weeks in Paris for Study Abroad learning French the summer between Junior and Senior year, so that should give me 2 languages by the time application-season rolls around.

Edited February 17, 2012 by thedig13

[TMP]

Six weeks in Paris isn't going to do you any good as opposed to spending 3 months if you can. You didn't mention what's your field anyway.

FWIW, my subfield requires at least three languages just to be competitive enough for the job market. I picked up Language #1 during my junior semester/summer abroad and continued it in my senior year. I picked up Language #2 in my MA program as my proficiency in Language #! wasn't high enough for classes to be counted for graduate credit. I completed all the necessary grammar and vocabulary in Language #2 with 4 semesters plus 1 summer. When my coursework ended in my 3rd semester of my MA program, I TOOK advantage of my gigantic university's language offerings but picking up Language #3 in an intensive first year course and I absolutely LOVED it and it was really The Research language that I needed to make my project "super cool" as SL put it. After the MA program ended and didn't succeed in PhD applications, I went abroad in the country where Language #3 was primarily spoken for 5 months. I took 3 solid months of intensive classes and they were just SO great.

I've applied as an Americanist at a place like Wisconsin, it was my facility of languages that probably helped me to stand out from the rest given that I work on a multi-lingual ethnic group My POI at OSU was thrilled that I had 3 working research languages (plus Spanish), even if I wasn't fluent in any of them. There was just an understanding that I wouldn't need to devote so much time to studying languages at the elementary level.

So I'd urge you to find a culture that you're interested in, and study the language for the heck of it. Russian's pretty cool.

[virmundi]

Six weeks in Paris isn't going to do you any good as opposed to spending 3 months if you can. You didn't mention what's your field anyway.

For what it's worth -- this is highly individual. I spent four weeks in an intensive language school in the French hinterland and I went from knowing almost no French whatsoever (a few weeks of Pimsleur tapes) to High Intermediate (as measured by the European Union CEF examinations). Obviously three months is preferable to six weeks (or four), but a lot depends on the motivation and aptitude of the learner.

[R Deckard]

I'm not on an admissions committee, nor do I study history, but keep in mind that you are compared to other students when you apply for graduate school. Nobody "cares" if your course load is heavy or light -- they only care that your academic performance and potential exceeds that of the other applicants. If you take a "light" course load and use your free time to do research or something else useful, then it should be fine, but you should keep in mind that you will be compared to the students that take a heavier course load (and ace all their classes) and you will need to outshine them in other areas.

[thedig13]

For what it's worth, there are so many other super important factors in grad school admissions - namely, recommendations, your statement of purpose, your writing sample, etc - that a few credits more or less in your last couple years of college isn't going to be material. I've gotten a number of great acceptances this year and I took a very very reduced course load my last year of college. No big deal, as far as I can tell (although, I'm a few years out of college at this point, so it's perhaps not as relevant as it would be had I applied as a senior or just after college).

As far as taking electives, I'm going to assume you're mostly kidding when you say there's nothing you're curious about that you can't learn about by reading Wikipedia. My background is very interdisciplinary and POIs have been nothing but totally enthusiastic about this. After all, you're going to be socializing with these people for the rest of your professional career - and that isn't going to be all just talking about history. But I digress. If you don't want to take unrelated electives, don't - they won't care, because other things are more important. However, if they offer something cool at your college like wine tasting or surfing or whatever, you should probably do that during the semester you're preparing your applications - if I've learned anything these past few months, it's that applying to PhD programs is stressful and having some kind of outlet is a good idea.

Yeah, for the Fall of my senior year, when I'm going to be writing up my applications, I've planned to take a courseload with more "fun" classes that'll let me relax and won't demand too much effort.

[maeisenb]

To be very honest, you seem to be more asking us to justify that it will "be ok" if you take a reduced course load for the rest of your time at college, which I'm sure it probably will be. I'm not going to echo what others said about languages, although I strongly agree with everything they have said. I will, however, chime in that you might as well take random classes since it doesn't sound like you're paying per credit hour, so why wouldn't you. If you're doing as well as you say you are, then taking a full load of classes like you previously have been, shouldn't reduce your grades much if at all. So why not take them, even if you think you otherwise wouldn't have an interest.

Short of that, do you really need all the extra time preparing for classes? I think most of us will agree that during your undergraduate degree you have plenty of extra time not spent studying anyway (I certainly played a lot of video games and did about 3-4 major extracurricular activities). Sure, your fall term senior year you can take fewer classes so that you can work on applications, but before that what are you doing that would take up your time otherwise? Maybe you're also working to pay through school, but i don't know.

[thedig13]

To be very honest, you seem to be more asking us to justify that it will "be ok" if you take a reduced course load for the rest of your time at college, which I'm sure it probably will be. I'm not going to echo what others said about languages, although I strongly agree with everything they have said. I will, however, chime in that you might as well take random classes since it doesn't sound like you're paying per credit hour, so why wouldn't you. If you're doing as well as you say you are, then taking a full load of classes like you previously have been, shouldn't reduce your grades much if at all. So why not take them, even if you think you otherwise wouldn't have an interest.

Short of that, do you really need all the extra time preparing for classes? I think most of us will agree that during your undergraduate degree you have plenty of extra time not spent studying anyway (I certainly played a lot of video games and did about 3-4 major extracurricular activities). Sure, your fall term senior year you can take fewer classes so that you can work on applications, but before that what are you doing that would take up your time otherwise? Maybe you're also working to pay through school, but i don't know.

That's a good point. In essence, I'd like some time to enjoy myself. From what I understand, graduate school is incredibly stressful and time-consuming, with virtually no real amount of free time to yourself (an old professor of mine said that, his first year of graduate school, Thanksgiving Break was a godsend to him, not because he could relax, but because he could finally catch up on his work). I feel like I should really take some time off to enjoy my freedom while I can, because, as much as I love learning about History, I know I'm going to be overwhelmed in a few years.

Edited February 18, 2012 by thedig13

[thedig13]

I'm not on an admissions committee, nor do I study history, but keep in mind that you are compared to other students when you apply for graduate school. Nobody "cares" if your course load is heavy or light -- they only care that your academic performance and potential exceeds that of the other applicants. If you take a "light" course load and use your free time to do research or something else useful, then it should be fine, but you should keep in mind that you will be compared to the students that take a heavier course load (and ace all their classes) and you will need to outshine them in other areas.

Actually, I'm planning to enter the upper-div honors program at my school (writing papers, doing research, getting to know professors, etc). I'm slightly-concerned that the rigors and demands of the honors program will tax my GPA, so part of the reason I want to reduce my courseload is to compensate for the heightened demands of application season, research, honors-level work, and upper-div material.

It's a very good point you make that I'll be compared to other students, and not necessarily on my own individual merits within a vacuum. I'll definitely keep that in mind from here on out.

[thedig13]

Thanks for your input so far, but now have a related follow-up question:

I'm thinking about taking courses over this summer. However, while the typical quarter (at my school) is 10 weeks, each of the 2 summer quarters is compressed into a grueling 5-week gauntlet (with double the lecture hours per week). I'm considering a number of upper-division History courses (all of which deal with subjects I'm very interested in learning about), but my concern is that, given the (perhaps) more rushed nature of these summer courses, I may not have the same time to internalize the material and/or the professor may have to rush through or "dumb down" some of the content.

Obviously, as much as I'd like to add extra coursework to my transcript over the summer, I'd rather actually learn and master the material taught in these classes, and am willing to put off these classes until later if that's what it will take. If you guys have any insights/experiences/thoughts about this dilemma, I'd love to hear it. From what you've seen and heard, is the material taught in summer courses simplified in any way and/or do students have a harder time grasping the content?

[StrangeLight]

1. a lot of summer courses are taught by graduate students and adjuncts rather than professors. this is fine, they're perfectly capable of teaching you, but they would not be people you'd want to get letters of recommendation from. for your LORs, you want professors. so if you're doing all your upper-level work in the summer, you're not getting the chance to build relationships with profs who will be writing your LORs (which are one of the most important parts of your application).

2. they will rush through content. they will not dumb it down. you will simply have to grasp the same material more quickly. this may mean, contrary to popular opinion about "summer school," that the course could be harder and your final grade lower than if you were moving at a slower pace.

if you're going to do courses during the summer, i strongly suggest you make them language classes (again... 2 or 3 working languages is always better than 1) and use the free time you're creating to take the history classes during the year, when you have a chance to build a rapport with some of your profs.

[thedig13]

1. a lot of summer courses are taught by graduate students and adjuncts rather than professors. this is fine, they're perfectly capable of teaching you, but they would not be people you'd want to get letters of recommendation from. for your LORs, you want professors. so if you're doing all your upper-level work in the summer, you're not getting the chance to build relationships with profs who will be writing your LORs (which are one of the most important parts of your application).

2. they will rush through content. they will not dumb it down. you will simply have to grasp the same material more quickly. this may mean, contrary to popular opinion about "summer school," that the course could be harder and your final grade lower than if you were moving at a slower pace.

if you're going to do courses during the summer, i strongly suggest you make them language classes (again... 2 or 3 working languages is always better than 1) and use the free time you're creating to take the history classes during the year, when you have a chance to build a rapport with some of your profs.

Thanks for your input. As per the advice I've been given so far, I'm re-organizing my plans for the next 18 months to try and squeeze in an extra language, which will give me second-year proficiency in Spanish and first-year proficiency in a second language by the time my application season rolls around. Hopefully, that'll be enough.

Edited February 21, 2012 by thedig13

[virmundi]

TheDig: Start cultivating relationships with professors in your institution who have interests that are similar to yours and whom you would like to write a letter of recommendation for you when you are applying to graduate programs. Ask them whether you are better off having second-year proficiency in Spanish and first-year in a second language, or whether you'd be better off focusing all of your efforts in Spanish (or another language). It is important to get the perspectives of the faculty in your specific subfield -- they are the ones whose letters will make or break your application. Not only does asking for their advice help to demonstrate your seriousness, it also provides you with an avenue for cultivating them as mentors and allies. They'll be able to give you sage advice on how best to utilize your time, language work, etc.

[StrangeLight]

that should be enough, particularly if you aren't working with spanish sources. the arbitrary rule of thumb is that three years of college-level education is roughly equivalent to "proficiency" in a language. the real rule of thumb is whether or not you can read academic texts and historical sources in the language with the aid of a dictionary. for application season, 2 years in one language and 1 in another would look just fine. (not outstanding by any means, but a nice plus in your column). if you continue with spanish during the application year so that you have 3 years of the language when you actually enter a grad program, you'll be all set with that one. usually. things vary between schools, obviously.

[thedig13]

TheDig: Start cultivating relationships with professors in your institution who have interests that are similar to yours and whom you would like to write a letter of recommendation for you when you are applying to graduate programs. Ask them whether you are better off having second-year proficiency in Spanish and first-year in a second language, or whether you'd be better off focusing all of your efforts in Spanish (or another language). It is important to get the perspectives of the faculty in your specific subfield -- they are the ones whose letters will make or break your application. Not only does asking for their advice help to demonstrate your seriousness, it also provides you with an avenue for cultivating them as mentors and allies. They'll be able to give you sage advice on how best to utilize your time, language work, etc.

this is actually a big reason why I'm thinking about taking summer coursework -- many classes that I want that are in high demand will be taught by profs I'm particularly interested in over the summer, and since I'll be applying for grad school as an undergrad senior, I thought that building relationships early would help. I figured that taking 1 or 2 summer courses in history would give me a chance to cultivate these relationships. Thus, I might be able to meet profs in my field early-on while knocking off major requirements in my area of interest (two birds with one stone, if you will). Edited February 22, 2012 by thedig13

[virmundi]

this is actually a big reason why I'm thinking about taking summer coursework -- many classes that I want that are in high demand will be taught by profs I'm particularly interested in over the summer, and since I'll be applying for grad school as an undergrad senior, I thought that building relationships early would help. I figured that taking 1 or 2 summer courses in history would give me a chance to cultivate these relationships. Thus, I might be able to meet profs in my field early-on while knocking off major requirements in my area of interest (two birds with one stone, if you will).

Well, just set up an appointment to go and meet them, express your interest, and get their take on what your progression should look like. Better to involve them sooner than later -- at least get on their radar. No reason to wait to introduce yourself!

[thedig13]

Well, just set up an appointment to go and meet them, express your interest, and get their take on what your progression should look like. Better to involve them sooner than later -- at least get on their radar. No reason to wait to introduce yourself!

Isn't it a little weird to just e-mail a professor who doesn't know who you are and ask for an appointment? I mean, it's one thing to wait before contacting a professor who's actually teaching you or has taught a class you were in, but how would you break the ice with a prof. you have no real excuse to contact?