Fall 2013 Applicants?

[New England Nat]

I would highly encourage you to make your SOP be not just about your interest in the historical questions but how and why you came to them. Especially if you've come from law school to do it. I know a lot of JD/PhDs and the story of how you go from thinking about the law to thinking about intellectual history is a good way to show your intellectual processes. If you have a project in mind, show how that links to bigger questions, don't start with vague large questions and than narrow to ... vague specifics.

State very clearly what your language skills are currently, and what languages you plan to pick up. No one expects you to have all languages before you hit grad school but they want to see that you know language is important and that you are thinking about them in a practical way.

A law school recommender should be fine in your case. While most of my JD/PhD candidate friends are doing legal history... schools know that you've just spent three years doing intensive post graduate work. They wont discount that, and they will wonder if there is no one from that period of your education as it is the most recent.

As it's still september, give the professor 3 weeks from your last exchange. It's a busy time of year and many of them aren't thinking about future grad students that seriously right now. Come mid october for december apps is when many of them will start looking at those emails seriously.

[czesc]

Thanks, both. I've definitely included a discussion about my journey from law to intellectual history...I wonder how much space I should really devote to this, though? I'm starting to feel like I'm going to be at a competitive disadvantage with applicants who can use precious SOP space to demonstrate their deep understanding of historiographical debates, etc.

As for languages and international history, I guess my question could be illustrated best by an example. Say someone is doing an international history of a certain commodity. Their history would encompass more territories than the applicant could realistically learn the languages of. But if they said they would focus on one language/region, this would compromise the whole point of doing an "international" history of this phenomenon. How do applicants and/or grad students navigate this dilemma?

[TMP]

Don't worry about other people. Focus on YOU. The application process is all about you, not other people. Focus on your own strengths and what you can offer as a future colleague. Persons A, B, C, etc do not matter, nor should they as you think about pulling together your application. If you do this, your sanity will be greatly preserved.

You can set up your SOP with a focus on thematic history in international context. It's actually what I do and just LOVE it. The way I was able to pull it off by arguing for a deep study of this particular group of people and how they responded to various environments around the world. I made sure that there weren't any begging questions from adcoms by not asking "how did these people interact with the locals?" That kind of statement will definitely prompt them to say, "Okay, do you have the language of the locals, then?!" Simply exclude the locals or limited your geographical focus (i.e. don't do ALL of Southeast Asia, focus only on areas where perhaps Hindi is spoken) and make your questions ALL about the Europeans. Be creative.

[czesc]

Excellent advice, thanks! I notice you said that I should focus on what I should offer as a colleague. Any suggestions as to how one typically discusses that while basically applying for training?

Also - is anyone else applying for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship or any other funding at Cambridge? The deadline for recommendations is apparently 14 days after the application is due, which for history is October 1! If I want to do this, I guess I would have to rouse my recommenders from their seasonal cycle and somehow get them to submit straightaway -- at this point in the year, is this at all wise, or counterproductive if I want good recommendations?

[New England Nat]

There is a limit to the value demonstrating your mastery of historiographical content is that helpful. These people will not expect you to be a master at the material before they teach it to you. They are, in my experiance, much more interested in understand your thought processes rather than in a bland historiographical discussion of the subject.

But i'm at Princeton and we're pretentious bastards.

As for your commodities question I guess it depends on the commodities involved. If you were thinking about a grand history of silk or tea you'd need knowledge of half a dozen languages. But no one is going to let you write a grand narrative of silk or tea for a diseration. They'd ask you to write something like... the introduction of tea to european markets over a specific period of time.

I'm mostly familiar with the western hemisiphere transnational commodities and that's just a spanish/portugese question. If you are interested in a period of colonization than you should demonstrate your knowledge or desire for knowledge of those colonial languages.

[annieca]

You had asked about practice GRE tests and I don't think anyone answered that one. So... my favorite books so far:

Princeton Review's - Cracking the GRE book (the DVD is useless) - there's two practice tests in the book and four online with the access code in your book. That being said, PR's online test format is slightly different than the actual GRE (or at least, comparing it to PowerPrep) so it gives you a bit of a crutch in reminding you when you marked things.

Kaplan - the book is useless in my opinion, for helping with the content. I tried one practice test and it definitely seemed harder than PR and PowerPrep though.

Lastly, I also tried "GRE for Dummies" and it was too easy. I scored near perfect on those practice tests when I was missing twenty points on the PR, Kaplan and PowerPrep tests.

Hope that helps!

[CrazyCatLady80]

I won't be applying for PhD programs till next year. However, I am going to spy on you guys to get a better feel what I should do when the time comes.

Currently, I am completing my M.A. in U.S. History (specializing in 20th century urban political) at a CSU in Los Angeles. I am also a former archivist/librarian so if any of you have any questions about archives and MLS programs, please feel free to contact me.

[czesc]

Thanks for all your help, everyone. I just picked up the Princeton Review book and it does look more helpful than Kaplan, which I'd been using.

As I mentioned before, I'm waiting for one of my recommeners to continue our conversation, but does it seem like it would be a bad time to initiate contact with my two others, or should I do this straightaway? What about for POIs at the schools I'm applying to?

And while we're on the subject, has anyone used a service that will collect and submit LORs and know if this is something worth doing / widely accepted at history PhD programs? I only saw one school specifically mention that it could work with their system, but if it's more widespread it seems like it would definitely save a lot of time and potential for error among letter writers...

Edited September 4, 2012 by czesc

[New England Nat]

The POIs are the ones you should give time to, your letter writers you should talk to as soon as possible and give them as much time as possible. They should have a copy of your SOP and give them a list of the schools you are applying to and the deadlines for their letters.

It's been two years now since my cycle but most schools were requiring them to submit letters through online systems.

[Laguna Niguel]

I have a somewhat strange question… what are some of the subject lines you guys/girls used when emailing pois? I am just afraid that my email land in the spam folder if I use the wrong subject line.

.

[czesc]

The POIs are the ones you should give time to, your letter writers you should talk to as soon as possible and give them as much time as possible. They should have a copy of your SOP and give them a list of the schools you are applying to and the deadlines for their letters.

Thanks - so I shouldn't feel weird about annoying recommenders as classes are starting? I would also like to talk to 1-2 of these people about schools, advisers, the SOP, etc...even if I don't, I feel like it might not be a great idea to send an SOP or list of schools to all three only to get some good advice from one that causes me to change everything. So my sense is that I should maybe wait a week or two to contact everyone and only supply other materials after I've talked it out with them. Would this give them enough time?

[New England Nat]

Ask them first, and than give them material after they've said yes. The important thing is to show them that you understand that you are asking them to take time for you. It's part of the game, professors know they have to write letters of rec, but they still like students to display knowledge that it's a favor.

[annieca]

Just finished the GRE. Unofficially its 157 Verbal, 150 Math. The first math was killer so I'm not too surprised about the score - just really disappointed. I guess I'll just have to wait and see percentiles.

[Roxannem20]

Hey annieca,

I'm applying for an Art History 2013 Fall graduate degree and I'm going to take the GRE in October, not sure when, as I am cramming at the moment. I wanted to ask if you used any other books for math in particular?

[annieca]

For math I used Khan Academy which is online (and free!) - both the videos and the practice. There was stuff I didn't review (arcs, for example) but Khan Academy online goes through each little concept one at a time and you can choose what you want to practice instead of just going through huge topics you don't need to practice.

Edited September 6, 2012 by annieca

[aec09g]

All right everybody! 72 days and counting until my first application is officially due (December 1st).

Are you guys freaking out a bit right now? I have a huge list of schools that I have POIs at for both master's and doctorate programs, and I'm shooting off all my personalized e-mails tomorrow. With 20 emails total, I'm starting to really freak out about the application season, whilst trying to write my honor's thesis.

However, how is everyone else doing? Stressing like me? Feeling more confident? I keep finding things I wish I had done sooner or differently, but it's at crunch time so I have to brush it off and sort of work past it. Similar sort of feeling?

[theregalrenegade]

All right everybody! 72 days and counting until my first application is officially due (December 1st).

Are you guys freaking out a bit right now? I have a huge list of schools that I have POIs at for both master's and doctorate programs, and I'm shooting off all my personalized e-mails tomorrow. With 20 emails total, I'm starting to really freak out about the application season, whilst trying to write my honor's thesis.

However, how is everyone else doing? Stressing like me? Feeling more confident? I keep finding things I wish I had done sooner or differently, but it's at crunch time so I have to brush it off and sort of work past it. Similar sort of feeling?

Oh yes, stressing like never before.

I'm TAing for the first time ever with a professor who offers no direction (thank god for other experienced TAs).

I'm studying for my comp exams to be take in late November.

I'm taking the GRE in November (for the second time to try and improve my initial scores - just a few points).

I have two other classes that have papers and projects.

And I'm applying to PhD programs (most of which have the December 1st due date).

Luckily, I'm only applying to five schools. BUT, currently I'm having difficultly because I'm trying to write a research proposal before I've even written my MA thesis! Sigh.

I keep telling myself, if I can get through this year, I'll be able to rule the world!

[kyjin]

However, how is everyone else doing? Stressing like me? Feeling more confident? I keep finding things I wish I had done sooner or differently, but it's at crunch time so I have to brush it off and sort of work past it. Similar sort of feeling?

Oh man, so stressed. I'm in the second year of my MA, and while I don't have any more courses (woohoo!), this semester is busier than ever. I'm working on my thesis (which means a lot of secondary source reading in Japanese right now), working as a research assistant for my advisor (which involves building a website for him and doing primary source research), my second job on campus, and of course applications.

At least I'm feeling okay on the application side. I'm not taking the GRE again (using my scores from two years ago). I've established the four programs I'm applying to, and have met potential advisors at two of them over the last year. I just need to start writing SOP drafts and get my rec writers in gear. Writing sample is also freaking me out a bit, but that will be part of my thesis before the December 1st deadline. Here's hoping I can pull it all off.

Hang in there everyone!

[annieca]

I just moved to Wales to do my last year of undergrad abroad so I'm more stressed about the transition to Aber than I am about grad school applications.

That being said...

I am terrified of writing my SOPs. I had a professor tell me that I had a really, really good shot at getting funding if my SOP shows/tells about all of the experience I gained this summer at NMAH. So, yeah, no pressure there.

My first applications are due December 15th. My writing sample (minus the one that needs to be 5-7 pages) is done and so is my CV. So my plan is to wait until I register for Aber classes and then schedule two hours a week to work on grad school apps. Because as unimportant as filling my address in is, it takes time.

Hugs for all!

[aec09g]

I just moved to Wales to do my last year of undergrad abroad so I'm more stressed about the transition to Aber than I am about grad school applications.

That being said...

I am terrified of writing my SOPs. I had a professor tell me that I had a really, really good shot at getting funding if my SOP shows/tells about all of the experience I gained this summer at NMAH. So, yeah, no pressure there.

My first applications are due December 15th. My writing sample (minus the one that needs to be 5-7 pages) is done and so is my CV. So my plan is to wait until I register for Aber classes and then schedule two hours a week to work on grad school apps. Because as unimportant as filling my address in is, it takes time.

Hugs for all!

That reminds me. Veterans of previous application cycles, how much time would you say it took to fill in that minute information? (;

I try to plan everything down to days and set time amounts, but I have no idea what an average application's length even is, though I guess I will soon!

[TMP]

About an hour or so put online application in terms of filling out information. Just make sure that you have your CV, transcripts, and GRE scores right there with you.

[runaway]

About an hour or so put online application in terms of filling out information. Just make sure that you have your CV, transcripts, and GRE scores right there with you.

But make sure you leave time to read through it all again and catch typos! I tend to fill it in early on, then have everything complete with plenty of time to proofread it all before submitting.

[aec09g]

Awesome thanks!

Also, I have to share my joy. Purely because after two POIs emailing me back and saying they weren't accepting students, I finally got a positive POI response where the POI wants me to apply to the program. Very exciting, especially since it is with a POI that I would really like to work with.

/joy shared.

[kyjin]

Got a wonderful email from my POI at UMichigan today. For anyone else who is looking at Michigan's history program, you probably know that they did not accept applications last year due to a large number entering in Fall 2011. My POI said they'll only be accepting as many as they can fund, which looks to be about ten this year. (Except dual-degree people, who don't count in this number.) It's definitely going to a long-shot for me since my POI already has three grad students, so not sure if they'll allow her more.

[TMP]

Wow... TEN? That's halving the size of the normal cohort size (which was around 18-20). But this is likely their yield that the're aiming for. And it is true, they skipped the admissions for Fall 2012 cohort. It wasn't pretty from what i've heard.