Fall 2013 Applicants?

[New England Nat]

It's not that common but it does happen and I just wanted to keep people from freaking out.

[theregalrenegade]

Congrats annieca!!! I was hoping to hear something today - even just a "hey, we lost your transcripts"... but nothing. 

[hanbran]

No news is better than bad news.

[History Time]

Congrats annieca!!! I was hoping to hear something today - even just a "hey, we lost your transcripts"... but nothing. 

How ironic, Illinois State sent me a letter today saying just that The application isn't due for another 5 days. It is my absolute last choice and I just applied there for backup, but it was kind of cool to get something in the mail.

Edited January 29, 2013 by History Time

[Wicked_Problem]

oneamcoffee offered the following advice on a completely different thread. Thoughts?............................................................................................................................

"I guess it's like anywhere else - you're going to hear every department tell you that they are well rounded and great at what they do.

When I spoke of "conservative" and "critical" schools, you have to understand that nobody is going to brand themselves one way or another. They want the maximum number of applicants per year, and like used car salespeople, they (and I mean even the best schools) will tell you what you want to hear. The 'pudding', as it were, is in the CV. Nearly every faculty at most universities have CV's available online. Look at them. ALL of them. Do you see any of them publishing in your area? Are they focused on very specific things that fall well outside your thoughts on the discipline (i.e. biosocial, structural, environmental, neo-classical, critical/radical, policing, law etc etc.)? This, and this alone will tell you what the general theme of the department is. Look for commonalities across cv's (they won't be explicit, but you can usually get a sense of the feel of the department). Don't expect to find a place where everyone researches what you like. Then again, make sure there is at least one, but more likely two people that specialize in your area and depending on where you want to work, it's helpful if one of them is somewhat known in your area.

On par with checking faculty in my opinion, is checking up on the current doctoral students. Many of them have their CV's also available online, and if not google/googlescholar them and see what they are doing, if anything. If the students (2nd years and up) aren't publishing, it's probably not a great program to be in, and likely has little in the ways of faculty mentorship.

The next step I would recommend is to see what in the sam heck the alumnus of the program are doing. Do a number of them have tenure track positions at universities that you would like to work at (assuming you would want to be faculty)? Are they working as adjuncts or non-tenured faculty at junk universities? What are their salaries (this can be commonly found with google as state university professor's salaries are public knowledge)? Take this information and understand that, for better or worse, this is likely the best indication of your coming future if you attend that program.

I hope that this helps. I had very little of this information going into my program and finding schools, but I had great mentorship and have learned a lot since. Know that I am not putting down any program or university in any of the my above statements - they each have their place and fit for all different types of students. Keep in mind also that the Ph.D. is 100% different than an MA/MS program. You are no longer really a student; you're in training for a job. A very complex, difficult, and self-sufficiency requiring job. Who do you want to train you? Best of luck.".........................................................................................................................................

Again, I'm curious what thought everyone might have on the above opinion.

I would say that I did what he suggested, but not to the extent he suggested. I took some shortcuts. I have read more CVs than one would think is humanly possible in the last four months, though...

Edited January 29, 2013 by Wicked_Problem

[History Time]

I scoured faculty pages for months on end. I think I read up on at least 250 programs, multiply that by how many professors at are at each. I knew my area of study was not ridiculously common, so I applied to programs whose faculty fit my research interests. I didn't look up alumni extensively. I read CV's when they were accessible. However, I mostly applied for MA schools so I wasn't as picky as I will be when and if I apply for PhD programs exclusively.

 

The graduate coordinator at my university spelled out a lot of this advice for me. He is a graduate of JHU and a very intelligent historian. The poster above sounds like he/she got some of the same advice.

Edited January 29, 2013 by History Time

[New England Nat]

I'm not sure how i feel about that.  In a big department you wont find the kind of commonalities you are discussing, and many advisers don't want clones of themselves.  I went into the process with a project that people were very positive about but was very different than anything anyone was doing.  Anyone in the country.  It sounds to me like this is a vision of departmental fit that works for some people and not others.

 

As for looking at faculty to determine grad student cohorts, that seems like a particularly useless idea.  There aren't that many people with state university degrees on my faculty (yes, we talk about it, no it's not changing anytime soon, no no one is proud of it).  The graduate cohorts look nothing like those faculty.  Again, because they aren't making mini me. 

 

I'm not saying fit doesn't happen, it does and it's important but it's a lot more intuitive than you are describing.

 

As for the used car thing, yes, some departments like to have a ton of applications.  Some of them would have a ton of applications no matter what they told applicants in email.  And yes it is expensive to apply to graduate school.  Nothing about this process is rational or practical.  If you aren't applying to schools because you think you have no chance there because they get a ton of applications, you are doing yourself a disservice. 

 

Apply to the places you think work for you. 

[andishannon]

Hey what's the story on that Northwestern acceptance that just got posted?

 

 

That was me. I got an email from the department's graduate coordinator with an offer letter/financial info attached. I'm pretty excited, this was a top choice. I was waitlisted there two years ago, and now acceptance with a masters!

[annieca]

I don't know how I feel about the MA/MS being where you're a "student" still and not training for a job. Maybe that's the case for most MA/MS's but not for my program. I go into my program knowing it is job training and it is THE best job training I can get. Might also be different because it's basically a terminal Master's. It's really, really hard to find a PhD program in Archives.

As I've had more sleep, I have to also say that it's offending to hear "Well, you're doing an MLIS(MLS) so it's not as competitive and therefore you can get in with crap grades." True, library science is easier to get into than a History PhD but that does not make the acceptances any less rewarding.

Congrats on LSU and Northwestern peoples! And regrets and hugs to the Duke rejection.

[Sio68]

I don't know how I feel about the MA/MS being where you're a "student" still and not training for a job. Maybe that's the case for most MA/MS's but not for my program. I go into my program knowing it is job training and it is THE best job training I can get. Might also be different because it's basically a terminal Master's. It's really, really hard to find a PhD program in Archives.

As I've had more sleep, I have to also say that it's offending to hear "Well, you're doing an MLIS(MLS) so it's not as competitive and therefore you can get in with crap grades." True, library science is easier to get into than a History PhD but that does not make the acceptances any less rewarding.

Congrats on LSU and Northwestern peoples! And regrets and hugs to the Duke rejection.

 

As you know, over here in the UK, terminal Masters are the 'norm'. That means that for most people, you are still considered to be a student. Most people who take MAs in the UK do so because they know that these days they need more than a BA to distinguish themselves from the rest of the job market (though in practice, this no longer works either).

 

However, I think, as you say, it does depends on the course. For you, it sounds like it's part of you training. The same may be said about certain science Masters. For me, I was definitely still a student because I was just in History and not anything like Library Science.

 

I can see why you were offended too.. I don't think that poster presented their point in the best way. In my mind, it doesn't really matter if something is competitive. What matters the most is that you know what you love and what you want to do. Success is finding the way to do it, and still enjoy life. If you get into your course, in a place you love (i.e. Aber), I'd say that's pretty damn rewarding and I'm jealous.

[lafayette]

That was me. I got an email from the department's graduate coordinator with an offer letter/financial info attached. I'm pretty excited, this was a top choice. I was waitlisted there two years ago, and now acceptance with a masters!

Congrats!! (Things are moving fast this year!)

[PhDreams]

Congrats!! (Things are moving fast this year!)

 

Reallyyy fast!

[lafayette]

@annieca

Congrats on Aber! Would this degree be able to get you the proper certification for archival jobs in the U.S. though, I wonder? Just to consider, and something I can't help but think of because my best pal is graduating from a great MLIS program here (with tons of top internships under her belt, which is key) and is very anxious about getting a job in this incredibly competitive field. (Although it sounds like you're already building up a rockin' resume).

Edited January 29, 2013 by lafayette

[GuitarSlayer]

Finally got my letter from York, yay!!  My only problem is that they have my research topic listed as something related to what I want to do, but not actually what I want to do...... should I email the professor and ask?  I've never indicated that that was what I wanted to do. 

[vtstevie]

That was me. I got an email from the department's graduate coordinator with an offer letter/financial info attached. I'm pretty excited, this was a top choice. I was waitlisted there two years ago, and now acceptance with a masters!

 

wow, congratulations! i guess i'll be refreshing my northwestern application page feverishly at work today...

 

edit: and a close friend of mine just informed me that she got her northwestern history phd acceptance, so keep an eye on  your emails if you applied, i guess (as if you weren't already doing that)

Edited January 29, 2013 by vtstevie

[annieca]

@annieca

Congrats on Aber! Would this degree be able to get you the proper certification for archival jobs in the U.S. though, I wonder? Just to consider, and something I can't help but think of because my best pal is graduating from a great MLIS program here (with tons of top internships under her belt, which is key) and is very anxious about getting a job in this incredibly competitive field. (Although it sounds like you're already building up a rockin' resume).

I'm told by Aber's current professors that the ALA/AMA/AAA support programs in the UK. Technically, Archives programs don't have to be certified by anyone - only library science ones need to be certified by the ALA. But most of the time Archives falls in with Library Science so I understand the certification bit. 

 

I definitely want to double check with someone in the US, but I can't imagine it's too big of an issue minus the degree names are different (MLIS/MLS in the US and a MSEcon in the UK).

 

And many thanks for the resume comment! I am, definitely. But as I'm finding out, so many people have great resumes and there just aren't enough jobs.

[andishannon]

Congrats!! (Things are moving fast this year!)

Thanks!

 

[czesc]

How many times have I searched "history" in the results and freaked out upon seeing a new one only to realize it was an "art history" result? Too many times.

Edited January 29, 2013 by czesc

[vtstevie]

man i just did that thing where i was refreshing my email/results page repeatedly and decided to go out for lunch assuming there would be SOME news when i got back, only to find a slew of pure math and biochemical engineering results and an email from work waiting to disappoint me upon my return.

 

i dunno if i can do this for two more months guys

[czesc]

Penn interview up...I remember hearing on here that Penn conducted them I think, but don't see any in the results from last year? Is this common / something an applicant should expect to receive if things are going well?

[lafayette]

Trying to not let that result freak me out as well.

[kyjin]

First official acceptance: Just got into USC! No financial package yet, but I got in!!!

[vtstevie]

congratulations!

[benedicite]

Penn interview was me. I can't offer much information and I'm not sure what to expect. What could they be looking for in skype interviews?

[CarrieLe5]

Congrats!!