Question for students at Columbia, NYU, and Stanford

[hist]

I am doing my MA in a department which really has an excellent group dynamic. The university provides the grad students with an entire floor for themselves where they can hold office hours, work, cry, commiserate, share ideas, etc.

 

I am researching departments that I'd like to apply to for my doctoral work on the basis of the presence of faculty who research in my field, and on the basis of proximity to relevant archives. The above three departments fit the bill in all respects. However, I really want to do my PhD in a department with an excellent group dynamic. The presence of graduate colleagues who are open to socializing, making new friends etc is very important to me--I don't want to be in a department where you never see your colleagues outside of seminar. So, for those of you in those departments, does that dynamic exist? Is there a special area set aside by the department for just the graduate students? Etc.

 

Thank you so much for your answers! I really appreciate it.

 

 

[Conscia Fati]

I can't speak to the dynamics of the history department at Columbia, but my department there is extremely friendly and surprisingly non-competitive. If you think these departments are good "fits," I'd recommend applying. If you get interviews, you'll have an opportunity to gauge the amicability of the departments. You could also email graduate students at these departments and ask them directly. I did this when applying to programs, and actually made some friends at schools I didn't end up attending. Good luck!

Edited December 31, 2012 by Andromache 2012

[TMP]

I will say this. Nobody is going to post anything less than positive about their departments. It's just not professional to do so in public. At the same time, don't take the lack of responses as "there must be so much negativity" but rather simply not enough posters are here that go to those places and check in on this site.

You are better off waiting to be admitted and then asking graduate students for their opinions.

[oseirus]

Columbia, if nothing else, has an AMAZING grad lounge ... there I said it

[czesc]

Are you talking about the one with the cookies?