Fall 2014 Applicants

[aakamban]

Yes, I'm just applying for a masters not a PhD. And yes, I meant 2:1 degree, not a 2.1 GPA. Thanks for all your input! 

[aakamban]

Yes, it's just for a masters, not a PhD. Honestly, I haven't exactly determined what I want to do with my masters, but right now, I just want to focus on studying and starting fresh. I may apply to law school after my masters or I may try to teach high school level history, however, right now, my focus is figuring out how to regroup. My injury has certainly not been a pleasant addition to my life and furthermore, I've spent the last 3 years around violence and chaos - honestly, I just want to experience something peaceful for a change. 

 

Thank you!!

[gsc]

 

Hello,

 

I graduated three years ago from Tulane with a 3.1GPA (overall) and a 3.2GPA for my major (history). I know, it's certainly not the strongest, but I don't think it's 'bad' by any means. I'd be a flat 2.2 lower second-class honors. 

 

I did ROTC while I was in school, and commissioned immediately after graduation. I kick myself for not trying a bit harder as an undergraduate, but my focus was more on partying and 'just getting commissioned'. Recently, I found out I'm probably getting medically discharged. I'm really just looking forward to moving on with my life after this crappy experience. 

 

I have passion for history. Honestly, there's nothing I'd like to do more than continuing to learn, and I STRONGLY want to go abroad. I'm looking to apply to a few schools in Ireland and the UK (UCC Cork, Queens University Belfast, University of Aberdeen, University of Galway, Aberystwyth University). 

 

Almost all these schools say that typically they require a 2.1 when applying to taught masters. I've talked with a college advisor who says my GPA is in the 'range', however, I'm still a bit nervous. Since college, I've spent extensive time abroad working with foreign militaries. My free time is solely composed of 'studying' history. 

 

How would you say I rack up?

 

Also, is it slightly 'easier' for an American to get into a more completive graduate program in the UK due to the fact that we have to pay higher tuition? 

 

I appreciate any ideas!

 

Sincerely, 

 

A

 

 

If you've any questions about Queen's, feel free to ask/message me! I spent last year in Belfast and got a pretty good idea of their history department -- and also Belfast! It's a really lovely place.

[kenningsa]

Am I on track to apply? Or am I too late in the game? 

 

I have my SOP written, 3 recommenders lined up, GRE scores (160 V, 153 Q, and 4.5 W... not sure if they're too low), and a writing sample.

 

I've picked out my list of schools as well. I am worried that I am cutting this too close to the deadline. Am I giving my recommenders enough time if I fill out the online apps within the next few days? 

 

Thanks

[New England Nat]

Kenningsa,

 

Assuming you have Dec 1st deadlines it sounds like you are right where you should be.  I'd be a little concerned about the W score, but some schools will care about it and others wont and you wont know which are which really.

[kenningsa]

Thanks! Would a 3.93 overall GPA and a strong writing sample cancel out the lowish W score? Also, is it a problem that I haven't really contacted potential advisors? 

[dr. t]

Thanks! Would a 3.93 overall GPA and a strong writing sample cancel out the lowish W score? Also, is it a problem that I haven't really contacted potential advisors? 

 

Every professor I talked to last admissions cycled literally asked if the writing part of the GRE was "that thing that's out of 6." The writing sample is everything.

 

I would get a move on contacting advisors. 

[New England Nat]

It's not the professors that matter with GRE scores.  Some schools simply have a cut off and they wont take anyone under it.  Others will look at the entire application.  In the cases of some schools, university wide funding depends on GRE scores.

[dr. t]

It's not the professors that matter with GRE scores.  Some schools simply have a cut off and they wont take anyone under it.  Others will look at the entire application.  In the cases of some schools, university wide funding depends on GRE scores.

 

I wouldn't disagree, I've just never heard of the writing portion being used in this way.

[New England Nat]

I know of at least three programs in the top 25 ranked departments that have used it like that in the past.  Particularly resource poor or scarce schools tend to be more likely to see the allure of using numbers that way.  Not enough people read Ted Porter and think numbers always mean something.

[kenningsa]

I'm planning on applying to Kansas, UCSB, Temple, McGill, Duke (huge stretch, I know) and UT Arlington for Haitian History. Do you foresee any problems?  

[New England Nat]

There is no way to tell ahead of time.

[kenningsa]

Of course. 

[annieca]

My two cents about the writing score on the GRE - first off, I agree that sometimes it is used as a cut off. Chapel Hill does this with their Library Science school. But, I also agree that it is no indicator of your writing ability as a graduate student. 

 

As a graduate student you will be writing a million and one papers - and long ones at that. At my program, minus the theory class everyone takes, you write a 20-25 page paper each class, each semester. Unless you are taking a few 400-level undergraduate courses, you will almost never (I say almost because there always seems to be that one school that does) take another blue book exam. That's the kind of writing the GRE is asking you to do. And I fully think graduate schools recognize this.

 

For what it's worth, I got a 4 on the writing section (54th percentile) and the only schools that seemed to care were Chapel Hill and Brown, possibly South Carolina (though I firmly belief I was rejected there for reasons other than an abysmal writing score).

[New England Nat]

It's not exactly like a blue book exam ... but the writing half of Princeton's qualification exams aren't that far from the GRE writing exam.

[annieca]

It's not exactly like a blue book exam ... but the writing half of Princeton's qualification exams aren't that far from the GRE writing exam.

 

Fair enough. At Maryland your comps are oral and, come to think of it, your quals are exams but they aren't anything like the GRE writing exam because you're going to know your area and not given some random prompt. I always stand to be corrected - there are so many universities in the US and the world and they all seem to do something differently that I can't say with certainty that all schools do it one way or another.

[New England Nat]

Princeton Generals are two part, 1 part written.  4000 per field hard limit, usually with a "answer one from part 1 and one from part 2".  And while they are about your field the prompts can seem kind of random when you are reading them.  Orals are 1 hour for major field and 1 half hour for minor fields.

[Safferz]

Popping in to say hello and how nice it is to see a lot of familiar names in this thread I benefited quite a bit from the sage advice of current grad students when I applied during the fall 2012 cycle, and I tried to pay it forward by participating as much as I could in last year's thread. I'll be around once again... I just can't believe it's the fall 2014 cycle already 

Edited November 5, 2013 by Safferz

[gsc]

I've been pondering grad school applications (not applying this year, though), and I was wondering if anyone had a sample/template SOP that they might be able to share? I've read enough on here to know what to do in theory, but I'm sort of at a loss as to how to pull it all together--just having an example to look at would really help! I've seen the sample template from this website (https://sites.google.com/site/gradappadvice/home) and found it useful, but I'm wondering if there's ever a more specific one for history? Especially since that one was for psychology--or is that pretty close to what a history SOP should look like anyways? 

 

thanks guys!

[TMP]

I've been pondering grad school applications (not applying this year, though), and I was wondering if anyone had a sample/template SOP that they might be able to share? I've read enough on here to know what to do in theory, but I'm sort of at a loss as to how to pull it all together--just having an example to look at would really help! I've seen the sample template from this website (https://sites.google.com/site/gradappadvice/home) and found it useful, but I'm wondering if there's ever a more specific one for history? Especially since that one was for psychology--or is that pretty close to what a history SOP should look like anyways? 

 

thanks guys!

 

Each SOP is individual.  It's a mix of a job cover letter and a research proposal.  You own your own ideas (and sell them) and voice of experience.  To adopt another's for a "model" wouldn't allow the readers to "hear" how you think and who you really are as a potential colleague and scholar.

[CageFree]

Not only that, but your SOP really ought to be a reflection of who you are as a person. Using anything that resembles a "canned" format may work for, say, business school, but in the humanities our writing style is almost like a fingerprint... it's very individual. There should be something in common in all of your papers, kind of like a common "voice" that carries through regardless of the topic. I can tell when I read something I wrote, even if it's something from 15 years ago, because it sounds like ME. I know that sounds very artsy and weird but I think it's true... 

[gsc]

Oh, no, I completely agree! I don't mean I was looking for a template where I could, like, take out a few things and fill in the blanks; I totally planned on writing from scratch. I was just looking for a possible way to structure it - just to see one possible example of how it could come together, and then I could start on my own from there. I realize now it was a bit silly for me to ask; of course it's different for everyone, and you really just have to write it first. I'm so sorry for the trouble!

[New England Nat]

I would advise that you talk about the intellectual journey you took to the topic you have.  Something like "I was studying X and it led me to this and I found it interesting because of Y..."

 

Obviously more sophisticated in telling.  But your interests in a SOP should show your thought processes as much as a project.

[hdunlop]

Writing a SOP has been the hardest part of this from me and it's absolutely amazing to see the iterations from what I did last year in my failed attempt to what I did this summer when I thought I had my stuff together a bit more to what I came up with after meeting with POIs this fall to what I came up with after talking to another professor in the field I want to study with who doesn't take students yet that was able to put the whole thing together. It's really come a long way. Who knows if it's enough, but it's night and day.

 

The reason I share this is because I think you should take as many cracks at this as you can. Write from scratch a couple times rather than starting one document and editing it. Then cobble together the most interesting story, people you've read, questions you ask and ways to try to answer them, and of course all the stuff about each individual school regarding professors and institutes and whatever else (this last one is really minimal in law statements for instance but really important in grad school statements). Hopefully you'll have something when you're done that you can then edit together into a decent document.

 

I've been told that you should have a hook at the start and it's OK if it's biographical but if so it needs to be very, very short -- have a personality and identity but don't spend more than literally two or three sentences with stuff about high school or whatever.

[Andean Pat]

I complete agree that is personal, unique, and like a fingerprint. However, I understand your concern because I had the same one. I needed to actually see a SOP in order to mentally understand what to write in mine. A grad student shared this resource with me. It is a SOP from someone admitted to Berkeley commented by a professor so that you understand why it is a good SOP (and, hence, how you can make yours equally successful). 

 

Hope it helps!

 

AP