Preparing to apply to Ph.D programs

[luneaty]

So as the title implies, I'm beginning to prepare to apply for a Ph.D program in history. I'm not actually planning on applying for a couple of years, but considering that most reputable programs are quite competitive, I'm looking to do whatever I can in the meantime to increase my chances.

I graduated this past year with a B.A. in History and a B.S. in Education from a state school. I graduated magna cum laude with a 3.791 GPA. Member of Phi Alpha Theta (history honors), ran three campus organizations, multiple on-campus jobs (including "real" ones) etc.

I was accepted into Teach For America, currently teaching 8th grade US history in a low-income community. I'm planning on finishing my corps term here and completing an additional year before going back to grad school.

I'm looking to study 19th century Russian history for my doctorate. I'm currently tossing around a few potential dissertation topics (Circassian genocide, Caucasian War, comparative imperialism). I did a decent amount of research in this area during my undergrad, and presented at local, regional, and even one national conference. I've been keeping in contact with my European history professor and a few others in the department.

Ultimately, I'm trying to see what I can do to improve my chances of admission into solid programs. While I believe that my grades and campus record are solid, I'm hoping that the lack of a "prestigious" undergrad institution on my transcript won't hinder any chances. Here are some things I'm doing to prepare:

- Learning Russian. I already speak/read fluent French and can get around in Spanish. I'm planning on taking Russian courses at a local community college beginning this summer, but I've begun on the basics of the language.
- Continuing research. I've got a decent library of Russian history titles going, and I've been trying to narrow my focus within the realm of 19th century Russian history.
- GRE. I haven't taken it yet, but I've got a few people I'll be studying with. I'm not terribly concerned about the verbal or writing portions, but the quantitative reasoning one may become a challenge.

And lastly, here are the programs I'm currently looking at (in relative order of preference): McGill, Yale, UNC Chapel Hill, Brandeis, UMass Amherst, UC San Diego, UM Ann Arbor, University of Oklahoma, Boston College, Queen's University, University of Ottawa. I'll be narrowing this down with further research.

Thanks to anyone who has advice on how I can further prepare (and took the time to read this, hah).

[heliogabalus]

I may be off on this, but I imagine learning Russian is the most important thing. Instead of classes at a community college, what about an intensive summer at Monterey, Middlebury, or in Saint Petersburg? 1. It's crucial to learn it well if you want to research Russian History. 2. It'll show grad programs that even if your language isn't up to par now, you're already taking the steps that will ensure it is by the time you're done with coursework.

[JustChill]

I'm a fourth-year PhD candidate in imperial Russian history, so let me also offer some advice. First, broadly speaking, you can't do much better than Chapel Hill for the topics you've listed, especially the opportunity to work with Louise McReynolds and the other Russianists there, such as Raleigh and Tasar. Second, you certainly will need to invest more time and effort into gaining advanced proficiency in Russian than a community college class can offer. But you don't need to go to Petersburg to do that. You should look into Indiana's summer program (SWSEEL) and also check out the one at Pittsburgh. The standard threshold--although there are always exceptions--is a minimum of three years of Russian prior to admission. Aside from that, don't worry (or spend too much time) on other aspects of the application, such as any preliminary research.      

[luneaty]

I'm a fourth-year PhD candidate in imperial Russian history, so let me also offer some advice. First, broadly speaking, you can't do much better than Chapel Hill for the topics you've listed, especially the opportunity to work with Louise McReynolds and the other Russianists there, such as Raleigh and Tasar. Second, you certainly will need to invest more time and effort into gaining advanced proficiency in Russian than a community college class can offer. But you don't need to go to Petersburg to do that. You should look into Indiana's summer program (SWSEEL) and also check out the one at Pittsburgh. The standard threshold--although there are always exceptions--is a minimum of three years of Russian prior to admission. Aside from that, don't worry (or spend too much time) on other aspects of the application, such as any preliminary research.      

Yes, I've heard that Chapel Hill is one of the best institutions for my area of history. It's definitely among my top choices.

 

The Indiana program looks excellent and I may look more closely at it. But cost is a factor, considering that I'm working on getting rid of most of my undergrad debt before starting a doctoral program. I'm planning on taking several community college courses, as Tulsa Community College has quite a thorough Russian program. Obviously a more intensive program would be ideal and it's something I may look into, but cost and time could prove to be a barrier.

 

Many of the programs I've looked at state that Russian proficiency isn't necessary for admission, but will be necessary by the time you begin the dissertation process. Many also have additional language requirements, but I've got that covered with French. I'd be fine with taking a couple of Russian courses in the early part of my PhD if necessary. Anyone have any insight on this?

[JustChill]

You might also look into Arizona State's CLI for intensive summer Russian, which offers (or at least did in 2011) pretty solid funding for competitive applicants. The more Russian you have at the time of application the better your chances, of course. Most history programs have no problem with entering grad students taking a couple of classes here and there for their secondary research language once in the program, but they tend to not look favorably on the prospect of incoming students having to take several classes in their primary language, which is mandatory for advanced research abroad. In any case, the first couple of years are heavily focused on theory, professionalization, and writing the masters or preparing for qualifying exams (comps), so there's little time for the type of language training that can allow you to be really productive once you finish coursework and hit the archives.   

[luneaty]

You might also look into Arizona State's CLI for intensive summer Russian, which offers (or at least did in 2011) pretty solid funding for competitive applicants. The more Russian you have at the time of application the better your chances, of course. Most history programs have no problem with entering grad students taking a couple of classes here and there for their secondary research language once in the program, but they tend to not look favorably on the prospect of incoming students having to take several classes in their primary language, which is mandatory for advanced research abroad. In any case, the first couple of years are heavily focused on theory, professionalization, and writing the masters or preparing for qualifying exams (comps), so there's little time for the type of language training that can allow you to be really productive once you finish coursework and hit the archives.   

Good to know, I'll look into the Arizona State program as well. Спасибо! 

[TMP]

I'd throw in Ohio State as well.  Their Russian program is pretty strong and the 19th century professor, from what I've heard, is an excellent adviser and he has amazing students working in the area you're interested in and Siberia.

 

I agree- don't worry about research.  Get the GRE out of the way and focus on your Russian language skills.  Yes, there is FLAS for that (Foreign Language Area Studies) for more language study, but it's really better to be as proficient as you can.  You will be competing against others who have studied Russian in undergrad or done Peace Corps or whatsoever.  Also, it's just one less thing to worry about in your first year of PhD.  I had to devote a good amount of time to my German before applying to programs in European history to ensure I could meet the requirements and be a bit above it.  I passed both of my language exams by mid-way through my first semester and it felt good!  My coursework and research kept me busy enough!

 

To add another point: You'll want to be sure you're ready to deal with the archives by your second or third year when you go to Russia to explore them.  Even though I could spend all day reading in German in museums and around the city, it was overwhelming for a bit when I jumped into the archives... Suddenly, you're been bombarded by words you're so sure you've never heard of that you wonder if all the time you've spent studying the language was a waste

[Glo Fish]

Learning the language is definitely the most important point at this stage. SWSEEL at IU offers many students full scholarships plus stipends and their program really is top notch. 

 

And think about applying to a mix of MA and PhD programs.