History Admissions 2010

[sankd]

I'm not sure either of these is true in all cases. I dealt with some professors who were very forthright on these issues. Also, determining whether a potential advisor is going to be taking on new students is one of the primary reasons to contact them in advance of submitting an application. Not that I ever did that.

Who said anything about all cases? I just threw in some examples.

[sankd]

I hadn't looked at North Texas before, but it looks pretty good! Thanks for the suggestion!

One of their advising fellows is an old mentor of mine. They're splashing a lot of cash into that program, making new hires, and trying to build it up to be a big time military history program.

[geigwm6]

Who said anything about all cases? I just threw in some examples.

On the Administrative side, I've had professors and adcoms be forthright on financial issues, such as funding (or in this case lack there of it in abundance)

[sankd]

On the Administrative side, I've had professors and adcoms be forthright on financial issues, such as funding (or in this case lack there of it in abundance)

That's an easy one for people to admit. It's just admitting the inexorable. It also passes the responsibility off to something else.

[synthla]

Who said anything about all cases? I just threw in some examples.

I guess I didn't see the "in some instances" type language in your original blanket statements.

[geigwm6]

I have been wondering--I realized I am shooting for all M.A. programs--albeit M.A. programs with the possibility of funding. Is this a good idea? I'm not a super qualified applicant. I'm working hard on my SOP and my writing sample so they will be good and I generally test well so I would imagine I will have good GREs and I'm not worried about my recommendations. My grades are a bit low--at a rigorous institution--but some of my professors have told me to apply to only PhD programs. In addition to my lackluster grades, I am not exactly sure what I want to study (Southern History from the 18th-19th century probably). Thanks!

[Nikki]

Why not apply to some MA and some PhD? Or mostly MA with just one or two PhD? You shouldn't limit yourself just because you think you might not get in.

[geigwm6]

That is probably a solid idea. I'm thinking:

PhD- Vanderbilt and UVA

MA- William and Mary, LSU, Tulane, George Washington, NCSU, UNCG, UNCW

That seems to cover reaches/matches/safeties

[sankd]

Though funding is tough for MA students, it's not unheard of.. plus, if you get an MA, you're boosting your profile, enhancing your CV, and improving your probability of gaining funding. I used to think it was two years wasted. Now I don't. Granted, nothing is a sure thing, but I have to imagine that when the economy is better at least the # of applicants will drop.

I think you're on the right track in terms of picking schools. 9 is a good number. I had 11 (4 accepted). I don't know if I can put in a good word personally about Tulane, though. It might be a better fit for you than for me, granted.

[geigwm6]

Tulane is pretty strong in Southern History. That is the only one I'm iffy about. My top two are LSU and William and Mary. I would be ecstatic to get into one of them.

[misterpat]

I have been wondering--I realized I am shooting for all M.A. programs--albeit M.A. programs with the possibility of funding. Is this a good idea? I'm not a super qualified applicant. I'm working hard on my SOP and my writing sample so they will be good and I generally test well so I would imagine I will have good GREs and I'm not worried about my recommendations. My grades are a bit low--at a rigorous institution--but some of my professors have told me to apply to only PhD programs. In addition to my lackluster grades, I am not exactly sure what I want to study (Southern History from the 18th-19th century probably). Thanks!

How are you writing your SOP if you don't know what you want to study?

Also, that you "generally test well" doesn't necessarily mean you can walk into the GRE cold. You are preparing, at least a little, right?

[geigwm6]

Well, I don't know what my thesis will be or anything. I am interested in the American South from Revolution to Civil War. I like American Indians, Southern Adventurers in the Caribbean, and Civil War causation. I am becoming more and more disenchanted with my thesis topic though, it is on American Indians in the Civil War, but while I have slaved over it, it really hasn't gotten too far :\

Of course I am prepping for the GRE, but from what little I have done thus far I am pretty confident I will get a good score.

[sankd]

Well, I don't know what my thesis will be or anything. I am interested in the American South from Revolution to Civil War. I like American Indians, Southern Adventurers in the Caribbean, and Civil War causation. I am becoming more and more disenchanted with my thesis topic though, it is on American Indians in the Civil War, but while I have slaved over it, it really hasn't gotten too far :\

Of course I am prepping for the GRE, but from what little I have done thus far I am pretty confident I will get a good score.

Yeah, you need to whittle your research interests down. And the GRE is a bitch. Mostly because, in my opinion, the computer format.

[synthla]

I have been wondering--I realized I am shooting for all M.A. programs--albeit M.A. programs with the possibility of funding. Is this a good idea? I'm not a super qualified applicant. I'm working hard on my SOP and my writing sample so they will be good and I generally test well so I would imagine I will have good GREs and I'm not worried about my recommendations. My grades are a bit low--at a rigorous institution--but some of my professors have told me to apply to only PhD programs. In addition to my lackluster grades, I am not exactly sure what I want to study (Southern History from the 18th-19th century probably). Thanks!

I second the advice to apply to some PhD programs as well. Especially if you're going into an MA/PhD program rather than having already completed an MA, I feel like you have a bit more flexibility on expressing your area of interest, as long as you have the general time period and region narrowed down. Personally, I said something like "I'm most interested in X, but I have also been exploring Y and Z, and I'm looking forward to being exposed to new things while at ABC University." If you had already completed an MA, it'd be a different story, but I think many professors don't find a certain openness of mind to be a bad thing.

[Nikki]

North Texas has a late application deadline (July 15) and while it is still possible to apply and maybe get in, there isn't any funding left for this year. If accepted I can apply for funding for the next year and beyond.

I really want to apply and not have to wait another whole year to do so, but I'm not sure if its a good idea to take out 22,000 in loans when I could apply in the fall and have a chance at funding.

Thoughts?

[geigwm6]

That is a lot of loans. I'd just wait. Get a job, earn some money, do some reading, etc.

[futurePhD]

North Texas has a late application deadline (July 15) and while it is still possible to apply and maybe get in, there isn't any funding left for this year. If accepted I can apply for funding for the next year and beyond.

I really want to apply and not have to wait another whole year to do so, but I'm not sure if its a good idea to take out 22,000 in loans when I could apply in the fall and have a chance at funding.

Thoughts?

I agree with the previous poster. Granted I do not know much about your personal situation, but taking out loans for a PhD in the humanities is considered a cardinal sin. Plus, you cannot say for sure that you would be funded the next year and beyond. I think you should wait it out.

[Nikki]

Good point guys. I think you're right - I'll wait and apply for fall 2010.

I was originally signed up for a grad history course for the fall, but now I may have the opportunity to do some research with a prof during the fall instead. Any thoughts on which would be better?

[Dirt]

That is probably a solid idea. I'm thinking:

PhD- Vanderbilt and UVA

MA- William and Mary, LSU, Tulane, George Washington, NCSU, UNCG, UNCW

That seems to cover reaches/matches/safeties

I would caution against thinking in terms of "reaches/matches/safeties." While that might be reasonable when you're applying to undergraduate institutions, you're only applying to one department now. An admissions committee will be less concerned with metrics like GPA and test scores than with your ability to articulate historical questions that they find interesting and to carry out a successful research program in the context of their department. I'm pretty sure that most of the schools that rejected me did so because either A) I did not sufficiently demonstrate that I wanted to do work that fit with the interests of their faculty or they had other applicants that they believed would be more successful than I.

While there are certainly exceptions, I would thus suggest that your primary focus should be on finding "matches." Rankings are not, I think, the #1 thing to look at when making that decision (i.e., "I'm a middlin' kinda student, so I'll look at middlin' kinda schools"). If the faculty at Yale or Stanford think you have interesting things to say and the ability to follow through, they'll consider you--if not, they won't. The problem from our perspective is that these places get *so many* applications that they really get to pick and choose (based in part on those metrics but even more, I suspect, on faculty recommendations and the clarity of SOPs). So be sure to apply to schools outside of the Top Ten as well; there will likely be fewer applicants, so you may be more competitive *if you are otherwise a good fit*.

Conversely, "safeties" are a really bad idea. Let's say that you apply to University of Nowhere-anyone's-ever-heard-of, ranked #500 by USNWR. It's a sure thing, right? Wrong! First of all, U of N probably has very little money. Either they'll only admit a very small cohort of students who are a perfect match for their faculty's interests (probably not your priority if you're looking for a safety), or else they'll just admit everyone and their mother and give them $20/year to live on. Second of all, how much is a degree from U of N going to be worth when you graduate? No one wants to hire from a place they've never heard of--not when there are so many other options out there. To review: safety = really bad idea. (This does not mean that you shouldn't apply to places ranked below #X on USNWR; there are plenty of schools that don't rank very highly overall but are nevertheless tops in a particular subfield--for example, Georgetown for the Middle East and Notre Dame for medieval history.)

[sankd]

Yeah, I took an unfunded first year for a MA (27K loan). I wouldn't do it for a PhD, because at least with an MA if there's no funding in year two you're gone anyway. I don't think anyone should enter a PhD commitment without significant funding, even in the best of times.

[geigwm6]

I would caution against thinking in terms of "reaches/matches/safeties." While that might be reasonable when you're applying to undergraduate institutions, you're only applying to one department now. An admissions committee will be less concerned with metrics like GPA and test scores than with your ability to articulate historical questions that they find interesting and to carry out a successful research program in the context of their department. I'm pretty sure that most of the schools that rejected me did so because either A) I did not sufficiently demonstrate that I wanted to do work that fit with the interests of their faculty or they had other applicants that they believed would be more successful than I.

While there are certainly exceptions, I would thus suggest that your primary focus should be on finding "matches." Rankings are not, I think, the #1 thing to look at when making that decision (i.e., "I'm a middlin' kinda student, so I'll look at middlin' kinda schools"). If the faculty at Yale or Stanford think you have interesting things to say and the ability to follow through, they'll consider you--if not, they won't. The problem from our perspective is that these places get *so many* applications that they really get to pick and choose (based in part on those metrics but even more, I suspect, on faculty recommendations and the clarity of SOPs). So be sure to apply to schools outside of the Top Ten as well; there will likely be fewer applicants, so you may be more competitive *if you are otherwise a good fit*.

Conversely, "safeties" are a really bad idea. Let's say that you apply to University of Nowhere-anyone's-ever-heard-of, ranked #500 by USNWR. It's a sure thing, right? Wrong! First of all, U of N probably has very little money. Either they'll only admit a very small cohort of students who are a perfect match for their faculty's interests (probably not your priority if you're looking for a safety), or else they'll just admit everyone and their mother and give them $20/year to live on. Second of all, how much is a degree from U of N going to be worth when you graduate? No one wants to hire from a place they've never heard of--not when there are so many other options out there. To review: safety = really bad idea. (This does not mean that you shouldn't apply to places ranked below #X on USNWR; there are plenty of schools that don't rank very highly overall but are nevertheless tops in a particular subfield--for example, Georgetown for the Middle East and Notre Dame for medieval history.)

UNCW has some great faculty in American Indians (I like Indians in the South, Civil War Causation, and Southern Filibusters). Furthermore it is only a MA program. Do you think I should even apply to better schools even if my GPA is only 3.2/3.6 at a rigorous school? All the other parts of my application will hopefully be good, it just depresses me to think that a few nasty grades will screw me over for graduate school.

[sankd]

Match comes first, even though you shouldn't take too much of a name-value-prestige hit, otherwise you're shooting yourself in the foot in terms of getting hired. In terms of MA programs, making mistakes with these two factors is more forgiving, but you should still make 'best fit for my research interests' the highest priority.

[pumpkinpie]

Anyway, I have a question for those admitted last cycle, should any of you still be lurking around these boards:

Was anyone admitted with a writing sample that was NOT in the field you intend to pursue?

A little late here, but yes, I was admitted to UPenn's program w/ a writing sample from a classics course. They have a 10-pg max for samples, and I just didn't have any good history papers I could squeeze into that limit. The paper I did send did use both primary and secondary sources, but was primarily a literary argument, not a historical one.

[misterpat]

I know you said that you talked to ad coms or whatever, but there are a lot of things that ad coms aren't going to mention. For example, if your advisor lost an interdepartmental battle over grad students with a colleague, they're not going to tell you. If your advisor wasn't taking on graduate students for administrative or personal reasons, they're not going to tell you.

I guess I didn't see the "in some instances" type language in your original blanket statements.

[sankd]

I know you said that you talked to ad coms or whatever, but there are a lot of things that ad coms aren't going to mention. For example, if your advisor lost an interdepartmental battle over grad students with a colleague, they're not going to tell you. If your advisor wasn't taking on graduate students for administrative or personal reasons, they're not going to tell you.

I guess you all read it as: I know you said you talked to ad coms or whatever, but there are two things that ad coms aren't going to mention that happen to all applications.

Man, I think that was a Michael Jackson baby's worth. A+ on the mad reading comp skillz, yo.