Fall 2016 Applicants

[Neist]

I've emailed POIs to make sure they are taking on new students. I included my research interests, as well as my tentative project to get some feedback from them.Think of the email as an introduction. I wouldn't ask to meet unless the POI suggests it.

In any case, reaching out is helpful for you as it can help prevent wasted money and effort. For instance, I discovered that one of my POIs is retiring, thus not taking on new students, while another notified me he is moving to Columbia from UT Austin, and invited me to apply there.

Yup, I've done the same. My interests are specific enough that I want to make sure they aren't retiring soon, going on a year long sabbatical, etc.

I've also emailed a few of them with similar interests as mine asking if they might suggest other people working in similar areas that I had yet to discover, as they are probably more acquainted with their peers than I am.

I've generally had positive responses, and honestly, if I had overly negative responses, I'd probably consider rethinking wanting to work them with as an adviser. All I ever ask is very brief, simple questions. Most faculty members have been more than helpful, especially if you share similar interests.

[knp]

I try not to email them from a week before their university starts classes to two weeks after; because I am lazy, however, and sometimes don't look up their particular university schedules, I am generally waiting until late September to email the ones I haven't contacted yet. (Not all: I might email people from the University of Chicago, UGA, Stanford, and other places on the quarter system with late start dates now, while late September might be bad). The ones I've already emailed tend to get a short email (under 200 words is best). The ones I've written have all included three parts, in various combinations. 1)  Hello my name is KNP and here is a 2-sentence-max summary of my academic project/interest. 2) Are you taking students this coming year? 3) Follow-up question, whether about a work of theirs I liked or about other places they'd suggest applying or something.

It can be fine to ask to meet for coffee, I think, if you live within a short trip of their university or you happen to be visiting their area anyway. I've met one of my POIs since we were in the same city for a little bit and he has a reputation for being generous with using his time to help out younger graduate students. I thought we wouldn't have much to talk about, but it was a very nice conversation, and he made some helpful suggestions for my applications. So, I wouldn't say categorically don't request to meet, although I am not going to suggest meeting any other professor (I do not live somewhere convenient).

[Amerikanka]

Hi everybody,

I'm new to Grad Cafe and I want to evaluate my options. A 50-50 teaching/research tenure job at an R1 would be an ideal job for me. I know I would love it. I want to study the relationship between Islamic and Turkic speaking groups and the Russian Empire and answer the question how does Russia in the Imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet model interact with Russian governed territories with a strong Muslim identity? What is encouraged and discourage and when? If Russia dealt with each territory on an ad hoc basis, what were the driving factors and criteria behind the decisions? And finally, are these actions indicative of a successful multi-ethnic land empire? Does the historical trend of Russia's relationship with large Muslim territories help U.S. national security interests? Is it an effective model to replicate for an overseas colonial Empire? 

I know I make several assumptions with this proposed thesis. These are the questions I want to answer. Whether I do it in a graduate program remains to be seen.

I recently returned from a Fulbright ETA to Tatarstan, Russia. I earned degrees in History and Russian Language. In undergrad, I wanted to pursue a PhD and worked as a UTA and research assistant (digital humanities related) for the Slavic department. I wrote a senior thesis on Russian Imperial railroad construction in Uzbekistan. I passed the defense but it wasn't a very good paper. I don't think I can use it for a writing sample. It relies heavily on English language secondary sources.

I wanted to go back and take Russian classes in the same city but my family talked me into looking for jobs in the States. I am doing self-research with the help of a job-hunt book and I have learned that: 

• I am Social, Investigative, Artistic, Conventional (SIAC) - most post-secondary instructors are SIA and advisers are SIC 
• I have a strong interest in Russian, foreign cultures, history, research, analysis, writing, teaching, social work
• I need a job environment with a strong support network and sense of community
• I want to be given responsibility, respected, and do my job well (preferably something with strong analytical or verbal skills)
• I want varied tasks with a lot of social interaction

I am only halfway through my self-inventory. I am worried about articles on the internet accusing grad school of being like a cult, the research that shows that only the 25 schools will get you a job, and the strong scholars I have seen leave the academy after a temporary post-doc appointment or when they didn't get tenure. The grad students in Slavic often had breakdowns and the teaching load was incredibly large for grad students. Although I need to do more research about what I want, do any readers see any red flags in my self inventory? 

Finally, does anyone have a list of competitive Russian/Central Asian PhD program with good placement rates? 

I hope to apply for Fall 2016, but I may even wait until Fall 2017. I want to experience the "real world" first so that I do not have panic attacks at the ABD stage because I have only prepared for a career in academia. 

Edited August 26, 2015 by Amerikanka

[navyblackmaroon]

Considering your interest on Imperial Russia's interactions with non-Russian subjects reminded me of Yuri Slezkine. He studied Imperial Russia's interaction with "northern peoples." He is at UC Berkeley, which also has another Russian specialist (Victoria Frede, who was working on Imperial Russia's intellectual history and its intelligentsia). Placement wise, Berkeley would likely be a good place (considering they are tied for first for best history graduate program by US News and World Report).

[Yagmai]

Dear All,

I am an international student and I work as a TA in a pharmacy school. I have a GPA of 3.9 (ranked third on class= 1300 students)- GRE (v 79%- Q 83%- A 3.5/38%)- TOEFL ibt 116. I will be applying to several PhD programs of biomedical/translational science. I have a major weak point which is the lack of research experience. I will be applying to: Virginia commonwealth, University of South Florida, Wright State University,University of Georgia Regents, UNM, University of Toledo, University of Tennessee and University of Cincinnati. Do you have any suggestions of mid-tier schools that may have similar programs and don't put high emphasis on research experience?

[Amerikanka]

Thanks navyblackmoroon!

I was already a fan of Slezkine's work and I didn't even know it. I read "USSR as a communal apartment" in a an undergrad seminar. His other work looks very interesting, particularly Arctic Mirrors and Between Heaven and Hell! I am a little intimidated about applying to Berkeley, although they seem to have good placements. The prospect of having an Imperialist (Frede) to consult is also exciting. My R1 had a heavy Soviet focus. 

[dr. t]

A 50-50 teaching/research tenure job at an R1 would be an ideal job for me. I know I would love it.

Sounds great. Two quick things. First, no R1 will split teaching/research 50-50. It's more like 10/90. Second, will you also love the SLC or CC with a 5/5 load where you will almost certainly end up (as most of us will)?

Edited August 27, 2015 by telkanuru

[Amerikanka]

Hi telkanuru,

I really like your avatar and your feedback. The difference between the enthusiasm on this board and the bitterness found in the Chronicle of Higher Education is quite striking. I think you serve as a much needed voice of reason and I'm glad you responded to me. 

What do you meaning by SLC (Salt Lake City?) and CC (community college)? I do not consider teaching at a small liberal arts college failure (however this might change during the grad school brain wash). It's unlikely that I could go lower than an R1 on the job market since my specialization is Russian/Central Asian History. I would actually prefer living in a more rural area, the people are more authentic. I am more comfortable with state school people. On Fulbright, I had a hard time relating to the Yale kids. I got along with the professors from Ivies at my R1 though. 

You're right it is more like 10/90. The TT new hires I saw were mostly concerned with research. The one year visiting professors were very bitter and spent more time teaching. It's the harried grad students who were more concerned with teaching. 

I am seriously doubting the benefits of going to graduate school and I worry that I am hiding from the job market. I've only been looking for 3 weeks but after the positive feedback I got in college, I am a little shocked at how few Russian speaking jobs there are. I think I need a year of US job experience before I make the decision to pursue a PhD. I got absorbed into the PhD culture in undergrad and I only just realized how it has affected me. For example, thinking a 3.7 is an alright but not great GPA etc. 

[TMP]

Hi everybody,

I'm new to Grad Cafe and I want to evaluate my options. A 50-50 teaching/research tenure job at an R1 would be an ideal job for me. I know I would love it. I want to study the relationship between Islamic and Turkic speaking groups and the Russian Empire and answer the question how does Russia in the Imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet model interact with Russian governed territories with a strong Muslim identity? What is encouraged and discourage and when? If Russia dealt with each territory on an ad hoc basis, what were the driving factors and criteria behind the decisions? And finally, are these actions indicative of a successful multi-ethnic land empire? Does the historical trend of Russia's relationship with large Muslim territories help U.S. national security interests? Is it an effective model to replicate for an overseas colonial Empire? 

I know I make several assumptions with this proposed thesis. These are the questions I want to answer. Whether I do it in a graduate program remains to be seen.

I recently returned from a Fulbright ETA to Tatarstan, Russia. I earned degrees in History and Russian Language. In undergrad, I wanted to pursue a PhD and worked as a UTA and research assistant (digital humanities related) for the Slavic department. I wrote a senior thesis on Russian Imperial railroad construction in Uzbekistan. I passed the defense but it wasn't a very good paper. I don't think I can use it for a writing sample. It relies heavily on English language secondary sources.

I wanted to go back and take Russian classes in the same city but my family talked me into looking for jobs in the States. I am doing self-research with the help of a job-hunt book and I have learned that: 

• I am Social, Investigative, Artistic, Conventional (SIAC) - most post-secondary instructors are SIA and advisers are SIC 
• I have a strong interest in Russian, foreign cultures, history, research, analysis, writing, teaching, social work
• I need a job environment with a strong support network and sense of community
• I want to be given responsibility, respected, and do my job well (preferably something with strong analytical or verbal skills)
• I want varied tasks with a lot of social interaction

I am only halfway through my self-inventory. I am worried about articles on the internet accusing grad school of being like a cult, the research that shows that only the 25 schools will get you a job, and the strong scholars I have seen leave the academy after a temporary post-doc appointment or when they didn't get tenure. The grad students in Slavic often had breakdowns and the teaching load was incredibly large for grad students. Although I need to do more research about what I want, do any readers see any red flags in my self inventory? 

Finally, does anyone have a list of competitive Russian/Central Asian PhD program with good placement rates? 

I hope to apply for Fall 2016, but I may even wait until Fall 2017. I want to experience the "real world" first so that I do not have panic attacks at the ABD stage because I have only prepared for a career in academia. 

I'd totally look at Ohio State-- Scott Levi, Nicholas Breyfogle and David Hoffmann would be  your best team of faculty.  The program here is quite strong (along with the Slavic program that has FLAS fellowships for language studies).  PM me with more info.

As for  your personality/interests/etc, grad school is plainly stressful but enjoyable if you invest in what you love to do- be asking questions and finding answers (and only to be finding more questions than answers).  You will meet a lot of characters (I've contemplated writing a drama-comedy show like the Office or Grey's Anatomy or Orange is New Black...) and learning to deal with them is part of the process.

[TMP]

Sounds great. Two quick things. First, no R1 will split teaching/research 50-50. It's more like 10/90. Second, will you also love the SLC or CC with a 5/5 load where you will almost certainly end up (as most of us will)?

I'll disagree with you there, telkanuru.  I've talked to adviser about it as I'm research-driven.  She said that courseload and service expectations vary from one R1 to another.    The key is to find a job with a lighter courseload or service to allow for more research time.  But you just don't know that until you hit the market and go through the interviews to find out what the department and university cultures are like for professors.

Amerikanka, There are indeed few Russian history jobs as Cold War 1.0 ended and we haven't quite declared Cold War 2.0.  Most likely they will have to apply as Modern European historians or another tangential field (like Islamic History).  And yes, Slavic people tend to be.... interesting oddballs.  If you can't deal with Russians in Russia, g'luck.  

Also as for dramatic differences in attitude of posters between GC and CHE, that's perfectly normal.  GC is full of optimistic people who believe that they can be exceptional to the rules and full of incredibly insecure folks who have let Graduate School get the best of them, including their deepest fears of losing their livelihood because of some professor or grad school bureaucracy.  In short, use your best judgment when evaluating advice all over the Internet and go with your gut.

[knp]

Your interests sound fascinating, and in line with the global/transnational work that is on trend today. I wonder if this might help with the job market or, more short-term, the competitiveness of your applications? I feel like as a member here, I see two main categories in people's "research interests" posts. First come generic posts, which seem maybe too broad for graduate study. (Some number of these result from attempts to anonymize the poster's interests, which necessarily introduces vagueness.) Then there are the detailed, interesting posts that, at least to someone with no idea about that particular field of inquiry and state of current scholarship, sound promising and professional. Yours is in the latter category for me. So that's a good thing, even though Russian history is particularly dire. (Although if we're "lucky," Putin might create enough crises to inch it back up the priority list........:( )

I do want to point out the contradiction in asking for programs with good placement rates, and then being intimidated by selective programs. Not always, but the two tend to go together, so aim high! I am not particularly rah-rah about encouraging people to go to graduate school, but I am a big supporter of applying to all the schools you would like best, even if such schools are difficult to get into. You never know, and you can only shoot yourself in the foot by being too modest to apply to your dream place. (If you have 10 dream places, then yes, it's probably fine to apply to 8.) Go you!

At the same time, I'm very glad I took time to work a job in America before applying to graduate school. My first one was alt-ac-y and thus not that far out of graduate school thing, but yes, so nice to have a paycheck and an apartment and normal American non-academic friends. 5/5 would recommend. I still think you sound like a great candidate for graduate school if you want to do that, but if you want to take time off now, it worked out really well for me.

Oh, a PS on terms: SLC is either small or selective liberal arts college, I think (I usually see it SLAC? correct me if I'm wrong), and people on CHE fight about which S should be the predominant meaning. "Alt ac" is "alternative academic" careers, which I think I've seen people use for both "any job someone with a PhD chooses to do after deciding to leave the search for a job as a professor" and "jobs that are sort of related to academia but don't include being a professor." CC is community college, although I don't know how many jobs there are at community colleges for medieval historians like Telkanuru or, worse, people like me who do like 17th century Vietnam or some such. (No offense to early modern Vietnamese historians, but I think we're probably in the "obscure" boat together.) I've personally been assuming that if I want to teach mostly my field rather than world history and nothing else, which is a non-negotiable so long as I stay in academia, I won't be able to find employment at a community college. (Don't worry, I do have Plans B and C, as staying in academia is itself the negotiable part). Telkanuru, is there more medieval history in community colleges than I had thought?

[dr. t]

What do you meaning by SLC (Salt Lake City?) and CC (community college)? I do not consider teaching at a small liberal arts college failure (however this might change during the grad school brain wash). It's unlikely that I could go lower than an R1 on the job market since my specialization is Russian/Central Asian History. I would actually prefer living in a more rural area, the people are more authentic. I am more comfortable with state school people. On Fulbright, I had a hard time relating to the Yale kids. I got along with the professors from Ivies at my R1 though. 

I may or may not be in the middle of moving, which also puts me on edge  From your post, it was hard to tell if you had a mentor responsible enough to give you "the talk". I'm glad to see that either they have or you've figured it out yourself.  

SLC  (also sometimes SLAC) = Small Liberal Arts College - small enrollment, usually in the boonies, no graduate program. You're still expected to do research, but teaching is a much larger priority, say 3/4 load. CC is, as you guessed, community college. The "grade", in descending order, is usually R1, R2, SLC, CC. This is, of course, tremendously unfair, but we need to see the world as it is rather than as we want it to be. I remember seeing some numbers from the AHA which said about 4% of all TT jobs over the last 10 years were in an R1; only 50% of PhDs earned in that time had a TT job of any sort. That works out to 2% of PhDs ending up in an R1.

 

Telkanuru, is there more medieval history in community colleges than I had thought?

They exist, but CCs usually expect people to teach far outside their specialties. A medievalist could easily be responsible for Europe from Homer to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

 

I'll disagree with you there, telkanuru.  I've talked to adviser about it as I'm research-driven.  She said that courseload and service expectations vary from one R1 to another.    The key is to find a job with a lighter courseload or service to allow for more research time.  

I'm not sure how much we really disagree. I'm happy to admit to variation, but I would just as happily assert (based on no evidence whatsoever) that you could not find an R1 with, in practice, more than a 20/10/70 teaching/service/research split.

Edited August 28, 2015 by telkanuru

[Amerikanka]

Thanks everyone for the responses! The clarification of terms was really helpful! Although I'm still not sure about my decision, I've started looking at programs. I think I will aim high and pursue something else if I don't get into a very good program.

My list so far is:

UC Berkeley (FLAS funding, #1 program, strong specialists in Russian/Central Asia)

Indiana Bloomington (some graduates get placements at Berkeley, they have a Central Asian PhD track)

Michigan (FLAS funding, strong program)

Stanford (FLAS funding, CA has a relatively large number of Russian speakers, plus Fort Ross)

U Washington (large number of Russian in the state, decent program) FLAS?

Ohio State (large faculty, FLAS)

Georgetown (DC is a good place to get NGO/alt ac. jobs - very low on the list)

I'm in the initial phases right now. I think I will send out less than 5 applications this season. Does anyone have any suggests? Information about these or other programs?

Most important for me: strong fit for Russia/Central Asia, good career services and placements, preferably more research than teaching in grad school (this means Ivies, right?), geography: I'd prefer midwest/west coast. I don't think I would survive in a very large city like NYC. 

[gsc]

Does anyone have any suggests? Information about these or other programs?

Most important for me: strong fit for Russia/Central Asia, good career services and placements, preferably more research than teaching in grad school (this means Ivies, right?), geography: I'd prefer midwest/west coast. I don't think I would survive in a very large city like NYC. 

I'd check out Rutgers. Other than being in New Jersey (and New Brunswick is pretty small, anyways), it sounds like it could be a good fit.

Edited August 28, 2015 by girlscoutcookies

[knp]

One thing that has pleasantly surprised me is how nice all these people I'm emailing are.

[ToomuchLes]

Thanks everyone for the responses! The clarification of terms was really helpful! Although I'm still not sure about my decision, I've started looking at programs. I think I will aim high and pursue something else if I don't get into a very good program.

My list so far is:

UC Berkeley (FLAS funding, #1 program, strong specialists in Russian/Central Asia)

Indiana Bloomington (some graduates get placements at Berkeley, they have a Central Asian PhD track)

Michigan (FLAS funding, strong program)

Stanford (FLAS funding, CA has a relatively large number of Russian speakers, plus Fort Ross)

U Washington (large number of Russian in the state, decent program) FLAS?

Ohio State (large faculty, FLAS)

Georgetown (DC is a good place to get NGO/alt ac. jobs - very low on the list)

I'm in the initial phases right now. I think I will send out less than 5 applications this season. Does anyone have any suggests? Information about these or other programs?

Most important for me: strong fit for Russia/Central Asia, good career services and placements, preferably more research than teaching in grad school (this means Ivies, right?), geography: I'd prefer midwest/west coast. I don't think I would survive in a very large city like NYC. 

If you want further information on IU Bloomington, I can provide/forward your questions/concerns. Im a first year MA student at IU Bloomington. From my 'limited' experience so-far, I have manymany positive things to say about the dept, grad cohorts, and expectations of faculty members. The dept's MA & PhD placement is really nice too! My adviser's previous MA students went off to top 10 PhD programs (idk about her PhD students). This dept is quite "large" but it definitely has a small feeling to it (probably because the town) with active grad cohorts and faculty members that youll meet during your first week orientation. We received 3-4 new Russian grad students this year; I know for sure, we have 2 Russian MAs. PM if you want further details, or if you have questions and if I cant answer them, I'll ask around for you or refer you to someone that does. 

[apnew]

Hi everyone,

I am applying to programs with strong intellectual history support. My background is in philosophy with a Modern French/German history concentration, but I am actually trying to expand further east (which is proving difficult with a lack of academic foundation in these areas) I am still narrowing down schools, so if you have suggestions...HELP...is always appreciated. Perhaps pursuing an MA to get a stronger footing.

That being said I should probably list the programs I have interest in (in no particular order and some tentatively as I talk with professors):

Harvard, Yale, UNC, Johns Hopkins, UChicago, UMich Ann Arbor, UCLA, Berkely, ENS Lyon

I have also found the Int. History MLitt program at St. Andrews and the History of Consciousness program at UCSC interesting...any thoughts on these programs?

 

Edited September 2, 2015 by apnew

[L13]

I would honestly drop UTenn (for ranking reasons) and maybe Princeton (I expect Jordan to retire soon). I am also somewhat skeptical of St. Louis - Madden is a bit of a polarizing figure, recently, and I don't believe I've seen any of his students place particularly well. Do look at Berkeley (Maureen Miller), UChicago (Jonathan Lyon), Columbia (Adam Kosto), Notre Dame (Daniel Hobbins), UToronto (Isabelle Cochline), and OSU (Alison Beach). I would also be remiss if I didn't add Brown (Amy Remensnyder)!

Sorry for the delayed response, telkanuru. Very helpful post! I think I'll stick with UTK and Princeton--though your post prompted me to email WCJ and ask if he's open to taking on new students, which he confirmed--but I had no idea about the controversy surrounding Madden. Could you please elaborate on that? (Though I understand discussing stuff like this on the internet could be impolitic, so feel free not to respond.)

Also thanks for the list of suggestions. I've actually thought about and eliminated Columbia, Berkeley and Chicago from my list--I even applied to Chicago last year, and got the MAPSS + full tuition remission consolation prize; I just don't think they have anyone there who'd really vibe with my interests--but I hadn't thought of Daniel Hobbins at ND. I've now added Notre Dame to my list, and will keep thinking about Toronto and OSU.

I think it's hard for me to find potential advisors, especially in America--it's slightly easier in the UK, where, however, the competition for funding is absolutely ruthless--because I'm not as interested in monasticism as I should be.

Anyway, thank you for the thought-provoking advice!

[cmt11]

Hey all. Any recommendations if I'm looking to study Black History, specifically the Black Power movement?

Background might not help but here is a little: I went to Pitt originally for anthropology, and ended up switching majors. So, unfortunately, I only had 1 solid professor in that area. My capstone seminar was in U.S. Civil War history and I wrote about Price's raid through Missouri. My research seminar was on the Renaissance.

I'm really stressing because I only have one great option and just a few OK options for letters of recommendation, and my writing sample will be so far from my area of interest. I also only have around a 3.5 for my GPA (freshman year was a shock). Programs also ask for a resume and I have spent my 2 years out of college doing social work. I'm truly just a ball of nerves during this whole process. Any help would be fantastic.

[navyblackmaroon]

When I think recent studies of the Black Power movement I think Peniel Joseph (at Tuffs). Tuffs PhD program wouldn't be of interest (since its basically Global History), but they actually offer a History MA. I met Joseph in the past and I found him to be a very nice person.

[mvlchicago]

Idk if he's still taking students//where his interests are moving now, but Gyan Pandey at Emory published a book on the relationship between Dallit and African American history in 2013ish, part of which focused on the ways that the groups pushed against their particular histories of prejudice. 

[MrMomo]

Hey all, I am new to this forum so excuse me if I commit any unnecessary faux pas. I am an international applicant who will be applying to PhD programmes for entry in Fall 2016. My specific area of interest is transnational history in the context of early modern China (1800-1949), particularly focusing on intellectual history. I am aiming for the elusive tenure track job (anywhere in the world, really) after my PhD studies. I have contacted POIs and identified which schools I will be applying to. As this forum seems to focus heavily on North America, I will therefore only focus on NA universities. Here is my current list of schools that I will be applying to:

Harvard (History or HEAL)

UC Berkeley (History)

UBC (History or Asian Studies)

Princeton (History)

Stanford (History)

UChicago (History or EALC)

UMichigan (History)

Yale (History)

A little bit about myself: I graduated from the University of Hong Kong with First Class Honours (GPA of 3.75), and will complete a Master's at the University of Oxford by June 2016. Consequently, I will be an international applicant. For my PhD, I would like to focus on the intellectual history surrounding the late Qing and the first half of the 20th century, more specifically Republican China. Key issues include Chinese intellectual developments, Western influence on China, and the coexistence of Confucianism, Marxism, and Liberalism during Republican China. 

 

My stats: 

Undergraduate: Graduated with a BA in History and Philosophy from the University of Hong Kong; First Class Honours (3.75 CGPA) 

Graduate: Currently in a Master's programme at the University of Oxford; dissertation will specialise on Western intellectual influences in early twentieth century China and Hong Kong 

Research Experience: Worked as a research assistant for three different projects with three different professors at undergraduate level (2 history, 1 law - although law is still a legal history project) and hopefully will be on board for an assistant position during my year at Oxford. At graduate level the research projects will be more in line with my proposed research topic, however

GRE: will take in late September, aiming for V: 160+ and Q: 150+; is this a reasonable score? I am quite weak in Quant, so weak in fact that I worry I might be in the 140s. Given my list of desired schools I fear this might be a barrier, since I have heard about cutoffs regarding GRE and GPA scores.

Writing sample: one area of worry is that I do not (and will not) have writing samples that are completely in line with my proposed research topic. Even though my history papers have all received high grades, some of them are, although relevant to China, completely unrelated to Chinese intellectual history. I may be able to spin it in my SoP that they are connected and helped me refine my research interests (which they did), but the writing sample itself (my dissertation, which is perfect for a writing sample in every way but the topic itself) is quite different from my intended area of research for the PhD (diplomatic history vs. intellectual history). As such, I am wondering whether I should submit it as is, or find another writing sample more aligned to my proposed PhD topic?

Publications: I have none of note in this regard, will this drastically reduce my chances? I have publications in undergraduate journals and such, and MAY be publishing at peer-reviewed University-run journals, but none in world recognised, ranked journals. Will this be an issue?

I would love some advice (on statement of purpose, GRE, etc) on how to make my application look better. What should I stress? Should I talk about my grades? Research experience? The reason why I picked these schools is that where I primarily want to work (Asia) puts ENORMOUS emphasis on school name, and I figured that unless I get into an elite PhD programme, there is no point pursuing an doctorate and I might as well work instead. I would be grateful for any advice on getting into these "Tier 1" schools. 

Thanks!

 

Edited September 6, 2015 by MrMomo
Added extra information

[ashiepoo72]

I wouldn't worry about the quant score unless it's so abysmal they think you can't do basic math or you plan on using quantitative methods in your research. 150s should be perfectly fine.

Dont spend too much time talking about grades or peccadilloes in your statement. Make it focused almost entirely on research interests and experience and fit with the program. I would consider using your undergrad and MA experiences to create a narrative that demonstrates how being an international applicant lends you a unique perspective that'll strengthen your doctoral career. The narrative shouldn't be the whole SOP, but I find statements with a unifying thread that makes an applicant stand apart from the rest particularly strong and memorable, which is what you want.

Submit the best primary source-based research paper you have as a writing sample. You may want to do intellectual history, but that doesn't mean diplomatic can't be connected (and you said that it helped refine your interests, something you should definitely mention in the statement when describing your research experience).

[ashiepoo72]

Also you might want to check out UCSC. It may not be top tier in history, but it definitely is in Asian history. Gail Hershatter and Emily Honig may focus on periods a bit later than you, but they're broadly knowledgable and you couldn't have better advisers.

 

Also, Minghui Hu is there.

Edited September 6, 2015 by ashiepoo72

[navyblackmaroon]

Northwestern University may be another place to consider. Melissa Macauley has worked on how Chinese law changed in the context of European influence and imperialism, while Peter Carroll researches urban history and Chinese modernism in the 19th to early 20th century. The department has a significant cohort of students who work on Asia.

Another possibility may be UCLA. R. Bin Wong has written about the comparative development of China and Europe (from the pre-industrial age to the end of the 19th century). They have some other Chinese specialists, but their work may be too distant from your interests (Von Glahn works on earlier comparative history; Goldman on cultural history of the 18th to the early 20th century).