Am I Doomed?

[Raccount]

Long time lurker, first time poster so please tell me if this post doesn't belong in this forum 

Just for some background info: I'm currently a senior at Indiana University with a 3.81 GPA. Since some school look at your last 60 credit hours for your  I'll include that which would be a 4.0. I'm a history major and triple minor in folklore/ethnomusicology, sociology and music in general studies. I've worked for the Jacobs School in the past and am currently an intern with the Kinsey Institute. 

I would really love to stay at Indiana University for my graduate studies in American History and it's my top choice. However, I am very nervous about getting in. I have other schools that I'm applying to of course but if IU would take me I'd be eternally grateful. (Any other schools you think I might be a good candidate for?) That being said..... 

I took the GRE last week and received a 157 on Verbal, 148 on Quantitative ( not great i know but they say if you're an intended field is in the humanities your math scores don't factor in as much) and a 4.5 on the analytical writing. On the old scoring system this would have been an 1160. I also looked up the average scores for US History grad students and I'm right on average. However, after seeing some other scores on here I feel like the village idiot but I digress.  So, what I am asking is are these scores alright and should I worry with taking the test again? I mean I really don't relish the idea of dishing out 200 dollars to take it again but I would absolutely do so if necessary.  Also, does IU have a set GRE score minimum or is it more vague than that? Should I contact admissions and ask if my scores would deter me from applying?

Edited October 6, 2015 by rhiannonsdreams

[haltheincandescent]

Hi fellow IU-person! (I just graduated from there--in English--myself, last year, though I'm still in Bloomington for a gap year while I apply... So jealous about you working at Kinsey!)

Maybe a good thing to do, if you're really wanting to stay in the department, would be to go talk to an adviser or prof. that you know in the dept. (rather than admissions) and ask them how much GRE's seem to be weighted against everything else--some of the profs will have likely been on the dept.'s adcom in the past or will at least have an idea of the overall attitude toward these things. For example, profs in my department, when I've asked about various parts of the application, have all always stressed that SoP and the writing sample are far more important than anything else at all--though this seems not always to be the case for other schools, where LoR's, GRE's, or undergrad institution plays a bigger role. Point being, profs in your department likely know what your department wants. Alternatively, you might seek out grad student(s) on campus for advice, see how their applications went, etc. (though of course with this route, you'll only get a view of what gets accepted not what might get rejected, and some might not want to admit to having subpar GRE's themselves.)

A caveat though, which depends on, partly, whether you're looking at an MA or a PhD. You might already know and have thought about this, but if it's a PhD you're pursuing at IU, staying in the same department as your undergrad is usually not advised--though it depends of course on your ultimate goal for getting the degree, or reasons for wanting to stay. (See here, the first few responses, for good advice on the subject: http://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/68602-10-steps-to-phd-failure/?page=1). I found this advice from IU (at least the English department), when I was also thinking about staying here: "It is generally advisable for students who have completed the B.A. /M.A. at IU to pursue the doctorate elsewhere; however, under certain circumstances a B.A./M.A. student may benefit from doctoral study here, in which case, she may apply for admission to the department’s Ph.D. program through the standard application process." Again, probably something that your profs/adviser might have better and more specific advice on, though.

Unfortunately, not being in History, I can't myself offer any suggestions about other good schools that are strong in US History or that'd fit your interests--though once again, your current profs might be good resources. I'm sort of assuming that since you want to stay here, you have a specific potential adviser or two in mind, who match your interests (and maybe, if you've already had a class with them, know your work)? If this is in fact the case, those would likely be the best people to talk to, as they'll surely know other profs in their/your field at different schools and so can recommend schools where such people work. Even if you don't have that close of a relationship with a prof at IU in your field, others that you know will probably be able to similarly help, or direct you to someone who does. This is, at least, the case with my list of possible schools right now--out for review by one of my letter writers to see if I might be missing a school where there's better fit. (Their advice about GRE's could also potentially apply to other programs.)

Anyway, hope this helps! And if you're ever in application freak out mode or want to commiserate about the process over coffee, just send me a PM. Of the beneficial things I've found so far in this process, meeting up with someone else also in the middle of it, and then complaining a lot, has been one of the most helpful--at least as far as maintaining sanity goes.

Edited October 6, 2015 by haltheincandescent

[GradSchoolTruther]

I'd try to branch out and go somewhere else for your Ph.D. As for the GRE, you need to be in the 75th percentile to get funding from the graduate school without needing a departmental waiver. Departments at IU only have so many waivers to give.