Grad School Fair (History)

[NoirFemme]

The only other topic I've seen on here is from 2012, in the Gov't Affairs section, so I'll ask here:

What questions should you ask at a grad school fair?

Should you bring anything besides your CV and business cards?

The fair is focused on recruiting a diverse cohort of grad students (women of color, specifically), so would it be a faux pas to ask about the racial climate on the campus--or even its surrounding city?

Who exactly are the recruiters (as in, are they there to put the best face forward, or to be fair and honest about the program)?

Any other advice?

Edited October 31, 2016 by NoirFemme

[Sigaba]

44 minutes ago, NoirFemme said:

so would it be a faux pas to ask about the racial climate on the campus--or even its surrounding city?

Who exactly are the recruiters (as in, are they there to put the best face forward, or to be fair and honest about the program)?

Any other advice?

IMO, it would be a mistake to ask questions about the racial climate on campus and in town. As an aspiring graduate student in history, you should have the research skills to find out that information on your own. If comments/observations are offered, take them all in. Yet, make sure you communicate that your focus is going to be on learning the craft of history and developing your identity as a professional academic historian.

IRT the recruiters, take a quick glance at their business cards. Develop an understanding of the relationships among their office, the department to which you're applying, the school of the department, and the parent college/university.

If the recruiters are from departments of history, have the type of conversation you'd have with other academic historians. Try to get a sense of the "big picture" concepts that link faculty members together. Try to find out if, generally, faculty members are committed to teaching undergraduates and mentoring graduate students. Try to find out more about the opportunities for interdisciplinary work. The answers will give you crucial insights into the department's views of diversity and inclusion. Ask questions centered around the relationship between the first year or two of course work and getting ready for qualifying exams. When answering questions about your interests, do what you can to frame your replies so that they come across as both confident and provisional (Presently, I am interested in  X... Based upon what I've seen so far, I think Y may be a potential dissertation topic...). If you don't know, say so. 

I strongly urge you to be very subtle in how you ask your questions about job placement--such queries may come across as putting the cart before the horse. Make it clear that you are focused on earning admission and focusing on the hard work leading up to quals.

[dr. t]

10 hours ago, NoirFemme said:

The fair is focused on recruiting a diverse cohort of grad students (women of color, specifically), so would it be a faux pas to ask about the racial climate on the campus--or even its surrounding city?

I am not a PoC, but having consulted members of my cohort who are, they suggest this is a query which one should bring up with other graduate students if and when you're invited to visit.

[Rogue856]

I'm not sure I would ask about the racial climate on campus/in the community. Not so much because it's a faux pas (it's a really important question), but because a recruiter might be inclined to give a rosier picture than say, a current graduate student.  During campus visits I did ask different folks (grad student and faculty) what sort of resources existed within the department and university for underrepresented students. Perhaps you could ask a question along those lines, about resources for women of color, etc. For me anyways, part of my training as a historian, and the development of myself as a professional academic historian, was going to have to involve navigating the complexities of academia as a person that does not traditionally end up here, and I wanted to make sure I wound up in a department that could help me do that.

[NoirFemme]

Thanks all for the advice! I'll be able to gauge it against the actual event quite soon. *gulp*