History PhD hopeful in a pickle

[Ayayay]

I’ve always been enamored of history, but an episode late in my undergraduate career almost led me to abandon the field altogether. As a senior, I was required to undertake a senior “capstone” project under the supervision of a professor whose personality clashed with my own dramatically. Instead of embracing the differences I perceived between my capstone supervisor’s approach and my own amateurish, incipient “take” on history, I became fed up with the interminable disputes and threw up my arms in defeat. Rather than accept the mediocre grade I assumed I would obtain, I withdrew from my senior seminar, changed my history major to a minor, and graduated with a degree in philosophy.

Besides that unfortunate incident, my undergraduate performance in history ranged from very good to excellent. On numerous occasions, my departmental adviser sensibly discouraged my ill-devised decision to drop the history major, but I pigheadedly failed to see the obvious merits of completing a degree in a field I have always had great enthusiasm for. Instead, I chose to alleviate myself of what I mistakenly perceived to be the unreasonable demands of my capstone-adviser. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20, and if I had the opportunity to live through my senior year again, I would certainly complete my project, regardless of whatever friction I might encounter with my adviser.

Now, I’m in a pickle. Or maybe (hopefully) not. I’ve been accepted to a History MA program at an internationally respected and well-known UK University, where I hope to undo the wrongs of youthful folly. I think that my time away from the academic environment and some thoughtful soul-searching have led me to be less hotheaded and more mature than I was a year ago when I graduated. I have a sharper understanding of what it is I want to get out of my academic training and of what my scholarly goals are, and also of where my strengths and weaknesses as a student of history lie. I have no interest in pursuing a philosophy graduate degree, but want nothing more than to be a college professor.

I’m uncertain about whether the blemish on my undergraduate record can ever be eclipsed by whatever I may achieve as a master’s student. I’m mostly just worried PhD programs in history (in the USA, Canada, or the UK) will take one look at my application and file it away under “D” for dilettante, desultory, and denied and leave it at that, regardless of how well I do in the MA.

What do you think? Will my patchy past get the better of me or is this just a momentary setback?

Thanks in advance,

Ayayay

[fuzzylogician]

First off, I don't think anyone should despair because of one blemish on their record. If you have a problematic record your route to grad school may be longer and harder, but it is still certainly possible for you to get there.

Now specifically in your case, your dropping out of the seminar may make things a bit harder for you, but there's no reason why it should keep you out of grad school altogether. You do have a minor in your field, and you'll have a MA as well by the time you apply to PhD programs. Provided you do well in your MA program and address the undergrad situation honestly and maturely, you should do just fine. Make sure you secure LORs that can speak to your conviction and perseverance, because those are issues that adcoms may be worried about, based on your past record. Don't drop out of any more classes, or stop projects in the middle. If you show you can carry on and produce good work (=produce a strong writing sample from this year, for example), that should be good enough to convince the adcom that you've grown and now know what you want from yourself and your future career.

[Ayayay]

Now specifically in your case, your dropping out of the seminar may make things a bit harder for you, but there's no reason why it should keep you out of grad school altogether. You do have a minor in your field, and you'll have a MA as well by the time you apply to PhD programs. Provided you do well in your MA program and address the undergrad situation honestly and maturely, you should do just fine. Make sure you secure LORs that can speak to your conviction and perseverance

Thanks so much FozzyLogician!

When you say "address the undergrad situation" do you mean, publicly, as in in a Statement of Purpose, or do you make I ought to make sure I remedy the situation so such a thing doesn't occur again.

All best,

Ayayay

Edited January 23, 2010 by Ayayay

[Kinkster]

Thanks so much FozzyLogician!

When you say "address the undergrad situation" do you mean, publicly, as in in a Statement of Purpose, or do you make I ought to make sure I remedy the situation so such a thing doesn't occur again.

All best,

Ayayay

I don't think it will count against you at all. You just need to prove yourself in your field of graduate study and get great LORs to back it up. If possible, publish or go to conferences. In the end, I don't think it will really matter.

[fuzzylogician]

Thanks so much FozzyLogician!

When you say "address the undergrad situation" do you mean, publicly, as in in a Statement of Purpose, or do you make I ought to make sure I remedy the situation so such a thing doesn't occur again.

All best,

Ayayay

Both, in a sense.

You need this to be an isolated incident, so no more dropping out of big projects mid-way through. You can't remedy the situation, since you can't go back and finish this project, but you need to let the adcom know it won't happen again. A PhD student is a big investment on the department's part, and it will be afraid to spend the money on someone who might drop everything and run away when things get tough--and they always do, at some point.

Also consider shortly addressing this issue in your SOP. Opinions vary here, and usually I believe the SOP is not a place to make excuses but to be as positive as possible; but if there's a big glaring issue in your record to explain (like dropping the seminar and making your major into a minor), I think you should say something about that, otherwise the adcom will be left wondering and will have no choice but to assume the worst. Since I assume you're not applying for a PhD before (at least) next year,you have plenty of time to consult professors, grad student and communities like this one to come up with the best explanation of what happened.

Edited January 23, 2010 by fuzzylogician

[Ayayay]

Hmmmm...very different reponses from Kinkster and Fuzzylogician. This is a doubt that has cost me many sleepless nights. I appreciate your advice, guys/ladies.

About publicly disclosing something on my SOP. I want to emphasize that I was only 7 credits short of obtaining my major, but I don't want to make this claim if it makes it seem like I'm clutching at straws or begging for empathy. I this a legitimate concern?

Edited January 23, 2010 by Ayayay

[jacib]

Both, in a sense.

You need this to be an isolated incident, so no more dropping out of big projects mid-way through. You can't remedy the situation, since you can't go back and finish this project, but you need to let the adcom know it won't happen again. A PhD student is a big investment on the department's part, and it will be afraid to spend the money on someone who might drop everything and run away when things get tough--and they always do, at some point.

Also consider shortly addressing this issue in your SOP. Opinions vary here, and usually I believe the SOP is not a place to make excuses but to be as positive as possible; but if there's a big glaring issue in your record to explain (like dropping the seminar and making your major into a minor), I think you should say something about that, otherwise the adcom will be left wondering and will have no choice but to assume the worst. Since I assume you're not applying for a PhD before (at least) next year,you have plenty of time to consult professors, grad student and communities like this one to come up with the best explanation of what happened.

If you do address it, I'd give it like half a clause. "Although my senior year I _______, I entered a Masters program with an outlook tempered by a few more years of mature and surety." Just the general "While this was bad, it taught me x and now I'm like y." or "While I did z in undergrad, I did awesome x and y in masters which shows how awesome I am and how committed I am to studying History". There's really not much of a need to do more than that if you do well at your masters program. There might not even be much of a need to mention it at all if it doesn't come up.

I don't think the two really disagree that much. If you feel, upon consultation with your professors in a masters program, that you ought to mention it, do and be brief. If you don't, don't. But its no deal breaker and probably more glarıng to you than the adcomm. How is it shown, as a W on your report? What I would do more than mentıon ıt in your SoP ıs have your master's thesis (or part of your master's thesıs) ready as your wrıtıng sample... whıch unfortunately means havıng a sıgnıfıcant chunk polıshed by Dec 15, probably a good few months earlıer than you expected. That way you can SHOW them you are capable of workıng on large research projects, rather than just TELLING them.

[Ayayay]

Yes, it will show as a W on my transcript; in addition I'll have another W from a philosophy course that just bored me straight out of the classroom. I think I can have a good writing sample come Decembert or January but definitely not my MA dissertation, which is written over the summer.

Edited January 24, 2010 by Ayayay

[Ayayay]

Oh, one more thing. The sumner after getting my BA I spent a month in philosophy summer program; the work I did there is not altogether related to my history work except maybe in a roundabout way (i.e. History of ideas). Should I mention the program in my cv or will it yet again draw attention away from what I want the adcomm to be looking at?

[natsteel]

I wouldn't even mention it in a SOP if you do well in your MA program. And if you do, I certainly wouldn't write something along the lines of "having problems with your advisor." That could be a red flag. I've never been forced to withdraw from a course but I know many people are. If you wanted to explain your change of major, you could just mention the withdraw without stating the reasons, say, "an untimely withdraw" or something like that. I just don't think a PhD adcomm will care that much especially if you are applying with an MA. Besides, I see on my department's websites statements like "We encourage prospective students who did not major in history as an undergraduate."

Of course, this is all considering that you received a full withdrawal that didn't affect your GPA. But, even then, most adcomms will almost certainly be far more concerned with your MA record than your undergraduate record.

Edited January 24, 2010 by natsteel

[LifeIsGood]

I switched majors a couple of times, and I think they only showed the final major. I also had several major problems with my academic history (really bad record in UG), but didn't mention it in my SOP. I depended on my MA record, LORs, and GREs to show them that I was capable. I also made darn sure that I professionalized quickly (conference presentations, movement toward publication, etc.).

I think your adcoms will see this: An applicant who has an MA in history and a philosophy BA, but who had a real interest in history even during UG. The applicant has a good GPA in both UG and MA, but received 2 Ws in UG. They may notice the W on the thesis and recognize that means you had been a history major and then dropped it, but I don't think that's a big deal and can't be uncommon. They'll want some assurance that you can do research and that you can stick it out, which the successful completion of an MA would give them, at least to a degree. I wouldn't mention any of it, but would make sure your MA experience includes great grades, a lot of documentable research (independently, if necessary), and stick-to-it-tiveness.

[Katzenmusik]

If you do well in your MA and successfully complete a major project, the situation is effectively erased. I would not call attention to the capstone withdrawal, especially since (as you say), you mainly dropped out for reasons of immaturity and a personality conflict. (It would be different if you had had a serious illness or some other extenuating circumstance.)

A history minor and philosophy major, followed by an MA in history, seems like excellent preparation for someone who wants to study the history of ideas in their PhD program. So don't worry, your outlook is still very positive!!

Edited January 25, 2010 by Katzenmusik