Applying to MAPSS

[urbanhistorynerd]

Hello, I am applying to MAPSS at the University of Chicago with a specialization in history. I want you guys to tell me how my application looks.

I am majoring in history with departmental honors, and minoring in political philosophy. I have a 3.91 GPA, 8 400+ level courses, and my GRE scores are 167/154/5.5.

My LORs are extremely good. I've had classes with all three professors, two of which are in my field of study, and I have done research under one of them.

I recieved a $3,000 grant for undergraduate research from my university, and a $1,500 from my department. I wrote a 25 page research paper over the summer and published it in an undergraduate research journal. I've also written non-academic work for various websites. I am currently writing my honors thesis as well.

[astroid88]

Not sure what type of reassurance you are looking for. The stats seem good for any program. 

[TMP]

What is your goal with MAPSS?l

[urbanhistorynerd]

12 hours ago, astroid88 said:

Not sure what type of reassurance you are looking for. The stats seem good for any program. 

I feel like I need a little more time studying history before I embark upon a phd. Do you think I should apply to phd programs too?

[Banzailizard]

16 minutes ago, kenalyass said:

I feel like I need a little more time studying history before I embark upon a phd. Do you think I should apply to phd programs too?

But what do you mean by "studying history" here.  Archival work? Reading contemporary historians? Just generally figuring out what you like?   From what I have heard MAPSS is a good program, but like all masters its expensive. If you are going to drop tens of thousands of dollars you should be clear, if not with us then with yourself, as to why.   It's like saying you want to buy a car, and when asked why, answering "to drive." Anyways if the car sits in the garage because you walk everywhere, you wasted money. If you are just trying to get a feel for the field or your interests it is cheaper to buy books on your own. If you need direction, most professors post class reading lists on their website, look at ones who work in areas you are interested in.

Most people go to masters to 'fix' an issue with their application.  For example they came from a different degree, their research qualifications are not great, they have poor grades and want to show they are serious now, etc.  From what you shared you do not show any obvious problems to address.  Either there are none, in which case yes maybe you should apply to a PhD if you have a goal in mind, or you need to explain what the problem is you need the MAPSS to address.

[urbanhistorynerd]

I started college my junior year of high school in an early college program. I took 50 credits at a local community college for the next three years, afterwards I transferred to university where I took all my history credits at. I've only spent two years at university.

My goal with MAPSS is to give me more time in academic surroundings. A chance to get to know my field of history better, and be able to conduct more research, write more papers, meet more professors. What I'm trying to get it is, I don't feel like I am ready, intellectually, for a Ph.D. program. I need more time to study the historiography, the trends, the prominent ideas in my field, etc. More time to study is what I need. You're right, I could just spent this time reading, etc., but I want to take courses with professors, and at Uchicago there are a couple of professors that have done research in my field.

My goal, intellectually, is to conduct research in 20th century American economic history, in specific the de-industrialization of America in the 1970s and 1980s, with a focus on urban history and race relations. 

[OHSP]

Your stats etc look good but stats are just a minor hurdle in history. Don't apply for PhD yet--I think your instincts are right re needing more time in an academic environment and if you can afford it, the MAPSS program is supposed to be excellent preparation for doctorate work. 

[Banzailizard]

Just as an alternative suggestion then but what about auditing courses?  I am not sure of the feasibility, both for your own personal situation and for what Chicago allows, but it could be a good way to explore, meet professors, etc.  From what I understand MAPSS is designed to be pretty focused. Then again maybe that is what you need. Not trying to say never do this, but just think about your options carefully. Either way I would reach out the MAPSS program directly and see if they can put you in touch with current students.

[Sigaba]

17 hours ago, kenalyass said:

Hello, I am applying to MAPSS at the University of Chicago with a specialization in history. I want you guys to tell me how my application looks.

I am majoring in history with departmental honors, and minoring in political philosophy. I have a 3.91 GPA, 8 400+ level courses, and my GRE scores are 167/154/5.5.

My LORs are extremely good. I've had classes with all three professors, two of which are in my field of study, and I have done research under one of them.

I recieved a $3,000 grant for undergraduate research from my university, and a $1,500 from my department. I wrote a 25 page research paper over the summer and published it in an undergraduate research journal. I've also written non-academic work for various websites. I am currently writing my honors thesis as well.

These statistics say very little about your interests, aptitude, current ability, or potential as a graduate student. (You should lead with your interests and areas.)

Your Twitter feed suggests that you hold strong, if not necessarily well informed, views and express them stridently. 

https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/84192-protect-your-privacy-when-selecting-a-user-name/

1 hour ago, kenalyass said:

My goal, intellectually, is to conduct research in 20th century American economic history, in specific the de-industrialization of America in the 1970s and 1980s, with a focus on urban history and race relations. 

Do you see yourself as an economic historian or a social historian or an urban historian? There's a lot of overlap among the three fields. You would serve your interests well if you knew the boundaries.

 

[Tigla]

3 hours ago, kenalyass said:

I started college my junior year of high school in an early college program. I took 50 credits at a local community college for the next three years, afterwards I transferred to university where I took all my history credits at. I've only spent two years at university.

My goal with MAPSS is to give me more time in academic surroundings. A chance to get to know my field of history better, and be able to conduct more research, write more papers, meet more professors. What I'm trying to get it is, I don't feel like I am ready, intellectually, for a Ph.D. program. I need more time to study the historiography, the trends, the prominent ideas in my field, etc. More time to study is what I need. You're right, I could just spent this time reading, etc., but I want to take courses with professors, and at Uchicago there are a couple of professors that have done research in my field.

My goal, intellectually, is to conduct research in 20th century American economic history, in specific the de-industrialization of America in the 1970s and 1980s, with a focus on urban history and race relations. 

6

A Master's degree/program will serve you well. The historiography in your particular field of interest has grown exponentially over the past decade. You need to answer @Sigaba questions if you want to even begin digesting that field. A few economic historians (basically econometricians) have attempted to quantify race relations (mainly the level of segregation to economic activity) within the urban setting, but have met great pushback from cultural and social historians. Meanwhile, global historians have entered the fray and been demonstrating the continuities between American cities and European cities, as well as some Asian cities, in terms of racial relations and segregative policies. Thus, you have a long way to go in terms of historiographical development and framing your ideas. A few good questions to ask yourself:

1. What about deindustrialization interests me? The transition from a production/factory model of growth to a service model? The structural problems communities, specifically cities, faced once deindustrialization finished? The promotion of service industries by the government?
2. Why race relations? Has there been a historiographical gap in the literature that needs to be addressed? An over-emphasis on urban settings? 
3. Does the US city dramatically change after deindustrialization? If so, how? If not, why not? How do the phenomena called sprawl affect the composition and dynamics of urban life? Is the American city a unique phenomenon within global patterns?
4. Why this specific timeframe? Do Cold War politics and international relations drastically alter the fabric of the American city? What are the effects of globalization and how do they affect the history of American cities? Does the "destruction of the New Left" and "rise of the New Right" dramatically change American cities?

Edited November 26, 2017 by Tigla

[OHSP]

4 hours ago, Sigaba said:

Do you see yourself as an economic historian or a social historian or an urban historian? There's a lot of overlap among the three fields. You would serve your interests well if you knew the boundaries.

Just on this, though, the PhD is a place for you to work out how/where you fit in respect to these fields--I certainly know US hist professors who work across all three. But @kenalyass what books are you reading and whose works are you into, within US history? Tom Sugrue seems obviously relevant? You might want to think about which schools you're drawn to by thinking about whose work attracts you. 

Edited November 26, 2017 by OHSP

[Sigaba]

Hi, @kenalyass although I'm not sure I agree with @OHSP's and @Tigla's recommendation to not apply to doctoral programs, I am absolutely certain that they're asking very useful questions. Why not reply? "I don't know," "I need to think about it," and similar responses are legitimate answers. The silence is--IMO--a bit disrespectful.

[OHSP]

2 hours ago, Sigaba said:

Hi, @kenalyass although I'm not sure I agree with @OHSP's and @Tigla's recommendation to not apply to doctoral programs, I am absolutely certain that they're asking very useful questions. Why not reply? "I don't know," "I need to think about it," and similar responses are legitimate answers. The silence is--IMO--a bit disrespectful.

Yeah reading back over all of this, I'm not sure why I stated the "don't apply for a PhD" thing so strongly--I do really, really believe in the value of doing a Masters though, which is perhaps why I'm wary to suggest jumping into the PhD program if you feel like the Masters might be right for you. That said, my masters was fully funded. Getting into huge amounts of debt for the sake of having a feeling a bit more grounded in history might not be worth it. 

[urbanhistorynerd]

Incredibly sorry for the late reply. I was not trying to be disrespectful. I'm been finishing end-of-the-semester papers, and I traveled to Chicago with my girlfriends family last week.

First, I cannot fathom how great the advice all of you have given me. It has made me ask vital questions that otherwise I would not have thought were pertinent to my situation. I'll attempt to reply to all your posts now.

@OHSP MAPSS is the only masters program I am applying to. There a few professors at Uchicago (Jonathan Levy in particular) that I would like to work with. The 1 year journey also fits my need to engage in more historical work with my field. I definitely agree that I need more time soaking in an academic environment. But, regardless of my intellectual insecurities, I am still applying to Ph.D. programs. I'll list the ones I want to apply to below:

• University of Chicago
• University of Illinois-Chicago
• Northwestern 
• University of Maryland
• University of Michigan
• New York University 
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• University of Pennsylvania 

I love Tom Sugrue. Origins is the book that inspires me the most. It is the book that made me think about urban history in a systematic combination of race relations, and political economy. Heather Ann Thompson also is a favorite of mine. Her book Whose Detroit? and Blood in the Water, influenced my perspective on race relations in the city.

@Banzailizard I don't want to audit courses (although, I have thought about it). I want to engage with the school in coursework settings.

@Sigaba What do you mean by "not necessarily well informed,"? My interest of study is the intersection between race, politics, and economics in urban history. I call myself an urban historian. I'm interested in the way deindustrialization shaped urban politics and race relations in the 1960s-80s.

@Tigla Thank you for those questions. Do you have any recommendations on books regarding historiography of deindustrialization?

 

[Sigaba]

1 hour ago, kenalyass said:

 What do you mean by "not necessarily well informed,"?

Your tweets speak for themselves. Are you sure you want them to speak for you? 

1 hour ago, kenalyass said:

My interest of study is the intersection [among] race, politics, and economics in urban history. I call myself an urban historian. I'm interested in the way deindustrialization shaped urban politics and race relations in the 1960s-80s.

Going forward, I strongly recommend that you lead with the above. The GPA, the test scores, the achievements don't define you as a historian.

[TMP]

@kenalyass  Suppose you don't get into a PhD program and the MAPSS won't really offer funding, would you still take out loans for it?  

I'm also skeptical that a one-year program would be enough to get you grounded unless you are willing to wait until after graduation to apply to PhD programs.  Applying to PhD programs in your first semester of any MA program is not quite wise-- you're only adding more coursework to your repertoire and not building on your research/writing skills as a thesis would.  Usually the first year of a graduate program is so full of new things to learn and people to meet, in and out of the classroom.  The second year has different challenges but you would at least have accustomed to daily life to devote yourself more to your studies and engaging with the academic environment, including picking up unwritten cultural norms.  

[Tigla]

@kenalyass I work more on European reindustrialization and reconstruction after WWII. For the American case, I would suggest starting with Beyond the Ruins: The Meanings of Deindustrialization by Jefferson R Cowie and Joseph Heathcott. It was published in 2003 and is very helpful in spreading the idea of deindustrialization throughout American life and classes, which culminated in "deindustrialization" becoming the norm within the USA. Also, this book left quite a few holes that historians have been steadily addressing; such as deindustrialization in the South and West, "small town" deindustrialization, long-term effects on familial and employment structures, etc.

Afterwards, I suggest heading over to H-Net and going through the reviews within the Urban History Group. You will be able to address the holes within your own logic, but also the holes left behind by Cowie and Heathcott. Like I said, new books and works are being published almost daily in this area and H-Net will provide you the chance to quickly become familiar with it, as well as stay on top of it.

[urbanhistorynerd]

@TMP

At most I would be okay with taking out $20,000 to $30,000 in loans. I completed an early college program in high school, so half my credits my high school paid for, and the rest of my expenses I am lucky enough to have my parents pay for my education -- so I don't have any loans out right now. 

The MAPSS alumni I've spoken to (some are Ph.D. students now) told me they applied a year after graduating. In the interim they worked for Uchicago in clerical and administration positions. I wouldn't mind a gap like that if I were able to stay in the realm of academia, like work as a secretary, something similar to that. But you do raise good questions, and I am weary of the 1 year program -- so is my faculty mentor as well.

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by kenalyass
I'm @ing someone.

[narple]

I've written this in email form twice now and thought I would post it here as well. It caters towards undergrads considering the program directly out of school, so ignore bits that are irrelevant to [you] and forgive the familiar language.

 

Just to give you some background, I was in the MAPSS program for 2016-2017: concentrating in history. I finished my thesis in August 2017 and am in the process of doing PhD apps for 2018-2019 while working.

 

I will begin with the standard cautionary advice: graduate degrees are career choices. If you are not certain about your career path then you should not consider investing the time or money that an MA will demand of you until you do. If your thoughts change over the course of an MA (which is statistically likely), you might be putting yourself in a position to either not be able to pursue the path you end up wanting or setting yourself up for paying for grad school twice. Many come directly into the program from undergrad, and fewer waited a few years before returning to school. This may be personal bias, but I believe those who waited, performed better and came out of the program in a better position to achieve their career goals. This is ultimately the goal of an MA degree, to put yourself in the best possible for your future career, albeit for doing something you are passionate about. That being said, it doesn’t really matter if this is what you want to do and please disregard this advice. (I was given the same advice by many, I took some time but always knew I would return to grad school to pursue academic work, even when job prospects are not good).

 

In general MA programs are shit. Not because you don’t learn anything, but because they are used by universities to fund their other programs. This is a fact and MAPSS is not different.  It is also true that they are necessary prep programs for many jobs, in this sense they are more similar to an MBA, MPP, or JD program. Some will say you should never pay for graduate school. I agree that you shouldn’t unless you have reason to. If you need what the program offers then pay. It’s just a question of whether or not it is right for you. MAPSS offers a lot of things, and it is cheaper than many other programs, which is why I chose it. It is not a free ticket, it costs money and will require you to be next to anti-social for 9 months to do well.

 

My impressions would be that the program is fast-paced, but manageable. The program is on a quarter system, so basically the two/three lazy weeks you are used to at the beginning of semesters don’t exist you just gotta be on it from the beginning. This is an adjustment but fairly easy particularly if you are intentional about choosing your courses (3 per quarter). As a history concentrator you will choose a seminar that will last two quarters (fall and winter). The seminar professor will also be your adviser for your thesis and your seminar paper is usually a first, very rough draft of half your thesis. So this is set up quite nicely cause it forces you to start work early. You will also have to take Perspectives (boring AF, but not difficult) and a Methods class--most likely Historical or Ethnographic Methods. This leaves you with 5 other courses that you can pick and choose from across all graduate level courses, professional schools included. The program is fairly generous with funding. I was initially offered 1/3 scholarship, but after writing a short 1 page summary of my continued work towards my goals, I was able to get 1/2 scholarship. Some get 2/3 and maybe one or two people get full. This is fairly rare for MA programs from what I know.

 

In terms of staff of the program i.e. your preceptor/advisor, it varies about how committed they are. I don’t feel that I was disregarded, but I definitely had to initiate the relationship (send emails, go to office hours, etc). As one of a cohort of about 250 students, you need to make sure claim the attention you need. I think this is more a feature of graduate school and less the program. It also makes a huge difference about the amount of footwork you do: going to the library early, having research ideas, and knowing some of the historiography before you meet with people makes them more productive meetings, and will show advisers that you deserve their attention. It will also put you in a better position to graduate in June. (It isn’t necessary to graduate in June, most don’t, but it is a huge relief if you can finish in 9 months...I did not.) 

 

I will say the program is not for everyone. I think it really depends on what you want out of the degree. For me, I was transitioning from philosophy to wanting to pursue a history PhD. So it allowed me to get the necessary coursework I needed and also allowed me to work with leading professors in my field and more broadly in historical methodologies. Having these recommenders for a PhD program will significantly improve the competitiveness of my application to “top” PhD programs. Some needed a better institution name on their resume (shitty but unfortunately a reality for many career types). Others needed to gain specific coding languages, math, lab experience, or interview/qualitative research skills depending on their fields. Knowing what you might be needing ahead of time is to your benefit, as the program is short and you won’t want to waste one of your 8 courses on something not worth your time/money. I would look at possible job listings/PhD programs you might want to have and look at the skills they are asking for and then take courses/find volunteer and work opportunities during the MAPSS year to prepare you for them. Also look at the people who have the job you want and look at their CV/resume. 

 

It’s a one-year program which is good for the pocket book and a quick turn around, but not so good for forming relationships, both with others in your cohort and profs. It also means that by the time you are entering you already need to be planning for your next year, which isn’t the easiest task with a full course load and managing your thesis. Also people’s minds change as a result of their research, some decide they no longer want to do PhD others who never considered it apply the following year. If you are considering a PhD you will have a gap year between the end of MAPSS and the beginning of your school year. Those who began figuring out job applications and writing cover letters etc. in Feb/March were much more successful immediately after school. I was fortunate to find a part-time job that helped me work on applications but still gave me enough to live on and the benefits to take language courses at the University. 

 

To now, I have mostly talked about how it relates to extended graduate school careers, but many come to the program for a quick MA from a good school. They leave with excellent job offers (if they put in the right hours for job searches) and are better qualified to pursue what they want. I will say that these options favor those in the harder social sciences (Econ, Sociology, Poli Sci.). I would make sure the program/courses/professors (department websites) offer you want you need. Particularly professors, you need to be able to identify someone you could write a thesis with.

 

UChicago people can be super pretentious and believe the brand name gives them a right to the privilege it affords. This is shitty and so are the people that think it, but it is true that it gives you a little extra that will help you in whatever your pursuits are. For me, I paid to have access to excellent professors and prep me for grad a PhD and my envisioned career path. Worst case, I was appropriately trained to enter an IR-peace/conflict think tank and find employment that way.  I could have gone to a PhD program, but I would have had a not so good funding package which hurt to think about. I wouldn’t have been able to get in to recognized programs from my small liberal arts school. It isn’t that it's an inferior school to other big name institutions, it is just really small and I didn’t have the necessary experiences while there. So for me the program was worth it, but it wasn’t for some of my friends. 

 

Bottomline: you have to decide if the program is worth it for your goals. But if you are interested in an MA and the program offers what you want, it is definitely worth an application. Weigh your options, living expenses, cost of attendance with other programs and then decide. If you get a full ride else where go there, if not you could def do worse than MAPSS.

[Pius Aeneas]

 

On 11/26/2017 at 12:31 PM, Sigaba said:

These statistics say very little about your interests, aptitude, current ability, or potential as a graduate student. (You should lead with your interests and areas.)

Your Twitter feed suggests that you hold strong, if not necessarily well informed, views and express them stridently. 

https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/84192-protect-your-privacy-when-selecting-a-user-name/

Do you see yourself as an economic historian or a social historian or an urban historian? There's a lot of overlap among the three fields. You would serve your interests well if you knew the boundaries.

 

I'm just browsing and I don't mean to derail the thread, but it seems that your problem with OP's tweets isn't that they're "not necessarily well informed" so much as the fact that they express a leftist worldview. I'm not sure that most professors care one way or another--if they even bother snooping around prospective students' social media pages in the first place. I imagine they'd be more concerned if a prospective student's online presence indicated that they were lazy or spent most of their time partying.  

Basically, you could have directed OP to the above thread and left it at that. 

[Sigaba]

On 12/5/2017 at 7:47 PM, Pius Aeneas said:

 

I'm just browsing and I don't mean to derail the thread, but it seems that your problem with OP's tweets isn't that they're "not necessarily well informed" so much as the fact that they express a leftist worldview. I'm not sure that most professors care one way or another--if they even bother snooping around prospective students' social media pages in the first place. I imagine they'd be more concerned if a prospective student's online presence indicated that they were lazy or spent most of their time partying.  

Basically, you could have directed OP to the above thread and left it at that. 

A leftist world view does not require seeing the opposition as a monolith any more than a conservative perspective requires a theory of American government drawn exclusively from a selective reading of the Constitution. That the OP paints with a broad brush suggests a person who is not necessarily well informed about how historians view that method of political analysis.

IRT what kind of work is done by academic institutions performing background checks on applicants, you're probably absolutely right. No history department has ever had a graduate student or professor go off the rails by prioritizing personal causes over scholarship. As those kinds of misadventures have never occurred, no one has ever applied a different level of scrutiny before investing time and money into a graduate student. 

And to your point, professional academic historians are too incurious and unskilled as researchers to type three or four words into a search engine and hit enter. Even if they were so inclined, the application process is completely about merit and nothing about politics of any kind. No academic is going to use any information beyond the application materials to advance his interests over anyone else's. And if they were to do so, they'd leave a trail of evidence that an aggrieved party could use to make a case for bias.

And now that you mention it, no academic administrators have ever come to the Grad Cafe while a member ranted about how screwed up a program was. This BB has no administrators or academics as registered members.

And http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/business/they-loved-your-gpa-then-they-saw-your-tweets.html was fake news. As was this http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/6/5/2021-offers-rescinded-memes/ .

And this school is just joshing when it talks about that https://gradschool.princeton.edu/policies/rescinding-offer-admission

On 12/2/2017 at 8:36 AM, kenalyass said:

The MAPSS alumni I've spoken to (some are Ph.D. students now) told me they applied a year after graduating. In the interim they worked for Uchicago in clerical and administration positions. I wouldn't mind a gap like that if I were able to stay in the realm of academia, like work as a secretary, something similar to that. 

When you're putting together your time table, keep in mind that having a M.A. in hand is no guarantee that a history department won't ask you to start from scratch by having you take more courses and prepare more research papers. 

Also keep in mind that your proposed "gap" may not serve your long term interests as well as going straight to a doctoral program. Even if you manage to adhere closely to a well-crafted reading schedule, the office work can take a toll all its own.

[Pius Aeneas]

9 hours ago, Sigaba said:

A leftist world view does not require seeing the opposition as a monolith any more than a conservative perspective requires a theory of American government drawn exclusively from a selective reading of the Constitution. That the OP paints with a broad brush suggests a person who is not necessarily well informed about how historians view that method of political analysis.

IRT what kind of work is done by academic institutions performing background checks on applicants, you're probably absolutely right. No history department has ever had a graduate student or professor go off the rails by prioritizing personal causes over scholarship. As those kinds of misadventures have never occurred, no one has ever applied a different level of scrutiny before investing time and money into a graduate student. 

And to your point, professional academic historians are too incurious and unskilled as researchers to type three or four words into a search engine and hit enter. Even if they were so inclined, the application process is completely about merit and nothing about politics of any kind. No academic is going to use any information beyond the application materials to advance his interests over anyone else's. And if they were to do so, they'd leave a trail of evidence that an aggrieved party could use to make a case for bias.

And now that you mention it, no academic administrators have ever come to the Grad Cafe while a member ranted about how screwed up a program was. This BB has no administrators or academics as registered members.

And http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/business/they-loved-your-gpa-then-they-saw-your-tweets.html was fake news. As was this http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/6/5/2021-offers-rescinded-memes/ .

And this school is just joshing when it talks about that https://gradschool.princeton.edu/policies/rescinding-offer-admission

 

I'll just address the parts of your post that I bolded and ignore the lazy attempts at sarcasm. First off, I scrolled through OP's twitter feed for quite awhile and the majority of their posts are retweets of links and other people's posts, none of which are abusive or inflammatory. OP's own tweets aren't particularly numerous and I saw nothing in them that was offensive or that attacked conservatives broadly, so I'm unsure how this indicates that they "paint with a broad brush." Perhaps you'd like the OP to post incisive critical dialectics instead? I'm not sure twitter is conducive to that line of argument, quite frankly. 

Moreover, I'm unsure that someone having a social media presence with a political slant indicates that they're going to "go off the rails by prioritizing personal causes over scholarship."  Sure, this happens, but exactly how often does it happen? I'm going to take a stab and say the answer is "not very." When it does happen those stories get amplified because they fit into the false narrative of elitist academics working to undermine America and indoctrinate students or whatever. 

Lastly, the stories about offers of admission being rescinded were for "jokes" that included racism, antisemitism, child abuse. In the NYT article, it mentions a prospective student who used social media to trash other prospective students. This isn't at all equivalent to OP's twitter feed, and the NYT article even mentions online material pertaining to an "applicant who was involved in a political cause" and how this material "didn't significantly affect that student's admission prospects."

It's ludicrous to think that people going into academia are going to be apolitical, especially when academia itself has become thoroughly politicized as the favorite target of politicians of a particular party who are doing their damnedest to destroy it. 

Moral of the story: make your social media accounts private so you don't have university administrators or professors with nothing better to do snooping around and getting the vapors from your political posts.  

[psstein]

On 12/1/2017 at 1:41 PM, kenalyass said:

Incredibly sorry for the late reply. I was not trying to be disrespectful. I'm been finishing end-of-the-semester papers, and I traveled to Chicago with my girlfriends family last week.

First, I cannot fathom how great the advice all of you have given me. It has made me ask vital questions that otherwise I would not have thought were pertinent to my situation. I'll attempt to reply to all your posts now.

@OHSP MAPSS is the only masters program I am applying to. There a few professors at Uchicago (Jonathan Levy in particular) that I would like to work with. The 1 year journey also fits my need to engage in more historical work with my field. I definitely agree that I need more time soaking in an academic environment. But, regardless of my intellectual insecurities, I am still applying to Ph.D. programs. I'll list the ones I want to apply to below:

• University of Chicago
• University of Illinois-Chicago
• Northwestern 
• University of Maryland
• University of Michigan
• New York University 
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• University of Pennsylvania 

I love Tom Sugrue. Origins is the book that inspires me the most. It is the book that made me think about urban history in a systematic combination of race relations, and political economy. Heather Ann Thompson also is a favorite of mine. Her book Whose Detroit? and Blood in the Water, influenced my perspective on race relations in the city.

@Banzailizard I don't want to audit courses (although, I have thought about it). I want to engage with the school in coursework settings.

@Sigaba What do you mean by "not necessarily well informed,"? My interest of study is the intersection between race, politics, and economics in urban history. I call myself an urban historian. I'm interested in the way deindustrialization shaped urban politics and race relations in the 1960s-80s.

@Tigla Thank you for those questions. Do you have any recommendations on books regarding historiography of deindustrialization?

 

Who are you interested in working with at Wisconsin?

[urbanhistorynerd]

@psstein Paul Stone, Barbara Welke, and Steven Ruggles.

[psstein]

2 hours ago, kenalyass said:

@psstein Paul Stone, Barbara Welke, and Steven Ruggles.

All three of them work at Minnesota.