will i have better luck getting into history graduate school the second time around?

Question

I applied for various Ph.D programs in history in the fall of my senior year of college. I know how competitive the market can be for historians and I only want to get into one of the best programs in my field of study. Out of the 5 programs I applied to I got into 1, but for various reasons I decided not to go, instead to take a few years off doing other things. I still really want to study history at the graduate level and I feel that I need to get into a good school (mind you not a "prestigious" school just one with a good program.) MY GPA ended up being about 3.9 from a school with a good reputation, and since applying and being rejected I have completed an honors thesis. I am planning on spending these years off picking up new languages and improving on already learned ones, as my field of interest is non-US (or British.) I just want to know, is there anything else I can do to help me get in?

Answer 1

In the US, you do not need a Master's degree prior to applying to PhD programs. You earn the Master's degree along the way. (Sometimes it's an MA, sometimes an MPhil.)

Anyway, your plan to acquire languages is a very good one. Keep in mind that you will not only need the languages relevant to your intended area of specialization, but also French and German (both at a reading competency level -- conversational does not matter).

I would also suggest that you keep up with journals in your field, and look for good conferences at which to present a paper (perhaps based on your honors thesis). Here's a good website on which you may find appropriate presentation venues.
http://www.h-net.org (Click on "Announcements" and look for CFPs.)

Also, you should seriously consider joining a discussion group on H-net. Choose one specific to your field of interest, and also join the H-grad list for graduate students (if you are allowed to do so as a non-grad student).

Also, keep reading. Familiarize yourself with the presses that publish strong series in your field, and keep up with their new publications.

Finally, keep in touch with your former professors. You'll need to solicit new letters of recommendation when you reapply, so email them every once in a while to let them know what you're doing. It would be really great if you email them to ask their opinions about which journals to read in your field, or whether they've seen any good reviews of books they'd recommend to you.

Best wishes to you, and good for you for asking this important question!

Answer 2

You want to go directly into a Ph.D. program without getting a Master's degree? Hmm, that might be a bit tricky. In any event you sound now like you are more qualified generally for graduate studies and the fact that you have been out of the system for a few years should not count against you. I'd strongly urge you to contact 2 or 3 of your former professors, remind them who you are and seek their advice. That will be in a sense killing two birds with one stone since they will presumably also be the people from whom you will be seeking letters of recommendation. Such letters are an immensely important part of the graduate admission decision in programs I am familiar with.
Good luck.

Answer 3

It seems odd that you could not get into a program when you have a 3.9 GPA.

In any case,-maybe it is Fate stepping in to direct you elsewhere. There are thousands of unemployed people with PhDs in history and thousands more who only have part-time / temporary employment. (Because the current glut of History Professors from the baby boom era refuse to retire).

Maybe Fate is telling you to pick another field...for your own good.