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Our
entering class of 20–25 students is drawn from a pool
that typically contains over 400 applications. Only candidates
with outstanding qualifications are likely to be admitted.
Applications
are submitted to the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences and can be obtained (and even
submitted) via the Web. Applications must include a personal
statement explaining your reasons for wishing to enter graduate
school and outlining your scholarly interests; GRE scores;
academic transcripts; letters of recommendations, ideally
from faculty members with whom you have worked; and a writing
sample—an undergraduate essay or thesis, a masters’
essay, or some other work of scholarship. The writing sample
should not be more than 20 pages long. Decisions on admissions
are made by the history department faculty, and candidates
usually receive notification early in March.
We are often asked what we consider important in reviewing
applications. First and foremost, we are looking for evidence
of scholarly talent and achievement. Grades and GRE scores
are, of course, helpful in locating such evidence, but they
are not the only things we consider. What you say in your
personal statement can be very important, and your writing
sample is often the decisive factor in our decision.
Our program is designed for students who seek the Ph.D. Although
students entering without a Master's degree earn an M.A. in
History in the course of their study here, we do not admit
full-time students who wish only to earn a Master's degree.
We do however, admit a small number (no more than one or two
a year) of candidates to a part-time Master's program who,
because of other commitments, cannot attend school full time.
Occasionally, these students move into our Ph.D. program on
completion of their Master's.
All applications,
whether for the M.A. or the Ph.D., are due to the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences by December 15. See the GSAS
webpage for further information.
Our entering classes consist of between 20 and 25 students drawn from a very large and competitive pool of applicants. They come from Ivy League schools and such equivalents as Chicago, Swarthmore, and Stanford; from large state universities; from regional liberal-arts colleges; and from smaller state universities.
We attract students from all parts of the country and from many parts of the world—England, France, Italy, Germany, Israel, Algeria, Belgium, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Jamaica, China, Japan, India, and others, in recent years.
Some students enter our program immediately after graduating from college. Others come to us after several—sometimes many—years doing other things, including in some cases earning a Master's degree at another university. Most entering students have done previous work in history, either as undergraduates or in a master’s program; but many enter our program having specialized in other academic fields.
Recent classes have been relatively evenly divided between men and women and have included significant numbers of minority students.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to develop a capacity to read scholarly work in the language or languages required for their proposed field of study before enrolling in the Ph.D. program.
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