How Applications Are Evaluated

All applications that are postmarked by December 15 , 2008, will be considered for Fall 2009 admission by the Graduate Admissions Committee, which consists of five history department faculty and one Ph.D. student. Evaluation of files begins immediately; the initial reading takes approximately two weeks.

After the initial reading, any application that has been selected for a second reading will also be reviewed by potential advisors. In the final round of readings, Graduate Admissions Committee members use all the available information, including the comments of potential advisors, to rank all applicants. Graduate Teaching Fellowships are awarded to the top applicants in rank order, regardless of field or degree.

Many factors are involved in evaluating applications, including test scores, statements, recommendations, and writing samples. Another important consideration, especially at the Ph.D. level, is the fit between the academic interests of an applicant and our available faculty members. In a number of cases each year, excellent applicants are turned down for the latter reason. In these cases we cannot feel confident that students graduating from our program will be able to compete effectively in a tight academic job market.