FAQ

What are you looking for in an essay?

When writing academic essays, it may help to keep the following in mind:

•     Does the essay address all parts of the assigned question?
•     Does the essay have a title that is imaginative and gives the reader a sense of the essay's contents?
•     Is there a clear argument (a statement about reality that must be proven true)? Be sure to test thesis statement by assessing whether or not someone could plausibly take the opposite point of view.
•     Does the essay's introduction lead the reader from the general world to the specific topic and end with the thesis statement? Does the conclusion begin with a thesis restatement and lead the reader back to some general possibilities for future exploration?
•     Does each paragraph begin with a topic sentence explaining to the reader how the paragraph's content supports the main idea of the essay?
•     Is there an appropriate balance of my own writing and concrete examples drawn from other sources?
•     Does the essay flow logically and smoothly from one idea to the next? Could the paragraphs be rearranged into a more logical order? Do the transitions between ideas and paragraphs need to be more explicit?
•     Is the essay's tone sufficiently formal and objective for academic work?
•     Are references to other people's ideas acknowledged with proper citations?
•     Have I read the essay aloud to alert myself to redundant statements, convoluted sentences, grammar and spelling errors, and other rough spots?
•     Has a friend read over the essay and pointed out unfamiliar ideas that need to be clarified for the general reader?

I'm freaking out over footnotes and citations. What should I do?

Relax.

We cite for two reasons: To avoid plagiarism by recognizing the work of others and to provide our readers with the necessary information to use our sources in their own research.

If you have made a good faith effort to meet these goals using a standard bibliographic style like Chicago, Turabian, MLA, or APA, it is unlikely that I will deduct points from your assignment.

Use the following links for guidance. You may use either footnotes or endnotes. Also, please include a bibliography consisting of an alphabetized list of works cited.

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

Notice how the first citation in a footnote/endnote contains complete information and subsequent notes contain an abbreviated citation.

When will you return our assignments?

When grading assignments in my classes, I strive to return them about a week after the due date.

Why one week and not overnight?

1. There are almost always late papers. Since I like to grade all assignments at once to ensure equal treatment, I end up waiting a few days for papers to arrive.
2. One week is a natural cycle. It is much easier to find time for major tasks in a week than it is to fit them into a particular day.
3. Returning assignments in one week allows a bit of emotional distance from the work and more objectivity in its evaluation.

If we allow at least a week when making commitments, life is much more manageable.

Would you write me a letter of recommendation?

 If you earned an "A" in my class, I can probably write a persuasive letter on your behalf. If not, it would be best to ask someone else.

When asking professors for letters of recommendation, it may be helpful to keep the following in mind:

Which professors to ask: The most effective recommendations come from professors who 1) know your work well, 2) graded your work highly in the past, and 3) are knowledgeable about the program to which you are applying.

How to ask: Professors are happy to write letters in support of good students, but they need answers to these questions: To what program are you applying? Why do you think I am the best person to write the letter for this particular program? Are there forms I need to fill out or shall I just write letters? When is the deadline for submission of letters? (Ideally, you should be asking 3-4 weeks in advance.) Do I mail the letter directly or will you be picking it up to include in your application packet?

Supporting materials: To be persuasive, a letter of recommendation needs to be as detailed as possible. So, it is very helpful if you provide a copy of your transcript (unofficial is fine), a statement of why you are applying to a particular program, a list of your jobs and extracurricular activities, and a copy of a research paper you have written on a relevant topic. Imagine professors who want to support you, but need to know a lot more about your past work and future goals to write positive and persuasive letters. Then, provide all the information necessary to help them write those letters.

I am considering graduate school in history. What do you think?

The admissions process for professional degree programs (MBA, law school, public policy, medical school) is similar to what you went through to get into college: Earn a high GPA, complete application essays, and do well on a standardized test. Admissions committees look at this data and put together an incoming class of qualified students. So your best bet is to apply to schools that are well known in the field you want to study.

Master and Ph.D. programs in the arts and sciences are a bit different. The most important difference is that you are applying not so much to the school as to a particular mentor who will guide your study from start to finish. I tell my students who are applying to graduate school to think of it like a medieval guild. You are becoming a loyal apprentice to your mentor in return for knowledge, resources, and protection. For this reason, it is important to research carefully the professors who are working in your chosen field.

Ideal mentors 1) have published important work in a field that interests you, 2) will remain at the present university for at least the 5-10 years it takes for you to graduate and secure a job, 3) are powerful enough on university committees to secure grant funding and teaching assistantships for their students, 4) have a reputation for cooperation and benevolence toward students and colleagues, and 5) have enough clout in their field to write the letters needed to secure employment after you graduate. I was fortunate to have a very kind and conscientious mentor, but we've all heard the horror stories of advisers refusing to sign dissertations over minor issues, changing universities or retiring before their students were done, or not being powerful enough to help their students secure funding or jobs. Graduate school advisers can make or break academic careers, so choose wisely.

I recommend the book Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D. to anyone considering or attending graduate school in the humanities or sciences.