Questions for all potential graduate students
Hello! I ask all potential graduate students to fill out the questionnaire I’ve included below.
The relationship between a graduate student and their advisor is such an important one; they’ll be working together for at least 5-7 years and possibly be in touch the rest of at least one of their lives. So, a match between our research interests as well as our personalities is of the utmost importance. Having this information will make it easier for us both to decide if moving forward with an application makes sense and then I’d be happy to talk about that process, if it’s still relevant.
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1. Name:
2. Where did you obtain your BA and/or MA?:
3. What was your college GPA?:
4. Where did you grow up?:
5. How did you come to learn about my work and why do you think I would make a good advisor for your graduate career? Be as specific as possible about what interests you about my research:
6. Why do you want to continue your studies in graduate school?:
7. What experience do you have conducting firsthand primary source research? And does this connect to the topic you want to study in graduate school?:
8. Explain how you approach writing a long research paper (How do you structure the outline and research? What does/would your writing process and schedule look like? How do you ensure you keep self-imposed and externally-imposed deadlines?):
9. In just 3-5 sentences, tell me about your topic and where your interest in it comes from:
10. How do you feel your research interests would add to the existing historiography of your desired field? In other words, why is your project necessary and important?:
11. Is this a topic you can see yourself obsessed with for the next 5-7 years (grad school) and possibly 3-6 more (until you get tenure—if you want to be a professor)?:
12. What are your career goals?:
13. How can the history department here at the University of Pittsburgh specifically help you reach those goals?:
14. Where else are you applying for graduate study?:
15. Are you familiar with the state of the academic job market?:
16. How would your friends describe you in 4 words?:
17. How would your former teachers/professors describe you in 4 words?:
18. Are you known to turn in all your assignments on time and do all the reading?:
19. Give an example of when you were given feedback (social, academic, etc.), how you reacted, and what you changed:
20. What are your thoughts on the use of AI in academic settings? In other areas of your life?:
21. Do you find you prefer and flourish with a hands-off mentor (you seek advice and meet maybe 1-2 times a semester, you steer your own work on projects, etc.) or a more involved mentor (you see each other often, you consult them often on writing and grad life, etc.)?:
22. Have you had female mentors in your life?:
23. Because our department is small and our United States field is one of the smallest, I usually have a co-advisor who is equally dedicated to an incoming graduate student. Which professor(s) in the US do you think would make a good co-advisor for your interests?:
24. Would you work well in a small, interdisciplinary cohort where you will likely have no one who is researching a similar topic? At least in the same country as you?:
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The Pitt deadline to apply is January 3. Would you need a fee waiver for the application?: