# Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ## expand\_more ### Note that the GRE is now optional for our graduate admission process. Open all sections Close all sections ### 1. What are the application dates? expand\_more The application dates are set by the Admissions Office, with the online application ordinarily opening in mid-September and closing in mid-December. Please consult the [Admissions Office website](http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/prospective_students/application_instructions_and_information.php) to verify specific dates. ### 2. Can I turn in application materials after the Deadline? expand\_more The Admissions Office will not accept or forward materials after deadline. ### 3. Can students apply to begin in the Spring semester? expand\_more No, we only accept students who can begin the program in the Fall semester. ### 4. Are applicants required to submit GRE scores? expand\_more Submission of GRE test results is optional, as we do not require the GRE examination for consideration for admissions. Applicants will not be penalized if they choose not to submit a score, and the GRE will not be used as a benchmark to compare applicants. ### 5. What is the minimum score required for the TOEFL? expand\_more The department does not have a minimum score for the TOEFL and all applications will be considered. Please note that the TOEFL scores expire and the submission of these scores is a requirement of the GSAS Admissions Office. They will still send the incomplete application to the History Department and all applications are considered, but is it worthwhile for applicants to plan ahead when it comes to the submission of these scores. Per the Admissions Office’s requirement, students for whom English is a second language are only able to waive the TOEFL requirement if they received a **bachelor’s degree** from a University where English is the main language of instruction. ### 6. What is the required length for the writing sample/statement of purpose? expand\_more There is no formal requirement when it comes to the length of either. Students are encouraged to keep in mind that all applications are read and an overlong writing sample is not recommended. Most Statements of Purpose are around 3-5 pages. Most writing samples are around 20-25 pages. If you are submitting a sample that is part of a larger work (a chapter from a thesis, for instance) you may include a brief abstract situating the piece in the larger work. ### 7. What percentage of applicants are accepted? expand\_more Generally around two to three percent of applicants are accepted into the History PhD program. ### 8. Can I apply to more than one program? expand\_more Yes, students can apply to GSAS up to three times. This means that you can apply to just one department three years in a row, or you can apply different departments. **Q: Do I need two applications if applying to two different departments?** Yes, if you apply to more than one department, you will need to fill out an application for each. You will also need to create two separate accounts with the Admissions Office. ### 9. Is there a Master's Degree Program? expand\_more Harvard’s History department does not offer a Terminal MA. ### 10. Is a Master's required to apply to the PhD Program? expand\_more **Can I apply to the PhD program if I don’t have a Master’s Degree? Will it hurt my application to not have a MA?** Many of our students are coming straight from a BA and their application is not hurt by the lack of an AM. ### 11. What if I’m not yet finished with my BA? expand\_more **What if I’m not yet finished with my BA, will it hurt my application to not have my Spring grades in before applying?** The Admissions Committee understands that most applicants applying in their senior year of college will not have grades for a few semesters. As stated in the previous response, many of our students come straight from their BA and we only ask that they provide their grades when they are available. ### 12. When will I hear whether or not I was accepted? expand\_more The department has until March 15th to communicate admissions decisions to the Admissions Office and they communicate with students via postal mail. Realistically, the offers of admission go out earlier than March 15th, but it is the latest date by which we can get the information to Admissions. You will have until April 15th to respond to an offer of admission. To check on the status of your application, you can call 617-496-6100 between 2 pm and 5 pm EST. ### 13. How does financial aid work? expand\_more Our students receive a very competitive funding package, the specifics of which can be seen on the [Financial Aid Office website](http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/prospective_students/financial_aid.php). ### 14. Health Insurance? expand\_more The[ Harvard University Health Services](http://huhs.harvard.edu/) has complete student health and insurance coverage information. Their main offices are located at 75 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge , MA 02138 (phone: (617) 495-5711. ***Please note:** Withdrawn candidates covered by student health insurance will receive a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) letter from Blue Cross / Blue Shield indicating the **termination date of group coverage**. The letter may be used to obtain non-group coverage in Massachusetts or other states.* ### 15. Who will read my file and how will a decision be made? expand\_more Applications are read and discussed in multiple rounds of review. In the first instance, your file will be read by all faculty members whom you identify as “Faculty of Interest” as well as additional faculty who specialize in the “Area of Study” or primary geographic, temporal, or thematic field you identify on your application. You can determine who participates in admissions in these areas of study by using the filters on the Faculty Page of the Department website. The faculty members who participate in these subfields discuss the files, consulting with faculty of interest outside the field (if any), and select a small number of top candidates to be considered by the graduate admissions committee. The graduate admissions committee, composed of faculty members from a range of fields, then reads the applications on the short list and makes a recommendation for admissions and inclusion on the waitlist. Anyone who makes it to the short list has enthusiastic support from the faculty members in their areas of study and is highly qualified and prepared for success in our program. To arrive at the admissions list and the waitlist, the committee considers many factors including balance among geographic, temporal, and thematic fields, the fit between students and potential advising teams, and diversity of trajectories and perspectives. ### 16. Should I identify a potential advisor on my application? expand\_more The strongest applications to our program typically identify more than one member of the faculty in the Department of History whose interests or expertise align well with the proposed course of study. Usually, an applicant will use the “Faculty of Interest” fields to indicate a preferred primary advisor or preferred co-advisors as well as two additional faculty, including faculty outside the subfield whose work resonates with the applicant. In some instances, an applicant may wish to include a faculty member outside the Department of History. Students who are admitted into the program are not locked into working with any advisor(s) named in their applications. Students build and continue to refine their advising team after they arrive on campus. ### 17. What impact does my answer to the “Area of Study” question have on my admission? expand\_more Your answer to this question determines which group of faculty members will consider your file and decide whether to forward it to the admissions committee as a finalist. To learn which faculty members participate in which admissions fields, filter by “primary admissions field” on the people page of this website. Once admitted, students sometimes change their primary field of study as their interests develop. For many successful applications, there is an obvious answer to the question of which geographical, temporal, or thematic subfield to choose. In other successful applications, students propose to do transnational or comparative work. In this case, the “International” category may be an appropriate alternative, or students may use their statement of purpose to express a plan to receive training simultaneously in two subfields. Our graduate admissions committee works to make sure that no files “fall through the cracks,” by forwarding files to faculty members who may find them interesting, independent of which field the applicant has identified. ### 18. Should I contact faculty members directly if I’m interested in working with them? expand\_more It is in no way necessary to write to potential committee members or advisors before submitting your application. We give every submitted application equal consideration. That said, there is no harm in sending an email to the professors you hope to work with expressing your admiration, interest, and enthusiasm. If you do, you might indicate that you do not expect a reply. ### 19. I have heard that I am supposed to ask potential advisors if they are “accepting students.” What does that mean? expand\_more Individual faculty members do not have the power to accept students to our program. The Department has a collective process for reviewing files and making admissions decisions. That said, there are times when an individual member of the faculty will not be available to advise a student, because of a research leave, an administrative assignment, an impending retirement, or similar circumstances. The Department will typically choose not to admit students who would be primarily advised by a member of the faculty who will not be available. ### 20. What not to ask for when you write to potential advisors? expand\_more As a general rule, faculty members are not able to meet with you individually to discuss your application before you submit it. The few faculty members who prefer to hear from students before receiving an application will indicate this preference on their faculty profiles. Carefully check the faculty profile of the professor you are interested in contacting and follow the guidance there. In no case is it appropriate to ask to share drafts of your application materials or request feedback or advice on your application before the submission deadline. It is generally not appropriate to ask faculty members to tell you if they are interested in your proposal, to tell you if you are a “good fit” for the department, or to comment on your chances of getting in. ### 21. What should I do if I have more questions about how to apply? expand\_more If you have general questions about the program and would like to speak with someone face-to-face, please contact the [Graduate Program Coordinator](http://history.fas.harvard.edu/people-categories/coordinator-graduate-studies). ### 22. I already have a Master’s degree. How will that affect my course of study if I am accepted to Harvard’s History Department? expand\_more There is no difference between the course of study for students who already hold an MA degree and those enter our program directly after undergraduate study (or after undergraduate study and a period spent outside the university). During the first two years of our program, students complete coursework and prepare for an examination that qualifies them to undertake the dissertation. They are encouraged to continue exploring and refining potential dissertation projects as their interests develop. A formal prospectus, outlining a well-defined dissertation project, is not expected until the third year of study. In contrast to some doctoral programs in other countries, which are built on the expectation of prior MA studies, applicants to our program are not expected to submit fully articulated dissertation projects in their statements of purpose.