Checklist
/ Application Process / Deadlines
Overview
The first thing to understand is that when
you apply you are really communicating with two separate offices: The University’s
Office of Admissions and the Graduate Office in the Department of History.
Although these two offices do communicate with each other, you should be
sure to send the correct materials to the correct place. And in the case
of your academic transcript and your GRE scores, we ask you to send the
material to both locations.
Although this page will summarize all the
steps in the application process, you should begin that process by consulting
the Office of Graduate Admissions.
Checklist: Six items you
must submit (and what we look for)
- The Application. The application is available online
here. You should fill
out the electronic version and submit it to the Office of Admissions.
You should also print out a copy of your application and mail it to
us as part of the material you submit to the History Department.
- Test scores. You must arrange to take the Graduate
Record Examinations in advance of the application deadline. You should
send your GRE scores to both the Office of Admissions and the History
Department. In evaluating files, most faculty members pay particular
attention to the verbal and writing scores. The History Department
has no absolute rules about minimum GRE scores, but normally applicants
should have at least 500 on their verbal score and the majority
of successful applicants exceed that level by a considerable margin, Over
the last five years the mean GREs for the department’s matriculating
graduate students has ranged from 1150 to 1300. In the
most recent class, roughly 70% of the students admitted to the doctoral
program had verbal scores of 600 or above.
All non-US and Puerto Rican applicants must submit IELTS (International
English Language Testing System), MELAB (Michigan English Language
Assessment Battery) or TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
scores as part of the application process, unless they are citizens
of a country where English is an official language, have spent at
least one academic year as a full-time student at a college or university
in a country where English is an official language, earned a prior
bachelor's degree, master's degree or doctoral degree at an accredited
university in the United States or have official proof of successfully
completing the UF English Language Institute's program before applying Successful
applicants must have either a 77 or the MELAB or a 6 on the IELTS,.
Students who submit TOEFL scores should have 550 or better on the
traditional paper test, 213 on the computer version, or 80 on the
new IT version.
For information on the various tests see ETS.
- Academic transcripts. Your transcripts should also
be sent in duplicate, with one copy going to the Office of Graduate
Admissions and the other to the Department of History. Ordinarily, applicants
must have a GPA of at least a 3.0. Over the last five year the mean
undergraduate GPA for matriculating graduate students has been about
3.6. Most successful applicants were either History majors or minors
as undergraduates; all should have had at least 18 credit hours in history
courses. In evaluating undergraduate transcripts the department considers
the entire picture: where you studied; what you studied; how well you
did. We try to pay attention to improvement over time, shifting majors,
and so forth. If you have an uneven transcript it is always wise to
provide some explanation in your Statement of Purpose. (For instance,
did you spend two years getting Ds as a premed before seeing the light
and becoming an A student in History?)
- Letter of Intent / Statement of Purpose. This letter
goes directly to the History Department. It is your opportunity to introduce
yourself to the department and explain precisely why you wish to study
in the here. We, in turn, take it very seriously. Is it well written?
Does it suggest a clear set of goals? Do those goals match well with
our strengths? Has the student done his/her homework about the department?
This letter is also your opportunity to explain any anomalies in the
rest of your record. These letters are generally about 3-5 pages long.
UF’s newly revised online application includes the option of submitting
the statement of purpose electronically. If you elect to take advantage
of this option, we ask that you print out the statement of purpose along
with your application and mail both directly to the History Department
with your writing sample.
- Three Letters of Recommendation. Applicants can
arrange to submit letters of recommendation along two routes. First,
you can ask your recommenders to mail their letters directly to the
History Department. If you choose that option (and your recommenders
might prefer it) you should give each recommender a cover sheet, which
can be downloaded here.
The second option is to arrange for your recommenders to submit their
letters electronically. If you choose this option you should consult
with the individual recommenders in advance and then provide their information
as part of the online application.
The selection of recommenders is an important part of the application
process. You should select recommenders who are in a position to help
us determine if you will be a successful graduate student. With that
in mind, letters from people who do not know you very well or who do
not know you in an academic context are less valuable. If you have written
an undergraduate thesis or an MA thesis you should be sure that your
advisor submits a letter. If that is impossible, you should explain
the circumstances in your Statement of Purpose.
- Writing Sample. This also goes directly to the History
Department. You should select a writing sample that gives us a good
sense of your skills as an historian. Ideally a writing sample would
demonstrate your writing, analytical, and research skills.
The Application Process
Step 1: Take the GREs and arrange for the scores to be sent to both the
Office of Admissions and the Department of History.
Step 2: Arrange for your academic transcript(s)
to be sent to both the Office of Admissions and the History Department.
Step 3: Complete the University application
materials:
- The University application materials are available
here.
- Your best and simplest option is to complete the
materials online. You may also print out the application form and mail
it directly to the Admissions office. But this will slow the process
and make folks in the Admissions Office grumble.
- Your application must be accompanied by a nonrefundable
fee of $30.
Step 4: Print out a copy of your application
and send it directly to the History Department, along with your Statement
of Purpose and your Writing Sample.
Step 5: Arrange for three letters of recommendation.
These may either be mailed directly to the History Department or they may
be submitted electronically.
Your application materials should be mailed
to:
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of History
PO Box 117320
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611-7320
The mailing address for the Office of Admissions
is:
Office of Admissions
201 Criser Hall
PO Box 114000
Gainesville, FL 32611-4000
Deadlines and
Admissions Process
The application deadline for fall admissions is January 15. The department
only evaluates doctoral candidates once a year. Each year a very limited
number of MA applicants are accepted for spring admissions. The spring
application deadline is October 15th. The United States
history section no longer accepts M.A. applicants for spring admissions.
The department evaluates applications at
two levels. First, the individual sections meet to discuss and rank candidates.
At this stage a member of the faculty must agree to work with any successful
applicant. Then the graduate committee meets to evaluate and rank the files
of students recommended for admission by the various sections.
Once admissions decisions have been made,
the graduate coordinator begins the process of contacting students. In many
cases successful applicants to the doctoral program will receive a letter
of acceptance, but with no immediate guarantee of funding. If you receive
such a letter, we hope that you will hang in there for a few weeks. Often
additional funds become available after we have made our admissions decisions.
And of course as applicants across the country make their decisions we are
able to offer fellowships and assistantships to our high alternates.
April 15th is the national deadline
for accepting fellowship and assistantship offers. If we offer you a fellowship
or assistantship we will check in periodically prior to that date, but successful
applicants are under no obligation to make their final commitments before
April 15th.
