I am close to graduation from Millersville University of PA with a BA in History. I am considering going on to graduate school and going for an MA in History. I have a 3.6 GPA throughout my college studies with a 4.0 in the History classes I have taken. I have not yet taken any standardized tests for graduate school. I did start out my college education at a community college (HACC). What level of graduate schools do I have a reasonable chance of being accepted into? Should I be looking at only low tier state schools or are higher level ones in play? Is having started at a community college going to hurt my chances?
(Sorry if this is not the right place to post this, it seemed like it would be the right area.)
This is the right place, but you don’t have really have enough information for us to help you make this evaluation. Your GPA is great - which would indicate that you are competitive for higher-tier schools. You haven’t taken any standardized tests, though, and that will help you make a determination. The fact that you started at a community college and that you went to Millersville are both pretty irrelevant; you could still aim for higher-level schools. I suspect that this is really what you are worried about, and I am here to say - don’t.
But whether you are competitive depends on your writing sample, your letters of recommendation, and other factors (like if you’ve done any research or been involved in any internships, study abroad programs, or other curricular or extracurricular activities that might enhance your application).
What is your long term goal? If you want a MA to be more competitive for teaching high school or working in a public history job, where you obtain your degree will matter less. If you aspire to an academic career at the university level, the prestige of your degree-granting institution will matter more. Academic fit is also important - as you take more advanced coursework, you will focus on a particular region and/or historical period. So you would target particular programs if you had a specialty interest like ancient China. Generic interest in US or European history could probably be served at many places for the MA, with greater specificity at the PhD level.
Many programs require the GRE; without those results, it’s hard to make recommendations. However, some MA programs are test optional or don’t require the GRE if you end up not doing as well as you’d like.
If you are interested in an academic career, I would try for a state flagship for the M.A. That would prepare you well for a PhD in a variety of settings. Your grades are solid, particularly in your major. And if you get a great GRE, you might aim higher.
Finally, don’t take on significant debt to obtain a graduate degree. If you have potential, you will probably get a fellowship of some kind to defray tuition and possibly living expenses. With that in mind, apply to a variety of schools so you can compare financials.
I know of many college professors who started out in CC and/or obtained their B.A. degrees at regional colleges or universities. So don’t let that hold you back!
I should have mentioned my goal which is to teach at the University level. I know that requires a PhD but I’m planning on starting in an MA program so that if I decide not to continue I still have the MA and can do something with it. I have a Social Studies teaching certification so I can still use the MA (and it would give me a good leg up) if I decided not to continue on to a PhD program.
Some schools I was thinking about are the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Denver, University of Wyoming, and the University of Delaware. Are these good schools that would set me up for a good PhD program or should I be aiming higher? They do offer funding that covers tuition and a good chunk of living expenses.
@TJAMES97 On a related note, I would love to hear about your overall experience at Millersville. My D is a HS senior and seriously considering the school. Was it a good, positive overall experience? It is hard to get much feedback (at all) on the CC boards about Millersville. Maybe because it is a lesser known PASSHE school compared with West Chester, IUP, Bloomsburg, etc.? Not sure. Feel free to post here or PM me. Thanks so much.
Generally, graduate students who receive full funding are those who are going on for a doctorate. Talk to your advisor or a professor who you would look to for a recommendation; ask for advice. Let them know that you are interested in a doctoral program. Ask your profs if they have any suggestions for you. Also, start getting ready to take the GRE.
@Portercat The professors are very good and there are a good number of quality courses. As for dorms, food and on campus life I can’t speak much to those as I live with my parents. The quality of the education though is worth much more than what it will cost (especially if you are paying the in state rate).
I’d like to thank you guys and gals for your help with this it’s nice to know I have decent prospects for a graduate education. I’ve talked to my professors and they think my chances at getting into a good school are reasonably high. One school that stands out to me still is the university of Wyomingm. They have a good program and offer full assistanceships to masters students that include teaching opportunities. Would you say a Masters from Wyoming would be respectable or should I look for better schools?
^ Depends, what kind of history most interests you? US? Europe? Something else? Particular time period? You don’t want to end up at a place where there are only 1 or 2 professors who offer courses in your main field of interest. As I mentioned before, any state flagship should offer enough breadth and depth at the MA level for mainstream topics. The western states are often good value - WY, MT, WA, OR, CO, NM, and AZ are worth investigating.