Insights from the HPS/IHPST Graduate Panel
1. Ask yourself why you want to go — and at what level
Mark Solovey emphasized that, “stating the obvious, but enjoying your learning experience in undergrad is a very important factor.” If you are not already engaged by the kind of reading, writing, and discussion you do now, the more focused intensity of graduate work may be challenging to sustain.
Several panelists distinguished between MA and PhD pathways. Rebecca Woods noted that “a master’s program gives you a good taste of what it is like to be a grad student,” especially if you “don’t have any particular goal in mind,” and she “would perhaps discourage one from seeking a PhD immediately.” Mark similarly suggested that “sometimes doing a master’s can help you figure out if graduate work [is] for you,” adding: “don’t jump to doing a marathon right away if your only experience is with running short distances.”
Lucia Dacome added that graduate school can be “a means of self-realization” and need not be oriented only toward academic careers, especially in a field such as HPS that is “incredibly interdisciplinary” and allows you, mid-program, to explore new ideas or ways of thinking that other grad programs likely would not allow for.”
2. Funding and institutional culture matter
Multiple panelists advised students to “follow the money.” Rebecca commented that “if you can avoid paying for grad school, do it,” while also noting that MA programs are “increasingly less funded.” Matthew McLaughlin remarked that “sometimes following the program that is willing to support you financially is the best way forward.”
Beyond funding, panelists stressed the importance of institutional culture. Kye Palider highlighted that, given “the smaller nature of the program, it was very easy to form one-on-one connections with professors.” Rebecca described IHPST as having an “unusually” warm and supportive culture for a graduate program. Matthew pointed to “graduate student workshops every month” that are “excellent for sharing ideas and getting feedback.” Several panelists emphasized that IHPST is “much less isolating” and that graduate groups are “pretty social, and supportive of each other.”
In short, before you apply, you are not only choosing a program but a funding model and community that will shape your everyday life.
3. Gap years are not a problem — and often an asset
On the question of taking time away from school, the panel was clear: there is “no ‘expiration date’ on grad school.” Rebecca stressed that you “benefit far more from the maturity you gain in the time you take to reflect on your academic goals/interests,” and that a 1–2 year gap has “never been a negative influence” on how grades are evaluated.
Mark pointed out that if you are “able to build experience within those years you take in between schooling, this can benefit your chances rather than hurt them.” Andrew Jones suggested that one might “take a year off after undergrad to see how you feel about working in the ‘real world’,” and asked prospective students to reflect honestly: “Is your goal to be wealthy or to explore your intellectual interests?”
At the same time, Matthew cautioned that if your reason for starting an MA is “simply to delay choosing what direction you want your future to take, there is a substantial risk you will struggle.” Time off is most valuable when used for reflection and experience, not avoidance.
4. Begin to focus your interests, but do not panic about fixing a topic
Graduate work is “quite focused in comparison to undergrad,” and the panelists offered guidance on developing a thesis or dissertation idea. Rebecca suggested that if you have “a wide range of interests,” it may be “more worth considering taking an MA,” since the MA “will give you time to intellectually develop yourself,” whereas “crafting an application for a PhD requires a lot more specialization.” She also recommended referencing “specific classes that have interested you especially” when you struggle to frame an application.
Lucia advised students to “think about what really matters the most to you,” noting that the process “requires a lot of self-reflection about your academic values, and there isn’t any way around that.” Mark underscored that an applications committee needs to see that you can “identify a specific area you’re interested in, or specific questions you are seeking to explore,” again pointing to the value of citing “specific classes you’ve taken.”
Crucially, Mark reminded students that “you are NOT committed to the projects you might be proposing to complete in your applications, these are very likely to change.” Matthew added that “talking about your interests with upper-year graduate students can be extremely helpful,” because they “have the experience fresh in their minds of having to narrow their fields of study.”
You are expected to show direction and coherence, not a fully finished project.
5. Your application should tell a coherent academic story
On what distinguishes a strong application, the panel converged on the importance of the statement of purpose, transcript, and relationships with faculty.
Rebecca emphasized that the “statement of purpose can really set you apart from other applicants,” especially when it offers a “clear rationale for wanting an MA/PhD,” shows that you are “pursuing this for intellectual growth,” and allows the committee to see “how [your] academic journey has led [you] to the place [you] are in now.” For PhDs, she noted that you must demonstrate the “ability to come up with good dissertation questions” and some “methodological training.” She encouraged students to “address anomalies on [their] transcript if relevant,” and to “keep in touch with professors” who might write letters of recommendation.
Mark stated plainly that the admissions committee wants evidence that you can “succeed in the graduate program,” which “can mean good grades, but more importantly, good grades in the classes that matter for the program you are applying for.” You must show that you “can do well the things that you will be required to do more of as a graduate student.”
Taken together, the panel’s advice suggests that a strong application is one in which your coursework, grades, statement, references, and proposed interests fit together into a straightforward narrative about why you are prepared for, and committed to, graduate study.
This update was supported by HPSUS staff and AI. If you’d like to submit human-written work for publishing and article submissions, feel free to contact hpsus.internal@gmail.com.