App Advice: Doctoral Application Insights from a First-Year Ph.D. Student in History

It’s the end of November, which means that Ph.D. application deadlines are fast approaching.

As you work through your application, we invite you to take a moment to read advice from first-year Ph.D. in history student, Jenna Lugo (G’29), about applying to a doctoral program.

Advice from Jenna

“Hi! I’m Jenna Lugo, a first-year Ph.D. student in the history program at Georgetown University. I am interested in 19th century U.S. intellectual history with a focus on marginalized populations’ political activism.

“As a first-generation student, I found the grad school application very daunting, so do not worry if you are feeling overwhelmed with all the different components in the application process. I recommend creating a community/network with your professors or other students interested in applying to graduate school even if they are in different fields.

“Even though I am in the humanities, I spent many long nights working on applications, creating lists of schools, and reaching out to potential professors with friends applying to graduate programs in STEM fields. The sense of comradery helped me feel better when I felt bogged down by upcoming deadlines. Along with that, my professors and mentors helped me through every step of the application process, creating a list of schools to apply to, narrowing down potential advisors that would be a good fit and editing essays.

“Lean on your network and community, they want to see you succeed – and remember to always thank them and keep in contact with them!”