Sydney Cometto, MAPSS

Sydney Cometto chose MAPSS for two reasons: First, it was a one-year program, and second, because she was looking for a challenge that would transform her into an academic professional. “I am hoping to strengthen my critical thinking and self-disciplinary skills,” she says. 

As she begins the program, she expects to concentrate in History, with a focus on British and global history. Sydney is interested in conducting a mix of quantitative and qualitative historical research, and is looking forward to courses that prepare her for her thesis project. In addition, she looks forward to working with her preceptor, Deirdre Lyons, who earned her PhD in History at UChicago, and is herself a MAPSS alum. 

When she was preparing her application to MAPSS, she applied during the program’s early action round. “I found out about my admission by the end of December,” she says, allowing her plenty of time to consider her options before her graduation from her undergraduate institution. For those considering the application process for this admissions cycle, her advice is to choose recommenders wisely and to not be afraid to send friendly reminders about deadlines once they have agreed to write a letter. She says, “Many people have busy schedules, so if you give them adequate time to complete the letter a reminder will not hurt.” 

Looking ahead after her MAPSS experience, she aspires to work as an English Teaching Assistant in Norway and intends to apply to doctoral programs in history as she pursues a path of academia and education.