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highpriestess

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  • Application Season
    2014 Fall
  • Program
    Art History

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  1. Hi - I was accepted for their internship program (and declined). They called to tell me (if I remember correctly) the last week of March.
  2. Hi, just a note - I'm fairly sure that Kasfir is now retired. This is a great idea though; African art definitely needs to be included more in the discussion.
  3. Hey! Firstly, I'll preface this by saying that I'm in an MA program and study French art from 17th-19th century. I don't at all want to discourage you, but your academic record will be an issue. I agree with qwer7890; you need to play up your "journey" and kind of own the fact that you might not have started strong but will finish strong. DEFINITELY emphasize your French skills. Also, try to find out where your LOR writers have connections and apply there. Having connections is very important and can be a make or break situation if you have someone that can vouch for you. Good luck!
  4. I'll add that the way I have been studying is that I have just been checking out history books in French from the library, sitting down with a French-English dictionary, and writing out a translation. For me, I think this has been the best method, mainly because I am fairly solid with grammar, but things like colloquial phrases and idioms are tough. Translating an already history related text has been very helpful and, honestly, at this point we cannot learn an entire language before the exam. For the most part, what's done is done. So it is good to just practice as much as possible and get your head in the game. But we can do it I believe in you guys!!!! (and it is not like they will kick us out if we fail)
  5. Same. Mine is only one hour and no one will give me a straight answer as to how long the passage is. And the GRE was absurd I got like in the 20th percentile for math I think.
  6. yeah I think that is what I have heard too...which I guess isn't that big of a deal. More just embarassing/a pain in the neck. I knew a doctoral student at my undergrad who that happened to and I don't think they made her feel too bad about it.
  7. Yeah same...I really need to cram. I'm fairly confident in my French reading abilities but I am not too sure what the exam specifically entails. Does anyone know what happens if you fail it? haha...
  8. So at the start of September I will have to take my first language exam (French) for my MA. Is anyone studying for this currently? Does anyone have any insight on the best ways to prepare?
  9. I will add that Mary Sheriff is not taking anymore PhD students, sadly. And at UVA there is also Douglas Fordham.
  10. I had a similar situation - I moved back home after I graduated so that I could apply for grad school and save money. I ended up doing two unpaid internships and my advice would be to do it. Unfortunately, unpaid internships just seem to be a fact of life now. I know people who majored in things like finance and architecture who still have to do unpaid internships, so us art history majors are not alone. However, I would temper my pro-unpaid internship advice with this: don't limit yourself to the art world. My first internship was at a pretty good museum (not like the MET or something, but still well regarded), and after a few months I decided that it just wasn't what I wanted. You will probably find out that, because you aren't a paid employee, your internship isn't going to entrust you to do too much real work. It was almost all paperwork and, like, sending invitations to donors for events. So I decided to switch to an internship where I was teaching English to refugees for a non-profit organization. I can tell you hands down that when I was applying for grad school and doing the interviews my universities were much more interested in the work I was doing with refugees than my museum internships. As a bonus, all of my students were from the Congo and I was able to practice my French skills with them, which was a great addition to my application. Basically, I would just say that you shouldn't limit yourself to a gallery or museum, because they will very likely use you as unpaid labor. The connections could be worthwhile, but I wouldn't rely on that. Doing something outside of the art world could give you an edge.
  11. I'll really have to disagree with the idea that "pickings are slim" in the field of French art history. It is a very popular field (which makes it very competitive). Because of this, I would advise against getting a PhD from a 2nd tier university (unless the fit happens to be extremely good). You didn't mention the time period you are interested in, but my specialty is 19th Century France, so here are some places/people I would recommend if you are going along those lines: Darcy Grigsby - UC Berkeley Thomas Crow - IFA Micheal Fried - Johns Hopkins Howard Lay and Susan Siegfried - University of Michigan Andre Dombrowski - UPenn Carol Armstrong - Yale Margaret Werth - University of Delaware Laura L. Meixner - Cornell Ewa Lajer- Burcharth - Harvard Martha Ward - U Chicago S. Hollis Clayson and Stephen S. Eisenman - Northwestern Of course, this is a finite list. It could go on and on. Good luck!
  12. Also, I will add that it sounds like the University of Wisconsin might be a good match for you as well. Possibly Hunter as well. If you have foreign language skills then play that up BIG TIME.
  13. Hi Fiona! Firstly, I want to preface this by saying that you should not give up and you are not "dreaming." While the low GPA is certainly a hurdle, if you can make a compelling case for your interest in Art History then it probably won't be something that outright eliminates you. The Courtauld is pretty selective, but they also accept a pretty large number of people. My GPA was far from 4.0 but was accepted anyways. I would say you should certainly apply, but don't put all your eggs in that basket. Also, you are probably aware of this, but the Courtauld is very expensive and the chances of getting any sort of funding are very slim, so it might not even be a great option if you are accepted. What I would recommend above anything else right now is to start emailing prospective professors. If you can get someone in your corner then that will make all the difference. Make a case for why you want to study what you want to study, and if there is a reason for the low GPA then make sure that is included in your application (i.e. my GPA was significantly lowered because of my math and science gen eds but my major gpa was always strong). Also, I would say hedge your bets if you can. Apply to a large number of programs. If you have an art history professor that you are close with make sure you consult them and run your application by them before you submit. And grad cafe is very helpful! Good luck; don't give up!
  14. Hi! I'm actually not doing conservation, but I do have some friends working on it. It sounds like you are actually doing pretty good so far, but you are going to need more art history under your belt, I think. Not to be creepy, but it looks like you are in Ann Arbor; I would suggest going and talking to Alex Potts in the art history department. He would certainly help you out. The UMMA has some conservation stuff going on as well on the second floor and I am sure someone there would talk to you. If I were you I would also look into the conservation program at U Delaware--it is excellent. Good Luck!!
  15. Hey I was wondering if anyone might know more about U Delaware's MA program? Specifically their placement record with PhD programs? Feel free to PM me if you are a current student!
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