Bearcat1

To add to this, if you speak with someone who doesn't necessarily fit, but make a good impression, that person could always mention you to the person who is a good fit. A recommendation from within the department is always a good thing!

Something to look at (or ask about) is where graduates from the program have ended up. Do they get jobs is basically what you want to know. They won't give you names, most likely, but the DGS should be able to give you some institutions where grads work or have worked after graduation. Also, for museum studies, I would think you'd want the program to be affiliated with a museum and have success in placing students in internships. I'm applying for art history PhD programs, but I'm looking to go the curatorial track, so these are things I'm looking at, and I've been able to get answers from all the programs I'm applying to. For museum work, practical training and experience seem to account for more than school prestige (especially at the MA level), so I would focus on programs near museums you would be interested in working at and then find out if there are connections between the two.

Susan Laxton at UC Riverside I hear is really great, and the program is affiliated with the California Museum of Photography. (That's a terminal MA, and they do have fairly good funding. Great, actually, for an MA program.)

A professor I'm close to told me that often, they will agree to write a letter and then write one that allows the reader to "read between the lines" and understand that the writer doesn't actually recommend the student. Which is a really shitty thing to do, but apparently happens. I would definitely ask someone else, because you do NOT want a letter like that. On the flip side, I have also experienced professors who are so profoundly lazy that they just can't be bothered with anything. And I would also think a lazy writer would write a bad letter.

It's absolutely appropriate to contact the DGS about funding! I've also found, in my searches and conversations with faculty and various departmental staff that there is often "unadvertised" funding. It will certainly be more difficult with an MA, but it's definitely worth inquiring about.

I don't think so. Most program's due dates are still two months away, so it would be ridiculous for professors to stop responding to potential student emails this early! Are you both contacting well-known, "fancy" professors who are getting tons and tons of emails from potential students? I have had such good luck with making contact (via email and phone), I can't believe I've just been lucky. Give it some more time, and resend emails after a few weeks, in case the original ones were missed or forgotten. What's the worst that can happen? They are mad that you've sent too many emails? You don't want to work with someone like that anyway. Another route might be to contact the Graduate Chair (or whatever their title may be) of the department with a less-specific email, but be clear who you're thinking of working with. If you can get a response from them with a CC to your POI, that may be the foot in the door, so-to-speak, that you need to get a response. Another thing I thought of: I ended up speaking with a professor who is on sabbatical this semester, which isn't posted anywhere on the department website. She happens to be working from home and available via email and phone, but it's certainly possible that on sabbatical one wouldn't be. That would also be something you could find out through the Grad Chair.

Did you just start contacting them? I started sending emails the week after all the programs started (I have a spreadsheet with all the info, so I knew when they'd be back on campus) and I heard back quickly from all of them. I've spoken to many on the phone since, but now when I send emails with further questions, the responses are really slow. I think they are getting busier with everything, including inquiries from potential grad students, so things are taking more time. I'd hang in there and wait a while longer. If you give them enough time though, (2 weeks ish?) I don't think it would hurt to resend emails.

I have had great luck contacting professors I'm hoping to work with. I've sent emails and had phone conversations with most of them, but if they are busy, they will tell you via email. I agree with losemygrip that professors don't mind writing letters of recommendation. Once the first is written, they are all basically the same, so I don't think it makes a big difference whether you apply to one or 20 schools. And most of the applications I have filled out require (or prefer) that recommendations be sent electronically, so check that out before you provide envelopes to everyone. I read in a previous post that providing a CV, a list of where you are applying with application due dates, and transcripts to each recommendor is great, and I've done that for mine, although I'm not sure if they needed that information. Good luck on your GREs!

I think 1-1.5 weeks is plenty of notice. It seems short since you are traveling, but sounds right if you were down the street. I would contact the Admissions Coordinator. In my experience, that is the person who generally arranges these types of things, and if not, they can definitely direct you to the right person. When I visited my MA program, I met with the Graduate Advisor, my POI, and about three other professors in the department. Plus, the graduate assistant arranged meetings for me with two professors outside the department. If the people you will work with in Paris aren't there, you may meet with fewer people, but I would guess that there is someone at that campus who coordinates the program in Paris, so you'll probably want to meet with them. Since there is info on the website, I don't think there are standard questions you need to answer. Ask what you really want to know. If you are concerned about housing, or campus life, ask about it. Ask for a former or current student in the program with whom you can speak about their experience, preferrably one who has worked with your POI, if you have one. Good luck! A program in Paris sounds amazing.

What field are you in? Listing 3 faculty members seems like a lot. I would focus on one from each program that you see as your "main" person. Contact them, and I don't think you need to read everything they've ever written. I used the "I'm familiar with your work on blah-blah-blah topic," rather than referring to specific publications, and all the responses were positive. No one "quizzed" me on what I knew about them, either via email or on the phone afterward. After contacting those main faculty members, they may recommend you contact others within their department, but instead of referencing their work, then you'll be able to say, "so-and-so referred me to you" and you'll save yourself tons of reading.

I have been speaking by phone with all of my POIs (7 of 9 so far) and most of them have asked where else I'm applying. A couple have recommended other programs that I have overlooked, not in a "don't come here" way, but trying to be helpful. So I think not only is that question unavoidable during interviews or other phone contact, it may work in your favor to divulge the info.

I know there are a few people at UC Santa Barbara who work on collecting. I am specifically interested in early modern European collections, but check out their faculty page. Also, I know the University of Wisconsin has a material culture program that's heavily focused on American topics, so that might be a good place to look as well. Also check out Jason Weems at UC Riverside. I think if your work as a "historical interpretor" has shaped your interest in collecting, then you should absolutely mention it in your SOP, but don't dwell on it. And I think the quality of your writing sample should trump the subject. If you weren't in a program for your undergrad where anyone worked on collecting, then you wouldn't have a writing sample with that subject. You could maybe explain in one sentence in your SOP why you chose an unrelated writing sample, but I would recommend using your strongest writing, rather than choosing by subject. Good luck!

I tried again yesterday and it worked. When you first log in it says it's the application for Fall 2012, but you can select all the programs and Fall 2013 as your intended start.

I agree with surefire. I have been treating this process like I would a "real" job interview, with thank you emails for their time. Some haven't responded, and some have given me really great feedback (like, "Really looking forward to reading your application") and I think any positive feedback during this process is good!

I don't have a concrete answer, but I can tell you what I am doing and hopefully that will help. For any application that doesn't specify length, I am using my entire MA thesis. Without page limits, it's not the pages that matter but the file size when you're uploading it. If you don't have a ton of images, I would think you'd be able to upload your entire thesis without a problem. I would think if you have a new and unique approach to your topic, taking out that portion might be shooting yourself in the foot. For the program with a shorter limit, I would contact the graduate secretary (or whatever that person's title is) or even your POI about it. I've had two POIs tell me that they want my entire thesis, regardless of the fact that the application instructions call for a shorter paper. I hope that helps a little! Good luck!

I finished an MA program in June, and I think for most terminal MAs it's fairly common to not even be certain who you are working with when you start a program. I ended up changing advisors and topics (drastically) in my first year, and so did serveral other people in my program. That being said, I think it's good to have a focus going in (even if it changes later), but I wouldn't make it too narrow. I think 19th century French painting is perfect, and leave it at that. You can explain briefly that your interest stems from visiting Paris during your childhood; I think that's a great connection. I don't think you need to express everything you're curious about, but know that you have the option to change your focus later. As far as "essential pre-MA reading," these books were my textbooks for the proseminar in methods, and I think they give a pretty good overview. http://www.amazon.com/Art-History-Critical-Anthology-Oxford/dp/0199229848/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349275233&sr=1-1&keywords=preziosi http://www.amazon.com/Art-History-Methods-Eric-Fernie/dp/0714829919/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y http://www.amazon.com/Art-History-Critical-Introduction-Methods/dp/0719069599/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z I don't think you NEED to read them before you get into a program, though. You'll still have to read them again, and I don't think you'll be behind not having read them prior to class. I hope that helps! I took the same path you are taking (terminal MA, now applying to PhD programs), so if you have other questions I'd be happy to help.

Thanks, Shelley. That helps a lot. I've already have phone conversations with 7 of the nine POIs where I'm applying, and I'm in the process of scheduling calls with the other two, but I definitely think seeing them "in action" and meeting other professors in the program would be beneficial.

I definitely considered that, although my "reach" schools are all private and have visit weekends, so I think visiting now would seem strange (would they know why I'm there?). One of my worries is having time to plan and go on a visit before I have to make a decision, especially if I am invited on visit weekends and have to schedule around those. So I was thinking maybe it makes more sense to visit now?

I was wondering if anyone else was considering campus visits prior to acceptance? I am applying to a few places that don't have visit weekends, and I am trying to decide if I should visit in December, or wait to see if I'm accepted and then plan a trip. (These are all long-distance trips, from West Coast to Midwest and East Coast; I already have a visit scheduled to the one school that I can drive to.) I'd love anyone's thoughts on this, whether applying now or if you've already been through it. Thanks!

Has anyone tried to access the Fall 2013 application today? It still won't let me select art history, or next fall. Is my computer screwy or is anyone else having this issue?

The app site now says the Fall 2013 cycle will open on Oct. 1.

If the CV isn't required, perhaps you could work the art gallery at least into your Statement of Purpose? Most of them ask about experiences that have prepared you for grad school, so even if they don't ask that specifically, I would think it wouldn't seem strange to include that. If working at the art gallery is how you realized you wanted to pursue graduate studies, then I think you should most definitely include that. I don't think you should send an unsolicited CV, though. I hope that helps!

I've heard that many departments don't care what your GRE scores look like, but the Graduate Divisions at universities often base funding on combined (verbal and quantitative) scores. The higher your overall score, the better your chances of getting funding, and more of it. At the MA level, I don't think it would keep you out of a program, but it can hurt your financial package. Also, my undergraduate advisor (at a top ten grad program) told me that a decent quantitative score shows you are a logical thinker, and they like that. Study hardest for the verbal portion, but don't ignore the math. Good luck!