BuddingScholar

Have you guys seen "Into Great Silence" by Philip Gröning yet? If not, you should. This documentary was released in 2005, and it is, in my opinion, one of the most visually arresting contemporary films I've ever seen. I watch it as though I'm attending a beautifully curated group of photographs on a museum wall. Every frame and moment of this film is a gorgeous [sort of] tableaux vivant.

Friendships forming here and being carried on into graduate school. I LOVE IT! Glad to hear that you guys chose the same school.

Amen and thanks to that comment! I am right at that point where self-worth has become deeply entangled with self-doubt, and reading something like this helps me minimize a bit of my anxieties and doubts.

La Jetée.... I forgot to add this one.... Shame on me!

Can we compile a list of movies every art historian SHOULD watch? *** This is not to prepare for my application next year... I just haven't been able to watch a whole lot of movies in the past few years, so I am planning to use my year off to catch up on all the good stuff. Unlike books, I am very handicapped here. My fifty cents: Black Orpheus (one of my all time favorites) Seraphine Psycho L'age d'or Le beau Serge Citizen Kane Nosferatu Breakfast at Tiffany's Dancer in the dark The Cabinet of Dr. Kaligary Un Chien Andalou

Wow... we are one complicated group [including myself]! And I find it sobering, illuminating and absolutely hilarious. This was meant to be a pretty straightforward thread. I thought that many of us would find useful and fun to share some of the readings that either shaped or influenced one's interests. Though I realize that my inquiry could be easily construed as an attempt to strengthen my theoretical background, and obviously it will, I have the habit of making a list of about 50 books to read every year, which I pretty much follow very closely. And I though we would have fun by exchanging suggestions here. Unfortunately I have been diagnosed with both OCD and anal retentiveness – not a fun combination I will tell you... So I have the habit of making lists for almost everything. If that wasn’t enough, I have two addictions: buying books and drinking Starbucks. Just so you have an idea, I don’t even like coffee, but I drink about 5-7 SB venti lattes a day; I have been trying to reduce this number in order to be able to buy more books. A propos, I buy on average 200 books each year, which does not include the ones required for school. P.S.: I have already read [and sometimes reread] a good 2/3 of the books suggested here. --- But I do want to go back to some of those titles though. There are some great suggestions here! With that in mind, I understand, especially based on my previous posts, that it seems like all I ask and do on Gradcafe is intended somehow towards next year’s applications. Honestly, I didn’t have that in mind AT ALL when I started this thread. Since this will be the first time in a long time that I will be able to choose pretty much everything I want and will read this year, I felt it would only be logical to ask for suggestions here. Please forgive me if this is not the place to post this kind of query though -- I genuinely mean it! I have actually begun to talk with several of you in private to pick your individual brains regarding the application process in order to stop disturbing the flow of the forum with my “selfish” questions [no sarcasm here]. Many of us have already heard from all the schools, others are still on the wait, and many others are dealing with the [nice] problem of having to decide where to go. So I figured I would stop talking a bit about admissions since we [the ones applying next year] still have a good way to go until applications are due again. Instead I thought I would trigger a new conversation about things that some people may find more exciting: books being one of them. Once again, you guys have generously shared more than I was hoping to get here though. But I found really interesting how we [again including myself] tend to over think and complicate even the most straightforward requests. I am actually happy to realize that I am not the only one like that. Perhaps that means we are all in the right field and pursuing the right thing: graduate studies. Just as a side note… I do critically look at art on a daily basis, go to Museums and galleries as much as I can, and buy the exhibition catalogues of those shows I cannot make in person. I should also add that I am making a different list with books that I should buy in order to improve my profile for next year’s application. For example, since I have no knowledge of German, I ordered April Wilson’s German Quickly to start to address that problem. Regarding other languages, I am completely fluent in French, Portuguese and Spanish with reading fluency of Italian. I know that it sounds like bragging, and perhaps it is a little, but it is supposed to be in a funny lighthearted way, not at all pedantic. Please don’t take it the wrong way! Okay… now that you are all tired of my ranting about personal motivations for this thread, I hope we can resume the book/readings ideas exchange. AND, by the way, I know I still need to post mine… I am working on my list [imagine that] and will soon be posting it here too. cheers!

I second people here... I am not in grad school yet, but I am in a similar situation also. I am a single parent of a child afflicted with a severe non-curable degenerative and rare disease, so I understand the difficulties of getting organized to go to graduate school. We need to take into account many more variables than most people here understand. I ABSOLUTELY sympathize with you. With that in mind, I think you might need to think [even more] about why you want to go to grad school. Even without experience, I know that grad school will take up a lot of your time and will require an insurmountable amount of effort and dedication from you. So my questions to you are: Can you do that? Do you have that to offer? I am confident you have the will and drive to do it, but CAN YOU really do it? I continue to ask myself this question, and am more and more convinced that I can and will. I do not think that your unwillingness to retake the GRE bespeaks your intellectual readiness to take on the challenge. I do, however, question if you are ready [psychologically and time-wise] for it since you cannot even study for the GRE. I recently bought a Princeton Review book and it cost me under $20.00, so I think you are likely to afford one [i don't know your financial situation well enough though]. After that, just set up a study schedule and stick to it. Unlike many people here, I do not have the luxury of cramming for the test as I am busy with my daughter, work and school (still) for long periods of time, so I have to sparse out my efforts and have a lot of self-discipline to stick with a study program. YOU CAN DO IT! Go for it, if you really want this. We will likely need to make more sacrifices than most people but it can be done. It has been done before, and I know many people who are in the middle of it right now. They say it's VERY hard, but also very rewarding. If this is your dream, as it is certainly mine, we should be willing to do whatever it takes. Please feel free to PM at anytime if you would like to talk more about this. I have found reassuring to meet and talk with people that is going or have gone through similar situations. The bottom line: don't rule yourself out of great programs just because of the GRE.

I do need to read Freud, Lacan, more Locke, Saussure, etc... Any specific books from these you find particularly better or "mandatory." I will be posting my list later today when I get home...

I'll drink [starbucks] to that!

Hey guys... Can you help me compile a list of books one MUST have read before starting a PhD in Art History? 1. I am curious to find out how many of those I have already read; 2. I am making a list of books to read this year... I usually read somewhere between 30-50 books/year, so hopefully you can help me compile a very nice and long list. P.S.: My main areas of interests are theory & criticism, modernism/post-modernism and photo history. There may be some other, apparently unrelated, books that you found instrumental in your development as an art historian. Aaaahhhhh... articles and reviews are welcomed too! cheers!!!

Likely... they said all letters will have been mailed out by today (03/15).

I spoke with the art history department yesterday and was told that decisions were still being made. They expect to wrap up the whole process within 2 weeks max. My guess is that the ones that received answers were already in contact with POIs and probably heard back directly from them.

Quick update: NYU... was informed that Phd accepts have been notified, and they are now deciding who they will offer the MA option instead. It would not give me the status of my application! Columbia... still reviewing apps... by early April with all the results. It seems (personal observation) as if the people being funded have already heard from the school though. Harvard... couldn't really get much, but it sounded like "no news is bad news," at this point. Forgot to say one thing... decision letters will be mailed out no later than March 15th. Yale... emailed inquiring, but have not heard back yet.

Yale does not welcome calls. I sent an email earlier today to inquire, I will let you know as soon as I hear back.

My pleasure!

I thought I would update you fellow CUNY hopefuls. I called CUNY today and was told that decisions are still being made. They expect to have all email/letters sent out within the next two weeks. P.S.: At this point, I don't care anymore, so I will be contacting (read: bugging) all schools to get the results. Tired of waiting! : ) Besides I don't think I will get any offers so I just want to move on with my life. I will keep y'all posted!

Do you guys know anything about prof. Kim Sichel at Boston U? Can you share your thoughts on her, and/or perhaps the art history MA program at BU?

Do you guys know if any of the top MA programs take students in both fall and spring semesters? If so, which one(s)? thanks...

Hello guys... Sorry for the long absence. It was my last week in Paris and I was trying to cram in as many exhibitions as I possibly could. I see that there has been a thread of fruitful debate over my post - I appreciate that. Instead of addressing anyone specifically I will attempt to explain my reasoning for the post. First of all, I do understand the following: 1. There is no recipe to get in - in other words - the whole process is a crap shoot. 2. Every school is different, thus one never knows what each one is looking for in a given year. 3. People approach the process differently, so again, there is no formula. 4. Each one of you have unique traits that make you particularly attractive to certain schools. Second of all, I also understand the mistakes I made this year (full disclosure): 1. I did not put the amount of time and effort necessary to figure out the best fit (school, POIs, etc), except for two POIs; 2. I wrote my SOP for one school, and changed "very little" for the other schools (I put all my eggs in one basket); 3. I took the GRE in the last minute, was very sick and didn't have the time to retake, resulting in a more than dismal score across the board (I think that alone eliminated me from the process in several schools); 4. My writing sample could be a little longer and better elaborated (this is already being addressed since I submitted an unfinished paper: my preliminary honors thesis - I hadn't even been to Paris yet to finish my research); 5. I did not emphasize my strengths well enough on my SOP, nor did I address my weaknesses appropriately either. 6. Though I studied art theory, I think my school didn't do a good enough job addressing current issues and trends (in fact, I don't think my professor knows what is going on in our field right now - I am very well versed in my subfield though since I did the work on my own) - I noticed how many of you are well versed and knowledgeable on the subject (which is why I think I could benefit from a masters). I have also started to address this problem... reading, reading, reading, reading, and reading for the next several months. Now... what I was hoping to get from my inquiry. These questions were very vague for one reason, and one reason only: I wanted to see if there is some sort of trend/pattern for the more "global" questions I have. Notice that I am not interested in GRE scores, GPAs, which school specifically you went to, etc. This is really a very superficial attempt to identify any trend, if there is one. I know that this is not big enough of a sample here to rely on, but as I am starting to prepare for the next application cycle and I am trying everything I can to get a better understanding of the process. With all that being said, all your answers have been extremely helpful in trying to allay my curiosity and inform my action plan for next cycle- I truly and gratefully mean that. Many of you have shared more than I was hoping to get here. All the best!

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS to those who have already received marvelous news from a few schools. Those who haven't heard yet, hang in there. The game is not over. Anyway... Now that you have gotten some positive answers from schools, I was hoping you could help our poor hopefuls who will be applying next year by answering some pretty "vague" questions. I do NOT mean to impinge on your privacy and anonymity so these questions are meant to be as superficial as you want them to be. I am specially interested in those who have gotten in any of the following schools: Yale, Harvard, UC Berkeley, Princeton, Chicago, Northwestern, Brown, Columbia, UCLA, Wiliams (MA), Tufts (MA), NYU, CUNY, Duke, U Michigan, Cornell, UT Austin and Chapel Hill. So here we go... 1. Do you have a graduate degree? 2. Did you graduate from an Ivy league and/or a top art history program (undergrad, grad, or both)? 3. Did you contact the POI(s) of the schools you were accepted to ahead of time? Email, phone and/or in person? 4. Did you have an interview? if so, how many? 5. Was this your first time applying? If not, second or third? 6. Are all your offers fully funded? 7. How many offers have you gotten so far? Thank you for taking the time! All the best to all of you... I hope our paths will cross one day.

I am in a similar situation, kaykay12, except for the fact that I have not been accepted anywhere. I still think, however, that regardless of this year's results, I will be applying to a few MAs next year also. I am pretty confident about the people that I want to work with, and where I would be willing to relocated to for a PhD (location IS very important to me). So an MA at this point might be just what I need to get where I want to be - I will put up with a small town for two years, not for 5+. Though I am fine with being rejected across the board, and I honestly mean that, I would love to get all the results out of the way already. I am more and more confident that I won't be accepted anywhere, but still... I HATE that lingering sensation of "what if."

Obviously I got all switched around. Sorry guys... At this point, I don't know anything anymore. All I can think of are the letters and manuscripts I have been reading here in Paris. Besides, I think the time difference is messing up with an already messed up brain. In any case, Tufts and Williams seem to have A-MA-ZING programs. I will be certainly applying to those next year.

One thing I thought it was nice about Williams was that every grad student only pays for his/her first year of study. In addition, if wanted, they are offered TA positions in their second year to help offset some living expenses.

Congrats to the Yale admits!!!

Good to know! I am such a dumb a...