Phdoobiedoobiedoo

Can you tell me if you know this from being invited? If so, I am bummed. You are referring to Amer Studies right? (Your program is listed as Urban Ed, so just checking.)

A professor at another uni called my dept "a conspiracy of incompetence" and "incestuous". I don't disagree with this assessment.

Just got an email from one school saying one of my LOR is missing. C'mon universe, I'm nice to you.

I'm not sure if they have sent them out yet. but I would think so since it is pretty soon. I don't know how many people they have invited, or how many spots they are filling though. There have been a lot of changes in the dept lately, so it might be that they are doing admits differently. Keep hope alive! (Sorry to be a downer.) I know that in the past they had interviews on campus and then didn't make decisions until well over a month later, and that people who have been accepted off the invite have declined previously also. So I think they might go back and crunch the numbers depending on who accepts. I think that in the past two years they only wound up having 2 or 3 new people each cycle because accepted students went elsewhere. The entering grad class before that was about 8 people at least. And I believe everyone was funded. It ain't over til it's over! Perhaps some spying is in order...I'll see what I can find out.

OSU is having their interview/invite weekend February 1st. They generally invite a larger group, maybe about 10 or so depending on how many apply (that's a little on the higher side though), and choose from those people. If there is someone who can't make that weekend you won't be penalized for being unable to attend, they have still admitted people unable to visit, and have also awarded people who couldn't visit university fellowships. In the recent past during that weekend you meet individually with your POI and then individually with 2 additional professors closest to/related to your field; they have a dinner at a professor's home with faculty, potentials, and current grad students; a small departmental symposium; and you go out to dinner with some grad students, no faculty, in the same specialty in which you are interested. Don't know if anyone is interested, but that is their general way of choosing people.

I don't know where you are thinking of applying, but the University of New Mexico's Art History grad program doesn't require GRE scores for applicants. There is a photography specialist there named Catherine Zuromskis. I don't know anything about her, but you could check it out or maybe have it as a back-up when you apply to schools if you are super concerned about scores.

From my uncle in all of the last four conversations I have had with him: When are you going to finish? You know, when I was your age we didn't go to college and look where I am, and you have all this schooling and...(trails off but I still hear the implied "and look where you are you big loser").

You might also want to keep in mind that if you are sent off, to dinner or whatever, to spend time with their current grad students to ask them questions, etc., that you still need to NOT be an asshat. I went to one of these once where the interviewees went to eat with the current students, no professors, and one applicant brought up that he didn't think the US should help Haiti after the earthquake, he said he 'hated Mormons', etc. Just obnoxious stuff. (One of the grad students present was an advanced student, very respected by the faculty, and a Mormon.) Just be aware that the students are there to answer your questions, but they may also be asked their opinion about you by the faculty after you leave. I don't know that this is standard and how much weight it may have with your application, but if you say any random thing to a student keep in mind that they may repeat it to the faculty. Sorry if this seems blatantly obvious, but clearly some people don't consider it. Time spent with their grad students should be considered part of the interview so to speak.