m-ttl

Are we sure you ate a crepe? I've never had one that tasted like ground cardboard...

I message them about it several days ago...still nothing back. It SHOULD be relatively obvious. I was born abroad so I ~suppose~ the mistake could have been made but I'm a US citizen by birth. As far as I know(?) the TOEFL is for foreign students -- so it's not even as if they could have ""made the mistake"" of assuming because I'm Mexican-American I speak Spanish as my primary language.

Their deadline is Dec. 4th! Congrats to whoever got in, though. Still...you'd think that means the committee practically had to work through Christmas. ...In other bizarre test score issues, I just remembered I have one school telling me I'm missing my TOEFL score. I messaged them about that -- I'm a US citizen and my primary language is English. It's a bit ridiculous to ask me for a TOEFL. I get that they have a disclaimer: "Not all applicants are required to submit TOEFL scores, please check your program's website for information on TOEFL requirements." -- but it still marks my application as incomplete. I think I'd be happier with the application process if it didn't ask me for things I don't even need. Talk about unnecessary anxiety.

Normally, I'd agree. But this school states: Given that it's been over 24 hours and I sent my scores back in October....I emailed them right away and gave them all my info. I'd rather not wait three weeks on an incomplete app. Yikes. But I also thankfully knowing this is on them...and I'd rather pester them about my scores and have them tell me it just takes longer to pull them up than to get removed from the applicant pool over missing scores.

You're probably over thinking! fwiw I was concerned because I used images that are not googleable -- they're directly from a museum I interned for, which does not have their complete collection (and these pieces) online. It means it's original research...but also that the committee won't see the exact pieces I'm talking about unless they email the museum. I also find sometimes having the images not formatted directly in the text makes things look a little cleaner when you're having formatting trouble (which I often do).

Start with reading the "basics" that are often used (or criticized!). You'll want to skim Ways of Seeing (John Berger) and go read Kenneth Clark's The Naked and the Nude. These both were used as foundational texts (with criticism) for my seminar on nudity, and another seminar on the body. (e.g. it was either assigned or we read texts that reviewed them in a more contemporary light and thus needed to know them on our own). I think otherwise, you should be looking for your university's library guide(s), or another uni's library guide which will guide you in the right direction for finding research/materials appropriate to your paper. I'm not terribly fond of telling people how to do research, when the information is already available to them. I suggest googling Art History library guide if you don't know where to find your own college's guide. My school has specialized Art Historian librarians, but yours may not! Any of the search results will tell you how to research, however, and all librarians will be willing to help. I think most of those guides will also help you understand how to narrow down key fields... and use google scholar instead of google.

Yes, I am curious about what everyone's plans were if they struck out their first round of apps. Related: I just double checked a submitted app, and they told me they don't have my GRE scores! I had to call ETS today anyways...who confirmed I sent my scores to the very same University in October. I emailed the general graduate admissions help email about it (including with the batch number the ETS lady gave me), but it's been over 24 hours and there should be no reason for why they don't have my scores pulled up. :/ How frustrating! This is one of my top choices.

I have evernote! Tentatively downloaded: Quip, Evernote, Cabinet (PDF editor), Google Drive, Dropbox, Planner Plus, Topnotes, Moleskine, Studypic (for those image based flashcards), and Talkboard (though I have no idea why I'd need it right now). I also have duolingo and a variety of SRS rep apps for languages. I wonder if Anki is still a paid app. I have it on my computer and I use cloze-deletions to study. (Basically your flashcard has a full sentence and you delete the information you need to memorize, like the artist's name or the date.) Every once in awhile my professors still want things memorized outright...so I figured out how to make it stick. I'll be completely honest and say I didn't study very hard for the GRE vocab. A lot of it felt like review more than anything else, but my school district had a comprehensive vocabulary curriculum. I felt like I studied more to understand how the questions were asked than the actual material on the exam. (Although I still did terrible on the quant portion and I tried to learn the material. But...I haven't done math in three years and even then only one trimester.)

I do find myself on here quite a bit more than I thought I would! But this is my first application season and so I'm not sure how stressed I should be. (if that even makes sense!). I split my applications between MAs and PhDs. And since striking out is a possibility... I'm going to have to start looking for jobs, too. Both of the jobs I have right now are student jobs, and only one of them can re-hire me after graduation. Not sure if I should wait to start doing that after I get all the decisions. I've decided to try to angle all my stress towards my current research project I'm doing for a professor/local art collection and practicing my languages. If it's alright to go off topic -- does anyone here use ipads? I just got a mini with retina display (after some saving up!) and I'm seeing what apps I want to download/use for classes, research, language practice, etc. I've been downloading anything I think will help organize me or force me to practice languages. The problem with language apps is that you have to pay for so many of them... Or more broadly, do you have any new year's resolutions regarding school?

I'm still debating on whether or not I'm applying to my 7th school. I have one late deadline in Feb, but another coming up in a few days and after visiting and having an informal talk with a POI...I was really disappointed. I'd have to scratch my SOP and rework it completely, not to mention if I got selected for a "Real" interview they'd prefer for me to buy a plane ticket with 2 weeks notice so I can fly across the country. Felt more like a school for trust fund students than scholars. :/ But there were other merits to the school that I liked... ETA: I feel stressed that I don't feel more stressed, oddly enough. Perhaps I'm too laissez faire with my SOPs but I don't want to look at them after I've submitted an app.

I don't think they're doing it purely because of space issues? Nowhere else I've run into requests that. It just felt odd to remove images. Yes, I think they'll be getting mostly phone interviews -- with good reason! I'm lucky and am not in the part of the states hit by this terrifying polar vortex. I hope everyone who is is safe! You're certainly encouraging me to ask for an interview tomorrow. And....well, grad school applications certainly feel like the hunger games, don't they? Hahaha.

I get why, but the idea of divorcing a text from the images we're discussing feels odd to me. (It's not as if they couldn't tell if someone had weak writing with the images available, you know?) I haven't requested an interview as of yet. Personally I dislike phone interviews and I'm on the other side of the country. It's not that I think I don't interview well (as far as I know, I've never really had an interview hurt me before; I've just had neutral interviews), but I'm a visual person (hah) and prefer to see who I'm speaking to, gauge their expressions, verbal cues, etc. Part of me thinks it would help me more than it would hurt me to interview, but then the part of me that has anxiety with with phones says maybe not... Are you going to interview? But you're also right. The lack of a CV was bothersome to me. Sure, we had quite a bit of SOP space but that's not going to cover all of my CV (nor should it!). I'm hoping my professors will step in with their recs for that part. I gave them all my CV and I feel like they all know how much I do outside of class, and one of them supervised two of my internships -- so for that, at least, I will get some extra things touched on. Still, compared to every other application I've completed, Williams' application felt very brief. It felt strange for such a highly regarded program to want so little to go off of! Maybe I should interview. ETA: Best of luck to you as well!

Does anyone else find it peculiar that Williams College asks for the MA writing sample to have no images? Your uploaded document should contain text only. Illustrations are not needed for the purpose of assessing your writing sample; please remove them before uploading. On the one hand, I understand what they mean. On the other, we're art historians and it just seems strange to ask us to remove the very things we're talking about from our papers. One of my writing samples is image heavy, and the other uses images you can't find anywhere online (I had personal access to them in the museum.) The deadline's today so I'm uploading everything, but I can't help but feel like I hesitated because the request felt odd to me. Am I over thinking that one?

Googledrive allows you to make documents as presentations and you can export them as Microsoft powerpoint files. (.pptx I think it is?). I use it for my presentations in class.

I've read some art historians who would certainly be better off as aesthetics philosophers... But no, I do not apply your writing wholly to mine. From what I can tell, the things needed to understand my subject are more intuitive to me. (Perhaps not easier, but just more intuitive) But that aside, haven't your language professors explained that fluency comes about by immersing yourself in the language? Haven't you ever been asked to improvise to prove your fluency? Language acquisition isn't so different from what you're talking about here.

The radio button surveys are in addition to the letter. The Hawaii example above still expects an accompanying letter, it seems like.

You could just as easily explain in-text that you have changed their names or use a Jane/John Doe signifier?

Amusingly, if you just ignore the last (usually biting) comments that Loric makes...they're right in a few ways. Put aside the digs about engineers and boasts about publishing. Don't bring nuance into your first draft -- you'll peter out, slow yourself down, and take twice as long. A first draft needs to be just that. A draft. A textual (extensive) outline. My first drafts are very messy because I don't try to expand every single idea in the first go-through. I often put source texts in brackets, as well as notes, idea threads, etc. Writing the concepts and general ideas down quickly doesn't mean you don't go back and edit extensively. Obviously I don't cover philosophy, but applying heavier theory can be more technical for me (Art historians do use philosophical theory when helpful to our analysis). I think this is really dependent on how much work you are willing to put into editing. I usually go through 5-6 drafts on shorter papers and thus don't feel worried about the quality (or time needed) for the first one as much. If you're interested in getting looser with your initial drafts the nanowrimo ideas/book might be helpful in explaining how you manage to just write without editing too much at first.

You can always download google drive for the ipad to open up/view powerpoint files as well... I'm really hoping to get an ipad for classes/work/etc as well. I don't actually have Microsoft office on my laptop and haven't used it in three years on my own computers. If it's a pressing need to use, I go to the library. My latest job told me it's okay to use a tablet but not a laptop while at my desk. (Which is incredibly vexing! So I'm looking into buying one after I've finished paying for applications.) Plus you can download some apps to annotate PDFs with and who doesn't want to do that?

A few schools ask for specific formatting for the statement of purpose (which was single spaced). But in Art History/History, they wouldn't need to dictate that for your writing sample. You submit your works in Chicago style, which is always double spaced: Emphasis mine. I'm sure Literature students all submit in the appropriate MLA formatting as well. I know Art History sees the writing sample as very important. As far as my professors have commented on it, the goal is to submit a sample that cleanly follows the guidelines for the standard style (for us, Chicago) as much as possible, because it reflects your level of professionalism. I'm applying to 4 PhDs and 3 MAs and the PhDs I chose (obviously) don't require the MA. I think generally, people have asked for either: a good sized paper for a seminar class, a senior thesis, a thesis, or a thesis sample. Since I'm under the impression the committees at most schools really will read through my sample if I'm under consideration, they sometimes cap the sample of text itself (e.g. no more than 30 pages). I've been lucky and for the school that capped my sample, my writing as a whole plus footnotes, bibliography, and images came under 30 pages total (just barely. I clocked in at 28). But because everyone in my field expects me to submit something formatted for Chicago style, I assume the page limit is for a standard Chicago paper -- if that makes sense? All of my professors expect me to submit papers to them this way, all of them edited my sample in this style, all of them told me to submit in this style. I can see where there would be more leeway in a field that doesn't read the samples closely or perhaps doesn't insist upon a standard style you would be fine? FWIW though, I looked up AAA guidelines, which state: - American Anthropological Association So if I guessed correctly, then technically you should also be using double spacing in your papers. This is highly technical of course, and if you feel this technicality is unnecessary I see no problem with it. But it's absolutely expected for me. Unrelated, but every time I see your icon I can't help but notice how incredibly phallic it looks. Is that intentional, or just a by-product of my looking at too many phalluses in Art History...? (And have other people noticed this too?)

I don't think it's impossible for OP to get into a PhD program. I just think that if their goal is some place like Columbia an excellent run in an MA program would boost their chances for them getting into wherever they want.

I was told double spaced was standard and that's what my professors told me to submit, but that could just be Art History? I always assume the writing sample limits are also double spaced because that's how all papers are turned in.

Well it's nice to see fellow (poor) Latinas around... (who also have anxiety boy do I know that one). I think you need to look at the positives you DO have to offer first: Strong recs (I don't know if your programs/field only needs two) At least one lab experience/research experience (I'm afraid I don't know how to place 'not published', though, as I'm not in STEM) An underrepresented minority in the STEM fields (poor/woman/hispanic) who also worked through school -- me too. Strong SOP A good rec writer would be able to speak to the obstacles you've encountered -- maybe there's no need to excuse everything in detail, but a brief mention to medical issues + having to work through school but still being a wonderful applicant regardless. My advice is to consider carefully a handful of MA programs. What you need to do is make a short list (maybe no more than 5?) and ask: Can I possibly get in? Would what I have to offer be appealing in my application? (Diversity, experience, etc) Can I afford that gamble of admissions right now? Do they have what I want to study? Can they pay me? Do I have enough time to organize myself and apply? Bonus: Does the program REQUIRE my PGRE score? If you're not sure, but really want to try this round, maybe apply to 2-3 schools, and look to work on that C- grade. If your applications are a wash, retake the PGRE and save up money for the next round. See if you can do other things to strengthen your application, and apply to MAs again. You need to do well in an MA to prove you can handle the PhD. I don't think all of your work is down the drain! You can get there.

The real question is -- who on earth would want Richard Dawkins (they stole my honey because I didn't follow TSA rules waaah waaah) as a POI? Richard Dawkins is grating at best and a complete nuisance for anyone who wants to comport themselves respectfully and like an adult when it comes to a-thiesm at worst. ....Sure, a New Year's card is more appropriate, but frankly I would never want to work extensively with someone who feels that their atheism oppresses them in any meaningful way or who can't stop and realize that people often share their own cultural/religious experiences as a sign of good will towards others. Someone who is so petty as to think that was intentionally meaning to offend them...well, would you want to work with them anyways? Overreacting so poorly over a christmas card seems laughable. It's a minor social faux pas, not a major offense. If something like this is what gets you on a "crazy" professors bad side, aren't you doing yourself a favor? I don't think this will harm the anyone that much. If it does, I would put it more on the line of over-eager... As for the initial question in the thread, I'm avoiding doing it with any place whose deadline is coming up... I'm concerned it will look like I didn't plan well.

I think the idea is basically you should explain why you are a candidate worthy of admission. How will you benefit them? I feel like in this sense it's like a job application. You are making the case for why you should be hired as a student to work with the faculty of your program/department. Schools make investments on graduate students: not just monetarily, but they invest their reputation, time, and teaching on you. Given the resources of a school, what will you produce in return of value to them? I don't think talking about how you're a hard worker or a perfectionist would be very helpful. Frankly, that's a job meant for your recommenders (who can speak to your work ethic objectively). Not to mention, well, this is graduate school. They're not looking to attract anyone who would slack off. As for your other questions: explaining your research background would certainly allow them to gauge what you know, what you bring with you. "Unique perspectives" might be better covered in a diversity statement, and only if it directly enhances your research/work. Talk about what you study, what your studies contribute/why they are valuable, what you know, why that will be valuable... as far as I understand it, your objective is to justify yourself as an applicant. You already know why you want them. But by answering that "why" you should also be explaining why they want you. If you don't think you can contribute anything, you won't be able to convince them you should be accepted.