chagallgal

best of luck to everyone, and good vibes to all!

Hi Diam Alam! I certainly am not the authority on finding the perfect program, especially because I have yet to decide on mine, but I thought I'd share a few things that have helped me while I've been searching. I made a big excel sheet listing a ton of schools (mostly results of google searches "art history grad programs", or schools recommended by peers, mentors, professors, etc.)... then I made columns of aspects of a program that are really important to me (Location, Tuition, POI, Fellowships Available, Graduation Rates, Class Size, etc.). As I check out each of the programs on their websites I filled in the columns, and highlighted results that got me really intrigued. If I read a few aspects that really did not line up with my goals, I just deleted the program all together. I had a bunch of programs with a ton of highlights, and now that I'm down to about 15 programs, I've been reading up on the POI's (even visiting ratemyprofessor.com) and any of their work I can find. I've also been checking out some of the class descriptions. Not sure if that's helpful for you, but it helped me pin down all of the information flyin around in my brain! Good luck with your research and application process : )

Congratulations on being accepted to your dream program! I can tell you've put a great deal of thought into your decision, and I really value your perspective on pursuing your Phd. It looks like a challenging and rewarding program! Again, I will be shooting for the very best programs, and I cannot deny the fact that name schools matter. I did not attend an Ivy League school for my undergraduate degree, and my professors came from all walks of life- ranging from various disciplines, backgrounds, and degrees. A few of my most intelligent and engaging professors did not attend a "name" school- yet their classes were the first to fill up. It also happens that their professional lives are some of the most interesting and dynamic ones I've had the pleasure of hearing about. I think it's incredible that you're attending your dream program, and I wish you all the best- it sounds like you have a nice career ahead of you! Thanks again for your perspective on the MA, you've certainly cast a new light on the idea.

I really appreciate you taking the time to discuss my options with me. It's great to have your perspective to consider! I was trying to give as much information as possible about myself, and although my dream is to be a college professor- I was expressing a willingness to remain open to other avenues down the line. I feel confident about this, and I personally do not feel that diminishes my drive in becoming a professor. Since this is my goal, I am currently working towards pursuing the PhD, and remaining open to the MA while I'm considering each program, depending on the opportunities it provides. Your questions seems to focus a lot on my wishes for museum work, so I'm not sure it's worth it to go into great depth about my potential back up plan at the moment. Hope you can understand. But for your reference, with my experience in museum work, it has been very difficult to climb too far within a few settings because of the advanced degrees other applicants have held, even with stellar personal and professional recommendations from staff. Perhaps it was the climate, or isolated circumstances, but nevertheless, this has been my experience. That is not my motivation for pursuing a degree past my BA. My museum work has left me with incredible relationships with collectors, artists, curators, administrators, handlers, educators, and more. I enjoyed it very much, but teaching is where I belong, and this work is what I love. Thanks again for all of your help, I really really appreciate your point of view. Take care!

Thanks so much for responding! All very helpful info!

My long term goals are to become a professor and/or to work in a museum setting. There are many factors contributing to why I will be applying to each program, and so far, my list is very diverse in terms of location, MAs or PhDs, cost, faculty size, structure, and more. I would only be applying to schools that would provide resources to challenge myself, fine tune certain skills, gain extensive knowledge, and finally- equip myself to become a meaningful teacher. Though many of the top schools offer these opportunities, I have found a few programs outside the top ten who could match these goals as well. Obviously, I will reach for the best! I still have a bit of time before applying, so I feel it’s important to not limit myself right now. I really value your perspective on the MA and hearing a bit about your story. So many people have encouraged me to go for the PhD, and I have taken that seriously, especially considering so many programs do not guarantee much aid for MA- and cost is a very reasonable concern. I’ll definitely consider those programs, as well as remain open to different avenues in pursuing my goals. The more information the better, as I’d like to make as cognizant a decision as possible. I also appreciate the words on the job market- I certainly don’t want to complete a program and to not be able to work in my field. I’m not sure how to realistically predict what will happen, but I hope my contacts in museums will come in handy if I have trouble becoming a professor- as well as the added assurance of always having a job to fall back on (even though it’s not in the field.) I also am confident that my work ethic and attitude will help a good deal too : ) Thanks again for your all your words of advice, I sincerely appreciate the time you took. If you don’t mind me asking, what are you up to after completing your MA at Chicago? Congrats, by the way!

Thank you for your very thoughtful and informative reply. The questions I mentioned deal with items not found on the website or frequently asked questions, after a great deal of searching. I appreciate the direction you provided! I also appreciate your advice and and perspective, and will certainly take them to heart. I do not feel as though my GPA is the most important aspect of my application, so it makes sense that I not treat it that way. Thanks again for taking the time, take care

I'm new here, and was hoping for a little feedback about admissions etiquette.... from past, current, or hopeful gradate students. Thanks in advance, as anything will help : ) Some background for my question: I am currently in the throws of choosing grad programs for Fall 2014. I'm also in the middle of choosing my writing sample, studying for the GREs, and writing my letters asking for recommendations, among other lovely tasks : ) I've been concerned about applying, since my undergraduate GPA is considerably lower than most average students admitted. It was the result of a horribly bad semester, and my GPA steadily grew every semester following. I studied abroad for a year, completed an internship, and excelled in higher level courses. It's also been 4 years since graduation, and I've taken that time to be sure that this is what I want- and that I will be fully dedicated. I'm also not focusing on top schools, as I doubt they'd look past this GPA. Question: I've contacted a couple of the schools to ask a few questions about their programs (tuition, fellowships, part time vs. full time, etc.), as well as describing myself a bit. With that, I have asked if I have a chance in being admitted, or what I can do to help my application shine through the low GPA (extra letters, interview, etc.). Unfortunately, I have not heard back from any of the schools for weeks, and I am not sure if I need to take the questions directly to the department. Are those questions a burden/inappropriate to send to the department? In other words, what questions ARE appropriate to direct to the department? Thanks again, and to anyone reading this, good luck with your applications!