TMP

Transnational- OP was already accepted to all these programs. OP, Why did you apply to those schools in the first place? Think back to why you picked them over other schools. Those are all very good programs in general. You should check out each university's (South) Asian Studies program/center and see how much support they give to doctoral students. Talk to the students and faculty. Don't be afraid to tell the faculty where else you have applied. Some may actually suggest that you go to this program or that program over theirs- they will have your best interest in their mind (usually...). Will you need FLAS for more language study in the future? Check out how competitive FLAS funding is at each place. Discuss, as well, course offerings. How much of your coursework will be based on independent readings because there aren't enough to fill a seminar? You'll want to be able to take a good number of courses with plenty of students in them so you can gain different perspectives.

How badly do you want to go to this school? That's the question.

Not sure... but you may want to read carefully about funding. Sometimes they have these late deadlines because they're for no-funding. A lot of funding decisions have to happen in February/March because of the budget. That's why MA programs are often much later than PhD deadlines.

Oh I know, StrangeLight. That's why I read more interesting or difficult books in depth if I can. But doing that way at least gets me through the door and then I go back and pick a few chapters that I'm interested in reading in detail. Some weeks I just miss the target with what the professor wants to talk about. That's how I've come to appreciate those damned weekly responses posted on Blackboard (or something like that) so you can see what the class really wants to talk about. And then I'll use the night or morning before to catch up. But you're right, for very smaller seminars, this skim advice just doesn't work too well. But for larger seminars, it works.

Don't worry. I was in your shoes... once, and I survived. Going through all these processes has made my ego's shell a lot thicker than it used to be!

Another thing you do need to keep in mind that humanities programs are being hit the hardest by this recession. Funding has been slashed everywhere and there are far more applications for fewer spots. It's starting to become a trend that you shouldn't expect to get in anywhere for the PhD the first time you apply, especially if you have *some* weaknesses. Use the next year to work on your papers and languages. Even medical and vet school applicants have to apply several times just to get in! Also, as others have said, don't apply just to the top programs. Those schools are ranked internationally so there are a LOT of international applicants who have strong command of English and are fluent in their native languages, plus one more (thanks American educational system for disappointing us!). And I know that languages are pretty important in art history. I was JUST told by my UG adviser, who just realized this, that it may be in the future that Americans will need to set their sights a bit lower and/or apply for PhD abroad. Professors are actually quite understanding of the whole situation that their programs have found themselves in. They would want to see you try again so don't consider yourself as a failure. And, um, check out my signature.

As Charlie Brown says, "Good grief!" It's going to be a lonnnnnggggg night of waiting for me.

Dude, how did you get through your MA program then? I consider myself to be a pretty fast reader (about 50-70 pgs an hour for a novel, even a bit dense one). But here's what I do: 1) If the book is REALLY interesting, then I skim/scan through as I please. Then I go back and read for arguments and points. or 2) I do what this guy says: http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,75251.0.html and scroll down to "larryc".

Oh... fabulous. Now I have a perfect excuse to e-mail the DGS... because I'm still abroad and they're sending the mail to my parents instead of me! Now I just need to work up my nerves to ask him myself. Thanks for the info, Yitzchak!

They really vary. Seminar papers can either be analytical or research, depending what the professor wants. Research papers are not usually more than 20 pages long. Analytical papers can be anywhere between 10-15, leaning more towards 10. And the workload stays fairly consistent throughout the term unless you have a sympathetic professor who knows it's midterm week and anyone who is a TA needs the time to do all the grading. But one thing I did wish my UG department would do to prepare me for grad school: Writing a critical/thoughtful/analytical response paper EVERY SINGLE WEEK, even if you have very little to say about the book/articles! It's fairly common at the school you're thinking of. A better question to ask, I think, is to ask for a rough idea of what historians and books they like to use in their seminars so you can actually get a real intellectual discussion going.

Okay, you go first. Don't you have an insider for Indiana anyway?

Transnational, it could be that NYU isn't seeing any movement in the waitlist and have decided to close. Remember, rumor had it that they tend to underyield. But it's worth checking in to make sure it's not some mistake.

Ugh. I think I will just have to say that somehow my relationship with NYU manages to get jinxed by somebody every time I try to apply.... Jinxed again!

checkers player

italian coffee

I totally agree with everything that's being said! I'm just going... whatever. Decisions will come when they want to come. However, because I'm in PhD and the deadline is April 15th and I'm abroad until the beginning of April so I'm kind... curious to know what will greet me. Plane tickets to universities or coffee dates with friends...

I am PM-ing you.

flimsy paper

If you can look up the graduate secretary/assistant's names, all the MUCH better as to treat them like human beings than just some random face for customer service. With DGS, that's just obvious.

half stocking

THIS. THIS. THIS. My UG adviser and I had a very, very long conversation recently about graduate school- the admissions process and the life of a graduate student. While she had been learning bits and pieces about it over time when I went through the process but just sitting down with her with the luxury of time for full disclosure allowed her to really see how truly different today's graduate school is. She thanked me for enlightening her because things were done really differently back then. I assured that she's not the ONLY professor who is surprised by all of this! That's the other thing that we need to consider before getting upset with professors. It never occurred to me either because I personally made the decision to do the work of applying.

Congrats to both of you! Week 1 of March... down.

I know how you feel... except you've already been accepted into 2 great programs! Interesting that you got into UNC... not Fordham.

Agreed... they should've sent that... long time ago, right after you submitted your app. Not now! It's too late!