brown_eyed_girl

As if all the outsiders who don't understand why someone would want a degree in a "useless" field isn't bad enough, what really gets to me are all the apocalyptic warnings from those who already have similar degrees and are frustrated with their perceived lack of prospects. Of all people, you'd think they would understand why I want to pursue this field, but unfortunately there can be a LOT of bitterness and negativity. I just met someone yesterday finishing up her PhD in my field who told me not to do it and that I will never find a job; that college is a doomed institution so good luck with your pipe dream of teaching; that PhDs are a "racket." I understand that humanities PhDs are not the most lucrative thing... but I've worked very hard to get into a top Ivy-league program, I've been successful so far, and you know what? Even if all fails and I never attain my dream job as a professor, I think getting paid to learn stuff is a decent way to spend your 20s. Besides which, my BA is in the same useless field, and I'm the only one of my friends who got a job offer before graduating, so go figure.

Good ideas, everyone! I wonder whether 10% will be feasible as a grad student in an expensive city like NYC - sadly it seems hard to do on a 30k stipend, but I'll certainly try. Investing in real estate there also isn't really an option for me (I wish!). Like Adelantero, I'm also torn between wanting to make long-term investments and wanting to have cash readily accessible since my income will be very limited for the next few years and you never know when there will be expenses. Low-risk options like mutual funds are definitely a good suggestion.

I would take a practice test (download the free Powerprep software from the ETS website - it's almost exactly like the real thing) before you study anything so that you know how much you will need to improve to get to your target score. When I did that, I realized that my verbal score was fine, so I mostly focused my studying time on math. I also read through the Princeton Review Cracking the GRE book to get a handle on format, and used the Magoosh GRE Verbal flashcards app on my phone. The verbal is really about two things: reading comprehension and vocab. If you're not great at reading comprehension, that will be much harder to learn in a short amount of time than vocab, but the best thing you can do is read as much as possible (news articles, scholarly journals, etc.). Having a large arsenal of vocab, on the other hand, is really just memorization.

University of Chicago is an example of a school known for doing this (for the humanities/social sciences at least). They may not think you are qualified for the highly selective, fully funded PhD program, but they are willing to take your money for an unfunded MA. Programs like these are often considered "cash cows," but they also offer students who didn't get into PhD programs on the first round a chance to beef up their resume with a degree from a prestigious school, and they seem to have decent PhD acceptance rates.

Some programs have apps that allow you to upload updates/supplementary materials after submission. Is that true of these programs? If so, I think it would be appropriate to upload an abstract of the article and its slated date of publication. If you've been in regular contact with POIs it may also be appropriate to mention if you can sneak it into the conversation somehow. Otherwise I'm not sure how you would do it without it seeming like a last plea, and I doubt that at this stage it would be a deciding factor in your admission.

I'm about to start a 7-year PhD program, which means that by the time I graduate I'll be in my early 30s. It's a funded program and my stipend will cover basic modest living expenses, but there won't be much left over for savings of any kind. Of course I expect to have other fellowships/work opportunities at some point along the way, but regardless I doubt if I'll be saving much while in school. As a fairly fiscally responsible person, it's a little scary to think about coming out on the other side of my degree without any significant retirement savings, etc. Which brings me to the question, do you contribute to an IRA or other savings account during grad school? Any tips on grad student financial security? Obviously I'm not pursuing a PhD in the humanities for the money (hah!), but I'd love suggestions/insights on what has worked for you guys.

Yes, they'll match based on your name. How long the schools save the scores varies, but most will save them for a year or so. I took the GRE in Oct 2013 and applied for schools in Dec-January 2014, and my scores were still on file at several places.

Sabrosura, thank you for such a helpful post!

I like "Rutgers? I barely know her!"

For international applicants especially, I think the AW section can provide an unfiltered look at someone's writing skills. Statements of purpose, writing samples, etc. have the potential to be heavily edited by a native speaker or extensively gone over with a thesaurus, while the AW relies on inherent knowledge. If your SOP is written in academic English but you get a very low AW score, that could be a red flag that you didn't write it yourself.

Same. I recently attended the open house of a top-ranking program. I have only been accepted there so far, and the same was true of several other incoming and current students I talked to in the program. We all had stats good enough to get into one top program, so clearly it came down to fit. I will also say that after talking to my adviser and learning more about their work and interests since my acceptance, I've realized how well we align - including in ways I hadn't considered when I applied.

I don't think asking could hurt, and it sounds like you will need to in this case. I would keep it simple and direct, and simply state what you have here - something along the lines of, "I am pleased to have been given a spot on the wait list, and your institution remains my top choice for graduate study. Since I have now been accepted at another program that requires notification by March 31, I was wondering whether you have any information about the status of my placement, and when I can expect to hear back? I appreciate any information you are able to give me at this time."

I am torn between wanting to treat myself (got into my dream PhD program!) and knowing that I should be sensible and save all my pennies for my cross-country move and savings - after all, though my program is fully funded, I won't really be putting money into savings for the next, um, 7 years. I did treat myself and my bf to a nice dinner the night I learned of my acceptance. I would love to buy myself some small diamond stud earrings (not much of a jewelry person, but I can see myself wearing something classic and understated on a daily basis) and a nice school bag, but I'm undecided on how frivolous the earrings would be....

This is my thinking as well. Academia is, unfortunately, a snobby field. A PhD from a top-tier place will not guarantee you jobs, but it seems to make you more likely to get them (take a look at the CVs of history profs in your field at various institutions and see where they went to school, and you'll probably find a lot of top-10 schools.) Of course, this isn't just name recognition - it's also easier to do well if you're in a place where you are highly stimulated, have a cohort of brilliant scholars who push your boundaries, generous funding and departmental support, professors with extensive networks of connections they can set you up with, and a location and resources that supplement your research interests. This isn't to say you can't be successful at a place like OSU, but if your goal is to be a tenure track professor in a grad program, I think getting an MA from a more prestigious place and reapplying for top-tier PhDs is a more likely track.

I'll be moving to NY from CA in the fall, so I'm currently considering all these issues. I kinda wish that I could just sell everything and start over, but while I don't have a lot of furniture, I have accumulated nice pieces over the years. I couldn't afford to replace everything all at once with items of comparable quality. Plus, since I won't have a car in New York I'm assuming it will be harder to purchase a lot of bigger pieces there (compared to CA, where if something doesn't fit in your car you usually can find a friend with a truck to help you haul a great craigslist find). I'd love thoughts from anyone who has done a cross-country move like this. Since some items are antiques/somewhat fragile, my current feeling is that I'd like to rent a truck and do it myself (with family/friend assistance, most likely). If anyone has done this and has suggestions, keep em coming!

My program took over 3 weeks from the time my POI contacted me to say I'd been "recommended for admission by the department" and getting the official GSAS letter. To reiterate what I'm sure you've heard, it seems to be a formality, but that didn't stop me from being slightly paranoid until I got the final word.

I don't know a lot about your field, but I've heard good things about Francesco de Angelis at Columbia - and that program strongly encourages interdisciplinary study, so you could get the best of both worlds. There's also Christopher Hallett at Berkeley and C. Brian Rose at U Penn. If you're interested in interdisciplinary work, I'd also research which programs allow/want you to take classes in other departments (and, where applicable, examine the strength of specialists in the relevant outside departments), and which programs have specialists in related Art History fields that you may be interested in working with.

I agree with PoeticNobleLandMermaid - if you're unsure, go for the MA. You would definitely be overqualified for most museum jobs with a PhD. Many people in museum education only have BAs, though MAs are often preferred.

What's the funding offer at the top 15 school?

I was matched with another student of my prospective adviser at my program's open house, and he was quite candid with me -- but only when out of earshot from others in the program and professors. I'm also not sure he would have been so open over email. He didn't have anything actually negative to share about the program, but he was honest about the difficulties he had faced in adjusting to the city, having some different research interests from his adviser, etc. I was really grateful that he was straightforward with me about the issues he'd faced, and I also felt pretty confident after talking to him that the problems he had faced were specific to him and not the same ones I would have. I appreciated that he didn't sugarcoat, and it didn't scare me off at all. (Overall he was very encouraging and said he thought the program was right for him, just that it hadn't been a totally smooth transition, etc.) So, there are certainly those out there who are willing to be really honest about the challenges they are facing, but perhaps only in a more private scenario. I don't think anyone has incentives to recruit, but no one wants to be caught bad-mouthing their adviser or program and making enemies in the department. Departmental politics can be tricky.

I have no personal experience with UT, but I have met several students at well-respected Art History PhD programs who did their MAs there and thought it prepared them well. From what I can tell it has a strong reputation. In the bigger programs, I think whether you get "lost in the shuffle" has a lot to do with you - whether you build relationships with professors, go above and beyond on coursework, etc. If you hold yourself to a high standard and do well, it can certainly be a stepping stone to a good PhD, though it's also obviously never a guarantee. For someone like Kunst101, I think UT Austin is a worthwhile terminal MA program to consider. What kind of museum work do you see yourself doing, though? Just be aware that most curatorial roles require PhDs, and those with only MAs may end up doing more administrative stuff or fit into roles like exhibition/event planning, registrar work, assistants, etc. Those are competitive and often rewarding jobs, too, but just be aware and make sure you like that type of work.

I have not heard anyone talk about Syracuse either, but it's safe to say it's not a top program. Whether it is "worthy" really depends on your specific interests and goals.

Everyone I know at UCLA loves Steven Nelson, and I've heard that he is a very supportive adviser and engaging lecturer. UCLA also has the Fowler Museum on campus, which is a global arts and culture museum with an emphasis on Africa.

For what it's worth, I second the UT Austin vote. Well-respected program with a good person in your field.

Same situation - I have been unofficially accepted to my dream program and am traveling next week for the open house, but am waiting on the "official" acceptance from the dean. From what I hear it's mostly a formality, but I will still feel much better once I have the final word.