rococo_realism

Choose *funded* programs, like UMass, Case Western (I believe), Tufts, Iowa (I believe), Williams, etc. Really, don't take out loans for this degree.

I believe what @telkanuru is saying is that, because three meals a day is arbitrary, merely omitting one from your diet is simply changing the amount of meals you have a day. If you normally eat three meals a day, but decide not to eat, say, lunch one day, that's skipping. He said he's being persnickety about it.

I think a gap year or two is a good idea; that's what I did. Wisconsin is a great program with some great faculty members. (They really have almost all bases covered, chronologically and geographically speaking.) However, the university is kind of going through it apropos to its budget. (If you're not familiar, Google it.) And I'm not sure if they fund their MA students anymore; I'd check with the students. And I think that Boston only funds its doctoral students. Notre Dame, from what I've heard, may freeze their MA program, and I don't think anyone there works in your area. I've heard nothing but good things about UMass. They have an East Asian specialist, Christine Ho, but I think that she specializes in Chinese art. But it is a fully-funded program, and you'd have the opportunity to take classes at any of the other colleges part of the Five Colleges Consortium. I'd reach out to them anyway. And equestrian19 listed some more good programs to consider. Good luck!

@runjackrun Not apologies necessary; thank you for going in-depth about those neighborhoods! I'll be taking you up on that PM at some point.

Anyone have advice on where to live? I feel that Minneapolis, in general, is a bit...sketchy. I've even heard of neighborhoods like Uptown as being a bit dangerous lately. All of the lovelier neighborhoods seem too far away or too pricey. My stipend is fairly generous, I think, so I have a nice amount to work with. I dunno...I'm pretty stressed about the move, honestly. Would the west side of St. Paul be an alternative? Or do any grad students live in, say, the St. Louis Park area west of the lakes? Maybe I should just get a car and live further out. Le sigh.

Everything from Wilmette to Lake Bluff is made up of affluent, primarily single-family houses where properties of $1,000,000 are considered normal. (Though you might find the occasional apartment.) Unless you're independently wealthy, you're better off in Evanston/Rogers Park.

ETA: I want to add a caveat that I am not a current Notre Dame student or alumnus/a; I'm but a mere, mortal townie who's leaving in the fall. Michiana (the greater region in which Notre Dame is located) tends to be fairly...sleepy. Yes, Chicago is about 1.5 hours away, but in the immediate area, you have to really hunt for exciting stuff to do. I've lived here for most of my life, and I think that I'm lucky that I'm kind of an introvert who doesn't need a lot of nightlife, because it's hard to find here. The only time the area has much hustle and bustle is during, of course, football season (which is actually pleasantly festive), and First Fridays (https://downtownsouthbend.com/downtown-south-bend-first-fridays ). And I agree with @dumeigui that there really are some hidden gems in the form of local cuisine, and the art scene--while still small--is growing, though we really only have two museums. (Both of them great.) I get the sense that, based on the graduate students I've met, many graduate students probably entertain themselves in low-key ways, like gathering at someone's house for dinner, etc. They're (and we all are/were/will be) quite busy, anyway! If anyone is interested in learning more about life from a townie's perspective, feel free to PM!

@unanachronism I'm simply having a hard time deciding if I simply want to get an M.A., work for a while, and, maybe, get a Ph.D., or just go into a Ph.D. program now. I'm not really soliciting advice; I'm just whining, lol. Just seeking commiseration.

Has anyone else made a decision about where s/he's going? I'm kind of having a hard time with making a decision, and decision day is looming on the horizon!

Thanks!

How is it living without a car in Amherst? I might live on campus the first year if I go, but after that, I'll probably move into an apartment. I'm sure that this has been answered, but I want a fresh perspective.

@bosie_dearestCongrats!

Well, again, congratulations! I definitely steered clear of NYC.

Congratulations to the BU admit! I'm jealous--I almost applied there, but Boston is so expensive. (But lovely.)

Totally not being weird! I'm the same way, which is why I may not even mention any of the particular schools I applied to until after April. I've heard from only two of my schools thus far. Happily, they're acceptances (and one with full funding!), but I'm super anxious about the other four schools!

To send official transcripts, you'll need to go through your previous university. That is, it has to send the official transcript directly to UC Irvine. ETA: Ah, I just realized that you said that the department didn't need the official one just yet. That is strange. Perhaps they've made up their minds (!) and need official confirmation now?

Alrighty, so I have all six of my apps signed, sealed, and delivered. So relieved, but now I'm just bloody nervous! I hope everyone else has made/is making headway!

I'd go for the art history paper over the English one.They're going to want to see your research skills. My own writing sample is only slightly related to my proposed topic, but it's still art history. Basically, it should be your best writing, but you also want to show that you can do extensive research, analyze images, and situate those image in some historical period(s).

I happened to have the same issue as you, robertmck. My B.A. is in English, and I minored in Art History. Earlier this year, I was going to study rhet/comp (like you were going to study mathematics), but I realized that I was quite charmed/transfixed by my art historical interests (listed on my profile) more than I was in my English ones. (And I'm interested in museum and non-profit work, not in teaching, necessarily.) When I decided to apply to AH programs, I was told, unequivocally, that I needed at least two of my letters to come from art historians. Luckily, I had gotten to know the art historians on my campus fairly well, and a couple have agreed to write letters. People in your eventual discipline are just better at assessing your readiness for graduate-level coursework in your respective discipline. Definitely do ask those other professors. Their letters will be very important. And I agree with ExponentialDecay; it is strange that you were turned down when there's still about two months--give or take--to get things together. Perhaps they think you're being flip about this?

Oh, that simile at the end is awesome!

Yes, what theartman1193 said. But if you're hellbent on getting it to AH standards immediately, you can look at art historians' profiles on Academia.edu to get ideas. You don't need to be a member of the site to look at peoples' profiles. And for what it's worth, here's the CAA standards and guidelines page: http://www.collegeart.org/guidelines/arthistcv.html

my_muse, I believe that ponzi scheme, here, is merely supposed to be a synonym for "scam." Though, a ponzi scheme isn't exactly analogous to what's being discussed, of course.

Hello, all! There's no thread going for those of us in the Fall 2016 cohort, so I thought that I'd get the ball rolling. I'm an Americanist, and I'm applying to 5-6 programs, mostly Ph.D. I tend to take a sociological bent in my analysis, and, because I majored in English as an undergrad, I also like to incorporate critical and literary theory. Care to share, anyone?

Yeah...I totally didn't read over that before I wrote it--my gaffe! It's as New England-y as it gets! I think I was just mentioning my (ideal) geographic parameters as an aside. I'm plenty committed to this. I suppose that I'm a bit insecure about the fact that my undergraduate degree isn't in Art History. It just seems like a foundational MA would be good for me before deciding, through and through, that I want to pursue the Ph.D immediately. (Though the Ph.D. has been THE goal.) Self-doubt is awful in situations like these. Trust me, though, I'm not being flippant about this. Oh, trust, I've been through all of that: if there's no funding, I'm not going anywhere! That's why I've been trying to locate schools that fund M.A.s with no strings attached. Yes, definitely. An old professor who's been advising me mentioned this, and while the professor does support my endeavor of finding M.A. programs, this professor has also told me to focus on Ph.D. programs first. I'm just soliciting advice from those of you who know about any funded M.A. programs. Yes! I'm definitely considering Canadian schools. Thank you for that information and that list; it'll be very helpful this summer! Thank you all for your advice--you all sound like my advisor! (Because I've spoken to with that advisor recently since I last posted here.)

Hey, thanks! I'm already looking into UMass-Amherst, but I had no idea that UW-Madison's AH department was okay with students looking to get the M.A. as a stepping stone the the Ph.D. at a later time. I considered asking my POI from there, but I got worried that the person wouldn't take me seriously. Williams is a bit rich for my blood, and, as it stands right now, I'm only looking at schools in the NE and Midwest. (And Canada, too.)