roving99

Awesome, thank you for the info! Do you happen to have any idea if interviews are standard for all admits or if interviews go out on a rolling basis as well?

I am wondering if perhaps we are the ones being considered for the MA, rather than the PhD?? Also, there's still the possibility of being waitlisted. Seems like a lot of PhD admits went out already, and some rejections. My assumption is that we are still in the running!

Are you planning on getting an apartment or living on-campus? Rutgers offers two or three apartment-style housing situations that are for grad students only, so that might be an option. They also have an online portal for off-campus information, and a lot of times it mentions whether the lister is UG or grad. There is a Whole Foods about 15 minutes away near Edison(where I am based), though there might be another that is closer. Farmers markets are the kinds of places that have the best produce, though Stop and Shop can have some good stuff too. I find the selection definitely decent. A general not to keep in mind is that, unlike Texas, there are some foods you just cannot get/shouldn’t bother with in the winter. The end up being shipped in from all over and not good quality. I cannot speak to dog friendliness in New Brunswick specifically, but generally speaking, NJ is not quite as dog friendly as Texas/Arkansas, etc. the city has cleaned up a lot of the “bad” areas near New Brunswick in recent years, and the commute would be feasible from many cities in the area. From Edison, it is a 20-30 minute ride. (I am also considering attending for a PhD program) Plainfield/South Plainfield, Metuchen, and Somerville are all commutable, though all north of the river. I don’t have a ton of knowledge base for anything south of New Brunswick.

Best of luck - I know acceptances tend to come through in waves. My subfield is contemporary!

Hey @texasod I randomly Checked the status website last night and found an acceptance waiting for me, just FYI!

Rutgers app over here as well, but nothing on my end so far!

Same here!

Sounds like you guys are still in the running. Congrats! Here is what the portal looks like when you have a decision, just FYI.

Log in as usual and scroll to the bottom. There should be a link that says something along the lines of "decision notification as of (02/16/2018). It looks like another row of info but its actually a link to the decision document.

Thank you for letting us all know!! I’ve been trying to remain patient but it’s a difficult task.

So, is it safe to assume that we probably aren't going to hear anything new over the weekend? Or do some schools also send out on Saturdays? I know someone mentioned earlier in the thread about getting a phone call on a Saturday, but I just can't imagine that's the norm. (Though, I suppose anything is possible.) I'll have to resign myself to more radio silence for the next few days...

I think it’s pretty common, actually. GradCafe also tends to attract a bit of a more ‘competetive’ Crowd from what I’ve been seeing. I feel like I’ve heard from several people that since they were already going through the process of applications, they figured they might as well throw out an application to a few reach schools, too. No one ever really knows what those Adcomms want in an applicant anyway... That’s definitely not the only way to do it, though! Applying to only non-ivies is also a very valid choice.

Seconded here, I’m always down to chat with fellow worriers! Harvard, Princeton, and UPenn are also on my list. I’m trying SO HARD to not just obsessively check the boards, but WOW is it difficult! Patience is definitely not my strongest virtue.

Ah Goldsmiths!!! I’m obsessed with that school. If they offered more funding for Americans it would definitely be my top choice.

Wow, that's so early in the game! Congratulations! How early did you apply to the program?

So did I! But agreed, without a car, it would definitely be a pain.

Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, AR offers housing and a stipend for summer internships.

That's an interesting take, I hadn't thought of that! Thanks for the advice - I definitely think a lot of it comes down to a lack of understanding of what graduate school is. I'll have to try that approach next time the topic comes up, seems like its a good springboard to get them onto the right page.

So, just wondering how you all deal with this as the holidays brought it up in droves for me! I'm the first person in my family to go a route that is even remotely academic. My siblings and I are first-generation college students, and only one of my four siblings has a bachelor's degree and is using it for her job. How do you explain the prospect of a PhD and general academia to those who are way outside of it? I'm currently in the application process, and it feels like everyone assumes I'm just a bookworm who doesn't want a 'real job.' I'm very aware that the confusion is out of a lack of understanding and not out of malice. Have any of you come up with ways to explain it that get the idea across without sounding too babbled or stuck up?

I'm gonna agree on basically all counts. Not all people studying Art History are blessed with an overarching knowledge of what gets you in and what doesn't. Especially if someone is coming from a smaller program with minimal resources. I honestly have NO idea if my GRE and GPA are high enough to get into good programs, even though I feel they should be. From everything else I see in this forum, it paints the picture that the only ones who get into good programs are the Columbia/NYU 4.0's with a 169V/6.0AWA GRE, 10 publications, and a current position at the Whitney. For those of us who are coming in from diverse backgrounds that prepare us in a less traditional way, absolutely - the stats are INCREDIBLY helpful. It has nothing to do with feeling important and everything to do with understanding how the pieces of your own background fit into the pool of current applicants. As with all things on the internet - if you don't like it, don't read it/don't post on it. Simple as that.

I feel like I’d switch out Michigan for the Grad center CUNY, but maybe that’s just because I’m a contemporary kid. Their track record is absolutely STELLAR. Also, are we talking PhD only or also MA? If we’re talking any grad program, where’s Williams? I feel like I’d put them in there too.

I'm going to jump on this train as well because I am also applying this cycle with somewhat below-my-practice-test scores. Almost every professor or student I've talked to has told me not to stress too much about GRE's - it more of a qualifier for them to gauge what your X.XX/4.0 actually means by their standards. I have also heard of low GRE takers (I don't think I'd say your scores are low) getting into top schools purely because their SoP, writing samples, and CV were so spot on. From what I've been hearing, I wouldn't think your scores will prohibit you from being looked at. Seems like it would be wise to spend as much time as possible perfecting the SoP and writing samples so they have no question about it. Who cares about a GRE score 3 points lower than someone else when you have a killer statement and well-fitting research goals?!

Latin American hype!!!!! So glad to see a few of us in here. Financial -YES HORRIFYING. I only have the means to be applying to fully funded programs right now, so I'm mainly looking at PhD's. Also, for what it's worth, I've had several professors say if you WANT to have kids, one of the best times to do it is during your PhD studies/dissertation writing when you have a semi-stable income and guaranteed health insurance. POI's-I haven't contacted any. Everyone's busy, and I know who I want to work with and where. I can't imagine it affects admissions decisions much, either. Adcomms aren't necessarily comprised of your stated POI's! Definitely get on that SOP train! I know it's super hard to both start and finish. I just submitted my first app on the 1st, (pun intended) and it was like pulling teeth to finally get it to a place that I felt comfortable.

I would HIGHLY recommend this anthology, The Art of Art History. While it's not exhaustive by any means, it is a really fabulous collection of essays and criticisms from a wide range of time periods. It is also fairly inexpensive! IMO it's one of the best critical collections all housed under one cover, though I'm sure others will have lots of suggestions, as well! Hope this helps! https://www.amazon.com/Art-History-Critical-Anthology-Oxford/dp/0199229848

It went very well, I received an offer letter last night! Congrats to you as well, definitely very exciting! I suppose I'll see you there!