Gundohinus

I have to disagree with what cleisthenes writes on this point. Even though it's true that readers will look at the name/stature/reputation of the writers, I can assure you that a strong, detailed, substantive letter from a junior professor will carry more weight than a thin, disengaged letter from a senior person. Go with the person who knows you best and with whom you have the strongest relationship. I personally would rather read a letter from Prof. 1, who can speak specifically to your strengths as a researcher and writer, than from Prof. 2. Keep in mind that every single applicant has letters that stress their great work ethic, dedication, enthusiasm, etc. Give the committee something memorable and specific to read, that will make you stand out.

Also, it's one thing if your advisor leaves during the years when you're writing your dissertation. It's quite another if they leave just before your second year of coursework, and thus before your comprehensive exams, your dissertation development, your fellowship applications etc. http://www.citypages.com/news/scott-walkers-budget-cuts-drive-wisconsin-madison-professors-to-minnesota-8280152 BTW, the exodus of faculty is just the tip of the iceberg. The deeper problem is that the governor has gutted the UW system's funding across the board (not necessarily reflected in graduate student stipends), and many departments/programs are being (or are in danger of being) significantly reduced if not cut completely.

Somewhere between "I just love 19th-century French painting and want to study it" and "I plan to write my dissertation on the depiction of parrots in the early paintings of Manet and their relation to the colonization of Algeria." :-) Seriously, though, this is something you'll want to discuss with your current advisor(s)/whoever will be writing for you. They will help you strike the right balance. In general you'll want to show that you have clear ideas of what materials and questions you want to pursue, but also that you are not bound to one exclusive path. The readers will want to know that you are open-minded and flexible as well as focused.

It's true that no one on an admissions committee will care where you did your language training; they just want to see that you can make use of the language for research purposes. It's good if you can demonstrate, in your writing sample, that you have drawn on sources in other languages. Some programs offer "German [or whatever] for Reading" courses, which would serve your purposes well. Good luck!

It's not a harsh opinion; it's a fact. The UW disaster has been all over the national news during the past couple years. People are all the more up in arms about it precisely because the school (esp the Madison campus) is so great. As I mentioned above, this is not the usual question of grad student stipends, health benefits, etc. The long-term health of the university is suffering and it's just going to get worse as the best faculty leave for brighter pastures. (I know several faculty members at this university who are actively seeking other jobs.) There is a very good chance that if you get into this art history program you will be well funded but will find yourself without an advisor in short order. http://chronicle.com/article/The-Withering-of-a-Once-Great/231565/ On a happier note, U. of Michigan's art history program is also worth considering. It has been a bastion of stability and there are some terrific people there.

If you're interested in northern Europe, I'd also strongly recommend Northwestern. Christina Normore (very late Middle Ages), Claudia Swan, and Rebecca Zorach are all there.

The situation in the UW system goes beyond the usual funding crises that many universities have experienced. The budget cuts have been disastrous for all programs, tenure has been dismantled, and faculty are leaving in droves. The Madison art history department is fantastic, but I would not bank on it having its current shape two years from now.

Apply apply apply! And DO reach out to other people. As Brown-Eyed-Girl said, it's not fair to judge faculty on the basis of how responsive they are to you as a prospective student who has not even applied yet. Things will probably change dramatically if you get accepted into their program. If you are accepted and the person of interest still acts kinds of clueless and indifferent toward you? Accept another offer. THAT's the time to judge faculty for their level of engagement with you. (Personal anecdote alert: When I was looking at grad schools I got into my two top schools, both highly ranked. In one I was looking at this very high-profile hotshot celebrity advisor, in the other I was going to have a more low-key but very steady person. When I met with Person 1 he gave me the world's limpest handshake, complained about some aches and pains, and then asked me if I was applying to the undergraduate program (!) and why I was interested in art history. Person 2 arranged for his students to meet me and have me stay with them, insisted that I join his seminar, took me and a small group of students out to lunch, talked all about my interests and how I would fit into the program. Going to work with Person 2 was the best decision I ever made. Person 1 was so involved with his own fame that he only produced a couple of students who went on to finish their dissertations and get decent tt jobs; there was almost no advising at all. Person 2 has populated the field in North America with his students, who are all working on a huge range of topics and teaching at many kinds of places. Both were equally aloof when I was first applying.)

Absolutely, you should get in touch with the second person! You should not go into ANY grad program with the thought of tethering yourself to one single advisor for the whole time, and it is no sign of disrespect at all to express interest in someone else on the faculty. Just go to Person 2, introduce yourself, tell them that you've already had occasion to talk with Person 1, but that you also have reason to be very interested in Person 2's work etc. etc. Person 2 will doubtless be flattered, and Person 1 will probably not even know the difference.

If you're applying as an MA student in large programs that have doctoral programs, there's no need to contact individual professors. You will not get terribly much face-time with them once you're there; the faculty at Columbia, Penn etc. are extremely busy with their own research and long-term students, and they will figure that if you're not invested in being in their program long-term (for the Ph.D.), then they don't need to be all that invested in you. This is all the more the case for people working in modern/contemporary, where the profs are already overrun with undergrads as well who want to write senior theses in these areas. For Williams, by contrast, and any others where they *only* offer an MA, then you definitely should contact the individual POI and let them know of your interest and academic background.

Yes to the above. Most application forms ask you to list all the relevant information that you would also include on a CV (esp. previous educational experience, language abilities etc.) anyway. If your prior work experience was especially important for steering you toward Art History, or if you've held some kind of job that was really interesting and memorable, you can (and should!) mention these things in your statement of purpose. Admissions committees don't care about all the other part-time jobs you may have held, what word processing programs you use, etc. etc. In other words, don't sweat the CV; as a document it doesn't hold a candle to your statement of purpose.

Well, you should follow your main interest first and foremost. These two sub-fields could not be more different their working methods, the kinds of skills you need, the kind of classes you'd need to take, etc. etc. Medieval is by far the "easier" to get into in terms of numbers -- people who want to study modern/contemporary typically comprise about half of applicants, so your chance of being selected from such a big pool is very slight compared to your chances if you're applying as a medievalist. For medievalists, though, you've got more of a burden to demonstrate your facility with multiple languages (you've already got German, clearly, but you'll also need French and preferably Latin), and to show your knowledge of more arcane topics. Go with the field that you are stronger in and, above all, that you want to commit yourself to primarily for the next 6-7 years of your life. Of course, you can also be a medievalist who takes some coursework in Contemporary art, or vice-versa. Never hurts to expand temporally.

Regarding rolling admissions: it makes no difference in the US when you apply. The applications get funneled through a central system, and they don't reach the individual departments until after the official deadline. There's no advantage to applying early. What is important is writing a really substantive, interesting, clear letter that's tailored to the individual programs you're applying to. Speak with your BA advisor about this, or other trusted faculty members. Have them read over your drafts of the letter, and be prepared to revise multiple times before your letter is ready to be competitive. It's MUCH better to take your time and do it right than to rush something into the pipeline.

Yale's Art History program has an American Decorative Art and Material Culture specialist (Ned Cooke), and they've added a Global Material Culture survey to their undergraduate offerings. There's also a Material and Visual Culture of Religion working group there (through the Institute of Sacred Music).

Sorry, brown_eyed_girl, I didn't mean to pick only on you either! And what I said should not be taken personally. What I was talking about was a generally unspoken rule that everyone should be aware of. I've seen it happen many times that people knowingly wait and wait to tell other schools after they've already made a decision, while other people get left on the waitlist until the last possible second. Sometimes departments don't even have a chance to tap into their wait-lists at all because candidates wait until the very last day to submit their decisions. So, the decision to linger and not tell schools that are still considering you about your decision can have serious repercussions for other people. Even if you haven't heard from the place in question, you could very well still be on a wait-list. It sometimes happens that committee members are not allowed to contact people on a wait-list until they know that they can make them an offer. By all means, just drop them a quick line and let them know that you're out of the pool. In the meantime, I wish you (and everyone else who has gotten into a program of their choice) heartiest congratulations and much success in your studies!