Hugh10

I am also at the moment too tired to jump into this discusson on free will, but it is one of my favorite topics and I just couldn't resist posting something now. I think this podcast provides a good examination of some of the issues: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z5y9z BTW: I would call myself a determinist, but I do not see it as contradictory to my interests in cultural analysis.

Lamantin, no I have not receieved anything official.

Thanks for sharing mrb! That is what I figured. There seemed to be some staggered admissions in the past, so I was hoping the posts on the results board weren't the official notifications just yet. I guess it's time to cross Penn off my list!

Hello everyone, I'm wondering if anyone has any information about UPenn? I am finding it rather difficult to discern a notificaiton pattern from the results board. To the person who was accepted by phone: Congratulations! Did you receive an official notice yet? Also, best of luck to the waitlist-ers!

You are definitely not burning bridges by not accepting an offer. As someone who has just finished a Masters and is still in the position of figuring out what comes next I would say take the job! Especially as it is something you enjoy and is in line with your career goals. With the only caveat being the one that fullofpink brought up: as long as the position is truly permenant and not just for the duration of an exhibition. Are the museum and program in the same city? I would also suggest seeing if doing a part-time MA is an option. You might be able to swing four days a week at the museum job and still be considered full time while taking one class a semester at the MA program. You will be able to pursue an MA down the line, should it prove benficial to your career, and you are not closing any doors by working first!

Wait listed at top choice. No back-ups. Thanks for starting this thread!

Perhaps we can use this thread to report on offers that have been declined. I don't know how much that will ease the anxiety of wait listers but if it is a funded offer then it is likely to open up the wait list.

Cool Well I hope you get a chance to explore more in your grad program and make some connections across the disciplines! Best of luck to all!

I have to admit I never took a history class in undergrad - just art history - so I can't comment on the whole professor thing. And I definitely don't want to start a discussion on the merits of an object-based history vs a text-based one -- especially on the history boards. But I just find this topic very intersting because it comes up A LOT in my graduate program. Professors are constantly pushing us (I keep saying us, I am an art historian) to distinguish our scholarship from history. So I guess I am surprised that there is not much dialogue within the history community about the nature of art history.

I would just add that if you want to really simplify the difference -- the fundamental distinction between history and art history is the way we prioritize the sources used to construct the historical narrative. Art historians do do archival research and use primary source documents, however our focus is on interpreting material evidence as a source for history. Now art history has become a lot like literature in that there is a large strand engaged in critical theory and in the interpretation of art works. And there are strands within art history that focus less on "history" and on anything from connoisseurship to visual studies to reception theory -- all more or less studied within large art history programs.

Why can't they have a show like that for humanities PhDs?

When I applied to graduate school I applied to MA and PhD programs. I got in to all of my MA choices and none of my PhD ones. In hindsight I can see how my application really was more suited for an MA - I expressed interest in my area and had a reasonably strong background in it, but had no real grasp on the major research problems in the field. Now, I might have been able to learn that on my own if I decided to decline the MA offers and take a year to reapply and really immerse myself in the literature, but I didn't go that route so I can't say for sure. What I can say is that upon entering my MA program I became fluent in my field incredibly fast, pinpointed a very specific area of research I wanted to pursue, learned who the major scholars in my field are and their methodology, acclimated myself to academic culture ... and I am sure many more positive things I am probably not remembering right now. Given my undergraduate education -- I went to a very loose, free-form liberal arts school, never wrote a senior thesis, never submitted anything for publication -- I am not sure I could have made up for my academic "weaknesses" simply by improving my SoP and doing some extra reading. In my situation, the MA definitely was the right choice. As far as what programs think, yes it is true that many Phd programs like to "mold" their students and if you are already too far along in the process they may not want you. Some programs work around this by not granting advanced standing to anyone, so even if you have an MA you will spend the same amount of time under their instruction. Converseley, if there is an institution that perfectly fits the working methods you learned in your Master's program than there really is no reason for them to see your development as a negative. Probably the best way to ensure that what you learn in your Master's and what the PhD programs want you to learn are the same is to choose programs that offer both so that you can be an "internal" applicant, but you shouldn't assume that there won't be an external program that is very similar to where you are doing your MA. I think essentially it comes down to where you are right now, if you really could be accpeted to a PhD program with just a few more tweaks, or if the MA is your next step, and how the MA programs you applied to compare to the PhD programs you want to get in to down the line. I hope that helps! (Edit: One more thing... the LoRs I have received from doing my MA, from influential professors in the field, has also been invaluable! Not to mention meeting the POIs I want to work with through symposia etc... )

The uncertainty/speculation is making me crazy though. Is this the week or is this not the week? Should my hopes be dashed or is there still a chance? (Edit: At least that is the roller coaster I happen to be on today. Hope other Yale hopefuls are faring better than I)

I second the congratulations to the Yale admit! Good luck to all the Yale applicants on this board - I hope we all hear some good news soon.

I am really glad someone started this board. I just saw the first Yale art history accept on the results board - with no stats!! I am crushed and hopeless. It is the first of the schools I applied to that has posted any accepts and probably my top choice. @Tinoply: People shouldn't throw crackers! But really, I'm in the same boat -- I'm no where near where I should be in my Master's thesis and it is making me want to cry everytime I sit behind my computer. I feel like I am going through two incredibly difficult experiences at once. And unfortunately, unlike LLajax I am taking out on the BF ... Decisions better come quick, not sure how many more mood swings and meltdowns he can take. To all those with tech problems... I am so sorry to hear that -- but I am in awe that you are still standing. If that happened to me I wouldn't be on GradCafe right now I would be digging myself a hole. So, you will get through it!! I really really hope they are able to recover all your data @Andsoitgoes

I don't usually post here... I am on the art history boards but we don't have a dedicated thread for me to freak out about Yale. (our decision day has also typically been today-ish) I got a phone call this morning from a number I didn't recognize and raced to turn the radio off and collected myself so as to sound presentable. It was a test of the emergency response services at my university. I NEARLY HAD A HEART ATTACK!

How is the Master's Thesis writing going for everyone? I applied to PhD programs and have had a really hard time concentrating. I am not exactly "behind" yet... but if I don't pick up the pace soon I will be scrambling. It is also very unfortunate that the schools I applied to will be sending out acceptances roughly at the same time my thesis is due so I don't think I will have any relief from the anxiety during the writing process. As a seperate problem I have been thinking about my Thesis for quite some time now... it has been a project that I have been working on in some form or another for a year and a half and I feel like I have read so much on my topic I wouldn't know how to explain it to someone who knows nothing about it. The first time I wrote anything about it, it was like a process of discovery and I really enjoyed it because I was just formulating my own opinion. Now, though, the topic seems so large, and in some ways obvious. I am having a really hard time getting it together. It is partially a motivation problem, I am not that excited about it anymore, but it is also a structural problem I can't figure out what my narrative should be because all the information is on one even plane in my head. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone?

@artofdescribing - I too am anxious to hear something from Yale. It seems like it is getting later and later for them to be requesting an interview - especially since the board seems to indicate they have sent out acceptances in february in the past. Would love to know if anyone has heard anything...

Thanks LadyT for the encouragement. I guess I have been aiming pretty high with the conferences I have been submitting to, although they have all been graduate student conferences. I have also been submitting to general conferences in my field (art history), not specific to my topic. I guess I was also wondering if the fact that I haven't presented yet is making it harder for me to get accepted. I have had to submit a CV with every abstract, and I can't figure out if they consider how far along a person is in their studies or their publication/conference record. It is nice to hear other people's experience with this.

Looks like IFA is sending out interview invitations -- that is very exciting, but also very nervewracking. From what I understand they are interviewing about 30 candidates this year, from which they will choose 14 or so. I know it is past 5pm in NY so I should stop checking my e-mail, but I can't! Wish I knew if all the invitations are going out this week... For those who received an invitation, does anyone want to share any stats? Do you already have an MA? Who is your POI? Thanks for sharing!!

I have just started submitting abstracts of a very shortened version of my MA thesis to conferences - but so far 3 rejects. Anyone else have trouble getting into their first conference?

Hi, just curious if you don't mind sharing for which of the programs you applied to disclosed a shortlist? Thanks! And sorry if you mentioned this somewhere else I just started reading the message boards ...

Thanks Fuzzy - the thing is almost everyone in my program receives As - getting an A+ is the only way to stand out and would improve my chances for a fellowship.

Thanks everyone. I think I am just going to leave it alone. It is just very frustrating when you know someone has messed up and you can't do anything about it.

Without giving too much detail about my current problem - at what point would someone seek out help or advice from administrators regarding problems you are having with a professor. In my case the problem will not really affect my academic record significantly (its the difference between an A and an A+) and I will say that my professor has made some rather unprofessional errors. Do I just let it pass and never take a course with this professor again? Or do I mention the situation to someone? Will it reflect badly on me? I am at a very small school I am not sure anything can be kept in confidence. I know it is hard to comment without knowing the situation but any insight as to the more accepted protocol would be much appreciated.