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/sigh/twombly

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  • Application Season
    2018 Fall
  • Program
    Art History

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  1. Got news that I was waitlisted by my #1 program. Should I respond letting them know that it is my first choice and that, if accepted, I would pick that program? Should I let them know if I have another offer, which I would turn down to attend their program? Or should I just wait it out and see if I get off in due time? Trying to figure out the most professional/advisable way to respond or if I just need to be patient---any advice, especially from people who have experienced this, is appreciated!
  2. thanks! POI(s)? (if you don't mind me asking )
  3. A B/B- is not a bad grade and I think other posters are right in saying that this should not keep you from getting into any program. So don't drop it if you are only afraid of the grade! That said, I don't think that minors really make or break an application either. I was ONE class away from a French minor (a language I use in my research today) and decided not to do it because I *really* didn't want to take that class (for a variety of reasons)--I'm about 3 years out of undergrad and have never regretted not minoring or even had it come up with grad profs; in the case of languages, I think being able to say that you can speak/read/do research in the language it matters more than having a minor in it (plus they can see how many classes you took in Japanese from your transcript). My advice would be to think about if you want to stay in the class--are you learning a lot in it even if you aren't going to get an A? Or are you stressed out about the class to the point where it is keeping you from your other classes? No shame in dropping a class that is stressing you out, and definitely no shame in a B... just do what makes most sense for you! I don't think either option is going to make or break anything for you in the long run!
  4. I think that you are right to apply to both and a lot of the advice on here is good. If doing a Ph.D. is your ultimate goal, you might as well apply and see what happens! And, like other posters have mentioned, one of the main problems with doing an MA first is that it's not often funded which is not feasible for most and is not often a good idea to go into significant debt for (of course this is a personal choice and totally dependent on your personal circumstances!)--especially if the option is between a fully-funded Ph.D. and an unfunded MA. (But take the MA applications as seriously as you take the Ph.D. ones!) Re: your "chances" (as hard as it is to know/comment on) from my experience, regardless of good grades, good school, language preparation, and research experience what it really takes to get into a Ph.D. program is a particular project with interesting questions (in addition to the skills/background to pursue it) and an MA may be the right place to figure out what exactly that project is. It's not really enough to be interested in Renaissance art, or 20th century painting, or whatever and to like it enough to want to get a Ph.D. in it to get into a Ph.D. program--you should have a much clearer idea of what you want to contribute to that field but, its not quite the same of MAs (of course its always a good idea to have an MA project in mind too. This is mostly from personal experience, so take that as you will. I applied to Ph.D.s one year out of undergrad, with good research experience (including a senior thesis as well as another project), good grades from a good liberal arts college, language prep in one language (and study abroad!), museum experience, and what I thought was a good idea about what I wanted to study and why (so your situation reminds me of my own)--and only got in to an MA (although I did get partial funding, which made it feasible). I'm applying second time around this year, and (fingers crossed) its looking much better because I have a specific project this time (not that Ph.D. programs expect you to stick to it entirely). I am SO glad I did the MA first, I was committed to doing a Ph.D. (although obviously wasn't as ready for it as I thought I was) and am clearly sticking to that plan, but I have a *much* better sense of what I'm getting my self in to than I did as an undergrad and have had more time to reflect on my career path, and have certainly benefited from it. I say all of this not to discourage you, but because I wish that some one would have told me this when I was thinking about applying the first time around. It's getting less and less common for people to get straight into Ph.D.s without an MA first in art history, which is certainly unfortunate, but if a Ph.D. is what you want to do, then it's good to know this. Along those lines, I'm so glad that I took a gap year (and wish I had taken two years off!!) between, so if that's something you are considering, I would say do it (and take two!--one year really means only a couple months off between graduation and beginning the work of applications). Applying takes up a lot of time and I think would be overwhelming to combine with senior thesis writing -- plus you should enjoy your senior year!! And writing about a senior thesis you've completed (rather than one you are working on) will be much more convincing for your application as well. Sorry for the long-winded answer and keep in mind that this is simply based on my own experience and what I wish I would have known making this decision. Going to grad school is a personal decision: talk to your professors and advisors who know you and know your work--they'll give you the best advice!
  5. I have my first prospective students visit/interview weekend coming up in March, and was wondering if anyone who has already been on one of these visits has any advice to share. I know these can differ from school to school, but I thought having a thread for general advice on this topic could be useful for a lot of people What should I expect? How should I prepare? Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you did your first visit/interview weekend? Much appreciated!
  6. Two of my programs require something akin to a diversity statement as a part of my application. I am not particularly "diverse" (economically privileged white woman) so I'm having trouble responding (questions are something along the lines of how would you contribute to a diverse environment)... everything I write sounds fairly disingenuous! Any tips on walking the difficult line between acknowledging my own privilege and actually answering the question? Also, any insight into how such a statement contributes to an application would be appreciated--am I just overthinking this??
  7. Anyone have any thoughts about/experience with Cornell CIAMS archaeology MA?? Or MAs in archaeology in general?
  8. Is it over for Penn? Saw a few responses awhile ago on the acceptance/rejections thread and unsure whether to hold out hope or assume that a rejection letter is coming...
  9. I am submitting a chapter of my thesis for my writing sample. The writing sample is supposed to read as a full text but the page limit means I'll only be selecting one chapter. This means my literature review and the set up of my general argument/project will be cut out. Currently, I'm editing to try to include the most essential aspects of my introduction into the chapter that I am submitting. Is this the best way to do this? Or should I just include the title of the thesis and the title of the chapter and assume that they will understand that I've cut that out (I've written about my thesis in my statement of purpose). How have others gone about submitting an excerpt of a thesis?
  10. I am submitting a chapter of my thesis for my writing sample. The writing sample is supposed to read as a full text but the page limit means I'll only be selecting one chapter. This means my literature review and the set up of my general argument/project will be cut out. Currently, I'm editing to try to include the most essential aspects of my introduction into the chapter that I am submitting. Is this the best way to do this? Or should I just include the title of the thesis and the title of the chapter and assume that they will understand that I've cut that out (I've written about my thesis in my statement of purpose). How have others gone about submitting an excerpt of a thesis?
  11. I'm a little perplexed by the process of converting my resume into a CV for my applications... I have a pretty good grasp on what I should include, but what are your thoughts about how much detail is necessary (and how much is too much) for a CV from someone who has only completed undergrad? Should I include a list of relevant coursework and the research projects completed in those classes? Abstracts for my senior thesis/another research project? Descriptions of duties at different internships like in a resume (or just list the internship title and location)? Should I go into detail about skill levels for languages I speak/read? Trying to strike a balance between clean, short, and professional and including all the relevant information ( don't want to just dump a bunch of details that could look like filler).
  12. What's the best way to tackle the last couple weeks of studying for the GRE and how did you stay motivated through the final push of studying? I am taking the GRE in about 3 weeks. I've been studying for a couple of months and took my second power prep about 3 weeks ago and scored well/where I was aiming for in verbal (166) and about as well as I have been in quant (150). Would like to score similarly (or better!) when I take the test, however I've had to take a couple of weeks off of studying (traveling, moving, etc.) and am starting my final GRE prep before I take the exam. Any advice on how to best focus my studying and improve my score in the last couple of weeks? Should I just keep drilling example questions? I'm tempted not to do another full practice exam since I've hit my target score and to focus on reviewing vocabulary and doing practice problems from Kaplan/Manhattan 5lb book--thoughts? And any math cramming advice? I know you can't really cram for the GRE, but I don't want to put too much time into studying math as I doubt it matters that much for my program (art history) but I'd like to bring up my score a little bit if I can as it is on the low side. Thanks!!
  13. How do you recommend describing language ability on a cv/for a grad school application? For example, I just started taking German and plan to continue taking while I apply in the fall and until I (hopefully) begin grad school. How do I indicate that I am a beginner but plan on improving the skill prior to entering grad school? I speak French (conversationally) and can read it. I don't want to exaggerate my language abilities but I also don't want to undersell them. I also took 3 years of Latin in high school (most of which I've forgotten) but I feel like I would be able to learn it again pretty quickly because of my previous experience--worth mentioning? (I am interested in studying Roman art so it's relevant) Also, any insight on how much background in languages (how many languages, how fluent) schools like to see from applicants or advice on studying languages during a gap year?
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