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I have done this. I applied to the anthropology program and they suggested I move my application over to art history. I called the anthro department and asked them to explain the motives and intensions of doing this. They told me the truth and even offered to reevaluate my app and gave me pointers on why I was moved and what could be done in the future. Emails work well because people can think out what they want to say in response. Phone calls are good too becuase you know you will get a response right then. I would try emailing first and then calling if no response. Seriously. If you didnt get in what do you have to loose anyway, nothing. It will only prove how genuine you are about improving and succeeding. As stated before choose your words wisely and professionally BUT ask exactly what you want to know. If you beat around the bush you may never get the answers that will satisfy you.

Ahh. very wise indeed! Interesting to see how folks with multidimensional lives and not just superhumanacademicoverachievers are the ones that live a little first!

Congrats on CU in the fall, best of luck!

I suppose getting in is validation enough and can be used later as leverage when applying to other places and negotiating funding. They chose you. Frame the acceptance letter and move into reality. People wont think your any smarter because you struggled to keep up with the big boys at an ivy while deluding yourself into thinking your not overcompensating for some sort of daddy issues. Your degree is what you make of it no matter where its from....not that i will actually make it into my ivy, im just saying. it helps me sleep at night.

So my wonderful LORs submitted all their letters online to the online application. Then my app was autodeleted. The system gives a window of activity and after that all applications in the system are autodeleted. The dates for this window of activity was not posted anywhere. One of my strongest recs retired shortly thereafter. Long story short, how appropriate is it to try to track down retired profs? Are they obligated to provide one after retirement? What are the best ways to maintain contact with a retired prof or are you supposed to leave them alone to knit in their rocking chair on the front porch in peace?

This did happen to me! I highly suggested online submmition of my LOR but he insisted that he mail it. It was lost, sent to the wrong department I suppose. I called to confirm the school recieved it and they had not. I had to have him email it directly to a lady in the admissions office....This is only after all three of my very strong recs. were auto deleted (along with the rest of my application) from the online application system. One of them was from a now retired teacher. Most systems have only a few months that your application is allowed to be active and then all information will be flushed, or auto deleted. These dates of activity were nowhere posted. I was devestated so when they lost his letter I had no patience left.

First of all, I dont know if illustrations are counted when they ask for a specific paper length (ex: the school i applied to asked for 15 pages) usually its double spaced etc. Take out the pictures and see how long the papers are. Also grad programs are researched based (the good ones). Choose the paper that highlights your theories and ideas backed by strong research. A paper that is in line with what you intend to study will help them visualize how you will fit into the program and what your potential is.

Im in my back up plan right now! Ive had an entry level job in the conservation lab of an art museum for about a year and a half since my UG, waiting for my rejection letter for masters (only applied to one school....I know....). Climbing the academic ladder without a higher degree is nearly impossible. I plan on retaking the Gre, and applying for my PhD the next go round. If that dosent work Im going to change to a museum in a better city and try to get some papers published, maybe work on a manuscript. I have applied to fellowships and internships at other museums but unless your enrolled or newly graduated from grad school, forget about it.

Dance has definately been the reason for all of my delays when it comes to age. If your over 12 its just a countdown till instructors loose favor with you and till your swan song (in ballet anyway). That's why it needed to end while I was still remotely young and able to get my life back. Id rather spend the extra year in an art museum than in the back of a rehearsal, or worse an audition. The age worries me because the older I get the harder it is to make things happen.

For all those who made it through the long, long, at most times unprofessional application process and got accepted into the unfunded MA programs or got bumped into the MA program after applying for phd, are you still going? Will you be accepting the unfunded offer or going elsewhere? If you are accepting, how are you paying for it...if you dont mind sharing.

I took five years to graduate (transferred schools and was a double major in art history and dance, dance is very time consuming, very political and very negative so I snipped the evil from my life and took a minor, focusing on academics), spent two years working in an art museum and applied to only one program for a terminal MA in Art History....Columbia. 5th biggest life regret. We all know the circus hoops and wait time it takes for word back from Columbia in any program but I was basically told I was a shoe in when I applied...still waiting. The whole application process is for another post on another day. I have given up hope and have finally moved on considering I pretty much know the outcome and have decided on applying to UPenn, Buffalo and UoDelaware. This adds another year of wait time due to deadlines passing. By the time I get into school again I will be 26. I know the other girls (cause they're always girls in art history, save for the pudgy mammas boy) will be fresh from undergrad at 22, 23 years old. I am thinking of going straight for the Phd in my other applications now just because of age but that will tak on at least another year or more in school vs a two year MA program. I want to get in a postgrad fellowship and be back in the job market before 30. Any thoughts? Anyone else actually go through puberty before entering into a terminal MA? What are the averge ages of people in your programs both MA or PhD?