[What are your thoughts on visiting schools before being accepted]

I'm a current graduate student and we've received a number of prospective students visiting, sitting in on classes, and requesting meetings with faculty members prior to admission results. I know this is a fairly common practice, but for some reason I have mixed feelings about it (I didn't visit any schools while I was applying, mostly because I didn't have any money but also because I was never sure if it would actually help). I think, on the one hand, that it is a pretty privileged practice—and hence an unfair one—but on the other, as some colleagues have told me, it might be a decisive one, especially when it comes to getting an offer from a top tier programs. Any thoughts? 

[stuff you have to deal with in grad school when you're physically attractive]

2 hours ago, amyvt98 said:

Until then, I coped by watching a lot of Legally Blonde

Love the Legally Blonde advice!! I'm glad to hear about your experience and how it is actually an issue that can take a lot of energy, work, and extra caution. It is annoying, especially when you're arriving to a place and you want to make friends and feel supported, but I'm also sure it will become less of an issue as time goes by and I'm no longer the new girl in town. 

And yes, I should leave earlier, before things start getting awkward, though I still think this is truly unfair! 

[stuff you have to deal with in grad school when you're physically attractive]

14 hours ago, Sigaba said:

I am sorry that the dynamic is such that you're feeling increasingly isolated from your cohort.

As a rule of thumb,  trust your instincts. if you feel like you're on the receiving end of inappropriate behavior, people probably are behaving inappropriately towards you. If you're feeling harassed, you're being harassed.

Would it be possible for you to focus on your coursework for the balance of the term while you regroup and figure out how you want to educate members of your cohort on how they should treat you? Or do you want to write them off entirely for the present, if not permanently? 

Thanks @Sigaba, this is wonderful advice. I will trust my instincts and take action accordingly. It's interesting how I've never thought of educating others on how they should treat me... although it does feel like extra labor, I guess it's necessary in order to protect myself. I will focus on coursework in the meanwhile,  take some distance from all the social turbulence, and gain perspective. I'm sure this will help a lot. 

[stuff you have to deal with in grad school when you're physically attractive]

Ok guys. I don't mean to be arrogant or self-indulgent with this, but I just want to share some off-putting experiences and feelings I've had to deal with due to something I never imagined would be an issue. 

I'm on my first year on a PhD program in a fairly small city, at a top-10 school. My program is rather small (6-7 people per cohort). I am a woman, and most people would say I'm attractive, pretty, desirable. Plus, I would fit into the category of an easily fetishizable, exotic foreign person with an accent. Although this is usually considered a privilege rather than a problem, it has been a problem in many occasions, and grad school doesn't seem to be the exception. I get a lot of attention from both men and women. I've had to deal with men in my cohort who have asked me out - more than once. When I go out for drinks with people in my program, I usually have to deal with one of them trying to make a move, and even kiss me, hug me, or invite me to their places. At the beginning this was fun and exciting, I have to admit, but it now feels overwhelming and confusing. On the one hand, it takes a lot of energy to set these boundaries constantly, with people who are at the same time my colleagues, which often creates an awkward situation I didn't even intend to provoke in the first place. On the other hand, it prevents me from building meaningful relationships because whenever I get too social, talkative, or close (especially with men), they misinterpret my intentions. So I've decided to be extra careful with what I do or say and to whom, which has progressively isolated me from social interactions. 

Am I being subject of sexual and gender micro-aggression? Is anybody experiencing or has experienced a similar situation? What would you do in my place? 

[Looking for a house while being too far away... HELP!]

Thank you @Meraki and @Bird Vision for your replies!! 

[Looking for a house while being too far away... HELP!]

Hi all! 

I'm an international student moving to the US to start my program and I'm desperately looking for an apartment. These are the two issues I'm dealing with:

1. I'm getting ghosted by the people in my program who offered me to help me with housing when I visited. They were so nice, attentive and helpful. They offered me to help me find a place, to visit it before my arrival, etc. Now that I'm actually asking them for their help, they suddenly disappear. Am I getting something wrong (maybe cultural?)? Did they actually mean they were willing to help me? Or it is just something you offer out of politeness? And if this were the case, am I being rude for actually requesting them to do what they've offered without really meaning to do so? 

2. How safe is it to submit a security deposit without having visited the apartment? I've had a Skype tour and I've talked with the landlord. Everything seems to be alright. But I'm still afraid to submit a security deposit... How common are rental scams in the US? Are there any red flags I should worry about? 

[Rochester or Cornell]

13 hours ago, Averie Tk said:

 Now I tend to join Rochester in consideration of finance and research interest. Yet I also want to know how US students evaluate these two programs. And how important will prestige of school affect one's future career. Thank you.

If you check the USnews general ranking Cornell is listed #16 and Rochester #33. I know the Art History program at Cornell has a good reputation for East Asian art, so if this is what you want to focus on, I would say it is a good place for you - at a prestigious, Ivy league school (regardless of the fact that the program itself is not as well reputed as the school as a whole). However, they're not offering you any extra funding, which could be problematic... I don't know about the cost of living in Ithaca, but I imagine it tends to be low.. and if you manage to live on a budget, with roommates, I would say it's doable. 

On the other hand, Rochester's program would take you on a very different path... as you said, it would allow you to focus on a different range of topics, and develop a type of work that fits your interests better. However, you would be earning a degree in “visual studies”, as opposed to a more traditional Art History degree, which is something you would want to consider - whether it is for good or bad. If your country doesn't have many scholars who are specialized in “visual and cultural studies”, maybe this could work on your favor - you will have a sort of strange, specific degree that could make schools want to have you. However, this could have the opposite effect: schools in your country are more conventional, more traditional, and would only hire Art History PhDs. So this would require you to think of the academic situation in your country and envision which type of degree and education will be most wanted in the next decade... are there departments in the humanities or art schools, who are starting to build strong visual and media studies? In which university / department do you see yourself working after you complete your PhD? What type of contribution would you like to make, and in which area of study? 

I think these are questions that would  help you clarify your goals and be as strategic as possible. I would also recommend you to search on this forum for more information about these programs. There are many posts and comments on both schools, and you could learn a lot about what people think about them after a quick search. 

 

 

[Rochester or Cornell]

15 minutes ago, Averie Tk said:

I'm an International student from an Asian country and I have to decide between Rochester and Cornell for art history and visual studies.

 

Congratulations on both acceptances! I know it's hard to make a decision, especially when you are an international student and don't have as many references as people in the US have in regards to schools, prestige, etc. Have you been invited to visit any of these schools? Have you visited yet? How's that been? I think visiting would give you the chance to gather relevant information about each program in order to make a decision. As to whether the school is famous or not in your country... it's hard to say something without knowing how much importance this has when it comes to hire someone in your country... but generally speaking, I think it's far more important to choose a program in which you feel you can thrive and do your best work... 

[Quiet/Shy/Socially Anxious in Academia]

11 hours ago, MindOverMatter said:

I honestly thought I got over my social anxiety recently, and someone pointing out my quietness today really gutted me.

If the person was obviously not being an asshole, and there was a kind tone in their comment, then I would think that the very fact that you were more open and vocal made this person approach and try to start a conversation with you at a more personal level. This might have been unconsciously, of course, but regardless of the content of their message, I'd say that this could be taken as evidence of you overcoming your social anxiety. 

[Health insurance help!]

24 minutes ago, feralgrad said:

If they're being vague, then they aren't doing their job. It may be uncomfortable, but you'll need to learn to advocate for yourself in order to navigate the American healthcare system (and keep in mind that as long as you're polite, people will usually want to help).

Thank you so much! Very funny and helpful article (I do wanna be like Ross), and great advice. I will definitely insist with my school to get as much information as possible...

If anyone else have experiences / advice on this issue I'd be happy to hear!

[Health insurance help!]

Hi everyone! 

I will be joining a PhD program (fully funded + stipend) next fall and I have a question about health insurance... My offer doesn't cover health insurance but the school requires me to have one once I start the program. How much do international students typically pay for health insurance in the US? Do schools usually have specific health programs for graduate students which are cheaper? I've been trying to search for this information online but got even more confused about how this whole thing works... I also wrote to my university and they gave me a (surprisingly) vague answer. If I have to pay more that $2,000 a year for health insurance, well, that makes my stipend almost unlivable... any suggestions? 

 

[Campus Visits]

5 hours ago, gloriagilbert said:

In short, I wouldn't sweat it. It might be more of a "red flag" if you went through years of graduate study without changing your proposal at all.

Thank you! It's very reassuring to read you  

[Campus Visits]

After submitting my application materials, I've continued to work on my project by reading, researching and expanding my knowledge on my proposed field of study. This has led me to slightly reframe the focus of my initial project, particularly in terms of methodology.  I have a campus visit next week and expect to interview with POIs and faculty members and I'm not exactly sure about how to address this change. I know the project I presented will most probably end up being a completely different thing, if not completely dismissed, and I know POIs know this. But still, for some reason I'm worried that I might sound unprofessional or not committed enough with the proposal that got me accepted into the program in the first place. I might be overanalyzing this out of anxiety, but any advice will be appreciated! 

[Let's talk about the stress of trying to pick between/ among schools]

Can anyone give examples of things going not-so-good during campus visits? I'm curious. 

[Fall 2019 Applicants]

9 hours ago, Iris Che said:

Hi everyone, I was admitted to BostonU's MA pogram. It would be a great fit for me since I am specilizing in Roman art. Yet the incredibly expensive tuition and living expenses in Boston are really discouraging, and at this moment I do not have a better offer. What do you guys think? And anyone knows something in detail (like, if the professors there are helpful or not)? I would appreciate if you could PM me. Thanks a lot!

I wouldn't recommend anyone, unless you're rich or have external funding, to pursue an unfunded MA program... Especially if there are some amazing fully-funded MA programs available out there. If your ultimate goal is to pursue a PhD, take a year off, read, improve your application materials, take graduate-level courses at a nearby institution, work on your language skills... There are so many people I know that benefit from such a decision, and are accepted to fully funded PhDs next season. Given the precarious job situation, we shouldn't fall into years debt for a graduate program in the humanities. 

[Current English PhD students - Q&A]

21 minutes ago, illcounsel said:

Sorry if this is wrong place to ask since I am referring to MA programs, but I wonder if someone could speak about how heavily funding played into their offer and if the regret that or not. A few of my programs are sitting at about 18k of funding, but the program that I have a closest fit to is at 13k (after a round of negotiating funding). I wonder how much worry I should place on the funding vs fit especially considering it is an MA program. It feels hard to accept an offer that is that much lower than the rest (especially given that it is a 3 year program, not 2), but also feels hard to not accept an offer that has closest fit. Any advice? Cost of Living estimates are relatively similar across the programs. 

Is this funding a partial tuition remission, or is it a stipend? 

[2019 Applicants]

Does anybody know what's the average / usual / expected conference funding offered by phd programs? 

[Current English PhD students - Q&A]

On 3/7/2019 at 7:48 PM, emprof said:

Do they have tenure? Or, if they don't, are they on track to get tenure? You'll probably be in the Ph.D. program for around 6 years, which is enough time for a junior scholar to establish a name in the field and to achieve professional stature. Obviously, it depends a little bit on the institution. If you're talking about the "Big Three," they have a reputation for a revolving door of junior scholars; I wouldn't want to count on a junior professor getting tenure there. If, on the other hand, you're talking about a program that has a strong record of mentoring and tenuring its junior faculty, then I wouldn't worry about having advisors who are early in their careers--especially if the fit is good, as you say. If you were choosing between two institutions, and one had more senior scholars in the field, then perhaps it would be slightly "safer" to go with the latter--but even then, I think fit would be more decisive for me than seniority. If you can speak with your undergraduate (or MA?) advisors with more specifics (or if you'd like to PM me with specifics), you might be able to glean more inside-baseball information about the program, the advisors, and their career trajectories. But in general, I wouldn't worry too much about this issue. 

Thank you so much @emprof!! This is very helpful advice. To my knowledge, they all have tenure-track positions. What would be a good way to find out if the program has a strong record of mentoring and tenuring their junior faculty? 

[Current English PhD students - Q&A]

22 minutes ago, emprof said:

The USNews ranking is helpful in broad strokes--i.e., in differentiating the top 20 programs from the top 40 or 60--but within those divisions, I think it's more important to consider the prestige of the faculty mentors with whom you would be working: their visibility in the field, their reputation as mentors among current graduate students, their record of placing students in desirable jobs.

What about young advisors who might not be big names or experienced scholars (they are currently advising two ongoing dissertations for the first time), but whose research focus fits really well with my project? I'm about to accept an offer from a well regarded program, but all three potential advisors are quite young. This is a concern that's preventing me from committing... any thoughts on this? 

[2019 Visit Days/Decisions]

44 minutes ago, birvxine said:

Hi everyone, I'm a long time lurker on these forums and will probably post more as I come to making decisions (I have three offers that I'm deciding between). I'm an international student and can't go on any of the visit days due to visa issues, so I've been emailing and will skype with my POIs to help me decide. One of my three offers is probably the one I will accept but I haven't fully committed to it yet because it is such a big decision. I'm not sure how open to be about this with the POIs -- one of them at another choice has suggested he could advocate for housing for me to help me make my decision, so I'm torn between being transparent and telling him that I'm leaning towards another option but would like still like to talk over the phone, or not and letting him do so. I don't want him to feel like I'm wasting his time. Generally, I'm just finding this quite difficult to navigate in a way that doesn't drag it out but also allows me to consider everything! 

I'm in a similar situation (also an international student), so I really relate to what you're going through. I wouldn't worry about wasting people's time (which I understand might be one of your concerns), because it's perfectly reasonable for your POIs and other faculty and staff to spend some time talking to you over the phone or doing whatever is in their hands to recruit you. If you are accepted it means they really want you, so for them it's part of the process to spend time and other resources in order to “seduce you” - I kind of hate this metaphor, but it really feels like that, doesn't it? I'm about to decline an offer and I feel terrible about it, nervous, fearful, like I'm gonna break someone's heart! Yikes! Then I remember I'm not that important. For instance, I have been invited by one of the schools to a campus visit and they are paying for everything and are being extra nice and supportive. This would never happen in my country, and I feel I'm accepting a very expensive gift that I shouldn't accept, especially if I'm not completely sure I will attend this program. But again, it's part of the process. So make all the questions you need to make in order to make an informed decision. And although I wouldn't make a big deal out of it, I would definitely be honest with this POI about the fact that you are considering more options, and are still in the process of making decisions. 

[Fall 2019 Applicants]

On 3/4/2019 at 11:15 PM, sunny-j said:

I actually saw your comment weeks ago. Care to share his/her field of research and advisors at Rochester? 

I'll PM you. 

[Fall 2019 Applicants]

7 minutes ago, sunny-j said:

Did anyone applied to Rochester's Visual and Cultural Studies Program? 

A very good friend of mine did! 

[Fall 2020 Applicants]

8 hours ago, dutch718 said:

Hi all, 

I've been teaching in the visual arts for the last few years at the secondary level and recently made the decision to apply to graduate school in art history (my major in college.) This choice was made in part because in teaching art history, I've really come to realize how passionate I am about the subject and want to further my knowledge. I stumbled across this board a few weeks ago and it's gotten me totally spooked . . . I won't be applying until next fall and I'm more interested in a terminal master's program than going for a full PhD, but then again I don't yet know exactly what I want to study (I have a number of ideas, but my undergrad thesis was on contemporary middle eastern feminist art.) Also, for what it's worth, my end goal isn't specific — I could easily imagine returning to the classroom, curating, doing museum work, maybe even some gallery/auction house research.

 Does anyone have any advice or suggestions? Do I even have a shot at getting admitted anywhere in such a hyper-competitive environment?

 

You definitely have a shot! You wrote an undergrad thesis, so you have some experience in research, and you have teaching experience in the field as well. I think it all depends on how you present a coherent project. And the most important think to do this, I believe, is to have a clear idea on what you want to do and why, and to pose interesting questions that are relevant to the field and are a consequent result of your intellectual history and development. MA programs are not as competitive as PhD programs (and they don't require you to have a research project as concise and specific as the PhD), but it's important to keep in mind that most of them are unfunded. Some of them will offer you tuition scholarships or TA positions, but it's rare they will offer a monthly stipend.. I'm sure you can find plenty of information on fully funded MA programs on this forum. 

 

[Post-Shutout]

3 minutes ago, snorkles said:

My Chicago acceptance was with a V score of 96th percentile, 11th percentile Q, and something like 82 percentile in W.  Hope that gives some context. 

That's good to know. I actually decided to apply with my terrible scores after I saw in the results page someone who posted similar scores and was also admitted years ago  

[Post-Shutout]

8 hours ago, bfat said:

1. This is the worst truth and you're not going to want to hear it, but GRE scores matter a lot. Not to the department, necessarily (most profs are very frustrated that it's a factor they need to consider), but to the university, who wants to look good in terms of numbers. It fucking sucks. It's the truth. This means quant scores, too. ?

So this might be one of the reasons why I was accepted to amazing PhD programs in the UK that didn't require the GRE, was granted one of the most prestigious fellowships in Europe for graduate studies, but received a flat-out rejection from U. Chicago (didn't even get the MAPH consolation prize). My GRE scores, Q and V, were a complete disaster!!