renforall

I’d say yes. Even though it’s a dubious metric, I think the current “top ten” list would look something like this (in no particular order): Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Berkeley, UCLA, Chicago, Northwestern, NYU, and Penn. Might swap UCLA, Chicago, or Penn out with places like Stanford or Johns Hopkins, but it doesn’t really make a big difference.

The cancellations are definitely disappointing. Was excited to visit but the virtual tour will have to do. ?

I think uncertainty is perfectly common and expected. With PhDs, it’s usually the case that you don’t even know the topic of your dissertation until you’ve been in the program for a few years. This is the time to be strategic and figure out what’s best for you in the coming years. Especially with an MA, you want to attend a program where there’s several people with whom you can see yourself working. It’s wise not to tie yourself to one person in case things change during coursework. Many treat the MA as a kind of exploratory degree in order to get a sense of their commitment to the field, but this is a huge miscalculation. The MA is proper it you’re thinking about more advanced graduate study—which you are—but not yet ready for the sacrifices that the PhD demands. Or if you plan for a career where only the MA is necessary. Your investment in art history should already be firm and not a matter of question. Look, these programs do produce really wonderful students, too. I have an NYU graduate in my department right now. As you are well aware, you face an extra set of hurdles as an international student that others of us do not. The point is that there is a potential for these programs to be more of an impediment to your growth than anything else. It all comes down to what you’d make of your time in an MA and, more importantly, how the environment treats you—for better or worse.

Congrats! So awesome and uplifting that Davis funds MA students. ?

I’d first address the glaring issue with these programs, as the poster above mentions. I’ll give my two cents bluntly: please do not attend the Columbia/NYU programs unless you can seriously offset or justify the cost in a meaningful way. These programs are the notorious cash cows in the field (I would put Chicago’s MAPH in the same bracket, too) and rarely give any advantage in applying to the same departments’ PhD programs. Other users might be able to attest to this better than I, but it’s known that these academic environments are grossly unkind to their MA students and access to faculty remains a particularly troubling subject. This isn’t to say that there is any wrongdoing at the hands of faculty directly, but advising for MA students is generally a low priority and competition with other students—especially from what I hear about Columbia—is not worth the intellectual, financial, or personal investment whatsoever. If your ultimate goal is a PhD, it’s imperative that you enter and exit this long process with as few financial setbacks as possible. You’ve likely heard this before, but you must realize that self-funding an MA is a misguided step that many unfortunately take and should be avoided at all costs. If money isn’t an issue for you, then do some serious research about your potential advisor(s) commitment to their relationships with MA students and the departmental culture around advising at each institution. Talk to current students, if possible—they will likely be frank about their situations and offer more insight than anyone here can. It may prove more beneficial to investigate other programs for the subsequent application cycle that offer more funding opportunities and maintain a serious dedication to training MA students. Sure, you’d leave with a nice degree in-hand from a reputable program, but it’s questionable if these programs provide the individualized training necessary in order to secure a proper footing in this field. Only you can make the decision re: preparedness for the PhD, but ensure your reasons for pursuing are true to heart if you go that route eventually. If it turns out to be a yes, I’d say your time is better spent reading literature in your sub-field, building language skills, and refining your SOP/writing sample for a program that will make a deeper, genuine commitment to you as an emerging scholar. Consider your personal circumstances—whether you’re coming straight out of a BA or if you’ve already been living the post-grad life for a few years. If it’s the former, do not rush into this decision given these options. I wouldn’t say to take this as a hard and fast rule, but I will reiterate this as the most sound advice I’ve received: do not attend a program that doesn’t value you enough to fund you fully. Deciding to take the MA route comes down to a number of factors, but only do it if you believe that the experience is a necessary step and if your finances permit. Do not go into debt for an MA program. At this stage, concern yourself less with reputation and focus more on what will make for a meaningful academic training. I know plenty of students with mid-tier MAs who have gone on to fantastic PhD programs. Because you’re considering the PhD, think very carefully about this next step and do not make compromises when it comes to your wellbeing, intellectual or otherwise. As far as SAIC reputation goes, I know little about the program. But your post suggests that you’ve already recognized what the obvious limitations might be. Approach this with open eyes. Congratulations on your achievements and always keep in mind what will be best for you moving forward—it’s not always clear at first! ?

I think all admits have been notified. Just heard from a POI that the department only brings in 5 students each year, but I have no idea about waitlist notifications. Based on past results, looks like waitlisters are notified at same time as admits.

Congrats on your achievement! I would echo the above poster's comments and say, too, that Penn has a phenomenal placement record for graduates. A quick search shows that students have landed really fantastic positions after leaving the program—professorships at the University of Michigan and NYU, curatorships at places like the National Gallery in DC, and very desirable post-docs. I would also agree that once you're dealing with a program in this range, what really matters is compatibility with faculty and whether you believe that the program will provide you personally with the necessary training to conduct high level research. The prestige is already there. As for the new hires, my perception is that this is a positive development for the department, and it seems to be a very ideal moment to join as a student. Their recent appointments have brought in wonderful scholars who produce really intriguing work. After speaking with one of my POIs there, it seems that there is excitement about the program's growth and bringing in new perspectives. To me, Penn presents itself as a rare place to escape the rather traditional art historical thinking that you'll typically find within Ivy programs. Edit: Would also note that Penn's consortium arrangement allows you to work with scholars at nearby universities—including those at HYP. If there's someone at these institutions that you're really keen on working with, there's likely a chance that you can still establish a dialogue with them while at Penn or even have them serve on your committee.

Nope! Conversations were @ncan360 and I. Neither of us have heard anything it seems. It’s the only thing on my mind right now! I’m wondering if I should write to the department and ask them about the timeline.

Actually wanted to follow up on this and ask @ncan360 if they may have heard anything? I think that they were the other poster who said they had an interview with their POI.

@Modconart Looks like someone posted a Brown response this morning!

I had a phone interview during the last week of January. My POI said that we should expect to hear back sometime this month, but no clear indication of exactly when.

Hopkins admits: please DM me if you don’t plan on attending! Got wait-listed and this program is my top choice. Thrilled but absolutely on pins and needles hoping it goes through.?

Results page is absolutely brutal this week.

Woo! You were the results poster whose focus is ancient, right? Felt it went pretty well—my POI sent a very reassuring response to my follow-up. Hoping the best for all of us. ?

Ah, best of luck to both of us, @Modconart! Sent you a PM. ?