Ramblr

oh, i didn't see that one! interesting...

<br /><br /><br /> applicant or acceptance?! gahhh! has a doctoral program already confirmed acceptance for someone?! i saw an art & theology go up on the results page... i also saw a harvard notification for another concentration, something like literary studies. is harvard already getting back to people? ignore me, as i am obviously simply wasting my time freaking out... good luck all!

Selphie, have no fear. It's a bit too early, I think... I hope! I would start worrying toward the middle to end of February. As someone posted above, when they spoke to someone at UChicago, they said the latest they can stop by is the first week of February, so that means they are still considering apps. Keep up the hope!

Wow! Really? Gosh, I wish I had your time and patience! Good luck in Chicago!

Interesting... so you contacted your professor of interest and simply scheduled an interview? do you know if chicago does visits for prospective or accepted students?

send out admissions notices

Hi! Does anyone have a timeline as to when Chicago schools like Northwestern and UChicago a) invite people to an interview (I heard it was post-admittance) send out admissions notices Many thanks! Good luck!

Sweet! I hadn't checked out your signature. In that case, then totally apply, and you should have a good chance, since you are in school/in the midst of schools and have a few degrees under your belt. Good luck, good luck!

Good luck! Word of caution, though, on the Met application. They strongly prefer to choose candidates who are already enrolled in a program (B.A., M.A., Ph.D. etc.). I don't think you mentioned if you were applying to programs straight out of undergrad, but I would keep this in mind when applying. Maybe stress how you are on a very brief break in between programs, talk about your future program, or something like that.

considering it's so short, do you think it's safe to lose all the "lead up" present in longer SOPs? for example, i've very much gotten to the heart of my arguments and less into the story on how i got there. there are just so few words!!!

Yeah, I mean, as long as it's not 2300 words, I think you're good. This is your one shot. Make it count! I wouldn't get caught up or self-conscious over word counts. What I do worry about is how I totally don't trust the online apps. Like, seriously? I just submitted a few today. I fear they might be floating in cyberspace. I must have checked the confirmation emails a dozen times!!!

All of mine (except for the Courtauld, which only asks for a mere 500 words), are about 1200. I think most state "approximately" 1000 words. I would try to keep that under four pages, though if you can manage with margins and spacings. Then it will look less overwhelming. Ah, the mad rush! The 15th is finally here! ))

definitely write or call to ask. i was in a similar situation until i found a decent solution, but it required more work. not ideal! a know at least one program told me i could submit two papers... good luck!!!

Hi! Anyone applying to the Courtauld? I'm applying to the MA in the History of Art and was wondering what's the deal with citing the special options in the Personal Statement. I'm going to list my three choices on the form, but I have my heart set on choice 1. The other choices I have chosen make sense and, at least, my second choice is complimentary to my first. Is it a total faux pas if I direct my statement toward that choice ONLY? The statement is teeny, tiny: 500 words, max! Many thanks.

Count me in!!! I first sat down to write the SOP back in early October while studying for the GRE. Obviously, that didn't work, so after wasting a few hours on it, I gave up and focused on the GRE. Now that it is (thankfully) over, I have no choice but to do the SOP. (I have even spent the greater part of today editing my writing sample, which is basically ready anyway, just so I can further avoid the SOP). I will say that I've begun to approach the SOP in pieces, thinking about what points I would include (i.e. language skills, past internships, concentration, secondary concentration) and then just writing without editing a few paragraphs for each. While that's got my brain in motion, it hasn't led to anything substantial. I wish there were better guidelines!!!

On all the apps, the CV is either uploaded or attached. In the few apps I've already gone through, parts of my CV have been applicable to separate questions on the main app. So, what's the general format? I'm revamping one I've sent in for internships and jobs in the past. I assume... Education Study Abroad Internship & Work Experience (only as related to the arts) Conference Presentations Publications (only as related to the arts) Technical and Language Skills Anything missing? Oh, and under the main headings, I've listed the schools, programs, museums, etc. and then my position, and then the dates, and then have bullets with brief descriptions. It comes to a total of 1.5 pages. Is there any standardization for typeface/spacing/bullets, etc? Suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Oh, very cool! My work strays a little in that direction when it comes to East German art, specifically artists groups and collectives from 70s and 80s. And no, I'm not very into film, at least not enough to have it matter right now. Thanks, again!

Thanks! Your comments were so helpful. I thought so, but I wanted a confirmation. Looks like you know your stuff (even though you do disagree with me on meeting with professors, ahahha!!) My speciality is modern/contemporary with an focus on Eastern Europe. I'm not look for a Russianist on the faculty, per se, but I would like to have someone who, at least, knows when the Soviet Union dissolved. Any advice would be appreciated. What's your focus?

I am all for contacting professors. Not only was it recommended to me by both current grad students and my undergrad professors, but it also has been helpful in focusing my energies when writing my statement for specific schools. For example, one of my schools recently added a young faculty member in my general field. Based on the scant information online, I assumed that the professor would be a good but obviously not perfect match for an advisor. Even after sitting in on a lecture, I still thought we'd be an okay match. However, upon meeting the professor one-on-one, I quickly realized our research interests are totally incompatible. While a amicable meeting, I think we both realized this. On one hand, I now might have one less professor rallying for my admission; however, on the other hand, I probably wouldn't have had that professor's blessing to begin with. Now, I can concentrate on addressing my statement to another professor on the faculty, something I wouldn't have done if I had stuck to my original assumptions. Again, as with most things in the process, things are not very clear cut. Good? Bad? Who knows. It's a crapshoot.

Is anyone applying to UC Berkeley for modern/contemporary? If so, why? I've always had it on my list. It seemed like a perennial favorite for my friends who've applied in the past. It's also a name that comes up when looking at current professors at other schools. However, I recently took a harder look, and are all its modernist emeriti??? Clark and Wagner are officially listed as "retired." Anyone have any news on this front? Thanks in advance!

Hi, I'm applying to Ph.D. programs in Art History this fall. My specialization is late modern and contemporary with a focus on Eastern Europe. Looking at my list of schools and professors, I thought it might be a good idea to contact a few current students to get their perspectives on programs. (Most schools do list their students' names and emails.) But how does one go about this? What is too much or too little to ask? Obviously, I want to know what it is like to work with Prof. X, but how does one nicely ask if the student regrets doing so? I'm no gossip. I just want to be well informed! I've gotten the scoop from some people I personally know, but that was face to face. I just feel so awkward asking total strangers. Any advice? Thanks!