BridesheadRevisited

Hello! Thanks for starting a thread. I wasn't successful last season, so going into round 2 of phd applications....Sending everyone luck!

Thank you! That's reassuring to hear. Congrats on the Courtauld interview! I would have applied there, but I didn't have the time to develop my project into a detailed enough dissertation proposal (plus, the funding situation, as you said...). I think that if this season doesn't work out for me, I'll apply to the UK schools next round. Also, if you don't mind sharing, where else did you apply to?

Sorry for the late reply! The 19th c. is my second favorite period (mostly on the English/Renaissance revival end). Sending you good thoughts for Brown and Yale ☺️ Also, I don't mind sharing my list. I ended up applying to Penn, UCLA, McGill, Toronto, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers. I would have applied to Boston, but they suspended art history admissions again this year 😕 It feels like a bit of an odd list overall, but I was really trying to prioritize research fit....nervous but trying not to freak out haha

That's helpful, it's nice that they've been so transparent (though I didn't apply to Brown). Tough cycle this year! I still haven't heard a peep from any of my programs. My field is Italian Renaissance, if there's any other early modernists out there '

Congrats! Best of luck!

No news for me yet, but the majority of my programs don't close applications until this week. I don't expect to hear anything for quite awhile 😪

Hello everyone! How are the applications going? I'm applying for PhDs, trying not to stress out too much 🤪

You sound like you have accomplished a lot for an incoming junior. Kudos! I think you are worrying about some of these things prematurely and may be putting the cart before the horse. Deep breaths!! As a junior, you are probably just starting upper level seminar classes and perhaps independent research (based on my own slac experience). This is a great time to start developing your relationships with professors who may eventually write your recs, think about doing a thesis (if offered at your college), take classes outside of modern/contemporary art, etc. If you have the means, I would apply to do an internship with a major museum or collection next summer. You can also use the next two years to practice skills like interviewing (something that may or may not come up in grad school applications, but is a good skill to have). It's great that you already have your languages well underway (especially the German). My biggest recommendation is to talk to your art history professors and see what they suggest re: grad school and specific programs. PhD applications are not like undergrad apps--there aren't really safety or reach schools. Prestige/program rank is certainly important to consider (especially when thinking about job/fellowship opportunities postgrad), but it's just one of many factors. First and foremost, you should be applying to programs based on research fit (aka you are applying to work with a specific scholar). Modern and contemporary art is a massive field, and each PhD program will have its own culture that you may or may not resonate with. Some questions you can have in the back of your brain as you go through your classes this year/the next: Whose research do you find interesting? What methodologies do they use? Who did they study with and where (or alternatively, who were their students?)? With the academic job market being what it is, it is a good idea to be as flexible as possible. If you continue, you will likely be applying to both academic and curatorial track jobs after your PhD. Keep an open mind and talk to as many people working in your field as you can, so you can hear what their career paths have been. Re: your other concerns: I'm sorry that you feel as if your research or enthusiasm has been minimized, but I wouldn't linger over any offhand remarks like that. Not everyone will be as interested in your research as you are and you have to develop a tough skin for criticism (while still keeping an open mind about the limitations of your project(s)). That being said, your research will grow and change significantly over the years--it is unlikely that the research you are doing now will be the same as your dissertation project. You have over a year before you will be applying to grad school--I would develop your relationships to your art history profs, as they will be able to comment on your academic work most effectively (assuming that these mfa holding profs are studio art teachers?) Don't worry about past department placements, your undergrad ranking, etc. There are very few cases where this actually matters much, especially within top 20 slac rankings An A- will not hurt you, I promise (again, take some deep breaths. Your gpa isn't the be-all, end-all) Best of luck! You will be okay!