madame x

Nada. UNC is killing me.

Three BU admits, and my inbox is inexorably empty. Anyone else feeling left out?

I'm still waiting, but I'm not optimistic. I think the best we can hope for is a notification that we're on the wait list

While I’m still anxiously awaiting decisions from several schools (including my top choice), I’m becoming increasingly concerned that I’ll end up with the single admission that I received back in January. On bright side, this program is a great fit, fully-funded, and in a great location for me. But, alas, it has a pretty dismal standing in the unofficial NRC rankings. I know that reputation is important, especially when it comes to finding a good job. But my only other choice may be an entirely new career. This would be easier to swallow if I hadn’t spent the last decade of my life preparing for a career as an art historian. Granted, I wasn’t always 100% confident that I would pursue a PhD, and I spent several years working (in a major art museum) before entering an (admittedly unimpressive, but fully-funded and local) MA program, but I’m 100% committed now. I don’t have outstanding GRE scores or a perfect undergrad GPA, but my resume, recommendations, and research interests are totally solid. This is my second year as an applicant, and I simply can’t afford to go through this process again next year. In a potential worse-case-scenario, should I settle or just give up?