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jpngrl

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Everything posted by jpngrl

  1. Thanks Red_Barron. Can I ask, did you receive a phone call from the DGS or a potential advisor? I'm crossing my fingers--I called the program today and they told me that decisions had been officially approved today, so I should receive word in a few days. You're so lucky to have heard so early!
  2. Hi Red_Barron, congrats on your acceptance! I'm waiting to hear from BU too, but hearing you got a phone call a week ago is a bit disheartening. Do you know if they're staggering the acceptances or whether they made all their calls already?
  3. Anyone hear from BU's American Studies/New England Studies Program? There seemed to be one acceptance via phone on the results thread, but I haven't heard a peep from them.
  4. Thanks for your advice! I'll check out those programs, but if anyone had recs for the East Coast, that would be great. Also, would someone be willing to look over my SOP?
  5. I'm in the middle of applications and my focus is looking at the history of collecting in America during the 19th/20th centuries. I am specifically looking at smaller, more focused MA programs that teach material culture (BGC, Winterthur, Cooper-Hewitt), but I'd also like to expand my options by applying to universities that maybe have a professor that specializes in this area or whose curriculum offers a more oriented focus on the objects, makers and markets involved in collecting and material exchange. The problem is, I can't find any! (anyone rec Columbia or UPENN?) US or UK schools are fine, and ideally in a city. Since everyone on this forum has such varied experiences, I'd love to hear your opinions as to which programs/schools I should do more research on. In addition, how closely do admissions people look at how the subject of your writing sample relates to your intended program? The chapter of my thesis that I'm submitting deals with Japanese illustrated encyclopedias, which I tie in with my interest in collecting, but I'm anxious that they'll only focus on the subject over the quality of my writing. Is this just me freaking out? Finally, how would you guys recommend tying in three summers as a tour guide at a historic home? I call myself a 'historic interpretor' on my CV, but do you think this is something that admissions people want to hear about in a SOP or should I leave it alone? Thanks everyone!
  6. Hi Everyone! I come from an Art History background, but my academic focus is material culture, particularly looking at the history of collecting in America. I've heard good things about the Public History MA at UMASS, especially looking at it's museum studies track, but I'd love to hear more about the program from anyone who is attending/has attended or has some advice. My GPA is 3.8 from a great liberal-arts college, and my undergraduate focus was on Asian Art. I'd like to apply this to my intended study by researching cross-cultural exchange between American collectors and non-Western objects. Is this something that UMASS could facilitate with it's faculty/cirriculum? Lastly, does anyone know what the minimum GRE is for that program? I did pretty well my first time for writing (5), but I'm thinking my verbal could be better (158). The reading comp. was unexpectedly difficult, so I may take it again, but I wanted to know if your scores would be something they seriously regard when deciding admission. I'd appreciate any comments/suggestions/questions. Thanks!
  7. Well, not ALL the SOPs are 500 words--just the Bard one, which is the one I'm working on now. Thanks for the advice about POIs--your format sounds perfect, and I'll definitely use it later one. I'll look into Robert St. George--he sounds great! Mostly I've looked in the Art History department, but I'm guessing it's best to find a professor that will allign with your interests, right?
  8. Hi All! Gradcafe has been an invaluable resource over the past through months, and you all have been really great with answering my questions about the application process for grad school. As September approaches, I'm really gearing up to begin and I would love your input on a couple of issues. To recap, I'm a recent grad with a 3.8 from a liberal arts college, seeking to study material culture and decorative arts, with a particular focus on collecting in 19th/20th century America and material exchange with non-Western countries. As some of you may have guessed, my number one choice is Bard Graduate Center, with Winterthur, Cooper Hewitt, UPENN and (suggestions??) maybe one other. I'm wondering what the etiquette is for contacting POIs, especially since the majority of programs I'm applying to have a more specialized MA program, and are smaller. Should I present the highlighted features of my SOP (as seen above) and ask if there are resources and scholarly guidance available by so-and-so professor at so-and-so school? Is anyone willing to send me a copy of their letter (preferably one that got a reply) so I can see how it's typically done? Secondly, I just spent a year working at an auction house in nyc, working in the Japanese Art department. Before that, I was an intern at a design museum, but my academic focus for undergrad was primarly Japanese art. However, for three summers I worked at the Edith Wharton Historic Home, which really sparked an interest in decorative arts and material collecting. This went along with a project I did for my college at a Vanderbilt Mansion, where I curated an object for an online exhibition of dec. arts. My question is this: my SOP needs to be 500 words, so of course I can't mention all of this. I want to emphasize my Wharton/Vanderbilt connection, as it connects with my aspired area of study, but should I also mention my auction house/museum internships? I still want to 'tell a story,' and not get muddled down with details. Any advice? Leave it for the C.V.? Lastly, my boss at the auction house agreed to be one of my references (two others are professors). Is this acceptable, especially if some schools frown upon auction houses as being too commercial? Anyway, if you took the time to read this (and I thank you!) I would love to hear your advice and feedback. If anyone wants to swap SOPs for edit, I'd be glad to help out! Thanks
  9. Hello All! I've posted on this forum a couple of times, mostly wavering between MA/PhD, Apply Now/Wait a Year... So I've finally decided that a smaller school with a more specialized MA program would be for me! I graduated last year with my B.A., (3.8 GPA) having written on Japanese design and doing a research project at the Vanderbilt Estate (a little diverse, I know...) I was very lucky to have been an intern at the Museum of Arts and Design this past winter, where I did curatorial work and blogged for their website. I am also at the tail-end of an internship (paid!) at a top-three auction house in the Japanese department. While I love Japanese art, I am more interested in material culture, particularly issues of exchange and connoisseurship between Japan and America. I REALLY like BGC's program, and I was wondering if there was anyone out there who had attended, is attending, or had done some thinking about it. Any suggestions or comments? I'm sure this is a common feeling, but as soon as I decided on the school as my top pick, I was overcome with nerves and anxiety! I would also LOVE LOVE LOVE some advice on how to structure my SOP. As a school that doesn't do much with Japanese Art, I don't want them to think I'm not suited to their program, since I am very passionate about their interdisciplinary education and feel it would lead me in the right direction. Also, should I submit a chapter from my senior thesis on Japanese design, or stick with my research paper from the Vanderbilt mansion? I feel a little weird about this one, since I would be essentially mis-directing them as to my previous area of academic focus. How should I proceed??
  10. Wow, thanks for everyone's replies! As for the question about me thinking that these two programs are mutually exclusive...I guess I do in some part think that way. But that is only because I definitely thought that to study one would take me down a different career path than the other. For instance, it was pointed out by a replier that decorative arts (with a concentration on asian works) would be more suited for an auction business, while mainly Japanese is suited for an academic/museum world. I guess that's my biggest dilemma, is whether I'd like to be an academic whose field is really specialized, and therefore could be in more demand, or take a route that would mean rushing more quickly into a career. As for professors, I read on this forum that I should choose the school based on the professor, rather than the prestige of the name. Bard has a number of good professors, but only one who does Asian Decorative Arts, and Chinese at that. Columbia still seems to have everything I need, and I believe they would let me substitute German for another language. The consensus here seems to be that I should wait another year or two to figure out my options. What I'm hoping is that by participating in these two internships, I should come up with a more solidified idea for my future. It's just that I'm so eager to jump right back into school, but I guess that could just be the time of year Thanks for everyone's opinion, and please feel free to keep responding! I'm eager to know if anyone else is interested in Asian Art, and what they are doing about that.
  11. Also, I should mention that the only language I studied is Japanese. I know most schools prefer French/German, so I would need to factor in learning to read and write French before I begin a program. How have you guys dealt with the language requirement? Do most people just take lang. classes during the term?
  12. Dear All, I am a frequent reader of this site, and I have the feeling that many of you were at one point (or maybe are still) in the situation I am in. I graduated a private liberal arts college earlier this spring, with a 3.8 GPA. I'm now living in New York for a year, doing some internship work. I definitely wish to begin Grad School as soon as possible, but when I realized that many of the applications were due as soon as December, I began to panic. The thing is, I'm torn between two academic loves. One is Japanese Art, which I wrote a 100 page Senior Thesis on in undergrad, and currently I'm interning at an auction house under that department. The second is Design/Decorative Arts, for which I have begun a second internship at the Museum of Arts and Design. Both of these subjects will take me in radically different directions, and there aren't many (or any!) programs that allow for an intersection. My question is this: do I delay until next year, after I figure out which area I prefer more? The only problem I have is that I will need to wait an entire year more before I can begin applying again and then several more months until I would begin school. I admit that I am rather young, and lack perspective on this issue, but I cannot get over the feeling that it's a smarter and more practical solution (especially with this economy), that I begin early getting an advanced degree so that I have a better chance of finding something secure and better paying while I'm still in my 20s. Also, personally, I feel like I would be happier in an academic setting, doing work that is meaningful and exciting to me. So, fellow grads, what is your advice? Remain in the real world for a couple of years, working and doing more internships, or dive back into the warm, safe bubble of school, where I risk becoming locked into a subject that I'm not entirely sure I can commit to down the line? Especially in a school where a terminal MA is not advised and I face several years of PhD work? I apologize for rambling, but you guys are the only ones who are or have been in my shoes, and I know my parents are sick to death of hearing this subject. So please, share your experiences and let me know what you think! Schools I'm Thinking of Applying To: Columbia, Harvard, Bard Graduate Center, Cooper-Hewitt Decorative Arts MA Program, UPENN, Sotheby's MA Program. (Also, let me know if you guys have any suggestions of programs that would maybe let me combine my two interests!)
  13. Wow! Thank You! I really appreciated hearing about the Sothebys & Christie's programs, since all I have are testimonials on their websites. So it's nice to hear about someone who sincerely enjoyed the program and then went on to work at the auction house. I agree that theory sometimes detracts from actually experiencing the object, which is why I like that these programs actually take you into the 'field' to see how art works in the real world. That's also interesting about Georgetown--I hadn't heard about it before, but I'll give it a look. It seems that Asian Art is often just a side component compared to Western or Contemporary, which is a pity... But thanks again!
  14. Thanks! That definitely sounds interesting, and I'll give it a look.
  15. Hi Everyone! I'm a longtime reader of this forum, so I know you all are discerning when it comes to grad programs! I recently graduated a prestigious liberal arts college with a 3.7 GPA and a degree in Art History. I wrote my Senior Project (100 pages!!) on Japanese Art, and and taken Japanese language for a couple of years now. My long term goals are to work in the Antiques/Auction World. specializing in early modern (1600-1860s) Japanese Art. I already have a couple of good internships lined up, but I would really like to know what graduate programs are out there for my specialization. From what this forum has told me, besides academic achievement, acceptance is really a matter of availability in the program of choice (perhaps there's less overall interest in Japanese Art than, let's say, 19th Century French...), and being really specific with what you want your Master's Thesis/Dissertation to look like. However, I would really like to work directly with the objects, so I'm looking at programs like the Bard Graduate Center for Decorative Arts, and the Sothebys & Christie's Programs. Does anyone have insight into these programs, or more general Art History programs offered at Universities? I trust your opinions, guys, so this would be really appreciated!! I don't plan on applying for a couple of years (I want to flush out my resume and gain some work experience), but I'd like to have some options early on. Thanks!
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