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Lapin

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    art history

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  1. Anyone else still waiting to hear from NYU/IFA? I'm in modern, going for the PhD, and apparently the ad. committee in that field has been delayed. It seems everyone else has heard, but I've also been told I'm not out of the running. Any more info? To the poster above: have you visited both programs? And, would you be interested in staying on at either CUNY Grad Center or IFA for the PhD? I think you'd want to base your decisions on (1) your impression upon visiting and (2) whether its somewhere you could see yourself long-term if you want to stay at the same institution for the PhD. Also, CUNY Grad is looking for a new faculty member in modern non-western, so you might try to find out who's in the running there.
  2. Could I ask who you contacted there? I feel like its getting sort of ridiculous with a few schools (ahem: NYU, Columbia) not notifying yet. Edited to add: Congrats on Penn!
  3. Just a quick note for anyone still waiting to hear from NYU/IFA: I have heard that they are still making decisions.
  4. I agree with what's been said about the MA. The first time I did applications, I applied to a mix of PhD and MA programs, and was accepted only by the MAs. That, really, was a blessing in disguise -- if by some accident I had gone straight into a top-notch PhD program, I would have been completely clueless, and I surely would have lost all self-esteem and dropped out. My undergraduate institution simply did not prepare me for doctoral-level work. But I'm sure that some do -- my experience had to do more with the specific department, lack of faculty specializing in my interests, a somewhat old-fashioned methodological approach, etc. Bottom line, in my opinion, is that if you aren't sure, do the MA first. If you decide you're done with school after that, there's not the stigma of being a PhD "dropout." As to whether the MA will help you decide whether a PhD and academic career is right for you... well, it can't hurt. I still don't have answers to those questions. I finally(!) got an acceptance that I ought to be really happy about, but mostly I'm just stressed, anxious, unsure, scared about what my lifestyle would be like as a student, not wanting to move away from people I care about, worried there will be no job prospects after... I am at such a loss as to what to do. I don't think loving the subject is enough.
  5. So it looks like everyone who heard from the IFA yesterday got no funding. Anyone know if they just aren't funding any new students at all, or if those offered funding are contacted through a separate process? I'm trying to take my lack of notification as a good sign. Pregs, off the top of my head, I can only name CUNY as a program that seems to emphasize teaching -- their aid packages require a lot of it, and from what I've heard, its quite intensive. However, I'm sure there are other programs out there that do the same, and I'd wager that state schools are more in need of grad instructors/TAs than wealthier private institutions.
  6. Pregs, you mentioned that you are teaching art history at the university-level, if my memory serves me right. I do too -- it's not art history proper, in the actual AH department, but art history-themed classes that fulfill students' general humanities requirements. Anyway, I'm curious as to how and whether you discussed your teaching in your SOP. I was warned by a prof knowledgeable about major research schools not to highlight my teaching over my research interests -- indeed, to avoid mentioning my teaching at all unless I could connect it to my research. I tried to follow his advice, but still addressed the teaching early in my SOP, saying that it reinforced my decision to pursue a career in academe, and I'm wondering if this hurt my application at the major, top-notch programs. If we do another round of apps -- we can still be optimistic and assume that we won't -- it might be wise to consider programs that seem dedicated to pedagogy and expect students to teach and TA heavily -- might give us, and anyone else with teaching experience, an edge. Of course, then, there's the whole issue of why top schools don't want teachers... realistically, how many of us are likely to become these article-churning machines with the luxury of teaching a 1-2 courseload and taking every 4th semester off to write a new book? The priorities seem to be pretty screwed....
  7. While we're on the topic of family and children, I thought some of you might be interested in this piece from the Chronicle of Higher Ed, on the family-friendliness (or lack thereof) of research universities. http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2009/01/2009012701c.htm It seems to be extremely unlikely that someone would be discriminated against for noting that they are married on a grad school app. However, when it comes to job interviews, especially for research-heavy positions, I've heard many an anecdote of female candidates removing their wedding ring and dressing to hide a baby bump so as not to give the impression that they have other priorities besides their careers. It's f-ing bullshit, but it is what it is, and when you have dozens of perfectly qualified people applying for one position, the decision does come down to the minor things, the stupid things, and yes, the discriminatory things. (Funny how progressive academics like to think they are.) I'm not married, though I'm in a serious relationship, and it does make things much more difficult. I have the sad feeling that those who are unattached will always have the edge. I'm beginning to realize that I gave up on some programs that might have been great matches and applied to some that definitely were not, all in the hopes of coordinating my life with my SO's. Depressing shit, this is. Pregs, I very much respect your efforts to chase down all that you want in life, and I wish more people had your guts.
  8. To whomever inquired about CUNY: I wouldn't be expecting anything until possibly the end of the month, maybe (boo...) even later. CUNY's deadline is way later than other programs' and I get the impression that things are a bit chaotic around there too. That being said, I'm waiting on them too, and my options are growing more limited....
  9. This advisor is not a superstar, but sufficiently well published. I'm not sure if the name would ring an immediate bell in the minds of the committee, though. Anyway, your perspective, I guess, is quite different from mine... Whenever I get an email or other communication with tons of careless mistakes, typos, grammatical errors, I definitely question the judgment of the person who sent it.
  10. Hi everyone, I've been lurking for a while and recently decided to join in. I've been wondering if anyone here has had their admissions chances screwed by a crappy or careless letter of recommendation before, and if so, how did you manage to find out that it was the element bringing your applications down, and what did you do about it? I'm afriad this might be the case for me. I've received a string of rejections despite having submitted what I believed were strong application packets, and my credentials are very solid (MA from a well-known program, excellent academic records from BA and MA, strong writing sample, high GREs, relevant work experience). The feedback I got on my applications from former advisors was limited but entirely positive. There is, however, the matter of "letter writer X," my MA thesis advisor. This individual is well-meaning and enthusiastic about my work but extremely scatterbrained. I have never had a communication with "letter writer X" that was not riddled with typos, such as spelling peoples' names entirely wrong. (Such errors do not appear in X's scholarship, though.) I did in fact have the opportunity to look at a letter "X" written me previously (X, perhaps accidentally, CCed me on the email with the rec attached) and it was very enthusiastic about my research and potential but included several typos, grammatical errors, missing puncutation, etc. How do you think this would look to an ad comm? Would the errors, X's inability to spell my name right, etc. completely undermine the positive things X has to say? Is there any way for me to find out about X's letter (I waived my rights)? Should I ask X about it directly? I'm sure I'd never get into a decent grad program without X's recommendation -- this person is the only one who can directly comment on my scholarship and interests well at the MA level. (I suppose this is also a cautionary tale about choosing the advisors you work with very, VERY carefully.....) Thanks everyone.
  11. I've been lurking on GradCafe for a few weeks, and finally decided to post once I found this board. First of all, congrats to those with acceptances, and to those of you who aren't so thrilled right now, they say misery loves company, so count another person in. I've received all rejections so far. I applied to top programs only, but I also thought I had a pretty good shot -- MA in my field from a reputable institution, strong academic records and GREs, a polished writing sample, clear (but evidently unpopular?) research interests, been working in my field, etc. It's becoming clear to me what a crapshoot this whole process is -- especially for those of us in glutted fields (I'm yet another mod/cont person). And I'm having some serious doubts -- that when the acceptance I'm still expecting does come along, I may not feel up to a PhD anymore. If grad school admissions are so ridiculous, imagine the job market! Maybe a string of rejections is the best thing for me right now. The problem is, I've been studying and teaching art for so long now, I don't know what else to do with myself. This is clearly not the time to transition to museum work, administration, etc -- no jobs there! Anyone considering alternative plans, and if so, what? What's everyone's "Plan B?" (Maybe we should start a new thread?) And, for those of you with acceptances, I'm curious as to what you think worked in your favor (and I don't hate you...)
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