fullofpink

I've taken the old (over 2 years ago, didn't study and scored dismally) and the new (studied, practiced and did pretty well). I think the new test is much better - more intuitive. I constantly used the "Mark"/"Review" categories on the test. If the question wasn't particularly difficult, but I didn't want to spend too much time on it, I would select my best guess and return to it if I had time at the end. There were very few questions that I opted not to answer (like, a very complicated math question with a fill-in-the-blank answer), that I'd mark to return to and did. Being able to mark questions also helped me realize what I was having difficulty with. One of the issues I faced was that my reading comp passages were VERY long and VERY convoluted, or there were two equally good selections in one of the context-questions for the Verbal. Overall, I thought the testing situation went much better. The antonyms and synonyms were the worst part, really, of the old test. Being given a context to select a synoym made that process a LOT easier. Also, someone here suggested that you put like words in categories. My Kaplan study book did it for me, so I found that if I knew the generic meaning of a phrase (if the word that needed to slip in could be equivalent to "boring" or "disastrous" or "sad"), I really didn't need to know the DEFINITION of the words available - just the meaning. I feel like this helped me out tremendously. I think the worst part of the new test is now having two writing sections with less time for each. However, I'm a bit of a radical about this because for me, I don't really need this score at all (I've published multiple times and my applications require a writing sample), and I fail to see why any adcom would consider if they would review my application (though I am aware that in some cases, they look at the GRE to weed out applicants first - I'm not sure how much leverage the AW holds with that process). The math on the new test was much more difficult than the practice tests (Powerprep and Kaplan), but it's not impossible to figure out if you allot yourself a bit more time. Just a slight warning, lol.

I know which area was experimental (Verbal), I'm just not sure which section of the Verbal was experimental: the really, really hard one I feel l did poorly on?, or one of the much, much easier ones (if it wasn't the hard one - then I feel like my score was NOT reflective of my abilities)? The biggest problem in considering retesting or not is that we AREN'T sure what the percentiles are going to be. I do fear that a >500V is going to hurt a bit. However, from what I understand, the calculations are going to be based on the new scores of the test - rather than on the old numbers. It's weird to try your guesswork here because those who are on this forum seem to outperform many of the people I know who have taken the test (many of my friends - especially the ones who didn't prepare at all - didn't even break 1000). So, if the percentiles ARE based on the new scores, then you may find that averages are way, way down (although there is a decent possibility they may stay the same or go up slightly). Since I'm not sure if I need to retake the test - especially since none of the departments I am applying to have released expected GRE scores for the new test - I'm doing some side studying (looking over vocab twice a week, doing a practice test once a week to stay sharp) in anticipation that when my scores arrive in November and are NOT satisfactory, then I'll be ready to resign up in late Nov for a quick test date, and have the test scored by the time my first applications are due in Jan. I think it's way more important for me to concentrate on the more lucrative aspects of my applications (writing sample and statement of purpose) than retaking the test. Maybe this might work for you to? I'm not sure when your apps or due, but since they say that they can send out scores late Nov in Early Dec (testing the week of November 19, 2011 – November 28 will mail scores on December 8, 2011), retesting may definitely be a possibility and something to consider - only if your scores are too low (but you know, if somehow -magically- your scores are like in the 80th percentile, must you retest?) Yep! It's my passion ...if only I can get in! lol.

I took the GRE yesterday too, and I have to say that there were questions on that Verbal that not only kicked my butt, but there was one section where I doubt I got more than 1/4 of the questions right (I'm praying that that was the experimental, or I somehow magically got all the questions right on another verbal section). My Verbal is a bit higher than yours, but it still scored waaaaaaay lower than what I was practice-testing on. Maybe we just got screwed? haha. My verbal average needs to be a bit higher for the programs I want to apply to comfortably, but honestly, without knowing what the that range translates into on the new scale (or, probably even more importantly, what the percentile is), I'm hesitant to retake. Are there any programs that show previous admission stats? Maybe you can see what the average scores are there, and move forward?

Hm, are you giving them the illusion that you are lazy and possibly a weak writer when you have tons of relevant working experience (managing projects, supervising, conducting tons of research, and publishing), you submit some of your published articles as writing samples, and maybe your undergraduate thesis won a departmental/university award for achievement? But I do see the point of "why didn't they just try?" lol

I'm not planning to do this, but it's fun to think about: since the AW score is a bit pointless for many disciplines, has anyone ever thought to just skip it, accept the 0, and save an hour's/45 minutes worth of thinking over nothing? Even better - has anyone ever done this? If so, how did it work out for you? Edit: Sorry for the typo!

I do not think Medieval is as popular a field as many others (Modern/contemporary, Renaissance/Baroque, etc.), which reduces your competition. However, be aware that despite good credentials, it's still a crapshoot - your POI may not be able to take a student this year, they may not be able to offer as many students admittance with funding due to the economy, medieval gets skipped this year (for whatever reason), so just have realistic expectations annnnnnd don't be too nervous about it!! I'm applying this year too so I'm in the same boat. Ugh.

LOL. That totally sounds like the MRS undergraduates at UVA.

What aggressive advertising. You are seriously the third person I've come across to mention this specific program; all the people so far are also currently enrolled in the program.

This. 1000x. If you are applying for a Ancient art and your lesser paper is in that subject matter but the stronger paper is on contemporary art, you'd do best by submitting the one relevant to your application. If you are so concerned with this, maybe you should tackle the paper best suited for the application to make IT your strongest paper. You ARE allowed to do that

1: I believe that a MA in Art History trumps a museum studies degree if you are interested in working in an art museum (especially if you have extensive museum experience anyways), so I agree with your logic. Definitely look at art history programs with an art history focus. [However, some museum studies programs have a fantastic track record in placing candidates so it may be worthwhile to seek those and add them to the list]. 2: I've heard museum directors and professors call IFA's terminal MA program a "cess pool." However, some people who are in the program already rock it. One of the reasons (rumors?) I've heard about why it isn't looked upon so fondly is because the terminal MA students' (who receive no funding) tuition goes on to support the doctoral students (heresay, but who knows?) so the MA students are completely inconsequential. However, one of the reasons why I can see this is because some of the students I personally know who have gotten into the program, I hate to say, weren't the best candidates for any program anyway. 3: You definitely have time to apply for this season, but you better get going! lol. GRE's taken in August and Sept won't be released until November, so, if you were going to take the GRE for this app season, better get it done before mid-Oct if you want it to get in on time. I'm horrible at standardized testing, so if you were me, I'd end up waiting till next year for that little component of the application. Out of your list, I'm supposing that Williams is the most famous and considered the best but I don't think they have anything medievally there (collection-wise, though there might be some prints) and their medievalist seems more bent on architecture - but I do know Williams tends to bend the boundaries really well concerning their students interests. The faculty I've met at Tufts seem pleasant and encouraging. I wish I could say something about the other programs, but I really don't know them well at all.

Alternatively, if you are applying to work with big name feminists, not stating your interest in feminist theory will be detrimental to your application.

Some programs won't budge on the German + 1 language in your area, other programs realize that learning German as a Asianist is a little unnecessary and will require 2 Asian languages instead. In that case, Chinese and Japanese might be best. Hm, OP, maybe instead of rushing to apply (I know it is enticing), you should really look through the programs you are interested in and see if not only do they have specialists within your area of interest, but also to see if their requirements match what you need to know to become a scholar (language and otherwise). I mean, do you really want to attend a program that won't budge on the German, though you might be positive that you will never need it? Also, most programs would like an inkling of what you want to do with your degree - it's not the sole factor to acceptance, although it is nice to have a end goal in mind while going through grad school so you can plan accordingly. Maybe the extra year should not be dedicated to just knowing what you want to do, but also taking command of the languages so you don't have to worry about it too much for your own sake. [Also, many art historians actual know more than 2 foreign languages, though a degree requires just 2. Learning Chinese in addition to German and Japanese will help you our professionally no matter what anyways]

It would be VERY difficult for him to find a job in the UK (and perhaps, even you) - UK gives preference to its own citizens, and very few programs outweigh American programs anyway if you were to come back. Hopefully, this works out for you Good luck (and congrats!!!)

Taking time to figure out what you want to do is never an issue. I feel like a lot of recent graduating undergraduates think that if you do not immediately go to grad school after getting a BA then you have less of a chance of getting into a program (and finding a job that affords you more than ramen noodles every night ;P). This is very untrue. Programs are looking for people who know what they want to do and are ready to take action to do it. Having opportunities in these two (very different) fields is a great experience and should definitely shape your decision about the future! So, TAKE YOUR TIME You can do "meaningful" work outside of being a professor, it just depends on what you want to do, the skillset you bring to the table, and how proactive you are about it. There are people who have worked in the commercial sector of art history (ESPECIALLY the dec arts) who have curated shows in major museums, published wonderful books on the subject matter, and contributed to the study of the materials. Whereas, you have some professors who might step into a museum once a year - the object is inconsequential to the theory behind it - spend 3 years writing on one topic/artist and teach the same course materials year after year to very uninterested undergraduates who are only taking the class for a grade (or worse, to find a husband!, lol). [You can also flip these roles really easily - there are professors who curate constantly and publish often, while some commercialists could care less about the object and only the price tag attached]. It's hard to figure out what you want to do in art history if you don't have a lot of exposure to the business of it. So, definitely take your time, explore what you like about the field, and then from there proceed. Also, it's very ok to be interested in a program with only one professor whose interests align with your own (Bard may have the best reputation for the dec arts), especially for the dec arts. I have a pretty extensive dec arts background myself, and I would like to warn you that it might be the most difficult subfield to pursue if you decide to go into academia/museum route. It's a much smaller field than any of the other categories, and jobs are very hard to come by and pop up. But, when they do, you have a MUCH smaller pool of potentials who will apply for the same job you are. (My favorite dec arts curator likes to remind me that it took them nearly a decade to find a dec arts job with their degree; but whenever they applied, there less than 10 candidates and usually about 3 were taken seriously.) In short, know your field. haha.

Another thing to consider is that because this scoring is 1-point increments, an adcom will automatically know how many questions you missed just by looking at the score. So, if you score 150 on one, the adcom will know that you only got half the questions right. Whereas, if you scored 160, that's only 10 questions wrong (still a 1/4 of the test!). It's very, very stressful. The other thing I see highly suggested is that the percentile is actually going to be worth more than the true score with the new GRE.

Is that 6 hours a week or a day? 6 hours a week might be too little, and 6 hours a day is a bit too much. Roughly, 10 weeks with those time goals results in either 60 or 600 hours of study. Maybe instead of pushing yourself every day, you do some block studying. MWFs, set aside 2-3 hours to scan the vocab and maybe squeeze in a practice test. I also think that studying every day tends to burn people out, especially after 10 weeks. Good luck!

If you are 100% positive you want to go on to phd, be aware that you will most likely add one more year of study at the phd level since many schools do not accept all master coursework.

Yep.

First question: do you have any POIs for either field?

I'm not enrolled in a PhD program - this is my app season. I am actually a BA graduate from one of the universities you listed above, and one of my mentors (and good friend) is actually the director of the program. I've attended some of the graduate classes and have a few friends (including my old boss, lol) who currently are enrolled in the program. If you want to PM me, I can definitely talk to you about it if you are interested.

I thought MIT was more traditional art history/ architecture practicum rather than adhering to "Visual Studies" as a discipline. Correct me if I'm wrong, would love to know!

If your Verbal is over 600 on the old test and your Q score gets you a combined score of 1000 (or over), then I think you are fine. The new test it is hard to say since the numbers are very different and one can determine exactly how many questions you missed just by looking at it.

Ok. That is unnecessarily cruel and a little off the marker: I was only saying that even if you don't get the curator or professor position with a PhD, there are still avenues in which to use your research skills and connections. People complete their dissertation for all kinds reasons; everyone is different in all intentions and purposes, they don't have to confirm to the expectation that you have for them.

Yeah - the reasoning is a little off. I would hate for someone to try and dissuade me from attempting grad school because I have no interest in living in NYC or Texas or southern Cali. I do understand that my career may take me to the far end of the earth but I do have the option of not selecting a job just because I don't want to live somewhere. ( I typed this on my phone and it won't let me scroll up to see my post - sorry for any typos)

Yes. POI means that (or Person of Interest), just a cute acronym for potential adviser. It wasn't an article I read about Harvard, it was an article that this particular person wrote and published. Since there is SOME possibility of me applying to the place, I do not feel comfortable saying their name or even quoting it, but let's just say it this particular passage I read was borderline absolutely ridiculous and really dropped this professor's POV 10 flights of stairs with my interest level. IFA is low on my list for many reasons: 1: It's a HUGE program. They have 300 students in the program (at all levels). I am much more interested in a smaller department where I can bond with all of my classmates and where I know my professor will have time to be interested in my own ideas. I don't want to compete with adviser time, resource time, and I don't want to be an unnamed person within the department. I really want a smaller community. 2: Since IFA is so low on my list, I'll just say that Linda Nochlin was on my list of potentials, but she's been around FOREVER, she has TONS of (current) students and I don't see her staying around for another 5-7 years to make sure she stays for my dissertation (I know I could simply email and confirm or debunk these theories, but I'm just not even that interested). Plus, a lot of the professors I want to work with at other institutions are students are hers so it's like she's secretly my (potential) academic grandmother. There's another 2 names on my list at IFA, but both are older scholars too and they are a bit on the outreaches of my research interests. 3: I have no desire to live in NYC as a graduate student. It's a bit difficult and time consuming to move around with the city's public transit and I am a person who really likes to live 2 blocks away and be able to get to my major destinations within 5-10 minutes. I also have a car, I wouldn't want to live outside of Manhattan, I have a lot of nice furniture, a boyfriend, and cats and just... I rather live in a more cost-efficient area where my costs of living won't weigh me down each month. 4: NYC is GREAT for opportunities and networking, but it's also VERY comptetitive. For my personality, less stress is best! Don't let me personal issues deter you from applying to the problem if you really want to! I just recognize that it's not the place for me and I would probably be miserable there. Let me know if you have other questions! It's 4:40AM here and I'm suffering a wonderful attack of insomnia. Bored.out.of.my.mind!