kunstgeschichtedude

I just received an automatic reply email that she will be back in the office Jan. 16th.... Well, I'm a little less concerned I guess.

Thanks Bearcat. I also tried calling her a couple of times and there was no response, and I sent her an email this morning. When I checked the status of my application online, I read that my transcript had not been received and that it missed the deadline or something like that.... Ugh, I would have sent everything sooner, but I took 21 credits this past semester and I wanted the good grades I received from the fall to be considered, and most of my scores didn't come in until last week, which is also when I ordered my transcripts. Nonetheless, I mailed everything before the deadline, so it's a bit discouraging when it says otherwise online.

I fed-exed my writing sample and transcript to Toronto on Monday, and when I checked the tracking number online, I read that my package arrived on Tuesday; however, according to the supplemental materials page, it doesn't appear that the documents I sent were processed. While I'm sure this may have something to do with the deadline being this week, it's been a couple of days. How much longer should I wait to contact the graduate assistant at the Art History Department regarding my pending materials?

Bearcat1, you're awesome! I don't know how old you are, but you're like the maternal figure everyone needs on this forum!

What a coincidence! I actually had a question regarding the usage of this tricky word. I have a personal statement in which I wrote, "Professor X's scholarship pertaining to the relationship between psychoanalysis and art corresponds to my ardent desire to extrapolate meaning from the archetypical signs and illustrations latent throughout So and so's Manuscript as a possible dissertation topic." Here I use "latent" in the sense that the archetypical or archetypal (I've heard both used) signs and illustrations are present throughout, even though they are not immediately obvious; I mean while illustrations are clearly located throughout said manuscript, those containing "archetypes" are not noticeable at first . When I wrote "latent", there was not a doubt in my mind that I was using it correctly, but now I'm starting to question myself...

The MA program at Williams offers graduate students several opportunities to curate exhibits and shows, and I think you should consider applying there LatinartGal! Virginia Commonwealth University offers a Curatorial Ph.D, and one of the professors there, Michael Schreffield (not sure about spelling), is primarily interested in Latin American Art, so I suggest you look at VCU's Art History website, what you see may tickle your fancy!

Easy as that, huh? I think that if I was primarily responsible for taking care of two toddlers, and working as a museum docent, it would be very challenging for me to invest the time necessary to prepare for and take the GRE, let alone the new GRE! Moreover, not everyone has the means to afford "a good prep course;" both Kaplan and Princeton Review charge a small fortune for their respective GRE prep courses. Danimacg, given your situation, you certainly do not come across as uncommitted, and I think you're making a sensible decision in waiting for when your children are enrolled in primary school before you pursue graduate studies. However, as much as you dislike the GREs (I also loath them), I think it is wise to invest in GRE review books and work through them at your convenience. When you feel comfortable enough with the material, then register for the exam. Even if you do not perform well on it, at least admissions committees will see you're making a concerted and recurrent effort to improve your scores. I wish I could say, "The GRE doesn't matter," but in truth, some programs weigh it more than others. My scores are rather marginal, and I personally believe the Prometric testing centers where I took the GRE offer a rather unfriendly and uncomfortable environment for test-takers. Nonetheless, I am currently studying for the exam again, and I do hope to do better the next time I take it. In regards to accredited schools that do not require the GRE for acceptance into an Art History MA program, CUNY Queens sounds like it may be a good fit for you. UMass-Amherst also has a terminal MA program in Art History, and the program is one of the few that I am familiar with that is publicly funded. Yet, I am almost positive U-Mass Amherst requires the GRE for admission: http://www.umass.edu/arthist/ . University of British Columbia and University of Toronto are both excellent universities, and neither require the GRE for admission since they are both Canadian schools, so perhaps you should investigate those two institutions even though they're a bit further away from you. I just want to point out that losemygrip is well intentioned, but sometimes has a tendency to sound curt and harsh. When he/she wrote, "If you're not committed enough to do even that..." I think he/she was using "you're" generally, and probably didn't mean to address just you, Danimacg.

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I was strongly considering applying to USC because there are two professors in the school's Art History department who are specialists in my area of interest. However, the university does have an early deadline; I believe it's December 1st? I'm still deliberating if I can get everything in on time by then.

I haven't been on gradcafe in a little while, so I do apologize for not getting back to you folks sooner. Thank you for your advice losemygrip and LLajax! Fullofpink has been undeniably helpful and encouraging. LLajax, I have a confession I need to divulge to you. Before I made an account I swear I incessantly read several posts you made which are now testaments to your journey of getting into a graduate program, so I would like to congratulate you personally, well not really personally but sort-of, on your acceptance into Brown University, WOOHOO! Losemygrip, I appreciate your several suggestions of terminal MA Art History programs, and I am actually very familiar with those at UC Riverside and UMass Amherst. Unfortunately, the professor of German Modern art at the latter institution is now retired, or an "emerita" professor. However, the emphasis on the Renaissance, Early Modern, and Twentieth century periods at the former institution is pretty considerable! Other schools of interest that offer terminal masters programs include CUNY Queens and Williams College. AHHH, I'm so overwhelmed, but excited all at once! I also agree that "competitiveness" is concomitant with being prepared and having a focused application, and not so much dependent on grades, although those are important, nor on the reputation of one's undergraduate alma mater. My worry about the "competition" was a result of my previous naivety, and I have fullofpink, as well as you both, losemygrip and LLajax, to thank for alleviating my concerns. Thank you!

You're welcome Mirop! You sound like an excellent candidate for the degree! Obviously disappointments are inevitable, but let's hope that none of us who are applying this season get too many of those. What area/epoch of Art History are you most interested in? If you don't feel comfortable disclosing too much information here you can always message me!

I have a similar problem, but abandon the idea that your alma mater being a public school is an issue. While most of us are aware of the copious number of private universities that offer MAs and/or PhDs, there are public institutions with top-notch Art History programs as well (i.e. University of Michigan and University of California- Berkeley). I know a student who did his BA in Art History at a CUNY school and is now enrolled in a PhD program at an Ivy. Also, some universities that offer both PhDs and terminal MAs will consider applicants they rejected from the PhD for the MA. I believe CUNY Graduate Center, NYU Institute of Fine Arts, and Columbia (I think) have departments that do this. And if you really do have a focus, look hardest at the schools that have faculty members who are scholars in your field of interest; if you do apply for the PhD, one of those individuals is going to be your thesis advisor for 6+ years! I apologize if you've heard all of this before, and if you have other questions, continue to post (I know I will), and PMing people is always helpful. If I can't answer them, I'm sure there is someone on the Art History grad cafe forum who can. Best wishes to you! I hope I was able to eradicate or at least ameliorate some doubts you had!

Thanks fullofpink! I just sent you a reply. The information you provided was very helpful!

Thank you for your words of encouragement, and your straightforward responses. I hear you on the whole "being ready" thing. The problem is while I do find German Expressionism more interesting, I have never written a substantial paper on the subject, at least not until this upcoming fall, and I already have written an honor's thesis on a Renaissance theme. And wouldn't graduate programs prefer I submit to them a substantial thesis rather than a course paper, or independent study? I mean I definitely could use the forthcoming paper on German art as a writing sample, regardless, when Art History departments review my transcripts they'll see I did an honor's project, so would they not also be interested to see what that was about? Or perhaps they may think it unusual that I chose to submit a different essay? I did receive an "A" on my thesis, so it is apparent I'm not ashamed of it. But as you said, if I outline that I plan on pursuing Expressionism in a statement of purpose for example, then it would make complete sense why I decided to submit a paper on that over my study of Last Judgments. Thank you also for the Virginia Commonwealth suggestion, I've heard good things about the Art History program, but never had the incentive to investigate until you brought up the aforementioned faculty members.

Thank you FullofPink! I realize I'm not competitive enough to apply to a PhD program, so I think I may have more of a fighting chance if I apply for the MA. After I complete my MA, which I aspire to do well in, I do intend to apply to institutions that both offer the doctorate and have my POI. I would like to be a professor of Art History in the future.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I am scheduled to take the GRE in September, so clearly I have no results for the exam. And to be honest, I have no projection regarding how I will do on it, but I hope well! As for Letters of Rec. I have three professors who know me both as a student and human being, so I believe I am alright with those!

Greetings fellow Art History gradcafers! I just recently made an account, and like so many others of you who have already applied, or are applying to grad schools, I am wondering if anyone would be so kind as to evaluate my chances, if possible. I am currently a senior at a large, public research university double majoring in Art History (of course) and English Literature. My overall GPA is 3.4, and my major GPAs are 3.7ish and 3.6ish respectively. I was first enrolled as a Biology major who quickly found himself gloomy and disillusioned with large class sizes, unapproachable professors, and a very, very structured curriculum. In other words, my grades from Freshman year are to say the least, deplorable and embarrassing. I didn't fail, but I did receive some unremarkable Cs and Ds. My only As and Bs were given to me in Humanities courses. I don't believe I did better in the latter classes because I found them easier, but because I found them to be more intellectually stimulating and exciting. So when I was a Sophomore I changed to my current majors, and with each succeeding year since then my marks have improved. I should have graduated this past May, but I recently decided to pursue departmental honors in Art History and English, so I'm doing an extra year. I completed my honor's thesis for the former in the Spring. In this paper I compared Last Judgment paintings produced during the Renaissance period, and I received an A. Other accomplishments of mine include a publication in an online undergraduate English Honor Society Journal, and a paper presentation on Georgia O'Keeffe's Abstract works at an undergraduate Art History Conference. I've been a gallery docent/guard at one of my university's art galleries, and as of right now I'm a curatorial and administrative intern at a small museum. In my internship I've had the privilege of working intimately with the curator, in which I have helped research and edit her endnotes for an upcoming catalogue she has written, as well as assisting with the formatting of labels and the creation of a powerpoint for the museum's current and recently opened exhibit. Moreover, the curator has been kind enough to mention me in the Acknowledgments section of said catalogue; it will be available in late July. In the upcoming fall semester I will be doing an independent study on a twentieth-century german artist, working in my school's writing center as a tutor, and helping one of my English professors as an undergraduate teaching assistant in a British Lit. survey course. I am interested in German Expressionism and Renaissance Art. I taken courses in elementary and intermediate college level German, averaging a B+. I understand B+ is not stellar, but I will continue to work at the language, even if it means re-taking German at the undergraduate level while I'm in a Masters Program; I understand some departments offer this option... or so I think? Regardless, I will investigate further. I will be applying only to MA Programs in Art History, especially those that are particularly strong in Modern and Renaissance art. Schools that are of interest to me include CUNY Queens, Penn State, Temple University, University of Oregon, University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Madison- Wisconsin, Columbia and University of Texas-Austin. I intend to try to narrow this list to about 5 or 7 schools. I understand that finding a POI at the Masters level is not mandatory, but I am researching them nonetheless. Any suggestions on other schools and instructors will be greatly appreciated! I also understand that grad programs, some more than others, seek to diversify their departments by enrolling students of different ethnicities. I'm half Hispanic (mother's side). I'm not really sure if that will help or not, I mean obviously no matter what race or sexual orientation, if one does poorly in school and lacks emotional maturity, it's going to be difficult to be accepted into any grad program. Also, as I briefly stated earlier, some departments value diversity, while others not so much, therefore being Hispanic may do little for me. Sorry about my digressions, I just want to provide you all with a solid picture of who I am and what I have done. Although the application process is overwhelming, it is also exciting and educational! So if I can help anyone else in any way, please let me know! Thank you for taking the time to read and/or skim!