napoleon87

Hi All, I have my GRE in two weeks and am really bearing down now. For the last three weeks, I've been studying off of the Kaplan books and free test materials on Magoosh and related sites. I've taken two practice tests and scored around 158 V on both, which is around 5 points lower than I'm aiming for. I've been steadily improving my vocabulary, which has been very helpful, but I'm still having trouble with the reading comprehension sections (primarily pacing). Does anyone who has used Magoosh think it would be worth getting a subscription for the last two weeks? I really liked the format of their sample test questions, explanations, flashcards, etc., but maybe taking practice tests would be more useful. Thanks for your input!

Thanks for the leads!

I've posed this question before and the advice has come back that a "hybrid" CV/Resume is ok, too. I've been working for the past 5 years, so I created a 2 page document (which I've titled as a CV) that includes more extensive descriptions of my relevant professional experiences. This works for me as I haven't presented at conferences, am not published, etc. It does read a bit more like a resume, but I've structured it like a common CV in my field (art history) and included relevant information that I wouldn't put on a professional resume, such as internships and academic awards. This seems to be fine so far, according to my reviewers. If anyone with experience has opposing views, please do tell.

I also contacted my top choice school with this question (I transferred and studied abroad twice) and was told that transcripts are only necessary from degree-granting schools. My application also requires me to calculate my gpa for my major, minor and last two years.... I wonder: since I got credit for transferred classes, but the grades did not factor into my overall gpa, can I include transfer courses in my averages? My cumulative only reflects my gpa from my graduating institution, so perhaps I should follow the same formula for my major and minor?

@ashiepoo72 I understand the focus of this thread has transformed, so feel free to PM me about my question! I'm in a similar boat in regards to coming from a large state school with few strong relationships with suitable letter-writing professors (my best relationships were with lecturers and TA's in smaller classes). I'm applying to MA programs now, as I need to sharpen my focus. I'm also a bit stuck on if I should approach lecturers (mostly ABD or MA holding) who knew me very well from small honors sections, or if I should ask tenured professors from my larger classes and hope they can remember me. From the pool of faculty you knew very little during your undergrad years, how did you approach and choose LOR writers for your MA applications?

Hello All, In the process of diversifying my applications. I've promised my significant other to at least research programs in the western states, particularly CA, WA, OR. I'm looking at MA programs and my two areas of interest are 19th Century American decorative arts and material culture (primarily), and 19th century French art and material culture. I'm not really looking at PhD programs right now (clearly my focus is not narrow enough), though I would consider them. Does anyone have suggestions for programs that could fit either bill? Any opinions welcome. Also, does anyone out there have an opinion about ASU's program? Thanks in advance.

Congratulations to all those who have been successful on your second round of applications. I've been following the "Waiting Room" string and applauding silently! Now that you've been through the application season twice, once unsuccesful, once successful, what advice to you have to give? What did you change and how did you better prepare your applications for the second time around? Did you apply to the same programs? Change or keep your intended focus? Gain more work experience? How did your materials change (i.e., did you retake the GRE's and rewrite your SOP's/Writing Samples)? Even though I am starting my first round of applications for 2015, I'm really curious to hear suggestions from those seasoned with the process. Cheers again!

Hello, I'm planning to apply for grad school during the 2014/15 cycle, so I'm giving myself a year to really flesh out my application and hone my focus in the meantime. Coming from a non-academic background, I'm hoping you can help direct me as I create my application timeline. Background: - Undergrad at large state university: Communications major, Art History minor, 3.7 overall, Phi Beta Kappa, Honors College, Studied art history abroad during two semesters: Oxford University, England (Architectural History); Siena, Italy (Pre-Ren. Italian Painting and Architecture). Proficient in French, basic knowledge of Italian - Worked at major NYC auction house in European Decorative Arts for 3 years in administrative role (happened to fall into this dept). Left after deciding the commercial world was truly not for me and I wanted to try the museum/academic route. - Currently catalogue American Decorative Arts for a well-known museum collection, part-time. Question 1: 1. My first love is for 18th and 19th C. French painting, but I have no formal experience in this area (I've taken one upper-level class, I also have been traveling to Paris since childhood and this familiarity is strongly influential). My work experience is in the decorative arts, and I could also see myself applying for American Material Culture programs. I have worked indendently on an Early American glass collection and I also have a strong interest in English influence on American design. So, or is it okay to apply for programs in different areas? When I contact professors for recommendations, will they find this strange? If I apply for MA programs, can I state interest in two areas? Question 2: Supposing I choose one route (most likely European art), what would you recommend as ways to really prepare myself and provide proof of my interest on my resume? Question 3: If I have the option between renewing my museum cataloguing contract in the spring or taking a graduate-level course, what would you suggest? - If I stay at the museum, I get more work experience on my resume (8 months vs 4 months) and more hands-on time with a specific collection. - If I take a class, I will write fresh research material for submission (this is a biggie as I have nothing worth submitted currently!) and potentially gain a new professor recommendation. I feel very green with this process now and any preliminary advice I can glean is appreciated. Thanks!

Out of curiosity, what schools would you consider to fall under this category?

Hello, I'm new to the forum and the application process in general, so apologies if these questions have been covered. I wonder if anyone might be able to talk to me about how narrow my intended course of study should be when I'm applying to MA programs. I was an Art History minor for undergrad at a large university. My AH coursework wasn't extensive, though I did study abroad twice (Oxford and Siena) and took AH courses specific to those areas. My interests primarily center around 19th century French painting (I spent a fair amount of time in Paris growing up, not sure if I should mention this), but I also want to strengthen my understanding of the canon of AH and am open to the idea that I may discover knew areas of interest. My first question is this: How focused should my intended research area be on my statement of purpose? Can I propose multiple areas of study/express alternate curiosities? Will professors be interested in working with a candidate who is exploring topics on her own, rather than having formal undergraduate guidance? Given my above questions, I plan to spend quite a bit of my time catching up on reading. Can anyone provide suggestions of absolutely essential pre-MA reading? For reference, I have been working in the art world (auction house, though in dec arts) for the past three years and I'm applying to MA programs with the intention of continuing to a PhD program. I know I have quite a bit of work to do, so I'm giving myself the next year to prepare my applications. I really appreciate any guidance you can provide. Thanks!

I'm also in exactly the same boat. I'm applying to art history programs, but as I was an art history minor three years ago, I don't feel that any of the work I did was substantial enough and I was never published. I'm also nervous about re-writing an old paper (upon review, I also find most of them a bit trite) without guidance, so I'm thinking the best option would be to take a grad level class next term at a local university. Maybe you could still get into a class for this fall? It's an expensive option, but it will get you back in the swing of academic writing and you can spend your time in the class with the aim of turning out a high quality paper with fresh material and a professor to help you review it. I'd love to hear more opinions from anyone who's been through the process.

Hello All, I'm new to the forum and am beginning what I expect to be a year-long process of researching and applying for grad school programs. I apologize in advance if this topic has been addressed before. I minored in Art History as an undergrad, with a major in Communication. I studied abroad in Siena, Italy and at Oxford, both times focusing in art history. The classes I took abroad account for the majority of minor, so I only took a few art history courses at my main institution (Umass, Amherst) and don't have the thorough art history background that an art history major would have. For the past three years, I've worked at a major auction house in NYC. I was still in the art field, but focusing on European Furniture, rather than fine art, as a way of getting my foot in the door. My dilemma is this: I know the writing sample is a major portion of the application, but I don't feel that any of my undergraduate work is a good representation of my abilities. I received good grades, but at the undergraduate level, I didn't do very much in-depth art historical research and I'm not published. Furthermore, I'm working on honing my intended focus, so I'm not sure what subject my sample should cover. Would you recommend: A) Taking another course at the undergrad or grad level in order to produce an application-worthy paper. Writing a paper on my own and having it reviewed my past professors. I'm nervous about the second option, as I'm really out of the swing of academic writing. Any other suggestions are extremely helpful! Many thanks!

NETWORK. I recently left my position with one of the major two auction houses in NYC after three years. I know most of you are looking at museum work, but I think the same principles apply. I came to NYC after graduation on an internship and began to network like crazy. Every time I made a new contact, I'd express my interests in working in an art auction house or museum. Finally, I met one woman who happened to live in the same building as an auction house employee. I set up a meeting with that employee and gave her my resume, which was passed along to HR. I still had to go through a series of interviews, but I know for a fact that HR never would have reviewed my application without an internal recommendation. From the few museum contacts I have, I know the same applies. Unfortunately, many of the best positions go to privileged and well-connected applicants, despite their credentials. This makes it incredibly important to have someone on the inside who will vouch for you and get you that first interview. Very tough, but doable!