History of Art - MA/PhD 2011??

[koala07]

Hi all,

I recently discovered this forum and was so surprised there isn't a History of Art MA/PhD topic for 2011 - so I figured I'd post one - where is everyone?!

I'm aiming to apply to both terminal MAs and PhDs in (contemporary) east asian this year and was hoping for some insight regarding admission, apps and my chances.

I graduated in 2008 - BA, major in art history and studio from an ivy league with a not-so-great cumulative GPA...3.3, major gpa around 3.6 but with an honors thesis and a pretty clear idea as to what I'd like to pursue as a specialty in grad school. I just recently took the GRE and got V700 m800 w6.0. I'm fluent in the language most relevant to my main research interest but I'd need to start from scratch for any other.

The issue is...frankly I'm afraid my app isn't strong enough to gain admission to a top phd program because of my unimpressive academic record. also i realize i'd be going up against a lot of candidates with MAs under their belt... Is GPA really "make or break"? If I were to maybe take the GRE again and raise my score by at least 50 points would that make up for it at all? And also, seeing that most schools only have one, two at most professors specializing in asian art, is it that much more competitive?

For terminal MAs, I'm looking into NYU, Columbia, Tufts, SOAS...but I'm sure GPA again would matter a lot for a top MA program...should I be begging my boss for my job back.......................

Would much appreciate your insight!

[Lady Gray]

Hi suilove. Since I'm just beginning this merry-go-round myself, I can't really offer much advice, but I thought I'd identify myself in response to your call for comrades. I'm looking at PhDs for Modern/Contemporary western art, possibly considering a curatorial focus where available (but slightly suspicious of that, as well). Think I'm looking at the NYU IFA, CUNY Grad Center, Harvard, Princeton, Bryn Mawr, U. Chicago. Unambitious, you could say.

Where are you located, may I ask? There's a really neat-looking symposium on contemporary Chinese art at MoMA next month.

[cleisthenes]

Hi all,

I recently discovered this forum and was so surprised there isn't a History of Art MA/PhD topic for 2011 - so I figured I'd post one - where is everyone?!

I'm aiming to apply to both terminal MAs and PhDs in (contemporary) east asian this year and was hoping for some insight regarding admission, apps and my chances.

I graduated in 2008 - BA, major in art history and studio from an ivy league with a not-so-great cumulative GPA...3.3, major gpa around 3.6 but with an honors thesis and a pretty clear idea as to what I'd like to pursue as a specialty in grad school. I just recently took the GRE and got V700 m800 w6.0. I'm fluent in the language most relevant to my main research interest but I'd need to start from scratch for any other.

The issue is...frankly I'm afraid my app isn't strong enough to gain admission to a top phd program because of my unimpressive academic record. also i realize i'd be going up against a lot of candidates with MAs under their belt... Is GPA really "make or break"? If I were to maybe take the GRE again and raise my score by at least 50 points would that make up for it at all? And also, seeing that most schools only have one, two at most professors specializing in asian art, is it that much more competitive?

For terminal MAs, I'm looking into NYU, Columbia, Tufts, SOAS...but I'm sure GPA again would matter a lot for a top MA program...should I be begging my boss for my job back.......................

Would much appreciate your insight!

What will get you accepted is a compelling SOP that reflects a really interest and original, if only nascent, interest that could develop into a dissertation topic (not that it actually has to, mind you, but that it *could*). If you do that well, you will be accepted. However, what constitute "interesting" and "original" ideas is not only a tricky business, it is *the* business of being an academic in the humanities. If your professors think your SOP is stellar, I wouldn't stress over your GPA, just apply as broadly as possible while still keeping the programs tightly focused with faculty connections in your expressed subfield of interest. This last point can't be stressed enough: do not apply to any program where there is not at least one really strong connection between you and present faculty, and ideally with faculty and departments outside yours as well. For larger programs, look for even more overlap. In terms of talking to current grad students, this is a great thing to inquire about (i.e.: is Professor X planning to be around at the University or are they retiring/leaving/not taking new students.etc-- current graduate students will be an excellent resource for up-to-date information on faculty which often CANNOT be gleaned from websites, etc.).

On a final point, remember that just because you don't have an M.A., you are not necessarily at a disadvantage. Having an M.A., while it presumably gives you more knowledge and skills to work with, raises the bar for your work for that very reason. Anyone reading your work with the knowledge that you hold an M.A. will expect a lot more from it. If you can shine as an applicant with only a B.A., then you're going to be competetive. This is partly because programs prefer to make everyone go through 90% of M.A. coursework when they enter doctoral programs anywhere to reinforce a consistent curricular and pedagogical approach to training you as a scholar (and, erm, maybe some political too).

Anyhow, hope that very brief response helps somewhat! Also-- ask around for various opinions. Don't just take my word for it (or anyone's).

[Lady Gray]

On a final point, remember that just because you don't have an M.A., you are not necessarily at a disadvantage. Having an M.A., while it presumably gives you more knowledge and skills to work with, raises the bar for your work for that very reason. Anyone reading your work with the knowledge that you hold an M.A. will expect a lot more from it. If you can shine as an applicant with only a B.A., then you're going to be competetive. This is partly because programs prefer to make everyone go through 90% of M.A. coursework when they enter doctoral programs anywhere to reinforce a consistent curricular and pedagogical approach to training you as a scholar (and, erm, maybe some political too).

I must say I have been told rather the opposite: not only is it not a disadvantage to apply to PhD programs without an MA, it is sometimes a disadvantage to get a terminal master's and then apply to the PhD. Many see the MA as a less serious degree (which is why many top programs, you'll notice, don't even offer a terminal masters) and you will be required to explain why you didn't enter into a doctoral program to begin with. Some professors will assume, or suspect, that PhD candidates who already have an MA weren't initially strong enough applicants to go directly into a doctoral program. I realize this isn't true across the board, but, well, it should be emphasized that applying without an MA under your belt should absolutely not be a hindrance.

[raksasa]

I am pretty committed to going for an MA instead of a PhD right away. I'm looking for good masters programs, but I will also need some help with funding, which I know is pretty tough.

Can anyone make any suggestions? I also find all the funding stuff extremely confusing, and I have a hard time figuring out who is offering what and what the likelihood of getting any help really is. I'm interested Modern and Contemporary and would like to have some options for Latin American art, since I think I may end up specializing in that.

Also, has anyone here (hopefully more people will start posting soon) looked at the tulane program or does anyone know anything about it? It looks pretty great, but I can't find much on it anywhere else.

[J_ArtHistoryGrad]

I am pretty committed to going for an MA instead of a PhD right away. I'm looking for good masters programs, but I will also need some help with funding, which I know is pretty tough.

Can anyone make any suggestions? I also find all the funding stuff extremely confusing, and I have a hard time figuring out who is offering what and what the likelihood of getting any help really is. I'm interested Modern and Contemporary and would like to have some options for Latin American art, since I think I may end up specializing in that.

Also, has anyone here (hopefully more people will start posting soon) looked at the tulane program or does anyone know anything about it? It looks pretty great, but I can't find much on it anywhere else.

I was contemplating on sticking with Latin American art or doing a general Modern/Contemporary (more options). Which schools are you applying to? I took a week off to visit my sister in Philly and am visiting Tyler, U Penn, and some schools in NY. I'm am so confused !!! Which schools are you looking at for Latin American?

[raksasa]

I was contemplating on sticking with Latin American art or doing a general Modern/Contemporary (more options). Which schools are you applying to? I took a week off to visit my sister in Philly and am visiting Tyler, U Penn, and some schools in NY. I'm am so confused !!! Which schools are you looking at for Latin American?

I'm kind of looking to get out of the northeast for a while, so I'm looking at Tulane and UTexas at Austin definitely. They both have great Latin American libraries and a lot of professors who specialize in modern Latin American. I'm going to look at schools in New York as well. Also, check out the University of Essex in the UK.

I'm also interested in Georgetown and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago programs.

Honestly, I'm a little unsure of whether or not I want to apply this year or next year. I've been doing a lot of research, and I know its getting down to the wire, so I really need to get my applications going if I'm gonna do it!

How did the school visits go? I'm really confused, and overwhelmed as well!

[snooze]

Hey 2011s,

I'm applying to mostly PhD and a few MA programs this semester. I'm pretty freaked out, and am anticipating several more months of agony, judging by the 2010 application thread. At least we can all suffer in good company!

I've been so consumed by grad school thoughts the past few months and I feel like that's all I talk to people about. This puts me in an awkward place since I'm not expecting to get accepted to most of the programs I'm applying to, and won't really know what to say when people ask me how it all went.

Anyway, my primary focus is nineteenth-century British and American art, all media. I'm also interested in twentieth-century American and European, material culture, and museum studies. I guess my biggest interests are cross-cultural influence, identity, and society. Initially I was planning on pursuing a post-PhD curatorial career, but being a professor sounds more and more enticing every time I learn something new about it.

My list of schools keeps changing, but I'm aiming to apply to roughly 8 or so. I took the GRE really early in the semester so I could apply to a fellowship with it... It went okay. I only had five days to study, so I just crammed for the verbal and winged the rest. 600v, 540q (ugh), and 4.0a (UGH!). Good enough for now, and I'm taking it again in early November.

I'm looking at Williams (MA), UPenn, U of Washington, U of Minn (Twin Cities), Yale, Princeton, The Art Institute of Chicago (MA), and maybe U of Chicago.

My GPA is a 3.89 from a pretty reputable Big Ten state school, I've done a few good internships, studied in Florence for a semester, speak Italian/started French, am writing an honors thesis aaaand can really only beef up my writing sample, knock out some good statements and hope for the best!

I keep telling myself if the results are dismal in the Spring, that the next round will be better since I'll have a completed thesis and a couple more internships under my belt. Who knows.

Are my school choices totally out of the question? Aaaagh. Are we supposed to visit them in the Spring? Not sure I can afford it.

What about everyone else? Don't be shy!

Frantically yours,

Snooze

[artmuse]

Hi all,

I posted here a couple of times last year when I was thinking about applying but this year I'm taking the plunge. I'm one of the many modern/contemporary people, with a focus in postwar and especially prints and works on paper. My list is pretty much set at eight schools with a mix of MA and PhD programs. My applications are slowly coming together and I'm hoping to get them all out as soon as possible. I just took the GRE and it went really well so that's one less thing to worry about.

I graduated in May and hoped to get a year of experience in museums before going back to school but with the economy so bad, competition for even internships has been really challenging. I know a lot of people get into great schools just from undergrad but some of the application questions are giving me anxiety. I worry about all of the little things adding up like the fact that I haven't published or that I just started my second foreign language and am not that confident in the first.

I'd really love any advice about my statement of purpose. I'm trying to figure out how detailed to be about my research interests. I don't want to be so detailed that I sound like I lack range, particularly since most of the potential advisers I'm focusing on aren't specialized in prints. However, I don't want to seem so vague that I'm indistinguishable from the hundred other people wanting to study postwar. How specific should I be?

Also, I feel like I'm already behind in contacting potential advisers but I honestly have no idea what to write in these emails. Any advice would be amazing!

Thanks for all your help and good luck with your apps!

[cleisthenes]

I worry about all of the little things adding up like the fact that I haven't published or that I just started my second foreign language and am not that confident in the first.

It doesn't matter that you haven't published. The only imporatant places you will need to publish are in peer-reviewed journals. You are not at that stage in your career yet.

The important thing is to show the committee that you possess the potential to eventually produce publishable work (and ideally, more than just that)-- but that's your baseline. Be who you are now. Produce your best and most exciting intellectual labor. If you are thrilled by your essay and compelled by your own personal statement--truly comepelled--and *especially* if your Professors think you are good to go, then be confident. If you aren't admitted, it's probably because you chose the wrong programs and/or there are faculty match-up or funding issues (the two most common reasons for not accepting otherwise qualified candidates).

I'd really love any advice about my statement of purpose. I'm trying to figure out how detailed to be about my research interests.

Add detail when you think the details bespeak an essentially important fact about yourself, but find a way to bookend your details with generalizations about what you hope to study. Your generalizations should be eloquently wrought and convey the uniqueness of the way you see your object of study. Show your readers you have a school of thoughts that is all your own.

I don't want to be so detailed that I sound like I lack range, particularly since most of the potential advisers I'm focusing on aren't specialized in prints.

Whatever you do, do not say your dream is to study X if there is no tenured faculty member who studies X. I cannot emphasize this enough: apply only to programs where you know there will be at least one faculty member who can advise you in your dissertation and sit on your committee. If there is not such a person currently (and for the foreseeable future) tenured in a given department, you ar enot likely to be admitted.

Also, I feel like I'm already behind in contacting potential advisers but I honestly have no idea what to write in these emails. Any advice would be amazing!

Here is some advice: never contact a Professor unless you have a truly noteworthy question that couldn't be answered in another way. People disagree on this point, but my sense--based on anecdotal experience of the contexts in which I sense you are interested--is that people who do this excessively (i.e., without a very good reason for each specific contact) are frowned upon. If you cannot shine through the merits of your written scholarship alone, you are unlikely to be seen favorably by the admissions committee.

Hope that's informative.

Good luck with your apps!

Love,

Cleisthenes

[ristastic]

It doesn't matter that you haven't published. The only imporatant places you will need to publish are in peer-reviewed journals. You are not at that stage in your career yet.

The important thing is to show the committee that you possess the potential to eventually produce publishable work (and ideally, more than just that)-- but that's your baseline. Be who you are now. Produce your best and most exciting intellectual labor. If you are thrilled by your essay and compelled by your own personal statement--truly comepelled--and *especially* if your Professors think you are good to go, then be confident. If you aren't admitted, it's probably because you chose the wrong programs and/or there are faculty match-up or funding issues (the two most common reasons for not accepting otherwise qualified candidates).

Add detail when you think the details bespeak an essentially important fact about yourself, but find a way to bookend your details with generalizations about what you hope to study. Your generalizations should be eloquently wrought and convey the uniqueness of the way you see your object of study. Show your readers you have a school of thoughts that is all your own.

Whatever you do, do not say your dream is to study X if there is no tenured faculty member who studies X. I cannot emphasize this enough: apply only to programs where you know there will be at least one faculty member who can advise you in your dissertation and sit on your committee. If there is not such a person currently (and for the foreseeable future) tenured in a given department, you ar enot likely to be admitted.

Here is some advice: never contact a Professor unless you have a truly noteworthy question that couldn't be answered in another way. People disagree on this point, but my sense--based on anecdotal experience of the contexts in which I sense you are interested--is that people who do this excessively (i.e., without a very good reason for each specific contact) are frowned upon. If you cannot shine through the merits of your written scholarship alone, you are unlikely to be seen favorably by the admissions committee.

Hope that's informative.

Good luck with your apps!

Love,

Cleisthenes

I applied (successfully) to art history PhD programs, and I'm now at a top Ivy living the dream (ok, maybe not, but I survived the application process without self-combusting!). I have to say I totally disagree with your advice not to contact professors unless you have some earth-shattering question. I was the most successful at schools where I had meaningful contact with potential advisers, and a lot of the time they want to tell you about the program anyway, and they can be really great at identifying the strengths of the program within your/their field specifically.

Truthfully, I don't think I would have gotten into my program if I had not visited campus and had a great discussion with my adviser. A great writing sample is of course a must, but I also think professors look more kindly on someone who can also articulate the strong points of their scholarship and have intelligent off-the-cuff discussions in person as well. I really think it helps distinguish you from the lump of paper you're submitting as an application.

My other general advice to 2011 applications is to not freak out. Your GRE is semi-important, but don't kill yourself getting the perfect score. If you're dying to know, my scores ended up being a 680V/620Q. By far the more important components of your application are your writing sample and your personal statement. Write LOTS of drafts of your personal statement and if you have a professor or MA adviser that you trust, ask them to look it over. If you want further advice, PM me with questions, I'd be happy to help!

[cleisthenes]

Truthfully, I don't think I would have gotten into my program if I had not visited campus and had a great discussion with my adviser. A great writing sample is of course a must, but I also think professors look more kindly on someone who can also articulate the strong points of their scholarship and have intelligent off-the-cuff discussions in person as well. I really think it helps distinguish you from the lump of paper you're submitting as an application.

I knew someone would disagree with me on this :-)

The truth is that I've heard opinions that both agree and differ with yours on this note (from grad students and faculty on both sides). I certainly wasn't trying to suggest that it's not okay to contact professors. I'm just saying that if you do, be aware that this is going to reflect on you and be very thoughtful about how you represent yourself. If you go on campus visits, there is, of course, nothing wrong with sitting down with faculty with whom you think you might ultimately work. In fact, I think if you are visiting campus, it's a good idea. But if you are emailing out of the blue, have a good reason to do it and keep your communications succinct and on-point. If you do that, and you represent yourself well, then it could certainly improve your chances in a situation where you are being considered against an equally qualified candidate. If you walk away having impressed a faculty member to such a degree that they are fired-up about working with you, then there's no way that can hurt you and it may well help.

I suspect, however, that it was not your personal contact with faculty but the strength of your scholarship and the intriguing nature of whatever thought presented therein that resulted in your success, Risastic. I know plenty of people who had no meetings with faculty whatsoever and were still accepted across the board.

In my case, I conacted a few faculty members and not others, and my admissions/rejections had pretty much no correlation whatsoever to who I had or hadn't spoken with (some programs I had contacted admitted me, other didn't, and vise versa). Ultimately, I am attending a program where I had no contact with faculty beforehand.

So again, I would emphasize my original point: be yourself in your writing sample, produce your best work, and be confident that it is this sample of your faculties as a thinker and researcher that will ultimately gain you admission and, much more importantly, help you pursue a successful career as a writer on and scholar of art.

Best,

Cleisthenes

[Ramblr]

I'm just saying that if you do, be aware that this is going to reflect on you and be very thoughtful about how you represent yourself. If you go on campus visits, there is, of course, nothing wrong with sitting down with faculty with whom you think you might ultimately work. In fact, I think if you are visiting campus, it's a good idea. But if you are emailing out of the blue, have a good reason to do it and keep your communications succinct and on-point. If you do that, and you represent yourself well, then it could certainly improve your chances in a situation where you are being considered against an equally qualified candidate.

I am all for contacting professors. Not only was it recommended to me by both current grad students and my undergrad professors, but it also has been helpful in focusing my energies when writing my statement for specific schools.

For example, one of my schools recently added a young faculty member in my general field. Based on the scant information online, I assumed that the professor would be a good but obviously not perfect match for an advisor. Even after sitting in on a lecture, I still thought we'd be an okay match. However, upon meeting the professor one-on-one, I quickly realized our research interests are totally incompatible. While a amicable meeting, I think we both realized this.

On one hand, I now might have one less professor rallying for my admission; however, on the other hand, I probably wouldn't have had that professor's blessing to begin with. Now, I can concentrate on addressing my statement to another professor on the faculty, something I wouldn't have done if I had stuck to my original assumptions.

Again, as with most things in the process, things are not very clear cut. Good? Bad? Who knows. It's a crapshoot.

[Hicks]

Hi all. I noticed that past years seem to have been much more active here than this one. I'm curious who else is out there and applying for PhD programs.

As for me, I'm not the traditional PhD candidate. I'm a bit older. I already have an MFA and Master's in Art History from Pratt Inst. I'm in my fourth year of teaching studio, theory and art history at a small liberal arts college. I never got really interested in art history until the last semester of my BFA. I hoped to go on for my PhD after my grad work at Pratt but family obligations and a couple of job offers kept me from it. But, the art history courses have been my favorites and my research interests have developed so I've decided now is the time. I'm interested in Conteporary art and its relationship to religion but from an art historical perspective not a theological. This odd interest of course complicates my application. David Morgan at Duke and Sally Promey at Yale (though she is in the Divinity School) have work that is most related to my interests. I've settled on applying to Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Penn, Chicago, Northwestern and Duke.

I had personal probelms early on in my undergrad but transfered around some and finally ended with a 3.5. My grad GPA (studio and art history) was 3.89. So, I don't know how much of a strike my problems in undergrad will be. I got 690 verbal and 730 quantitative on the GRE. Solid but a little less than I was hoping.

That is my introduction. I look forward to meeting anyone who is around here.

[hopelesslypostmodern]

That is my introduction. I look forward to meeting anyone who is around here.

Hey, Hicks! I think we are all probably too busy working on applications, SOPs, and writing samples for too much discussion to be happening right now! Haha. I'm sure it'll pick up once we are all waiting out the admissions process (and going a bit stir crazy).

Anyways, I'm interested in postwar Western Europe/America, especially identity issues (gender mostly, but also nationality). I'm applying to Chicago, Michigan, Northwestern, Bryn Mawr, Pittsburgh, CUNY, WIlliams (MA), and UC-Irvine (Visual Studies PhD). Anyways, I'm still an undergrad from a small liberal arts college. My GRE scores aren't as high as yours (620V/690m/5.0w) and my gpa falls in between your undergrad and grad gpa (3.78), but I'm hoping my SOP and writing sample make up for it. This whole process is certainly nerve wracking!

[Hicks]

Hey, Hicks! I think we are all probably too busy working on applications, SOPs, and writing samples for too much discussion to be happening right now! Haha. I'm sure it'll pick up once we are all waiting out the admissions process (and going a bit stir crazy).

Anyways, I'm interested in postwar Western Europe/America, especially identity issues (gender mostly, but also nationality). I'm applying to Chicago, Michigan, Northwestern, Bryn Mawr, Pittsburgh, CUNY, WIlliams (MA), and UC-Irvine (Visual Studies PhD). Anyways, I'm still an undergrad from a small liberal arts college. My GRE scores aren't as high as yours (620V/690m/5.0w) and my gpa falls in between your undergrad and grad gpa (3.78), but I'm hoping my SOP and writing sample make up for it. This whole process is certainly nerve wracking!

Nice to meet you. I'm up for swapping SOP's if anyone is interested.

[CriticalPlay]

Right. So I wanted to address a few things I have seen posted here.

First: A terminal MA is *not* seen as a disadvantage provided it is from a top program. The Williams program is the sine qua non of terminal MAs and no one places students as consistently in top-ten PhD programs as Williams. A terminal MA from, say, NYU might be treated a little differently. The Williams program is widely considered to be a venue of extreme professionalization for students, and is as competitive as many PhD programs in terms of applicant calibre and number.

Secondly: Contacting Professors before the application cycle. Always a good idea. You need to be able to establish a rapport with this person, in fact, I suggest visiting the department itself. Especially at the big schools (Yale, Princeton, etc), this is something they encourage.

Thirdly: your GRE scores really don't matter. They come into play when the department puts you up for University fellowships. A close friend of mine, who is now a PhD student at Harvard (and who was accepted everywhere) had a 310 on her Q, no one even blinked an eye. They only act as a red flag when the verbal score is exceptionally low.

[Hicks]

Nice to have you here.

1) I totally agree. Having an MA from Williams is not going to hurt anyone. I don't know that an M.A. really hurts anyone but I'm not always sure it helps either. Those who get an M.A. at Williams likely would have had a real shot at PhD programs from the beginning. For some people with marks on their undergrad record I would imagine a strong performance in an M.A. program would help...at least I hope so.

2) This seems right. I've contacted some of my schools but not all. In retrospect I should have made that extra effort.

3) I've heard mixed reveiws on the GRE. But, in general I agree. I know some prefessors on admission committees do care while others don't. But, a low score on the verbal would certainly raise red flags. That said the NRC rankings seem to indicate at least a loose relationship between the quality/ selectiveness of the program and GRE scores. Personally, I was surprised at how low the averages were for most programs.

I see your in a PhD program currently. Do you mind if I ask where?

[arthistoryvoe]

From the point of view of serving on PhD admissions committees at a very competitive program I'd say:

a) GPA does matter, but if grades show a lot of improvement that can make up for a somewhat lower-than-usual average.

GRE matters only a little; a high GRE from someone who went to a less-well-known undergraduate institution may help; a low GRE doesn't take away from otherwise great application

c) More and more — as the applicant pool has ballooned and spots are harder to come by — applicants with an MA are at some advantage, simply because they're better able to articulate why they want to study at a particular institution. If an applicant with a BA has a good sense of the field and its methodologies, and a solid and clearly articulated motivation, s/he is at no disadvantage. But the advice (often given) that an MA degree can put an applicant at a disadvantage is really no longer correct.

d) Contacting potential advisors at extremely competitive programs (i.e. where there are a lot of people emailing) frankly harms applicants more often than it helps — because applicants so often contact potential advisors without having done their homework. It makes you look needy and unprepared. Do not write to ask if a professor is taking students; if you have some good reason to think they may not be, ask the department assistant instead. Do not write to ask vague questions about the program ("can you tell me about your graduate program?"); look at the website. Do not write to ask what a professor is currently working on; read their books/articles instead. Do not write to ask which paper to use as your writing sample; that's up to you to figure out with the advice of your own advisors. Do not write to ask about funding; this information should be available on the website (if it's not, ask the admissions office rather than a professor). You might write to ask for contact info of current students; you might write to ask if the professor could conceivably advise someone working in field X that's outside their main area of specialization; you might possibly ask about specific resources that will be important to your field of study. But generally speaking, the time for such questions is after you are admitted.

I really don't mean to be harsh here — it just seems to me that people are getting bad advice. Probably the vast majority of the time, contacting a prospective advisor does neither harm nor good (so don't be nervous if you have done it already). But frankly, it hurts more often than it helps.

[arthistoryvoe]

Well—I didn't know "b" + ")" = an emoticon!

[Hicks]

Arthistoryvoe,

Thank you for your feedback! It makes me feel better about the contact I'e made with professors. I've done it at two schools and when I had specific questions and in one case was going to be near by and wanted to visit the school. In other cases, I've not contacted them. It felt foced to me so I did but was second guessing that decision. I always wonder about the advice of fourms like this and tend to take it all with a grain of salt but still find it cathartic. Do you have any advice about excerting from a longer thesis for your writing sample.

Thanks again for your feedback.

[arthistoryvoe]

Arthistoryvoe,

Thank you for your feedback! It makes me feel better about the contact I'e made with professors. I've done it at two schools and when I had specific questions and in one case was going to be near by and wanted to visit the school. In other cases, I've not contacted them. It felt foced to me so I did but was second guessing that decision. I always wonder about the advice of fourms like this and tend to take it all with a grain of salt but still find it cathartic. Do you have any advice about excerting from a longer thesis for your writing sample.

Thanks again for your feedback.

Try to find a chunk of the appropriate length that contains a sustained (hopefully creative and original) argument that you support with evidence. It is not so effective to create a patchwork of disparate pieces—I think people find that hard to read. Sometimes just taking the first 20 pages (or whatever) works OK. You can provide a short (perhaps italicized) introduction to what has come before if you start in the middle.

[CriticalPlay]

Hm...I don't know.

In every case where I have contacted a professor it was because, ultimately, I was planning on wrangling an in-person interview. These interviews certainly helped me as I was accepted at all the schools I visited (Yale, Princeton, Berkeley, and Chicago).

In any case, I should currently be a PhD student at one of those schools in modern art, but I declined in order to take a righteously awesome fullbright grant to study in the Berlin Bauhaus archive over the past year. And now am reapplying. I didn't take a deferral last April because I wasn't sure how my field of interest would change over the course of the year... In all honesty, I'm not obsessed with the Yale/Harvard/Berkeley/Blah blah blah. There's so much more to a department than a name, and as I think I am more advanced in my studies than most, my biggest concerns are supportive faculty and good funding. Those are both hard to find.

Anyways, this year, I've applied to: Penn, Chicago, Northwestern, Yale, Duke, Princeton, and WUSTL. I just submitted all of my applications today, now, let the wait begin.

[Hicks]

Try to find a chunk of the appropriate length that contains a sustained (hopefully creative and original) argument that you support with evidence. It is not so effective to create a patchwork of disparate pieces—I think people find that hard to read. Sometimes just taking the first 20 pages (or whatever) works OK. You can provide a short (perhaps italicized) introduction to what has come before if you start in the middle.

Thanks. That is basically what I've done on the ones I've submitted so far. I've also included the table of contents so that if they want they can see how the section I've submitted fits into the overall structure fo the paper. My thesis was on the history of the Bob Jones University Art Collection so a rather odd topic. After the first seven pages of introduction and the state of the problem I then spend over 30 pages discussing the history of the university and the biography of the collector, Bob Jones Jr. This of course is all done with an eye to how it influenced the development of the collection but would seem odd, I think, as a writing sample. I spend the next sixty pages of the paper on an anaylsis of the development of the collection. I have turned in excerpts which cover the foundation of the collection and the collections major growth period. That seemed, to me, to be the most accessible on its own. It still seems to me to be truncated but I guess every deals with that conern.

[Hicks]

It sounds like you contacted them with a purpose not the annoying stab in the dark approach described above.

That said congrats on the Fullbright and good luck on your applications. You and I have applied to six out of seven of the same schools.