Give me a reality check:

[Guest mckee002]

I would love some advice from anyone willing to give it. I will be applying to graduate school in the fall of 2012 and have set my sights on some unfathomably competitive grad schools my top picks are:

1st tier: Columbia or NYU

2nd tier: University of Chicago or Northwestern

3rd tier: Harvard or UC Berkeley

4th tier: UCLA or McGill

I am set on studying 19th-20th century European art, emphasis on France with a side interest in Icelandic art.

As of this year I have tried extremely hard to make myself competitive with a 3.67 overall gpa (those advanced philosophy classes killed me) and above a 3.8 in both of my majors at CAL. I have completed an art history honors thesis that got an 'A,' and I have won some significant research honors from my university. I will graduate with honors (potentially high/highest) in both of my majors. No GREs yet, I'm registered to take the test in September.

What I want to know specifically from students in phd programs:

- What are schools looking for in the personal statement?

- How do I ensure funding? (I refuse to go to a school that does not offer me a decent aid package. This is upon the advice of a professor who I respect highly.)

- How does one set himself apart from other applicants to these top tier schools?

- Which of the aforementioned schools are most advantageous for post-doctoral job placement in a university or museum?

Thank you all!

[violetvivian]

There are a lot of questions in this post. I have a few of my own:

-Why apply to Berkeley if so many of the modernists have left and the funding situation is so dire? Or do you want to work with Grigsby? If you go to Berkeley now, set up a meeting with her or someone else that you'd be interested in studying with and ask all these questions. No resource better than that. (As an aside: if you are an undergrad at Berkeley, do some research on academic incest before you apply there for the PhD).

-Why these particular "unfathomably competitive" schools? I hope the answer is that there is a potential adviser for you (someone whose research interests are in line with your own and that you would want to study with) at each of these schools. There is a scholar of 19th-20th century French art at almost every graduate program out there. That doesn't mean each person is a good match for you. If you haven't already, read their work and see if it resonates with you. If it doesn't, just don't apply. If you're open to considering different programs, take a look at Duke (Leighten is really fantastic, IMO), Penn, Delaware, Michigan, UNC-Chapel Hill--all popular choices among modernists on this board, if I remember correctly.

-Do you plan to mention your Icelandic interest in your SOP? If so, have you checked to see if there is anyone on faculty at these schools who studies Icelandic art?

You are probably well aware that 19th-20th century European art is by far the most popular specialty right now. As such, you will be considered against a much larger applicant pool than, say, those interested in African art. To set yourself apart from the pack, do your research now. Reach out to the scholars who you would like to work with and ask if they are taking on new students next year, and stay in touch. Make sure your languages are in great shape (scholars of French art don't just use their language for primary source translation, but for writing as well). Ask your respected professor if they can put you in contact with anyone directly.

A few of your questions can be answered with some simple googling--read the funding policies on the webpages of particular programs, search for placement rates, google recent graduates and see where they've landed.

Good luck!

[Guest mckee002]

First problem: Who are your prospective People of Interest? (POI?).

Second problem: What period/style/movement are you most interested in?

Third problem: What methodologies do you use?

Here's something to think about to know how competitive you are:

a) have you ever published?

b ) have you presented at conferences or a symposium?

c) have you had any research funded by your school?

d) have you had an internships or research experience outside of your thesis?

If most of these are no, then you are going to have to work really hard on your SOP to describe why you are a great candidate and what you can offer them. If you have a yes or two, then that's pretty good. I know way too many who have applied to some top schools without any of this experience and fallen flat (I do know of one case where it worked well in their favor, but that is because she worked in the field for a few years before going to grad school. Although... I wouldn't be surprised if others got in to the school's listed above with all those being no. Would love to see someone confirm this!).

Regarding your questions:

- What are schools looking for in the personal statement? Specificity and an idea if your interests match the school's interest. If you are applying to PhD programs, make sure you know who (can be plural) you want to study under, your experience in that particular area (is your thesis in this area? What classes have you taken (doesn't necessarily need to be in the Statement of Purpose (SOP) but it is something to think about when you think about how much experience you have) or have you interned in a curatorial department that focuses on this area?), why you will fit well in this school, and what you want to do with your degree (future plans).

- How do I ensure funding? Most of those schools listed provide funding for their phd students. One word of advice about what some of my professors have told me and it holds true for my friends heading off to graduate school (and new ones arriving at my alma mater), if they do not offer you funding it most likely means that you aren't a top pick in the department (it could also mean that that particular professor wasn't awarded student funding, or maybe you didn't pass the dean's office in requirements). Most people can fight for funding. Places like Berkeley say that if you weren't offered a funding package your first year, then you won't receive one in the following years. These things may or may not change though. The only way to know what funding you may get is to check out the website, and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, call the department and speak with them about it.

- How does one set himself apart from other applicants to these top tier schools? You. S.O.P. needs. to. be. perfect. In a 2-page document you must convince them that not only are you brilliant but they also need your brilliancy (lol), and your research experience, general field of interest and your current expertise will tie in really well with their institution.

Alternatively, equally important, are your letter of references, your writing sample (has to be perfect), and your cv/resume garnered to show how good you are.

- Which of the aforementioned schools are most advantageous for post-doctoral job placement in a university or museum Most school's don't post this info on their website, gotta call and ask.

You should also ask how many of their student matriculate - those should be some fun numbers for you.

Also, if you are interested in being a professor here is a fun little (no pun intended) number: upon entering a phd program, you have approximately a 10% chance of getting a tenure-track position at a university - that is, if you pass your languages tests, your slide exxam, your MA and PhD comps, your thesis defense, and your dissertation defense. That is, if you even feel like doing a dissertation after 5 years of work (possibly more if you are held back because of your language/gen. exam/etc.). In the last two years, CAA reported that 44% of art history professorships have been hacked and there is little chance of them coming back.

Humanities is a really hard field to be in, just go in prepared - if you do, then your chances increase tenfold of coming out on top.

Thank you both for your responses. You're also both right, I should have been more specific with my initial information:

People of Interest:

- Berkeley: Grigsby, Bryan-Wilson, Davis

- Columbia: Crary, Grewe, Joseph, and Krauss (obviously!)

- U of Chicago: Ward, Helsinger

- Northwestern: Clayson, Eisenman

et cetera

Period / Style of the most interest:

- I love the art generally under the heading of Symbolism or Art Nouveau. My undergrad thesis was on the early works of Maurice Denis.

- I am quickly developing a love for landscape painting and am interested in how it is taken up in the early-mid 20th Century.

- Issues of sexuality in art, particularly manifestations of homosexuality pre-AIDs crisis.

Methodologies:

Foucault has been really influential on my considerations of sexuality as it manifests itself in society. Kant, Dewey, and Heidegger are influential in the philosophy behind my writing. Clark and Pollock are the art historians whose writings I try to align myself with most.

In addition, I do have significant experience working hands on with African and Contemporary art in a gallery setting and have performed research for a professor on American Landscape painting. I have presented at a symposium.

My next question then is: How does an undergraduate go about getting published? I realize that this is a critical way to set myself apart, but don't know how to begin submitting a paper for consideration!

All of the information you gave me was extremely helpful and I appreciate it! I have realized from day one that making a career in art history was a steep uphill battle, but life is too short to repress something I love so deeply. Having worked in a gallery, I know that an education or museum occupation is where I need to be.

[runonsentence]

I will warn you, publishing is one of the most stressful things to do ever. There's deadlines and abstracts and your editor may hate every verb you type. I would honestly not expect to have something published before application deadlines, and if you are one of the most fortunate few who do get published, then expect some heartache - especially if it is your first time with no guidance. You may want to ask your adviser for help on this, since - in some way - you are an extension of your department and you do want your writing to come out perfect - if you publish something that isn't up to par (not to say that a journal will accept your final sub-par submission) and it has the potential to embarrass your department, then you may face a small backlash out of it. However, most professors will be more impressed that you are trying. There are a lot of new journals - especially online access journals that need submissions on a variety of topics. They aren't as impressive as a peer-reviewed journal, but honestly, it's better than nothing. Graduate programs aren't going to expect you to have publications, and if you do, then they don't expect it to be a major publication; however, if you do have something published then definitely makes you stand out (especially if it's good).

Publishing itself might be difficult to achieve before applications, but it might be a doable goal for you to just get something out for review. It can look good to list this on a CV; it looks good for you to have a project or two in the works.

[condivi]

Publishing itself might be difficult to achieve before applications, but it might be a doable goal for you to just get something out for review. It can look good to list this on a CV; it looks good for you to have a project or two in the works.

I don't think publishing is necessary for admission to a top program. In my program, almost no one came in with publications, and in fact most of the faculty encourage us not to think about publishing until after we reach candidacy. The important thing (besides grades, which you can't do much about anyway) is to have a coherent, well-developed (though not too specific, either) sense of what you want to study-- and, most importantly, why you want to study it. If you can't articulate that, you probably won't gain admission to a top program.

[condivi]

And when I say "why," I mean: Why is what you want to study important? What is its broader relevance to issues in art history and even in the humanities more generally? How is your perspective different from those who have come before you? What gaps do the questions you want to ask fill? I want to emphasize the your interests can remain questions at this point--you haven't been studying art history long enough to have developed full answers yet. But these questions need to be thoughtful and somewhat original. Your writing sample, moreover, should address some of the questions you raise in your personal statement, with your "first stabs" at answers developed around and from specific example(s)/object(s).

Edited July 19, 2011 by condivi

[losemygrip]

Get that French and German under your belt if you. That'll help you a lot.

Statement of purpose is (generally) low in importance. It's going to come into play in borderline cases, when making the last few decisions. I knew someone who was admitted to Columbia completely without one. She told them she was on an archeological dig and did not have the ability to send it in at that time. They didn't care.

I'm going to make a couple of other suggestions.

First, while you want to find an advisor who is relevant to your focus, you don't want him/her to be TOO relevant. Because then s/he thinks s/he knows it all and they will over-direct your work. You need to find someone who is more tangentially connected, e.g., uses similar methodology but with a different period or topic, or who studies the same time and movement, but a different country.

Second, consider U. Texas.

[Guest mckee002]

I truly appreciate all of the feedback, it is extremely helpful (that h-net site is great!).

I have one other question:

McGill's PhD program requires an MA before application; if I go to McGill for my MA can I be given insurance of admission to the PhD program (granted I do good work in the program)? I know that a number of other programs operate this way and am not sure how admission to the PhD from MA works exactly.

Thank you!

[histarthopeful]

@zeemore21, please remove where you quoted me.

Edited July 21, 2011 by histarthopeful

[ZeeMore21]

To whoever voted my post back up, thanks! Perhaps I just have grown tired of some posters using this forum for their own self-aggrandizement. hisarthopeful, if I am misjudging your intentions, then I do apologize. However, do you honestly expect another poster to look at your qualifications and say, "no, you are absolutely not qualified enough to get into a PhD program"? And what would you say if a poster actually said this? You should definitley read a post somewhere else in this forum that gives advice about things you should think about before asking about your admissions odds. Frankly, your grades and gre scores do not really matter at the doctoral level. If you do not have a well-written personal statement and writing sample, then, no, you are not getting into a doctoral program. You said you had a well written writing sample, so well done. But please don't really on your numbers to get you into a doctoral program....this is graduate school we are talking about, not undergrad.

[histarthopeful]

@zeemore21, could you try to edit my previous post out of your response? There's an edit button at the bottom of each response. I was able to delete mine and I would really appreciate a second chance..a clean slate. Please? Perhaps, I went about this form the wrong way, BUT BY NO MEANS is it supposed to be self-aggrandizement. And for that, apology accepted. And no, that is not what I'm looking for...not even admissions odds. The problem is that I have been reading and hearing so much different information about getting into a doctoral program from this forum and from other sources that seem to be at odds with each other. With giving my stats up front, I was trying to really gage the GRE question and avoid having to answer multiple times. It was all for efficiency. Realizing that didn't go over too well, I'm sorry.

[fullofpink]

1& 2: I heard a rumor that many adcoms treat a 3.6 and higher as the same; so I would consider your high GPA as competitive as the other candidates who are entering. Same with the thesis - almost every candidate will have completed one.

3: Your GRE verbal is fine - it is not the highest, but it is not the lowest. The GRE isn't a "make-it" factor, it's a "break-it" factor. A low GRE may be detrimental to your acceptance, but it will not necessarily get you in. A 600 is probably the average. If you check the CAA graduate school catalogue, you can see the average GRE scores admitted to different programs (it's either in there, or on PhD.com. I haven't checked it in awhile so I don't quite remember). Unless your writing skill is under a 4 (and maybe a 4.5), I wouldn't retake the GRE.

4: These are really good topics that have a lot of leeway and can go in many directions while staying focused in one period/culture. I would just be cautious about how I explain them in the SOP and how they work with the department's interests.

5: Be wary of explaining your marxist ideologies in a SOP - some departments are very accepting, apathetic or very against it - an adcom may or may not have your POI on it, so even if the person you are interested in studying with is, if there is an anti-marxist professor on the adcom it could get shot down. Don't expect to only rattle off a list of names you admire, you should also focus on what of these methodologies do you admire and how they influence your own train of thought.

6. Not having any publications is fine - like someone said earlier, it's not required and most adcoms don't expect it (hell, there are even master students entering phd programs who haven't published). One of the things that shocked me about a friend who got accepted into grad school is that adcoms do care if you have study abroad or not. Some departments are different than others - almost all of Harvard's entering students last year did some kind of study abroad (or were foreign). It may not matter and since you may or may not be graduating, I wouldn't fret about it. I just wanted to let you know it is on the table. From what I can tell, the importance of the study abroad may just deal with the languages and since your seem to have a steady hand in those, I wouldn't worry about it.

7: This may harm you, but it also may benefit you. If you have done something in your law internships to justify an art history track (like, studying art law) or if you have an interest in art law (some departments have professors who specialize in it), then you may put an internship or two if they were worthwhile and (most important) appropriate. Not having an internship in a gallery or an art museum may hurt you - even if you just ended up making copies the entire time. Most adcoms recognize that undergraduates internships do not have a lot of research experience nor do they produce any scholarship. If you are really freaking out, it might be beneficial to do a fall internship this fall - but I really do not think it matters that much (especially if you are working in a department far from research, like development or marketing) unless you are going to be doing an impressive project. This is when your SOP (and writing sample) needs to shine through - it should convey your command of art history, your interest and dedication to it, and what you will be doing with it.

8. Excellent. This will only help your application.

9. Be aware of the writing sample requirements. Some will want no more than 20, including bibliography, images and text so take that into account if you are going to have to edit it.

Edited July 21, 2011 by fullofpink

[ZeeMore21]

A version of this should probably have been your first response post, not the last. If you are so frustrated with grad applicants then why even bother responding to them? It seems histarthopeful isn't the only one trying to "show off."

Also, in this community, we don't really treat people like that. You are also giving somewhat irrelevant advice and since you are English and not art history there are other things to consider regarding the application that most English majors aren't required or expected to participate in. For us, it is nice to have a base of reference (like high gpa, somewhat strong GRE, with little experience) of a complete stranger in order to respond appropriately.

Please be a bit more considerate next time and take a second for the steam to come off your shoulders before "helping" someone else out. Thanks.

histarthopeful: The application process is a really stressful time and there is not a lot of guidance from faculty, peers and colleagues about how to go through this process. Just because this one person was so condescending and rude, I hope you realize that they are NOT representative of the people in this part of the forum. I hope this doesn't dissuade you from seeking the advice of others - afterall, that is why this community exists regardless of any redundancies.

I'll give you my two cents in another post.

Since art history is still the humanities, I have every right to be able to voice my opinion on the subject, thank you.

[ZeeMore21]

Also, fullofpink, I don't quite see how your admissions process would be so drastically different than someone from English...please don't try to put yourself above anyone else here. Obviously, all applicants would be confident going into a programs with a strong G.P.A and GRE scores...there is no need to differentiate your field from anyone other field. Before you go off trying to do so, perhaps you should familiarize yourself with other fields. I specialize in African American visual studies, and am attending an interdisciplinary program, so I do have the experience to answer posts such as the ones found on this thread.

[ZeeMore21]

hisarthopeful, yes I will delete my quote. I would just say that yes, you should ask your qualification questions differently.

[histarthopeful]

fullofpink, THANK YOU! Not only was your advice incredibly helpful but your defense of my earlier post is much appreciated. In regards to the Marxist ideologies, thank you for the advice. I know I'll definitely need to delve into why and how each of these theorists have shaped my critical outlook on art history, but I was just trying to list them out now for basic reference. I'm actually excited to do so in my SOP--good sign, right? In terms of the internships, no I haven't done any art-related, which is why I have been more heavily considering Master's Programs where I could intern and study at the same time. I applied to a major museum for an internship for this summer but since the curator only had one spot and already had an intern working with him the whole year, I was asked to wait till summer 2012. I never really knew how important a museum related internship could be until it was much too late to apply and since I will be graduating in may 2012, my options were limited. With that said, do you recommend looking towards master's programs to beef up my application before applying to doctoral programs? Or take a year off for a museum internship? I have been told from professors at my university to take a year off and intern or study abroad...yet, I'm worried that in this economy work for a histart/english major is slim. But could I be off base? Also, for the GRE, I appreciate your advice. I feel really good about the writing, so hopefully my scores will match my intuition. Lastly, I have every intention of making my SOP make up for lost ground and hopefully it will work out for the best! Thank you again for your kindness and great advice.

[histarthopeful]

zeemore21, thank you for that. it's much appreciated and i will definitely ask my questions differently from now on.

[ZeeMore21]

A version of this should probably have been your first response post, not the last. If you are so frustrated with grad applicants then why even bother responding to them? It seems histarthopeful isn't the only one trying to "show off."

Also, in this community, we don't really treat people like that. You are also giving somewhat irrelevant advice and since you are English and not art history there are other things to consider regarding the application that most English majors aren't required or expected to participate in. For us, it is nice to have a base of reference (like high gpa, somewhat strong GRE, with little experience) of a complete stranger in order to respond appropriately.

Please be a bit more considerate next time and take a second for the steam to come off your shoulders before "helping" someone else out. Thanks.

histarthopeful: The application process is a really stressful time and there is not a lot of guidance from faculty, peers and colleagues about how to go through this process. Just because this one person was so condescending and rude, I hope you realize that they are NOT representative of the people in this part of the forum. I hope this doesn't dissuade you from seeking the advice of others - afterall, that is why this community exists regardless of any redundancies.

I'll give you my two cents in another post.

And you don't see yourself as condescending and rude with your attempt to tell someone they aren't qualified to speak about a certain topic?

And because you do not know me or follow me on this forum, I don't think you do have the right to label me as a poster who doesn't want to provide helpful advice to anyone. I am not the only poster on this forum that kind of finds it odd when someone with obviously great numbers seems to have a lack of confidence about how strong their numbers are. And again, although I am not in Art History, I can confidently say that the personal statement and writing sample count way more than one's grades and gre scores do.

Edited July 21, 2011 by ZeeMore21

[histarthopeful]

Thanks for the advice! My ultimate goal is to be a professor. I have always wanted to teach and have a desire/love for writing and research that I know only a PhD would fulfill. One of my undergrad advisers told me this: "Only go for a doctoral degree if you would have a hole in your heart if you weren't able to get that level of research done." And at that moment I knew that I had to get a higher degree. At this point, I'm just worried about how to get that accomplished and which route to get there is the best.

I personally don't really want to take a year off because I'm one of those people who can't get enough of school, and even though I'm well aware graduate school is a whole different ball game than undergrad, I feel ready and excited for the challenge. I'm worried that doctoral programs would be wary to accept me without some kind of real world experience in the art world. Yet, I'm going to try nonetheless. Do you think it is worth sending out apps without such experience if my SOP and writing samples make up for it and really explain why I'm dedicated and devoted to continued study in art history?

[fullofpink]

Do you think it is worth sending out apps without such experience if my SOP and writing samples make up for it and really explain why I'm dedicated and devoted to continued study in art history?

Yes. Have a good grip on what you want to do, how the department is a perfect fit, and be confident in your choices! Not having experience may be a blow, but I wouldn't fret about it too much - most people with experience may or may not have accomplished much (Do you really think someone who spent a summer updating a database will be seen as a better candidate? Probably not.), so even though it's on the table.

I would really research the schools and the professors you are interested in, email them afterwards and see if they are looking for potential students. It may help you out a bit (be wary though, not every professor responds to an email and some schools don't even want you to contact the professor directly - just do tons and tons of research!)

[Guest mckee002]

What are the chances of an undergraduate being published in an academic journal? I assume slim to none, but there is a journal that is publishing a special issue that is EXACTLY in line with my undergraduate thesis topic (women in the early religious work of Denis) and I am hoping that because it is so directly related that they will want me :].

Should I tell my department that I am submitting my work? Should I get a faculty to sign off (whatever that means in this situation)?

I am also assuming that being published is icing on the cake for grad applications. Is this true? I have heard of very few undergraduates being published outside of undergrad journals before entering a PhD program.

[losemygrip]

And again, although I am not in Art History, I can confidently say that the personal statement and writing sample count way more than one's grades and gre scores do.

Well, I AM in art history, and I respectfully disagree. Writing sample is important; personal statement MUCH less so. And grades and GRE scores were very much considered at my grad institution. My GRE scores were specifically what qualified me for a fellowship. In fact, my advisor told me once that the personal statement was the LEAST important thing in the packet.

GRE scores can be really important if you're coming from a lesser-known school. If you're applying from Amherst College, the quality of your undergrad education is assumed. Much less so if you're applying from, say, UMass-Boston. But if your GRE scores are comparable or superior to students from those "better" schools, it reassures the committee of your capabilities.

Your letters of rec are extremely important, much more than your personal statement. Better to get a strong, detailed letter from someone lesser-known than a standard template from someone famous. (Or only have one famous name, and the others be those who really know you.) And as I've said before, already having the appropriate language skills can also put you ahead of the pack. Get French and German under your belt.

[violetvivian]

Better to get a strong, detailed letter from someone lesser-known than a standard template from someone famous. (Or only have one famous name, and the others be those who really know you.)

Best of all, get a strong, detailed letter from someone famous!

[ZeeMore21]

Well, I AM in art history, and I respectfully disagree. Writing sample is important; personal statement MUCH less so. And grades and GRE scores were very much considered at my grad institution. My GRE scores were specifically what qualified me for a fellowship. In fact, my advisor told me once that the personal statement was the LEAST important thing in the packet.

GRE scores can be really important if you're coming from a lesser-known school. If you're applying from Amherst College, the quality of your undergrad education is assumed. Much less so if you're applying from, say, UMass-Boston. But if your GRE scores are comparable or superior to students from those "better" schools, it reassures the committee of your capabilities.

Your letters of rec are extremely important, much more than your personal statement. Better to get a strong, detailed letter from someone lesser-known than a standard template from someone famous. (Or only have one famous name, and the others be those who really know you.) And as I've said before, already having the appropriate language skills can also put you ahead of the pack. Get French and German under your belt.

Obviously I am sure qualifications vary from school to school. As most people applying to grad programs are coming with excellent qualitative scores--both GPA AND GRE--the rest of the package must carry a lot more wait. The only advice I have been trying to give is that you can't really bank on grades and gre scores to get you into a program...especially not in this day and age when the market is terrible and graduate programs are being flooded by way more applications then they have been. Something else has to set you apart from the crowd. Sure, there are schools where the GPA and GRE are weighed heavily. There are, however, schools that weigh the qualitative side of the application far more heavily than the applicant's numbers. Given that one wants to cast a wide net when applying to schools, you would want to make sure that all aspects of your application are strong. I have a hard time believing that the personal statement counts for nothing...I doubt that an admissions committee will accept someone into their programs who is unable to communicate effectively what there research interests are and how the specific department he or she is applying to would be beneficial to his or her research. Given that the field is heavily writing-base, I just can't believe your argument.

And as an aside, the writing in caps to emphasis again that I have nothing to contribute to this discussion is definitely unnecessary. There have been people from various fields who have given me advice...I don't simply brush them aside and assume they don't know anything about my topic. Obviously, yes, there may be some differences in the admissions process when it comes to English and Art History, but I have experience working in Visual Studies, going through this past admissions cycle for a doctoral program and listening to others advice about what admissions committees look for. I stand by my opinion, and people are definitely free to disagree with it. i just don't think I have to be reminded again in this thread that I am not in Art History.

Edited July 26, 2011 by ZeeMore21

[losemygrip]

Given that the field is heavily writing-base, I just can't believe your argument.

My argument was that the writing sample was important, and not the personal statement. That's where the committee gets their information about your writing, not from a goofy statement of purpose. I actually don't disagree with anything you said prior to the above statement.

And as an aside, the writing in caps to emphasis again that I have nothing to contribute to this discussion is definitely unnecessary.

Oh my god. You'll need to become less paranoid to survive graduate school. Oh, wait--you're probably in an English Department, right? You'll need to become much MORE paranoid.

My use of caps is simply to add expression to the writing, not to insult you. Chill.