History of Art MA/PHD 2010

[As Bolhas]

Hi, everyone!

I am aiming high at the moment and applying to NYU's History of Art M.A. program, with the idea in mind to go straight into my PhD candidacy upon completion. Why? Because, apart from Dr. Edward Sullivan, I am having a very difficult time finding someone I'd like to work with that has experience with both Brazil and 19th/20th century art.

My chances of getting accepted, however, feel fairly slim. I did my undergraduate work in art history at the University of Delaware, graduating cum laude in May 2009 with an overall GPA of 3.708 and a 3.9 within my major, but I don't think these stats are particularly noteworthy amongst the many other applications vying for a spot at the IFA. While I have studied in Brazil twice and am learning Portuguese, I spent a fair amount of my free time on unrelated extracurriculars (particularly in theater) and the only internship I've had has been for the University of Delaware's Department of Art History. I'm taking the GREs next week and am driving myself sick with worry over the Quantitative Analysis portion of the exam. I know GREs scores play a relatively minimal (compared to other fields of study) in admission, but I am abysmally bad with mathematics. My practice test results have been pretty depressing, which is worrying me, given the competition!

I am absolutely sweating right now over my chances of acceptance, and I would love it if someone could help me figure out if there are other professors whose interests might not be exactly catered towards mine, but would still be of interest. If I don't get accepted, I can live knowing that my options aren't completely closed. I'm thinking of professors of 19th century Latin American/Iberian architecture, perhaps.

Thanks in advance, and best of luck to everyone else currently biting their fingernails over the application process this semester (and to those few cool cats who have conquered the stress)!

[RedPotato]

I am aiming high at the moment and applying to NYU's History of Art M.A. program, with the idea in mind to go straight into my PhD candidacy upon completion.

The new MA program or the Ma en route to PhD old program? If its the new one, what do you know about it? There doesn't seem to be much posted online.

[ne4810]

I am absolutely sweating right now over my chances of acceptance, and I would love it if someone could help me figure out if there are other professors whose interests might not be exactly catered towards mine, but would still be of interest. If I don't get accepted, I can live knowing that my options aren't completely closed. I'm thinking of professors of 19th century Latin American/Iberian architecture, perhaps.

I know someone who has done 19th century Latin America at CUNY. Also if its Architectural History that interests you there are professors who specialize in Latin America in the 19th century in specifically arch/history programs. Best recommendation I was ever given:check out any dissertations listed on CAA that seem relevant and go from there. http://www.caareviews.org/dissertations

You can search by subject area, and it only lists those in progress/completed in the last five years.

Good luck!

[shadow]

The new MA program or the Ma en route to PhD old program? If its the new one, what do you know about it? There doesn't seem to be much posted online.

As someone who has just left the IFA, and is good friends with many of the people there, the general feeling amongst the student population is that it is a pretty blatant ploy to milk students for money, because the IFA was pretty much broke last year. There is a general fear that it will bring the IFA's reputation back to the old "finishing school" days (which it seems they had sucessfully escaped in the past few years), and diminish the quality of scholar there. I think some of that is unfounded, but I do think the fact that they may end up taking good students who can PAY for an MA, as opposed to stunning students of high academic merit who are less financially stable, is a bit concerning. This year's incoming class has more students who are undecided about their focus than ever before.

That being said, if you are only looking for a terminal MA and CAN afford it, despite the back stabbing, high stress atmosphere, the place really can connect you with some wonderful scholars and institutions in NYC.

My advice to people trying to get in is come in with languages - the German test is one of the biggest hurdles for all first years, and if they know that they won't have to worry about it with you, then that's a big plus. French is less of an admissions boon.

[bobo_the_muse]

As someone who has just left the IFA, and is good friends with many of the people there, the general feeling amongst the student population is that it is a pretty blatant ploy to milk students for money, because the IFA was pretty much broke last year. There is a general fear that it will bring the IFA's reputation back to the old "finishing school" days (which it seems they had sucessfully escaped in the past few years), and diminish the quality of scholar there. I think some of that is unfounded, but I do think the fact that they may end up taking good students who can PAY for an MA, as opposed to stunning students of high academic merit who are less financially stable, is a bit concerning. This year's incoming class has more students who are undecided about their focus than ever before.

That being said, if you are only looking for a terminal MA and CAN afford it, despite the back stabbing, high stress atmosphere, the place really can connect you with some wonderful scholars and institutions in NYC.

My advice to people trying to get in is come in with languages - the German test is one of the biggest hurdles for all first years, and if they know that they won't have to worry about it with you, then that's a big plus. French is less of an admissions boon.

As a related note:

This advice is for all of you, and especially those of you who are considering paying to get an advanced degree in art history, whether an MA or a PhD. Under no circumstances (unless you are a trust fund baby and have tons of money to throw around) should you ever consider going into debt to pay for your schooling. I am in my last year of an art history PhD program in a highly regarded public university program. I received four years of funding from my department and won several external fellowships for my dissertation. I have been very very lucky in this regard and have not gotten myself into any debt. Now that I'm on the academic and curatorial job market this year (it's not uncommon to go for both if you have some curatorial experience during grad school), I am looking at the very real possibility that there will be no art history employment in this dismal economy. This is something that I accept as a reality; I knew that this possibility existed when I decided to get my PhD in art history and I'm trying to stay focused and get my dissertation done while frantically applying for jobs. Now, let us pause to consider what would happen if I had loan payments to make after I'm out of school. There are very few jobs in the field, even if you are at the top of your game. It just makes no sense to go tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands....) of dollars in debt for a field that has very few jobs, none of which are particularly high paying. This is a reality. My advice: do NOT pay to go to grad school. If you do not receive funding, it simply is not worth it. If a department is not willing to put itself on the line for you financially, then this could very well be a sign that they won't be willing to support you in other ways. You want a department to be dedicated to you and financial support is a major sign of this. If a department can't fund you, then you should think about other options. Good luck to all of you. I hope my advice stays somewhere in the back of your head during the application season....

Edited November 23, 2009 by bobo_the_muse

[summertouch]

Hello, all-

It's Thanksgiving break and I'm still working on my phd apps. Do you all upload your writing samples? I noticed that most of the schools limit the size of the file to be 1 or 2mb, and mine is almost 5mb!! (because of the images...ugh.) Is there someone else having the same problem? I guess I'll have to mail them eventually.

[jmb04]

Hi All,

Just joined. Anyone else stressing out right now? Apps are due starting in a week and a half!

To how many programs do people normally apply? I'm going for five: Yale, Columbia, Northwestern, UMich-Ann Arbor, UT-Austin. Can anyone tell me anything about these programs that I haven't read on their websites? (i.e., what are the faculty like on a personal level?)

SOP:

I heard two things: 1) be VERY SPECIFIC about your interests, and 2) don't be TOO SPECIFIC because you will look like a one-trick pony.

So which is it?

Random question: Is Walter Benjamin overdone? At this point, is it anathema to even mention him anywhere in my application? (Should I have been born maybe 15 years earlier? haha)

[georgica2]

Hey all -- I used to post under the name Georgica1 but couldn't remember the password. Anyway, I have an SOP question -- I'm re-applying to a couple of programs after being rejected last year and wondering what everyone thinks about discussing a prior application in the SOP. I'm inclined to mention it -- I've addressed a lot of the glaring weaknesses of my prior application and I think my application is substantially stronger this time around. Does this seem like a major mistake? Or a waste of space? They're going to know I'm applying for the 2nd time anyway, so I figured might as well discuss how I'm more prepared now than before. Also, my research interests have changed somewhat (more of a shift in focus than a dramatic changed; I stayed in the same region/period) so I don't want to come off as flaky and unfocused if I apply again with a different proposed course of study. Any opinions?

[artemislyre]

Hey all -- I used to post under the name Georgica1 but couldn't remember the password. Anyway, I have an SOP question -- I'm re-applying to a couple of programs after being rejected last year and wondering what everyone thinks about discussing a prior application in the SOP. I'm inclined to mention it -- I've addressed a lot of the glaring weaknesses of my prior application and I think my application is substantially stronger this time around. Does this seem like a major mistake? Or a waste of space? They're going to know I'm applying for the 2nd time anyway, so I figured might as well discuss how I'm more prepared now than before. Also, my research interests have changed somewhat (more of a shift in focus than a dramatic changed; I stayed in the same region/period) so I don't want to come off as flaky and unfocused if I apply again with a different proposed course of study. Any opinions?

HI Georgica, do not mention your prior SOP or application. You don't want to bring to attention your past rejection and 97% chance that they will not remember you nor your application. Some schools take notes on past applicants but I think that would be more in teh realm of writing sample topic than SOP. Just emphasize the progress you have made this year and your intellectual evolution, issues you are interested in. Make sure it follows logically and coherently througout your statement. Brevity is best. Don't bring focus to anything that might deter from the strength of your app...

Don't mention things like "my app is stronger this time...or I have addressed weaknesses"--it will be them who decides whether it is stronger this time 'round. Have you really progressed in the span of a year? If not,and if you are still feeling unfocused, I would reccommend waiting this application round till you are more grounded in your interests.

Hope this helps, good luck everyone.

[georgica2]

HI Georgica, do not mention your prior SOP or application. You don't want to bring to attention your past rejection and 97% chance that they will not remember you nor your application. Some schools take notes on past applicants but I think that would be more in teh realm of writing sample topic than SOP. Just emphasize the progress you have made this year and your intellectual evolution, issues you are interested in. Make sure it follows logically and coherently througout your statement. Brevity is best. Don't bring focus to anything that might deter from the strength of your app...

Don't mention things like "my app is stronger this time...or I have addressed weaknesses"--it will be them who decides whether it is stronger this time 'round. Have you really progressed in the span of a year? If not,and if you are still feeling unfocused, I would reccommend waiting this application round till you are more grounded in your interests.

Hope this helps, good luck everyone.

Thanks for the response. I ended up cutting it because of word count more than anything, but I asked around and the consensus seemed to be that there was no real benefit to bringing it up. With that said, just to clarify, I wasn't planning on spending a lot of time discussing it, more of a brief 'since my prior application, I have done the following ____.' I didn't really feel the need to make excuses for my earlier application (decent GREs, high GPA, no typos), but since last December, I finished undergrad (including taking 2 further courses directly related to my proposed graduate research, one of which was with a big name in my area who wrote one of my recs,) finished my senior thesis, and did a curatorial internship at a major museum. When I say I'm more prepared now, I don't necessarily mean that I ever doubted my commitment or preparedness last time around, just that my application seems more convincing now.

[RedPotato]

My reach school has two deadlines, priority and regular. I can have my application in by either deadline. Which deadline increases my admissions chances? Does priority mean less people apply, or that the stakes are higher? help!

[purplepepper]

My reach school has two deadlines, priority and regular. I can have my application in by either deadline. Which deadline increases my admissions chances? Does priority mean less people apply, or that the stakes are higher? help!

you want to make the strongest application that you can. don't send out a rushed application just to get it in by the priority deadline! I doubt there is much of a difference anyway

[fullofpink]

HI Georgica, do not mention your prior SOP or application. You don't want to bring to attention your past rejection and 97% chance that they will not remember you nor your application. Some schools take notes on past applicants but I think that would be more in teh realm of writing sample topic than SOP. Just emphasize the progress you have made this year and your intellectual evolution, issues you are interested in. Make sure it follows logically and coherently througout your statement. Brevity is best. Don't bring focus to anything that might deter from the strength of your app...

Don't mention things like "my app is stronger this time...or I have addressed weaknesses"--it will be them who decides whether it is stronger this time 'round. Have you really progressed in the span of a year? If not,and if you are still feeling unfocused, I would reccommend waiting this application round till you are more grounded in your interests.

Hope this helps, good luck everyone.

Don't include the fact that you are reapplying period. Always remain positive and don't speak your weaknesses.

[watersnake]

Art History 2010 is so quiet!

Who's done with all their apps?

I was done, but decided yesterday to add one more. It's a strategy I think: I can control my applications, but I can't control my obsessive thoughts during the excruciating wait.

Of course come mid-January, I won't have the option of adding any more...

Edited January 2, 2010 by watersnake

[tanw87]

I finished a few weeks ago. What a hectic process! I'm applying straight out of undergrad to UDel, Princeton, WashU, Yale, and Harvard. Good luck everyone!

[fullofpink]

Hi everyone! I suggested this last year and many of the members did this. In order to not have to repeatedly find out what field everyone is applying to, would you mind putting your area of concentration as your signature? Trust me, it will save everyone a lot of time and confusion once acceptances come in!!

[jmb04]

I'm DONE!!! Applied to four schools.

So when can we expect to hear answers? Next month? I'll be having anxiety attacks until then.

PS - if my faculty of choice is on leave this year, does that mean he/she will probably not take in any students in this cycle, and therefore I will probably not have a chance of getting in?

[tommyzero]

Just finished my last application - to a British school. We're snowed at at the moment though, so don't know when I'll be able to mail it....

Looking at last year's results on the gradcafe board, it seems that people start to hear around mid-Feb, but only if they've been successful. I only got into my safety school last year (didn't get any rejections til April or something horrible like that) and decided to try again.

[georgica2]

Last year, a few unofficial acceptances started trickling in around late February, but as I recall, a number of them came straight from potential advisors whom applicants had been in contact with prior to applying. The bulk of the responses came in around mid to late March, though one or two of the schools I applied to last year didn't notify until April (cough, NYU IFA.) However, foreign universities work on a completely different timeline -- British schools, for instance, tend to be rolling admissions, and I'm assuming a lot of other European schools are the same.

It's pretty difficult to generalize since every program has its own way of doing things, but a lot of schools sent out notifications in rounds -- the superstar first-draft-pick types heard in Feb (usually only one or two people per school, if even.) With IFA, the only one I can clearly remember, there was an initial flurry of posts on the results page (both acceptances and rejections) in the very beginning of April; since I hadn't heard anything, I called and they said I was 'still under consideration' -- I ended up getting rejected a week or two later, but I'm assuming that means they send out notifications for the people they're sure about either way, and then hold on to the 'maybe' pile for a little while longer while they debate.

[RedPotato]

Any timetable on DC schools? Art history or Museum Studies?

... I'm beginning to get nervous each time I check my email/mail.

[arthistgrad]

Hi everyone! I'm interested in visual studies and communication so I'm introducing myself in both forums. I'm most interested in studying advertising associated with social change issues at UCI's Visual Studies program (art history/film studies focused, which is why I'm in this forum).

In regards to contacting programs, I've found both programs I'll be applying to very open to answering any questions I've had. For these particular programs, you don't need an advisor coming in, but I've asked profs about future research and their availability to take on new advisees in the coming years. I'm not entirely sure it's proper etiquette though!

[policysecond]

Just finished applying to all my programs, most of which are PhD programs (hoping to take the MA-PhD sequential route, at wherever I end up), though a few are terminal MA programs. How are we supposed to hold out for another month (at least!)???

[artemislyre]

I'm DONE!!! Applied to four schools.

So when can we expect to hear answers? Next month? I'll be having anxiety attacks until then.

PS - if my faculty of choice is on leave this year, does that mean he/she will probably not take in any students in this cycle, and therefore I will probably not have a chance of getting in?

Hi jmb sorry this response may be a little late, but your assumption is probably unfortunately true...if you apply to work with faculty on leave that your chances of admission this round are not as strong--because they the on leave faculty will probably not be there to fight for you. but one never knows...it may be the year in which it is their turn for a student...and the committee is obliged to select certain students with certain interests. I had the same problem in a few programs I was applying to so I made sure to include a few other faculty not on leave who can also fight for me....but lets see how chance unravels---applying is really a crapshoot.

on another note---this board has been really quiet--i'm anxiously awaiting news...but also planning for the possibility of not getting in anywhere--better to expect less than be heartbroken, I say. There are other paths other than the academic one, and just recently I've been thinking that even if I got into the program of my first choice, that I would hesitate.

I have been anticipating and preparing for graduate school for so long, that I feel like I've missed out on other possible experiences and routes...and I regret it, somewhat.

Anyways, I've applied for the southern Renaissance concentration, cross cultural studies in the following programs:

University Southern California

Rutgers, Brunswick

Yale

Princeton

Harvard

NYU

UPenn

[purplepepper]

though you have to remember that just because a faculty member may be on leave, that doesn't mean they are necessarily out of town /away from the university

[ne4810]

Wow its exciting to see the first results postings going up for 2010. I didn't end up applying this year, but good luck everyone, looking forward to those acceptances!