Waiting Game Fall 2015

[GhostsBeforeBreakfast]

Did anyone who applied to CUNY Grad Center not get an invite to the CAA breakfast?
Also, to those invited, can any of you not attend?

[neongolden]

Dear Ghosts...,

 

i applied to CUNY and did not get an invite to the CAA breakfast. When did you get it, might I ask? 

 

Gregor

[theartman1193]

Who e-mailed you?  I got the e-mail from a professor who I applied to work with.  Do we RSVP to the professor as well?

[GhostsBeforeBreakfast]

Good question, artman.
I was e-mailed by the department email/the faculty host for the event. Is it possible that the faculty host is also your POI and that's why you were e-mailed directly?

Gregor, did you apply to the graduate center or just MA programs? I believe the invites were for the doctorate program only.

[WunderbareWelt]

Most important bit first: the letter said that they finalized their acceptance list yesterday. I was emailed initially by the DGS, so I expect that he's sending the acceptances out in a batch together, but I dunno how efficiently he's working through them. What I can definitely tell you is that the list of offers and wait list have been set.

 

I'm a medievalist by training, and pitched myself as such-- so I'm mostly looking at working with Adam Cohen and Jill Caskey. And, with the centre for medieval studies, UoT is basically a medievalist's paradise. But I've also got interests in gender/queer theory, visual theory, historiography, and method (I also studied philosophy as an undergrad, so I'm inevitably drawn to methodological/theoretical questions)-- I'm hoping eventually to see what kind of trouble I can make by putting gender & visual theory that comes out of contact with contemporary art in conversation with gender & visual theory that comes out of contact with medieval. 

 

(Oh, and I'm American.)

Hi flybottle, congratulations!

 

I've applied for the art history PhD program at UofT too, but the website still shows my application is "under review." So I called the secretary this morning to check my application status, but she told me "it's too early." Then I saw your post said they had finalized their list. Now, I'm a little bit worried and wondering if you got interviewed by your POI or anyone else from the department. I submitted my application on the last day and didn't contact any POI (big fail). 

[flybottle]

Hi flybottle, congratulations!

 

I've applied for the art history PhD program at UofT too, but the website still shows my application is "under review." So I called the secretary this morning to check my application status, but she told me "it's too early." Then I saw your post said they had finalized their list. Now, I'm a little bit worried and wondering if you got interviewed by your POI or anyone else from the department. I submitted my application on the last day and didn't contact any POI (big fail). 

 

Thanks. At least for me, there weren't any interviews. More info sent PM.

[MaytheSchwartzBeWithYou]

I know other people have asked this question on different forum boards, but I wanted to ask specifically about art history departments. Is it a really bad idea to contact the admissions person for your chosen departments and inquire about the schedule for releasing acceptances/interviews/etc.?  I've read advice both for and against, and don't want to screw anything up by pestering the schools.  Neither of the schools I applied to appear to have sent any notices, at least not according to the results (Stanford and UChicago).

 

Help, I'm going nuts!

[theartman1193]

I'm pretty sure most departments already know who they are accepting by now.

Edited February 10, 2015 by theartman1193

[PoeticNobleLandMermaid]

Hey Schwartz (can I call you Schwartz? ),

 

First, if I were you, I would look over your program's websites really carefully to see if they list the dates when decisions are sent out.

 

Then, if you can't find anything, you could check the grad cafe spreadsheet for the dates when those programs notified applicants in years past. It looks like Stanford sent out an acceptance on February 12 and a bunch of rejections on March 13 last year. As for Chicago, they notified everyone around the first of March last year.

 

So it looks like you shouldn't be worrying yet! Based on last year, it's very possible that neither of your programs has sent decisions to anyone yet. I suppose it's possible some applicants have been contacted about interviews so far, but I don't see anything in the spreadsheet.

 

I would probably hold off on contacting anyone in the departments until at least a week after last year's dates. And even then, I would probably be hesitant to contact any professors you've had previous contact with - probably the department's graduate director or assistant would be better. 

 

I'd be curious to know what everyone else thinks though!

[neongolden]

Good question, artman.

I was e-mailed by the department email/the faculty host for the event. Is it possible that the faculty host is also your POI and that's why you were e-mailed directly?

Gregor, did you apply to the graduate center or just MA programs? I believe the invites were for the doctorate program only.

 

I just called CUNY for a related matter, but because I was so nervous about not having gotten an invite, I also asked about what the invitation means. As it turns out, the reception is for "all prospective students" indeed and applications will only be reviewed in the next few weeks

[GhostsBeforeBreakfast]

I just called CUNY for a related matter, but because I was so nervous about not having gotten an invite, I also asked about what the invitation means. As it turns out, the reception is for "all prospective students" indeed and applications will only be reviewed in the next few weeks

Thank you for that informative post, neongolden. It sounds like CUNY acceptances/rejections will be coming later than last year.

For Schwartz,

I believe that you should not contact the department, especially your POI, about these questions unless you are contacted first.

I can't see any positives in contacting your POI at this stage.

Edited February 10, 2015 by GhostsBeforeBreakfast

[MaytheSchwartzBeWithYou]

Thanks guys - yeah, I figured it would be a bad idea.  I just needed to hear it again because it was starting to sound tempting...

[GhostsBeforeBreakfast]

Congratulations to the NYU and UPenn Interviewees!
This is the first time I'm seeing a school I applied to pop up on the results page, except for "Other" notes, and now I'm getting very nervous.

[Way_Harsh_Tai]

Oh gosh! NYU has already contacted shortlisted candidates?   FML!! 

 

But in all seriousness, good luck with the interviews!

[angela_]

FML too! do you think they interview everyone? or let everyone know on the same day? x

[angela_]

(never mind. post i was replying to was deleted)

Edited February 12, 2015 by angela_

[Way_Harsh_Tai]

Just got an email today of unofficial acceptance today from Columbia -- the prof let me know I'd been recommended for admission by the dept. but it still needs to be approved by the dean, and told me to save the date for the open house reception! This is the first of the 5 schools I applied where I've heard anything, so I was shocked and overwhelmed this morning (still am!). I'm also relieved because I was starting to think that I'd have been contacted for interviews by at least one place by now, and was getting worried it would be all rejections.

 

Oh wow!! Congratulations!!! That is a game changer!

 

Absolutely seething with envy, but very happy for you! ....  I am in the opposite position: I am getting the sense that it will be rejections all around for me this year. No contact from any prospective schools thus far, save for one rejection. Not sure how I could improve my application. I already have a master's degree in art history, I have a high GPA (both grad and undergrad), my GRE scores are high (minus the math section--yikes!), my letters of rec are very positive (or so I think!), I can read French and German, and I have pertinent work experience (teaching assistant positions, curatorial internships, etc). I guess maybe my writing sample isn't up to par?? I suppose that the ordinary (read: not first tier) liberal arts college that I attended for undergrad isn't doing me any favors either.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to put this "out there" for all my fellow rejects on this board! You are not alone! Application season is ROUGH! Maybe some of the people who have received acceptances would be willing to share their wisdom? 

 

Good luck to all those who are still waiting to hear back from schools. The next few weeks will be hard-- we just have to hang in there! XO

[Way_Harsh_Tai]

Oh wow!! Congratulations!!! That is a game changer!

 

Absolutely seething with envy, but very happy for you! ....  I am in the opposite position: I am getting the sense that it will be rejections all around for me this year. No contact from any prospective schools thus far, save for one rejection. Not sure how I could improve my application. I already have a master's degree in art history, I have a high GPA (both grad and undergrad), my GRE scores are high (minus the math section--yikes!), my letters of rec are very positive (or so I think!), I can read French and German, and I have pertinent work experience (teaching assistant positions, curatorial internships, etc). I guess maybe my writing sample isn't up to par?? I suppose that the ordinary (read: not first tier) liberal arts college that I attended for undergrad isn't doing me any favors either.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to put this "out there" for all my fellow rejects on this board! You are not alone! Application season is ROUGH! Maybe some of the people who have received acceptances would be willing to share their wisdom? 

 

Good luck to all those who are still waiting to hear back from schools. The next few weeks will be hard-- we just have to hang in there! XO

 

WTF??? Post re Columbia is gone now?? Today is such a weird day for me! 

[PoeticNobleLandMermaid]

Oh wow!! Congratulations!!! That is a game changer!

 

Absolutely seething with envy, but very happy for you! ....  I am in the opposite position: I am getting the sense that it will be rejections all around for me this year. No contact from any prospective schools thus far, save for one rejection. Not sure how I could improve my application. I already have a master's degree in art history, I have a high GPA (both grad and undergrad), my GRE scores are high (minus the math section--yikes!), my letters of rec are very positive (or so I think!), I can read French and German, and I have pertinent work experience (teaching assistant positions, curatorial internships, etc). I guess maybe my writing sample isn't up to par?? I suppose that the ordinary (read: not first tier) liberal arts college that I attended for undergrad isn't doing me any favors either.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to put this "out there" for all my fellow rejects on this board! You are not alone! Application season is ROUGH! Maybe some of the people who have received acceptances would be willing to share their wisdom? 

 

Good luck to all those who are still waiting to hear back from schools. The next few weeks will be hard-- we just have to hang in there! XO

 

Way_Harsh_Tai: Don't despair yet! It's still fairly early. And I just have to say that I LOVE your name!

[ar_t]

Oh wow!! Congratulations!!! That is a game changer!

 

Absolutely seething with envy, but very happy for you! ....  I am in the opposite position: I am getting the sense that it will be rejections all around for me this year. No contact from any prospective schools thus far, save for one rejection. Not sure how I could improve my application. I already have a master's degree in art history, I have a high GPA (both grad and undergrad), my GRE scores are high (minus the math section--yikes!), my letters of rec are very positive (or so I think!), I can read French and German, and I have pertinent work experience (teaching assistant positions, curatorial internships, etc). I guess maybe my writing sample isn't up to par?? I suppose that the ordinary (read: not first tier) liberal arts college that I attended for undergrad isn't doing me any favors either.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to put this "out there" for all my fellow rejects on this board! You are not alone! Application season is ROUGH! Maybe some of the people who have received acceptances would be willing to share their wisdom? 

 

Good luck to all those who are still waiting to hear back from schools. The next few weeks will be hard-- we just have to hang in there! XO

 

My case is quite similar to yours. I've got the first rejection from my safe school (which for me means that my application season is closed). But my POI is very nice and she commented on the application and encourage me to apply to anther MA program (and I might do that for my next application). According to her the problem was my writing sample. They were looking for a work demonstrating your ability to ask original research question, archive work and control of bibliography. (I used to be quite satisfy about the WS, which is a re-work of my MA essay). 

But in your case there is still hope! It's not the end of the waiting game. (That's also what I am telling myself.) Somebody shared their successful stories in this post:  it would be helpful for you. 

Good luck to everyone

Edited February 12, 2015 by ar_t

[brown_eyed_girl]

Oh wow!! Congratulations!!! That is a game changer!

 

Absolutely seething with envy, but very happy for you! ....  I am in the opposite position: I am getting the sense that it will be rejections all around for me this year. No contact from any prospective schools thus far, save for one rejection. Not sure how I could improve my application. I already have a master's degree in art history, I have a high GPA (both grad and undergrad), my GRE scores are high (minus the math section--yikes!), my letters of rec are very positive (or so I think!), I can read French and German, and I have pertinent work experience (teaching assistant positions, curatorial internships, etc). I guess maybe my writing sample isn't up to par?? I suppose that the ordinary (read: not first tier) liberal arts college that I attended for undergrad isn't doing me any favors either.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to put this "out there" for all my fellow rejects on this board! You are not alone! Application season is ROUGH! Maybe some of the people who have received acceptances would be willing to share their wisdom? 

 

Good luck to all those who are still waiting to hear back from schools. The next few weeks will be hard-- we just have to hang in there! XO

 

Well, I hadn't heard anything from any of the 5 places I applied until yesterday, so I wouldn't despair yet! I was starting to fear it would be all rejections for me too.

 

Re: writing sample: my advisers told me that you will be viewed very differently if you have an MA versus coming from undergrad. If you already have an MA, then WS should demonstrate your ability to do original research and ask interesting research questions, plus of course write well and have a meticulous bibliography. I applied with only an undergrad degree, so I was told that it's much more about having a very strong thesis, writing well and clearly, and having a meticulous biblio and footnotes -- less emphasis on originality. 

 

From what I've been told a great deal also comes down to SOP and your fit with the department/POI. And of course work experience in your field (beyond internships, ideally). 

Edited February 12, 2015 by livcee

[Way_Harsh_Tai]

Hey there! Thank you all for the kind words and support! I really appreciate the camaraderie. It is good to hear that some people think that work experience can improve an application. I had actually heard the opposite (not that it is bad, but simply irrelevant-- unless you are a nontraditional student with extensive experience). This comes as very good news, since it looks like I will probably be out in the work force for the next year or two. My writing sample is actually very original, but that does not necessarily mean that it is good (obviously!!). I can only guess at this point, but it seems as if it must be either the writing sample or my statement of purpose that is holding me back…

 

Just my two cents (for those who might be interested): If I could do it over again, I would apply to more schools. I only applied to a small number of programs that I felt were the best fit (hardly any, though they were carefully selected). I know that this goes against the grain a little bit, but I am starting to think that this might have been a tactical error on my part. I can’t help but imagine that I would have had a better chance of being accepted somewhere if I had applied more broadly….

 

I think that if I could improve my proficiency in a third (or even fourth) language, that might also help my odds. Perhaps for candidates who (for whatever reason) don’t immediately stand out as “strong,” two foreign languages simply won’t cut it anymore…. If people who only have undergraduate degrees are submitting better writing samples than I am (post-MA), however, no amount of foreign language skills will make up for that… (sigh)…

 

Well, I guess it’s not over ‘til it’s over! Good luck to everyone! It is nice to hear about all of the success stories here—I will live vicariously through you! 

[brown_eyed_girl]

Hey there! Thank you all for the kind words and support! I really appreciate the camaraderie. It is good to hear that some people think that work experience can improve an application. I had actually heard the opposite (not that it is bad, but simply irrelevant-- unless you are a nontraditional student with extensive experience). This comes as very good news, since it looks like I will probably be out in the work force for the next year or two. My writing sample is actually very original, but that does not necessarily mean that it is good (obviously!!). I can only guess at this point, but it seems as if it must be either the writing sample or my statement of purpose that is holding me back…

 

Just my two cents (for those who might be interested): If I could do it over again, I would apply to more schools. I only applied to a small number of programs that I felt were the best fit (hardly any, though they were carefully selected). I know that this goes against the grain a little bit, but I am starting to think that this might have been a tactical error on my part. I can’t help but imagine that I would have had a better chance of being accepted somewhere if I had applied more broadly….

 

I think that if I could improve my proficiency in a third (or even fourth) language, that might also help my odds. Perhaps for candidates who (for whatever reason) don’t immediately stand out as “strong,” two foreign languages simply won’t cut it anymore…. If people who only have undergraduate degrees are submitting better writing samples than I am (post-MA), however, no amount of foreign language skills will make up for that… (sigh)…

 

Well, I guess it’s not over ‘til it’s over! Good luck to everyone! It is nice to hear about all of the success stories here—I will live vicariously through you! 

 

Don't write yourself off yet! It ain't over till it's over, and you sound like you have a very strong background.

 

But if you don't get in anywhere, another issue could be over-saturation in your field, or that your potential advisers weren't jazzed about your topic. What is your focus? (I imagine I have an edge in that my research interest is extremely specific and not common, so there are fewer applicants and even fewer good applicants.) 

[Way_Harsh_Tai]

Don't write yourself off yet! It ain't over till it's over, and you sound like you have a very strong background.

 

But if you don't get in anywhere, another issue could be over-saturation in your field, or that your potential advisers weren't jazzed about your topic. What is your focus? (I imagine I have an edge in that my research interest is extremely specific and not common, so there are fewer applicants and even fewer good applicants.) 

 

Thanks!   That is really nice of you to say! You sound like a very capable scholar as well-- and obviously Columbia agrees! Just for privacy reasons, I do not want to post too much about my interests and subfield on the forum. The art history world is actually very small, and I can just imagine running into one of you at CAA or something one day: “Tai… is that you?!” Hahaha! But I will send you a private message with some more details.

 

For all of the lurkers out there, there are a few more things that I will add. I hope that this might help you as you plan your graduate careers. I am by no means a fount of knowledge, but I will offer a few more thoughts anyway, for what it’s worth….

 

Yes, my field of interest is one of the more popular ones, unfortunately—as is the medium about which I tend to write. Furthermore, the best word that I could use to describe my master’s thesis is “weird.” While this could potentially be a great strength, it could also make it more difficult to find an advisor with similar concerns and methodological investments. Finally, I will reveal that my thesis was thematic. In other words, each chapter was dedicated to a completely different work of art. The common thread was the relatively obscure theme that I explored with respect to each work. Through visual analysis, I traced the development of this theme through space and across time.

 

So, as you may have already deduced, I am almost the polar opposite of my pal “Livcee” (I think that we are probably pals now, right?!). Livcee has an extremely specific interest that is apparently quite uncommon (and possibly unique language skills to go with it). I, on the other hand, focus on a very popular medium within an equally popular subfield. And, to make matters worse, my interests are simultaneously broad and bizarre.

 

I feel like encouraging everyone to follow their passion and let their natural inclinations guide them. And you should! At the end of the day, you really cannot do otherwise. However, the question of whether or not your writing is likely to appeal to a potential adviser is a very real one—and certainly something to consider as you select your writing sample and craft your application.

[käntekst]

I definitely think you are still in the game - hang in there!

 

I'm still waiting to hear from 7 of the 10 schools to which I applied.  What I can say is that I've had one acceptance and two rejections and the one acceptance came from the school where the POI and I spoke on multiple occasions, both about our respective research, the program, and just general chit chat.  I like to think that played a role in the POI's interest in rallying for me among a pool of applicants.  But the wait continues!