Fall 2018

[ducournau]

Does anyone have any thoughts/advice regarding how to dress for an on-campus interview weekend? Most of the advice on the rest of the site seems geared towards STEM programs, and I feel like our program in particular likely has different expectations/standards. 

[Tiff's girl]

10 minutes ago, ducournau said:

Does anyone have any thoughts/advice regarding how to dress for an on-campus interview weekend? Most of the advice on the rest of the site seems geared towards STEM programs, and I feel like our program in particular likely has different expectations/standards. 

I agree, difficult to figure out.

[Noscrubs]

I would also be interested in hearing from others regarding proper attire. I’m planning on dressing like I would for work: black jeans, nice shoes/boots, maybe a blouse and black blazer? I mean, is a suit TOO much? My POI’s at both schools are fairly casual from what I can tell, but I am terrified of showing up underdressed. HALP. 

[unanachronism]

3 hours ago, ducournau said:

Does anyone have any thoughts/advice regarding how to dress for an on-campus interview weekend? Most of the advice on the rest of the site seems geared towards STEM programs, and I feel like our program in particular likely has different expectations/standards. 

I would say just dress slightly nicer than you would for like, the first meeting of a class you care about. I personally wouldn't wear jeans but black pants would be fine I would think. Good blouse or a nice sweater over shirt, modest dress, no crazy short skirts or something. If you were meeting for a more specific interview with a professor, maybe throw on a casual blazer / lightly dressy coat. I'm no expert but when I interviewed/went to a prospective student weekend while I was waitlisted and still trying to impress, I think I wore just-over-the-knee skirts, sleeveless collared button downs, etc. As long as its clean and not overly tight, obviously casual, etc. I think you'll know if you've gone wrong somehow. 

[Michell]

Has anyone applied for Brown? 

[storiadell'arte]

would the other Penn wait lister mind PMing me about their field of concentration/POI? Just trying to get a sense of whether we are concentrated into one field or spread out across them. 

 

 

[AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball]

Did either of the 2 Berkeley Art History acceptances claim them here? I'm really curious about their fields and POI. If you're here, could you please PM me.
Also, does anyone know how many students they take in each cycle?

Thanks!

[Moccalove]

18 hours ago, Michell said:

Has anyone applied for Brown? 

Yep, to the MCM (Modern Culture & Media) department, I haven't heard anything yet. Did anyone hear from them?

[Michell]

3 hours ago, Moccalove said:

Yep, to the MCM (Modern Culture & Media) department, I haven't heard anything yet. Did anyone hear from them?

Thanks for your reply! I haven't heard anything too but I applied for the department of art history.

[Swamp_demon]

Hey guys, I just got an email for an interview and I was wondering if anyone could share their experience as to what types of questions were asked, how formal/informal is it, what I should be prepared for basically. If you want, you can PM me. Thanks in advance!

[Allegorica]

1 hour ago, Swamp_demon said:

Hey guys, I just got an email for an interview and I was wondering if anyone could share their experience as to what types of questions were asked, how formal/informal is it, what I should be prepared for basically. If you want, you can PM me. Thanks in advance!

Congratulations!

I had an interview for a PhD last week. They asked me to go more in depth about what I want to study, what type of methodology I might use, and what I am looking for in a PhD program - basically why I want to do a PhD. It seemed pretty straightforward, however, they also asked me to describe "an object I consider compelling" and explain why. The questions were direct and we had very minimal back and forth natural conversation. Since then, I have not heard anything from the school so I don't  know my admission status.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Allegorica

[Moccalove]

The person who got accepted to McGill - congrats! Very exciting!

Would you be able to share who your advisor is? I keep checking my mail ever since I saw your update, and would love to stop obsessing over it  Feel free to message me.

[AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball]

I know its too early to give up, but the euphoria of the results board (and sometimes the butchery) does not get me very excited about my prospects. Has anyone else started planning their year ahead - work, residencies, time-off - already? I feel like I should, just in case nothing comes through, and I'm not left floating like a vacant-eyed rubber ducky. 

[RomeSweetRome]

14 minutes ago, AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball said:

I know its too early to give up, but the euphoria of the results board (and sometimes the butchery) does not get me very excited about my prospects. Has anyone else started planning their year ahead - work, residencies, time-off - already? I feel like I should, just in case nothing comes through, and I'm not left floating like a vacant-eyed rubber ducky. 

OK YES ME. I've almost posted this exact thing multiple times. I applied to all top-tier schools (because I am young and naive) and have gotten one rejection and otherwise complete silence. I'm really not optimistic about any of my prospects at the moment but also don't have a backup plan so yeah, I'm freaking out. Trying to figure out if there are masters programs I could still apply to (that would also be worth going to/paying for) or if I should plan on working somewhere. If anyone has insight into a best course of action, please share!

[Johnsonsbaby]

1 hour ago, AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball said:

I know its too early to give up, but the euphoria of the results board (and sometimes the butchery) does not get me very excited about my prospects. Has anyone else started planning their year ahead - work, residencies, time-off - already? I feel like I should, just in case nothing comes through, and I'm not left floating like a vacant-eyed rubber ducky. 

I was pessimistic about my chances, so I made a back up plan before I applied. My plan was to do language preparation, reading, and finding paid with in my specific area. If funding and acceptances work out the way I want then these will only help if I begin this year. If not, they will count towards my applications in 2018. More than anything else, having something else to do has really helped with anxiety about results.

[AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball]

4 hours ago, Johnsonsbaby said:

I was pessimistic about my chances, so I made a back up plan before I applied. My plan was to do language preparation, reading, and finding paid with in my specific area

Yes...I mean I am very lucky to have found an excellent job at a reputable international institution, doing what I love . Started only 4 months ago, so I have that. 
But planning anything over and above seems difficult and dicey - including applying for specific residencies and research opportunities.  Also want to do language preparation. 

 

5 hours ago, RomeSweetRome said:

Trying to figure out if there are masters programs

I've done my Masters in Visual Arts years ago in a specialised focus, so don't want to travel just for that - basically because I have no money! hehe 

[Noscrubs]

This is my second time applying to graduate programs. The first time around I received all rejections (I applied to 13 programs. Just a tip: don't do that). I took two years off in between my M.A. and applying again, and I'm glad I did. I wrote exhibition reviews, worked as a freelance research assistant, presented at a few major conferences (which allowed me to really develop my interests) and later received a pretty prestigious year-long fellowship. These experiences helped me to strengthen my application and prove to admissions committees that I was really committed to my scholarship and my field. I came from a low-tier program, so the extra experience probably helped demonstrate that I wasn't just a mediocre student. My M.A. adviser also helped me meet new people in my field, constantly sent me opportunities, and was there when I needed guidance and support (even after I graduated). 

Those two years were productive, but also marked with lots of anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. Like, I was working customer service during the day and writing my conference presentations at night. It's really hard to be an independent researcher and writer without affiliation. If you find small but meaningful opportunities related to your area of interest (or a good museum job or teaching/tutoring position), and keep updating your CV during that gap year, it can pay off! 

Edited February 15, 2018 by Noscrubs

[FreakingOutFragonard]

Person accepted into Columbia congrats! Are you able to pm me your field and POI? Just wondering if my field has been done! Thank you!

[moonshineacademy]

1 hour ago, Noscrubs said:

This is my second time applying to graduate programs. The first time around I received all rejections (I applied to 13 programs. Just a tip: don't do that). I took two years off in between my M.A. and applying again, and I'm glad I did. I wrote exhibition reviews, worked as a freelance research assistant, presented at a few major conferences (which allowed me to really develop my interests) and later received a pretty prestigious year-long fellowship. These experiences helped me to strengthen my application and prove to admissions committees that I was really committed to my scholarship and my field. I came from a low-tier program, so the extra experience probably helped demonstrate that I wasn't just a mediocre student. My M.A. adviser also helped me meet new people in my field, constantly sent me opportunities, and was there when I needed guidance and support (even after I graduated). 

Those two years were productive, but also marked with lots of anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. Like, I was working customer service during the day and writing my conference presentations at night. It's really hard to be an independent researcher and writer without affiliation. If you find small but meaningful opportunities related to your area of interest (or a good museum job or teaching/tutoring position), and keep updating your CV during that gap year, it can pay off! 

Thanks all for sharing on this topic! This is also my second round applying to PhD programs. I got one rejection so far and haven't heard anything from the program I'm hoping for. Last round, I applied to nine programs and was waitlisted at one, and ultimately did not get in. I agree - don't do this. I also have taken a few years off since getting my MA and am struggling with being an unconventional candidate. I'm a curator and an adjunct professor, with experience working at art smaller non-profits (which I don't think helps me at all) and doing independent curatorial projects. I have published a few catalogue essays but not articles, which I believe I'll need to do in the future to improve my application IF I decide to try again. Any other adjuncts out there? It's a weird position to be in when you're already teaching but can't seem to get into a program.....

[Johnsonsbaby]

4 hours ago, AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball said:

Yes...I mean I am very lucky to have found an excellent job at a reputable international institution, doing what I love . Started only 4 months ago, so I have that. 
But planning anything over and above seems difficult and dicey - including applying for specific residencies and research opportunities.  Also want to do language preparation. 

 

Oy, that's damn good, rare to find work like that! Is your job somehow related to your research or even to arts/culture in general? A job you love is a SOLID plan of action! What is your area of research, if I may ask?

[badartist]

Congrats to the people accepted into Columbia and Northwestern! Could you pm me your specialization and POI? I’m still waiting to hear back from both, and hoping that we don’t have the same POI.

[badartist]

To the person who just posted about a Brown rejection even though your POI sent you a really enthusiastic email, I wouldn’t take the rejection too hard. Your POI probably really did like you and your application and personally advocated for you. Since most universities require unanimous approval in the department and approval from DGS, it probably came down to that

[displayname343q]

3 hours ago, Noscrubs said:

This is my second time applying to graduate programs. The first time around I received all rejections (I applied to 13 programs. Just a tip: don't do that). I took two years off in between my M.A. and applying again, and I'm glad I did. I wrote exhibition reviews, worked as a freelance research assistant, presented at a few major conferences (which allowed me to really develop my interests) and later received a pretty prestigious year-long fellowship. These experiences helped me to strengthen my application and prove to admissions committees that I was really committed to my scholarship and my field. I came from a low-tier program, so the extra experience probably helped demonstrate that I wasn't just a mediocre student. My M.A. adviser also helped me meet new people in my field, constantly sent me opportunities, and was there when I needed guidance and support (even after I graduated). 

Those two years were productive, but also marked with lots of anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. Like, I was working customer service during the day and writing my conference presentations at night. It's really hard to be an independent researcher and writer without affiliation. If you find small but meaningful opportunities related to your area of interest (or a good museum job or teaching/tutoring position), and keep updating your CV during that gap year, it can pay off! 

Thank you for posting this! I went from a total high b.c. of getting an interview with Yale, to a total low by almost certainly being rejected by everywhere I applied. I let my day job this gap year stop me from doing some crucial CV building (and it feels so bad to write 'independent researcher' on applications for conferences), but I won't let that happen again next year. 

Edited February 15, 2018 by paisleytree

[Gudetama-chan]

13 hours ago, RomeSweetRome said:

OK YES ME. I've almost posted this exact thing multiple times. I applied to all top-tier schools (because I am young and naive) and have gotten one rejection and otherwise complete silence. I'm really not optimistic about any of my prospects at the moment but also don't have a backup plan so yeah, I'm freaking out. Trying to figure out if there are masters programs I could still apply to (that would also be worth going to/paying for) or if I should plan on working somewhere. If anyone has insight into a best course of action, please share!

Not insight per say, but I can share my personal experience...

I took a a couple years off after receiving my BA. I had applied to four top-tier grad schools (young/naive) during my Senior year and only received one unfunded offer. It was a serious blow to my self-esteem.

As a Plan B, I applied for a prestigious internship which I fortunately received. Afterward, I received a job at a reputable artist’s studio where I have been working for the past couple years. I have tried to remain active in my city’s art scene, have had a few speaking engagements, done some curatorial work, and volunteered a few places.

My post-BA experience turned out to make a world of difference! This application cycle, I have received three funded offers, one rejection (meh), and have one decision still pending. Honestly, staying optimistic was difficult at times, but the time off was worth it.  

I know there are great institutions still accepting applications for summer internships. It couldn’t hurt to apply to a few, just in case!

 

Edited February 15, 2018 by Gudetama-chan

[TJGreenbergFried]

Got a very nice wait list email from CUNY. Explained that they were interested in my app and that I was very high on the wait list. Said candidates got off it every year (so have hope those who got a similar email) and invited me to their open house in March.