Fall 2018

[trewq]

41 minutes ago, TJGreenbergFried said:

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. 

Received similar--if not identical--email as well. 

[RomeSweetRome]

1 hour ago, Gudetama-chan said:

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!

 

This is really helpful and encouraging, thank you!! 

[AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball]

13 hours ago, Johnsonsbaby said:

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?

Yes its working for an international art foundation that puts up a reputable and old biennale also. Great/Large team and good resources to work with. I work in the research and publications area - one I had asked to be placed in. So the job is great, but would have liked to go to grad school. My strongest LOR advisor told me that I should stay at the job at least 2 years before I applied because I shouldn't waste this opportunity to do some real work.

[AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball]

9 hours ago, trewq said:

Received similar--if not identical--email as well. 

@TJGreenbergFried and @trewq

Same here!

[Johnsonsbaby]

6 hours ago, AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball said:

Yes its working for an international art foundation that puts up a reputable and old biennale also. Great/Large team and good resources to work with. I work in the research and publications area - one I had asked to be placed in. So the job is great, but would have liked to go to grad school. My strongest LOR advisor told me that I should stay at the job at least 2 years before I applied because I shouldn't waste this opportunity to do some real work.

This sounds like a dream job! Personally, taking breaks to work between degrees (I took one before my MPhil and then a two year break after I deregistered from a PhD programme I was enrolled in) has helped me immensely. I'm sure you'll get a PhD position you want this year but if you don't then you have something really good already, so don't worry about a back up plan.

[Noscrubs]

21 hours ago, moonshineacademy said:

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.....

I would think PhD programs might be more inclined to accept someone with teaching experience than curatorial experience--but I guess it depends on the program? Good luck in your application season! It sounds like you have a lot of great experience. 

Edited February 16, 2018 by Noscrubs

[killerbunny]

According to a recent result, 11,000 applied to Yale. For real?

[Noscrubs]

23 minutes ago, sheshekabob said:

According to a recent result, 11,000 applied to Yale. For real?

I think they were implying that 11,000 people applied to the Graduate Division of Arts and Sciences or whatever (at least that's what my rejection letter made it sound like). 

[bakhtingothic]

Yeah, I second the above. Are there even 11,000 art historians in the country? (even with international applicants, that's highly unlikely). I imagine it would probably be closer to 150/200 applications for art history. 

[arsgratiartis]

In following with the topic of building experience, gap years, etc., for those of you who have applied multiple times to PhD programs, how significantly (if at all) do you change your SOP and/or writing sample? I will most likely be applying again to programs next year, and I am unsure of which parts of my application to change and which to keep the same. It's not that my research interests change, but I'm worried that submitting the same application materials year after year will just produce the same results. 

Edited February 16, 2018 by arsgratiartis

[Noscrubs]

1 hour ago, arsgratiartis said:

In following with the topic of building experience, gap years, etc., for those of you who have applied multiple times to PhD programs, how significantly (if at all) do you change your SOP and/or writing sample? I will most likely be applying again to programs next year, and I am unsure of which parts of my application to change and which to keep the same. It's not that my research interests change, but I'm worried that submitting the same application materials year after year will just produce the same results. 

I completely rewrote my SOP. Granted, the first time I applied I had little experience, compared to this year. Also my interests and scholarship evolved so I made sure to really communicate how and why. Also, I think I now realize that my SOP from 2 years ago was totally weird and came across as too theoretical. It didn't demonstrate how I am interested in applying my scholarship, just that I enjoyed studying a particular topic! 

I didn't change my writing sample because it was my M.A. thesis (and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into it and I am super proud of it). The topic isn't something I'm currently pursuing, or plan to in my PhD program, but I made sure to touch on how it helped me arrive at my current interests. 

Edited February 16, 2018 by Noscrubs

[FreakingOutFragonard]

Is the Princeton admit. comfortable with pm'ing me your POI and field? Wondering if our POI's are the same  

[killerbunny]

2 hours ago, arsgratiartis said:

In following with the topic of building experience, gap years, etc., for those of you who have applied multiple times to PhD programs, how significantly (if at all) do you change your SOP and/or writing sample? I will most likely be applying again to programs next year, and I am unsure of which parts of my application to change and which to keep the same. It's not that my research interests change, but I'm worried that submitting the same application materials year after year will just produce the same results. 

If you feel comfortable asking for feedback on your application from programs that did not grant acceptance this time, I highly recommend it. I asked a POI of a school that rejected me and learned quite a bit. First, he let me know they admitted a huge cohort of students in my interest area last year; so this round they had only two spots and 20+ applicants in the same area. He seemed to think my application was solid but offered to give me some specific feedback on my writing sample. As you say, if I too were to apply again next round, I would revise my SOP even though I felt it was strong. From advice I've encountered over and over again, you want to convey how you've spent the extra year cultivating your qualifications. 

Over this waiting period, I've been reading dissertations in my area and how-to books for writing a thesis (Umberto Eco has a good one), and I wish I'd done this to help me prepare my applications because I have a much more specific sense of what a dissertation is supposed to achieve. I had only looked at how to apply to grad school and not what you do once you're in.

[badartist]

Could the two Columbia admits who posted today pm me with your specialization and POI? I haven’t heard back, so I’m hoping we have different ones

[InternationStudent]

Hi all!

Has anyone heard from Stanford's Art History? Are the admission notices on the results page for real? I know that they have been interviewing. What do you say about them compared to Yale (where Pamela Lee is moving)?

Regarding Harvard Art History: as a part of the application process, all Art History applicants were given the opportunity to allow the faculty to share their dossier with the Visual and Environmental Studies department when they think they might be interested in their application. Does it really ahppen? and if so - does the department tend to notify the applicant that they passed on his or her application materials? 

Edited February 16, 2018 by InternationStudent
added question

[Skealic]

Has anyone else heard back from the University of Delaware? I saw two people post acceptances a week ago, but I still haven't heard back. 

[trewq]

15 hours ago, Skealic said:

Has anyone else heard back from the University of Delaware? I saw two people post acceptances a week ago, but I still haven't heard back. 

Heard yesterday. Received an email informing me to check the portal as a change had been made to my application. Acceptance letter was there.

[Bronte1985]

I've said this before, but there seems to be some misconception about what it takes to be a successful application to the PhD. It's not like applying to a regular job. Experience (internships, curatorial work, gallery work) can make a difference, but it's probably the least important thing. What committees care about is: does this person have what it takes to succeed in grad school? What does that entail? Understanding the major debates in your field and in art history; being able to articulate a pertinent, fresh research agenda; understanding the stakes of the questions you want to investigate; carrying out research in primary and secondary literature; and conveying your ideas in a clear, elegant way. That's it: they're interested in your mind above all. How do you show those skills? In your personal statement and writing sample. If those aren't up to snuff, you won't have a chance. They have to brilliant, because they will receive the most scrutiny. As for "experience," that can definitely be an asset, but you have to be able to demonstrate how that experience has helped you develop the skills I listed above.

[RegtheVeg]

People who have used the CUNY portal to check for acceptances/rejections: how did you do it? I don't know if I am being an idiot, but every time I log-in to ApplyYourself it just says "Application Status: Submitted". I am under the impression that nearly everybody at this point was either accepted, waitlisted or rejected. So what am I doing wrong?! Is there some other portal I know nothing about?

[roving99]

1 hour ago, RegtheVeg said:

People who have used the CUNY portal to check for acceptances/rejections: how did you do it? I don't know if I am being an idiot, but every time I log-in to ApplyYourself it just says "Application Status: Submitted". I am under the impression that nearly everybody at this point was either accepted, waitlisted or rejected. So what am I doing wrong?! Is there some other portal I know nothing about?

Log in as usual and scroll to the bottom.  There should be a link that says something along the lines of "decision notification as of (02/16/2018).  It looks like another row of info but its actually a link to the decision document.

[RegtheVeg]

9 minutes ago, ReichenbachFalls said:

Log in as usual and scroll to the bottom.  There should be a link that says something along the lines of "decision notification as of (02/16/2018).  It looks like another row of info but its actually a link to the decision document.

Thank you! Doesn't seem to be there, so I guess I'm still waiting.

[AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball]

15 hours ago, RegtheVeg said:

Thank you! Doesn't seem to be there, so I guess I'm still waiting.

I got wait-listed and still don't have that link on my application. I thought I was the only one fumbling with the site. 

[roving99]

3 hours ago, AnarchyAtPlanetSpaceball said:

I got wait-listed and still don't have that link on my application. I thought I was the only one fumbling with the site. 

 

18 hours ago, RegtheVeg said:

Thank you! Doesn't seem to be there, so I guess I'm still waiting.

Sounds like you guys are still in the running. Congrats! Here is what the portal looks like when you have a decision, just FYI.

[bakhtingothic]

anyone hear back from northwestern? presumably, those with interviews got in, but then, where are the rejection letters? 

[ejeon0501]

For those who posted about rejections from Columbia: was it a generic email to check the portal? I haven't heard back and am curious.