How Do I Get Into Graduate School?

or: What do I need to do to get into Graduate School?

(under construction, this is still an early early draft)

This is a controversial question. If you ask ten professors the question "how do I get into graduate school?", you will get ten different answers. There are many factors that graduate schools look at when determining who to accept. The first thing you should know is that it is difficult to get into graduate school. You have to work really hard as an undergrad and impress your professors to have a chance of getting in. For Art History, most programs have an acceptance rate of 5-15% (f.y.i. UCLA admitted 14% of its Art History grad school applicants for the 2008-2009 school year but normally this number is much lower for them).

So although everyone will tell you something different, after e-mailing many graduate programs we have come up with a basic list of things you should know about if going to graduate school for Art History (or for any subject really) is your goal.

1. GPA and GRE scores

In many ways, this is the base of your application: the foundation. A strong GPA with a high GRE score is necessary to get into top schools. In fact, many grad schools specifically said that the "GRE score was extremely important" in determining who gets in and who gets rejected.

Most schools recommend a minimum GPA of 3.0, but it seems as if one needs a minimum GPA of at least 3.5 to be competitive. A high GPA does not simply mean that you are "smart," it also shows that you are committed to school and that you put real time and effort into your work.

2. Languages

This will vary from program to program and from university to university, but the general consensus for Art History is that if you really want to be competitive you should have a reading knowledge of either French or German and a reading knowledge of whatever languages your intended field of study requires. For example, if you want to go to graduate school and specialize in Latin American art, then you should have a reading knowledge of Spanish and a reading knowledge of either French or German.

However, it should be emphasized that in general, the best prepared students (and therefore the ones most likely to actually get in) will have a reading knowledge of both French AND German in addition to whatever languages they require for their intended field of study. So the best prepared student who wishes to specialize in Latin American art will have a reading knowledge of French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.

If this intimidates you, then you should know that you don't actually have to know how to speak these languages, but rather how to read them and have the ability to incorporate books and articles written in these languages into your work. So for French and German, many professors recommend taking French 009A, French 009B, German 001R, and German 002R.*


3. Letters of Recommendation

Most graduate schools require three letters of recommendation, and if you are serious about getting into a good school, then they should all be from professors (preferably professors from your field).

This is somewhat controversial to say, but it is believed that letters of recommendation have the ability to make or break your application. Letters of recommendation can hurt you, and in general you are not allowed to see them. Professors must be extremely honest when they write letters of recommendation, and they will list your strengths and weaknesses. So just because a professor gave you an A in a class does not mean that he or she will write you a strong letter of recommendation. It is therefore best to ask a professor beforehand, "are you able to write me a strong letter of recommendation or should I ask someone else?" Also, don't ever be afraid to ask for letters of recommendation: it is part of a professor's job to do so.

For more information about Letters of Recommendation, see "How do I get strong Letters of Recommendation from Professors."

4. Undergraduate Research

This is very key

5. Undergraduate Coursework

6. Know the faculty of the programs you apply to (and make sure they know you)

This is an extremely important and often overlooked aspect about applying to graduate school. To get in, you

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* French 009A. French for Reading Knowledge (4 units), offered in the Winter
French 009B. French for Reading Knowledge (4 units), offered in the Spring
German 001R. German for Reading Knowledge (4 units), offered in the Winter
German 002R. German for Reading Knowledge (4 units), offered in the Spring