<p>What schools should I be looking at as an intended art history major? Obviously, there aren't really any schools that would consider this art history as a specialty or standout department. But surely some must still be better than others. </p>
<p>I would love to get in at the University of Chicago, but am not so sure of my chances. My GPA, test scores, etc. are high, but I have next to nothing in the way of ECs. I will also likely apply to a UC or two because I am instate, though I would much prefer to get out of California and move farther east.</p>
<p>"obviously there aren't any schools that would be (sic) consider this (sic) art history as a specialty or standout department."</p>
<p>The three finest schools for art history, generally recognized by all in the community, and easily found with a minimum of research, are (in alphabetical order)</p>
<p>Columbia University
New York University
Yale University</p>
<p>Hope this helps you.</p>
<p>Additionally, there are many smaller liberal arts colleges with strong departments including,</p>
<p>I was aware of those schools being good choices for art history. However, I highly doubt that I will be able to get into any of those, especially for my definite lack of ECs. I am thus more concerned with finding decent art history programs to which I have a better chance of being admitted.</p>
<p>Also, I just noticed the grammar mistakes in the second sentence. Oops. I reworded the sentence and forgot to delete the extra words. Sorry.</p>
<p>university of delaware has a very strong program. also, as a rule of thumb, any decent school in or around new york city will have a strong art history department for the simple reason that art historians have a professional (and probably personal!) interest in being near all that art, and since not everyone can teach at nyu or columbia, you'll find many fine scholars sacrificing some prestige to teach at a college in the new york area. cuny, for example, as an outstanding department.</p>
<p>and btw, i might add, for the benefit of the snooty poster, that yale is not in fact one of the three finest schools for art history, and certainly not for moden art, as no one in the "community" would consider david joselit (yale) more distinguished than hal foster (princeton), benjamin buchloh (harvard), or tj clark (uc-berkeley).</p>
<p>Not so obviously Art history at Williams is both a specialty and a standout department. So many Williams graduates are directors and curators of major museums that they are known as the Williams Mafia.</p>
<p>Some other liberal arts colleges that I would recommend for art history are:
Wesleyan, Skidmore, Conn College, Vassar, Kenyon and assuming you are female, Smith and Bryn Mawr. </p>
<p>Among the ivy league and other super selectives I would concentrate on Yale and Brown, although a case could certainly be made for several others.</p>
<p>Actually, most big universities have fairly good art history departments. University of Michigan comes to mind but there are certainly others as well. </p>
<p>Terri, tell us more about your ECs, or lack thereof. What is it about art history that appeals to you? You may be able to parlay an interest in art into a viable EC.</p>
<p>Basically, I have almost no ECs at all. I am homeschooled, and during my first two years of school I did nothing in the way of ECs. Since my junior year (last year), I have been doing a bit of community service (basic stuff, 4 hours a week). That's it. Unless you count a summer nannying job or youth group involvement. I have nothing relating to the arts in particular. I thought about volunteering at a local art museum, but I am afraid that at this point, with less than four monthes until applications are due, nothing will do much good. I suppose I'm stuck. </p>
<p>I do truly love art history though. I discovered my interest there right before my junior year and have taken art history classes in school since then. I spend a large amount of my own time studying it outside of school as well, but I have no proof or anything to show for it. I am positive that it is what I want to major in though.</p>
<p>Teri, homeschoolers are difficult for colleges to characterize. If your grades and scores are in the academic ballpark for University of Chicago then you are in the range for any college in the U.S. Hey, we know your rank is #1! :) </p>
<p>Well, summer nannying and youth group can certainly qualify as interesting and productive activities, but the major issue seems to be that you aren't projecting much enthusiam for either. If, despite your understated approach, you are really personally and emotionally involved, then try to communicate that in your essays.</p>
<p>Yes do volunteer at a local museum NOW. Four months under your belt is long enough to establish a sincere interest and you may also develop a supporting reference. </p>
<p>Another approach could be to consider your interest in art history an intellectual EC. This is a little trickier to convey as it is abstract and intangible, but it is possible to have an intellectual pasttime as an EC. Your essays and recommendations would have to back this up. Maybe you've done independent study in an area of art history or traveled to see a certain work of art or been drawn emotionally to an artist or a period. Be truthful, but use your imagination. You have nothing to lose.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help, momrath. I guess that I will look into volunteering at the art museum after all. And I never thought of considering my interest in art history as a sort of EC. I suppose that, in a sense, academics are like ECs to me because, even beyond art history, I spend so much time working on them on my own. I guess I am a nerd. But I do love to learn, simply for its own sake. Is this what I should then be trying to convey in my essays and such?</p>
Good news. College is the time and place for nerds to inherit the earth. :)</p>
<p>Essays are an opportunity for you to show (not tell) a facet of your personality that will appeal to colleges. "Let us into your world" is how one adcom explained it. Write about an event that reflects a passion, an intense interest, a pasttime that inflames your intellectual curiosity. Your recommenders and your activity list should mention and reinforce this enthusiasm.</p>
<p>By the way, have you looked at U of Chicago's essays? That should get your creative juices going.</p>
<p>As I said, homeschooling is a special category. I'm not an expert, but I do believe that many colleges value traits that are developed in homeschooling, so that experience in itself can be a point of differentiation. I'd suggest that you post your dilemma on the homeschooling board as well.</p>
<p>My d. was a homeschooler, and had no difficulty getting into Williams, Smith (where she is attending), and a host of others. I also taught at UChicago at one point. There is no question in my mind that Williams is the number 1 art history school FOR UNDERGRADUATES in the country, though they are all very good (and if you are doing ancient art, Chicago is probably the best, and art and American culture - and coupled with Romance languages, likely Smith.) But make sure you visit (preferably a Thursday overnight) - the cultures at Williams, Smith, and Chicago are very, very different from each other (among prestigious colleges, actually rather at the extremes) and while it might be possible for students at one of them to be happy at others, there are many students who wouldn't be. This is even true in the academic culture, with Williams having divisional requirements, Smith an open curriculum, and Chicago a common core for the first two years.</p>
<p>Anyhow, wherever you decide, make sure you are comfortable - the change from homeschooling to college is large enough, without extraneous issues getting in the way.</p>
<p>The top art history depts at universities: (in no particular order)</p>
<p>Columbia
NYU
Yale (to the above poster--Yale ranks among the Top Ten programs, for sure--known for its "formalist" approach.)
Johns Hopkins
Berkeley
Northwestern (known for its sociological approach to art objects.)
Penn</p>
<p>At liberal arts colleges:
Williams
Sarah Lawrence</p>
<p>For a long time, Princeton has been the best US school for the study of Classics--very closely related to art history. I imagine that this enhances Princeton's program in that particular area, (i.e. Classical art history.)
Similarly, UChicago is well-known for its Oriental Institute--Asian art history is its forte.
All of the above mentioned universities have certain specialties as well; (for example, the theoretical "approaches" of Yale and Northwestern.) If you read their department websites, and their faculty bios, you'll learn a lot about their respective specialties.</p>