Third Generation Antiques Dealer - I sell curated vintage/handmade items online and in-store alongside my mother and aunt. I specialize in late 19th to 20th century decor and clothing.
Arkansas Governor’s School, Visual Arts - I participated in this highly selective program for 4 weeks, exploring my own identity and expanding my social connections with like-minded peers in a college setting.
Local Initiative - Working with local organizations to provide adequate recognition for Puerto Rican immigrants buried in a local cemetery who contributed to the war effort of the US during WWI.
Art Club, Member - We work to expand the presence of art in our community through art sales, murals, and AYAA - all of which I have been a participant in.
Arkansas Young Artist Association, Contestant - Annual art competition where students around the state compete. I entered 5 pieces and participated in the on-site competition.
ICE Out for Good, Protester - I attended a large local protest honoring the victims of ICE related violence and spreading awareness of the extent of ICE’s harm to our own community.
Teacher Monitor, AP Comparative Government and Politics - I assist the teacher in managing assignments when needed and engage in the class to expand my own understanding of the material as well as my peers.
Part-Time Volunteer, Local Children’s Library - I spend an hour each shift organizing shelves, keeping the main areas tidy, and assisting people in locating books if needed.
Essays/LORs/Others
I feel my essays are pretty strong, they focus on topics such as my time at Governor’s School and my passion for history
I have three strong LOR from teachers who know me very well
Involvement with Bryn Mawr College
I had an interview in November, it went very well and seemed very conversational, although I surely rambled at certain points. I have since kept in touch with my interviewer and thanked her for the resources she provided.
I have attended two virtual events and I make an effort to ask questions
I have contacted a current student in the Museum Studies department for specific information about the program
BMC is my top school and I have a deep appreciation for the school’s history and message. I have made my interest very clear in events/essays.
Bryn Mawr claims they are need sensitive - which is a way to say, the amount of $ you need may impact their admission decision.
So are you full pay or need money ? You don’t list a budget. The reality is - many schools are pay to play.
So statistically you are not in. Your ACT is low(below the 29 at the 25th percentile) and your rank is 36%. 66% of their students are top 10% and 93% are in the top quarter.
What might be positives for you ?
From Arkansas - schools want 50 state representation.
If you’re full pay
My opinion and I’m not an adcom but a reach.
There’s lots of LACs where you’d be safe admit wise but I think it will be a tough in for you. The good news is, though, I’m not the adcom. So maybe their answer will be a yes.
The financial assistance I would need is less than average, so that may be a pro.
Academically speaking, I am average-below average for BMC but I’m hoping my extracurriculars, essays, and engagement with the school help enough. I am not academically strong in all areas, but I’m highly dedicated to history/art.
I wish you luck. Like any student, you need alternatives, in case. Typically, your ECs/passion won’t overcome academics. Schools want high stats.
As they say, hope is not a plan.
What are your assured and affordable alternatives ?
When I first saw your profile, Beloit College (safety) came to mind. They’re known to be strong in museum studies. It’d be safe for you, with merit.
If you want a consortium like BM, it’s not as tight like BM is with Haverford but Ogelthorpe can work - it’s aligned with other Atlanta schools and has museum studies and Art History.
I wish you luck. As long as you have an assured and affordable safety, and they are out there, it will work out fine for you. Like everyone, there’s far more than one college that you can love and which will help you succeed.
You already recognize this, but the first thing I think when I read your ECs is “interesting”. And schools like “interesting”. If your essays are strong and authentic, I think you have a chance. Let us know how it turns out.
You have an interesting profile with unique ECs so as long as your 28 comes from lower math/science and higher English/Reading in addition to As in AP Art History, Euro, Lit.., indicating you can do the work in Art/Humanities, I think it’d be a match.
(Where are you with foreign language? It’s important as a sign of rigor in general and for Humanities applicants in particular and I see you don’t have it at AP level, but I also know Arkansas isn’t very foreign language friendly so if your school doesn’t offer it you wouldn’t be penalized. However DO plan to take one throughout college).
I have a 34 English and 31 Reading score on the ACT, so they are definitely my strongest suits. I have nearly all As in the classes you mentioned, the lowest is a high B. I also moved from Florida partway through high school and took Spanish 1 and 2, so I was able to get that under my belt before moving to Arkansas. Thank you for the feedback!
OK - Conway. I have a friend from a former employer (from TX) whose son goes there.
But if you want Bryn Mawr and don’t need much aid (not sure less than average means), why would you give up your LAC dream when there’s schools that you can get into.
BM isn’t the only LAC with history/art history and museum studies. I gave you two above. Not sure if Beloit has art history but they have an art museum - which is part of their museum studies. Ogelthorpe has art history, history and museum studies.
Others with Museum Studies are Earlham and Juniata (in PA) and I’m sure there’s more.
While some may have had the deadline passed (check each - Beloit was Jan 15), I’m sure if you email, they’ll let you apply. These schools need you - and they will throw money at you. They’d likely cost less than Bryn Mawr. BM is not the only LAC for you to study what you want…these are all good schools.
As for in-state, I looked at a museum studies trade group page - they recommend Arkansas State or UALR. not sure of C Arkansas offerings.
If you want BM, widen your bets - they’ll be cheaper and give you that same great experience.
What about Hollins, Agnes Scott, Goucher? (Plus Beloit, also better than Central Ark for Art History like @tsbna44 suggested.) For Art history, you want to be near excellent museums while also not going over the federal debt limit (5.5k for your first year).
American U may not work financially but they’re very good and in a prime location so why not? Easier admit than BMC and for the DC museums.
Can be combined with courses from the School of Communication.
Foreign language: Most colleges at Bryn Mawr s level would expect 4 years or AP. Depending on the Art history you’re most interested in, you could take Spanish (would probably need to start at College level 1) or any other language common in the area you’re most interested in. Typically Art History students studied 2 from French, Italian, Spanish, or German, but things have been evolving to encompass all languages related to specific geographic areas. (I don’t know if you’ve seen Mona Lisa Smiles about Art History in the 1950s but things have changed a lot).
That 34 is definitely excellent
Oberlin is topnotch for Art History; it had a Jan 15 application deadline but you’re allowed to email to explain if something made it impossible, so even if you didn’t live through an extreme weather event for which they grant exemptions, you could send something like “I live (in a small town) in Arkansas and didn’t know you existed till Jan 17 but I have an application ready to go because your college sounds exactly like what I’m looking for, can I still send it?”. They “meet need” so run the NPC.
Also, if you haven’t read it yet, Mona’s eyes by Thomas Schlesser should be fun for you since you should see things from AP Euro and AP Art History with that perspective (grandparent taking granddaughter to museums to commit to memory beautiful works of art before she loses her sight forever). Originally in French so more French museum-centered than you’d find from an American author.
Ogelthorpe hasn’t expired - has Art History, History, and Museum Studies - and is in the Atlanta (ARCHE) consortium so you can take classes at Agnes Scott, Emory, Ga Tech, and more (for classes not offered at Ogelthorpe).
Juniata is March 15th.
Hollins is a women’s college and offers a Certificate in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums and has an Art History Major.
Hendrix still taking apps - they match in state tuition. A much better choice in Conway - and supposedly their food is outstanding.
Washington College in Chestertown MD has your majors (including a minor in Museum, Field, & Community Education Minor) and they throw money at people. An international student (who will cost more) came in high 30s. You have til Feb 15th.
I’ve barely looked. Many of these will be easy apps, free apps and you might even ask others for a free waiver if not. Even for a school that claims the deadline has passed, at an under US News top 50 ranked LAC, I’d ask them to take your app anyway.
These schools need kids (as does BM by the way).
Nothing wrong with your in-state public but why only BM amongst LACs? If you want an LAC, you can easily be at an LAC and for less than BM will cost given it sounds like you don’t need that much aid.
Given the field you are likely looking to go into, less expensive might be better anyway.
Less expensive is not necessarily better but a good value is affordable+excellent Art History Dept (different areas and perspectives represented, access to museums, practical experience/internship a normal or mandatory experience including with pay - as would be the case at BMC, Hendrix, Oberlin, etc - study abroad and/or partnership with Art History schools abroad…)
Less expensive that doesn’t provide the academic&cocurricular content described above as “par for the course” has way less value because it’s harder to optimize.
But it’s a detail - what’s more important is for OP to apply to all these really good colleges still taking apps.
@MYOS1634 & @tsbna44 , UCA is my safest bet currently because I have already been accepted, however, I did apply to Hendrix last week and I’m waiting to hear back from them. BM certainly isn’t my only option, but a large part of the school’s appeal is its location. Philly is easily accessible and attracts me because it is a mecca for history. I plan to go into museology as a career so access to historic institutions is definitely a plus. I also have planned on moving to the NE at some point, so having BM as a ticket there would be nice.
I will look into the schools you have suggested, thank you for the research you have done. And I also appreciate the resources you have provided me with, they seem very fascinating! Thank you again.
Then, different kind of history, but Ogelthorpe would work as well (other than the NE). It’s in a major city with a ton of history. Today, people move - so getting to the NE from a Southern or midwestern college isn’t a huge deal.
My daughter has a BA and an MA in history from the U Wyoming. You’d think it would all be western history and art (she had a focus on art history and a certificate in museum studies) but no, her thesis was on displaying Tibetan art in the western world, and while she enjoyed several Native American history courses she took, many of her history courses were WWII, as that’s what her favorite teacher taught. She went on a summer study program with him around eastern Europe. Wyo added an art history major when she was in undergrad, and she switched for a short time, but the program required a lot of art classes (it was in the art department, not the history department) and she just didn’t have the background in that, so she took all the art history the school offered and just went for a history degree. She worked at the museum (which was a lot of western art). She went to catholic elementary school and knows a lot of religion and religious art, and some of it is self taught as she just loves to study it and read about it.
While a grad student, she worked for the head of the department on a project from the U of Cardiff cataloging British artifacts, and they took her to Wales for 3 weeks or so. They also took her with them to a meeting when the Cardiff people came to Wyoming.
In Barcelona last year, she wowed us with facts about the Sagrada Familia, both religious and architectural. She played a little game with herself trying to guess the age of the altar pieces in the Barcelona Cathedral, and she was pretty close most of the time, often within 20 years. When we went to an Angkor Wat exhibit, she could explain the different Buddhas and what countries they were from by the shape of the heads and the headpieces.
So not just cowboy art.
You can find a program you like just about anywhere.
Thanks for the response! Quick question - do you know of any other schools that offer multiple WWII courses? It is my favorite era to learn about, so I would love to know of schools catering to that.
Any college with a strong history department (and there are a few hundred of those) is going to have multiple courses covering WW2.
Some will be in the poli sci department, some will be in econ, some will be in “area studies” since the Japanese and Pacific region’s experiences during WW2 is different from Poland and France, for example.
But a quick check of the course catalog will likely reassure you that it will be hard to run out of classes on WW2, whether they focus on US involvement and the Cold War afterwards, or focus on Europe/Asia etc.
And some in art! My daughter would have loved to work in the reclaimed art section of a museum but you really need to be fluent in French,Italian, or German (a la Woman in Gold).
I agree that most universities cover WWII. My daughter really wasn’t that interested in it before college but her favorite teacher specialized in it. His PhD is from U of Minn.
for the DC museums.
but things have changed a lot).
