75 replies to this topic

[Kursteilnehmer]

So who's applying to German programs for the Fall? (Where at? What are your interests?)

In contrast to last year, no Germanists seem to be popping up...




Anyone else applying to Yale? NYU? Northwestern? Chicago?

[GK Chesterton]

Yes to Yale and Chicago. Yourself?

[Kursteilnehmer]

I applied to Yale, Northwestern, and NYU, and a couple Comp. Lit. places as well. (I'm mostly interested in the Aesthetics of the Frankfurt School.)

Any idea how competitive things are this year or anything like that? I regret not applying to Chicago or Princeton--I just found myself too stressed trying to manage those applications I had already undertaken earlier in the year, while also working full-time. Good luck in any case.

[GK Chesterton]

No idea about competitiveness, unfortunately. I also applied to Michigan, Cornell, Berkeley and Princeton. I was a little bit hesitant to make any definitive statements about what I wanted to study other than broad sketches, as a professor I spoke to suggested that for big, comprehensive programs (Berkeley, Yale, Princeton, etc.) they preferred to see something like "German cinema" and not "Expressionism in Weimar Film" .

[Kursteilnehmer]

[A] professor I spoke to suggested that for big, comprehensive programs (Berkeley, Yale, Princeton, etc.) they preferred to see something like "German cinema" and not "Expressionism in Weimar Film" .

interesting, yes. i found it very difficult to put out my interests while remaining sufficiently liberal. hm, i imagine NYU and Northwestern will be far more responsive to my case than Yale... but i don't know. it's all so soul crushing, applying

[uldo]

applied to NYU and Northwestern. Also Johns Hopkins, Berkeley, Princeton and Stanford. I listed my general interests in my CV and focussed on one specific topic in my SOP. I hope they'll take a look at the cv! Have also no idea about how hard the competition is, but all the people (at these schools) I've been talking to told me that they're gonna take 3-6 students for the PhD-program. Guess there are at least 3 top notch applications on the desk of every app-com to compete against
But I can't start the negative thinking already!!
Good luck to me and all you other guys!

Edited by uldo, 11 January 2011 - 11:39 PM.

[fiveone]

What do people think about the German department at Harvard?

[Kursteilnehmer]

What do people think about the German department at Harvard?

My interests tend closer to theory than the traditionally literary, so it didn't seem to be a good fit for me personally. Are you thinking about applying? Or have you already sent out applications for the Fall?

[fiveone]

<br />My interests tend closer to theory than the traditionally literary, so it didn't seem to be a good fit for me personally.  Are you thinking about applying?  Or have you already sent out applications for the Fall?<br />

<br /><br /><br />

I've applied there and to Cornell. I don't know if I will even accept should I get an offer. The job market is just too bleak.

[GK Chesterton]

<br /><br /><br />

I've applied there and to Cornell. I don't know if I will even accept should I get an offer. The job market is just too bleak.

Well, what are your interests?

[fiveone]

18th century philosophy, moving into Romanticism. Systems theory, links with Isamic philosophy. You?

[GK Chesterton]

18th century philosophy, moving into Romanticism. Systems theory, links with Isamic philosophy. You?

Structuralist and post-structuralist textual approaches (i.e. Formalism / narratological approaches + deconstruction & Gramscian hegemony stuff), psychoanalysis, narrative temporality. Some political theory (Schmitt, Laclau, Agamben). My thematic interests are sketchier- Idealist philosophy, Weimar, '68, German Realism, Benjamin. Also film.

[ontolome]

hi everyone. i wish you much luck in following weeks, as the answers come flooding in :}
i will be applying to many of these german programs next year, and have a small concern/question.
i would be very grateful for any advice you might have to provide.
do you think it would be worthwhile for me to take the GRE again (750v, 520m), in hopes of making my math score less embarrassing? I did not study the first time, so I know there is much room for improvement. Although math counts for very little in these departments, might really good GRE scores compensate for a lackluster overall undergraduate GPA?
Thanks in advance!

[GK Chesterton]

hi everyone. i wish you much luck in following weeks, as the answers come flooding in :}
i will be applying to many of these german programs next year, and have a small concern/question.
i would be very grateful for any advice you might have to provide.
do you think it would be worthwhile for me to take the GRE again (750v, 520m), in hopes of making my math score less embarrassing? I did not study the first time, so I know there is much room for improvement. Although math counts for very little in these departments, might really good GRE scores compensate for a lackluster overall undergraduate GPA?
Thanks in advance!

No.

[Kursteilnehmer]

Very pleased to see there are already a bunch of German acceptances up on the results page. Congratulations!

Anyone want to claim them? Anyone have additional news to report?

[GK Chesterton]

No news and can't claim them, unfortunately. I wish I had heard from Berkeley. Waiting on Yale as well - thought that would have happened by now.

[Kursteilnehmer]

No news and can't claim them, unfortunately. I wish I had heard from Berkeley. Waiting on Yale as well - thought that would have happened by now.

Yeah I was expecting something from Yale this week too. It's gotten me very nervous, wondering if maybe the accepted students have already been contacted...

I guess we just have to keep our fingers cross over the weekend.

GOOD LUCK!

[GK Chesterton]

I still haven't heard anything. Are those claims in results real? Does anyone want to claim them?

[uldo]

I still haven't heard anything. Are those claims in results real? Does anyone want to claim them?

at least mine was real. I got my first admission from Johns Hopkins and I am so happy! I got it last tuesday, but havn't heard anything from my other programs. Also had Berkeley and Northwestern on the list.
@ontolome: don't do your GRE again! If anything counts it is verbal and writing. My scores were pretty bad, so I suppose it doesn't count in the end.

Good luck to you guys!!

[umamam]

I still haven't heard anything. Are those claims in results real? Does anyone want to claim them?

I can claim the UCB acceptance, but I wouldn't worry if you haven't heard yet (GK - PMed you).