Scream

I really appreciate your thoughtful responses and I feel like I have a much better foundation on which to start my search. Additionally, I'm grateful you all didn't sugar coat things, instead taking the time to point out the weaknesses in my application. I plan on addressing them in greater detail now. Again, thank you very much.

I'm currently finishing an M.A. in philosophy and I've decided to make the transition to english. I have found professional philosophy to be largely cloistered, and I see literature as a more successful vehicle for disseminating philosophical exchange. Specifically, I am interested in novels employing underlying philosophical themes (e.g., Sartre, Camus, Thoreau), as well as critical theory. My main interests are in 19th and 20th century american and continental literature. My main philosophical interests are in applied ethics (i.e., environmental and nonhuman animal issues), continental philosophy (largely existentialism), and the history of philosophy. I'd like to concentrate on the amalgam of the two. As far as a general sketch of how my application would look: - I have a B.A. in philosophy from a solid liberal arts school, with a GPA of 3.5. - I will have an M.A. in philosophy from a solid program, with a GPA between 3.9 and 4.0. - I was hired on as a graduate assistant for the department (grading undergraduate papers and giving occasional lectures). - I have published one article in the department journal (which is by invitation only), and I have another one forthcoming. - My GRE scores are in the low 1400s (low 700s in both verbal and math). - I have 4 good letters of recommendation - I have just started working on a foreign language As far as what I'm looking for: - A funded PhD program (I can't afford to pay for another master's degree before transitioning to a PhD). - A PhD in english - I realize I might make a good candidate for one of the philosophy and literature PhD programs, but I've heard their graduates have a harder time finding tenure track positions (and since the job market is already brutal I'd like to avoid setting myself up for future headaches). Whereas I would know exactly what range of schools to look at for a PhD in philosophy, I am largely clueless regarding english. Given the requirements above, I'd love to hear recommendations for the range of schools I should be checking out (e.g., "there's no way you're getting funded in the top 75, check out number 75 through 100"). And while I realize rankings aren't everything, hearing your feedback would give me a helpful place to start my search! Lastly, if there are any schools I should really check out, or any advice I should know, I'd love to hear. Thanks!