intextrovert
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Posts posted by intextrovert
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It looks as if I'll be headed to Tallahassee next Fall. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on finding a house and a quiet pub with good beer.
Awesome! I grew up in Tallahassee. The best part about it is that it's so green - trees everywhere, canopy roads, etc. I'm always struck by that when I come home.
As for a nice pub, I really like Finnegan's Wake on Thomasville. There's also a good wine bar next to it.
Congrats and good luck!
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I'm one of the acceptances, and on cloud nine! But I do remember it being erratic, so I wouldn't panic yet. I applied in Modernism/20th century to the MA/PhD program, if it helps. Good luck to those still waiting!
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I'm the UVa acceptance. I was notified that my "decision was available" by the Grad school, which contained a link to my general "congrats" letter. I haven't been contacted by the English department directly yet.
I can hardly believe it and am frankly kind of dazed right now.
Good luck to all of you who are waiting (I know that feeling
well, too)!
Congrats, Lompoc! You have every right to be excited and shout it from the rooftops! No need to apologize, though it is very kind of you to consider others' feelings.
. Jealous, of course, but not too jealous to be happy for you. Celebrate! -
I saw that on the results page literally a minute before my class started. My heart was pounding and it took a lot to mask my flustered state from my students. Ugh, this week of silence and false alarms has been so stressful!
I did just check over the previous notification pattern - all over the place. One acceptance by email here, another by phone a few days later, then some almost a month later...so this one acceptance is not the kiss of death for us un-notified folks, but MAN it would be great to be that person! Definitely made me realize how much I want to be accepted there.
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Intextrovert: I in no way meant to suggest that you have to be 100% certain about what you want to study as you pursue your graduate studies - that would be absurd. What I objected to was the way in which Baldwin (or at least the language that he used) suggested that one decides to apply to graduate school based on a desire to be "intellectual" (whatever that means) in a socially permissible way, not because of the desire to pursue a set of "research interests" (however nascent) with any rigor. The problem with the "intellectual" motivation, as I've observed it during my own time as a graduate student, is that for people in that boat research drive and motivation -- which is requisite for good scholarship -- is secondary to the motivation to be in an "intellectual" setting or to simply be "intellectual." To put it in a different way: your narrative indicates to me that you want to go to graduate school because your primary motivation is to pursue and develop your research interests, which seems quite different from what Baldwin was suggesting. Indeed, he seems to be denying that it's possible to be in your situation. I take it that you're going to graduate school because it's the only way to pursue what it is that you want to do, right?
I read back over Baldwin's post, and I can see now how you may have interpreted it that way, because of the phrasing of "socially permissible" and stuff about wanting to be attached to a respectable institution. If that were the case, then yes, obviously no one should have to fund someone who just wants to impress people with how smart he is and back it up with a nice university, and it sucks that someone like that could push more genuinely motivated applicants out (though honestly, I really think the process itself is pretty good and weeding these people out. Not infallible, but pretty good). But taken in the context of the post, I just think that's a misinterpretation of what he was trying to say. Maybe we're each imposing our own experiences onto poor Baldwin (who hasn't spoken up to clarify, which I'm curious about!) - you perhaps have some preexisting frustration with pretentious applicants who just want the prestige of a PhD and thus found that in Baldwin, and I perhaps interpreted it sympathetically because of my experience as an applicant a few years ago who, while seriously motivated and passionate about academic endeavors, was like, "Research interests? Um, literature?"
I just think it's always better to be a little cautious in jumping to unflattering conclusions about other posters' intentions and WORTH, really, especially when a post is clearly done in the spirit of solidarity, intending to be sympathetic and candid. Not that you can't be critical, but do so diplomatically, especially at first. There's always the possibility that you're misinterpreting, and we shouldn't be here to raise each others' blood pressures, if we can help it!
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I'll have to respectfully disagree with you that Baldwin's statement, "We develop research interests because we want to go to graduate school, not the other way around," was a polite one. I gather that he was trying to be encouraging, but such a blanket declaration that categorically denies the genuine motivation of virtually every respectable scholar that I know can hardly be considered polite or even "well thought out." It is extremely presumptuous--and I would suggest, indicative of the mindset of many lackluster graduate students--to assert that "we all just want to be intellectuals, but we figured that out by going to college (or anyway, being in school). So our intellectual models are teachers/professors." I could care less about being an "intellectual," which from what I gather, means to Baldwin a person who receives recognition for being "intelligent" and "cultured"; I want to contribute to scholarly debate and knowledge. I have known many graduate students who are either on board because they want the sort of cultural capital that Baldwin speaks of or simply didn't know what else to do after undergrad in this less than stellar economy. By and large, they don't hack it as scholars, either deciding not to continue after finishing an MA or eating up funding as PhD students who never finish their dissertations. I would argue that the "having research interests that produce the need to attend grad school" motivation is the only one that should (and frankly, does) fly, at least at the PhD level. There are so many people who consume funding that would have been better spent on other people, realizing that graduate school is hard work that requires more than the desire to be thought of as an "intellectual."
But I think you're imposing your preconception of what someone means when they say "an intellectual" on Baldwin, and I don't think it necessarily fits here. When I read Baldwin's post, I definitely didn't interpret it to mean that he wanted to been thought of as intelligent or cultured, but that he wanted to be involved in intellectual pursuits as a major part of his life - but that he hadn't exactly sorted through the particulars of what he wanted to research. There are a lot of grad applicants - and new students - that are a little fuzzy on exactly what they want to study, but just have more general pull towards certain interests. I don't know that there's anything wrong with that, as a starting point. I applied two years ago straight out of undergrad and definitely had a "fuzzy" view of exactly what I wanted to study - I had loved doing my thesis and independent projects and knew that that was ultimately the only thing I'd truly feel satisfied doing: rigorous, intellectual work. I had that intuitive sense and pull towards it, but as I was very fresh, I hadn't quite worked through exactly what direction I would take that research in but rather had broad interests and a few general questions I was interested in.
But in the two years since I've really had time to think about exactly what I'm interested in, who I would be as a scholar, and yes, part of the reason I was forced to do that now and not later was to make my application stronger this time around. I pursued some of my general interests to learn more about what specifically interested me, reading up on some theory, current scholarship, and subfields in general. Maybe that's the sort of independent intellectual pursuit Baldwin was talking about - but eventually it just affirmed that I needed the resources of an actual program if I wanted to be able to go further. So in that way, the grad school application process has forced me to identify and articulate research interests, when I couldn't have before. The thing is, some people go through this "focusing process" in the first year or so of grad school, while others do it before they apply (though you're going to have a much stronger application if you do it before, as I learned - grad schools would rather you figure it out on your own and not on their penny so that you can hit the ground running). You reacted to Baldwin's blanket statement, which is fair because it's not true for all of us, but you're also making one. It's no more fair to say that just because someone hasn't yet fully gotten their specific research interests 100% into focus yet (don't some complain about this tendency/pressure for applicants to do this so early in their academic careers? pre-professionalizing?), they don't have a valid desire to be a scholar and don't deserve a spot in a grad cohort.
- apcoach and callmelilyb
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I also applied, also haven't heard from them. Last time I applied I was waitlisted, and that was March 7...it's a school that really does things in rounds. I WANT to be encouraged by the fact that there's a rejection up and I haven't recieved one, but they really seem to do things in pieces - a few rejections and acceptances now, a few more a week later, a few more a week after that, etc. So while it's definitely not a bad thing, it's not necessarily good news yet either, especially when it's just one little rejection.
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I wasn't going to respond to this thread with anything more than a sigh - I'm so tired of academic grudge matches. We have more in common than this question recognizes (and man, I resent that tagline!). But I was preparing for my 12th grade class tomorrow, and found a perfect quotation that reminded me of this thread. So I refer you to Tom Stoppard, Arcadia, and its interdisciplinary, academic cast of characters:
Hannah: It's all trivial - your grouse (science), my hermit (history), Bernard's Byron (literature). Comparing what we're looking for misses the point. It's the wanting to know that makes us matter.
Can't we all just get along?
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As it seems a few of the English applicants have also said, my absolute dream school is Stanford - it's completely perfect for my interests and has lots of people doing fascinating work in my area(s), including one prof whose work I really admire, some cool interdisciplinary programs and opportunities, seems like it has the environment I'd like and a good rep for mentorship, etc. It's also in a lovely place, and obviously an extremely strong program.
...And it's very unlikely I'll get in. Who doesn't want to go to Stanford?! But I'm keeping the hope alive while I can!
Not far behind Stanford, though, and I think still count as dream schools, are Michigan and WashU. Also excellent fits and great places where I'd LOVE to be. I'm waitlisted currently at Michigan and hoping for the best.
I made a list before I did all of this, and the school I've got an acceptance from (UC-Davis) was #4 of my 12! So I'm happy. But still anxiously awaiting news from the others.
All of this, of course, could change completely with results and further research and especially department campus visits. But that's where I am based on what I've gleaned from researching this programs.
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Stay strong and remember that if that doesn't work, Girl Scout Ice Cream is currently available in stores.
This made me smile - and then get HUNGRY!
Congrats on your acceptance!
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I don't think they've finished making all of their offers. The two posters on the Results page seemed to have been notified early because they were nominated for fellowships. And I don't know if you applied for an M.A. or a Ph.D., but the two offers posted are also only Ph.D. notifications. So I think there's still hope, but that's just my opinion.
This is basically how I've justified not totally losing hope just yet. I don't think you should either, Raz! From looking at past years on the results page, Madison seems to have a somewhat erratic and puzzling notification pattern, so I don't think they do it all at once. And I wonder if those two acceptances were M.A./Ph.D. bridge (which is what I applied for) or straight Ph.D., though I'm not sure it whether or not it makes a difference.
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It totally depends on the program, but going through the results page will tell you that notifications reach a peak towards the end of February, though there's about a month of variation on either end. There's also a very general trend of more rejections going out later and more acceptances going out earlier, though that is a VERY general trend (and is school-specific, depending on their pattern of notification) and you can easily get rejected in early February and accepted in mid-March.
My theory is that a lot of programs say they'll notify by March because that's the latest they'll do it, and don't want to deal with calls from impatient applicants before that if they're running behind.
I applied to English Ph.D. programs two years ago and heard from almost all of my seven schools by the end of February. The one I heard about in March was a waitlist, so I think they were just wavering on me for a while. This year, I got an acceptance and a waitlist in the first week of February and haven't heard from the other 10 schools yet.
Basically, they could start hearing soon, but shouldn't freak out if it's March and they haven't heard back yet. It's just so unpredictable, but as jacib says, looking at the results page from past years is the best way to predict.
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Hi there. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm pretty sure from what I've gathered that they've finished notifying acceptances and waitlists, and did it all on Feb 3 (admirably early, which I appreciate!).
I'm currently on the waitlist, and very much crossing my fingers to get in. I'd love to hear from those admitted or other waitlisters...anyone out there? If so, congrats! Think you'll take the offer? What are you hoping to study?
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I know an acquaintance who was admitted to Berkeley in late January, if that helps add to the mystique at all.
Probably Rhet/Comp, right? It's a different department and that's when they notified. My understanding is that people with actual insider knowledge have said English is notifying next week, and hadn't even finalized decisions back then.
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As for the 700 number, I was referring to the Columbia program, I quote: "The department typically receives around 700 applications per year". Their cohorts are bigger though, 18 last year, I think.
I'm fairly sure Columbia (correct me if I'm wrong) is combining its English and Comparative Literature applicants in that number - the department is, after all, called "English and Comparative Literature." That's also the number (over 700) cited for its typical number of apps for English. So there aren't actually 700 Comp Lit apps, but probably a number a little closer to the Princeton ones (though likely significantly more, since it's Columbia and people like New York). Of course, that also means the 18 slots are English + Comp Lit combined.
Comp Lit is a self-selecting applicant pool because of the language requirements - which we Americans are notoriously weak in.
So the comp lit app numbers of any program should be significantly lower than the English. So, melusine, as far as the numbers go I would say your admissions odds are just about even with English applicants - you have less spots to compete for but also less apps to compete with, while we have more spots (sometimes - re: Penn) out there but also more applicants. Chin up!
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Or how about the lone Wisconsin acceptance? It's not unheard of that a school will notify a very few people before the majority of their admits, but I'm always wary of the outliers. Anyone here?
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Double post! Sorry - my internet is unreliable.
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Accepted at UC-Davis and waitlisted at Michigan; subfields are 20th Century/Modernism and ecocriticism/spatial and geographical approaches. Good luck to everyone still waiting! Remember that it's still super early, and those are the only two of mine that have notified!
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Tinuvielf - He didn't mention the visiting weekend, but that was the one question I managed to get out during the phone conversation, and he said that yes, they will definitely have one and it will likely be in early April, but he's not sure exactly about the timing. So yay!
I got a call from a professor on Monday saying I'd been accepted, and that they were sending me more information. I followed up with a thank you email today, with a few questions. I'm thrilled because Davis was my top choice. I'm also working on ecocriticism and spatiality, but in terms of working class literature and environmental justice.
I am also concerned about funding. The professor told me it was "a guaranteed five years of funding." I'd love to get that all in writing! The cost of living in Davis is going to be higher than my master's program school too, so I'm already concerned about finding affordable housing and seeing if I can sign up for food assistance, etc.
I'm hoping to pull together some funds for a campus visit, and waiting to see what information I get regarding when and how. I asked the professor who contacted me to put me in touch with current grad students who could answer some of my questions. We should start some kind of private email group to share the information we hear without getting ourselves in trouble by posting it publically. I'm not sure how easy that is with this interface, but I'd be very interested in staying in touch with you guys over the next six months or so.
Ecocrit party! And yes, tell me about it - I anxiously await news of what "five years of guaranteed funding" actually means, especially in the California public school system of 2010 - yikes.
Good news: if they have a visiting students weekend, I THINK that means they fly you out without expense. Can anyone wise confirm? Am I making that up or pulling it from fantasy-land?
I'd love to keep in touch as we navigate this process - feel free to PM me and we can figure it out.
Davis is definitely bicycle/walking friendly! In fact, the city is known for having more bikes than cars and I would even go so far as to say that there is some resentment towards those who do drive around town, lol. Everything is fairly accessible on bike from the city center and to and from campus, I own a car now, but if I moved into Davis I'd probably sell it.
They have the most amazing farmer's market every Weds evening and Saturday morning, seriously I've never been to a farmer's market this amazing anywhere, not Portland or Santa Cruz or anywhere. The BEST local fruits, veggies, breads, baked goods, meat, fish, etc. Ugh, I'm getting hungry just thinking about wlaking through the market...
It's definitely small-town/college town as far as atmosphere, but the Mondavi center does bring in some good musical acts and lectures thorughout the year and Sac and SF are really quite close if you are hankering for the city.
Some people refer to it as "The People's Republic of Davis" -- they've done a lot of work to keep local bookstores and such in business and have worked hard to keep out places like WalMart, etc.
As far as money goes I'd say you can expect to pay between $500-600/month to rent a room, more if you wanted a master bedroom. Outside of rent, however I think Davis is pretty cheap as far as food and other expenses. Rent is higher in Davis than in surrounding communities (like Sac or Roseville) so you could always live outside the city (20-30 minute commute). But Davis is so fun, I'd rather live there and penny pinch!
If you have any other questions, let me know!
Oh, and congratulations on the acceptance.
tlsaborido - Thank you so much for your detailed reply! Davis sounds like such a neat little town and I'm aching to be somewhere again with a fabulous farmer's market. How often to people make it out to San Fran? Or how about to do outdoor stuff in the surroundings? Do you consider it a "pretty" place? How's the weather?
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I was so happy to get my first acceptance yesterday - from UC Davis! I saw that the results page shows four other people who also got good news from Davis, so I was just curious who the others are! Anyone willing to claim? What's your subfield, what are you interested in studying, what profs would you want to work with? Are you planning to go to the admitted students weekend? (And anyone know when they'll give us info about the details?)
I really like the program because of my interests in ecocriticism and geographical/spatial approaches, specifically in the Modern period/20th century. I've also got a secondary interest is Romanticism. They've got a good number of faculty doing really interesting work in ecocriticism, globalization studies, cultural geography, transnationalism, etc. so I'm very happy! I was very worried about my California applications, considering the budget situation, but he did say 5 years of funding, although the specifics come in the next few weeks. Anyone have further info on Davis's funding?
And actually, if anyone out there has any info at all on the program - or the place! - I'd love to hear about it!
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Sigh. I'd love to live in Virginia...
God, I know. I do think Virginia is the most beautiful US state, and Charlottesville is pretty much Paradise on Earth. UVA was my second choice for undergrad, and though I made the right decision, I've dreamed of that place ever since. (Doesn't hurt that the program is a pretty perfect fit for me as well!)
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The answer to the original question is that it depends.
If that's an admission offer the sky gets cloudy, then a single sun beam shines through at your house. There's this divine aaaah sound first, then a messenger with a trumpet gives you your letter.
If it's an admission denial then too the sky gets cloudy, only there's no sun beam, and a lightning strikes in your yard leaving a scorched ground with a message: "NO".
The envelopes don't sound so bad now, do they?
Actually, yes they do - they sound so much more boring now! If I'm going to get rejected, I would love it to be from the hands of an angry God. Then I could also reevaluate my agnosticism!
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Maybe it's twelve. I can't really remember, though I'm fairly certain it's a low multiple of four for some reason, not sure why...all of these other numbers floating around in my head are getting mushed together. Anyway, I know it's not too, too many, and I did get it straight from the horse's mouth that they received more than 500 applications.
Ha, that's funny that you remember it that way. Twelve sounds more in line with what I was expecting, though I think my friend's cohort was somewhere in the mid-teens. The difference between eight and twelve is probably totally trivial - but somehow in my mind it's so much better! And I guess it IS infinitely different if you're one of those golden four...
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Some schools do evaluations in rounds--GRE/GPA consideration--then SOP/LOR--then writing sample. Certainly possible UVA works that way too.
Yeah...I can't blame them for not being able to read all 400 25-page samples. Makes sense for them to do cuts in other ways first.
Eight spots? Yikes. That's significantly less than my friend's cohort (he started in Fall 2007).
UC Davis
in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
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mj88 - I also haven't received anything official from them yet, but on the phone they said Colin Milburn "wants to send out the details in the next two to three weeks." Since it's been exactly two weeks today from that phone call, it seems like today would be the earliest they would SEND them out, meaning the package would come later. But I bet it'll be another week or so before we hear.
Thanks for the Davis wiki link, Brokenmoped! It's a nice resource. And yes, I've checked out some of Timothy Morton's stuff already - he's great. And Michael Ziser was the one who made the call, actually! Seems like a good number of faculty are doing some really fascinating research, and it's great to hear that they make good mentors as well.