Marie-Luise

I don't think I ever said that I am applying because I saw a movie. I think I very specifically stated that I applied because I wanted to work with a professor. I was playing up cliches and was curious to see whether people would defend them or dismiss them. Besides, being a snob is a choice imho and not a vocation connected to a brand name. But it's a social phenomenon which fascinates a lot of Europeans. And when Hollywood blows up these cliches and the franchise is succesful, it must mean that there is at least a grain of truth in it. Personally, I don't have time for any kind of snob: social, economical or intellectual. People like this bore me to death. I started this thread because I was genuinely curious about other people's opinions, having very little information to volunteer on my own. I was going on the only thing I knew: cliches and hear-say. I have no issue with being corrected on a misconception; I am more than happy to see someone change my mind; it's often a very rewarding intellectual experience. And I shun the intellectual closet. In the end, the tone makes the music.

Thank you!

To get back to my original point: I was interested in people's opinions on Ivys specifically, since I applied to one. For the record, I don't think it's a silly question; it's quite a serious one actually. It would be a silly question if there wasn't a grain of truth about it. Like, "Can pigs be blue?" I am aware that snobbish behaviour is my no means limited to Ivy League students and I am not automatically accusing anyone of snobbiness because they go to an Ivy. Far from it. I didn't expect the answer to my post to be either yes or no. Because there is no such definitive answer. I am simply curious, as an outsider coming into the system, what the perceptions are from the inside. Naturally, I am playing with the cliches first. Thanks for all your responses!

So this is exciting! I never thought that in this life I would apply to an Ivy League school. As a European, we only really hear about them; we never go to them. We stay on our side of the Pond and watch the Facebook movie and Gilmore Girls (and did you hear about this Admissions movie with Tina Fey?) But it so happened that my research interests (medieval European lit) developed in a way which led me to apply an Ivy League school because the professor I would love, love, love to work with is affiliated with that Ivy school. Yup, it's Harvard. My best friend goes to the same school and it would be great if I could join her. BUT!!! I have heard things. Things about friends changing to snobs, not wanting to socialize with 'non-Ivy' friends anymore. Apparently Ivys change you, turn you into an elitist snob and make you an entirely contemptible person. How much of that is true? How much of that is prejudice? How much of it is insecurity? I would love to hear your thoughts!

How interesting. If I ever get asked that question in a quiz show and I'm on TV, I will have to pay you part of the prize. But I think I will stick to the original dozen, unless you want to argue that anyone who can read Latin and French, can also read Italian (with a dictionary).

*curtsies* Not all to the same degree, though. Some I know better than other and I count my native language among them and English as well. I have no idea what a baker's dozen is. I thought a dozen was 12. Bakers shouldn't mess with that

DontHate, I really like your posts and I do hope we get to be classmates! For the sake of a laugh, here are my stats, you know where I am applying! GPA: (Ireland and Berlin) foreign, doesn't translate, but top five graduate of my college; 3.81 at Notre Dame GRE: 156V/146Q/4.0AW plenty of research experience, a dozen languages, POI talked to chair about me; met with all faculty in person I also wish I could unlearn about the existence of gradcafe! Happy Madness to you all out there!

Where did you apply to, Lolotte? And what are your areas/languages? Have you received any responses from programmes yet?

Yup, same here. I emailed the dept to ask whether all my materials were in order. If they get back to me, I'll post the response. Thing is, once you are accepted you need to resubmit all that stuff again anyways.

Excellent! All of your areas sound very colourful and seem to call for a very diverse linguistic ability. So I see Yiddish, Hebrew, German and Portuguese? Quite nice really. I also received confirmation after submitting the application. So the application status says 'submitted', but that's all. I myself am a medievalist. My background is Old Irish/Medieval Welsh and Old French lit, but I want to focus on Medieval Latin and Russian scholarship at Harvard. POI is Jan Ziolkowski who is happy to supervise any future dissertation projects. So proposed four languages for now are Latin, Old French, either Middle High German or Greek, and Russian at least as the instructional language they mention. Also interested in palaeography and digital humanities. So looking at the secondary field in Medieval Studies or Germanic Languages and Literatures. I spent a week in Harvard in October and talked to David Damrosch, Gregory Nagy, Jan Ziolkowski, James Engell and Luis Girón-Negron. All of them really helpful and generous with their time. Hope it all works out in the end! Good luck to you all!

Excellent! I was beginning to think I was the only one on here! What are your areas of specialisation? Who would you like to work with? Did you visit? Finally potential cohort members!

Comp Lit is the s*** at Harvard, with a no. 1 ranking. I applied. We'll see what happens.

Anyone applying to Harvard Comp Lit?

Which schools have you applied to and which ones have accepted you?