Swagato

Contacting POIs goes both ways in my (limited) experience. If you really have a good relationship with them, go ahead. Be polite, demonstrate your curiosity, do not put them on the spot, and do not seem desperate.

Why don't you lie down on that couch and tell me about your momma?

Great going, Don'tHate. Which one is this?

Good to see another MAPHer here. You're a 2012 graduate I take it? English is always tough--what are your acceptances thus far?

Excellent news, StephanieDelacour. Where was the US acceptance?

The Whistler: Do take a look at UChicago's MAPH option. A few limited scholarships are offered, so if you end up receiving such an offer, I would not dismiss it out of hand. I am a graduate of that program, and I can definitely say it has been absolutely crucial to positioning me well for PhD work--in terms of an understanding of expectations at these levels, the ability to craft my writing, the all-important connections with past alumni and present professors, and, yes, some doors that open up at the mention of the university's name. I cannot speak for NYU's equivalent program, but I know that the Chicago MAPH is very well regarded by faculty at top programs, and regularly places graduates to PhD positions at top departments. Of course, it's all about how you work it, so don't take it for granted.

Good lord this thread is a mess. Hopefully it recovers soon. Everyone has made some good points here. Keely's background combined with her unquestionable scholarly potential and achievements thus far basically makes them a poster-kid for top-notch graduate programs. We'd be deluding ourselves if we wanted to argue that affirmative action ideas and options played no role in their success. But that is not at all a negative reflection on their scholarly merit! We, each of us, must learn to use any and all advantages we (think we) have, if we're going to land that tenure track job. They're increasingly scarce as it is. So, sure, I would imagine that Berkeley's "Personal History" statement would, for Keely, have presented a golden opportunity to blast hell out of the adcom with their fascinating life story. How many applicants, right there, would pale in comparison, regardless of scholarly merit? Kudos to them for not only overcoming adversity, but for being able to translate it into a powerful edge over the vast majority of PhD applicants.

UC-SB notified of rejections very early on, but seems to have spread their acceptance notifications over a longer period. Berkeley likely notified all at once. The others are clustering together recently, but perhaps not by design.

I should add that the OP's comment really smacks of a lack of awareness regarding the relevance of Ivy institutions to graduate work. While it is certainly true that most of the Ivies will offer, arguably, a greater wealth in terms of resources and perhaps opportunities, it is definitely not necessarily true that an Ivy department trumps non-Ivy departments--whether in terms of faculty strength, job placement, or other metrics. This is true for all disciplines.

Quite a bunch. Not counting official rejection (UCSB) and implicit ones, 7 are left to notify.

I confirmed with the DGS, English, that film studies notifications had not been made yet. She only replied to that email this morning. Then, just a few minutes back, she emailed me cc'ing film studies, with the official waitlist notification.

I'm going to put one foot in here, because I've just learnt that I am waitlisted at Pittsburgh's English+Film Studies program. I've almost 8-9 programs to hear back from, but goodness, this is my first bit of good news this season, and I dearly hope it will convert.

I'm waitlisted at Pitt for English+Film. I'm not sure whether to jump or punch a wall.

$#@%@#$^ I'm waitlisted at Pitt.

Except I'm not bloody accepted! Yet!

I adopted a mix of these two approaches. There aren't that many stellar programs in film and visual studies, so my job was made a bit easier. First off, I went for fit. Second, I went for reputation and placement within the field. Again, film and visual studies is a small world, so despite the lack of 'official' rankings (such as Brian Leiter's Philosophical Gourmet Report), it's fairly straightforward to, if not rank, at least bracket off programs in tiers. Third and last step, apply as widely as possible within each bracket while factoring for research and faculty fit, and recent placement. I think this is a general rubric that can be applied to any field.

Ha, I didn't even know there was an image/a meme of it. But, it's the internet, so of course someone did that. Still, it only reinforces what to my mind is a fatal difference that the Oxford comma's presence or absence can make.

Okay, I'll play along. Why is there even a debate concerning the Oxford comma? As far as I'm concerned, its presence or absence can completely change the meaning of a sentence. To wit: "We invented the strippers, JFK, and Stalin." versus "We invented the strippers, JFK and Stalin."

Pitt will more than likely notify this week. Will the Chicago admit really not come forth? I'm really keen on learning any other information available re: cohort size, possible waitlists, etc.

I received an extremely warm response from one department to my inquiring email. It's raised my hopes, even though at this point I dare not hope. But I would so love to get this one in hand.

So. If anyone applied to Pittsburgh English+another department (eg. English+Film for me), they will notify this week. /drinks heavily.

Conley, Laura Frahm, and Giuliana Bruno would be incredible guides for me as far as my interest in the site/space of screening, spatiality, and "visual constructions" of space go. I'm in film studies, broadly interested in the relations between screens and their spaces in visual culture at large, with particular interests in paracinema/experimental cinema/moving image arts. The Harvard Visual Studies program would be absolutely wonderful, but one can only hope. I have not established contact with faculty members, and it's something I wish I had done. But to be honest, I was too abashed. In any case, for visual studies I know that you receive a call one day, borne on dulcet tones and smelling of roses. I don't know the protocol for comp lit.

That is excellent! Were you an applicant to Pitt-English? Or English Lit? Or one of the English-associated areas? (Composition, etc.)

And this is precisely why, when venting last night, I fulminated about the standards expected of admitted PhD students at top-tier departments. On the one hand, I do not believe that every admitted student came in with a writing sample so blindingly good that it's the next thing to a Critical Inquiry piece. On the other hand, I do believe it was probably good enough that the adcom perceived that coachable, trainable potential in the writing (and the thought it displays). So where on earth is the middle ground?

Yes, this is something I have wondered about. The thing is, MAPH at Chicago regularly sends graduates into the PhD programs at Chicago. Conversations with various faculty members consistently resulted in the indication that academic incest was not nearly as much of a concern as it is in other, "regular" cases (i.e., BA -> PhD at the same institution).