iwontbelyeveit

Katla, do you know if they send out all the invitations at the same time? I applied to Emory as well!

Comp Lit (Ukrainian, some Russian) here too!

snyegurachka: what is your area? Slavic I assume?

I applied to their Comp Lit too! Now I'm nervous!

queennight: AMAZING GIF. That's how I feel about simply applying to 16 places...I can't even begin to think about writing individual statements. I would have gone insane.

CONGRATS!!!

I wondered the same thing. I think it was based on my (fairly specific) interests on my profile, as I had posted a question along the lines of "has anyone heard back from Purdue?" He just sent me a message saying "This is the Purdue DGS. Could you email me at _____ about your application?" From there he told me that they liked my application and I was high up on the waitlist.

A couple application rounds ago, I was waitlisted at Purdue. I found this out because the DGS messaged me on GradCafe. We moved the conversation to email, but needless to say, yeah, they poke around on here. Also—I didn't end up getting a spot, but it worked out for the better. I ended up doing some other wonderful things for awhile, which enriched my CV, my academic interests, and my life in general. So if things don't go your way this round... you'll be alright. This year, however, all of my fingers and toes are crossed.....

I was just wondering the same thing, Katla. I know Emory's English department does interviews, but do they do them for Comp Lit as well?

Joining the "I found a typo in my submitted statement to 4 different schools" club. Is it worth contacting the department and trying to submit a revised copy? Or does that look worse? Also—who do I contact? DGS? Secretary? ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

This may have been asked already, but if my writing sample is an article I've published, would it be a good or bad idea to submit the published version (i.e. the article PDF)? Thanks!

Hi Comp Lit people! I'm wondering if there is anyone who would be interested in reading a SOP via a PM? I'm trying to get as much feedback as I can before I send it off! THANKS!

Thanks, All! I'll probably play it safe and only apply to one department per school. My interests are fairly specialized, Wyatt's Torch, but I'm broadening them, as I think this will be good for me in the long run. There's a place for me yet!

In an effort to broaden my applications, I am planning to apply to both comp lit departments and English departments. My question is—is it acceptable to apply to an English department and a Comp Lit department at the same University? Initially I didn't think much of it, but digging deeper, my concern is that if, for example, I'm claiming that NYU Comp Lit is a PERFECT fit while also claiming that NYU's English Department is perfect for me—will they, potentially, see that as disingenuous? (Assuming there is faculty who work in both departments). Thanks!

ExponentialDecay, this response is extraordinarily thoughtful, helpful, and thorough. I am truly grateful. Were you nearby, I would by you a beer.

Hello all. So I recently emailed one my professors from my M.A. program to get some insight on the route I want to take for my PhD. I wasn't crazy about his feedback, but I'm trying to figure out how much stock I should put in his response. My background: strong French background, M.A. in literature, thesis on Russian modernist writing. I then spent 2 years teaching in Ukraine, where I also got an excellent foundation in the Ukrainian language. I'm planning on applying to departments where I can work in this intersection between post-soviet and western writing (although my statement details that more intimately). Most of what he told me I already know, but essentially he said that ALL the work will be in the original languages, that I need to have an extensive knowledge of the literary histories (so in my case my M.A. in English is not quite sufficient, as they will want to see a degree in Slavic studies), and that most PhDs end up in national language (rather than literature) departments. This has thrown me for a loop for a couple of reasons, but primarily because it seems to me that Comp Lit has changed over the past 10 years or so. I recognize that there will be work in the language, of course, but that also comp lit seems to be integrating with other disciplines like gender studies, psychology, philosophy, etc. At this level, I could not do extensive sophisticated work in Ukrainian without some translation (although I plan on sharpening these skills in my program). I guess I'm just wondering if this is a good route for me. I, of course, want to be prepared and not look completely foolish applying to these programs. But I just don't seem my interests jiving as well in an English department. Any feedback anyone has is more than welcome.

Thanks, Wyatt's Torch! What a thoughtful response. I'm really proud of the work I've done in the genre, even as a measly M.A., and to have it validated like this (and by someone I want to work with) feels great. I'm always reluctant to pester POIs because I feel like they can see right through it, but in this case it seems like it would be fairly appropriate. Do you think I ought to explicitly mention that I noticed she used my article, or just hope she recognizes my name? Thanks!

Hi friends! Like many of you, I'm slowly but surely piecing my 2015 applications together—while also adjuncting at two different places and trying to remain sane. I have an issue I've been mulling over, and I'm wondering if I could get some solid advice. One of my DREAM schools has a professor I would love to work with. Wonderfully enough, after researching her work/teaching/background, I saw that in a course syllabus she listed an article I published while I was working on my M.A. Of course I was very excited about this (and flattered to boot), but now I'm wondering if I should somehow contact her or work this point into my personal statement. Is there a way to do it tactfully, or would I just sound obnoxious? Thanks all!

Good to know! Thanks, poliscar!

I've struggled with this issue a bit, as I'm in a similar situation—MA in English, and I'm applying to work with Slavic languages (Ukrainian and Russian), yet my knowledge of Ukrainian is good, but it's the result of living there for two years as opposed to formal training. And my Russian is (at this point) passive, and I haven't used my French since undergrad. I would, ideally, like to utilize the resources of a graduate to strengthen and hone these skills that feel kind of all over the place right now! For now, I'm seeking out programs that allow for that—mostly those who require intermediate knowledge of 1 to 2 other languages and allow time and resources to improve and continue study. The thing about Comparative literature as opposed to language departments seems to be the linguistic flexibility. If I wanted to do strictly Slavic studies, then I would need to have an advanced knowledge of Russian already. Comp lit seems to be more forgiving in this area...at least from what I see! Good luck!!!

Hey thanks for the feedback. I've heard a number of different things from different people. I think I will go the comp lit route, only because I'm not very interested in teaching language, and I like the comparative approach. I have a strong background in French as well, and I'd love to continue working in other Slavic languages, and ideally in an English or another comp lit department. The biggest concern I hear from others is marketability, but I'm getting a phd in the humanities kind of opposes marketability anyways Francophile, I live in Lutsk in Volyn oblast:) just north of L'viv. I love it here, and at such an interesting time. Ukrainians are so wonderful- it's been an education to say the least. You have a Ukrainian heritage! Do you know there language at all? Thanks:)

Or maybe a better question is-- what are some good programs one with my interests and background might look at? Thanks, friends!!!

Hello friends! This is a bit early, but I thought I'd put it out there anyways. So—I graduated with an MA in literature in 2011. My thesis was on 20th century Russian literature. I applied to PhD programs (mostly in English because I could not work in Russian yet) and got 6/6 rejections (not a fun few months). As a result, I decided to switch gears, so I joined the Peace Corps and now I live in Ukraine, where I've been teaching at a University, learning Ukrainian (some Russian), and even managed to squeak out a couple of publications. (FYI: This is me telling you that are other options for those of you who don't get in right away). However, I definitely want to finish my PhD, because I love it and just.can't.help.myself. And I definitely want to work within the realm of Slavic Studies, and now that I am better able work in the languages, I feel more confident. But at the same time I don't want to confine myself to it. My question is—for those of you currently in or applying to Comp Lit programs, would it be wise for me to move in that direction? Or would I be better off in the long run applying for solely language programs? Any feedback/insight/experience is welcome THANKS.