engphiledu

As an English major, this speaks to my heart. Time to polish off my barista skills. 
 
University Of Tennessee Knoxville Poetry, MFA (F13) Rejected via E-mail on 16 Feb 2014 ♦ A 21 Feb 2014 Got a nice letter that said "due to the depressed job market for English graduates." Nice of them to remind you that not only have you been rejected, you also have no chance at jobs.

I like this short, sweet, and to the point response.

Cornell Anthropology, PhD applicant: "D'oh!"
 
Edit: Found another gem. It was hard to drop that much on application fees. . . 
 
Stanford, Modern Thought and Literature PhD: "Was it too much for an undergrad student to hope to make it to MTL? I guess with a less than 5 percent acceptance rate, I shouldn't even have tried and saved the $125 for a rave."

As an English major, this speaks to my heart. Time to polish off my barista skills. 
 
University Of Tennessee Knoxville Poetry, MFA (F13) Rejected via E-mail on 16 Feb 2014 ♦ A 21 Feb 2014 Got a nice letter that said "due to the depressed job market for English graduates." Nice of them to remind you that not only have you been rejected, you also have no chance at jobs.

There are several people from my cohort who applied. One received the email which said there were only 15 candidates being invited to two nights of interviews. Only five spots are available from those fifteen. So, unfortunately, I think Emory is out for me, too.
I applied to Maryland as well. I didn't receive any notification, so I'm not sure on that one. 
I know typically acceptances/rejections go out in waves, but with interviews, I don't think they spread those out. Sorry I don't have better news! 

Thank you everyone for the feedback! I understand that the primary reason for a second language is to help with source material, but at the same time, I know many Victorianists who work with the translations and don't have any problems with this (like @Silabus mentions :)). I'll have to decide if I have the time and the need to review French or German; I'll most likely also consult with professors at my program. It's good to know that I do have options, though, especially since I have proficiency in some (although unhelpful) languages.
I would still love to hear from people if they have any experience or advice with this topic! 

Received word from Indiana via email! I've finally received all the news for this application season, and I am still immensely excited at my choice!

For anyone waiting on Boston College, I just heard today. I removed my name from the waitlist, but they should be notifying all remaining waitlist candidates of your status by April 20. I also received an official rejection from North Carolina - Chapel Hill, so if you were waiting on final notification for that program, you might check your email. Still no word from Indiana, but I'll post when/if I know more for those who are waiting!

For anyone waiting on Boston College, I just heard today. I removed my name from the waitlist, but they should be notifying all remaining waitlist candidates of your status by April 20. I also received an official rejection from North Carolina - Chapel Hill, so if you were waiting on final notification for that program, you might check your email. Still no word from Indiana, but I'll post when/if I know more for those who are waiting!

As a Victorianist/19th century Americanist, I'll say that the languages which have most often been recommended have been French and German. I agree with what others have already said about possible connections with these languages, but here's another suggestion:
Speak with your potential committee members/DGS first. Some departments are more stringent about this requirement in that you have to create a thorough discussion of why you have chosen to pursue a particular language and justify its connection to your particular field of interest. Other departments are not as strict, and so they only emphasize that requirement for those who either 1) feel as though they will need to study primary sources or research in that other language or 2) have a sincere interest in learning the other language for their benefit. If your department is like the latter, and if you could learn another language but do not feel as though it is necessary to your academic pursuits, then you might go with a language with which you already have partial fluency. This will allow you to focus instead on your other research instead of spending as much time learning a new language or taking coursework.
So, for example, I have been considering learning French as my language (I only have basic training from high school). However, I have undergraduate training in Japanese, and although it has no connection to either of my fields, I not only feel as though it's likely that I'll expand my research into world literature eventually, but I am more likely to personally use the language (personal connections, travel, etc.). So, my plan is to explain my situation to the DGS and my committee, ask for their recommendations, and see if I can use Japanese as my language. It's not taking the easy way out or trying to avoid the work (especially since I'm willing to learn French if that's what they recommend), but I'm really considering my academic goals and how useful either language would be to me long-term. 
But, if you really think learning French or another language will be beneficial to your research in that you'll be doing some translations and need a working knowledge, then go for it! Again, I think the primary reason why this is still a requirement is because having that ability to work with primary documents in the original language is so pivotal in many different arenas and fields, but you also have to be realistic about your goals. Best of luck!!

As a Victorianist/19th century Americanist, I'll say that the languages which have most often been recommended have been French and German. I agree with what others have already said about possible connections with these languages, but here's another suggestion:
Speak with your potential committee members/DGS first. Some departments are more stringent about this requirement in that you have to create a thorough discussion of why you have chosen to pursue a particular language and justify its connection to your particular field of interest. Other departments are not as strict, and so they only emphasize that requirement for those who either 1) feel as though they will need to study primary sources or research in that other language or 2) have a sincere interest in learning the other language for their benefit. If your department is like the latter, and if you could learn another language but do not feel as though it is necessary to your academic pursuits, then you might go with a language with which you already have partial fluency. This will allow you to focus instead on your other research instead of spending as much time learning a new language or taking coursework.
So, for example, I have been considering learning French as my language (I only have basic training from high school). However, I have undergraduate training in Japanese, and although it has no connection to either of my fields, I not only feel as though it's likely that I'll expand my research into world literature eventually, but I am more likely to personally use the language (personal connections, travel, etc.). So, my plan is to explain my situation to the DGS and my committee, ask for their recommendations, and see if I can use Japanese as my language. It's not taking the easy way out or trying to avoid the work (especially since I'm willing to learn French if that's what they recommend), but I'm really considering my academic goals and how useful either language would be to me long-term. 
But, if you really think learning French or another language will be beneficial to your research in that you'll be doing some translations and need a working knowledge, then go for it! Again, I think the primary reason why this is still a requirement is because having that ability to work with primary documents in the original language is so pivotal in many different arenas and fields, but you also have to be realistic about your goals. Best of luck!!

As a Victorianist/19th century Americanist, I'll say that the languages which have most often been recommended have been French and German. I agree with what others have already said about possible connections with these languages, but here's another suggestion:
Speak with your potential committee members/DGS first. Some departments are more stringent about this requirement in that you have to create a thorough discussion of why you have chosen to pursue a particular language and justify its connection to your particular field of interest. Other departments are not as strict, and so they only emphasize that requirement for those who either 1) feel as though they will need to study primary sources or research in that other language or 2) have a sincere interest in learning the other language for their benefit. If your department is like the latter, and if you could learn another language but do not feel as though it is necessary to your academic pursuits, then you might go with a language with which you already have partial fluency. This will allow you to focus instead on your other research instead of spending as much time learning a new language or taking coursework.
So, for example, I have been considering learning French as my language (I only have basic training from high school). However, I have undergraduate training in Japanese, and although it has no connection to either of my fields, I not only feel as though it's likely that I'll expand my research into world literature eventually, but I am more likely to personally use the language (personal connections, travel, etc.). So, my plan is to explain my situation to the DGS and my committee, ask for their recommendations, and see if I can use Japanese as my language. It's not taking the easy way out or trying to avoid the work (especially since I'm willing to learn French if that's what they recommend), but I'm really considering my academic goals and how useful either language would be to me long-term. 
But, if you really think learning French or another language will be beneficial to your research in that you'll be doing some translations and need a working knowledge, then go for it! Again, I think the primary reason why this is still a requirement is because having that ability to work with primary documents in the original language is so pivotal in many different arenas and fields, but you also have to be realistic about your goals. Best of luck!!

As a Victorianist/19th century Americanist, I'll say that the languages which have most often been recommended have been French and German. I agree with what others have already said about possible connections with these languages, but here's another suggestion:
Speak with your potential committee members/DGS first. Some departments are more stringent about this requirement in that you have to create a thorough discussion of why you have chosen to pursue a particular language and justify its connection to your particular field of interest. Other departments are not as strict, and so they only emphasize that requirement for those who either 1) feel as though they will need to study primary sources or research in that other language or 2) have a sincere interest in learning the other language for their benefit. If your department is like the latter, and if you could learn another language but do not feel as though it is necessary to your academic pursuits, then you might go with a language with which you already have partial fluency. This will allow you to focus instead on your other research instead of spending as much time learning a new language or taking coursework.
So, for example, I have been considering learning French as my language (I only have basic training from high school). However, I have undergraduate training in Japanese, and although it has no connection to either of my fields, I not only feel as though it's likely that I'll expand my research into world literature eventually, but I am more likely to personally use the language (personal connections, travel, etc.). So, my plan is to explain my situation to the DGS and my committee, ask for their recommendations, and see if I can use Japanese as my language. It's not taking the easy way out or trying to avoid the work (especially since I'm willing to learn French if that's what they recommend), but I'm really considering my academic goals and how useful either language would be to me long-term. 
But, if you really think learning French or another language will be beneficial to your research in that you'll be doing some translations and need a working knowledge, then go for it! Again, I think the primary reason why this is still a requirement is because having that ability to work with primary documents in the original language is so pivotal in many different arenas and fields, but you also have to be realistic about your goals. Best of luck!!

What genre(s) do you work in? If it's the novel, that might be another reason to consider French. Given the richness of novelistic output in France during that period, it could be a useful area to have open to you for the sake of a comparative context. Russian could provide this as well but would probably be more difficult to learn. As much as it pains me to say it, German probably makes less sense if you're doing the Novel in this time period.
 
(Also not a Victorianist)

I'm going to throw in German as a suggestion. I don't know much about German fiction of the era, but I know that there was frequent and important exchange of ideas between England and Germany. And if you want to delve into the areas around the Victorian era for contextualization purposes, the German Romanticists set some precedents.
Disclaimer: I'm not a Victorianist.

Hi, everyone! Congratulations on all of the acceptances this round - I am so happy for all of you who had success and sending positive vibes to those who are trying to figure out next steps. 
I couldn't find this info anywhere on the thread, so apologies if I'm being redundant, but I have noticed some other questions about language training and am hoping to get an opinion on this. I speak Polish (intermediate) and Romanian (heritage speaker but I can't read or write), but these languages are not relevant to my area of interest (19th century British lit & women writers in this period). In my MA program at CU Boulder I need to pass a language exam in the language of my choosing, and I definitely want to do something that would be relevant to my area of interest. If I'm a Victorianist and primarily interested in women writers, does anyone have any recommendations for language? I'm not sure if I should study German since I have some interest in Marxist criticism, or if I should study Latin just to have a solid base if I go back to any EM texts (I could see myself doing that since I used to want to focus on EM and have a lot of experience in that time period). Another question: how relevant is the language you choose? Could I theoretically take the MA language exam in Polish, just because of my background and to get it out of the way quickly, without it hurting my chances of getting into a PhD program in a few years? I don't want to continue with a language that isn't relevant to me, but at the same time, not sure what language I should study instead. I am definitely open to studying Latin or German, I'm just not sure how helpful it would actually end up being. 
If you're a Victorianist or doing 18th/19th century Brit Lit, I would love to hear about your experience with language and what was recommended to you in either your MA or PhD program. I really don't see myself using lit or criticism using another language (at least at this point), so I'm just at a loss. 
Thanks in advance  

Having a French lit background, I feel all early modern, modern and early contemp. periods in France have interacted a lot with Britain historically and artistically (and I'm specifically referring to literature, of course). The other way around seems to work as well, even in the history of book publishing. So I'd vouch for French, too! With my very small experience of the matter.

The paperwork is in! I'm officially headed to U of Florida in August~!

Will anyone else be down in the heat with me?

Hi all, friendly lurker here—I'll be at Cornell in the fall as well! Actually in the Comp Lit department, but I'm sure I'll be spending a fair amount of time down the hall in English  

I GOT INTO DUQUESNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

I got off the CUNY Graduate Center's waitlist! I'm in! I'm a Victorianist! Thank you, Victorianist/Romanticist who declined their offer! 

Hey all,
 
I've just accepted my PhD offer from the University of Michigan! While a lot of people I know have pressured me to hold out for Princeton, just in case, I think I would probably end up choosing Michigan anyway because it is a MUCH better research and temperamental fit. So yeah.
 
Good luck everyone who's still in the throes of uncertainty!

Congratulations to everyone on their acceptances.  I have decided to attend the MA program for Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois starting in September 2017.  I was offered full funding plus a stipend so I decided to take it.  Good luck to everyone as you start your programs in the fall.  :).

Me three

I'm also thrilled to have accepted my offer from Cornell! *cheers* 
The ability to totally "customize" the program was a huge selling point for me, especially since my work is nestled within a few intersecting disciplines. 

Thrilled to accept my offer from Cornell. The place was full of energy (not to mention its material correlate, $) for the humanities, with a constant stream of speakers, institutes, fellowships, yearly themes, not to mention a solid collegiality and openness between grad students and faculty. And excited to be done with it all!