Ramus

Mmm I gave out thank you cards, but I don't intend to give out gifts. When I applied to MA programs two years ago, two of my three recommenders explicitly stated that I shouldn't give them gifts because LOR writing falls under their 'service' expectations. Between that and the fact that I'd only be able to afford to give out bottles of Yellow Tail, I think I'll stick with 'thank you's. But I agree with 1Q84 that, were you to give out gifts, it'd probably be best to wait until decisions start rolling in.

I can't remember where exactly this originated, but I know someone recently speculated that a lower number of applicants might have something to do with Rutgers extending its deadline. I think that the original remark about a lower applicant pool arose from a similar situation, with someone trying to account for something they saw on a program website. And while I share 1Q84's hesitation about reading too much into these signs, I think -- if I, too, can speculate for a moment -- there might be a chance that fewer applicants this year. While I haven't seen definite proof of this in any article, I think it's probable that the number of applications to PhD programs in English Lit mirrors the downward trends that other postgraduate programs have seen. A number of recent articles have talked about the five year dip in law school applications (see below). Now, I realize that law and lit programs are very different , but law is experiencing many of the same issues that we're seeing in the humanities right now -- most importantly, a glut in the number of graduates and thus a poor job market. Are undergraduates in general starting to think that limited job prospects simply aren't worth the time and effort that a postgraduate degree requires? http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/law-school-enrollment-falls-to-lowest-level-since-1987/

So long as you applied by the deadline, when exactly you apply will not affect either your chances of acceptance and/or funding. And to answer your question regarding Arizona: I was accepted there two years ago (for Lit, not Rhet/Comp), and I ultimately turned down their offer because of the teaching load. As their DGS explained to me then, they hit you with a 2/2 teaching load right out of the gate, which can be really overwhelming for a first time teacher. Having said that, I know their RhetComp faculty are really well respected and have clout in the field, so you should weight that against the teaching load.

Consider reading it alongside the Harvey and Spenser's 1580 Three Proper, and wittie, familiar Letters - one of the letters in this volume (can't remember which of the top of my head) contains some remarks on English prosody which complement those Sidney articulates in the Defence. I'm really intrigued by Harvey/Spenser/Sidney's efforts to integrate classical prosody -- it proved to be a foolish endeavor, but it's fascinating nonetheless. As for me, I'm currently working through Hobbes' Leviathan. I read some of it a few years ago when I was interested in Milton's ontology, but haven't returned to it since. So far I've been amazed at how smoothly it reads. I was really intimidated when I first attempted it, but it's turning out to be much more approachable than I remember.

Had the same experience a couple of years back when I had to interview. At that point I thought it best to restrict my smoking to the evening (the interview process lasted all weekend), and I think that was the right choice. While I don't think it would substantially affect any POI's or adcom's decision, you want to avoid doing anything that could irritate anybody of importance. And since some people are really anti-smoker, I'd advise your friend to stick with the patch or to smoke only after the interviewing is done for the day.

For those of you going the early modern route, UConn and Fordham both look to be good options. Funding over $20K/year is pretty uncommon in schools outside the Top 20, but UConn and Fordham both clock in around $21K. I'm sure this has been brought up in other threads on safety schools, but teaching loads are real problem for programs outside the top 50. I'm currently in the MA program at Alabama, teaching a 2-2 comp load, and I've found that teaching this much while balancing coursework and writing a thesis is pretty exhausting. From what I've seen, a 2-2 is fairly common at schools lower down the list, especially state schools. Just something to keep in mind.

Last year I attended a seminar at the Folger with a PhD from GW, and she had few positive things to say about her program. Specifically, she mentioned that the faculty weren't supportive and that there wasn't really any semblance of community among the early modern cohort. I'm not sure how representative she is of the early modern students there, but her anecdotes didn't really speak well of the program.