Nighthob

Just putting this out there. U of SC also has two dedicated medievalists (Crocker and Gwara). And you should see the illuminated manuscripts in the library!

I'll be starting a PhD in English Lit this fall. Because my focus is ridiculously interdisciplinary, I think it'll be a great place for me. I attended the Graduate Recruitment Weekend last week, and I loved what I heard and saw. According to the DGS, they've worked to bring in some great profs and increase their resources in the past five years. They have interdisciplinary work with Film and Media Studies, Southern Studies, Women's Studies, and they have a lot of interest in Digital Humanities. They've typically been known for Rhet/Comp and American lit, and (holy crap!) they have some great resources -- particularly their Fitzgerald and Hemingway collections. But, most people don't realize they also have one of the largest Scottish literature collections outside the UK. So, there's lots of good stuff going on there. The website doesn't do the program justice. I highly recommend contacting the profs directly and finding out more about their research if you're looking at Carolina. And I agree that the Columbia campus is nice. The library is fantastic! Also, I made friends with a number of the students just from hanging out with them at Graduate Recruitment, so I can say that everyone seemed friendly, open, and helpful.

Off-topic from UNCG, but... I'm stunned to hear you include South Carolina. I've gotten very prompt and courteous responses to my emails throughout the process. I attended their graduate recruitment last weekend, and everyone was incredibly nice -- from the faculty to the students to the guy at the cafe in the Humanities quad. I was unsure about going until I visited, but the collegial atmosphere swayed me.

Thanks, Joe. Not sure from your previous post if you're actually waitlisted there, but if so, good luck to you as well. It's been over a week since the graduate recruitment days, and I've still not heard a peep yet.

I received the same letter yesterday. I have very mixed feelings. On one hand, a friend pointed out to me that the potential recommendations are worth their weight in gold (or weight in education debt). On the other hand, I already have a Master's in a sister field which included many graduate level English classes. So, another Master's instead of a PhD, a year of debt when I could continue working at a job I love with great benefits. Maybe I'm being cynical because of my disappointment, but it almost feels like a ploy to get additional income for the school. Or maybe it's their standard practice. Or maybe I'm overthinking it. It also looks from the results board like there's a separate waitlist for PhD applicants, so I can't even console myself by thinking the MA invitation is a waitlist consolation prize. Ugh. I don't know what to do.

My subfields are medieval literature and medievalism, so I'm interested in Lupack, Peck, Hahn, and Grella.

All kidding aside, it's a combination of things. The faculty is amazing. I'm desperate to work with Bonnie Wheeler, but there are a lot of other profs there with work that interests me also -- Dumitrescu, Sudan, Neel, Foster, Moss.I favor small student-faculty ratios. Though small programs generally have fewer resources, often students will get to work more closely with faculty and cohorts. My background includes an undergrad from Wellesley (my biggest class was probably 30 people -- and that was a 100-level science class!) and a graduate degree from a program with a 1:1 student-faculty ratio.The funding is good, and medical benefits are key for me. Since I'll be leaving the work force to reenter academia, I'll be losing a job with excellent benefits, and SMU's financial package will help compensate for that better than some other places.As a small, selective undergraduate college, SMU has a good student faculty ratio for undergrads. When you consider that part of your job as a PhD student is to teach undergrad classes, that can make a difference in both your work load and the quality of discourse you can expect from your students.And did I mention Bonnie Wheeler? And the Med/Ren program? And the Dallas Medieval Consortium? Yum! The newness of the program means that while it doesn't have the clout of some other places, students will have more ability to help shape the program than elsewhere. I earned my master's degree (in Education) from a program that was similarly new, and it's grown into a solid program. I guess that experience has given me confidence in new programs. The big concern, I think, is placement. That's not something that a graduate student at SMU is going to be able to judge right now. However, given the caliber of the faculty, I suspect that SMU grads will do well. I also believe (perhaps erroneously) that it's less about the name on your diploma than what you've done during your time. A posh name might open a few more doors initially, but it's not the only factor. There are also some lesser points of interest for me. I think Dallas would be a great city to live in. I'm Buddhist, and Dallas has a surprisingly strong Buddhist community. Dallas is for geeks; I make no apologies for being a geek and loving roleplaying games, and Dallas has geek resources. Despite being known for its oil industry, Dallas is actually very eco-friendly, which is important to me. Housing is also an important factor for me, and the average home sales price in the greater Dallas area is only about $100k currently.

Please, for the love of all that is good, if you've been accepted to SMU and anywhere else, choose the anywhere else option so I can get off their waitlist. You don't really want to be in Dallas, do you? All that big Texan hair and people who think the Bush family is the second coming. No, no. You want to be at that other school that chose you, the one with that professor you think would be great to work with. That professor is awesome. You can't turn down an opportunity like that, right? I'll take your place at SMU. I already have big hair! And my family is full of right-wingers! Hell, I'll even become Methodist! So, please don't feel bad about turning down SMU. I can take that bullet for you. It's a sacrifice, but I'm willing to make it.

I contacted the grad sec yesterday to get an update. She said Lit PhD applicants should hear something in a week or so. Good luck, all.

That the same reply she gave me when I asked, but other posters have said their info is that all accepted students have been contacted via email or phone already. I just don't know any more.

Anybody got an update on Purdue? I still haven't heard anything, and I assume this is bad news. Can any confirm whether or not all PhD offers have been made?