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Abyss21

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Everything posted by Abyss21

  1. Abyss21
    Thanks for the advice! I was expecting the best and now I'm pacing myself for the worst. Seeing people starting to get interviews has definitely helped with that mindset change haha. Also my partner actually has been the positive one in this whole experience.
  2. Abyss21
    I've begun seeing a couple of people talking about their invitations to interview with the University of Chicago's English department. Since I have not yet received an interview invitation, I am wondering how worried I should be. Chicago's English PhD program is one of my top choices and I'm not sure whether this is a sign that I probably didn't get in. I'm an international applicant from Canada so I'm not wondering if that might have something to do with the delay or whether they simply haven't send all of the interview invitations out yet. I'm probably overthinking it all but it's all becoming too real and my nails need a break from the constant biting (although I don't think that'll stop until I find out all of the application results). Thanks in advance for any information you guys can give me!
  3. Abyss21
    So how worried should I be if I didn't get an email for an interview? I'm an international applicant so I don't know if that changes anything. I'm so nervous now (shouldn't have checked The Grad Cafe).
  4. Abyss21
    I also applied to several top schools with a score of 158v and 152q so we're all in the same shoes (if that makes you feel better)
  5. Abyss21
    As a Canadian, I am applying to both Canadian and American universities for my PhD in English. I am also completely devastated by the American election results. The main reason I applied to American schools and strongly considered them over Canadian schools is because I have heard time and time again about how degrees from the top American universities give people a much higher chance to get a tenure-track job afterwards compared to even the highest ranking Canadian schools (i.e. the University of Toronto, the University of Alberta, etc.). I honestly feel very strongly opposed to going to an American school now that these election results have come in. My question is how true is the notion that all Canadian schools are second-tier (even the best ones) in relation to the best American ones? Is it really that much harder to get a job after getting a PhD from a Canadian university (personal experiences are encouraged for this question)? Is it still worth it for me to potentially choose an American school due to its prestige when I really don't feel safe about that decision? I know that it's way too early in the application season to be asking these questions, but any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is also not an invitation to have political debates about Trump's victory. I simply mentioned it to emphasize that I do not feel safe going to that country anymore. My question is really just whether it is still worth it to suck it up and potentially go to the states for the job prospects that an American degree offers.
  6. Abyss21
    Thank you for the suggestions, everyone! I've decided to keep one quotation in my statement of purpose but to not have a Works Cited page since that seems to be the norm. Also, congratulations vaporeon (love that name by the way) on getting into your dream school! Hopefully things go that well for me too.
  7. Abyss21
    Is a bibliography or a works cited page needed for the statement of purpose? I was planning on using one or two quotations from external sources and discuss my theoretical approaches, including theorists' names and texts.
  8. Abyss21
    One of the universities that I'm applying to says that the writing sample should be 15-20 pages but no longer than 5000 words. This makes no sense because 5000 words is approximately 15 pages and most of my MA papers are still between 15-20 pages but longer than 5000 words. Should I strictly adhere to the 5000 word requirement or allow myself to submit a longer paper as long as it is within the 15-20 page limit? I emailed the department asking for a clarification about this and received no reply so I'm looking to my fellow gradcafe people for advice. That same university says that BOTH MA students and PhD students should submit a 500 word Statement of Purpose, which once again makes no sense for a PhD when every other university asks for a 1000 word one. Finally, I had another question about length requirements for the writing sample: If the writing sample is supposed to be no more than 20 pages, does this include the Works Cited? Can I still submit a paper than is 20 pages in length but has a 2 page Works Cited (making the document 22 pages in total)? Thanks in advance for the help!
  9. Abyss21
    Thank you very much for these suggestions. You've basically answered my questions about going into interdisciplinary programs at the "top" schools. I am strongly considering applying to Duke's Literature program and potentially another program or two from the ones that you have recommended. I actually was planning on making my dissertation very multifaceted in the sense that every chapter will likely focus on a different medium. It's good to know that that is a marketable technique for the difficult job hunt that's looming in the distant-ish future. You've summarized the answers to all of the questions I've been having very concisely so I really appreciate your help!
  10. Abyss21
    I just called ETS again and found out some incredibly valuable information about what room the test will be in: BSB 246. Having gone to McMaster for my undergraduate degree, I can confirm that this is the Burke Science Building, second floor, room 246. It's right in the middle of the university, which should make life easier for me and for everybody else writing the test. Now the one thing is that they hopefully don't change the room last minute.
  11. Abyss21
    From what I've been told, Magoosh's vocabulary flashcards are supposed to be quite helpful.
  12. Abyss21
    While I can't tell you what to expect, I can tell you that I am in the exact same boat as you! From what I've been told, your Statement of Interests and your Reference Letters are much more important than your GRE scores. Also, some universities care more about GRE scores than others (apparently some students at Berkeley and Stanford have gotten in with low GRE scores while the University of Michigan cares quite a bit because they give out teaching positions based on GRE scores). I personally have opted out of applying to Columbia because their website seemed to hint at the necessity for high GRE scores but I'm still crazily enough probably applying to Harvard like you even though according to some questionable statistics, Harvard students have the highest GRE scores on average (although Harvard's website said that there is no minimum for GRE scores). Trying to figure out which universities you should exclude based on your GRE scores is a daunting venture (I know from personal experience based on what I am literally going through right now), so I would focus more on which universities fit best with your research and which faculty you would most like to work with.
  13. Abyss21
    Thank you very much for your suggestions! I have been contemplating switching over to Media Studies for a while now. I know that you mentioned the expanding market for the field, but I am concerned about going into a more specific, interdisciplinary program rather than English because I've heard from several sources that it is much more difficult to get a job at the end that way. For example, I am interested in Brown's Modern Culture and Media, but would it give me the same kinds of opportunities as an English degree? While someone with an English PhD can go on to work in more specific, interdisciplinary fields, I've heard that it is more difficult for someone with a more specific field to get a job in a more general field like English.
  14. Abyss21
    That program sounds intriguing! I'll definitely look into it. My one concern would be my complete lack of experience in DH. Do the other students who take DH courses have a pretty solid background in it or is it new for many of them?
  15. Abyss21
    Thank you for the advice! I've been thinking about the job prospects a lot in my decision making process and I agree with your assessment of an English vs. a Film Studies degree. If I could find a program in English that allows me to dabble in Digital Humanities, then that would likely be a better alternative to simply going straight into a Film Studies degree. From what I've heard, some English PhD programs are offering coding courses (like University of Alberta) so it's definitely something for me to look into.
  16. Abyss21
    Yeah, I kept clicking "verify" and the button didn't seem to be working. It just kept loading but never actually verifying it for me. I just contacted the technical support desk a few hours ago and they fixed my problem very quickly. It was a glitch. Overall, I'm very impressed with the tech support team. They were great!
  17. Abyss21
    Makes sense! I only asked because I found an equal amount of faculty that I could work with in both programs and both seem like a great fit with my research.
  18. Abyss21
    The final portion of the SSHRC application to be printed is the Application Checklist form. The website says that it should print automatically after I print the online application form but that is not happening for me. Does anybody know how I can access the Application Checklist form (for a direct applicant)? Thanks!
  19. Abyss21
    Do both programs accept the same amount of people (i.e. is it more difficult to get into one over the other)?
  20. Abyss21
    Thank you for the advice! I will definitely look into the specifics of each of the programs I'm considering and cater my application to each individual program's specific focuses. Thank you for also clarifying that I don't necessarily have to switch departments - that helps take a huge weight off my shoulders.
  21. Abyss21
    Hmm alright, so it's still pretty difficult to really determine what exactly they mean by a "formality" when it comes to the subject lit GRE. I appreciate the information about Berkeley, Harvard, and Chicago though! These details will definitely help me decide whether I should apply to their English programs (I'm also considering a couple of other programs at those universities too).
  22. Abyss21
    And if my subject lit is VERY bad? (not just average)
  23. Abyss21
    Yes, those are definitely all very important factors to consider. I initially wanted to apply somewhere warm, considering that I've had to deal with Canadian winters practically all my life. However, Harvard, University of Chicago, and UPenn are also strong considerations. It helps that they're within driving distance from home and that they have professors who have very similar research interests to me (although the California schools do too). Basically, I would have to really weigh out my options depending on which universities accept me. However, for now, I'm still unsure about whether my GRE score is sufficient or whether it'll severely hinder my ability to get into these schools in the first place. Edit: Alright, so considering the ambiguous meaning of the word "competitive," that might mean that I should attempt to retake the GRE. Thanks for letting me know about that!
  24. Abyss21
    Thanks for the reply! I've looked into each of those schools and found professors who I would love to work with based on my research interests. Those schools are all quite different, but each professor whom I'd consider working with has something unique that would be very useful for my future research. So, I'm not just applying to those places because they're "top" schools.
  25. Abyss21
    I'm having a tough time deciding between two directions for my PhD - English Literature or Film and Media. I have a Master's degree in English Literature and a Bachelor's degree in English with minors in Theatre and Film as well as Linguistics. I've always been drawn to interdisciplinary theories, such as structuralism, post-structuralism, psychoanalysis, critical theory (the Frankfurt School), feminist theory, queer theory, postcolonialism, and deconstruction. My literary interests have been almost exclusively contemporary and postmodern, and I don't particularly value literature as a medium above popular culture (e.g. television shows), film, media (e.g. advertisements), etc. My master's thesis analyzed literature in conjunction with film and advertisements and my primary theoretical focus derived from film and media studies. However, I lack the background in the technological aspects of media and film (I don't know coding and I've never made my own movie or other digital project). I've been debating for a while about whether to switch from English Literature to a Film and Media direction, but I'm also concerned about the job opportunities available to Film/Media PhDs vs. English Literature PhDs. I've ruled out the possibility of going into Gender and Sexuality, Cultural Studies, or Critical Theory programs because of my concern that they are too specific for the post-PhD job hunt. However, from what I've noticed, many universities are strongly embracing the digital humanities and seem to be going in the direction of Media/Film studies. I also feel that Media and Film would offer me the opportunities to learn practical technological skills rather than only the theoretical foundation that PhDs typically offer. Just wanted to check out other peoples' opinions on this matter. Thanks in advance for the help! Clearly I'm not the most decisive person out there haha.
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