WildeThing

None, I have chaired several and it’s quite straightforward. During the panel you’re just introducing people, controlling the time, and letting others ask questions. If no one does you should ask questions, or if one panelist isn’t getting any you ask them. Before the panel you just need to stay in touch with the panelists, making sure they know where to go and such. If you also need to manage the CFP that’s a bit more laborious but not that hard either. The only two requisites to chairing a panel is knowing how a panel works (easily fixed by going to the first panels, assuming yours isn’t the first) and having a good grasp of the field or topic at hand.

That’s a very tough situation and I’m sorry you’re going through it. Given the no-return situation you’re in, I would try and make the best of it and go to your new school with as positive a mentality as you can muster. There are many aspects of graduate studies and you might be very happy with your new program. It might be that you realize that some of the concerns were unmerited. You can attempt to prepare for the alternative by readying your materials just in case, but don’t assume that it will be terrible, it might be better than you think. If the situation is ultimately as bad as you fear, talk to your current advisors (not in your new program) about the possibility of reapplying. It’s hard to say whether you would get readmitted to the previous program, but if you want to attempt it I’d assume you’d have to come up with a good reason why you rejected it the first time and wish to reapply.

To answer your first question, it is generally a good idea to apply to a variety of schools. Admissions rates are so low, and criteria can be so nebulous, that even the most confident student should consider applying beyond the very top schools. The top schools, beyond the possibility of harsher selection criteria, receive more applications. With that in mind, you want to give yourself the best odds. Beyond making your application the best it can be and applying to places with good fit (more on that in a sec), you can do so by ensuring that you are being considered within different selection pools. Different candidates will apply to different schools depending on different factors, so you want to apply to a variety of schools. Someone applying to Harvard is more likely to also apply to Yale than to Arizona State. Applying to schools with different rank is one way, but you can also consider geography, school type (private, public, liberal arts, research-heavy, etc.) and other factors when making that determination. The ultimate determination should be fit, though. Applying without good fit is unlikely to be successful, no matter the prestige of the institution. Fit might not be self-evident, but it should be a goal, definitely. I would examine fit first and then determine which schools are left. You might have to decide between a school with great fit that is very prestigious and another that is less prestigious but you also have slightly lesser fit. In some cases those might balance out and you might be more successful with the latter, in others it will not, and the former will be better. You should endeavor to maximize your chances whichever way is possible. That was about admissions probability management, but I assume your second questions is about the worth of being a student in a program where you have good fit as opposed to one where the rank is higher (worth in terms of future career prospects and the like). That, again, is hard to say. You might find it easier and find yourself better supported at a place with better fit (keeping in mind that you will form a thesis committee 2-3 years after you're admitted, at which point your fit in the department might change). Those factors could help you on the job market. This is without considering the fact that you might have better fit because a specialist in your field is there, despite the rank being low. For instance, Florida State is not usually considered as prestigious as Harvard but if you're interested in working on Samuel Beckett they might be a better choice because some very respected scholars work there whereas Harvard does not have a dedicated Beckettian (to my knowledge). Also rank is vague and relative and all that stuff. That said, 'rank' is definitely a factor for hiring committees, whether directly or indirectly. Having a PhD from Harvard looks better than one from Florida State, generally. The academic job market in our field is rough and research suggests that graduates from programs in a lower tier very rarely find jobs in higher tiers. The more prestigious the program you get into, the more options you ostensibly have in the future. This is all very relative and you have a lot of agency in making the best of (or totally scuffing) the opportunities you have at any institution, but all in all, if it were possible, the aim is to go to the most prestigious program in which you have good fit, or maybe the other way around, it's hard to say.

I have experienced this and you should always go with the people who can write the best, most enthusiastic letter, so long as they come from academic institutions. Whether from BA or MA doesn’t matter so long as they can comment on your critical ability.

You should aim to do as well as you can...? That's both a very difficult and very simple question. GRE importance varies by school, department, and program. We have no definitive information about every program in regards to what a safe GRE range would be, or exactly how each score is taken into account. Generally, in English, Verbal should be your focus, then Analytical, then Quantitative, and it seems that Verbal is usually quite a bit more important than the other two.

The question is whether this is worth the time and dedication (and money), as admissions prep is a bit of a zero sum game. Studying for the subject test will take time away from other things (including the important but seldom discussed act of resting) and you have to figure out if it balances out. I don’t think it is necessary but it’s true that if you do very well it could play in your favor. That said, showing dedication and expertise is something you can with your SoP and WS, and if it’s not apparent there I don’t know how much a good score will help you. The question for committees will be why someone interested in dedicating their professional career in English did not specialize in it when given the chance (especially since you say you prefer History, which would raise a red flag for me). The SoP or recs where you can address that. Basically, I think a great test result could help, but it won’t make you an equivalent candidate to an English major and your SoP will be your most significant component.

In my experience a conference can cost you up to 800+ when you take everything into account. Even without flight costs there are costs you will have to bear and generally I’d avise against doing to any conference without funding, unless it’s so close that the costs are negligible. I don’t think conference matter much at this stage in your career. I’ve been going to some since undergrad and the experience is definitely nice, but I don’t think it’s particularly useful for you right now. If you WANT to go and CAN go then go ahead, but this is unlikely to have much effect on your academic career in any predictable way (there’s always a chance you run into someone who has similar interests and you connect, etc.). I’d say that grad conferences are generally less prestigious than general conferences.

I’d say courses in my area are offered less frequently, but the question then is which to choose. In my undergrad we didn’t have elective courses at all so this is a new experience for me.

My department has added 3 new courses in the vicinity of my area but I have been told by another grad student that I am unlikely to be allowed to audit an additional course. Still no idea what to do.

Most departments will be pretty strong in American lit as a broad field because it encompasses so much.

I remember there have been people in the past with interests in SF, so have a search through this subforum. As for fit, there’s no guide. Ask around, see what reputation places have, see where specialists apply to on these forums, see hiring trends by departments, check profiles to see which specialties are represented, what courses are offered historically, does the department state anything on the website, etc. Or, find scholars with similar interests through conference abstracts, journal articles, publications and see where they work/where they did their PhD (if recent). It’s one of the tougher parts of applying and the more specialized your field the harder (though sometimes easier) it can be.

Thanks, we will be assigned an advisor in August so we’ll have to wait on that one. As for the orals, that’s a tough question because whose to say what topics will offered in semester 4, or what my topics will be. Technically none of the courses offered now are actually in what would make my oral lists. It’s just tough all around. In a great way though, I’ve had semesters where none of my classes were appealing in the slightest so this is much better.

My department has just added a new course that I would love to take so I’m really stressing out about which courses to pick. It really is a privileged predicament, but it’s hard to pick what is the best course of action. There are 3 courses that would be perfect for me but don’t fulfill any requirements, a great course that would fulfill a requirement but is ostensibly offered every year, a great course but in another department, and then 1-3 courses that would fill requirements but aren’t my fields (though seeing as I have to take some at some point, some would be as good as it gets within those fields). No idea how to play this. Go for pure indulgence? Play it safe with requirements? This without taking into account that maybe I could take 4 classes since there’s no teaching, or audit a course. Or that maybe some of the requirements will be waived. Or that maybe I should limit my courseload since I’ll have to adapt to the area and help my wife (who doesn’t speak the language fluently and has never lived away from home) settle. Or taking into account the question of should you use the first year to branch out or delve into your area? Establish connections with potential supervisors or get to know other faculty? I know that ultimately any choice will be a good one, but it would be so awesome to know every single course to be offered forever and make a perfect plan.

Don’t submit as is. It’s possible they won’t notice or care, but why run the risk of being rejected for something so small? Following instructions is a part of graduate work, so I’d avoid raising red flags wherever possible. Whether one or two will depend on if two are even allowed. Nevertheless, even if they are, I would recommend expanding one. Most graduate courses have you submit a final paper of 15-20 pages. Showing an ability to do that is helpful, as weaving convincing arguments together is an important skill (though synthesizing is also an important skill).

Wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world to do a syllabus/notes sharing deal on here, assuming that sort of thing is allowed (by universities, not sure if course contents are protected).

It's standard not to have your full transcripts and grades when applying. It won't be held against you. If you think your grades will improve your odds as they will be better, then I guess trying to include them is better, but whether you will be able to will depend on deadlines (some schools allow you to input fall grades after you submit the application). As for qualifications, I would assume that English is not necessarily literature, but I would ask for clarification. A quick email to the point shouldn't garner snarky responses usually, though make sure you read the website and FAQs as if the question is answered there it's just a waste of time.

I'm not sure yet because we can't register for course until later in the summer, but right now I'm thinking about Contemporary Af-Am Fiction, Multiethnic American Fiction, and Feminist Theory. There's also a very interesting Black Lit and Culture course in the History department which would be great. Honestly, I'm having a hard time deciding whether to take all the courses I'm interested in and satisfy the requirements later or divide it equally. Is anyone else anxious about this? For instance, I have three requirements and there are some good courses I could take now that would satisfy them, but I also really want to take courses in my field. If I put them off, perhaps the required courses won't be as interesting (or they might be MORE interesting), and perhaps later there won't be any courses in my field (or there will be amazing ones and I'll have to pass to take another course). I'd love to get a 4 year course plan so I can make efficient choices. Gonna wait until I know what books I'll need for my courses and take those, plus anything that seems like it might be useful for them. If there's room, I'll take some for general reading, especially if they're hard to find in libaries and such, or have notes I could use. I'm planning on just gradually taking more and more and asking people who come and visit to bring some when they come. Since there's still time until I have to work on thesis/comps, I can wait with my core texts.

I’ve got my housing down, waiting for my visa and other administrative stuff. Excited to register for classes already and get all the final which will hopefully be soon.

No professor that I have had has cared about the edition I use. Ultimately, it will be your problem if the pages are different and up to you to solve it.

Did not mention it at all (can't say whether it was a mistake or not). Stanford has a question on their app asking if you have applied in the past and to comment on it, though.

I was discouraged from reapplying to too many of the same schools. While things change year to year, you were rejected once already. Also, apparently some schools make a note and compare your past application to your new one, which means you’re competing against yourself in a way. That said, when I applied I kept half the schools and changed the other half to what I thought were more realistic targets. I got 2 acceptances from the new batch and 1 from the old (which is where I’m going to, admittedly). Applying to the same school is tough because you don’t know how close you were, what they liked or didn’t like, etc. You were clearly good enough to be selected somewhere, so you’ll need to really think about how you can improve that application. Contacting faculty has often been discussed here, I recommend searching the forum as we’ve had good insight on this issue from both sides. My understanding is that it is not necessary and might not even be helpful (and if you do it you should have a reason to contact them to avoid wasting their time), but on occasion it could be positive, even if only to shed light on your fit with the faculty. Not sure admission coaches are a thing. The IRT does offer support to its members when applying in a way similar to what you’re looking for but their deadline has passed. Best I can suggest is asking for help here.

I would be shocked if any applicant did not know this to some extent. That people are still here, still trying, might be because the prospect of doing something they love and worrying about career prospects later is more appealing than worrying about finding career prospects (in fields they’re less interested in) now. Some might be blindly hoping the situation will improve, or that they will be the lucky ones, too. This is an issue that has been, is being, and will be discussed on this forum and elsewhere for a long time. Every year I have been here multiple members have come out, citing the same sources and making similar arguments. As with any advice, I think people appreciate the help but ultimately decide for themselves of this is a risk they’re willing to take. What’s less appreciated is being condescended to. All in all, this is an important conversation to have and should continue to take place as newcomers should be warned.

I am an international applicant with similar scores to yours (see signature), and it worked out for me. More and more departments are phasing out the GRE as it is, and it well-known that international applicants fare worse in the GREs (though English might be the one field where that might be disregarded). I would focus on other parts of the application if I were you.

If you signed an official form I assume that is fine. You have a copy of a form stating your acceptance and terms and assuming it is signed by them it is binding, I believe. I’m assuming it is the portal acceptance Warelin and I were talking about, in which case you have nothing to worry about. If you are unsure feel free to PM if you want someone to look at it. As for bureaucracy, all universities have this problem in my experience. Some will be better than others, but even simple things can take a while to resolve. For instance, it took weeks to have a typo corrected on a transcript because the process involved multiple people in different departments for some reason. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

Am I correct to assume you accepted a spot via email? You should have received an official acceptance letter from the graduate school through the portal, which gives you guidelines to confirm your place. If you did not receive it or are not sure, contact the DGS (and if you do not get a response, the graduate school) immediately. I would find it very odd and shocking that a department would not follow through with an acceptance, so it is likely just a misunderstanding or bureaucracy, but I'd make sure just in case.