JessicaLange

I'm so tired of re-reading and re-re-reading my writing sample.  I'm also tired of filling out my name, my school information, and my referee information a bajillion times.  I know we're on the last stretch here, but with so many deadlines on Jan 15, I feel like it's less of a last stretch as much as it's just piling up near the end. Juggling this crap with a job really just makes me want to get all the applications over with.  Of course, I know how much money I'm spending and how much this means to me, so I can't half ass anything.
I will be very upset if I get shut out.

Yay! I'm glad to hear that you were able to find a way around the problem. 
I was talking to a friend of mine who applied last year to English programs - we have a LoR writer in common and she was telling me that departments really do give you that wiggle room. The professor we have in common is notorious for being late (he even forgot one student completely one year and submitted ZERO letters) and she was telling me not to worry, it wouldn't impact my application. She even said that one school emailed her saying they hadn't gotten the letter and once she got it in, she almost immediately got her acceptance from that school. That being said, if your letter writer is that unresponsive, then I think you did the right thing in switching her out - late is okay, but if there's no certainty she'll write the letter at all, that's a different issue! 
Good luck! 

You'll often be able to teach (or TA) survey courses focusing on a genre or special thematic issue while you're in your program. You probably won't be given a course in another field--they'll obviously prioritize someone whose teaching portfolio would benefit from the 20th century course, given professionalization concerns.

I don't want to be a downer or insulting, but if you get accepted into CUNY, I would highly recommend visiting (if you are able) before you accept. They have an extremely unusual setup, and they are in a space that is really hard to find housing near especially for poor grad students. They told me that student housing is available, but they also said to me, "you won't get in the housing, because of the long wait list, so figure something out." I don't want to discourage anyone or tell anyone that the school is bad, but my visit was enough to make me scrap my application. So, if you like the program and the facilities, good! Just make sure you look into it.

I don't want to be a downer or insulting, but if you get accepted into CUNY, I would highly recommend visiting (if you are able) before you accept. They have an extremely unusual setup, and they are in a space that is really hard to find housing near especially for poor grad students. They told me that student housing is available, but they also said to me, "you won't get in the housing, because of the long wait list, so figure something out." I don't want to discourage anyone or tell anyone that the school is bad, but my visit was enough to make me scrap my application. So, if you like the program and the facilities, good! Just make sure you look into it.

Happy new year and the warmest and best wishes to all of you and your projects!

"One of the candidates with the exact same interests as yours walked in here wearing a bomb jacket and threatened to blow us all up if we didn't admit him! We're really sorry, but we had no choice!"

Same! I'm too nervous to do it. I'm sort of saying c'est la vie to the whole thing. I want to think that if I don't get in, it's something on their end and they desperately wanted me, but couldn't fit me in. I don't want it to be because of a spelling error. You have to create your own reality sometimes.

I refuse to reread my materials for this very reason. My WS went through several rounds of revision (and was read by several sets of eyes) which should weed out any typos, but they always manage to creep in. That said, I wouldn't worry too much about a typo like this -- there's a decent chance that it won't be caught, and if it is, it will probably be seen as just a typo (i.e., a typing error as opposed to a conceptual error). Chin up!

Recalled Vaccination







PS- I am going to kill you, Encomendero

Would you mind developing on those differences?  

@JessicaLange is spot on with her response, I think. I would add a few related considerations.
Don't just look into HYPSM and Columbia. Some prestige-focused applicants who assume that universities well-known for their undergraduate selectivity must also be as in-demand for doctoral work are A] often not correct and B] can give off the appearance of being interested in PhD programs for the wrong reasons (the "right" reason according to any faculty member at a competitive school is "research" - their research).
To the first point above, USNews rankings (a super blunt instrument - ranks literally come from the average scores given by faculty at competing universities), a much better indicator of "prestige" within academic disciplines, currently ranks Yale 20th in sociology, and a ton of public schools land way ahead of it. The only school you mentioned in the top 5 is Princeton. And as @JessicaLange sort of implied when citing employment stats, rank can REALLY matter. It's an okay proxy for the market outcomes of doctoral students who finish at each program. Someone interested in the academic job market, for example, might choose Berkeley, UNC, Michigan, or Wisconsin, among others, over most of the schools you have listed. To be clear, this is is a huge oversimplification of both the program selection and labor market processes: choosing a program is highly personal, related on the faculty for whom you wish to work, the ways in which your research and methodological interests connect to theirs, funding packages, regional constraints, etc. etc. etc.; getting a job in academia is insanely difficult and does not come to anyone simply because of their school or lab. The point remains, however, that an Ivy League name may not be as impressive to people in the discipline as it is to outsiders. And the people in the discipline are the people who matter (which is why I use ranking to make this point).
The second point I make about purpose for applying relates to the first. Without a strong intellectual reason or interest, it is much harder to get into or get through a doctoral program. Interest in the broad subject of sociology or political science, unfortunately, is often not going to result in an admit. As the majority of a PhD student's time is spent doing research, professors typically look for applicants with well-articulated research interests, especially interests that align with their own body of work. Accordingly, successful PhD students-those who complete the degree-do not place their primary motivation for acquiring the degree in a desire to drink in knowledge from the classroom. Instead, they demonstrate an ability and interest in creating knowledge.
Along these lines, I think it is actually very possible to apply to programs in more than one discipline. But only if your research interests are extremely coherent. The better you know what questions you hope to answer, the more effectively you can communicate how they fit within each academic paradigm. For example, an applicant interested in the ways in which public transportation access and utilization varies socioeconomically, and how this mediates the behaviors of a specific population, could describe their interest to a sociology program in the context of social stratification, or a political science program by considering how this might influence voting behavior. That being said, applying to more than one program type is extremely risky if you aren't certain of why you're doing so.
The process of doing background research on programs is not a short-term activity, but it's really rewarding! If I were in your position, I would learn asuch as possible about the faculty and programs that may be ideal for my research and career aspirations, look at the job outcomes for alumni, and email people whose backgrounds I find compelling.
Good luck!
 
 
 
 
 

I've said this to people before, but there are way too many factors to really pinpoint how competitive it will be. It has a lot more to do with your letters of recommendation, writing sample, and transcript. Your GPA and GRE are important, but they aren't the only things that determine whether you'll be admitted. Also, maybe your area of interest doesn't allign with the school's research specialties. Or maybe the professor that would normally take you on is visiting elsewhere. I have no idea what a 2100 translates to as far as the GRE goes, but I wouldn't depend on the SAT as a good marker. I did significantly better on the GRE than I did on the SATs and I know people that bombed the GRE but had near perfect SATs (that's not usually the case, but it can happen if you don't study properly). To answer your question, the top schools will be very competitive. I know for Columbia's English program they receive about 700 applications for 12 or so spots. However, your GPA is good and graduating magna cum laude is certainly impressive, so definitely apply. Just make sure you apply to a minimum of 6 programs and have a few backup plans in case things don't work out. Really do your research. Read the articles that say not to go to grad school and look at the terrible job statistics and figure out exactly what is going to be asked of you. Go to department websites. Make a choice between Sociology and PolySci or don't and apply to both programs. Contact alumni and faculty. Read success stories and watch youtube videos of people getting their acceptance letters and picture yourself at each school. Go on campus visits if you can afford it. It's a terribly stressful process, but it's fascinating. Good luck!

It just dawned on me today that at least one of my applications (or maybe more) is being scrutinized already and may have already ended up in the trash!
I finished all my applications relatively early and all my friends keep saying "oh, you must feel so relieved!"
On the contrary, my brain keeps coming up with new things to freak out about. Honestly, I never knew how creative I was until now  
Just needed to get that off my chest.
Anyone else developing extreme paranoia? 

A lot of programs will have you declare a sub-speciality or second area for your qualifying exams. I don't think there's really a huge split at all between the two periods you mention. I mean, so many Victorianists end up writing about Henry James. 

Also to add, you could easily situate your work as Atlantic/hemispheric/oceanic (whatever is floating around at the time) and dip into 20th century American lit from a British base. 

Like crazygirl, I have heard (and witnessed) some crazy cray stuff happen between TAs/students....like naked photos being sent to the TA, or sexual notes being placed in their assignments.

I've been in a situation where my close friends where in the class I TA'd for. If I ever felt that I couldn't mark them fairly, I would give them to another TA or to the professor.

As for dating- I think you're getting into a really sticky situation. As others have said- EVERYONE WILL KNOW!! Don't think that they won't...they will...trust me...TRUST ME! And as someone who is in a department with students who are trying to pretend 'not to date'...you will be talked about constantly! It might not bother you, but I would worry about how it might impact others' opinion of my credibility and or professional capacity...not to mention, it could be a huge liability for you for future work in the department.

I TA a lot, and I always am really careful at how students and other professors see me interact with the students I teach...I always meet in areas where there are lots of people and always have a history of our communication. I would never want to be in a situation where a student approached the department and said that they felt their mark in the class was tainted by our interactions/relationships. So dating an UG in a class I had would be completely off limits....

I might try thinking about the big potential picture rather than the short term 'randy' picture

Saw a topic about dating other grads....how bout an undergrad?

Need you guys opinion...is that unethical? (when the undergrad is actually in the class we're TA-ing?) I've heard about some college girls dating a TA in-exchange for little "help"....I'm a normal straight guy, and I was a TA before, some of girls I taught were TOTALLY my type....

I admit I dated a girl from a class I tutored (we're both undergrads), and sometimes we got "private session" a week before an exam (no dirty mind please ). Do you guys think it also unprofessional to do such thing anyway? (specially if one is graduate and other is undergrad?)

I think looking at those boards anymore is just going to increase/create more agita for me.  After one night of scrolling through, I already started having dreams about acceptances and rejections.  It's helpful to know when movement might be, but reading the comments the rejected folks left about their credentials....I just shouldn't have done that...

haha i've been doing this too! when did they notify last year, the year before, when did acceptances/waitlists/rejections come out, etc etc etc......
research is my coping mechanism, this stuff actually keeps me (slightly more) calm. i guess it's just the illusion of control?

It's a trap!  Once you're on there, it is SO difficult not to obsess! 
I've made "projections" of when I expect to hear back from my schools based on when they notified for English PhDs in the last two years... On the one hand, it's keeping me from obsessing until late January. On the other hand, it may drive me insane come late January.
Best of luck to you! Try not to freak out too much; I'm not a Comp Lit person, but I imagine studying abroad will help to make you one of the top applicants.

And a thrilling conclusion! My recommender did not get back to me. I emailed her, I left a voicemail. I re-sent the request through the application at least four times. Finally, I called the program and asked for an extension. They said there was wiggle room, but they couldn't give me an official extension. So, they told me to see if I could get another recommender. Daunting, right? Well, luckily I have a lot of great people in my corner and my thesis advisor is going to write me a recommendation before tomorrow's deadline.

I can see your point IF the issue is just a professor being kind of hands-off with their grad students and not getting very involved. They are not necessarily required to be the supportive mentors we'd all like, and many choose not to be and still have great success based on their research. However, to take on an obligation and not follow through--even when that obligation is to a mere grad student--is always going to reflect badly on them as a professional. If a professor simply said "I have substantial professional obligations and I don't believe I can provide you a letter of recommendation by the deadline you've requested", then certainly no one would fault them for it. But to agree to provide a letter and then knowingly neglect it simply because they prioritized other things more highly suggests that they are incapable of managing their time appropriately, and they are making others suffer the consequences of their own irresponsibility. I really can't imagine an institution that wouldn't take that seriously.

Freaking out about LOR's again. 

I've said this to people before, but there are way too many factors to really pinpoint how competitive it will be. It has a lot more to do with your letters of recommendation, writing sample, and transcript. Your GPA and GRE are important, but they aren't the only things that determine whether you'll be admitted. Also, maybe your area of interest doesn't allign with the school's research specialties. Or maybe the professor that would normally take you on is visiting elsewhere. I have no idea what a 2100 translates to as far as the GRE goes, but I wouldn't depend on the SAT as a good marker. I did significantly better on the GRE than I did on the SATs and I know people that bombed the GRE but had near perfect SATs (that's not usually the case, but it can happen if you don't study properly). To answer your question, the top schools will be very competitive. I know for Columbia's English program they receive about 700 applications for 12 or so spots. However, your GPA is good and graduating magna cum laude is certainly impressive, so definitely apply. Just make sure you apply to a minimum of 6 programs and have a few backup plans in case things don't work out. Really do your research. Read the articles that say not to go to grad school and look at the terrible job statistics and figure out exactly what is going to be asked of you. Go to department websites. Make a choice between Sociology and PolySci or don't and apply to both programs. Contact alumni and faculty. Read success stories and watch youtube videos of people getting their acceptance letters and picture yourself at each school. Go on campus visits if you can afford it. It's a terribly stressful process, but it's fascinating. Good luck!

I've said this to people before, but there are way too many factors to really pinpoint how competitive it will be. It has a lot more to do with your letters of recommendation, writing sample, and transcript. Your GPA and GRE are important, but they aren't the only things that determine whether you'll be admitted. Also, maybe your area of interest doesn't allign with the school's research specialties. Or maybe the professor that would normally take you on is visiting elsewhere. I have no idea what a 2100 translates to as far as the GRE goes, but I wouldn't depend on the SAT as a good marker. I did significantly better on the GRE than I did on the SATs and I know people that bombed the GRE but had near perfect SATs (that's not usually the case, but it can happen if you don't study properly). To answer your question, the top schools will be very competitive. I know for Columbia's English program they receive about 700 applications for 12 or so spots. However, your GPA is good and graduating magna cum laude is certainly impressive, so definitely apply. Just make sure you apply to a minimum of 6 programs and have a few backup plans in case things don't work out. Really do your research. Read the articles that say not to go to grad school and look at the terrible job statistics and figure out exactly what is going to be asked of you. Go to department websites. Make a choice between Sociology and PolySci or don't and apply to both programs. Contact alumni and faculty. Read success stories and watch youtube videos of people getting their acceptance letters and picture yourself at each school. Go on campus visits if you can afford it. It's a terribly stressful process, but it's fascinating. Good luck!