EspritHabile

Oh lordy, 11-14 is a lot! I started out with an enormous list of programs and ended up looking very closely at fit. I ultimately submitted applications to five schools, which felt like a gamble considering so many folks are advised to apply to 10+, but it worked out well because I was able to devote a lot of time and energy to crafting solid applications for each program. I can't imagine pouring in that much energy to applications for 10+ schools. My general advice here is to continue to dig into whatever information and resources you can find and narrow your lists further so that each school to which you apply feels like it would be a strong fit for you (and vice versa). If you're interested in ecofem, @CatBowl ,then you've no doubt encountered the work of Karen Warren, Greta Gaard, and Vandana Shiva, yes? Greta and Vandana are regulars at the ASLE conference, so it's definitely worth attending that if you can swing it. ASLE offers a tiered fee structure that's very accommodating for folks with differing financial situations. I'll also throw in that Stacy Alaimo (at UT Arlington) also does interesting work with material feminism, transcorporeality, and ecocrit. @Matthew3957: transcorporeality has always seemed linked with OOO in my mind, so Alaimo would probably offer some generative readings for you, too. She works a lot with conceptualizations of art, nature, and pop culture. My work in ecocriticism primarily focused on apocalyptic rhetoric in environmental discourse (fictional and nonfictional), and I'm a huge huge nerd for speculative fiction.

Hello, and welcome! I would add to your list the U. of Idaho (Scott Slovic and Erin James are there; both are great ecocrit folks. Scott is a pillar of ecocrit and works a lot with narrative scholarship and the interplay between personal writing and environmental writing. Erin is a poco-eco [post-colonial ecocritic] working on narrative theory in some fun ways.) as well as the University of Nevada, Reno. UNR's program was pretty much the flagship program in ecocrit but has since lost their specialized track in ecocrit and a few faculty who moved on to other institutions, but if you're into early american lit and ecocriticism, Mike Branch is still there and he is fantastic. There are also some other great new folks there, but I don't know them on a personal level so can't say much. Everyone else has thoroughly covered the other advice I might have offered. Good luck on your search! What are your particular interests in ecocrit/environmental writing? What projects interest you? I'd be happy to talk shop. -EH

Ahh! Yes! Congratulations on making your final decision. I know the siren call of Purdue was pretty strong there for a minute, but I'm glad you chose Miami because it sounded from your other posts that they really do offer the best and most seamless opportunities for professional development. There's a lot to be said for already having a strong support network in place, too. Congratulations!

Hey there, @swarthmawr! Welcome to the community, and to this wild ride that is the applications process. Other folks have already offered some great advice and answers to your questions. I want to double-down on some of that here and offer a few other things to consider. First, the really general advice: 1. As others have rightly noted, there's no such thing as a "reach" or a "backup" school at the Ph.D. level. If you can't 100% see yourself being part of a program and getting out of it what you need/want, then do not apply. Similarly, do not apply to the top five programs just because they're top 5 according to some ranking. Which leads me to #2: 2. Prestige is not enough. There has been a LOT of debate on these fora about the importance of the USNWR rankings and prestige. Name recognition, access to ample resources, generous funding, and professional development opportunities, big-name POI to work with, and large alumni networks can certainly be helpful, but they are not enough. Instead, look very carefully at how a program's courses, faculty, resources, funding, and other opportunities mesh with your interests. It matters less how good your program looks on paper than how you and your work look on paper and in real life. PM me if you want anecdotes. 3. Fit is crucial. Fit is a tidy little word for a massive concept that takes time to figure out. A few of us here have applied and been accepted to the same programs and it has been fascinating to chat about why we are or aren't leaning toward a particular program. How I figured out "Fit" (Sorry this is so bloody long; I hope this helps someone else.) I only applied to five programs. They vary in terms of their particular resources and opportunities, but they all represent paths that I could envision leading me to where I want to be. I started out by casting a wide net--I talked to friends, to colleagues, to mentors, I googled lists of programs and schools, and I scoured this forum. I began with a list of about 40 programs. Then I put that list away for a week and thought hard about my particular research interests. I narrowed those interests down into a few concrete goal statements and research questions, and then I started looking for articles, books, and conference panels that aligned with my interests. From there, I picked out a few scholars whose names kept popping up and I researched where they were trained and where they work now. Then I wrote the first draft of my statement of purpose. I kept it to 500 words and tried to cover ALL of my key experiences and goals. I took a break from my SOP for a week, and then sat down and re-read it with fresh eyes. Then I went back to that list of 40 schools and started looking at the profiles, publications, and research interests of the faculty and students. I very quickly eliminated more than half of the programs on my list because they just didn't have enough/any people or resources that would help me do what I set forth in my SOP. I found 10 programs that seemed like decent fits, and then considered things like the geography, climate, and anecdotes from friends. I also looked at recent theses and dissertations, placement data, and talked to friends. I ultimately chose to apply to five programs that I deeply believe would all prepare me very well to meet my goals. My mantra all along was "you only need one acceptance" so I made sure that I didn't bother applying to a place unless I believed that I would 1) feel 100% thrilled to be accepted by them as my only acceptance, and 2) thrive there. Having a really clear articulation of my goals and fit at each program helped me prepare my recommendation letter writers to back me up. It also helped me to really focus on how to craft a compelling writing sample that (as Old Bill suggests in his pinned post that should be required reading material), worked together with my SOP to paint a clear picture of how the program and I were a good match. That said, the applications process is a crapshoot. I could have sent the exact same applications last year and been shut out.

Yay! Congratulations on your great offers and final decision!

Yaaay! So exciting! Congratulations! I am so pumped to see folks making their decisions and entering the "oh god, gotta move to awesome places now" phase of the process. <3

Congratulations! That's a fabulous program and I am absolutely awestruck by the scholarship coming from WSU grads.

Does anyone want to claim acceptances / waitlists at Washington State U in Pullman? Have they sent out all acceptances and waitlists?

Aaaahhh! Yes!

I know he's already officially accepted Harvard's offer, but seeing all these declination posts is exciting in its own way. The momentum is no joke! I'm hoping to be closer to this stage soon; must feel nice!

Boo for existential crises, but yay for getting onto the wait lists! Fingers crossed for you!

Congratulations! Fingers crossed for some good funding news for you!

Hi there! I used to live in Reno and now live in the Midwest. Housing prices in Reno are increasing because the city is booming. But utilities are (ar at least were) pretty cheap, there's a free shuttlebus that will go from the university to the downtown, and you get can groceries for hella cheap at WINCO. There's also a great food co-op downtown. Shit tons of art, music, great food. I absolutely loved Reno and found it very affordable. I'm happy to chat via PM if you have other questions.

Not too shabby! Congratulations!

This never gets old. I am so, so, so happy for your happy news!