frenchlover

Hi all At this point, it looks like I will be entering a master's program at Notre Dame in French. I'm waiting for a few less well-known MA schools, which I think will give me more funding, but idk. I've also been waitlisted at two "big name" schools, so there's that, but I don't think anything will come of it. Anyway, because PhD programs tend to make people repeat 2 years of master's courses ... I was wondering if I should reapply again next year, even though I will not be able to finish the MA program. The living stipend at Notre Dame is OK, not the best, and I really want to go into a PhD program as soon as possible and be done as soon as possible as I don't want to be really old and without an academic job (because of ageism in the industry). I would have to reinvent myself fast and I'd rather do that before I hit 30. Since I am worried about not making it in academia, I'm operating under the assumption that going to a big-name school is the best way to get into academia in the first place, and getting out of it if the tenure bells don't ring in my favor. My impression as to why I didn't have good luck this year were 1) my age and the fact that I would be right out of undergrad ("too young", according to my faculty member, before I even applied) 2) I changed my major from a STEM field after junior year and let's just say I'm not the best student at STEM. Nobody had any issue with my personal statements or other things under my control. Other options potentially include Middlebury's MA program in French, in Paris, but idk what the financial aid would look like -- probably not that great. Idk if any of this makes sense but let me know what you think! I really like academia, but 4 years of courses just sounds like repeating undergrad all over again and frankly I just want to do my own research and teaching. PS I'm interested in French literature, not language or linguistics, so comp. lit departments are of interest as well.

Hopefully Stanford will make the decision for you

@Carly Rae Jepsen I met an alum from Stanford who interviewed for a position at my school, and she said they used to have a Francophone studies specialist who retired midway through her progress towards the dissertation. Stanford has not hired anyone new, which is of course in line with the neoliberal order of academia today...

Same, but the sad fact is that lots of people do accept this kind of an offer. Thank god funded MAs exist for French.

Yeah, don't lose hope -- I made the conscious decision to only apply to tippy-top PhD programs in French, and, as anticipated, it did not go very well for many reasons. I did get into my #2 choice MA program w/ funding, and I'm happy with it. I'd much rather go into a PhD program immediately (for transfer graduate coursework reasons -- as much as I like coursework I'd rather do 2 more years than 4), so I'll wait for the four-five schools that have been super quiet w/ me. Anyhow, the MA program will give me 2 years to become a better student of literature, && I'll gain some experience in teaching. It would give me time to reflect on whether to actually get a PhD in French as well (given the dismal job market). Some interests surpass the ebb and flow of the academic job market, which is probably why we are all here. But talking to some exceptional graduate students in the 7th year, even at top programs, was truly heartbreaking (both over email and over my one campus visit).

Rutgers is in a doctoral consortium with Columbia, so you may very well be able to take courses with your POI there. And, well, who knows, you could potentially transfer too. lol

Did anyone apply to WashU/hear back?? (for comp lit)

Congrats on Columbia guys!! And of course IUB and everywhere else too!

Lol, I should clarify: this professor at my college has a husband who is a tenured professor at Brown.

My professor's husband taught a course called "Waiting" at Brown. I want to make a link between absurdist waiting and this application process, but I don't quite know what it is. lol

Wow @madamoiselle congrats!!

During 2016, 29 people applied to Yale, and 5 were admitted ultimately. Looks normal-exclusive to me.

@AL95 I'm in the same boat, and I'm guessing that means a no. It could probably mean an unfunded acceptance to the MA program as well.

No idea what is at the end of the tunnel, amirite? Well, this week will bring many decisions for sure.

Odd. Did anyone hear good news from Yale? The mystery applicant was also denied.

Thanks @madamoiselle! 9 more to go, and I suppose I will send my application to the University of Arizona for an MA now. but for everyone else who applied to Yale, you should hear about a finalist visit soon!

Just got my first rejection: Yale. Time to panic. Registering for DELF now lol.

Congrats @HomewardBound!!

Good point, @madamoiselle Looking at programs like Chicago that have so few students in French, I wonder how NYU manages to have this massive department of 40 students. Of course, they have more professors, but I'm still quite intrigued by this. Just got an email and I got so excited but lol it was from Amazon.

@madamoiselle @Carly Rae Jepsen True about Chicago, but I'm sure they do evaluations separately, since faculty members decide vs administration. Either way, I would expect to hear from Chicago very soon.

To English majors: "You can't translate Madame Bovary!!!" "Well, you know what Derrida said, you don't master a language, language masters you!" *reads 20 pages of Proust* "Wait, what happened?"

@M(allthevowels)H I applied to French and Comparative Literature at Columbia, and people have started to hear back for interviews, so that's a no to me. Why would they not admit to their unfunded French MA program though? Columbia is notorious for its overpriced MA programs. Oh well.

I applied to a joint French-Comp Lit program (WashU), so I guess that counts haha.

Columbia is a no. I suspect I will get into their unfunded MA program, but lol.

Just silence. I imagine schools don't typically send responses over weekends?