beardedlady

Can't say I'm not disappointed to not hear from Emory (really wanted to live in Atlanta!) but my sincerest congrats for the interviewees--go rock your interviews! And also congrats to all of those accepted! It really is nice to start seeing good news for people.

It's been a sad time poetically speaking, with Meena Alexander passing away just two months ago...

My approach was pretty similar to both of yours, but I get the sense that I did much less excavating. I looked for people in my fields and, reading their research online, checked if I liked their methodologies and perspectives. I didn't look for their research to relate to mine perfectly at all, but just wanted to make sure they were generally relevant and that I thought what they're doing was compelling and interesting to me. I did get pretty specific in detailing how I would benefit from their guidance in the fit paragraph. However, knowing that my interests are likely to expand and shift, I didn't search for overlap in theory, time-period, and texts. One of the three was good enough for me, assuming that I found myself intrigued by their research. But I think this is very personal, and as you both mentioned, also very dependent on what type of research you hope to pursue. I didn't mention courses, by I did briefly discuss other factors (certificates, reading groups, etc). I also obviously mentioned if one of my areas was stated on the department's website as a particular strength or emphasis. Is this what you mean by "culture," @Bopie5? I see references to departmental "cultures" etc. being talked about occasionally in the fora, but I'm not quite sure what that means and how to gauge what the culture of a particular program is. Coming from a very different educational setting, I find myself occasionally confused by things that seem obvious to everyone else.

@WildeThing and @mandelbulb--thanks to you both!

Thanks! I'll take you up on that when I get in (I've chosen now to sprinkle the logic of self-fulfilling prophecies on top of general self-preserving negativity--I'll never get in anyway!--to make things interesting). Yes, both Cvetkovich and Minich, as well as Lisa Moore. It's a shame to hear that Cvetkovich won't be around anymore though, @Mumasatus!

I don't really feel like I have a dream program. Every time I go into one of the department websites I decide that that one is my number one, and it fluctuates daily. In terms of location, my favorite would probably be UT Austin, and the least so would have to be the NYC schools (I honestly don't know how I'll be able to afford to live there). Since if I'm accepted anywhere, I'll be dragging my significant-other along with me halfway across the world, I have the added stress of his ability to find a job in his field etc. Thankfully, he's an American citizen, so no work-visa issues... If I don't get in, I have a few ideas of what I could do but no real plan. I don't think I'll be able to go through a second round of apps both money-wise and life-wise. But who knows? The TOEFL was an idiotic waste of money, especially considering that all of the schools I applied to required the GRE, whose V section is obviously much more difficult. Why both for crying out loud?? On the other hand, now there's ample confirmation that my English skills are unequivocally up to snuff. As if the 20 page WS, SoP, and LoR's wouldn't have been more indicative of that anyway... Salt up the wazoo on this.

@Bopie5 I'm also hoping to read it. Living in a non-English speaking country, second-hands are hard to come by other than of canonical fiction or, conversely, popular fiction in the vein of Shopaholic and crime novels. I used to spend a fortune on shipping from Amazon UK before BookDepository. And English books in bookstores here go for ~25$ for a paperback, so... That sounds interesting! What films are you looking at? I don't want to hijack the books thread, but films seem close enough... heh. I also used "he." I went according to what I saw elsewhere, if I recall. I'm actually even more into Berlant though, because I'm interested in affect and the whole "intimate publics" thing. Good luck to us both! And @Warelin, following your advice I looked into WUSTL--and it looks like a great fit. I'm finishing up the fit paragraph in my SOP atm, which basically wrote itself. I'm actually really excited about it. So thanks!!

I don't have concrete suggestions re: specific programs, but one way to tackle this is to look at who's writing criticism that speaks to you and where they teach. When I was looking where to apply, I followed the trail of queer theorists, for instance. This may be productive also because it simultaneously provides you with some important information regarding your theoretical field of interest, and an understanding of who's who, increased exposure to the current debates, etc. Good luck!

@Bopie5 It really is a great novel! I can't wait to start devouring some of Adichie's other books. I see we have many overlapping interests--with drama being the only exception. I'm also applying to Columbia (AHHH Halberstam!) and Chicago (AHHH Berlant!) but they're so far out of my reach I might as well go open a Blockbuster on Mars.

I'm now reading Baldwin's Go Tell it On the Mountain, after starting Alaisder Gray's Lanark and finding it too horrifying and nightmare-inducing for application-writing season. I will return to it once the terror of applications subsides (April?) because I do love its grotesque craziness. Hoping to begin Auster's 4 3 2 1 in a few days (I love historical, intergenerational narratives and generally like Auster, so I'm hoping it'll be good). My favorite novel this year has to be Americanah, but in terms of all time faves... The Well of Loneliness and Wide Sargasso Sea are right up there.

You're most definitely not alone. Most of the closest people around me seem quite disoriented and unsure about what the hell they're doing. Glad to share my experiences and perspective. Good luck!

@doctormelody I feel your existential fomo. There's this metaphor in The Bell Jar where all of the potential choices of Esther's life are figs on a tree, and she imagines starving to death, being paralyzed by the prospect of choosing just one fig to eat. I love what I study (Enlgish MA) and am still petrified by the prospect of a PhD, knowing that it would structure my life in a very specific, and probably financially untenable way. Also, though I truly want to pursue an academic career, I chose English quite randomly as an undergrad, and when I let my mind wander I often think that I may have been just as happy or happier doing something else: philosophy, law, biology... endless random figs. What eases my mind is knowing that life tends to happen with or without your choices or plans, and it's really quite impossible to know how things will turn out. Who knows what we'll be like in 10 or 20 years? Or the world itself? We might all die in a sea of biohazardous waste. I know this is bleak and somewhat cliche, and maybe it's only comforting in my distorted imagination, but ultimately you need to choose what you think will make you fulfilled now (and also preferably keep you from abject poverty). Of course, you need to keep an eye toward the future, but also keep in mind that it's a disorienting fog of doubt. Don't get sucked in. And on the flip-side, 25 is plenty young. Unless our planet implodes or a nuclear war breaks out, we're likely to live till we're well over 100. In which case, you have enough time for a career change (or five). I personally know a person who finished a PhD in biology at 34, decided it wasn't for her, went back to the blackboard, and decided to become a psychologist. Where I'm from, this is at least 2 years of grad school and another 4-6 years of intensive training. She's now happily practicing, helping people out of their own existential crises. And in fact, going into a PhD in the humanities, I'm well-aware that it's very possible I ultimately won't go into academia, but may have to switch gears and find a different profession in order to afford life. For me, this will mean finding a real-world job for the first time (other than waitering, freelance translating etc.) in my mid-30s. Bottom line? It's good to look back and reevaluate, and to look forward to consider what choice is best at present. But don't let these tenses confuse you too much. And I'm hardly what you'd call a "free spirit", so I'm kind of shocked to be writing this, square that I am. Good luck!

Hi all, Trudging along with apps... Working on the application, and noticed that there's a text box within the app in which to write something in-line with an SOP, which has me a little confused. The directions state: Briefly describe your intended area of study, including a particular subdivision of the major field in which you wish to specialize and specific faculty members with whom you hope to work. Discuss any scholarly research, writing, or similar research that you have done or are currently pursuing. Include other information that may be helpful in evaluating your application. Then, separately, there's place to upload an SOP, for which the directions are: Please upload a statement that concisely and accurately describes your philosophical interests, motivations, and aspirations. The statement should briefly discuss reasons for applying to the department specifically, such as interest in a particular faculty member’s work, and describe any relevant research projects. Statements should be no longer than 500 words. The overlap between these two makes it difficult for me to figure out what to write where. Both call for describing past research, POI's, and and interests. Also, the text-box doesn't seem to have a word limit, so though they say to "briefly describe," it's still very vague. I came across a similar requirement in the Washington U app, but the directions made it clear that the SOP should focus on background and experience, while in the in-app text-box I should relay intended research, so it was very easy to manage. But, I have no idea what info should go where and how to avoid repetitive redundancies. Has anyone already applied or written these materials and can share their process? UGH!

Applying to the 2019 cycle of PhD programs, first-time applier. Writing an M.A. thesis at the moment, and have completed my course requirements. SoP still in work, but has gone through a few drafts, and pretty near finished except for the program-specific paragraphs and some touching up. I have a pretty solid list of programs that I need to finalize; currently looking at 14, but want to narrow this down to 10-12. WS in poor shape, but I have a schedule for completing this, and I hope to get feedback from at least 3 people. Have taken the GRE and TOEFL, and this was by far the easiest for me to actually get done. SoP has put me in an existential crisis (WHO AM I? WHY DOES MY EXISTENCE MATTER?) and WS has brought me to the verge of tears. Not taking the subject test. Will need to get feedback on my CV. So still a long way from being ready to apply... My interests are theory-centered, focusing on feminism, queer, and disability. Concerned with 20th/21st American/Brit representations of bodies in both poetry and prose. I'm a bit worried about this, because it runs counter to how many departments frame the field/subfield, geographical, and generic divisions. Will have to think how to fill the field/subfield categories in the applications.

^THIS! I started looking at places and trying to organize myself months ago, and still feel like the last few weeks hit me like a ton a bricks (pardon the rhyme) with the amount of stuff that I have to do/research/figure out that I didn't think of previously. Plus my WS is nowhere near finished... Good luck with the SoP! And everything else.

Yes, she's known me since day one of my B.A. (Intro to Lit) and has since taught me another two or three courses, including an M.A. seminar. Plus she's one of my thesis advisors. That is, she's very familiar with my work as well as my personal attributes. I think the content of the LoR's are definitely going to be a strong point in my application in general. I honestly doubt that the adcoms care if the program is funded or not, and Edinburgh is a really high-ranking institution. I have this dream of doing a postdoc or something there. Plus I don't know why, but I really want to learn some Gaelic... Thanks for all of your input!

That's amazing! Thanks, it's reassuring to read of other internationals' success ?

Thanks @indecisivepoet for your reassuring response! I'm worried not just because of my university's (nonexistent) reputation, but because it's not an English-speaking institution (nor country), it may look especially suspect to the adcoms. I really hope you're right! Yes, they are. I mean, I'm not sure emeritus status can be considered tenure, but she was a tenured faculty member since the 80's, and is still very active in the department despite technically retiring (i.e. opening a slot for new faculty by becoming emeritus) two years ago. Thanks for the advice, this is in fact how I came to add Rice and George Washington to my list. I may do some more research again to see if I've missed any gems in my fields. Completely unrelated, but am I correct in understanding that you're currently studying in Scotland? I spent a month in Edinburgh a couple of years ago and absolutely adored it. I really wanted to apply to PhD programs in Scotland but the (lack of) funding nixed it for me, at least for now...

What I was trying to get at, and perhaps wasn't clear enough, is that you should identify for yourself what areas of lit. your'e interested in, beyond the specific essay you are currently writing. Such areas could be a mix of theory/genre/geography/time-period. My research interests are also theory based (queer/feminism/disability) but I can also say that I want to focus on 20th/21st century women's writing, both American and British. This is obviously still very broad, but much more refined than if I just said that queer theory interests me, and more informative than saying that I'm interested in a specific text or a specific theorist. I *think* this would be pertinent in two ways: 1) it'll help you situate your interests in current discussions and help you consider what the context of potential research could be. That is, if you had to write an M.A. thesis or other substantial research project right now, what would it be (other than what you're currently working on)? What types of texts, time-periods, or theories would you find interesting? And how would you tie them together? 2) You're going to want to find programs that suit your broad interests, I assume, and such categorizations will help you do so. More generally, I think that without coming to a fuller and clearer understanding of what it is that interests you in literature, it'll be much harder to "sell" yourself to programs. The hard part is that a lot of the times we don't even know what the potential categories that interest us are. It was only very late in my B.A., for instance, that I discovered queer theory, which is now one of my main interests. This is why it would probably be helpful to talk with professors who could point you in appropriate directions and suggest reading materials for you to peruse. But I really should mention that I have zero experience in applying to M.A. programs in the States, and have no idea what they expect from their applicants. I am currently completing an M.A. in my home country and applying to PhD programs in the U.S. I believe that my advice to you here would be applicable in any case, but people with more experience with the process will probably be able to give you better ideas/suggestions.

Hi @alexisqaz! Fellow citizen of a non-English speaking country here. I empathize with the feeling of "ignorance" and "confusion" of applying from outside the North-American system. Generally, English depts. are organized, like you said, into period, geography, or theory (rather than "politics," but your wording raises some interesting questions and issues). It seems that you're current research is very theory heavy, but I'm only somewhat familiar with the terms you bring up and with Bakhtin. I think that what you should try to do is formulate a research question that interests you, drawing from your current paper. From what you've written, you could stake your interests broadly in 20th century American Lit, Postmodernism, and literary theory? Perhaps you should try to figure out what stream of theory you're drawing on most. Structuralism? It could be most helpful to talk with some faculty members that will help you categorize where your interests lie. In fact, this is probably the most important thing that I think you should do--speak to people in your department about your plans, ask questions, raise your concerns. In any case, from here try to narrow down what questions your future research might tackle as an M.A. student. I think that especially for the M.A. level, adcoms expect that you knowledge will be limited, but still you should try frame your interests within existing scholarship. It should probably be more general than the specific analysis you pose in your paper on Blood Meridian--something that considers, for instance, other texts that are in dialogue with this text either thematically, temporally, or geographically. If you speak Russian/German or any other languages pertinent to the theory you are most drawn to, it could also be productive to look at Comparative Lit programs (I don't know which programs offer terminal M.A's, though and am not very familiar with their requirements). Good Luck!

Hi fellow humans, Applying to English PhD programs. Looking at the NYU GSAS required application materials, I noticed they say that a personal history statement is *optional*. Importantly, the department's webside does not mention this at all. (https://gsas.nyu.edu/content/nyu-as/gsas/admissions/gsas-application-resource-center/statement-of-academic-purpose-and-personal-history-statement.html) I also noticed on the CollegeNet application forms of some schools that there's a place to add a paragraph or so as a diversity statement. I know that the personal history and diversity statements are two separate things meant to highlight different aspects of myself or my academic/community involvement, but I was wondering if anyone has any insights as to whether these are actually taken into account in the admissions decisions, or whether they're only used for deciding on additional and external fellowships/funding etc. that is available to a variety of minorities, or for other reasons unrelated to admission. As an international student, I'm unlikely to qualify for such additional fellowships, and am therefore wondering whether there's any value in investing the time to write these statements. I have things to say, but would like to focus on the SoP and WS if these other two statements are irrelevant to the adcoms. I perused the forum for answers to these, but if I missed a discussion on the matter a link to it would be very appreciated! ?

Hi all! I've been scouring the forum here, and decided to get over my disinclination to participate in online activities as I'm in dire need of application-anxiety camaraderie. Non-American, from a non-English speaking country--this makes applications doubly crazy. My home university is good in relation to the region, but really a no-name internationally. My entire faculty have PhD's from top tier American/British uni's but since they rarely have students from our department apply to American grad schools, they are hard-pressed to really guide me through this insane process. But, before I list my reasons for being on the brink of blowing a fuse, my application materials: B.A. in Psych and English, GPA 94/100 (no 4 pt. scale here). M.A. in English (have finished required courses, but still writing the thesis), GPA 96/100. GRE: 167V/164Q/5W TOEFL (computer based): 117 I refuse to take the GRE Lit (money+time+unlikely to score well=not worth it). LoR: going to have very strong recommendations from my two advisors plus another professor who's been incredibly enthusiastic about what he considers my exemplary academic abilities. They've also all known me for a good few years, as I've been in the same department for both B.A. (3 years) and M.A. (2 years). Downside is, my advisors--one is an emeritus prof. and the other a young associate prof. Not the best, but there's nothing I can do about it. SoP: this is going ok, I guess, considering that however well-meaning they may be, the faculty members helping me have little insight into what the adcoms are looking for, or what the SoP should really be. I've done substantial research on this, but like nearly everyone else, I'm not very confident in what I'm doing. I have, though, given significant thought to the somewhat undefinable issue of "fit" and am applying only where there is some or significant research in my areas, and where there are at least two faculty members I'd be happyto work with. WS: this has, somewhat weirdly, become a slight problem. I plan to use one of my thesis chapters, but since none of them are completed or have been thoroughly revised, and because I'm currently suffering a mild bout of anxiety-induced writer's block, it's not shaping up as well as I hoped, and I'm not as far along as I planned to be. Need to buck up and get at it, I know, but this whole process has touched the very core of my insecurities. Extra fun stuff: Awards/Scholarships: 2 departmental awards in English Full funding for my MA (tuition+stipend) Faculty of Humanities and Soc-Sci Dean's Prize (given 1% of thesis-track MA students in the faculty) Scholarship for undertaking research in American Lit-Culture program abroad (in Germany, where I'll be spending three months) Research/Teaching: 3 years TA for undergrad English courses 2 years RA for English department 6 months RA for Psych department Conferences: 2 small, regional conferences Waiting for response to abstracts I sent to a graduate conf. in Europe, and a big int'l conf. in Europe Some of the problems: Since I'm not a US resident, I'm very hesitant to apply to State schools (although I will be applying to 2), as I gather they'll be less likely to accept me (it's not economical for them). Since I'm not taking the GRE Lit, this narrows down the list . I'm very wary of applying to schools that have only changed from "requiring" it to "highly recommending" it during this application season (e.g. Notre Dame and Rutgers). I'm also only applying to programs that offer full funding, with TAships etc. guaranteed. Though this is true in the U.S. as well, I feel like to be able to find a job back home after completing the PhD, I really need to go to a good, reputable school. Considering the life changes (moving across the world, uprooting my SO in the process, making it very difficult to start a family for 5-7 years, which is shitty, because if I get accepted, I'll start the program at 29, etc.) and the financial burden this whole process is incurring on my life, it also feels like the school/program needs to "justify" it. I've been working toward this goal since the second year of my undergrad, and I need to feel like if I take this leap toward a PhD in the States, I'm also giving myself the best chance for a future career in academia. I want to pursue a PhD in any case, just because I love what I do, but if I do it for fun then I'll stay at home to do so. So, bottom-line, I'm only applying to places in the U.S. that I think will increase my chances jump-starting an academic career. I'm terrified that adcoms will glimpse at my application, see that my school is completely unknown to them, and put my file aside. Especially coming from a non-English speaking country into an English dept... So, these are the schools I'm applying to: Columbia, UPenn, Brown, UT Austin, Emory, NYU, U of Virginia, Rice, Washington University. On the "maybe" pile I have Rutgers, Duke, CUNY, and Chicago--which I cut down for various, and sometimes arbitrary reasons. I'm also applying to AmStudies at Yale (although I am a little nervous that, since my research focus would still be lit, they'll immediately chuck my app and wonder why I didn't apply to English). Broadly, my interests are queer theory, feminism, gender and sexuality, disability, and race--all in terms of how bodies are formed and represented; 20th/21st American/Brit women's writing, with a particular penchant for modernism (Woolf, Djuna Barnes, Gertrude Stein, Radclyffe Hall, etc.) Any recommendations for good programs with a decent focus in these areas that I may have overlooked? This has all been very lengthy, but it feels good to organize my thoughts. Does anyone have any advice? Is there anyone out there in a similar situation? And good luck to everyone else who's applying! May the odds be ever in our favor (I do feel slightly too old for this reference, I have to say, but I couldn't help myself).