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havemybloodchild

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Posts posted by havemybloodchild

  1. From last year I really focused on fine tuning my SoP and WS (including readying an additional WS so I could better target schools’ particular interests). But I think the key for me (not that I’ve had the most wonderful cycle, but better than last year) was rethinking the way I selected the schools I applied to. I think reading new research on your interests and looking at where those folks graduated from (recent grads of course) is a good strategy. Also looking at publications from a potential school’s recent grads is really helpful, because if they have been supporting a grad the last five or six years with your interests, chances are they can support you and will have an interest in doing so. Also I applied to A LOT more schools. I got 80% of my app fees waived, so that helped (if you want more info about that feel free to pm me). I also requested SoP from really successful applicants this time in case I need to reapply and everyone I asked was super generous with providing them, so I sugges you do that too.

    Keep your head up and good luck! 

  2. 5 minutes ago, rr732 said:

    i thought i read somewhere on here that it's normal (maybe even encouraged?) to ask to be connected to current students where you've been accepted/waitlisted. i'm in touch with the DGS--is he the one to ask to connect me??

    I’ve asked at all my waitlist schools, I just asked whoever let me know I was waitlisted and I’ve been connected to grad students within a few days every time.

  3. 43 minutes ago, beardedlady said:

    From what I gather, late-20's and early-30's really doesn't seem to be that uncommon. Granted I'm somewhat out of the loop of the American academic norms (as an international), but still, I noticed many people with a couple of MAs and/or other experiences among the graduate students listed on the programs I applied to, so these people are likely not in their early 20s (barring any Doogie Howsers). It's true that some programs prefer people straight from undergrad, but I would venture that this isn't necessarily due to age; considering that the time-difference between post-BA and post-MA can be as short as one year, age doesn't seem to me the determining factor here.

    In any case, I think that you're right that being a bit older can also be a positive thing. If I self-reflect, I can honestly say that I'm much more prepared for and certain of this path now than I would have been a few years ago. Embrace your self-perceived anachronism! Revel in your ability to partake in Buzzfeed's incessant solipsistic mockery of gen-z (e.g. https://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/millennial-versus-gen-z). 

    ??? thank you! Also pound sign *NSYNC for life!!!

  4. 5 hours ago, MetaphysicalDrama said:

    I was pretty much in your exact situation.  I completed an MA in philosophy, and I just couldn't come up with a compelling project for a PhD.  I damn sure did apply, but I can see why there wasn't a school who cared to pick up my project.  After completing my MA, I taught for an education nonprofit before becoming adjunct faculty at a number of colleges in my area.  While I was adjuncting, I decided to work on an MA in literature.  Honestly, it was worth it.  I put together a much more compelling thesis project, and my interests changed over the time I studied in the program.  For this application cycle, I have one acceptance, one expenses-paid visit/interview in about two weeks, and one rejection.  I'm still waiting to hear from about five schools.  While part of me thinks I would have had much more success with apps if I had started with literature, I would have to think that my two MAs and adjuncting experience will aid me on the real job market, especially at community colleges and teaching colleges.  

    If you decide to apply to literature programs, you'll likely have to explain why you've made the transition from philosophy to literature, briefly.  They don't really care about what you've achieved in philosophy.  They care about your potential to study literature.  Also, don't bother sending a packet of three letters from philosophy professors.  You need some people in literature to speak for you.  I added a supplemental fourth letter to many of my application packets just to show I didn't fuck up my philosophy MA.  However, it's not really an important part of my dossier.  Schools will not always accept a fourth letter, and the word of a literary scholar is more valuable than that of philosopher for a literature application. 

    Age can hurt.  Schools who have a reputation of taking people directly from undergrad will not have much interest in you if you apply when you're thirty.  There are exceptions to this rule, and I don't really like that it exists because I see value in someone who sticks it out and proves she can balance researching and teaching.  However, it is a reality, and it likely produced by the hiring market.  Some schools want that fresh PhD for an entry-level professorship who is only about thirty.  For that reason, schools will aim for a younger cohort.  The flipside of that is that an older applicant with more teaching experience might actually do better on the job market, especially at teaching colleges.  The rejoinder here is that someone who starts a PhD at thirty might end up ABD because of the salary sacrifice, but there are tons of ABDs anyway.   

     

    Now that I think about all of this, I really wonder what's up with the job market for PhDs.  We always say, "it's terrible," or, "don't bother going to anything other than a top-ten school."  Well, a top-ten school might want someone from a top-ten program, but there are a lot of different colleges out there.  I've heard stories about fancy PhDs from Harvard and Columbia who don't know how to handle an interview at a teaching college, asking for TAs and such.  Their applications were thrown right in the trash.  This just goes to show you that showing a hiring committee that you can work with a variety of students has a place somewhere.  I've had profs from top-ten schools and profs from schools ranked around one-hundred on US News and World report.  Some teaching colleges will have tenured jobs, and others will only offer more limited contracts.  I believe in PhDs deserving full-time work, but the tenure or bust ultimatum is unsustainable. 

     

    Well said!

    I did wonder about my age being a factor in the admissions process. I think if it did that really sucks because if programs want diversity of experience, experience working in the real world and supporting yourself while juggling school and other priorities should have value (not saying younger folks don’t have this experience too, a lot of them do, but likely not with the same industries, etc.) Plus, I know for a fact my age has been helpful to me in my lit classes. A nice mix of experiences, including ages, should always be desirable, IMO. 

  5. 2 hours ago, FiguresIII said:

    @trytostay Haven't gotten any invitations, yet, no! But we'll see. And @thismortalcoil is probably right, if I'm in the area at the right time I could potentially visit. I'll check with the DGS.

    I would just ask if you can attend visit days and if there is funding for it. I’ve heard of this being done at some programs for waitlisted folks. If you’re waitlisted then they would like to have you, and I’d think they’d want to give you the info you need to be able to make a decision in their favor if you end up getting in. Either way, good luck and congrats!

    @The Wordsworthiancongrats to you too! I haven’t heard anything from UConn but I thought their program was great. Hope an acceptance comes through for you soon!

  6. 1 minute ago, Englishandteamakesahappyme said:

    I jump every time my phone rings, beeps, dings, or vibrates. I sleep with my phone under the pillow. Even my computer’s sleep mode is turned off.

    Met a friend for lunch yesterday. He said I look “weathered.” 

    “Weathered” ????

    I cried on the phone the other day with an anthem blue cross rep because the company kept calling me with some health insurance offer, every single day, from various area codes, including ones in Pennsylvania and Texas. It was torturous.

  7. 1 minute ago, emprof said:

    Since they are bringing you to campus, they are obviously very interested in you! I'm confident that asking them about what in your application stood out will not derail that interest. You could even frame it in relation to their department: "What in my application made you think that I would be a good fit for SMU?" Sending lots of good wishes!

    Thank you! I’m really passionate about the program and its unique opportunities :) 

  8. 11 minutes ago, emprof said:

    This is a phone interview as part of the admissions cycle? My institution doesn't do these, so I'm speculating slightly about how other institutions might treat these. But it's hard for me to imagine that this would somehow count as a strike against you. In all interviews I've been a part of (both inside and outside of academia), the interview concludes with the question to the candidate, "Do you have any questions for us?" I think it's important to use that opportunity to signal your interest in and knowledge about the program--something like, "I know that you have graduate certificates in Digital Humanities, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about that." Or: "Can you tell me more about opportunities to develop as a teacher in your program?" This is the kind of question that gives the committee a chance to brag about their program, but also to signal your seriousness about their institution. But following that rhetorical performance, I don't think there would be anything wrong with asking, "What aspects of my application stood out to you during your deliberations?" I know that one of the most frustrating things about the admissions process is the lack of feedback on the application. It's just a numbers game: we can't possibly craft meaningful feedback for 200 applicants every cycle. But especially with the candidates who were at the top of our list and just barely missed the final pool, I do wish we had the opportunity to extend our encouragement and admiration for their work.

    I’m wondering for my in-person interview at SMU :) Thank you so much for the feedback, it’s very much appreciated!

  9. 9 minutes ago, Ramus said:

    A better and more nuanced approach than mine. @urbanfarmer is right that when the schools you're comparing are 2, 3, and 5, or whatever, the exact ranking matters less. 

    My comment was primarily intended for those applicants seriously considering a 40ish school over a top-ten on the grounds that the former is a better "fit" (whatever that useless, nebulous term means). This happens every single application cycle, and it pains me that so many do not understand what actually matters to the hiring committees you will eventually be trying to impress. A perfect example is a student that was part of my cohort at OSU. They had a full ride to UMich and turned it down for OSU because the professors at UMich didn't voice immediate enthusiasm for their undergraduate thesis (and thus, their feeling that OSU was a better fit). That was a poor decision indeed, and one that I can only pray those of you reading won't emulate. 

    Wondering if you think it’s even worth bothering to go to a program that isn’t top 40s? Or would going through another cycle with an eye toward acceptance at a higher ranking program be a wiser decision, in your opinion? Thanks!

  10. 1 hour ago, Derridazcat said:

    who's ready for Monday aka when more decisions are going to roll out and creep into your email inbox?

    I'm so ready, honestly.  I want to get the rest of these decisions out for everyone so I can maybe see some movement on waitlists!  Since I have some good news, or at least promising news, now, I'm not dreading hearing back from the rest.

  11. 5 minutes ago, Dares said:

    Nay, I can attest that this is decisively not true. I did my undergrad and master's degrees at two of the top 10 schools in the world, and was rejected from 10 out of 12 of the programs I applied to, with my acceptances being my two safety schools. A woman in my English MPhil cohort also applied to 10 schools and was rejected from all of them, and she was an excellent writer working on a pretty bracing topic. I am fairly sure the most important aspects are how good your writing sample is, how original your research is, how stellar your letters of rec are, and then maybe toward the middle of the list the prestige of your schools. But the humanities is an extremely qualitative and subjective field, and grad schools admissions are already extremely political to begin with. School prestige will only get you so far. 

    I think if you really want proof of this you can take a cursory scan of some of the top programs' current graduate students. Many if not most of them come from schools you've probably never heard of or middle-of-the-road places. It comes down to how good of a candidate you've made yourself, in combination with how well you've come to understand what the humanities academy is looking for (discursively, topically, etc.).

    Thanks for this. My undergrad institution was one I found by googling “easiest colleges to get into” and picking the one that wasn’t in the south. I got into Mills, my dream school, but I couldn’t afford to attend and needed a back up ASAP.

    When I think of how much I grew in undergrad, and the amazing support I continue to have from faculty there, I can’t regret going where I went. But I did worry that a regional state school degree might have messed with my chances at graduate study.

  12. 55 minutes ago, Warelin said:

    As another point of reference, Wisconsin has a nice record of information that list applicant stats. (There are more available by other universities as well. I think there are laws that Public Schools must make the information publically available somewhere.)

    Taking a look at Madison's stats:
    211 people applied in Fall 2015 for English. 35 were offered admission. 17 enrolled.
    156 people applied in Fall 2016 for English.  9 were offered admission. 7 enrolled.
    149 people applied in Fall 2017 for English. 10 were offered admission. 2 enrolled.

    Comparing it to Biochemistry:
    242 people applied in Fall 2015 for Biochemistry. 46 were offered admission. 18 enrolled.
    243 people applied in Fall 2016 for Biochemistry.  60 were offered admission. 22 enrolled.
    239 people applied in Fall 2017 for Biochemistry. 61 were offered admission. 23 enrolled,

    This makes me feel a lot better honesty. Although it’s nothing to celebrate.

  13. 1 hour ago, Anonymouse124 said:

    Haha thanks! Forever 21 definitely has decent options! LOFT had a huge sale too, I got some dress pants there for $5 (original price was $60!). Target's Universal Standard line has some cute polished stuff too. What would you guys suggest for shoes? I'm considering loafers, but honestly, am more of a bootie type of person.

    I feel like booties are polished and cute.  We don't have to look like the traditional professor, I think.  That being said I have a tweed and velvet blazer I'm taking to Dallas that screams caricature of an English prof and I'm going to wear the hell out of it, haha.  Probably paired with booties!

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