snorkles

I'm thinking of a pretty capacious definition. Access to resources is one way to think about it. For me that means anything from spheres of knowledge, opportunities, guidance. Take admissions for example: Many people have mentors helping to shape their application. Some people have been guided on this path since high school. 

I'm thinking of a pretty capacious definition. Access to resources is one way to think about it. For me that means anything from spheres of knowledge, opportunities, guidance. Take admissions for example: Many people have mentors helping to shape their application. Some people have been guided on this path since high school. 

As a nontraditional student, I'm learning more and more about the depth of access privilege. It doesn't end with admissions. 

As a nontraditional student, I'm learning more and more about the depth of access privilege. It doesn't end with admissions. 

As a nontraditional student, I'm learning more and more about the depth of access privilege. It doesn't end with admissions. 

As a nontraditional student, I'm learning more and more about the depth of access privilege. It doesn't end with admissions. 

As a nontraditional student, I'm learning more and more about the depth of access privilege. It doesn't end with admissions. 

Hi,
I wanted to add a little perspective as a current PhD candidate at an ivy currently organizing to pressure my department to follow Yale and Chicago in suspending admissions for Fall 2021. The response of most programs to the disruptions presented by the pandemic has been atrocious. PhD students of all disciplines find themselves looking at what amounts to a year loss of progress towards degree--many students have had to abandon research in the US and abroad, obviously library access has been severely limited. Hiring freezes set in pretty quickly after the pandemic's outset, so the class of students meant to defend this year have had to drum up funding to keep themselves afloat, with no guarantee that any kind of job market will exist next year.
At my institution, after a flurry of action largely organized by our student union in the Spring,  university admin made it clear that the only way departments could issue a blanket funding extension for current grads would be to forgo future admits. Every slot canceled frees up 10 semesters of funding to be redistributed among current students. I imagine the decisions at Yale and Chicago were made under similar conditions. This is a form of austerity, and all evidence points to it getting worse, not better in upper ed, with, as usual, outsize effect on the humanities.
I think its quite easy to focus on "how" to get into grad school rather than "why" to go to grad school (which this forum obviously abets). Now more than ever I would urge all prospective PhD applicants to REALLY think deeply about the latter. To be able to ask yourself and answer honestly: am I emotionally, mentally, and financially capable of putting 5-7 years of work into a career path that most likely will not lead to employment in my field?
Towards answering this latter question and getting a better idea of the wrecked landscape that is graduate work in the humanities currently I highly recommend perusing discussions on the Chronicle of Higher Education such as: https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-the-coronavirus-will-or-should-transform-graduate-education/
and also discussions on Karen Kelsky's website: http://theprofessorisin.com/ 
(her 2015 book "The Professor is In" remains a really useful read)
 

To preface my advice, I'd like to mention that programs in general are admitting smaller cohorts this year. I wouldn't be surprised if this trend continued beyond 2021. If you're thinking about PhD programs with the job market in mind, you'd be better served by focusing your efforts elsewhere. It was already near impossible to land a tenure track position. Now, things are looking very, very bleak. 
The best thing you can do is refine your interests and develop questions about them. You aren't expected to be an expert in a field when you apply, but you should be somewhat conversant with one. Write a good (that is, relevant to your field) thesis and use it for your writing sample. 
Conferences and publications don't hurt your application, but they take time. The same is true for library work and volunteering. In my opinion, you're better off spending your time researching and writing. Develop relationships with faculty to help you along. 
The application process is expensive and grueling. I'd heavily consider whether you want to pursue this route, because a lot of the labor that goes into making yourself an ideal PhD applicant may also prevent you from developing your marketability in other avenues. 

To preface my advice, I'd like to mention that programs in general are admitting smaller cohorts this year. I wouldn't be surprised if this trend continued beyond 2021. If you're thinking about PhD programs with the job market in mind, you'd be better served by focusing your efforts elsewhere. It was already near impossible to land a tenure track position. Now, things are looking very, very bleak. 
The best thing you can do is refine your interests and develop questions about them. You aren't expected to be an expert in a field when you apply, but you should be somewhat conversant with one. Write a good (that is, relevant to your field) thesis and use it for your writing sample. 
Conferences and publications don't hurt your application, but they take time. The same is true for library work and volunteering. In my opinion, you're better off spending your time researching and writing. Develop relationships with faculty to help you along. 
The application process is expensive and grueling. I'd heavily consider whether you want to pursue this route, because a lot of the labor that goes into making yourself an ideal PhD applicant may also prevent you from developing your marketability in other avenues. 

Get a feel for the culture of the department and decide from there. I suspect your department doesn't have a student union (recognized or otherwise), but if it does then I'd go there first. 

You seem to be focused on boosting your CV, which is insignificant at this stage relative to the time investment. Publishing in itself isn't noteworthy. It's the work that matters, where a published paper is a sign of good work. Keeping in mind, too, that not all journals are equal. Publishing is not a prerequisite for graduate school. I haven't published anything. I would work on refining your interests and developing faculty relationships. And keep honing your writing. Also, do lots and lots of research on the state of the field and its future. Are you comfortable with 6-10 years of work without a job waiting for you at the other end? The work itself has to be enough to sustain you. Another question you might think about is whether an MA is the best route, or if you'd be better off applying straight to PhD programs. 

I'd also like to emphasize how dire things are. Everything is indeed in flux right now, but I've heard rumblings of even more severe measures. This is to say, I would not wait for the 2022 cycle to apply. And only apply with the expectation that you will not land a tenured position at the other end (not that this is news). 

I'd also like to emphasize how dire things are. Everything is indeed in flux right now, but I've heard rumblings of even more severe measures. This is to say, I would not wait for the 2022 cycle to apply. And only apply with the expectation that you will not land a tenured position at the other end (not that this is news). 

I'd also like to emphasize how dire things are. Everything is indeed in flux right now, but I've heard rumblings of even more severe measures. This is to say, I would not wait for the 2022 cycle to apply. And only apply with the expectation that you will not land a tenured position at the other end (not that this is news). 

I like this a lot. I had something longer written out in response, but I decided it was a bit of a bummer. In short, I've learned in my first year the truism that one should not compare oneself to one's peers is crucial for one's mental health in graduate school. Setting your own metrics for success is important, especially for those coming from nontraditional backgrounds. 
 
 
 

I like this a lot. I had something longer written out in response, but I decided it was a bit of a bummer. In short, I've learned in my first year the truism that one should not compare oneself to one's peers is crucial for one's mental health in graduate school. Setting your own metrics for success is important, especially for those coming from nontraditional backgrounds. 
 
 
 

I can explain Chicago. Stipends have been standardized across the humanities. Every PhD student is now guaranteed a set amount for the duration of their enrollment in the program. This change may prove to be wonderful should we need longer than 6 years to finish our dissertation. By year,I think it amounts to about 500 dollars more a year for me, but a decrease for second years, who had a higher stipend last year). For my cohort, this seems to be a net gain. And it certainly is for students in other departments. Before, from what I understand, other departments had significantly smaller stipends. However, this adjustment came with the caveat that the humanities can only take in a set amount of students per year, so many departments have had to downsize enrollment a ton. This is the scariest bit of it, English seems pretty safe so far. The stipend has seemed to always vary by year, which sucks for my cohort when I consider that last year's had a substantial research grant to buy computers and the like, on top of a higher base amount. But all things considered, I'm living pretty comfortably here, so I haven't felt any immediate outrage. It's unsettling to know that our financial contracts aren't binding on their end, though, but that just seems to be the case for every program. 

I can explain Chicago. Stipends have been standardized across the humanities. Every PhD student is now guaranteed a set amount for the duration of their enrollment in the program. This change may prove to be wonderful should we need longer than 6 years to finish our dissertation. By year,I think it amounts to about 500 dollars more a year for me, but a decrease for second years, who had a higher stipend last year). For my cohort, this seems to be a net gain. And it certainly is for students in other departments. Before, from what I understand, other departments had significantly smaller stipends. However, this adjustment came with the caveat that the humanities can only take in a set amount of students per year, so many departments have had to downsize enrollment a ton. This is the scariest bit of it, English seems pretty safe so far. The stipend has seemed to always vary by year, which sucks for my cohort when I consider that last year's had a substantial research grant to buy computers and the like, on top of a higher base amount. But all things considered, I'm living pretty comfortably here, so I haven't felt any immediate outrage. It's unsettling to know that our financial contracts aren't binding on their end, though, but that just seems to be the case for every program. 

Committed just now to Cornell's Medieval Studies PhD program, good luck to everyone else!

That's a really tough situation. 
I want to be careful here and not give you misleading ideas about your visits. "But" my experience has been that I had anticipated, based on conversations during the recruitment process, to develop a mentor-style relationship with a faculty member. Or at least have some kind of advising-level interactions. This has not happened at all. I don't think I was misled or that the faculty member has been negligent in some way: A friend of mine at UVA received similar effusive compliments during his visit, and I don't believe he ever connected with that faculty member. I'm learning that academia never turns out exactly as you wanted or expected it to be. 
So if your only reason for choosing Northwestern over Yale is to develop a close relationship with that faculty member, then you might feel disappointed somewhat. And, of course, I say "might" because it could be amazing and all the things you want it to be.  Or it might be that this faculty member will happily be on our orals/dissertation committee but you don't develop that kind of proximity you're looking for. 
I've heard similar things about Yale's visit days--feeling less warm and all. I don't know how much you can make out of it, but I'm definitely a big vibe person. Both programs are amazing, and I don't think you can make a bad decision either way. 

I'm wondering if we'll see lopsided cohorts because of cancellations. If we do, it may affect next year's cycle if, for example, Chicago's cohort size increases from 9 to 18. 

I'm wondering if we'll see lopsided cohorts because of cancellations. If we do, it may affect next year's cycle if, for example, Chicago's cohort size increases from 9 to 18. 

I'm wondering if we'll see lopsided cohorts because of cancellations. If we do, it may affect next year's cycle if, for example, Chicago's cohort size increases from 9 to 18. 

Yes, yes it is. If you have been accepted, then you don't need to prove yourself. I imagine the conversations are to illustrate interests and not competency.