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I can't say with any certainty about the people who declined their offer, but everyone in my cohort was interviewed, which includes English and TAPS.

I can't say with any certainty about the people who declined their offer, but everyone in my cohort was interviewed, which includes English and TAPS.

This is correct. 

This is correct. 

I considered how many scholars were working/had worked in my period and how they're current interests aligned with mine. I went with programs that had at least two faculty who worked directly in my period and a few others who fit my critical interests. Mind you, this was less about me being particular and rather about making sure I had a chance at getting in somewhere. Really, though, I don' know how much (if at all) this approach affected the outcome. After admissions, I went with the program that made me the most academically uncomfortable/intimidated. That's not the only factor of course: logistics play a role, but it was nonetheless important. 
How many programs do you anticipate applying to? It might be a good move to apply to them all, if you have the means. 

As far as interdisciplinary work, Chicago embraces that approach. Only a few in my cohort are interested in canonical works. One person is interested in new media theory, for example. Others are interested in object studies. Queer theory, affect, gender and sexuality, history of sexuality and biopolitics are all big here too. 
Anywhere you go, you're going to be engaging with texts in a substantial way, whether those are literary, critical, or theoretical texts. In this way, literature never goes away. 
It's reasonable that you don't know exactly what you want to study, but if you're thinking about any PhD program, you'd want to situate yourself in a field before applying. It might be useful to spend the remainder of your MA experience trying to figure out what those interests are and how they intersect. 

If you've already submitted applications, then it's not worth stressing yourself out about. 
Good luck everyone! Hopefully by next time this year all of you are sharing in the overwhelming sense of inadequacy like me! 

If you've already submitted applications, then it's not worth stressing yourself out about. 
Good luck everyone! Hopefully by next time this year all of you are sharing in the overwhelming sense of inadequacy like me! 

If you've already submitted applications, then it's not worth stressing yourself out about. 
Good luck everyone! Hopefully by next time this year all of you are sharing in the overwhelming sense of inadequacy like me! 

Finally completing applications feels so good. Waiting to hear back is an exciting time. Don't let bad news defeat you. Good luck to everyone in the final few weeks of work. 

Finally completing applications feels so good. Waiting to hear back is an exciting time. Don't let bad news defeat you. Good luck to everyone in the final few weeks of work. 

Finally completing applications feels so good. Waiting to hear back is an exciting time. Don't let bad news defeat you. Good luck to everyone in the final few weeks of work. 

Finally completing applications feels so good. Waiting to hear back is an exciting time. Don't let bad news defeat you. Good luck to everyone in the final few weeks of work. 

Finally completing applications feels so good. Waiting to hear back is an exciting time. Don't let bad news defeat you. Good luck to everyone in the final few weeks of work. 

My two cents is that I don't know if being hyper specific is always beneficial. I articulated a few guiding research questions/problems that I thought my field could benefit from and then footnoted books that may be in my sphere of research. It's important to demonstrate room for growth in your SoP, I think. My philosophy was to provide a balanced account of who I am, my research goals, and my professional interests (unless the program greatly limited the word count or said what type of content they're looking for). 

I have a different take. I approached the statement with most of my paragraphs focusing on my interests and project proposal (which as far as I can tell is really just a test to see if you can articulate a project since no one expects you will focus on it). I dedicated half a paragraph to fit for each program. Admission committees will know if you match what they're looking for, and I don't think it's wrong to spend most of your statement focusing on yourself instead of arguing about fit. That's not to say that a greater emphasis on fit is a bad thing; I just don't think it's necessary. 

Programs will send an email to your letter writers with a link for them to upload the document once you input their contact information in the reference section of the application. This process can be done ahead of time, if you want to give your writers  plenty of time to upload the documents. Some programs will only send letter requests after you submit your application. 
I wouldn't limit your applications. One of my letter writers mentioned how unreasonable the process has become for faculty, but that's just the way it is these days. You can make it easier for them to keep track of the uploads by sending them a document with each institution name and deadline. 
A few tips: you will receive emails once letters are submitted, and you can look at each program portal to see which letters are still missing. It's helpful for your sanity to keep track of this information in a separate document. Also, give your letter writers plenty of notice--at least a few weeks. Some of them are writing multiple letters each cycle in addition to their already packed schedule. Occasional reminders may be necessary to get all of your letters on time, and I've read that there's an unspoken grace period for late letters for many (most?) programs. I tried to submit all of my applications about a week before the deadline, with many of my letter requests sent well in advance of this. Finally, ask if there's any way to make the process easier for them. 

I have a different take. I approached the statement with most of my paragraphs focusing on my interests and project proposal (which as far as I can tell is really just a test to see if you can articulate a project since no one expects you will focus on it). I dedicated half a paragraph to fit for each program. Admission committees will know if you match what they're looking for, and I don't think it's wrong to spend most of your statement focusing on yourself instead of arguing about fit. That's not to say that a greater emphasis on fit is a bad thing; I just don't think it's necessary. 

I have a different take. I approached the statement with most of my paragraphs focusing on my interests and project proposal (which as far as I can tell is really just a test to see if you can articulate a project since no one expects you will focus on it). I dedicated half a paragraph to fit for each program. Admission committees will know if you match what they're looking for, and I don't think it's wrong to spend most of your statement focusing on yourself instead of arguing about fit. That's not to say that a greater emphasis on fit is a bad thing; I just don't think it's necessary. 

Programs will send an email to your letter writers with a link for them to upload the document once you input their contact information in the reference section of the application. This process can be done ahead of time, if you want to give your writers  plenty of time to upload the documents. Some programs will only send letter requests after you submit your application. 
I wouldn't limit your applications. One of my letter writers mentioned how unreasonable the process has become for faculty, but that's just the way it is these days. You can make it easier for them to keep track of the uploads by sending them a document with each institution name and deadline. 
A few tips: you will receive emails once letters are submitted, and you can look at each program portal to see which letters are still missing. It's helpful for your sanity to keep track of this information in a separate document. Also, give your letter writers plenty of notice--at least a few weeks. Some of them are writing multiple letters each cycle in addition to their already packed schedule. Occasional reminders may be necessary to get all of your letters on time, and I've read that there's an unspoken grace period for late letters for many (most?) programs. I tried to submit all of my applications about a week before the deadline, with many of my letter requests sent well in advance of this. Finally, ask if there's any way to make the process easier for them. 

Programs will send an email to your letter writers with a link for them to upload the document once you input their contact information in the reference section of the application. This process can be done ahead of time, if you want to give your writers  plenty of time to upload the documents. Some programs will only send letter requests after you submit your application. 
I wouldn't limit your applications. One of my letter writers mentioned how unreasonable the process has become for faculty, but that's just the way it is these days. You can make it easier for them to keep track of the uploads by sending them a document with each institution name and deadline. 
A few tips: you will receive emails once letters are submitted, and you can look at each program portal to see which letters are still missing. It's helpful for your sanity to keep track of this information in a separate document. Also, give your letter writers plenty of notice--at least a few weeks. Some of them are writing multiple letters each cycle in addition to their already packed schedule. Occasional reminders may be necessary to get all of your letters on time, and I've read that there's an unspoken grace period for late letters for many (most?) programs. I tried to submit all of my applications about a week before the deadline, with many of my letter requests sent well in advance of this. Finally, ask if there's any way to make the process easier for them. 

Congrats! You're way ahead of the game. How was the housing search in Chicago? With the commute times and parking, I can't see how anywhere but Hyde Park would make sense. I'm looking to start the search in mid-July.

Congrats! Indiana seems like such a great program. It was really hard for me to turn it down. Jennifer Fleissner and Jonathan Elmer seem so great, and the campus is beautiful! 

It's difficult to live in the Bay without housemates for sure. You can find some decent spots in places just outside of Berkeley, like El Cerrito. I managed a bedroom in a private home for 600 a month on the north side of campus, but it was a rare situation and I didn't have kitchen or laundry access. I'd expect to pay northwards of 1k for a room to yourself or 1700+ for a studio. Depending on your standards of living (and your offer), it might be worth trying to make it work. After my weekend trip to Chicago last week, I can say that I am not at all stoked on the area surrounding campus or the city itself (too big for me). The Berkeley campus feels much more alive, as well. I suppose that may be due to the fact that I toured Chicago during Spring break. 
And my contribution to the thread: I committed to Chicago some weeks ago. I couldn't pass on the program itself.

It's difficult to live in the Bay without housemates for sure. You can find some decent spots in places just outside of Berkeley, like El Cerrito. I managed a bedroom in a private home for 600 a month on the north side of campus, but it was a rare situation and I didn't have kitchen or laundry access. I'd expect to pay northwards of 1k for a room to yourself or 1700+ for a studio. Depending on your standards of living (and your offer), it might be worth trying to make it work. After my weekend trip to Chicago last week, I can say that I am not at all stoked on the area surrounding campus or the city itself (too big for me). The Berkeley campus feels much more alive, as well. I suppose that may be due to the fact that I toured Chicago during Spring break. 
And my contribution to the thread: I committed to Chicago some weeks ago. I couldn't pass on the program itself.