semiotic_mess

I don't know why I never thought to check out reddit. Would you mind linking any good subreddits?

For anyone looking for a distraction, I just found out about https://www.geoguessr.com/ and I am OBSESSED. Basically it is a game where you are dropped somewhere randomly on google maps (you can choose the U.S, the world, famous landmarks, etc.) and you have to try and guess where you are. The free version only lets you play 1 game per day, but it is 5 rounds and that can eat up an hour easily. Shows or videos only distract me for so long since they are passive and I am not much of a gamer (and I unfortunately have reading fatigue from school), so this has been perfect for me and has helped keep me from refreshing my email every 5 minutes which has lowered my stress level. I am so thrilled about finding something that has calmed my nerves that I had to share (and I'm posting this in 2 groups, so sorry if you see this post twice!).

For anyone looking for a distraction, I just found out about https://www.geoguessr.com/ and I am OBSESSED. Basically it is a game where you are dropped somewhere randomly on google maps (you can choose the U.S, the world, famous landmarks, etc.) and you have to try and guess where you are. The free version only lets you play 1 game per day, but it is 5 rounds and that can eat up an hour easily. Shows or videos only distract me for so long since they are passive and I am not much of a gamer (and I unfortunately have reading fatigue from school), so this has been perfect for me and has helped keep me from refreshing my email every 5 minutes which has lowered my stress level. I am so thrilled about finding something that has calmed my nerves that I had to share (and I'm posting this in 2 groups, so sorry if you see this post twice!).

@factical.illusion I am interested to hear what you mean that comp lit gets a bad wrap (other than egos)? I know some Philosophy people make fun of it as not being as rigorous as philosophy (they do a lot of the same theory, at least with continental phil), but phil can be very elitist, so I have ignored that. Haven't heard anything else, so I am curious.

Does anyone else feel like a jealous sibling when you see results from a school you applied to, but in a different department, like "Mooooommm, why did Political Science get to have their funding in order and release results first!?!! No fair! ?" I know it is very immature, but I am going through a roller coaster of emotions right now...

I'm not 100% sure because my pool is so small, but I can say that 2 of my 3 comp lit programs do interviews. I think it is safe to say that if a program had interviews last year on the results page, they will this year.

Also thanks for this thread! I am a philosophy Master's student so I applied to about 10 philosophy programs and 3 comp lit, which are Duke Literature (which I was interviewed for and am (un)patiently waiting to hear back from), University at Buffalo Comp Lit (which my partner is at), and Emory Comp Lit. I applied to more Philosophy programs, but I think I realized I would rather do Comp Lit ? In reduced terms, I do 20th century Continental Phil (Social & Political Phil, Deleuze and Foucault), Psychoanalysis, Queer theory, and Media Studies (but I vary how I frame these depending on the kind of program). And as for how we are holding up, tbh I have not been holding up well. I am already susceptible to manic episodes and anxiety/panic episodes, so this process has exacerbated everything and I have been dealing with some extreme ups and downs the past week ?

Friend was just accepted to University at Buffalo's Comp Lit program

She updated her last acceptance herself (in philosophy), so I was going to let her do that so there wasn't a duplicate, but I'll ask if I can just do it for her (and as I typed it she said yes, so I will do that now!)

Just an FYI, my friend was just accepted into the University at Buffalo's Comparative Literature program. I also applied, so I am definitely hoping there are more acceptances to come.

No worries! Glad I could help! I know I was extremely nervous for my interview and any bit of info or advice made me feel a bit better and more prepared, so I can only hope that I can help any way I can with the trauma that is grad school applications. I tend to be an over planner (yet somehow still a procrastinator?), so I tend to go on intense internet hunts for little gold info nuggets for these kinds of things in order to feel like I have some charade of control over what's happening (I have ADHD an am extremely impatient ?. I am dying on the inside with every moment of radio silence ?)

From some intel I got from one program (that was supposed to release last week) and other programs (in philosophy depts) it seems like things are pretty delayed at some universities because of typical 'beuracracy during a pandemic' reasons that you would expect. I am trying to let go of expectations for release dates this season, but I am finding that really difficult as all of you probably are

@mashatheicebear (And anyone that needs interview advice) I am so, so, sorry! I had some personal stuff come up and totally forgot I promised the doc. I will just post what I have here. My personal advice after my own interview that was very academically oriented (some of it is just reinforcing what others have said): Review your own material. Focus more on the things you mentioned in your SOP rather than researching the faculty work. I am not sure about others, but, there wasn't any point that I needed to know faculty work or could have shown this off at all (definitely worth at least knowing what each of the committee members do generally, just as context for their comments or just generally to be familiar. But this isn't more than checking the faculty website) Write out an explanation of your past/current work. Take the time to do this because externalizing it will help. Then, PRACTICE SAYING IT. I wrote out my explanation and then come interview, my brain decided to do its own thing. I wish I had practiced an elevator pitch or talking points MULTIPLE times so that I had something already ingrained in my brain. See if you can practice with a friend and have them ask about your work and future plans. Also prepare an answer for "Why X university?" or "Why are you a good fit for X?". And say something specific about the program and yourself. If you can say it about any university or candidate, it isn't a great answer. Don't get thrown off by a critical comment or question. Consider it thoughtfully and if you don't have an answer don't try and BS, just say that was a good point you hadn't thought of and digging into questions like that further are part of the reason you want to get a PhD (good place to sell yourself as dedicated to academia) and then thank them for the question. They just want to see how you respond (it is nothing personal); they like you enough to interview, so don't think something critical means they don't! If you are mentally ready for them being harsh, you are either going to be prepared and not sweat it, or it turns out they were really nice and it is a nice surprise! Go into it thinking it will be like a tough conference crowd and then you won't be thrown off by critical comments or questions. Remember, most of the interview is just to see that you are professional and a person they would want to be around for the next 5-6 years, so be nice, humble, and highlight your passion and dedication to the discipline and a career in academia. That is all I have to add to the great advice below. Most of this is not my own words, but a collection of different advice I found or was given: ____ From a professor: "There could also be wildcard questions like “What do you like to do when you’re not doing philosophy?” or “What’s your favorite book?” These are designed to assess whether you have the maturity and well-rounded life to succeed in a doctoral program and not crack under the pressure. The oldie-but-goodie “Tell us about a challenge you faced, a time when you failed at something, etc.” might also surface. The most important thing here is NOT to say that you’ve never failed or faced challenges; be ready with a genuine example. Finally, they might ask you in general terms what areas of study you’re interested in, but I doubt they’d ask detailed questions designed to assess your knowledge of a specific figure or text." From previous gradcafe threads: (https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/119255-2020-applicants/page/26/?tab=comments#comment-1058724006) As someone else said, feel free to admit that you haven't read something/don't know much about something. However, the best thing to do is not let that "I'm not sure, I haven't read that" end the conversation or question. Instead, try to turn the conversation back around into something you either DO know, or turn it into a relevant question. i.e. "You know, I actually haven't read much Foucault, so I don't think I'm confident speaking about his ideas of biopower. However, I have found myself really interested in X, who says Y-- and you're right that I should dive into Foucault to see what he can add to my thoughts about Z." Or, "I haven't read Frankenstein in a while, but I think you're right that it could open up an interesting question in my work. For instance, I'm really interested in... Thanks for the recommendation!" With the above, if someone asks you something that you REALLY know nothing about-- say they mention a theorist or author that you've never heard of-- ask for clarification! Say something like, "I don't know Jane Doe's work. What's her take on eco criticism?" Then, use their answer to similarly make connections like I said above Don't feel like you need to have a definitive answer. Places where they ask you something that you haven't thought through yet are a great place to (1) say where you thinking IS at, but then follow that up by saying (2) this is why you want to be in a PhD program. Great phrasing would be something like, "I really do think that the relationship between gender and the publishing industry has had a huge impact on the reception of certain authors. I think to get to a definitive answer, however, I'll have to do some archival work, which I haven't had the time to do while in my M.A. That's one of the reasons I'm really excited about the prospect of being in your program-- you have such a great collection of early publishing records, and I love the work that Dr. X has done with them." Have some questions prepared to ask them, if they give you the opening to do so. Even if you don't really have any questions, have some-- saying "I don't have any questions" can make you seen uninterested. These questions, though, should be higher-order questions about the program, and not nitty-gritty. i.e. DO ask about recent placement, but don't ask about specific stipend questions (unless they give you the space to do so). DO ask about the availability of funding for conference travel, but don't ask about how much. After you're admitted, you can ask about details, or about the city or housing or whatever. Right now, you're just trying to get in the door. The best advice-- for interviews, and for campus visits when y'all get to that stage-- is to fake it 'til ya make it. It's ok to say that you're nervous if you are! But also, act confident, sociable, and kind, no matter how you feel inside. I used to teach speech, and I'd tell my kids that everyone starts to feel nervous before public speaking. That's a normal, healthy, bodily response. The key is to turn those nerves into energy, rather than thinking that they mean you're going to fail, and letting them shut you up. 1. This may be obvious to you, but think of the interview as you pitching your work to the department. The point of the interview is to share your work with the faculty – both the past work you've done and future work you want to do – and to explain why you are excited to do that work at that particular program. I had no idea what kinds of questions to expect – did they want to get to know me better as a potential colleague? Did they want to hear about more ideas that didn't make it into my materials? Nope – they just wanted a better idea of how all of my interests fit together and some clarification of what I've done and what I want to do, research-wise. Our conversation never strayed from my SoP and WS. Talk about your past and future work in as specific terms as possible, rooted in arguments you have made and methods/avenues of research you want to pursue 2. Review your statement of purpose and writing sample very carefully for at least a few days before the interview. Practice talking about them with confidence in very specific terms, and be able to explain how they link together. Do not waste time reviewing books/articles written by the faculty at that program. I spent far too much time doing this and didn't have a single opportunity to hint at my knowledge. I should have spent the time reviewing my own materials carefully. 3. As @urbanfarmer mentioned, do have questions prepared for your interviewers. But while questions about funding and placement may be welcome at some departments, I very much got the sense that my interviewers did not want to be asked about classes, placement, job support, teaching (whoops). They made it fairly clear at the end of the interview that I should have asked about the opportunities available to me within my specific field/subfield at the program, and what the work culture is like in those areas. I didn't think to ask about those things because I had already researched them well and I didn't want to seem like I hadn't, but in retrospect, I do not think it is necessarily a bad idea to ask questions you already know the answers to. For my next interview, I plan to begin the "question" section with "I'm really excited about University's program because of x opportunities in my Field. Would you mind talking a little bit about the opportunities and culture in Field at University so I can get a better sense of how I would fit in to your program?" 4. Similarly, when possible, throw in phrases reiterating that you are excited about and think you are a good fit for the program because of x. Only after my not very good interview did I realize I really just talked about me the whole time and made it seem like I didn't know or care about the program. I thought my understanding of the department's opportunities in my field and my fit with the department was evident from my statement of purpose, but in retrospect, I wish I had emphasized these things during the interview. https://dukeofbookingham.tumblr.com/post/190293342155/so-ive-been-in-the-room-for-prospective-phd ____ Here are some questions I wrote for a meeting with faculty before applications that could suit an interview well (These are particular to program, but you can extrapolate for other department specifics): Website mentions: What is the mentoring program? Tell me about the teaching apprenticeships? What are the certification programs? Dual degree and minors? Professional development?- info on Graduate Placement Officer, who organizes placement workshops, arranges for mock interviews and works closely with students to put together a compelling CV and dossier? Support for DAAD, Fullbright applications? Lecture series? reading groups? department affiliated extracurriculars **Would you say that students are often involved with faculty scholarship or vice versa (research assistants, co-editors, etc.)? Dissertation advisor process?- how frequently do you meet, is it one person or many, how self-directed is it? For the coursework requirements, are the courses taken exclusively graduate seminars or do you take some courses that are undergraduate/graduate mixed level courses? What is the typical class size of the graduate seminars? I saw that taking courses in other departments is an option, but it does not count towards philosophy credits, only as credits required by the graduate school. Would the credits required by the graduate school normally be fulfilled by the regular program requirements entirely in the philosophy department? Would this mean that by taking courses in other departments you would be taking more credit hours than the requirements for graduation? For the foreign language requirement, is there any assistance for students to fulfill this requirement or is it something that needs to be done independently? Do you know if there are student-based study groups for this? I saw that auditing requires permission, is it common practice for students to audit language courses? Question examples (and what not to ask) from a professor: "Something you’ve seen on the website and want further information about — this will not only let them know that you’ve visited the website, but will also allow them to learn about some aspect of the program you’re particularly interested in Opportunities for contributing to the department (e.g. whether grads are involved in organizing a lecture series, conference, or some other aspect of departmental life) — in other words, a “what can I do for you” type question How they organize TAing/teaching (if not clear from the website) — it’s a good idea to find something to ask about teaching, to show that you’re exited about it and not someone who will just want to do your research and not pull your weight in the classroom Placement (if not on the website) — makes it clear to them that you’re interested in an academic career and serious about completing the program" Things NOT to ask (almost as important) "Anything that you could easily find the answer to on their website — you don’t want it to look like you’re not invested enough to check out the website for basic information and answers to common questions Anything about specific faculty members (e.g. whether they’re taking on new advisees) — that could make everyone else feel resentful or more likely to favor candidates who might want to work with them. Questions about the faculty or the department’s strengths in general are fine, as long as it’s not about info that’s easily available online. In general, avoid asking too many “what can you do for me” type questions — asking about one resource that’s particularly important to you (e.g. travel funding) is fine, but don’t ask a list of questions that will make them think you’d be a diva or high maintenance" _____ I am currently on my tablet, so I will go back and edit to add the sources from the gradcafe threads (also that's why there might be some spelling or grammar mistakes, sorry! I hope this advice helps someone! I have no idea how my interview went, so who knows if what I have to say is useful ?

@mashatheicebear I am sorry that I got ahead of myself, but I am actually so tired and there is more to compile than I thought so I will have to get to it tomorrow. Just wanted to update you because I know how much it sucks to be waiting for something ?

Congrats on the interview! That is a great sign. But yes, they can be nerve wracking. When I got my interview invite I scoured gradcafe and the rest of the internet and complied a document and some notes of everything I found and all of the advice people gave me (I went through old forum threads and messaged people who had interviewed with the same dept and got good advice. You could try that too!). Give me some time, but I can consolidate everything into one document and share it here for you and anyone one else. When I did my research on Duke (Lit) I found out that their interviews are much more academically oriented than others, so my experience (which I'll include in the doc) will be a little different probably, but then again all departments have their own styles from extremely formal to more unformal or from very personal to very impersonal. I think the advice I got and found prepared me as well as I could have been; I feel like I said some cringey things that I don't know where they came from, but that has more to do with me and not the advice ?. I will probably get that document up tonight because I am definitely procrastinating writing my thesis at all costs ?. What program if I can ask?

I have only heard about things moving along in Lit (through grad cafe). Lit has interviews and English doesn't, so there are more mile markers to speculate from is all lol

I feel your pain so much. I also applied to philosophy programs, so I check up on those results too and someone got an acceptance from Duke's philosophy program today so my mind started racing thinking that maybe that means the graduate school has approved the acceptances that departments have submitted and we will hear today.... Terrible speculation that does me no good. Edit: I realize now that you might mean English and I mean Literature because a current student had mentioned that Lit dept decisions were made and were waiting approval by the grad school.

I'm feeling the gradcafe regret right about now. I love the camaraderie and I crave updates for my sanity, but I think finding out news has made me even more anxious. Having heard that Duke has finalized acceptances and are awaiting approval from the graduate school has made me extremely on edge and anxious ?. I am so all over the place and can't focus and I have a thesis to write.... My heart has been pounding since the morning. What have you all been doing to try and help focus on work? It is one thing to distract yourself with hobbies/watching shows, but I am finding working on anything grad school related next to impossible....

They told me they would release decisions by the end of the month.

Not getting an interview might be an indicator that you might not be in the final round, but we don't know what goes on behind the scenes and what the adcoms might be thinking, so you shouldn't assume anything. It definitely is not the *best* position to be in, but you shouldn't give up hope! 2 years ago when I applied to grad school the first time I was waitlisted a week an a half after the first waitlists went out. I had thought for sure I was out of the running. You never know!

That was me!

To the other Loyola waitlister looking for info if you find this, I got an email saying that offerS (so multiple) were still out so waitlist is still open. There are only 3 spots from what I have heard so either 2/3 or all 3 spots have not been filled yet. I am the one with the Social/Political, Fem Phil AOI. What is yours?

Social/Political, Feminist philosophy, Critical Race Theory (and a few other related areas). I am very continental based so I have a feeling we are not competing for the same spot!

(Late to the forum, but) Waitlisted at Loyola. I was told the waitlist depends on AOI and faculty. @HomoLudens what are your AOI if you don't mind me asking?

Hi, I have been stalking this forum for a while and I finally made an account because the anticipation is killing me and this gives me something to do. I'm right there with you ?