wreckofthehope

They did this to me last year too (for the subject test, though)- it really messes with your zen test-day attitude! Well done, though, for getting through it - now you can move on to the important stuff!!

Usually programs specify that they want a writing sample in English that was originally written in English - not translated into English. Even the comp lit programs I applied to specified this. However, I think a few of them also said that you could send in another sample in another language in addition to the English sample. You should definitely check with the departments that you're applying to, they'll be able to say for sure and the requirements may be different at each program.

My first semester as a PhD student looks like: 1. Seminar on "Exile" looking at C20th writers that were exiles in the states.(crosslisted with the Slavic Dep't) 2. The City in American Literature and Culture 3. Issues and Methods in American Studies - required. I am sooooooooper excited!

There are quite a few departments that are known as ecocritical strongholds - UCDavis, Oregon, UWMadison etc but as I'm not really focused on the rhetoric side of things I'm not aware of particular strengths in environmental rhetoric (but I expect most schools big on ecocriticism would welcome such work). The ASLE site will probably be more helpful to you than I can be, though - and certainly their mailing list will be able to answer your question more than adequately.

From what I remember, Emory has a plethora of certificates that you are encouraged to take and Comparative Literature is one of them, so you could apply to the English department and take the Comparative Literature certificate, allowing you to take a structured set of courses in that department (possibly all with a Trauma Studies bent?). Other certificates they offer, that I can remember, are: Psychoanalytic Studies (which could also satisfy your Trauma Studies interests); Film Studies; Mind, Brain , Culture; Women's and Gender Studies; and Digital and Media Studies... there were others also - you should look into them.

I did my undergrad at Oxford. I had PhD students teach me for a number of courses - there are a lot of opportunities for paid teaching work. It won't be TA-ing, and you will not be teaching a seminar-type class of students (because that type of teaching doesn't really happen in Oxford). The classes I took with PhD students were either one-on-one tutorials or small groups of 3-4 (my college's English cohort for each year), they took me for papers where I had trouble finding a suitable tutor (my two American Literature extended essay papers) and also for things like Introduction to Theory classes and extra Middle English classes. There will be someone at some college willing to pay you to teach something for most of your degree, but you will need to be proactive in seeking it out.

If you do decide to apply in the U.K., I think Saint Andrews is very strong in C18th. In the States, isn't Berkeley also?

Me too. I think I've mentioned before on here that when I took the subject test last year they moved the test center without telling anyone! Or at least possibly some people were told, but I certainly wasn't and neither were the 12-or-so others manically running through Test Center Town, without a map, trying to follow some scribbled instructions they'd left taped INSIDE a door (which of course no-one noticed until it was almost too late). Not to alarm this year's test takers or anything... but, yeah, be prepared for lots of general administrative incompetence (ETS themselves were actually great and very organized, but the people they contract out to...huh.)

My new apartment is just over a mile from my department (but less than a mile from campus). This is going to be a big treat for me! - I had a commute of two hours (44 miles) each way throughout my Master's degree, thankfully all my classes ended up being on one day, but it was a slightly insane day : get up at 6am to catch the 7am train (which took 1 hour and 15 mins to get to the station nearest my uni), get the 8.30am bus from the station to campus (20mins) go straight to class for a 9am start. (2 hr class) go straight to 11 am class (2 hrs) lunch/break 1pm-3pm 3pm class (2hrs) 5pm-7pm return journey Then I had to go to work for the other 4 days of the week - thank god that is over! My 20 min stroll to campus at 11am is going to be all the more sweet now, though

My boyfriend and I talked a lot about location when I was applying and I decided to only apply to schools located in large cities which would allow him to move with me and carry on with his career. So, there's been give and take on both sides - he's moving countries to be with me and I've not applied to places that would have been top of my list because of their location. Luckily, I got into a great program in one of our preferred locations - I can't wait to move there together because we really kind of made the choice together. We've been working vastly different jobs, for the past three years - and I was doing my MA at the same time. I can't wait for grad school - we're actually going to see each other during the week!

You should take a look at Scandinavian universities. I don't know anything about your field so can't point to any specific programs, but I do know that interdisciplinary research is huge in both Swedish and Danish universities and that they offer programs fully taught in English - they are also extremely good value. Here are the government sponsored sites for both - you can use them as a way to search for programs: http://www.studyinsweden.se/ http://studyindenmark.dk/

Anecdotally: I got a quantitative score in the high 400's and, although I didn't have a spectacular round, I was waitlisted at top 20 schools and accepted to an excellent (but lower ranked) school with full funding. So - make of that what you will. Personally, I don't believe my low quant had much, if any, impact on my admissions decisions.

Whoa there! You sound really committed to doing well on the GRE, which is great, but you have LOADS of time... unless you anticipate scoring atrociously (are you terrible at test taking?) you have plenty of time to prepare slowly, methodically and much less intensely than you describe above. I would suggest taking it earlier than November (depending on when your deadlines are) - I took it in late September, for early December deadlines. I was also working full time as well as doing a Master's degree full time while preparing for it.... you can definitely work and study for the GRE at the same time!

I'm not sure that's completely true. When you take the general test you specify 4 schools - they'll get only the general test. But when you take the subject test, you can specify a different four schools and you can send them both the subject and general test for free. So, you can send scores to 8 different schools for free. If luck shines upon you, you'll have chosen four schools that don't require the subject test and four that do and so your two examination fees are all the money ETS can screw out of you. If, however (and most likely), your choices didn't work out quite so neatly, you'll probably still have to pay ETS for a few extra reports...

Oh... that'll have been a big factor in my rejection from Emory, then. Whoops! TO the OP: Your list is a good one - I wanted to apply everywhere on that list but couldn't because of location issues specific to my situation. Two other places that looked good to me were ASU and WUSTL - so they may also fit your bill (and they may serve your other interests well also, I think).

You may want to look at Boston College - they have a lot of people doing work with a psychoanalytic bent (not so sure of their resources for the ethnic literatures part of your interests, though) - I'm going there in the Fall, and my two main areas are psychoanalysis and ecocriticism. Also.... if you would consider schools in Canada, you should definitely look at Toronto (and maybe UBC as well). I know there are a few more places that I just can't think of right now... will get back to you!

I'm not sure about this, but I vaguely recall there being a rule about students needing to have lived in the EU/UK as a citizen for at least the three years prior to the start of the course in order for them to qualify for EU/UK fees.

you are my hero! I need to show your post to my boyfriend - he teases me so much for obsessive research

I've been doing this too. I'm so glad this thread exists - I can ressure myself that I'm not a complete weirdo!

Congrats Strangefox! Just an FYI for anyone using the electronic version of the visa application - there is a photo resizing/cropping toolhidden away within the state department's website - USE IT! I wasted 5 hours trying to crop my own photos to their specs and failing!

I would think your language preparation would be sufficient for almost all Comparative Literature programs - I was very close to admission at Rutgers' program this year and have only French at a high proficiency (comparable to yours, or perhaps lower) - my German is intermediate and I have just begun a third language. Rutgers' program would probably be worth a look, as they are very open to interdisciplinarity - but they do have a three language requirement (but not on admission - you should have your three languages by the end of coursework). NYU, if I remember correctly, will waive a language if you can show specialization in another discipline - which could work for you. Similarly, Chicago allows you to go a comparative disciplines route - which looks really interesting (but still maintains the language requirements). Another option for you could be interdisciplinary programs: Emory's ILA is really exciting, as is Stanford's MTL. Also, both UCSD's Literature and their Communications program looked very wide ranging when I looked into them. UCI has the Culture and Theory PhD (if it is taking people).

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Another Londoner here, I'm going to BC for an English Ph.D. I've applied for grad accomodation, but haven't heard anything back yet; if that doesn't come through, I'll just rent privately... a little bit iffy about doing the whole sight-unseen thing, though. I'm looking at the Brookline Village and Coolidge Corner areas of Brookline, which seem really nice.

Hi eneedlem - the process for applying for an M.A. is relatively straightforward in the U.K. I can't think of any site that takes you step by step through the process - there will be quirks of the system at each school you apply to, but these sites that may be useful to you: http://www.postgraduatestudentships.co.uk/ - for finding funding opportunities http://www.postgrad.com/ - general info on courses http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ - in the postgrad section there is stuff on applying to Master's courses. Also, the British Council website will probably have some useful info.