Jump to content

Wimsey

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    134

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Wimsey

    2021 Applicants

    in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition

    Posted

    Hi everyone. Thought I'd log back into the good ol' GradCafe to see how this year's application cycle is looking. If anyone wants, I'd be happy to share my SOP from last year's cycle. Just shoot me a DM. :) 

    In terms of advice, I would caution people against applying to more than 10-12 programs. I applied to 16 programs, and, tbh, I regret that decision. My rationale at the time was that I would send as many apps as possible and see what sticks, but I would have been less stressed during the application season if I had focused my efforts on a few programs that interested me the most. I also don't think that applying to a school solely because of the prestige is worthwhile. I applied to Stanford and Berkeley despite not seeing a strong fit with those schools, and, in retrospect, I should have just saved that energy for other activities.

    Also, I know this has been repeated on this forum ad infinitum, but fit is important. Whereas with my Stanford app, I could see a fit only if I squinted just right, with WashU my research interests and interdisciplinary approach were clearly a good match for the department. Correspondingly, when admissions decisions rolled around, Stanford rejected me, while WashU welcomed me as their top candidate for admission. The DGS at WashU specifically mentioned my research interests as a major reason for my acceptance. Obviously, this is anecdotal and might not apply at all to your situation. But don't discount your own intuition as to what programs are best suited to your goals (keeping in mind, of course, that your goals will change over time).

    2020 Applicants

    in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition

    Posted

    5 hours ago, politics 'n prose said:

    I obviously have a horse in this race because I'm headed to Penn State this fall and would love to have you in my cohort (middlebrow fiction, yes!), but for what it's worth, here's a breakdown of some of the relevant factors that led me to choose a school with a heavier teaching load (PSU) over one with a lighter teaching load (Ohio State): the stipend was higher, there were more opportunities for summer teaching, there was a guaranteed one-semester teaching release while dissertating, the resources for 20th/21st century American lit were stronger (so strong that they compelled me, a would-be narrative theorist, to turn down the school that's the epicenter for narrative studies in the U.S.), the program was longer and included a more-or-less guaranteed post-doc year (this was a plus for me, 6/7 years vs. 5, but I know that may not be the case for everyone), and the move to PA would be easier for me (and puts me much closer to family, which was a big deal to me). Also, full disclosure, because I already have a grad degree from OSU, I was certainly drawn a bit to the novelty of a different school and a different department (not so much that it was an ultimate determining factor, but enough to note here).

    Also, my understanding regarding the 2:1 teaching load at Penn State is that not everyone actually winds up teaching two courses in that odd semester; where possible, you can swap out some other, potentially less time-consuming service (tutoring, writing center work, etc.) for one of the two courses. Also, the fact that you're only teaching two courses for one semester out of every four seemed ultimately negligible to me (but I'm coming in with a decent chunk of teaching experience--and major burn-out from two years in the non-teaching sphere--and I'm (perhaps naively!) looking forward to diving in headfirst with teaching).

    All that said, two years with no teaching requirement to start is a big, big deal. Teaching is a big drain on your time, and two years without that obligation can really allow you to get your grounding, explore all your department has to offer, etc. (I do think there's equal value to having time off from teaching while dissertating--I had a fellowship in the final semester of my MFA program without which I probably wouldn't have completed my thesis--but it's possible such opportunities are available at WashU, too.) I also know WashU's placement record is great, and everyone I've encountered on Grad Cafe with a connection to the program has had only glowing things to say.

    I don't think you can go wrong here either way, and I'm wishing you all the best as you make your choice. If you want to talk any more about my choice to attend Penn State, don't hesitate to send me a message!

     

    4 hours ago, Cryss said:

     

    I'm heading to WashU and must admit that the teaching load was absolutely a draw for me. I must say this point is often overlooked during the honeymoon phase of being accepted somewhere and being excited to go, but it is so important. If you'd like more detail, here's what the professor I spoke to said about the teaching load at WashU:

    "The teaching doesn’t begin until your 3rd year, when you would serve as essentially a TA for both semesters.  After this, you teach 1 course each semester of your 4th and 5th years  (usually Writing 1, but it can vary widely depending on your situation, interests, the department needs, etc.; normally you’d co-teach an undergrad class with a professor one semester too).  Your sixth year (like your 1st and 2nd) is fully funded with no teaching obligations."

    Imo, 2:1 teaching load for 4 years is a lot, but not impossible. It will be stressful but give you a lot of experience and some people really enjoy teaching.Teaching while writing a dissertation is another story. That would be a big deal and a huge drawback if required. If you haven't already, I'd reach out to  advanced and ABD students at Penn State to find out what they thought about their teaching loads throughout.

    Thank you both for your input! I'm continuing to weigh the pros and cons for both schools, and I hope I can feel at peace with whatever decision I reach over the next few days. I have no prior teaching experience, so even though I am excited to teach and have confidence in my abilities, the lighter load at WashU appeals to me. Still, the Penn State teaching would be doable, especially with the fellowship they've offered me. I'll keep talking with people at both schools, and hopefully I'll reach a breakthrough soon.

    2020 Applicants

    in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition

    Posted

    I am finding myself stuck in my decision between WashU and Penn State. The stipend/COL is roughly the same for both programs. I have gotten along well with the faculty members I have met at WashU. They all indicated that the university would be a great fit for my interests; the DGS was especially adamant on this point. At Penn State, I have spoken with only one faculty member in my prospective field, but I got along well with her. There seem to be many resources for studying the twentieth century at PSU, and the larger department could give me more opportunities to branch out into other subfields. At the same time, Penn State requires more teaching than WashU. I would be on fellowship during my first year and then teach three classes in my second year, whereas WashU would have me teach a 1:1 starting in my third year. In contrast to PSU, WashU's stipend is not dependent on my teaching, which I think is a major point in that program's favor. One of my undergrad professors has told me as well that in this economic climate, attending a private university might be the more stable choice. But then again, Penn State would be the easier move for me, and, from what I have heard about crime in both areas, State College would be the less stressful place to live, at least during the beginning of the program.

    I'm in contact with my mentors and with professors from both programs, but I still feel stuck. Does anyone have thoughts?

    2020 Applicants

    in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition

    Posted

    These last stages of the decision-making process are excruciating, especially under the unusual conditions! Today I graced my favorite professors' inboxes with a thousand-word email about the pros and cons of my top two choices. Writing it all down really helped me clarify my own thoughts. I know which program I prefer, but I'm having trouble getting over the trepidation of moving nearly a thousand miles from my hometown, especially when my second choice program is much closer. 

    2020 Applicants

    in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition

    Posted

    14 minutes ago, tinymica said:

    Saw a BU sweatshirt this morning on the street. The universe is telling me it's coming for me

    I believe in you! I got accepted to Penn State several days after seeing a Penn-State-themed Monopoly game in my local grocery store. Yes, I live in a state bordering on PA, so it makes sense that the game would be there, but that didn't stop me from interpreting it as a sign from the grad school deities ?

    What we learned from this Application Season

    in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition

    Posted

    54 minutes ago, merry night wanderer said:

     

    I'm not a hundred percent certain about this, but: as a non-traditional applicant, I wouldn't even bother with the Ivies. I had one prof tell me they never accept students outside of a certain profile, i.e. younger (and usually from certain schools though there are occasional exceptions), and another tell me 'well who knows about that, it's all about the work, YOLO!' and what I should have done is just look at the grad student profiles on the website, which I did in a fit of stress a month ago... to find that yes, they are all younger (I think the most recent undergrad degree I saw in an Ivy was 2011, and it was from a super-accomplished international student; 30ish seems to be the max). Though idk, I think MichelleObama is non-traditional so maybe it's just rarer. 

    I feel similarly, even as a more traditional applicant. Looking back, I can see that I applied to some schools (Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard) mostly because of the prestige and not because I truly saw a place for my work in those departments. I really didn't need to put myself through the pain of applying to 16 schools. I also wish I had had more frank conversations with my professors about prestige and about how top-tier schools might perceive aspects of my academic background, like my community college degree. Those aspects might have had little to no bearing on my rejections, but I wish I had discussed it more with my mentors.

    2020 Applicants

    in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition

    Posted

    15 minutes ago, Wimsey said:

    I emailed Columbia and Penn. No response from Columbia yet (I sent the email only a few minutes ago), but the staff member at Penn said that decisions will arrive by the end of this week. So close, but still so far away....

    A staff member at Columbia said that decisions will continue to roll out this week and next week. She encouraged me to consult the DGS, James Adams, for details specific to my application.

    2020 Acceptances

    in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition

    Posted

    31 minutes ago, MedievalIllusions said:

    I feel this. I have three lovely acceptances, leaving towards one of them, but then got waitlisted at UVA and my nice settled plans went right out the window, and I can’t even choose between UVA and the other school I like, because I probably won’t get into UVA anyways? But then what if I do at the last minute and I haven’t even thought about it and have to make the decision in like 24 hours??? Absolute chaos. Reaching out to everyone I know and they’re all like “go with your heart” and I’m like wut

    My position is very similar! The prospect of UVA or Rutgers taking me off the waitlist at the last minute is both terrifying and exciting (but mostly terrifying).

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

  I accept