noneckmonsters

Hello, First, I hope everyone is managing during these difficult and unstable times. I'm not sure if anyone is still reading this thread. I have a question about CVs. If you get a national and prestigious fellowship from your grad studies department, do you include it in your CV? Thank you!

Thank you for your answer. I've been doing that... I hope they extend the national deadline to accept offers

How are folx working on their decision making with cancelled visits? I am very confused about the prospect of deciding without spending time on site. How are you guys working through this?

Thank you for sharing this post. Academia is definitely a competitive field, but it is not the only field where you can find work after a PhD. I read your introductory post, and I'm also a first gen phd applicant. In terms of professionalization and securing a spot, the only recipe I can share is stay close to and work with people who will advocate for you, and have a good lines of communication with the grad center? I know it sounds basic, but it has gotten further than I would have by myself. On a personal note: I am reconsidering if a phd is right for me as well. Today, I turned to my Fall notes for inspiration. I kept asking myself what things about each program inspired me to apply. It has been a crazy month. It's okay to take a couple of days to reconsider your situation. We still have fifty days to make a decision (April 15). Ask former professors, reach out to current and former grad students in the next couple of weeks. What are they doing now? What are their thoughts about the program? There is time to think about all of these things. For now just breath. This process is overwhelming. You are doing better than you think.

I'm not sure about that... I think it depends on the stage of your argument in the WS. I submitted a published chapter as my writing sample. The introduction is actually three pages of description, and the argument is not crystalized until page three. I've gotten accepted into ten programs. I am not sure that I would have been accepted to these places would I have submitted my MA thesis, which is a not nearly as finished as what I have already published. Nothing is wrong with my sample. It's been published by Palgrave MacMillan. It sounds like you have a very well organized system in place for elite schools like Brown, Harvard, and Yale, so it probably works for them. But I just want to offer my experience of what works for well respected public institutions. Best of luck to everyone!!!

I think we should all be aware of our positionality when making these arguments. In addition to a great reading load, it is unfortunately true that some scholars will not read all parts of the application. For example, when conservative scholars in English (which there are A LOT! in both public and private school committees) read an application from a private US or British school, they spend more time considering the parts of their application. These biases are real. Although I have published for respected publishing companies and journals, attended regional and national conferences, and have letters of recommendation from highly respected scholars, private schools will not spend as much time on my application because of my background as a community college and state school alum. That is my experience in academic circle at large. I have been caught in binaries of tokenism and "inferiority" because of my gender and race. So, I think that conflating experience with bad faith is dismissive of people with different backgrounds. I think as scholars and future teachers of english we should be very aware of how we respond to other people's experiences in academia. I am curious as to where you received the knowledge that they extend unbiased attention all WS.

Hi there. I am very sorry to hear that. Based on your profile interests, we are into similar stuff. Have you thought of applying to other departments? This is my first cycle and I've had positive feedback from women studies and ethnic studies departments? Unfortunately, a lot of schools talk the big talk about doing interdisciplinary research and expanding but when they get really cool interdisciplinary scholars they end up turning them down. I'm really sorry this has been your experience.

Yeah, but how long could this waitlist be? I physically know a handful of people who haven't received acceptances or rejections.... hmmm....

Opinions: UCLA has sent out acceptances, waitlists, and rejections. I just checked both the application and the status portals but nothing has been uploaded as of right now. What does it all mean?! Also, can we talk about how the thread for this English/ Lit cycle has 55 pages?! That is wild and a testament to our overachieving personalities. Cheers!!!

Another possibility is that they nominated a few people for fellowships, so they had to process their acceptances first. I'm wouldn't mark it is an implied rejection till monday. this cycle I had one implied rejection turn to an acceptance and another into a waitlist

I went there for my undergrad and kept tabs with some of the faculty. PM me if you have any questions about faculty. Some have left since my time there but I'm familiar with most. UCR has a great department and good people in it. Enjoy every second of it!

Congrats on the Cota Robles! That's great!!!

I aspire to have your search engine skills! How did you come across such an obscure calendar reference?! LOL Also, thanks for sharing this!!!

LOL! The thought has crossed my mind! And thank you for the tip. I was definitely going to negotiate. Your angle is a really good angle. We will see what unfolds in the upcoming weeks. Maybe wedding pics? HA!

I am curious about the waitlist process. I've been fortunate to receive different kinds of feedback, from acceptances with basic packages, to aggressive recruiting, and yesterday I received my first waitlist offer. I am shocked by the offer. First year covered by department fellowships, years 2,3,4, and 5 with TAships at 20K, AND $350 A MONTH FOR HEALTH INSURANCE!!!!! This last part felt like lead in my stomach. My questions: 1- Is it normal to pay this much for health insurance a month for grad students? 2- do you think it is negotiable? My partner got an offer from another department at this institution with insurance covered. Thanks!

Ugh, I'm sorry. I'm on the same boat with my partner. It's been putting so much stress on the relationship. Compromise sucks. I hope you guys can stay close together.

I would write this information in a way that raises your eligibility and funding opportunities. Departments like to know students are committed to the field and can overcome obstacles (specially cause academia has so many obstacles!)... This is great! It probably means they are interested in your application!!! Best of luck!

I had to remind myself to breath after the first period in your post... Good luck to everyone!!!

Yeah, there are always ways around the stipends. I know people who got their Phd's at UCR and lived in LA the whole time. It's not impossible. Best of luck!! And yay for state/ public schools!! UCs are the best! I'm a product of the california public education system, all the way from Community College through MA. Went to an UC for my undergrad and a Cal State for my MA. Excellent institutions with top grade scholars and super interdisciplinary across the board. I can't recommend them enough to people. Also, I feel you on the reading through your statements of purpose and cringing. As I go back through mine I'm noticing that I have positive results in the ones that I mentioned women as my PoI, which in retrospect makes sense: I'm a radical feminist/ queer scholar... I make men uncomfortable and I think it comes through in my statement of purpose. LOL! At the same time, I am who I am... too old and woke to trade who I am for a Harvard... (no offense)

Congrats!!! Also, time to change Northwestern in your signature to green

Thank you! And a BIG CONGRATS!!! That is awesome! Northwestern is such a good school and with good funding. In terms of calls and acceptances, it's such a dookie-chute... who knows when they will call. I got the Davis campus visit email before I got the email from the grad advisor LOL Thanks for logging in to assuage us and, again, congrats!!!!!

Out of curiosity, where does it say materials needed? Is it through apply web or the actual northwestern page?

UC Davis is the only UC I know of that advertises this kind of procedure on their website. As far as I know all UCs have basic funding packages that they match you with. UCD is the only UC I know that advertises differently. I don't know if I am misunderstanding their message online. I am also getting my info from phdstipend.com. Who knows? I'll keep you posted if you want. I applied to UCSD, UCSC, UCB, UCD, and UCLA.

Riverside was super competitive and POI specific to available faculty. What I know is this: Riverside had to take less people this cohort. I think they were trying to cap it at four. I hope this helps. Good luck with the rest of your applications!!!

From looking at the most recent waitlist (2017), waitlist notices were sent out about a week after acceptances. Judging by the note on their website and a note in the acceptance email, UC Davis matriculates only a portion of the people they accept. My personal assessment is that their basic funding package is 20,000 (not a lot for the cost of living in the area), and to receive additional funding you have to apply separately for internal funding and the deadline is Jan 15th. If you are like me and completely forgot to apply for additional funding, you might not take the offer. But what do I know? Maybe the department does nominations for special fellowships. Not sure. But on statistics alone, if I were you I would give myself next week to see if you are waitlisted at least. Best of luck!!! "For Fall 2019 admissions 163 applications were submitted, 24 offers were made and 8 students matriculated. The previous year our program received 124 applications, made 26 offers and 12 students matriculated." This info comes directly from their website. From looking at the most recent waitlist (2017), waitlist notices were sent out about a week after acceptances. Judging by the note on their website and a note in the acceptance email, UC Davis matriculates only a portion of the people they accept. On statistics alone, if I were you I would give myself next week to see if you are waitlisted at least. Best of luck!!! "For Fall 2019 admissions 163 applications were submitted, 24 offers were made and 8 students matriculated. The previous year our program received 124 applications, made 26 offers and 12 students matriculated." This info comes directly from their website.