· A few weeks ago, I was asked to talk to first-year M.A. students about the Ph.D. application process. I prepared a list of what I figure to be key elements, and I figure it might be useful to many on GC who are preparing to go down this path as well. I'm quite certain that some of these points are purely subjective and open to discussion / debate, but having gone through the process a couple of times now, these items ring true based on my experiences and observations.
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Others have surely told you about the state of the industry, so I’m just going to assume that you already know the “there are no jobs” spiel.
· Others have also surely told you about how relatively difficult it is to get into a Ph.D. program—I have yet to hear of a program that admits over 10% of applicants.
o Because of this, if you are committed to applying to Ph.D. programs, I strongly recommend considering applying to at least ten. Even though merit is a critical part of determining who gets in, there is a very real element of “luck of the draw” which pure numbers will help to mitigate.
· With that in mind, NOW is a good time to get started on your program research
· Your first consideration when entering the process should be to determine what era you would like to study, and ideally a general sense of methodologies you want to employ. These elements will be reflected in the two most important components of your application: the Statement of Purpose (or SoP), and your Writing Sample (WS).
· Some basics:
o The SoP and WS should ideally work together
o When thinking about potential areas of study, avoid proposing transatlantic or transhistorical concepts: admissions committees are still very much set up by period, and your application should be easily sorted into a field group (i.e. you’re clearly a Romanticist, or you’re clearly a 20th century Americanist).
o GRE scores, GPA, and other elements are important, but remember that the things you can control the most at this stage are the WS and SoP.
o Given the importance of these two documents, you will want to get as many eyes on them as possible as soon as possible.
§ My SoP and WS were read and commented on by at least five professors and several fellow students, and ultimately went through at least six rounds of revision each—several of them top-to-bottom revisions.
· There are multiple factors to consider when looking at programs. Some of the most important include:
o Are there multiple professors actively working in your chosen field
§ By “active” I mean that you should be able to find publication credits from within the past five years—they need to be in touch with current scholarship.
o What level of financial support do they offer—not just the annual funding, but whether they fund in summer, and how many years of funding are guaranteed
o What courses have they offered in the past? What courses are they offering in the fall?
o What is the teaching load like, and how do they prepare you for that load?
o So-called rankings matter to a certain extent, but remember that those rankings are almost completely arbitrary. USNews rankings are helpful as a list of all programs offering Ph.D.s in English…and a very, very general sense of the strong programs vs. the less strong. But FIT with your interests trumps all.
§ (E.g. the Strode program at U of A is highly regarded, even though U of A itself is somewhat less so)
o Location and cost of living. A 20k stipend will get you a lot further in Lincoln, Nebraska than in New York. And elements like small town vs. large city, cold vs. warm climate etc. are all perfectly valid factors when looking at programs. You’ll have to live in this place for 4-6 years, after all!
· A few quick and random tips:
o It can be helpful to contact professors ahead of time to determine research fit etc., but it can also be quite valuable to contact current grad students to get a sense of the program and the environment.
o Remember that an important part of professionalization in a Ph.D. program is publication. More than anything, this means that before you go down the road toward application, give some serious thought to whether or not your writing and research inclinations have that kind of potential. And whether or not that’s something you really want to deal with at all.
o Also remember that teaching is a huge part of your job, and always will be. If you don’t enjoy teaching (or the prospect of teaching), you’d better really love the other components of your position, because there’s not going to be any getting away from it for many, many years.
o It might go without saying, but be very courteous in all of your communications with professors and other graduate students. And that courtesy should be sincere!
o Consider the total cost of applications: application fees average about $75, sending GRE scores is $27 (more if you need the subject test), and if you have multiple transcripts, that can tack on another $10. In other words, each application will likely be upward of $100. Given that I recommend applying to at least ten programs, you’re looking at a commitment of over $1000. There ARE fee waivers you can find, however.
o Forums like GradCafe are a good way to socialize with fellow applicants, and commiserate with people in the same situation. Just remember to take all advice you see on those forums with a grain of salt.
o Finally, there are NO SAFETY SCHOOLS. Just to reiterate, rankings are arbitrary, and almost every program gets ten times as many applicants as they can admit (let alone fund). As a result, you want to look at the best overall fit for you.
Hello everyone! I am conducting a research study for my doctoral program on adult military dependents (current or previous) and would love for any dependents in here to take part! It’s a short survey and the information is anonymous. If interested check the information below. You may use the QR code or the link: https://novapsy.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ebqrexcmXldiyoJ
Congratulations all Excited to be a finalist for Urdu this year. Most of us if not all will be virtual, but be sure to make the best of the experience regardless!!
Nothing for Russian yet either. Congrats to the finalists who've received results already!
Edit: Looks like program sites for all languages are up on the website, although they say in a press release that the majority of programs will be virtual.
Nothing for Russian yet either. Congrats to the finalists who've received results already!
Edit: Looks like program sites for all languages are up on the website, although they say in a press release that the majority of programs will be virtual.
Exciting! I wonder if it will be virtual or if they'll try sending us abroad given the progress on vaccines (pretty confident they won't but I guess we'll see).
Hi @snow_owl- good luck on your app! Good luck @WorldTraveler111
I also finished mine a few days ago. Fingers crossed everybody!
Separately - re: Middlebury.. I didn't attach my transcript in time for the priority deadline, but submitted the actual application and fee on time. Does anyone know if I will still get considered for the Dec 15th decision? (It would be so nice to have some lead-time for planning purposes y'know?)
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