ShivD

Oh no! Was this a top choice? Well, in any case, it is their loss. Other programs that you are still expecting to hear from will be lucky to have you.

Hello All, I am seeking suggestions on how to respond to an acceptance regarding their funding package details. I received an early acceptance (yay!) from a Comp Lit program, and it is not very clear to me from their letter whether they are actually offering full funding or less. Also, I am waiting to hear from most of my other programs. So I was wondering if I should seek a clarification on the funding now, or should I do it later, if this is the program that I finally decide to go to? One one hand, it feels that I should get the clarification now itself, while in principle, I still have a "bargaining power" lol. But also, on the other hand, I feel that it will be weird if I ask all these details and correspond with them, and later tell them that I will not join, in case I get into a more preferred program. Would love suggestions here, especially if people have tackled this before.

Hi, not sure about English or Comp Lit programs, but I haven't heard anyone getting interview invites for the Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies program either-- which usually have gone out around mid-Jan in previous years. Perhaps the whole process is a bit delayed this year? I wrote to the WGSS program and they said that the shortlisted candidates will receive an invitation to interview by the first week of Feb. I can't say how it helps you think around the decision for your program. But perhaps they are running late across board for humanities/ social sciences programs...

If people have received rejections, but you haven't... I guess that can only mean good things! Good luck! I hope you do get positive news soon!

Thanks! Best of luck to you too! And I understand... location is for me also an important factor... after all, one would have to stay in that place for 5 long years (at the least!)! It seems that if they are interested in me, I should be getting a call for interview soon. The program coordinator told me that the final decisions will be out by Feb end or early March. Fingers crossed that I get an interview invite this week!

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm waiting to hear from Northwestern's Screen Cultures program and UC Berkeley's Film and Media Studies program.

Thanks for giving us an idea-- this is helpful! Likely means that I will receive a rejection, since I did not hear anything from them.

Has anyone applied to and heard back anything from UC Berkeley's Film and Media Studies and Northwestern's Screen Cultures program?

No, not at all. As you said, it is much better to not wait it out alone. The mad thing is that for some time, Duke's result is what I was anxious about the most since I heard that its interview can be pretty intense. But now I am feeling calmer.

I also have not heard anything from Duke Literature. ?

Thanks s lot! That's very helpful then to know to not keep checking emails every few hours lol Did anyone hear anything about NYU MCC's timeline?

That sounds really fascinating! I really hope too that you (and others) get into your desired programs. Yes, it is going to be a weird year though-- so many programs are crippled for funds and as you said, many might attract greater number of applications, with lesser intake (in some cases). That's what a lot of programs told me-- that their funding for international students might be severely limited this year, so... BUT, staying positive!

@Kim2016 Hi! I think for me... one was because even though Indian cinema is one of my sites of inquiry, I don't see it as a 'cinema studies' project. In that regards, mine is much of a "cultural theory" or "feminist and queer theory" project. I was still considering Tisch, but I didn't get much of an encouraging response from their faculty, and they noted that they don't have strength in Indian cinema. MCC made much more sense, because the way I want to study desire and fantasy in Bollywood has much to do with questions of public response, censorship and the cultural politics that it engenders, as much as it has to do with questions of representation. Then, I received very encouraging response from certain faculty at MCC, which helped me finalized my decision to apply to MCC, rather than Tisch. But because my project is a bit hydra-headed that way, I have actually applied to variety of programs. And hence Northwestern and UC-Berkeley. Would love to know what kind of project you have in mind? In any case, good luck to both of us for these programs! And a happy new year! I really hope that 2021 will bring good news!

@KJHThanks a lot! Your advice is very helpful. This will keep me occupied through January!

Hi! Thanks for this thread. I wonder if anyone knows about NYU MCC interviews and what are they like usually? I've applied to: Northwestern Screen Cultures, NYU MCC, Univ of Wisconsin-Milwaukee English-Cinema, Media and Digital Studies track, UCB Film and Media. I just want to be prepared in case I do get shortlisted at any of these programs. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Hi, I am looking to learn from folks who have been through the process of grad school admissions before and were interviewed after getting shortlisted. What are the interviews like? What do they focus on? How much detailed preparation do they expect you to have on your proposed topic/ area of research? Some of the programs I have applied to include: Emory's WGSS PhD, Duke's Literature PhD, NYU's MCC PhD and Northwestern's Screen Cultures PhD. My project is very interdisciplinary, but pertains to feminist and queer theory and cinema studies, most specifically. I wish to intervene some of the current debates in feminist and queer theory, by focusing on questions of desire and fantasy viz. Bollywood, contemporary queer feminist movements in India and globally. About my profile: I've a really trans-disciplinary background, but mostly recently I finished my MA in Historical Studies from the New School (with grad certificate in Gender and Sexuality). I have worked for over 3 years in a university setting in the gender and sexuality studies space, and I am currently teaching in India at a university. While I wait it out for the decisions, I wanted to ask how I could prepare for the interviews, in case I do get shortlisted. Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks!