WomanOfLetters
-
Posts
49 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
1
Posts posted by WomanOfLetters
-
-
1 hour ago, Hard times! said:
UCs are strange! They rarely admit Asians from Asian for the humanities (I have heard). The statistics help since 140 is too much for an application that is to be rejected! In general private schools have more funding options than public schools which might explain the lower fees.
Private universities like Duke and NYU and Emory aren't giving funding packages nearly as generous as the Ivies but almost on the same level the UCs, and these schools all charge a pretty high application fee. Every program has exceptions, I guess! Judging from the student profiles on the program websites, I found the UCs recruited quite a lot of Asian students in the past. So don't just listen to rumors but see things with your own eyes! ?
- heterotopia and Hard times!
-
2
-
16 hours ago, Hard times! said:
Hmm. Whatever concoction grad school acceptances need has no formula--very contingent!
I just wish some departments were kind enough to specify which concentrations they were looking for, like UofChicago did. If I am not wrong, they said they were specifically looking for people working in the field of African-American literature...
By following their suit many other places could have gone gentle on some of our pockets haha. Being a shutout and being penniless at the same time isn't a very ideal situation to think of (let alone to be in!) ?
I think the African American literature thing came from the Black Lives Matter movement. But with Covid and Asian hate they are not specifying taking more Asian literature or Asian American literature studies students ?
I agree it would be great if the schools can just tell us what they are looking for each year - in social sciences and sciences professors who are not taking PhD students would put up an announcement on the website. Then again in humanities they don't do it. Probably it's because the humanities are lacking funding and grad applications each year make a good source of extra income, albeit how small it is. I mean, why would the UCs charge $140 per application, even higher than schools like Stanford and Yale, but at the same time the they offer funding packages far less than Stanford and Yale?!?! It makes no sense to me.
-
3 hours ago, portaldisplay65 said:
I'm also wondering the same. I'm thinking that maybe they sent out all of their acceptances already given the results on gradcafe?
I'm actively manifesting a Cornell acceptance too - not the English program though! Good luck to all of us! ???
-
27 minutes ago, Submarina said:
Congrats, that is awesome! I was accepted too, didn't apply to rhetoric but that's what got me interested in the English program. I am seriously considering it if they can match my funding packages from other schools (well, we'll see).
Rejection from Yale. Man, all the rejections submitted seemed brutal. I don't feel terrible about mine because it wasn't a super great fit and I have other acceptances, but did yall see those rejections handed to people who had alumni write recommendations with perfect GPAs and fit? And also the person with the undergrad and masters ivies? Sheesh. Who on earth even got in?
I really think it's much more than good grades and good schools - just think about it: every applicant's got good grades. It has to be some other areas that distinguish the suitable ones for pursuing advanced studies from those who don't. I still think that it's about how impactful the work you do, or how impactful you are. But of course right now this is just a hypothesis of mine. If I get in then I'll know if this is true. ?
- Submarina, Hard times! and mirror_
-
3
-
7 minutes ago, plainblacktights said:
thank you thank you :') i will be manifesting from here to april 15th
Haha I'm also manifesting positive thoughts about my applications from now on! ?
-
3 hours ago, Hard times! said:
Yes! And I feel pretty inadequate academically anyway... i never once believed i could get into grad school and this insecurity shows in my very average application. Though I know UIUC and CUNY are most likey gone and I have ticked them off my list already, not having a rejection letter leads you into brief moments of hope (dangerous!).
UIUC never publishes anything in the way of a waitlist and yet takes months to reject a person. CUNY usually does acceptances and rejections within the span of a week but they are defying their own pattern this time. This pattern-defying behaviours of certain schools lead you into odd beliefs. They should just send the rejection letters (the ones they are absolutely sure to reject) along with the acceptances. Hurting feelings is not even an issue in this case.
It is so much easier to send mass rejection mails--hardly takes any time. Unless they are writing personalized rejection letters (which they may for some people), I am sure sending off 200 automated mails doesn't take much work.
I didn't apply to UIUC nor CUNY so I don't know anything about the programs there ? That said, you can send the program coordinator an email to see if they have released the result! This round should be less competitive than last year so it should probably take them less time to decide who to admit!
-
4 hours ago, theonewiththepies said:
I saw that and I immediately refreshed MyStatus just for my app to still be under review. Whether it's an acceptance or rejection, I hope for all of us on this thread to hear something in the next week or so to have some peace of mind.
I agree completely. Getting something is at least something. Hearing nothing from them is just tormenting. ???
3 hours ago, Hard times! said:Oh thank you for saying it out loud! Indeed, I feel at times I dragged myself into this because this whole process is wildly competitive (a very bad reason for doing anything) and the guilt!
I came to realize that admission is not exactly about how good the grades applicants have. It's more about how impactful the work applicants produce. Luck and recommenders' connections are of course also involved. But what's done is done. Finding ways to calm down seems to be more helpful at this stage ???
-
9 hours ago, Hard times! said:
Having difficulty remaining positive though... Can see every last hope disappearing into thin air because of this radio silence...
I'm nervous as hell over here ?? ? Although I just finished my last applications two weeks ago, and I know applications take time to process, I can't help feeling so anxious every.single.day.
-
On 1/4/2022 at 1:23 AM, sarahpc2020 said:
Hello, y'all! I'm not planning to apply in this cycle, but I'm trying to prepare for my future applications. Is anyone else here applying to Comparative Literature PhDs? If so, I'd love to hear about your backgrounds, especially when it comes to languages! That's my primary concern.
My top choice -- and biggest reach -- program is Harvard. I'm primarily interested in World Literature and folk tales, which Harvard has a strong background in. It's also the only university that offers instruction/courses in both the minor languages I'm hoping to focus my work on. What have people heard about the kind of applications they're looking for?
Thanks! And best of luck to everybody this year!
If I am lucky enough to be offered a place this round, I'll share with you what I know ?
- sarahpc2020 and Hard times!
-
2
-
1 hour ago, 1 Pint of Ricotta said:
I will admit I have little information on this, but I can take a stab. I was talking to a professor who studied in the UK when I was applying, and I specifically chose not to apply to UK PhDs because she said that the SoPs are much more of a formal proposal. You have to really know what you're able to do and lay out how you'll do it, and even have messaged with a faculty member who would be willing to be an advisor. Here, we still spend a bulk of the SoP describing our plan, but we're allowed to switch it up more afterwards and don't have to have done as much work on it yet. I'm not sure if this was outdated information, though, or just her experience, so please take my statements with a grain of salt!
No, I don't think this is outdated information. This is really the main difference between applications for US and UK schools (at least in my opinion). Good thing is deadlines for programs in the UK is a little later than those in the US, so there's still a bit of time!
-
5 hours ago, Hard times! said:
How do you know if you should apply to Stanford because the fit seems great but your 'self-knowledge' warns you against such a move? Thanks in advance!
For me, I would definitely apply to every single program that can accommodate my interests (unfortunately there aren't many....)
-
17 hours ago, A Small Raven said:
Hey guys - this is a pretty basic question, but I feel like it might make a difference with what I'm doing in my apps – is there preferred formatting for the first page of the critical writing sample? Obviously it should have a title page, but do I need to put my name with 'writing sample for so and so application' on there?
I'm using a couple chapters from my master's dissertation, so I know I need to include a brief paragraph providing some kind of context for that on the title page. But what about a table of contents? It will likely just be two, maybe three chapters.
Thanks in advance!
I asked a professor of mine for the format of the title page, and he told me I didn't need one, so I won't be including a title page for my writing sample.
I also included a part of the literature review relevant to the piece and edited/rewrote it, so no table of contents in my writing sample either. But these are, of course, what I did only and not necessarily the right practice. ?
-
6 hours ago, Hard times! said:
Can you still apply without a proficiency test? In many cases the proficiency test is not a departmental requirement at all and schools are ready to consider your application without the test. Of course this is provisional and even if you are made an offer it will be conditional but I am sure you'll have plenty of time then. Or have I made this up in my head because it's convenient? I am an international applicant too but in my case, some schools list my country as an English-speaking one while others don't.
I think the language proficiency requirement doesn't work like that in the US...but then again some schools (e.g. Stanford) waive the test if the applicant has a degree in an Anglophone country or a degree in which English was the sole medium of instruction. But of course, many are still requiring proficiency test scores and GRE scores (e.g. Yale).
5 hours ago, labradoodle said:It says so on the site of TOEFL itself, and it's just too expensive to gamble with. I just assumed IELTS would be similar, but you're right!! I'm gonna decide today if I'm taking the IELTS next week, lol. Thank you! (I swear I'm not as disorganized as I seem here, haha.)
No...I don't think IELTS has the same requirement (and I was also not aware of the 2/3 months requirement by TOEFL....) Good luck!!
-
17 hours ago, labradoodle said:
I'm quite salty about something tbh: I couldn't start my applications till last month (when I was too busy with classes starting again,which is on me, sure), but only now I can really find clear info about the language tests and potential waivers (which is probably also on me, sure, but this is a rant more than a real complaint lol), and the applications are open for only 2 months or so, but TOEFL states you need to do the test 2/3 months before your earliest admission deadline, which is basically impossible. But now I'm finding info that I'm probably not eligible for waivers in the U.S. unis I wanted to apply to (most other places, even in the UK, where I'm considering applying waive the tests for me), even though I've literally been studying almost exclusively in English for the last 4 years.. So annoying, honestly.
I know I should've just done it earlier, but I wanted to first start the application and figure out all the info to make sure I really wanted to and not waste any money (which turned out to make sense because one of my programmes just didn't open for new applicants this year). I'll contact them anyway with "I literally studied English, in English, what more do you want" emails, but I'm not too optimistic lol. Still, especially because it's clear so late whether they're actually taking on new applicants, I do feel like this is a bit of a shitty policy towards internationals, but whatever haha.
Where does it state that applicants need to take TOEFL 2/3 months before deadline?! TOEFL is also not the only English proficiency test that US schools accept. What about taking IELTS instead?
-
1 hour ago, labradoodle said:
Yes exactly! I think I'm going to apply for their English programme now instead of literatures. But I'm so sorry!
Good luck!! But I won't be applying for the English program because the faculty is just not the same...
1 hour ago, labradoodle said:Also, does anyone know with regard to US unis: do they or do they not want you to propose an exact small niche that you want to research (as in a proposal question)? I'm mainly putting all my stress right now into developing my interests further and turning them into a PhD proposal, but would the US really be okay with you just putting down your general interests? I had hoped to receive more information from my teachers, for instance, or from other students applying in my programme, but that's not really happening unfortunately.
I want to know too! I feel like if I propose a very small niche that might make me look like I'm inflexible and unwilling to learn things outside the area. If I put down a broad area then it might mean that I don't know the topic enough. My professors are not sharing much information and advice with me too. I hope this is not because no one, professors and students included, actually knows the answer to this question??
-
1 hour ago, labradoodle said:
I decided quite a while ago to which programmes in the US I wanted to apply, and only now I'm seeing that one of the programmes isn't taking applicants for next year. :'D Fortunately, they have another programme available that's quite similar, so I might try for that one instead (also depending on what they say with regard to language requirements, because my other programme does have my situation listed as a potential one in which you can get a waiver). Still, I hate this moment so much for an application time, as I'm only now developing my research ideas in my programme and will write my thesis next semester, so I might just try for a few this year and if it doesn't work out try again next year.
My guess is that program is Duke? I was hugely disappointed when I found that out ???
-
5 hours ago, Glasperlenspieler said:
I agree that this is odd. On the one hand, I tend to think any tendency for a program to keep prospective students away from current grad students should be treated with suspicion. On the other hand, this could very easily be an oversight by the website design team or a university policy intended to protect student privacy. You might try emailing the Director of admissions and asking if they can put you in touch with some current graduate students with similar interests so you can ask them some questions.
This is a great idea! Thank you!! ?
-
One question: is it just me that it seems weird some of grad programs are not posting graduate students' email addresses on their websites? I thought it'd be a good idea to reach out to some of them and see what they think about their programs. Without an email address the programs directly cut them off from outside communications. Is this some sort of red flag?
-
50 minutes ago, Hard times! said:
Would anyone (among the ones who are already in gradschool) be willing to share their writing sample? It has left me terribly jittery and I don't have a sample to fall back on. What kind of writing gets/may get you into gradschool is what I am trying to figure out. I am an international applicant and am already struggling with this whole application rigmarole but I guess it's the writing sample that can most definitely make or mar you. Any help, in the way of samples, (be it dissertation chapter or a published paper or an initial draft) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!
THIS. Would anyone be so kind as to share their writing samples and personal statements? (Don't worry, I'm not applying for programs in English, so I won't be in competition with you in any way in the future ?) Thank you!!!
-
15 hours ago, Warelin said:
Schools are curious to see what their peers are and see if they can get a better understanding of why applicants are rejecting their offers to improve their acceptance rate. Are they losing applicants to schools that offer better funding based on the cost of living? Is the applicant only applying to top 10 programs? Is the applicant only applying to schools that have the most name recognition? Is the applicant applying to schools only within a certain demographic region? Are they losing people due to certain placement rates/lack of placement results?
It's likely that a lot of reasons might not be something schools can do something about but consistently losing people due to funding might help them build a case to build their base offer in the future.
However, most schools are just curious and it's unlikely to have any impact on your application.Thank you for your reply! If I ever get to choose which program to attend, I'll surely let them know why I'm rejecting them, haha!
-
I have a question - probably not the first time someone raised this question but I did a quick search and nothing came up. So...
Online applications often ask you to provide the other graduate schools to which you are applying. Why does the adcomm/the school need to know about this, and should we provide them with such information? (When I applied for my MA I didn't give them my program choices, but now I wonder if I should do it this time)
-
On 8/19/2021 at 11:33 PM, andylee0427 said:
Is there anyone who's planning on applying to U. Pittsburgh's Film and Media Studies PhD program? I couldn't find an information in their website about the requirements for admission, but the website of the English department (where I will associate it as a joint program) says that a 20-page writing sample is required. I wonder if that's the same pages for F&M admission as well.
I have the same question for Yale's Film and Media Studies...
-
6 hours ago, labradoodle said:
Thank you! Especially the first half is really good to know, as I couldn't find that info anywhere. I feel like I should be able to get away with not needing proficiency tests for some places, but am still in doubt. Like... as we need quite a high level of English to pass high school, any English requirements are completely wavered here for students who finished high school, and I've even seen Goldsmiths say that if you graduated from this school system with an 8/10 at least, they'd waver it. (But I graduated with a 7, even though I studied both English and an MA fully in English since, lol. An email should probably solve that one at least, haha.)
Which programs are you looking at? ? (I'm just trying to help ?) I think most list their English requirement for international students on their program websites; some on the graduate school website. If you were talking about not being able to find the info on Oxbridge's requirement, here it is:
https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/international/competence-english
When to take the language test
...
For the majority of courses, if a language test is required, you do not have to provide the results of your language test at the point of application, and you can submit your application for admission without them. However, the Master of Law (LLM), and Master of Corporate Law (MCL) do require you to submit your language test results with your application for admission.
In all cases, if a language test is required, you will be asked to provide the test results if you are made an offer of admission, and you cannot be admitted without a valid accepted language test certificate.
Do I need to have test scores when I apply?
If you already have English language test scores at the required level, please include them in your application. However, you are not required to provide test scores when you submit your application.
If you apply without submitting test scores, or you submit test scores below the required level, the academic department will assess your application as normal. If you receive an offer of a place, the department may require you to submit language test scores by a specific deadline as a condition of your offer.
So if you don't need to have your test scores by the time you submit your application, if you're applying to these schools. And again, if you're applying to the U.S., there's a very high chance you will need them. It's only August now and you've still got months to take your TOEFL or IELTS! Book a test now if you haven't already. FWIW, I think the English test scores aren't that important in the admission process. Your proposal/writing sample and statement of purpose should speak to your ability to succeed in the program, so don't stress too much over this!
-
6 hours ago, labradoodle said:
By the way, does anyone know if you have to submit your language certificate (TOEFL or IELTS, I mean) simultaneously with the rest of your application? For my master application, I only had to hand that one in after, and if I got admitted, but I'm assuming I need to hand it in beforehand here. (I can't figure out if I need to take it as I'm in a fully-in-English type of programme right now, and literally studied English before, and have heard I don't need to, but will need to contact them.)
I believe you have to submit your English language proficiency test results by the time you submit your application. Even for my masters I sent in my result with my application too. I know that some of the British universities allow you to submit them after you're given a conditional offer (i.e. Oxbridge), but I think mostly it doesn't work like that in the U.S.
Some universities in the U.S. (e.g. Stanford) waive this requirement if you have studied in universities where English was the only medium of instruction, but most universities still require international students from non-Anglophone countries to submit their English proficiency test scores. If you want to save some money, take a good and careful look at the requirements from each school!
- labradoodle and Hard times!
-
2
2022 Applicants
in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Posted
I'm afraid this is untrue! If you take a detailed look at the student profiles, you'll see a lot of students holding BAs and MAs from institutions outside the U.S. ? Anyway, the UCs don't really fit my interests and I'm eyeing on other some schools. ?