WomanOfLetters

That's what I did when I first started looking for programs. But like labradoole said the thing is most academics who published works I am interested in are either retired or work in universities/programs that aren't right for me (as an international student I have some serious concerns about where I will be staying for the next 5 years. I heard some places were impossible to live in without a car. There are of course many other factors like the languages they offer - some universities like Yale and Emory clearly prefer French to German. And then there's the 3rd language...applying for comp. lit. programs is just extra complicated). Does anyone has advice on how to look for the right comp. lit. programs?

I worked with a professor who was the only person in the department that was knowledgeable in critical theories for my thesis. I was hoping I could write something with critical theories, but in the end he steered me toward something he researched on, which was not critical theories...

That's what I thought too! I'm definitely applying for comparative literature programs but I'm still a little tempted to apply for some film programs. Last year I applied to a few film programs (since most programs paused admission) but got rejected by all of them (and NYU decided to not to take in any students in the end...). I'm still undecided at this point but I do hope that more programs are accepting students this year!

Hello everyone! It's likely that I'll be applying to a few film studies programs too - I haven't quite decided yet as I have a bit of background in both literatures and films, so I might apply to both. Is this not a good strategy?

Sorry for my late reply! It's been a very busy couple of days... This is so true. In one of my classes the professor gave everyone an A-. When I heard that those who did not take his class managed to get 4.0 GPA, I just felt it was so unfair. Thank you for being so encouraging! Yes, I am more than my application, but because of many other reasons this round of application is particularly important for me. I am hoping that my 3.8 GPA isn't going to hurt me (too much)... I do have "evidence" to substantiate my claim (but I'm not going to post the details here because the young prof is active on social media, and who knows who is reading my post right now!) Here is an example: when we talk about a concept, (I think) we should be aware of the qualities the concept entails (e.g.: postmodernism is a left-wing ideology). One can't say that just because the qualities (leftist) were never explicitly mentioned in the article that made use of the concept (postmodernism), the qualities do not exist (postmodernism isn't leftist). This just means the reader is not familiar with the topic as s/he should be. My prof thought that I was wrong in thinking this way. Thank you!! ☺️

Hi everyone. I'd love to hear your views on this: During my MA studies, I took a class purely out of interest. Because I was not as familiar with the topic as the students studying the field, I took an approach common in my own area of studies to do the work for this class. In fact, half of the grad students in the seminar were from a different department / school, so I was not the only one. After finishing the semester, I was too preoccupied on various things, such as working on my thesis, so much that I did not check my grades until much later. And honestly, at that point I was pretty confident about getting the grade I wanted. I finished my thesis, started preparing for PhD applications, then I found out that I got a B for the class. I come from a place where it is very rare that students get a GPA higher than 3.5/4.0, and so I thought getting a B wasn't a big deal, and ~maybe~ it was because I really wasn't that good in the class. As everyone knows, last round of application was a disaster. Unfortunate for me, I did not get into any PhD program. Then I started to look for ways to improve my application, like trying to get published, etc. Recently that I learned that in the U.S. everyone gets a 4.0/4.0 GPA in grad school, and that a B actually means a bare pass. I looked back on my interactions with the professor and realized those little things I shrugged off as nothing actually meant something, because those things could have contributed to my bad grade. The course instructor and I had different views on things (e.g.: a leftist vs a rightist), and in my papers I chose to write about what I believed. Now I'm just wondering if it's possible for me to appeal for my grade after such a long time (I have graduated since), or at least make a statement to express my view on the situation? I am also a little worried about getting retaliated for doing so, since I will also be applying for the PhD program in the same university (although the professor was actually from a different school in the university, and certainly not from the same school where I did my MA). Should I fight for my grade now, or should I focus on finding other ways to improve my applications?

I'm not in the same field as you do (I'm in the humanities), but I highly not recommend working part-time while attending grad school full-time. When I did my full-time MA, I constantly felt like time was not enough. Before starting my MA, I heard from some grad students that the transitioning from undergrad to grad studies was huge, and they needed some adjusting, so I was prepared. I had worked for several years in a very busy job (overtime work was the norm, sometimes I worked from 9 to 12), so going into grad school was okay for me. But it was definitely intense, and burnout was not unheard of. In my opinion, it's better for you to work full-time in this coming year (so that you'll have more money and some full-time work experience) than working part-time while attending grad school. If money is an issue, why don't you take two years off? It's never too late to start grad school!

I don't think it's weird if you're planning to apply for PhD programs but not writing a thesis. I think what really matters is you handing in a good writing sample when you apply. I myself don't plan on submitting my MA thesis as the writing sample for my applications, as I will be applying to a different field from my previous studies. You might ask why I didn't write my thesis in the area I plan to pursue in my PhD. That is because when you write your thesis you typically want to work in same research areas as your advisor. Not many professors were available for advising during my studies (and in fact, I heard quite a few students from my cohort didn't get to do the thesis option because they were late in finding an advisor). I think as long as you can come up with a good reason for why you are doing a portfolio instead of a thesis (and this is for your preparation when you get invited to an application interview only), you will be fine!

Anyone has used admission consulting services? For those who did, do you think they were helpful and worth the money? After getting rejected from all of the programs I applied to in the last round - even though I applied to far fewer than the general consensus of 10 programs because many paused admissions - I just really, really want to get into at least one program in this coming application season. ?

Thanks again for your help! All the best in your PhD studies! ?

Thank you so much for the information! Now I think I'll take my Pfizer shot soon. Just one more question: as we don't know how long the vaccine immunity is going to last (I think there's no consensus/enough research on this yet?), do you have any specific requirement on the time you take the vaccine (e.g.: at most a year before the fall semester starts, or 6 months before the fall semester starts, etc.)? Thanks again!

Hello all. For those who have been accepted by American universities and are starting their studies in this fall, have you heard from your universities about requirements for taking COVID-19 shots? Is the vaccine mandatory in your school, and do they accept COVID-19 vaccines administered by other countries? Although I can take the Pfizer-BioNTech shot in where I come from, I am just a little worried that I will be asked to take another shot when I eventually arrive. Given the reported myocarditis / pericarditis cases and other side effects, I certainly don't want to take more COVID-19 shots than necessary. (P.S.: I am not admitted to any program yet. But because of a certain vaccine restriction in where I come from, I have to plan ahead.)

Wow, that I did not know! Very often these things were never brought up in class (but I got assigned to read both of them...) Thank you again! You've been more than helpful and generous! ?

Yes, Duke is definitely one of my dream programs! Rey Chow is an expert in my area of studies (which is rather rare), even though she's a Foucauldian (and Foucault was not a fan of psychoanalysis...) And Fredric Jameson, of course. Do you mind if I ask why did you choose UChicago over Yale? Is it because of research interests? Also, do you have any advice on how to write personal statement / writing sample? Do you think the writing sample has to be in the same field as my intended dissertation project? I'm thinking if I should submit a comparative essay in the three national literatures I plan to pursue, but then 25 pages is unlikely to be enough for a good analysis.

I finished my MA in English in the U.S. last year. Maybe I could share a bit of my experience with you. 1) I only met my advisor - assuming that you were referring to your academic advisor and not thesis advisor - once in the entire year for academic advising. I think we met for like 5 minutes? (because he had 10+ students waiting for him outside) But then again he was the instructor of one of my graduate seminars, so I often took the opportunity to speak to him after class. If you were thinking about building relationships with professors, it might be a better idea to do so with your course instructors. 2) Firstly, be prepared to talk a lot in the seminars. In my experience, the seminars were a lot of work. I had to spend all my free time (aside from housework, traveling to and from school, getting groceries, etc.) on reading and writing. Initially I had thought that I was the only one (since English was not my first language) who struggled with studies, but it turned out many of the American students felt the same. I would suggest simply do your best, and you will be fine! 3) If you can, go to as many writing workshops/writing consultation sessions as possible. It's always a good idea to have a second pair of eyes to look at your writings. 4) Your university's career center should be able to give you good advice on job hunting. International students can also seek help from the international students office. I didn't take up any part-time job or internship, so I couldn't share much information with you on this. 5) I suspect that different universities offer different writing consulting services, so attend a session by yourself and you'll find out! I hope this helps. If you have more questions, feel free to leave them here or DM me!

Thank you again for another detailed reply! This information is hugely useful for me. I'm primarily interested in psychoanalysis (and deconstruction) but the Emory's comp. lit. department does not seem to be too big on the languages I'm working on ? I don't think I'll be applying to Harvard (as the program requires proficiency in 4 languages) but how does "world literature" differ from comp. lit.? I'm so glad to hear so many of these programs are still teaching theories! ☺️

Thank you very much for your detailed reply! I mean it - I've had this question for so long and it's finally answered. My plan to apply for comp. lit. programs (over English programs) is exactly because of their emphasis on philosophy / critical theories and Duke and JHU's programs sound ideal. English is in fact my second language, but I've got C2 level (8.0/9.0 on IELTS) hence am not too worried. I'll work harder on my German and hopefully get into one of these programs next year. All the best to your studies too!

I came across this article earlier: https://electricliterature.com/how-applying-to-grad-school-becomes-a-display-of-trauma-for-people-of-color/?fbclid=IwAR0K_bY7nDQAxiXWoecR2-kKu7kQge-MjvtPUYfB7HVMr_rkjGXTI-1wCas and have been thinking if I should write about my struggles - not exactly mental health struggles, but the struggles of simply keep failing and keep trying - given that I am not white? Is this really going to help with my application? I've been applying for PhD programs for a few years in a row (has since done an MA), and would love to have any advice on how to get into one. Thank you very much!

I'm interested in finding out more info about this too! FWIW, I used to think that Yale might still have some connection to the deconstruction school, but after digging a bit more I found out that the deconstructionists have moved to UC Irvine. Now I don't know what they are doing anymore. I guess a possible way to find out about this is to look through the profiles of the current graduate students. You might be able to get a sense of what they are doing in each school.

I'm applying internationally! I've studied in the U.S. before (three times, including an MA), and am planning to return for my PhD. I'm interested in applying for programs in other English-speaking countries too, but funding is a problem. I agree that it might be harder to get fundings for programs in the U.K.. As a matter of fact, I've applied for (and been lurking on this forum) programs in the U.S. for a few years already. I really do hope that I will get in at least one program this time.

Thank you for your reply! I think most programs do not have a (stated) GPA requirement. And also, a professor of mine suggested that I shall only focus on my strengths/positive things too. In my last round of application I explained quite a bit on my past failures (I have a long list), and I ended up being rejected by all of my choices (another failure!). I only applied for 5 though, and in different disciplines (some say it's best to apply for 10+ programs?). I guess I will leave out my GPA part this time.

It's true that none of the programs that I looked at require students to be fluent in three languages at admission. Some of these programs are: Johns Hopkins' program in Comparative Thought and Literature expects students to enter "with an adequate knowledge of the history of at least one national literature as well as literary theory" and "by the end of their third year, students must possess advanced knowledge of at least two foreign languages" (https://krieger.jhu.edu/compthoughtlit/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2018/11/CTL-Graduate-Program-Handbook.pdf) For Northwestern's Comparative Literary Studies program, "a secondary language requires only a single level of examination; this requirement is met through a reading exam, administered by the language department." (https://complit.northwestern.edu/graduate/requirements.html#language-requirement) Yale's Film and Media Studies program (combined program with comp. lit.) requires "excellent English and one other language at admission" and "an additional research-related language" (https://filmstudies.yale.edu/graduate/regulations-and-requirements-combined-degrees/combined-phd-comparative-literature-and-film) Duke's Literature program "requires competency in at least two languages other than English. Admission to the Program requires some indication that one foreign language has been acquired prior to arrival and that plans have been made with regard to a second one." (https://literature.duke.edu/graduate/language-requirement) Students in Cornell's Comparative Literature program "should have a good reading knowledge of the languages of choice; this involves at least two foreign languages, since one may be English ... Many of our students develop language skills on campus during the academic year (through upper-level seminars, foreign language reading courses, or more informal tutorials) or abroad, during the summer." (https://complit.cornell.edu/graduate#requirements) But this leads to another question: how competent the students are expected to be in these languages (and in my case, in the third/fourth language) by the time they take their foreign language exams? Is B2 level (CEFR level) good enough? And another question is, how big of an improvement in a foreign language, given that the student is still living in the English-speaking U.S., can we possibly make in 2 or 3 years? And how difficult it would be to pass the foreign language exam (I have heard that some of the programs are pretty lenient about this, but I don't want to underestimate the situation)? Thank you again to everyone who reads my posts and answers my questions!

Hello all. I'm interested in applying for comparative literature PhD programs in the U.S., and have been researching on them for a while. Partly it is because of the programs' focus on critical theories, which is my interest and strength, and partly because most of the work I've done so far involves more than one language (I have a BA in translation, and have many experiences in translation.) I was wondering, in general, how fluent the programs expect of the applicants in the three languages at the time of application? I emailed some of the programs about my question, and they only vaguely replied that students can continue learning the languages during their studies. I'm, however, worried that they might not even consider my application in the first place, if my language fluencies do not meet their unstated requirement. I'm mostly worried about my third/fourth language, but then again I don't want to apply for English programs (for many reasons - if any of you are interested I can list them below). I asked my professors about this too, but they were not too willing to answer this question (as they are not quite in a position to answer questions for other programs - I didn't do my MA in comp. lit. unfortunately) Could anyone in the comp. lit. programs kindly give me some advice on this? Thank you very much!

Hello all! May I ask for your advice on this as well? I was an international student studying in the U.S. for an MA degree in the past year. My grades were not as good in the American standard as I wished them to be (around 3.7/4.0), partly because I was an international student and I wasn’t used to the educational setting in the U.S.. There was also the factors that I took classes outside my field of studies, and I didn’t even know students could get a 4.0 GPA in their master’s studies (in where I came from, getting a 3.5 GPA is already exceptional. Professors rarely give out A-, let alone As), and students should go visit the professors for discussion often if they want a good grade, and stuff like that. I learned about all these pretty late in my one-year studies, so there was little I could do about it. And I am planning to apply for PhD programs in the U.S. this fall. In my case, should I explain why I didn’t get stellar grades in my statement of purpose/personal statement, or should I not mention it at all and focus on my strengths? Thank you!