HummusBaguette

Hey, a tiny update: I received my rejection today from UC Berkeley (email to check the portal). So I assume that they just started sending out offers as well! Those who apllied at Berkeley: Good luck!!

Hope everyone has had a good week. I'm starting to grow slightly worried -- I've applied to a bunch of places, with no success so far. I thought I tried my hardest on my materials -- which includes spending a long time thinking about "fit." I don't know what goes into making decisions, but I hope that we can all have good fortune this cycle. Until then, I just got to stay positive -- anything is possible.

I just got my first acceptance (UC Davis) and am almost in tears. After starting with 4 rejections, I was having a lot of anxiety and fear. I want to give a shout out to this message board for being so supportive and kind. I haven't been posting much this cycle, but reading y'alls comments to each other has been really helpful and comforting. All the best to everyone!!!!

I finally heard back from somewhere, and U Nebraska Lincoln sent me a fully funded offer! I can hardly believe it. After I was all-out rejected last cycle, I spent the last spring and summer educating myself on critical theory, and I took a high-level course in the fall semester hoping to produce a decent paper under the guidance of a professor. I was crazy busy from April to December just working towards this. Just knowing that I'm actually going to get paid to go to school makes me weak in the knees.

Hey, it's not shameful AT ALL! It's so normal to have such thoughts and there is nothing to be ashamed of. My suggestion would be: 1. Try not to think about your second "failure" to come since apparently nothing has been determined yet and there is no evidence that you are going to be rejected again, given that you've worked harder to reshape your application and there's no reason you are going to do worse this time. 2. Try to redefine "failure". It might be helpful to think that only those that suit you will choose you, so being rejected is by no means a "failure"; instead, it just indicates that this program might not be a good fit for you. I'm an international applicant as well, and trust me we are all going through the same process of torture just as everybody on this thread. Wish you good luck! How about finding some distractions eg. sport?

Also, I realize your question was, "is there a best language to learn for students of comparative literature or students of linguistics?"
The best language is always one that interests you. Any language is learnable. How fast and easily you learn it depends on your native language to an extent and to a larger extent your motivation to learn the target language. If you have no interest in the target language, it will be hell to learn. So picking a language means finding a culture you find endlessly fascinating - that way learning the language will be much less work for you. And it will be enjoyable.

Disclaimer: I am not a student of comp lit, but I was planning to pursue it (applied last year) so I took some time to really learn about the field.
Learning Turkish will definitely help you in Comp Lit - in fact it will hurt you if don't have multiple languages. However, you already have Persian and French under your belt so while learning Turkish is nice, you've already won the battle. 
In general, language combinations are totally up to you in Comp Lit, but you have to be ale to connect them somehow -- whether that is a shared literary movement, did a famous French author live in Turkey and that informed their writings, do the languages share politics, borders, etc. You need to be able to connect them somehow. This is crucial for you to be apple to explain in your applications. Funny enough a friend of mine is getting her PhD in Comp Lit and her languages are Turkish and French - but it is uncommon. She said it is both extremely challenging, but extremely impressive because it's not common. She mentioned that it adds to her stress a little bit because it's only impressive if she does it well. I think her foci are memory, trauma and genocide connecting the languages). TLDR: Any language combination is good as long as you can connect them.
For linguistics, you don't need to speak another language to study it. Some of the most famous linguists like Noam Chomsky don't speak any languages other than English. So knowing other languages will certainly help you as a linguist (and make you stand out in your apps), but it isn't required in the way Comp Lit requires languages.

Agree with @postmodern. It's not that you are not good enough or anything. Wish you (and everybody struggling right now!) good luck and don't lose hope!

Agree with @postmodern. It's not that you are not good enough or anything. Wish you (and everybody struggling right now!) good luck and don't lose hope!

Agree with @postmodern. It's not that you are not good enough or anything. Wish you (and everybody struggling right now!) good luck and don't lose hope!

Guys, age really does not matter  I believe you are all brilliant souls!
Have a look at this dude who earned his PhD in physics at the age of 89:
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/11/11/physics-phd-89-years-old-Brown-University/7621636665251/

Guys, age really does not matter  I believe you are all brilliant souls!
Have a look at this dude who earned his PhD in physics at the age of 89:
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/11/11/physics-phd-89-years-old-Brown-University/7621636665251/

Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well! I received a phone call at 4pm from the University of Michigan and was accepted into the Joint PhD program in English and Education! Again, not sure if anyone applied to this program as well, but if so, you may be hearing back sooner than anticipated!

YES same. It feels like the terrifying quiet before the storm...

I'm 37 and on the same boat, i.e., changing career/area. 

My son turns 33 in April. ?
(Though I don't see my age as a weakness necessarily -- maybe for some programs, I guess -- but just the fact that I'm coming from another field completely and don't have the research or academic background to make up for it.)
Anyway I'm excited anyway. I like applying for things.

I'm 30 and only just finishing up my BA!
 
It's hard to not feel old(er), especially coming out of undergrad "late," but I do feel like age is beneficial in regards to knowing more about oneself and allowing for a healthier mix of humility and confidence. I hope application committees see it that way as well!