JoeySsance

This is directly from their website: "In 2011, the Ford Fellowship program will award approximately 40 predoctoral fellowships..." I was told on the phone that of the approximately 1000 applications they received, about 800 of them made it through to the review process (I think the bulk of the other ones were disqualified mainly for being incomplete). So ~40/~800 is ~5% odds... Yay!! However, I'm not sure whether those numbers were across all fellowships or strictly predoctoral... So there might still be hope... (0.5%... 1 or even 2% more hope?). Haha, does anyone have anything pleasant to contribute so as to lift everyone's spirits a little bit?

You're most welcome, ringo2009! I also haven't thought too much about it up until just recently. The overall grad school visits and decisions have kept me pretty busy as well as just life in general. But now that it's just a few days away, I'm hoping to find a group of people with whom to share my excitement / fears / etc.... Thanks for the +1s everyone. I'd love to hear from the rest of you out there. Don't be shy! What fields are you all in? I applied to and have been accepted by Ph.D programs in French Literature. I'm waiting to hear back about the Predoctoral award. After checking the Ford Fellows directory, I see that people in my specific field have won before, so there's hope... It just doesn't seem to have happened very recently (1990 and 1992 were the most recent - and only times for that matter - for Predoctoral winners pursuing French Ph.Ds). One of those was actually at the dept. I'm considering attending! (I wonder if that's a good or bad thing? Or maybe it's completely inconsequential...?) Here's a link to the directory in case anyone is curious about past winners in their fields: http://nrc58.nas.edu/FordFellowDirect/Main/Main.aspx What's on everyone's mind? Feel free to talk about anything at all. I'm hoping we can go through the next few days in good company.

Hey! Here's the new thread! If you're curious to find out when the decisions will be announced, go check out the new thread! Feel free to join the discussion!

Hey everyone! The other recent Ford thread seemed to be dead so I hope this one will become lively as fellowship decisions approach. I called them and they revealed that all decisions will be going out via e-mail anytime between Monday April 4th and Friday April 8th!! I didn't get the impression that all decisions were going out on the same day, though, so we might end up finding out on different days depending on how they decide to send them out (but don't quote me on that!). What are everyone's thoughts now that our decisions are just a few days away?! Excited? Apprehensive? This thread welcomes applicants to ALL of the different Ford fellowships. Welcome to our little Ford 2011 GradCafe community! Good luck everyone!!

Hey! Is this thread dead? I called and now I know when the results will be out!! Should I start a new thread for Ford 2011 results? Is anyone still checking this one?? I wouldn't mind a group of fellow Ford applicants with whom to freak out as decisions draw nigh... Quick, someone else say something!

Hey everyone! So I'm back from my campus visits and have a really tough choice coming up. Is everyone else done? I know some have made decisions already. Feel free to come back and post about your decisions or your decision process! Hey hcohu! Welcome! I don't know much about MA programs... but I did create this group with MA applicants in mind... I was hoping it would be inclusive of everyone applying for higher degrees in French (and not just literature but also linguistics). I hope either current MA students or other prospective MA students will come and join the discussion. You're definitely not the only one out there applying to these programs! Congrats on Middlebury and best of luck with NYU and Columbia! Do keep us posted!! Hey ouibeque! I did enjoy my Columbia visit! I'll send you specifics via PM. I hope your decisions process is going well! Best of luck to you and to everyone else!

Hola Carcaman. Felicitaciones. Yo también fui aceptado en Harvard, Columbia y Berkeley pero en francés. Vas a ir a la visita del departamento RLL en Harvard en un par de días? Puede que ahí nos veamos.

Félicitations Nedjamma !! That's great about Penn and Rutgers! I haven't gone on any campus visits yet but several of our friends have in the past few weeks. My first two weeks of March will be pretty packed though! I can't wait! After all the visits are over and all formal offers are in, maybe we can make a list of where everyone was admitted. This could serve as closure for what's been a long and crazy process and could also prove useful to future French applicants who may have questions about applying to certain schools. Let's wait until all offers are officially made. Good luck to those still waiting. Profitez bien de vos visites !

Hola! Espero que estén bien. Alguien habrá postulado al programa de español o romance languages and literatures (RLL) en Harvard? Ya hace una semana que me aceptaron en el programa de francés y según lo que me dijeron, la visita será para todos en RLL (francés, español, italiano, etc.). Tal vez veré a algunos de ustedes la semana entrante? Espero que sí! Suerte!

That's awesome, forsberg! Once in a while I get nice reactions like that, too. I did forget to mention another instance where I got an alienating response. So one time, I had an appointment with an ophthalmologist not too far from campus. The doctor, whom I was meeting for the first time, awkwardly tried to strike up a conversation with some small talk. He asked me, "So what are you studying?" And without giving it much thought, I responded, "I'm studying contemporary French philosophy," to which he replied a bit coldly, "Oh my, what a positively esoteric major!" The conversation kind of abruptly ended there and we went on to discuss the actual reason for my visit. *Sigh* But yes, luckily a lot of people have been supportive and interested enough to ask me more about what my studies entail. However, I encounter such open-minded people almost exclusively within academia... I guess in the future I should find a way to answer that's perceived as more "accessible" to others... Or failing that, just respond "translation" which seems a lot more palatable. Any other thoughts or experiences?

I’m glad the links I posted have sparked some lively discussion already! I understand where you’re both coming from and I can only agree. It’s really frustrating how undervalued foreign languages and literatures are. Did anyone read the comments sections on any of the links I posted? e.g. “You can get Rosetta Stone for under $500 and learn a language, or you can take 4 semesters worth of a language class (the equivalent of a full semester's tuition, so several thousand dollars). So far as I know, there's no evidence whatsoever that the latter is any more effective than the former. If foreign language departments want to prove their value, start by showing that they add something above and beyond language learning software. As it stands, for schools with tight budgets, it seems like languages are sensible to cut because there are so many other options for learning one.” Case in point, I’m afraid. And that’s coming from a student (or alumna/us) who, presumably, has (or had) the privilege of attending a university which is one of the strongest and most vocal advocates for foreign language study (as is beautifully illustrated in President Shirley Tilghman’s letter about Princeton’s German department). Reading the related articles about how institutions like SUNY Albany, the University of Central Missouri and the UNC system have been dropping language departments has also troubled me, specifically due to the administrators’ preposterous rationales: e.g. http://www.dailytarh...ms_to_eliminate “Cutting programs that don’t produce many majors is one approach to eliminating unnecessary duplication, said Jon Young, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Fayetteville State University. “If it doesn’t have many graduates, then maybe that’s a sign that it’s not necessary,” he said. …“The question to ask is, ‘what are the needs of the state?’”” As someone who’s interested in ideology studies, that last statement strikes me as especially telling of where our country’s priorities are with regard to education. In my personal life, my love of foreign languages and cultures has in many ways alienated me from my peers. I’ve experienced this in a variety of contexts. For instance, I went through the public school system on Long Island (which, admittedly, isn’t too bad at all) and from elementary school through high school, I was asked by students as well as teachers whether I hoped to become a translator one day. Of course there’s nothing wrong with translation, and it’s actually something I do professionally, both within and outside of my studies (not to mention how fascinating translation is on a theoretical level). However, it didn’t ever seem to occur to any of them that there might be other reasons why I was so passionate about learning languages. It almost always came down to a very pragmatic assessment that what I was doing could perhaps be very marketable but never that there could actually be other reasons driving my interest. Then, as an undergraduate at a certain institution which happens to really foster students’ interest in languages and literatures, my skills were sometimes reduced to an eccentric idiosyncrasy, imbued with cultural capital. Some acquaintances (and even friends) presented me to others as “the guy who speaks [X] languages” (that number gradually increased throughout undergrad) and would, in the same breath, point out my friends who were Olympic athletes, etc. It was as if my skills either somehow justified my place at that institution and/or were my ticket into certain social circles. Thankfully my entire undergraduate experience wasn’t like this, but it’s certainly something one doesn't easily forget. When asked what I’m studying, sometimes, I honestly just can’t deal with some people’s ignorance, and so I resign myself to responding “translation studies” (which was my undergraduate minor, so it’s not entirely false). I really can’t wait to start grad school and finally be surrounded by people who can relate to me. Of course sequestering ourselves in the Ivory Tower will in some ways hurt rather than advance our cause. I do, however, hope that amongst academics, we can find a way to powerfully impact the current discourse on the importance of studying languages and cultures. Sorry for the long, rambling post… I guess I needed somewhere to let that out. Feel free to post your own perspectives and experiences. I hope this continues to be a lively discussion. By the way, what are some of the reasons all of you have studied French and other languages? It'd be nice to get a feel for the diversity of reasons and passions that have in one way or another led us to apply to foreign language MA and Ph.D programs.

Hola amigos. Tal vez habrán visto mi nombre en el hilo de francés; de hecho yo lo creé y he postulado a programas doctorales en francés. Sin embargo, también hablo español. Soy colombiano y me interesa mucho la literatura comparada. Bueno, discúlpenme por la intrusión pero quisiera invitarlos a leer algunos artículos que he puesto en el hilo llamado "French 2011" que podrían interesarles ya que se trata de problemas que tenemos en común en nuestros campos académicos. Los invito a participar en nuestra discusión, si quieren. Felicitaciones a todos y buena suerte a aquellos que todavía están esperando e igualmente a los que se enfrentan a decisiones difíciles. Saludos!

Hey there, Germanist friends. Congratulations to all on the recent great news. Check out my latest post on the French 2011 thread for links to some articles you might find interesting, including one specifically about the German program at Princeton. I see that some of you have been accepted there. Congrats once again! Feel free to check out those articles and to join the discussion on our thread if you like. Here's wishing you the best as you await further news and/or go off on your campus visits!

Ouibeque, merci! Congrats to you as well on your great offers. I can relate to feeling torn asunder by admissions offers. In my case, I've been excited about the program at Harvard because even before I thought of applying, my undergraduate professors had such great things to say about it. The professors who encouraged me to pursue French Ph.D studies (including my thesis adviser) told me they believed I would feel right at home at such a theoretically rigorous department. In terms of "fit" I am strongly compelled to agree with them. However, I'm considering all of my options very carefully! My fit is just as strong at Columbia and Berkeley. In fact, in some unique way or another, each of those departments exceeds my wildest dreams, again regarding "fit" (whether it be in terms of the professors, their course offerings, the interdisciplinary options and secondary fields, the international exchange opportunities, etc.). I can imagine myself thriving at any of them. So for me, it will definitely come down to the visits and also, the funding packages. This is going to be an extremely tough decision for me because I absolutely love each one of these programs (!), so again, I definitely know where you're coming from. I'm sure forsberg can relate, too, as he has quite the array of offers himself, as do Overboard89 and others on this thread. This is precisely one of the reasons why I created our French 2011 thread and I really do hope it can be helpful to everyone in general, and particularly to those of us who are considering multiple offers. I encourage all of you to post here with your perspectives in hopes that we can all help one another make some sense of this difficult decisions process. Ouibeque, my general advice for you is to go on the visits with an open mind. Make sure you know your priorities and definitely give serious consideration to fit. Talk to the current grad students, meet the librarians, be sure to chat one-on-one with your professors of interest, etc. Get a feel for the campus, the surrounding town/city... Consider funding offers. I'm sure these are all things you've likely heard before, but they certainly can't be stressed enough. As for staying on Harvard's wait list, ask yourself whether you might be happy at Harvard if it did become a possibility for you (and I mean, genuinely fulfilled, personally, academically/intellectually...). You definitely have some nice offers as it is, but it can't hurt to have another offer (even if it might bring along a little more anxiety), but only insofar as it would be a good match for your passions and aspirations. Harvard admits are being pulled in various directions and it's likely that the department may have recourse to their wait list in a few weeks. You never know. Par ailleurs, here are some interesting articles for everyone to check out. Perhaps you've seen some or all of these already. Some of what you read won't be... pretty. But I've tried to strike a balance somewhere between bleak and exciting. http://chronicle.com/article/Fastest-Declining-Academic/126360/ http://chronicle.com/article/Traditional-Language-Programs/126368/ http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2010/12/06/27110/ http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2010/12/08/pages/1594/ (This letter is alluded to in the previous link and it's about German, but it's a worthwhile read) Bonne lecture! (Maybe something in these articles could spark an interesting discussion?) P.S. If my choice of sources doesn't give away where I went to undergrad, I don't know what else possibly could.

Congrats to you, too, forsberg! I hope you're feeling better by the way! So it was Prof. Greene (the RLL Chair) who called you? My call was from Prof. Suleiman. Apparently two of my professors of interest (on my SOP) have been on leave this year and had no influence whatsoever on the admissions decisions... I'm stoked to have been admitted despite that!! I posted some of the details on the results board by the way. This was the last decision I was still waiting on (except Columbia's formal decision after the short list open house visit), so I can pretty much lay this crazy applications process to rest peacefully!! What a relief!!

Thank you MMissouri! And welcome to our thread, by the way! Did anyone else hear back from Harvard this afternoon!?

Hey everyone! I just got a phone call from the DGS at Harvard! I'm in!!!! This is soooo exciting!!!! I'll post more details later!! Good luck to everyone else!

problem child

Haha, I posted just a few minutes after you. Congrats forsberg! If my scheduling conflict works out, I'll see you at Columbia's open house!

Hey everyone! I got an exciting e-mail from Columbia! It's neither an acceptance nor an interview invitation, but kind of a hybrid. I don't know, what do you guys think? Here's part of the e-mail I received from the DGS: "The selection committee in the Department of French has reviewed applications and we are extremely impressed by your dossier and your potential as a PhD student in our Department. You have been selected to attend the open house that we are organizing on March 7. This will give you the opportunity to learn more about Columbia and to meet with faculty in our Department, and will give the faculty a chance to learn more about your research projects. Shortly after the open house the Department will make formal offers." Then Professor Diagne mentioned info about travel and lodging arrangements, etc. So what should I make of this? This strikes me more like a "shortlist" of candidates they'd like to interact with further before finalizing their decisions. Ok, so Berkeley and Columbia are the only schools from which I've gotten news so far (and what wonderful news it has been)! But I have a conflict... already! Columbia's open house is on March 7th and Berkeley's visiting days are March 6th and 7th (but the 7th will be more department-focused apparently). They're both being very flexible and said I could make alternate arrangements if necessary... I had literally hit "send" on an e-mail I sent to the grad secretary at Berkeley expressing my interest in their visit (though nothing's official yet) and immediately afterward I received the e-mail from Columbia. What should I do? Berkeley is the one that's more of a sure option (with really generous funding) whereas Columbia seems a bit less sure... I love both programs, but I'm not sure where to invest more energy. I guess it's good news that they're both being so flexible. Would showing up for an unofficial visit at Columbia put me at a disadvantage in any way? Should I just show up at Berkeley another weekend since the stakes are lower? Did anyone else get this e-mail from Columbia?! Good luck to everyone!!

Hey everyone! I made it back to the U.S. safely, despite the snow. Welcome, jennic! Félicitations, forsberg! Thanks to everyone for the kind words. I have a bunch of e-mails I still have to check, which I'll get around to when I'm less jetlagged. I'll keep you all posted. Good luck to everyone!

Hey everyone! If everything goes well, I should be flying out in a few hours. So I just got back my first decision. I was recommended for admission at Berkeley and have been nominated for one of their most prestigious fellowships!! The Director of Graduate Studies would like to set up an informal phone call with me (but he said it's not an interview) and added that a faculty member with interests similar to mine will drop me a line as well and that the grad secretary would call to explain the logistics about the admitted students' campus visit in March. This is great news! Just after the decision, he added this: "Your credentials from [undergrad institution] are extremely impressive, and we feel strongly that the Berkeley program, with its rich offerings in modernist studies, is especially suited to your broad intellectual interests." I hope my other departments feel / felt the same way!! Good luck to everyone else!

Hey everyone! Congrats on the recent great news some of you have gotten! Speaking of blizzards, which someone brought up, I flew out of Paris this morning with a connecting flight from Copenhagen to NY. Well, due to the crazy snow back home, my flight was cancelled. But my airline accomodated me in a pretty sweet hotel with lots of free perks, courtesy of them, so that didn't turn out so bad! And Copenhagen is a beautiful city! Let's just say that a whole month in Paris plus this sweet yet unexpected turn of events have all been keeping me more or less distracted (or at least occupied) during the wait for decisions. I should be back in NY on Wednesday... hopefully in time for some decisions... or any news at all (in the coming weeks, I hope)! Bon courage à tous! -J

Salut Nedjamma ! Welcome to our little French 2011 community ! Congrats on the Penn invitation ! I'm going to PM you, so look out for that in your inbox. How's everyone else doing ? I'm enjoying my last few days in Paris !! It's been a wonderful month of vacation... Just what I needed to get my mind off applications. It seems like I'll be heading back to the States in time for some decisions (give or take a few weeks). Good luck everyone ! P.S. I promise to participate more in the discussion once I'm back in the States. Some of you have asked some neat questions about grad school interests, favorite books, etc. and have shared some interesting responses.

I second this sentiment! I'll encourage the friend I mentioned earlier to post. As for me, I managed to prolong my stay in Paris by two extra weeks!! The longer I can stay in this beautiful city, distracted from the grad school wait, the better! For those of you who've heard back already and been accepted, come and share. I bet I'm not the only one who'd like to learn a little more about your academic interests and your overall perspective at this point in the waiting game. Everyone else, feel free to elaborate a little bit on your interests. Is anyone looking to explore a slightly (or very) different area of French studies in grad school from what you've already studied? Is anyone hoping to continue researching an idea from an undergraduate or masters thesis as a possible area of further investigation at the doctorate level? Is anyone particularly excited? Scared? Ambivalent? Looking forward to living or moving to a particular city among your grad school choices? The questions above are meant as suggestions for discussion. Feel free to answer any or all of them, or to throw something fresh and new into the mix. I know we have a cool community in here somewhere. J'espère que vous allez tous bien. -J