Yellow#5

Well, Michelle, old enough to know that no one lives forever --- and whomever dies with the most debt wins! but at this point, I'm hoping to get in to UVA just to meet the I-man.

On second thought, just fucking kill me already.

It is for me. I'm old, and may not even live 5 more years.

Nicholysses, Thanks for putting my hasty conclusions into perspective. I guess this thread tells us that all us Penders are still completely in the dark. Completely.

Here's an ominous thread started in the 'Admissions' forum by sheisawesome. Apparently she is not only awesome, but accepted to the PhD program at UVA ---with no funding viewtopic.php?f=8&t=16000 This is a sad day for American, kiddies.

What sub-division did you guys indicate as an interest? Mine was Lit Theory.

Loft, a more general description of each schools dominant approach would be an awesome resource to have. Tufts, for example, is heavily influenced by Gender theory. True, many faculty profiles include gender theory or queer theory, but I didn't realize how dominant the approach was until AFTER I applied, and that is not really my main area of interest, though I wouldn't necessarily avoid it, (and that's why I went ahead and applied, thinking there would be room for other approaches too). A current grad student there informed me this is not the case. Also, I did not know that Harvard was primarily new historicism. I think this thread is better than a wiki page. Rin, can you change the initial thread title so the word "fit" is in there and it comes up on searches better?

Well, shit. I did not express that interest in my statement, though if there was a box, I'm sure I checked it. (thanks for posting Bpr)

Books, You're totally right, the "strongest" schools, those 20-30 that everyone seems interested in have the best JOB placement once you're done. It's not about prestige or some perception that you learn more, but the professional preparation aspect of these schools that gets them on those top 50 lists and gets them flooded with apps. But I do like Rin's suggestion for the lesser known schools. There are some gems out there, particularly in the MA programs. These programs don't show up in the job placement numbers as often as the PhD programs, because people usually complete more schooling before taking a crack at the job market.

sr, gosh, that's great, but it's awful, too. Can't you scramble around and try and get some private funding? I know California is really hurting, but perhaps they could point you toward some foundations with late filings? If would be a shame to have to pass on UCLA.

Rin, Maybe simply a forum called "fit" and then each thread could be an area of interest. So if say, you were interested in "memory and perception" but you didn't know any more clearly what you wanted to study, you could start a thread on it, and people could chime in and suggest 1. periods or authors you could focus on (say Enlightenment/Diderot or Post Collonial/Nabokov) But then all sorts of arguments would break out about whether Nabokov is structuralist or post-structuralist or post-collonial or what. Once that fight dies down, current students could sing the praises of their favorite professor...except once grad students start working on their thesis, they don't tend to surf the forum very much

An existing resource that I've found helpful is "ratemyprofessor.com." Even though these are usually reviews by undergrads of varying seriousness/interest in the field, they are usually weirdly consistent in describing the profs personality. When I look at a schools web site and find 4-5 professors who's area of interest is shared, then I read some of their work, I still can't tell how it would be to communicate with them on a daily/weekly basis for 7 years. If the undergrads like them, that's definitely a plus. If they mostly don't like them because they're "tough" or "don't make any sense" as long as a few voices chime in that they're brilliant but misunderstood, I'm ok with it. If everyone says they go off subject, keep talking about sex no matter what (I've found that for a certain prof at a Boston area school LOL), I think, meh, maybe I'll be writing my thesis on my own with this prof.

GG, I figured. Too bad no one from WUSTL is calling me. Hmmm. I wonder if the gradcafe would consider a wiki type page called "fit." Or merely something not much more than a permanent tab under the literature subheading so the entry wouldn't get lost in the conversation.

Rin, that's so awesome about BC. I discovered how awesome their program was by chatting with someone on this board who was going to BC in the MA program. Before that, it was not on my radar either. Strangely, my interests are different than yours, but probably only in the way I label them. I like narrative theory, rhetoric, and American Lit from 19-20th century, especially immigre narratives (creation of identity, national identy of former and new homeland, memory). Memory or as you call it art vs. truth are our only overlaps, even though we don't quite describe it the same way, but everything is so inter-related, anyway. Labelling is one of the things that really confounds the process, I think. That and the fact that most students go into the degree with an interest in one or two things, but still keeping an open mind anyway. I will say, I like WUSTL's approach. I love that they put practically a "mission statement" on their web site, broken down by century, they pretty clearly articulate the type of questions they ask about each period, noting the following for 20th Century and Later American Literature: "The 20th Century has been called ‘the American Century’ and the faculty in the field variously address the rhetoric and substance of this claim. We have particular interests in modern and contemporary literature within an international and global frame; in peacetime and at war; in the emergence of forms of experimental writing that even as they cross boundaries possess special affinities with evolving characterizations of ‘Americanness.’ Nor are we content to let phrasing such as ‘modern’ and ‘contemporary’ pass unchallenged. The complex interactions of modernism and modernity stand at the core of the field. When does modernism start? When does it stop? Is it one thing or many? (Among the varieties of modernism we study: American modernists abroad in London and Paris, cinematic modernism, theatrical modernism, the Harlem Renaissance, Afro-Modernism, queer modernism, Jamesian modernism.) Ethnicity, gender, sexuality, race don’t just enter into the picture—they define and redefine it. How adequate is the language of postmodernism to characterize the fiction, poetry and nonfiction prose of the past thirty, forty, fifty years? Politics, science, society, our relations to the natural world and to built environments, to our selves, our bodies, those of others—these all enter into the department’s vigorous investigation of the past century and of the present."

LOL! To the mattresses, Pauly!

Don't die just yet, because in-state tuition is around 12k for grad students and out of state tuition is 22k for grad students. But I'll die of happiness too, if it's a funded MA!

And finally, since there seems to be a German Speaking contingent playing along, here's one for the Deutschen: Und wenn Du traurig bist und einsam und allein, wenn die Welt im Schlaf versunken ist, Du wirst es nie bereuen. Wenn Du denkst, Fuck it all,wie soll es weitergehen? Ka-pitulation.......... trans: And when you're sad and lonely and alone When the world is lost in sleep and you will never feel any pity for it, When you think, fuck it all, how can this continue? Surrender. Also, quite the catchy tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYW6mgIN6Pk

Oh and I forgot the song by Soul Coughing that is the source of my screen-name! Your words burn the air, Like the names of candy bars, Your mouth is cold and red, All in rings around your,laugh laughing laughs... as interpreted by my favorite new artists "Jayden"

I'd say wait two weeks, then start looking.

You might try East Cambridge for cheaper, not as nice housing. There is a free shuttle between the Cambridge Side Galleria mall and the Kendell MIT redline stop during the weekdays (And Kendell/MIT is 2 stops-or 10minutes from Harvard Square, once the train comes). It's about a 15-20 minute walk to Kendel from the Cambridge Side Galleria in good weather. Also, Inman square has pretty good sized/priced apartments but it's in a subway-less, pocket neighborhood between Central Square (red line) and East Cambridge. The busses at Inman are not bad. In nice weather, it's a 15-20 minute walk to Central (which is also a bit on the seedy-looking side, though an interesting, albeit overpriced neighborhood for how run down it is.) Inman also has some very good little bars and restaurants, including Dali's Tapas restaurant, Oleana, which is Mediteranean and Punjabi Dhaba, which most Indians I know give a thumbs up to for really good Indian food. There is also the world-famous-at-least-in-Cambridge Bukowski's super-dive bar near Inman. Both East Cambridge and Inman have most of the city's Brazilian concentration, so there are many little bars and restaurants that reflect that. Prices for eating and drinking are more reasonable at Inman and Union Square than the rest of Boston and Cambridge in my opinion. The major increase in crime you can expect in these neighborhoods is break-ins, since houses are all very close together with easy access in the back and the side. Also, there are alot of pan handlers near Central, but I never feel terribly unsafe there, but I do know several people who's house has been robbed. No big screen TV and no cash and you're golden. Union Square is another option if you don't mind bussing it. It's another of those no-subway access lost neighborhoods between Cambridge and Somerville. Dorchester is pretty far from Cambridge, though it is on the red-line, and though I haven't checked the stats, my sense is that they have much more of the city's violent crime. The particular street you live on makes a big difference, though. The Savin Hill area of Dorchester, near the red-line, has some fairly nice neighborhoods and Dorchester Ave near the JFK Umass stop is also pretty nice, thought the traffic is pretty attrocious, since one, tiny, winding, two-lane street is pretty much all that links it to the city proper. If you are willing to travel that far, try Arlington or Fresh Pond near Alewife. These are more suburban without the convenience of city/cafe culture, but cheaper rent. Someone else on this thread mentioned Watertown already, which also links rather conveniently to Harvard by bus and is a cheaper though quite safe neighborhood. Alston/Brighton has also been mentioned and is very accessible by bus, but tends to be an undergrad party heaven and, in my opinion overpriced and run down. Plus, bedbugs are not uncommon there recently.

Another "Pender" on this site emailed me privately and, after calling the department, found they were accepted for the Master. Funded or unfunded, I don't know, but it seems that if you are pending and you don't get waitlisted in the next few days, expect an invitation to the MA program around March 15.

No, but if I get a call back, I will ask

I left a message with Collette Dabney. We'll see how I do.

I live by the motto, it is what it is. The rest hurts my brain. (Though I have been guilty on occasion of trying to cheer other people up).