spartaca

I currently attend UO, and I would say that 11,500 is tight-but-livable in Eugene. It really depends on the expenses you'll bring with you. Unfortunately, the state of grad funding is such that most humanities students end up incurring additional debt. I do know a few people who don't/won't take out loans, and they do make it work. There's affordable housing, multiple free and accessible transit options, and even a handful of grad co-ops if you're amenable to sharing space with others. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Yes, absolutely PM me if you'd like to know more! (I'm heading east for spring break in a few days, though, so my reply might not be prompt--just a heads-up)

I did my MA at Buffalo a few years ago. While there, I also worked in the English dept's grad admissions. Based on numbers while I was there, which could be out-dated because of funding cuts, they had 16 lines of funding for PhD admits. MA cohorts were in the 25-35 range. Buffalo is a school that has a "cash-cow" Masters reputation, but it should be said that rejected PhD applicants without MAs are not automatically offered admission into the MA program. Despite the MA's lack of funding (if you're super lucky, and I mean super, you might have a chance at teaching comp your second year--express interest to the current comp director to increase the odds), I'd encourage anyone who receives an admission offer to seriously consider it. If you're willing to take out loans, Buffalo's a very cheap place to live, and I was able to work part-time and still get my reading, research, and writing done. It's a rigorous department, and those who choose to go on for PhD-level study generally have luck. In my MA cohort alone, two stayed at UB, one went to CUNY, another to Duke, another to Berkeley.

When I was applying, I encountered this problem with URI as well. Since by mid-March, theirs was the only admissions offer with funding I'd received, I accepted. I subsequently received a better-for-me offer and ended up rescinding my acceptance of URI's. Since I'd dealt mainly with the grad secretary there and considering it was only a few days after I had accepted, I simply emailed the grad secretary and explained the situation. She responded with understanding. This seems to be their style, which is unfortunate; I know it caused me unnecessary extra stress. And if you're seriously considering their offer, I don't want to sway your feelings about the department in any way. That said, I'd attempted emailing the DGS a few times with questions re: the program, grad student life, housing contacts, and, most importantly, wondering if I could have more time before making a decision. She didn't respond to any of these emails, which was disheartening. The lack of an answer about the "deadline" is what impelled me to accept but, ironically, also made me feel a lot less bad about rescinding. If I were you, I'd wait until a few days before the 15th (this Friday, perhaps?), and call or email with a request for more time if you still need it. Since it's against accepted protocol to require a decision before April 15, I wouldn't worry too much. Just try to cover your ass & communicate your needs.

While I'm not into digital or textual studies, I would like to comment on what your professor views as your major weakness... I consider one of my main weaknesses to be that I'm not as well read as some of my cohort, but in a recent discussion with my advisor, she made the point that that's why I'm in grad school. Even if you'd been in English for your entire undergrad, you'd still not be as conversant in the major works of your field as you'll eventually need to be. That's why there are orals exams & qualifying exams, & why most programs have distribution requirements. The whole point of graduate studies is to read, think, learn, and write MORE. Who cares if you're not as well read as your colleagues? The fact that you recognize it and have the drive to change it is one thing that makes for a quality applicant. And, seriously, admissions committees won't be able to gauge your level of familiarity with canonical works from your application unless they rely heavily on the GRE subject test, a test that many departments aren't requiring anymore because it isn't actually representative of one's ability to engage in graduate level work. I hope that your professor was also encouraging while pointing out this "weakness." Everyone is academia is insecure and comes with weaknesses... No one ever thinks she's read enough of what she should have read. And I'd say that this applies for both theoretical and literary works. Here are just a few of my "OMG, how have you gotten this far without reading that?!" works: Moby Dick, Jane Eyre, Beloved. Bottom line: graduate school is for learning--it's where you'll become well read.

When I was applying last season, I had yet to write my MA thesis, so I wasn't faced with this specific issue. I did, however, have two seminar papers that I could've potentially used & that fit with the broader field in my SoP. However, I was taking a seminar that was the best fit for my specific interests during this time and decided instead to use the paper I would be writing for that class as my application sample. Of course, the end of the semester rolled around and the intended "polished final draft" seminar paper ended up being a not-so-polished work-in-progress that I eventually used as the basis for my thesis. But I only had a week with which to revise and edit the WIP seminar paper before I needed to send out apps. I decided to use it anyway and had a fair level of success. (Though, unlike many on this board, I didn't apply to any Ivies and only one top-20, so this could be inappropriate advice for those programs). Ultimately, I took a huge risk submitting this paper, but it was most representative of a) my general field, the specific types of questions and issues I'm interested in, and c) the level of complexity and nuance I am capable of in my writing. Similarly, it fit almost exactly within a paragraph of research questions I posed in my SoP. So, while I took a leap of faith by submitting something a little less cohesive and polished than the original two papers I'd been considering, it paid off because it gave my application more focus and continuity as a whole.

I can certainly understand everyone's irritation, but chances are that his admission didn't prevent anyone else's. Most likely he was not offered a funded spot, but will either go for free (like others have mentioned--publicity) or pay his tuition out of pocket. I seriously doubt he went through the same application process as everyone else, will structure his program(s) the way most of us would, or even complete the degree. I don't want to make groundless assumptions, so I'd be very interested to hear what he has to say about it. What are his motivations? What does he plan to do with the degree? Will he write a dissertation or is he satisfied with going ABD? Does he want a job in academia or does he see an English PhD as helpful in other ways, like if he wants to break into directing and/or screen writing? Was there something he read in his MFA that inspired him to want to study literature and theory more deeply? But you know what they say about the Ivies... for the average Jane, the hardest part is getting in. Oh, and for anyone else attending Yale: if he decides to go, I expect to hear some stories

While I was an MA student, I assisted in the department's grad admissions office during application season doing mainly clerical/organizational work. I learned quite a bit about how this particular program conducts its admissions. And yes, lady_coffee, to a certain extent, test scores are more important to the Dean of Arts & Sciences and/or TPTB at the Graduate School than to the department. Basically, if an applicant has acceptable-to-exceptional test scores, securing the approval for funding from higher-ups is easy. The Dean/GS doesn't read the applicant's file, nor would they necessarily be able to decide if a particular applicant should be admitted if they did, but rather receives a letter from the adcomm requesting approval to offer the applicant a line of funding along with copies of a few select documents from his/her application. If there happens to be an applicant whom the department wants but whose test scores fall below what is generally considered acceptable, the adcomm's task of justifying their decision in the letter to the Dean/GS is just a little harder, since TPTB really want to be able to publish reports about how great their graduate students are, and will use quantifiable evidence, like test scores, to support this. (One former prof told me that they just want to be able to say, "X% of our graduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences fall above Y percentile on the GRE Verbal and above Z percentile on the GRE Quantitative, with A% having a combined score of B or higher.") Sometimes the Dean or Graduate School will set a minimum GRE score for funding, which is why certain programs will publish a minimum on their websites. It's not that the department necessarily thinks that test scores are important--in fact, in my experience, most departments really don't--but rather that they know what scores the higher-ups like to see, and thus want to make the process of obtaining funding approval as smooth as possible. So yeah... test scores are important, but not always in the ways we think they are. This particular program made sure to read every single file--they didn't weed out a first round of rejections based on low test scores, though I will say that if an applicant was iffy based on SoP, LoRs, and/or writing sample, lower test scores were used to take the "maybe" to a rejection. Moral of the story: always, always, always do all that you can to ensure your SoP and writing sample are as strong as possible because a department will go to bat for you if they think you show promise that isn't accurately reflected in your test scores.

In my experience, English departments tend to welcome individuals with diverse backgrounds. Like the previous poster noted, it's not a bad idea to have a few lit courses on your transcript if you don't already, but I don't think it's necessary to get a second BA in English in order to apply to an English MA program. In my MA cohort, there were people who came in with Bachelor's Degrees in African American Studies, Spanish, Biochemistry, PoliSci, Dance, and Anthropology. And those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. Because most MA programs can't/don't offer funding, it's not as difficult to get an acceptance when coming from a different undergrad field. I'd think the most important thing is to have a writing sample that exhibits your capacities for both complex critical inquiry and thoughtful analysis of literature--my MA app writing sample had no theory in it whatsoever. And if you approach your SoP as an opportunity to explain why you're interested in switching fields (what does lit offer that IR can't?) and how your non-English degree makes you a unique applicant (what will your background in IR enable you to do in lit?), then I don't think your degree in IR will be perceived as a setback. I can understand your anxiety in regard to this situation. But I think some of the most desirable applicants are the ones who will bring diversity to a program. I'm a non-traditional student who failed out of her first undergrad college, did a couple crappy years at a community college, and took some time off before finally finishing her Bachelor's. This was a huge source of anxiety for me when I was applying for both my MA and my PhD. But I tried to use it to my advantage by mentioning my less-than-stellar academic past in my SoP in order to juxtapose with my undergrad/MA success, which enabled me to say something like my successes were both a result and reaffirmation of my desire to study English, etc, etc. It's all about how you frame it. Oh, and unless a department explicitly states on its website or elsewhere that a BA in English is required for MA applicants, then your application will definitely be considered. (I worked in an English grad admissions office a few years back and every single file was read by the committee, even those with relatively bad GRE scores.)

I'm currently working on my PhD in English at the UofO. I don't know much about the Comp Lit program here, but the people I know who are in the program are great! Generally, it is true that you can expect to get a job at a university that is similarly-ranked to your PhD-granting one. That said, it really matters what kind of work you plan on doing. Ideally, I'd like to get a job a small liberal arts college, so the UofO is perfect for me. There is a heavy focus on teaching and as a CL person, you'll have the opportunity to go through the Composition Program's year-long teacher-training sequence of courses. If teaching is important to you, it's something to consider--you'll leave Oregon with the ability to talk confidently about your teaching philosophy, which is great for the job search. Again, not sure about CL, but I know the English department boasts a pretty decent placement rate. However, if you're aiming to get a job at a huge research institution or an ivy, then you might consider the Dartmouth MA. It could provide you with the skills you need to get into a PhD program at one of those kinds of universities. (Though I'll second the above poster who mentioned how much it BLOWS to go through apps while working on your MA--my thesis certainly suffered for it.) Is Dartmouth's program 1 or 2 years? I only ask because 1 year programs don't really give you the opportunity to get your feet wet or form strong relationships with profs before it's time to apply to PhD programs, thus it makes it more difficult to get great LoRs. If you'd like any more info about Oregon, I'd be happy to answer any questions--feel free to PM me. And good luck making your decision!!

I think the appropriate number of programs is really dependent on individual circumstances. I really only applied to 4 (technically 5, but I knew my MA-granting institution generally only admits 1-2 of their own, so v. low chances there). That said, I made the decision to cut my intended apps in half after re-taking the GRE and not seeing that much improvement. I was pretty convinced I wouldn't get in anywhere. But instead of ditching the entire plan, I made some strategic choices based on fit, geographic location, and ranking (even applying to one unranked program), and included a disclaimer about test scores at the end of my SOP. I was accepted to 2 programs with offers of full funding from both. There are so many factors that go into the entire application process that unless you're planning on applying to more than, say, 20 programs, I wouldn't worry. Everyone's experiences are different and it's impossible to anticipate or gauge what adcoms are thinking. One problem I could see coming out of applying to a lot of programs is the "safety school" mentality. Do not apply to any program that you consider a safety. Because no one wants to be in the position of having only one offer, but it's from a program you really didn't want to attend. So trust yourself--if you'd be ecstatic/happy to attend every program you apply to, then you're on the right track.

While I'm not familiar with Notre Dame, you can always play with your language and term your interest in both as transatlantic poetry. If you plan to look at a specific time period, you can throw that in, too. While I only listed one specialty - 19th C American Lit - I expressed an interest in multiple theoretical frameworks and a desire to gain more knowledge in women's and ethnic literatures. I don't think it's frowned upon to have more than one interest as long as you're explicit about your main interest and the kinds of questions you plan on asking. Hope this helps!

Not sure if you've checked them out yet, but University of Oregon has an Ethnic Literatures structured emphasis. I'd say they're particularly strong, as compared to most other programs, in Latino/a, Chicano/a, and Native American.

I'll be entering the English PhD program, moving from the east coast... Anyone else going to UO?

I did my undergrad at SUNY Brockport. Ever heard of it? Probably not. Not that I'm going to an Ivy or anything (the program I'll be entering is ranked in the 50s and I'm pleased), but don't discredit your education based on the size/name of your school. I loved my undergrad institution and still have great relationships with a few profs most likely because it's a small state college where the focus is on teaching as opposed to research. While I've gained contacts and networking connections from my MA institution (a larger research university), I'm not leaving with plans to get drinks or have dinner with any of my profs. There's a difference, and it's felt. My UGI helped me gain a level of comfort engaging with professors on a one-on-one basis, smaller classroom size, greater ease when setting up meetings, asking for extra help, etc. I'm coming out of my MA U with a higher level of professionalism, a better understanding of how an academic department works, and an ability to ask more complex and nuanced questions. I've only profited from both degrees, but they've given me different skill sets. My point was, though, plenty of people are able to get into great grad programs coming from small schools. If your writing sample and SOP are awesome, coupled with solid letters of rec, then it really doesn't matter all that much where you're coming from. And sometimes coming from a smaller school is seen positively - you bring diversity to their program, a different POV from the students they accept out of the big research universities - this is something you could use to your advantage in your SOP. Obviously, I did do an MA before applying to PhDs, but I'm undecided on the debate that surrounds this issue. I did an MA more for personal reasons, like, the idea of a PhD straight outta undergrad scared the crap out of me AND I tend to be indecisive, so I wanted grad experience before committing to the 5-6 year PhD. But like spritely mentioned, this could be different for comp lit programs... But yes, do tons of research - I wish I had done more for both MA and PhD apps. Figure out what schools/programs are in line with your interests, send emails/make phone calls, and write/revise a damn good paper to use as your sample. And keep coming to the grad cafe because, seriously, I wish I had known about this place BEFORE I applied... You'll get great support and advice here.

Your point here is well-taken, however, I wouldn't rule out attending unfunded for one year. Although my situation isn't exactly like yours - I accepted an offer in which my first year funding is significantly lower than years 2-5/6 - I really struggled with it, especially since my only other had a slightly better funding package, although guaranteed for only four years... (God, this process sucks from start to finish.) Thing is, most stipends in the humanities aren't enough to live on. Period. So I've had to suck it up and deal with the likelihood of taking out small loans as needed (as well as working my ass off over summers), which will probably end up amounting to something like your projected $30k debt, if not slightly more. And since I'm completing an unfunded MA right now (not a waste of time or money, at least for me), my total educational debt will probably be around $75k when all is said and done. Is this overwhelming? Absolutely. But if I don't get hired right away... defer, defer, defer until I can defer no longer, paying off interest as I can. On a sidenote - while it did make my life harder, I was able to significantly reduce the amount I took out in loans (ie - about $20k/year instead of $30k/year) by working 16-22 hours/week during the semester, full time over breaks. Is this something you're willing to do? I certainly feel for you - this is a big decision & I don't know what I would do under your circumstances. But if UMass seems to think funding for later years is highly likely, I don't think I'd rule it out quite qyet. I know quite a few people who have gone this route. As for Breadloaf - I would wait and reapply over attending. It doesn't seem like a great program for your needs & wants, for multiple reasons. So I guess my advice would be either UMass or wait, work, and reapply.

This is true. Grad school is very time consuming and stressful. One good thing is that you'll both be in programs - you can bring reading/work with you when you visit and set aside time to get things done. At least you both know that the other understands how it can be. And someone in an earlier post did say that weekend visits made the weekdays very productive for them since they didn't want to be bothered by work when with their SO. Just trying to see a bright side, since I totally understand your worries. This is exactly how I felt a year ago. I was surprisingly calm and collected and all "this is just the way it is and we'll be fine," but definitely nervous underneath about just how difficult the reality of it would be. Amen. And your point about liberal towns in conservative states is well-taken. This is why I didn't apply to certain programs one of my professors suggested (she said I needed to diversify geographically). Sorry, I'm sure Austin is a great city and I'd love to visit, but I'm not so keen on living in Texas for the next 5 years, much less asking my partner to try getting a job in a school setting in Texas, or adopting children, or finding gay-friendly doctors, or any other number of issues that may arise.....

Rose -- When my partner was applying for jobs last year, Vermont seemed like a possibility for her. As there are no PhD programs in English in the entire state of VT, a long distance/commuting situation was a very real possibility for us. We figured 3 hours was where we'd max out & we'd both consider living a bit further from job/school in the direction of the other, just to make seeing each other a little easier. Ideally we were thinking a program within 1-1.5 hours from her job, so that we could try to find a place in the middle and both commute. We were both committed to making whatever situation work as best we could, but if it got to the point where it was just too much (stress, money, loneliness, etc), then we'd wait another year, re-assess, and re-apply. For us, staying together has always been the ideal, but in this kind of economic climate and in your situation - you're both applying at the same time, which is something we've not had to contend with - I wouldn't rule out long distance as a viable and workable option. If your programs are 3 hours apart, though, I'd begin to consider the academic and professional hindrances to trying to stay together physically - could not living near your respective campuses be detrimental to networking or prevent either of you from fully taking advantage of certain opportunities that may arise, etc.?

I'm in a similar situation as many of you... I'm about to be 28 (eek, I'm getting old) and my SO is 25. I'm finishing up my MA this semester. She finished her MS in School & Agency Counseling a year ago and started looking for jobs in her field, with the plan that I would then look for PhD programs near to her job, so that neither of us would have to "sacrifice" our individual goals. Unfortunately, there are few to no school counseling positions in desirable areas of the country. As a same-sex couple, it's extremely important that we're in an at least somewhat liberal area for the next 5-6 years as we'd like to get married (legally or not) and start a family - especially knowing that my first job could take us anywhere (yay for TT positions in the Humanities!) and there could be little choice there. So, since she wasn't able to find a "real" job right out of grad school, I began my search with geography in mind. After making a list of every PhD program in English in the general areas we had agreed upon, I then began the real research and narrowed down programs according to fit, rankings, and my perceived likelihood of getting accepted. She was involved in every step of the process, doing her own research on schools and their locations. Similarly, while debating my two acceptances, it was a decision we came to together, taking everything from location to program to economy to distance from family/friends into consideration. While I'm sure many of us have had the selfish urges that tell us education/career are or should be our number one priority, when you're in a committed relationship (we'll celebrate our 5 year anniversary the week we move across the country), things are different; compromise is important - vital, really. I understand just how much I'm asking of her, especially considering the current job market & knowing that now she might not find her ideal position for years to come. But in the end, things seemed to have worked out for the best. We're moving from the east to the west coast - a move we've both always dreamed of - to a program that's a great fit for me... Anyone else in a same-sex relationship who has/had similar concerns?

Well played, Jack Cade. OP - to reiterate what many have already said, you'll feel a hell of a lot better once you tell the schools your decisions. I had two acceptances, took one day to make my decision (granted, it was fairly clear-cut for me), one night to sleep on it, and sent my emails the following day. It felt great to know that the funded spot I turned down was going to the next person & that she/he was able to feel the thrill of an offer more than a month sooner than if I had waited until 4/15. My advice: go with your gut and pay it forward, man.

I'm finishing up my MA this semester, and for me, it's been invaluable. Coming from a somewhat non-traditional path, and being a tad older than most of my peers, it was especially vital in that it has ensured that this is, in fact, what I want to do with my life. I spent my first semester taking courses outside of my comfort zone. This was both a good idea and a bad idea; I hated my first semester. But I was able to explore a few periods/areas that were lacking in my undergrad and rule them out as potential specializations. Second semester was hell, too, but only because it was very heavy on the coursework - I was taking two theory + two literature seminars and working part time. I enjoyed my coursework more and it took getting through this semester successfully for me to gain some grad student confidence. This academic year has actually been (gasp) fun. I'm more comfortable and confident and I think/hope that came through in my SoP. So, for me personally, I can't imagine having gone straight into a PhD program from undergrad. I didn't do any publishing, nor did I give any papers during my MA. But I worked hard, participated in class, wrote the best papers I could muster, and am coming out of my MA with a better sense of who I am as an aspiring scholar - and with the knowledge that a) I want a PhD, and I'm capable of it.

You also want to avoid too focused. Many programs don't like it when you sound like you have your whole graduate career mapped out already (ie - "this will be the title of my dissertation"). Yes, they want you to tell them what you plan on studying and what your interests are, but they understand that it's early and you will probably change your mind or your interests will shift. Something like "The tension that arises between X and Y in genre Z is fascinating to me, etc etc" is a formula that seems to work. I actually included a series of questions in my SOP that I'm interested in exploring. Basically, they just want to see that you've been thinking about things, that you have interests, and that you're serious about doing the work. I think it's important to make this section of the SOP future-oriented as well, especially if you've talked about past achievements or academic experiences earlier in the piece. All in all - no one expects you to stick to what you say in your application, but be decisive and confident with whatever thread you go with. I had a prof who did her dissertation on British Modernist Poetry and now does 19th C. American... So even after the PhD, there's room for change!

As far as the Subject test goes - I used the Princeton Review's test prep book and found it extremely useful. I actually employed some of their strategies for approaching the test and think it only helped me. I didn't get a spectacular score, but scored slightly above the 600 I was aiming for, and so was pleased. On the matter of scores in general... As I'm sure many of us know or have heard, these scores are not what get you in and most of the time they're not what get you rejected either (unless you have, like, a 370 V). Many times they're used to justify the department's recommendation for (funded) admission to the Dean/Graduate School. If the Dean is going to reject a candidate that the department has recommended for admission, it will most likely be based on test scores. BUT the department knows this, and so if you do have slightly lower test scores and they want you, they'll talk you up to the dean and make sure you're offered admission. If you have good scores, don't retake these tests. It's a waste of time and money, and I know plenty of people who have gotten into great programs with what we might consider mediocre GREs. When researching programs, I made sure that there were at least three faculty at each school who I'd love/be happy to work with. This can safeguard you against things you don't know or are unable to anticipate, like Prof. A is going to be on leave to work on her book for the next two semesters, or Prof. B has a visiting scholar appointment next spring, or Prof. C is a superstar who doesn't really have time to take on too many advisees. I mentioned faculty whose literary interests aren't in line with mine but who study theories that I'm really into or really want to learn more about. I also looked up their graduate seminar offerings, and made sure to mention interesting course titles taught by some of these faculty. By cross-checking faculty interests and course offerings, you might discover a professor you hadn't noticed before bc of his/her awesome course description. And, of course, the opposite is true as well. One thing that I think helped me - I could be wrong - is that I really explored websites, clicked links that took me elsewhere, and tried to find something outside the department that made me interested in the university as a whole/"community." Most schools have Humanities Institutes (or something along those lines) to get involved with, and these often provide opportunities to attend conferences or works-in-progress symposiums right on your own campus, put together a panel, have contact with other departments and grad students in the humanities. When I found a related program or organization that I thought sounded interesting, I included it in my SOP, right in the "fit" section. I couldn't agree more. This speaks a little to the debate about safety schools. Since there really is no such thing in this PhD game, make sure you'd be more than happy to attend each program to which you apply. No one wants to be in the position of having only one acceptance and it's from that school you weren't that thrilled about but you applied to thinking you'd probably get in. Do you go just so you can get started or do you reapply? I cut two schools from my list for this reason alone. That's my 2 pennies.

booksareneat - Yeah, I'm thinking this is the best option right now. The situation does suck a bit, but in the grand scheme, it's not too big a deal. Helps knowing that I can back out until April 15 in case something more enticing comes along. Thanks to all for the info and advice! In spite of this site being the bane of my existence while waiting for notifications, this forum has also been surprisingly helpful and supportive!

There are a few professors at Buffalo - a program known more for its emphasis on theory - who are into close-reading. As a few other posters have suggested, though, they are all very well-read in theory, which makes for very interesting seminars. It's also nice to see that you don't have to pick one theoretical approach and be married to it forever... I'd be happy to give you the names of those profs (via pm) so you can check them out - I know of two in 19th C., one in 20th C. American.