JCoe Wants to Go to School

I'd have to echo what the others have said above. Cut anything extraneous, and let your CV do the talking. One option for the the SOP is to form a narrative-like argument about why a particular experience underscores your belief in a methodology and the importance of your proposed research. I think they know that your beliefs will change as you learn more, so using the SOP to demonstrate your writing / argumentative talents can't hurt. Like Duna says, a lot of "research experience" is bluster, but the proof of quality is in the writing sample itself. (Especially if you're applying to departments that have historical ties to Comp. Lit/Rhetoric departments.) Good luck!

@the pedanticist That hasn't been my experience at HKU. Almost every PhD student I know in History, Philosophy, Comp. Lit, and Music is an international. Although, my sample size is pretty small and selective because I hang out with mostly expats. I recently met a philosophy grad student from the US studying Confucian and Taoist thought. We do mostly continental in the Comp. Lit department, but I think that many scholars in our department is hoping for someone to come along prepared to conduct philosophical genealogies of process philosophy and its phenomenological similarities to buddhist/daoist thought. <hint hint> @duna That's great that you have 5 years funding! Sounds like your program is very supportive. Clearly, I shouldn't overgeneralize about all US institutions. That being said, when I was applying to US institutions, it looked as though I would only receive 3 years and then have to find grants and TA-ships to get more time to complete the dissertation. Moreover, I'd have to complete coursework for the first two years despite already having an MA. I think working in small seminars with top scholars would definitely be helpful, but that's still less time spent researching and writing. Although I'm sure my research thoughts would have developed through these seminars, it would have taken me longer to complete highly-specific research. I've been told that it's difficult to finish the dissertation when you have to scramble for funding. Having to choose between your dissertation and working to support yourself is tough, no matter where a student attends. It's not a contest though. I'm definitely a believer in different strokes for different folks. It's all about finding the right fit for you. Studying abroad won't work for everyone. And an international experience doesn't necessarily benefit all research fields. The reason I'm posting here is because I want people to know about other options that could fit. One thing that a leading Film Studies scholar and head of department told me when rejecting me from her program is that the most important thing is figuring out who you want to learn from. Being able to articulate who you want to work with and why will go a long way in getting you into a program and securing funding. Secondly, applicants must demonstrate how that specific institution will be able to complement the proposed research. It's not about being the "best" or demonstrating the most potential. Institutions seek students that they are sure will graduate and produce publishable research by the time they graduate, while also fitting into the general research aims of the department. Yes, there are politics involved. Your research methodology and corpus are political. If you think that analyzing film/literature/culture/society/language is apolitical, then I'd recommend going down a formalist route and looking to work with scholars who agree with you. That being said, I want to explain why I think that some scholars looking to do specific types of research might benefit from studying abroad, and in particular cases, in Hong Kong. These advantages might be disadvantages for some, or vice-versa. Everyone's development is different. I think Malcolm Gladwell makes a great case for how not all learning environments fit for everyone in _David and Goliath_, explaining how being at the margins actually propels many individuals to the heights of their field. I think the reason for that is opportunities for growth. So these are the types of questions I'd recommend applicants think over when choosing where to apply: Who do you want to learn from? Why? Saying that this specific scholar is the expert in your field is not enough. How would the institution supplement your research? Does it hold certain archives? Is it located in a cultural / political hub where things worth researching are actively being produced? Do a lot of conferences/lectures/workshops happen in the location/institution? Are there major film festivals that take place there? Will you have greater access to knowledge? For example, Hong Kong itself is a sort of political and cultural experiment because of its murky autonomous status. Tons of visiting scholars interested in globalization, cinema, politics, and Sinology come to HKU, sometimes for academic reasons and sometimes because it's more fun to visit than other places. Hong Kong also has its own filmmaking industry, which exports to all of Asia and strongly influences mainland Chinese Cinema. It's important to know the trends of art and cinematic production. Blockbuster films make 2/3rds of their money outside of US theaters now. What kind of academic and cultural activity do these conditions produce? Art isn't produced in a vacuum, and there's a reason so much post-structural theory came out of Berkeley and Paris after the 60s and major post-colonial theories came out of India... Some people like living their research, but it isn't for everyone. What kind of research experience do you want? How much attention do you want? How many grad students will your advisor be supervising? How much teaching will you do? How much teaching do you want to do? How many opportunities will you have to lecture? What type of students will you be teaching? What kind of work-life balance are you looking for? Research can be very lonely. You want to be in a situation that brings out your best. How much free time do you want? How structured of a program do you want to be a part of? In international programs, you will be expected to teach yourself almost everything from your methodology to foreign languages. They are paying you to research and expect you to be capable as such already. It's not for everyone. I certainly wanted a more structured experience, but I've managed so far. Forced me to grow up a bit. But the freedom from the department has given me opportunities to do more. We've set up private reading groups, organized our own graduate student conference, arranged for guest lectures from directors and screenings, and have attended numerous conferences/workshops already because of regional proximity. I imagine having to take that sort of initiative is more similar to the actual experience of young tenure-track professors trying to make it in new places. If studying abroad for your PhD, you're going to get out of it what you put into it. Okay, good luck everyone! Let me know if you have more general questions and I can answer them in the thread. If you have specific questions about your individual situation please PM me.

@the pedanticist My funding is all through HKU. They just built a brand new campus and have invested significantly in the research programs because all the universities in Hong Kong have just moved from 3 year to 4 year curricula for undergraduates. Moreover, instead of bringing in more grad students, they just hire more full time TAs. It's very different from the US system. Last application season the department did not accept any new PhD students. @duna Apologies, that did come off a bit pretentious. Probably stems from my own insecurities, but I wanted to be clear about the level of investment I'm willing to make. For those interested in applying, I would proof their SOI/Proposal, share my knowledge about the present state of the field, evaluate methodological approaches, and discuss what potential supervisors at different universities are researching. I do think that's worth a lot, and my supervisors only willingly gave me that amount of time when I was a confirmed attendee. We've only got 3/4 years to become expert teachers, writers, and researchers, not to mention conduct ground breaking work in our specific field. I for one am way behind, but I'm willing to spare that time, mainly because I'd like to recruit quality scholars for the students of Hong Kong. Anyway, I'm happy to answer further questions about other aspects of the application process to non-US institutions. It's pretty different. They didn't even accept my GRE score! Will check back from time to time. Hang in there everyone!

Hello, I applied and was accepted to an overseas university that requested the full proposal beforehand. What specific questions do you have about the process? My current research topic has nothing to do with my original proposal, and I think they used it more as a measure of my writing capability, breadth of knowledge, general methodology, and to see if they could match with a potential supervisor. Good luck!

Dear All, I'm currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Hong Kong department of Comparative Literature under the supervision of Esther Yau and Gina Marchetti. I am conducting cultural studies research of globalization and migration through film. I am an American citizen and did my undergraduate at Berkeley in Film Studies and English. I'd like to offer my advisory services free of charge, specifically for those interested in studying abroad for their doctorates. My experiences have been formative at HKU, which is much better resourced than nearly all US institutions and serves as an international hub for social, political, and dare I say, theoretical activity. PM me if you want to know more. I want to help talented scholars from the US interested in more cosmopolitan educational, research and teaching experiences. I'm happy to discuss my personal experiences as a scholar living abroad. I've taken the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference... Good luck to all of you! best regards, Jason

I checked the results survey and a couple people posted that they were rejected by Yale by checking the website. I tried to login through the applyyourself app but it didn't seem to have anything about the decision. I'm not expecting good news, but I'd just like to know and move on. Is there someone who used the website to check the decision? Also, are people who are applying to the dual program with Film Studies finding out at different dates? I applied in conjunction with the EALL dept. I've noticed in results that people in African American Studies in conjunction with Film already know, i think. Thanks for any clarifications you might have.

imagine how those of us that have been rejected everywhere feel...

congrats ci717! do you know if they've given out all of their notices? Are you doing an MA or a PhD?

@duke, I definitely agree with Swagato. I would recommend emailing POIs and asking them what programs/departments are looking for in the applicants. A professor at UMich was kind enough to tell me not to bother applying because I would not get in, which I appreciated. He recommended that I spend another year working on my language skills to make me more competitive. I recommend figuring out what you need to do in order to make you a better applicant. Are there specific professors you're speaking with? I get the feeling that you need to have a certain person in the department fighting for you, if that makes any sense. The spots are so limited that a professor must want to work with you specifically. @swagato Thanks for doing all of the groundwork and research. Can you verify that we should have heard from all schools now except for NYU, Iowa, Harvard, and Michigan? I haven't heard from NYU, Yale, Brown, UChicago, UWisconsin, WashU (comp. lit dept.), and UCI (visual cultures), but I'm assuming that they've already sent out interview requests/acceptances. I'd appreciate any clarifications you could make. Also, I've applied to Stanford's Art History dept. as a Film studies scholar. I just returned from interview weekend, and I am really high on the program now. If they admit me, I will most likely attend. PM me if you'd like to know more. Good luck!

Received Berkeley rejection. Is UCI Visual Cultures all done as well?

Thanks for all of the info everyone! I know that my anxieties might be getting the best of me, but that's no reason to pressure other people for information. Anything people feel comfortable sharing is more than enough and is much appreciated.

thanks for the info Nix. can i ask what your research topic is? it's okay if you don't feel comfortable.

Hi Everyone, I noticed that the results survey says that Berkeley has admitted someone. Has anyone else heard from Berkeley? I just wanted to steel myself for the disappointment if they've already sent out their acceptances. Thanks.

hi max, by email from your POI? or directed to the website, etc.? i'm assuming that if i haven't heard from them, i'm probably off the list as well.

Got rejection from UCLA in the post today. I guess decisions from there should be forthcoming.