litguy

still no answer... I sent an e-mail to the department but they cannot answer. Anybody receiving anything? Best Regards

Dear literature majors, what is the importance of academic publication, or conferences for admission to a good Phd in English? I mean, does it worth to visit some conferences and publish some articles to have a better chance at American universities, does it really impress adcom? Also, are the book reviews important, too?

Dear th3_illiterati, I will not lie by saying I can understand your position. But I am sure that it must be a demanding journey to get those results with that background. An idea came to my mind. I know it won't help you get into a good PhD program but worths listening. When you consider the 20th century philosophers in the academia, especially in Europe, the situation is very different. I am sure that many of Faucoult or Derrida group would not have been admitted to the best PhD programs in the US after their M.As, simply because they did not have contacts or they did not have a good SOP. But that does not necessarily mean that they could not exist in the area. In contrast, the Critical Theory is deeply pioneered by European-educated scholars in 20th century. Therefore, admission to top universities does not guarantee future success automatically; it just increases your chances. Without a PhD from Harvard, you still have chances, don't worry. Secondly, the American educational system is already complicated and does not rely mainly upon the academic success of the candidates. The importance of SOP, and the extracurricular activities support this idea. I mean, you can be a genius in Critical Theory maybe the next Derrida in the area, but those schools simply say if you did not play basketball at the undergrad years or joined the Shit Club, you cannot study at Harvard. But I am sure you simply do not need to play basketball to be the next Derrida. Thirdly, a PhD would be good for a future with money of course. But it does not have to be at Harvard. There is a life outside the best 30-40. Just focus on your personal development. You can retake GREs and all that stuff, but do not spend your life on moaning about it. Publish two papers, go to 5 conferences, not only for your CV but also for your personal taste. I assume that you enjoy doing these things automatically as a PhD program candidate. Best from Germany

same boat... still waiting, still under review. let me know when you get the response

Here's the case. I submitted my documents to Toronto Comp lit. and after no more than 4 days, my status changed to Decision Made. I have received no e-mails. I am waiting for the postal mail. What would you think of this early decision? Is there a tendency among the early responses to be rejection or acceptance? Also, how many phd students does toronto comp lit takes every year, if you know? I am confused... Hope it turns out good.