claptrap

Well, they might have changed how they're doing accommodations this year, but who knows. It certainly never hurts to double check with Mike!

I don't know the exact details as I'm not part of the planning process, but there are a few current students who have volunteered to host prospective students. Not sure if all placements have been assigned already since the activities are only a week away, but you might contact Mike Lambert ASAP if you're interested in that. Hope this helps.

You could also take the Westwood FlyAway bus which goes directly from LAX to UCLA. It's more expensive than the 6, but is convenient if you want a direct, nonstop route. Both, however, get you where you need to go. There should be relevant information at the link below: http://map.ais.ucla.edu/go/1003097

I think it is important to remember that not everyone on the admissions committee will be receptive to certain topics. Prior to revision, my writing sample discussed everything from superheroes and mythology to stand-up comedy and abjection. While all these topics were relevant to my primary text (a young adult graphic novel), they were not necessarily going to interest the people reading my application. Thankfully, one of my LOR writers helped me reframe my paper around more structural concerns (frame and form) that would appeal to a wider audience. And, for the most part, things worked out. Moral of the story: keep your audience in mind! This!

UCs impose an absolute 18 quarter limit for TAships, so that might also factor into their reasoning. But, then again, after six years in whatever program, you'd probably be able to find work as an instructor at other institutions. I think NYU allows students to TA while on fellowship, but I haven't heard of any other program that allows that...

In years past, the department has reimbursed travel expenses. If you have any questions for a current student, please send me a PM! Congrats!

If you have access to your university or local library, you might see if they have Donald Asher's Graduate Admissions Essays, which contains a chapter dedicated to SOP samples. If it's not available, you might be able to see bits and pieces via google books.

Berkeley, Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, UCLA, UVA, Johns Hopkins, UT Austin, CUNY, UIUC, Indiana-Bloomington, UC Davis, and others still require the subject test...

If you're interested in working with Ursula Heise (formerly) at Stanford, you should be aware that she is moving to UCLA this year. P.S. Bolaño is amazing.

MELUS has an issue that focuses on "Race, Ethnicity, Disability, and Literature" that you might find interesting, though there are really only two applicable essays ("Editor's Introduction: Race, Ethnicity, Disability, and Literature: Intersections and Interventions" and "Cutting the Tongue: Language and the Body in Kingston's 'The Woman Warrior'"). Also, the upcoming issue of Amerasia Journal is supposed to concentrate on "The State of Illness and Disability in Asian America," so keep an eye out for that.

I'm not sure whether OSU has a distinct rhetoric and composition program, but their English department is home to a number of professors (Frederick Aldama, Jared Gardner, and Robyn Warhol) that work with comic books. Additionally, OSU has the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library, which could/should be an invaluable resource for someone interested in popular culture. Hope this helps.

That was me! It seems as though notification largely depends on your POI, so don't give up hope quite yet!

I just received an e-mail from the DGS letting me know that my formal acceptance would be coming in the mail soon! Excited! Hope you all hear good news soon! Edit: Posted on the results page as MA, but to clarify, it should be MA to PhD in Literary Studies.

I posted one of the acceptances! (I've been lurking on this site for ages, but never bothered to sign up for an account or post.) I was awarded a University Fellowship that "covers all registration fees and tuition, as well as a living stipend of $20,000.00 during the 2012-13 academic year and a $3,000.00 stipend in summer 2013." For those interested, the e-mail states that there were 250+ applications. Best of luck to the rest of you!