Stately Plump

One piece of advice I would give is to look closely at the faculty with whom you'd like to work at the schools to which you'll be applying, and see if you can tailor your interests a bit to the work being done there. It will really give you a leg up if you can match your writing sample with your personal statement with some of your relevant experience (coursework, conferences, etc.) to some of the interests in the faculty. I would also heavily emphasize the importance of writing samples and personal statements; start those things as soon as possible (I'm not kidding; draft them now and revise them for the next several months, then redraft them and re-revise them, because that will set you apart). I had okay (not stellar) GREs, a good GPA from a completely unknown liberal arts college, good letters of recommendation from professors who are entirely unknown (probably less unknown than that), but I spent a ton of time on my writing sample and personal statement. Right now, I am deciding between offers, which is an ideal spot to be in. This won't guarantee success, but it is one thing you have a lot of control over, and it can literally get you in. Remember that GREs can keep you out, but they can't get you in (an in all honesty, they have to be really bad to keep you out). Hope this helps PM if you have questions/concerns/want to ramble about stress. I didn't have this forum through my application process, and I wish I had. It would have been a great help. Best of luck to those applying!

I didn't get in touch with any POIs during my application. I think that is more common for some other disciplines, though it can never hurt if you can come up with a reason to send them an email

I agree that the rankings are not that important. I have serious doubts about the validity and the reliability of the research methods they use. Like you said, they can be helpful to a degree, but my ego makes them more important than they are. I met a professor this weekend who got his PhD in Renaissance/early modern studies from Washington State University. He was hired about 3-4 years ago. He said that two Princeton PhDs applied for the same job he did, but he got it over them. He admitted openly that there was no reason he should have been hired over them, but, for whatever reason, that was how it happened. So you never know

This is true. At Columbia, you would be applying to PhD programs essentially as an undergrad, because you won't have finished an entire semester as a graduate student. Unless you apply after, in which case you would have to take a year off in between. This is from Columbia's website: Free-Standing M.A. students can wait until they complete our M.A. and then apply the following fall for a year later. This option has the disadvantage of a year's delay in continuing on to graduate programs for a Ph.D.; it has the advantage that applicants will then have a completed M.A. Essay to use as a writing sample, and the benefit of the full year's maturation of their work and their sense of their interests and the discipline. I was also accepted to Columbia's MA program, and I will say that the faculty have been really supportive of me (at least via email). I emailed the DGS and she literally got back to me a few minutes later, was very gracious, and even mentioned specific stuff from my application that I didn't mention in my email. I then emailed the assistant DGS, who is also the director of the MA program, and she, too, has been very helpful. I was worried about not getting any attention too, but after my experience so far, I don't think that will be the case.* I agree that if you are diligent, and faculty see that you are hardworking, they will give the attention you need. *I will not actually be attending Columbia's MA because I have some other offers.

Just out of curiosity...what do you want to do with just an MA? Not that you won't have plenty of options. But if you aren't thinking about PhD programs, then why are you worried about who you'll be working with, specific research opportunities, and specific research interests? Just for personal intellectual curiosity? I hope this doesn't come off as rude. I'm just curious

I'm deciding between two programs and I'm still waiting to hear back from Fulbright. The Fulbright thing is killing me; I just want to move on a make a decision! I'm actually really, really excited about BU at this point. I probably wouldn't trade you... Though if I had gotten into CUNY straight out, I don't know what might have happened . I hope you get in off the wait-list! It would be cool to meet you in person!

Thanks for making that! Exciting stuff!

Over in the Fulbright thread, someone created a spreadsheet in Google Docs that anyone can access but only a select few can edit. But it's an idea; we don't even have to have a spreadsheet, it can just be a document with names and schools on it, then post the link to the document here. If you have a gmail account, you can access the document from your Google account anytime after you've opened the initial document.

Don't take my advice, because I don't have a clear sense of what you should do at all. If I had been accepted at CUNY, I would almost certainly have gone there. The faculty are amazing and, from what I can tell, they have a fantastic program. This doesn't mean you should go; all I mean is that I would have gone if I had gotten in. The teaching load is something to consider. While teaching is wildly important, especially for getting a job, too much teaching can be detrimental to your own work. I just met a professor who was able to complete his MA/PhD program in 5 years because he got a dissertation year fellowship and had less teaching responsibilities (1/1 course load) throughout his time there. This made him a really competitive job applicant because it suggested to schools that he was really dedicated, organized, and responsible; to finish your PhD coursework, orals and comps, foreign language, and dissertation in 4 years after the MA is a major accomplishment, and in the end it helped him get a job. Just food for thought. Like I said, I would probably be at CUNY next year if I'd gotten in. But Fordham's financial package sounds tough to turn down. How bout this: I'll make your decision easier if you make mine easier

You're right, I was just being satirical. I was mainly responding to the videos that had been posted earlier. I've never met professors who express those sentiments either. But I have been told my many professors that they love their job and wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world. I watched my father's profession tear my family apart across several generations, and his job is not fulfilling in the least. I believe I probably have a pretty romantic vision of life in academia, but I am also incredibly excited and passionate about it. And I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone on here professionally

Congrats to all who have made a decision! Good luck to all still waiting/thinking/deciding/quivering in fear (read: me).

Omg, please don't tell me they're notifying people on Sunday! ARE THERE NO SAFE DAYS?!

Yea, I disguise my desire to go to a top top tier program with "I just want to be able to get a job when I graduate." But really, if I'm honest with myself, it's my ego

Omg. This.

I have brilliant thoughts about the Renaissance and Shakespeare. I think I should be fine getting a job, because those are some understudied topics, based on my evaluation.

I did write my thesis with my writing sample in mind (though of course, I fine tuned it later). I found it to be a helpful way of preparing myself intellectually and for narrowing my potential research interests. My writing sample fit nicely into a verifiable and well-represented subfield, but I still managed to write about something that is largely understudied. I think, overall, it was beneficial in my presentation of myself as a "complete" or focused candidate. I wonder if you might be able to fit your peripheral interests into a larger subfield? I know that science fiction and modernism are pretty different topics, so perhaps try to emphasis the areas where, as you say, your interests stretch into aspects of modernism. Can you frame your arguments about science fiction within a modernist literary tradition? Can you suggest though your thesis (and thus, your writing sample) how studying modernism can help in the study of science fiction? Can you state those points even more clearly in your personal statement? Can you find faculty at your schools of interest who might be able to help you with your research interests, whether they be in modernism or science fiction? If so, you may actually be able to present yourself as a more unique and attractive applicant.* At the schools to which I applied, my research interests were not a perfect fit; there was no one studying precisely what I wanted to study. I actually think this was a good thing, because I could frame my interests around their interests, suggesting that--rather than just repeat or copy their research--I might be able to contribute to it in mutually beneficial ways. While I might benefit from the work going on in the rest of the department, so too might the department benefit from my work. If you can present your interests in ways that overlap, you may be able to prove that you will be a positive contribution to the scholarly community at their school. *I know there is lots of work being done with science fiction and postmodernism. Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo, for example, are often studied through a postmodern/science fiction/contemporary literature lens. Kit Hume at Penn State offers a course in contemporary literature that might be of interest to you. Additionally, I would look at departments' offerings in contemporary literature more closely; you may find some interest in science fiction, even if it does not appear to be "science fiction" as traditionally conceived.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. As said, most schools will cross you off the list and accept someone off the wait-list, thus potentially making that person's year. I probably will send personal emails to the professors I met with while I was at my prospective schools. Nothing too fancy, just thanking them for their time, telling them how pleased I was with their faculty, etc. I'm kinda going to throw the whole, "It's not you, it's me" thing at them.

Ahh, sorry for the misunderstanding. I must have missed something there . Probably a symptom of a restless and impatient insanity settling in.

When you visit (can you visit both places? That would be ideal...) be sure to ask about placement rates to PhD programs. Where are their students going? If you can, talk with some graduate students also. They can (potentially) be more truthful than the faculty. Also, check out out willing faculty are to meet with you. If there's a difference, I would go with the place where the faculty seem most supportive to your cause. And make sure you are upfront about your desire to get into a PhD program. Good luck!

No. Georgetown offers a very reputable MA in English. The "generalist" programs are those--like Chicago's MAPH--that are not actually programs in literature. Chicago's program, for example, is a Masters of Arts in "Humanities." While this is a very reasonable option for some people, you would not, technically speaking, get trained specifically in literature. If I was seeking admission to a PhD program and was thinking about applying to some MA programs, Georgetown would be very, very high on my list. They can offer funding (not always the case with an MA program) and they are a large, Research One university that doesn't have a PhD program in English (which only strengthens their MA program). I have heard it said (I don't know how true this is) that terminal MA programs at schools that also have PhD programs are a bit suspect; anytime a program admits a bunch of unfunded MA students, the "cash-cow" starts ringing some bells. I personally think Georgetown is a great option for pursuing an MA. That's just me

For me, unfunded is a no. I have an offer to an unfunded MA in English at a top school. I'm not going. If they could guarantee I'd get into their PhD program, I'd consider it. But I'm not going anywhere without funding, not in the humanities.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you have the opportunity to do so, definitely go for it. But ultimately, your writing sample and statement of purpose will bear much more heavily on a schools decision whether to admit you. Conferences can be a nice way of showing that you are thinking about your professional development, but are generally not thought of as prestigious. Getting published isn't something undergrads have to think too much about. Save those worries for grad school

I believe this is what everyone did. But I got an email when I found out I was a finalist that I had to send official transcripts to NYC. I think most people did, so I think that is what they were referring to when they said they had to send official transcripts.

I actually find it refreshing to talk about my work after it's done. I've never done a formal defense, but I find that, when I am speaking, I can include some points that were too tangential to include in writing, but are worthwhile to talk about. It's kinda fun

I'm not too sure, but I know there are some people at UMass Amherst who are doing a lot with the history of the book (though I don't know about the novel specifically).