ProfLorax

Oh! thatjewishgirl (her actual username) and her husband were both accepted somewhere... was it Georgia State? I can't remember.

I don't know of any PhD programs in the Humanities that necessarily try to recruit couples as grad students. I think hiring as TT faculty is another question. I'd say, put together the best applications you both can (which I imagine y'all are already doing!) and see what happens. I do think it's good that you have different focuses because it seems admissions committees try to select diverse candidates for their programs. As for driving distance, George Mason University (D.C.) and University of Maryland, College Park are within driving distance and both have a PhD in Rhet/Comp emphasis. How far apart are Phoenix and Tucson? U of Arizona and Arizona State both have PhD programs as well. Pitt, Penn State, and IUP are all in the same state, although Penn State tends to only admit one student with an MA a year. How far apart are Columbus (Ohio State) and Oxford (Miami)? Urbana-Champaign and Bloomington are also within two hours of each other, I believe. Hope this helps!

Seattle is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live for young professionals. The only downside is the weather (lots of rain). But if you like live music, being surrounded by highly educated folks in their 20's and 30's, and overcast weather, it's the place for you!

Yes, agreed. To clarify, when I say "basic requirements," I mean the hard and fast requirements they list (ie applicants are required to take the lit GRE, required to have at least a BA, etc). Averages are not, in my mind, basic requirements-- especially for GREs. By nature, averages are slippery and do not illustrate a complete picture of an incoming cohort. Still, retaking is not a bad idea, not just for your profile, but also for your own peace of mind. I took the GRE twice within a two month period; I have no idea if my higher score affected my admissions, but it did help me to focus on the more important aspects of my application.

Do not make the choice for the schools. This goes for everybody. If the school and you fit and if you have all of the requirements, apply. Don't let perceived weaknesses scare you off of certain schools. I applied to several schools I thought I wouldn't get into for various reasons, and I am now attending a school that I never thought would accept me. Of course, that won't be the case for everybody. But really, as long as you have the basic requirements, apply to the schools you believe would be a great fit. Then, let the schools decide if you are a strong candidate.

You're a boss. Straight up.

Today is my first day of classes! I wrote this blog post last night about my goals for these next five years, and I wanted to share it with you all. What are some PhD-related goals you have set for yourself?

I'm really excited because I am also baking bread! I just got my first bread machine, and made a killer loaf of wheat bread this afternoon. Oh yeah, and classes start for me tomorrow. Stoked! I can't believe it's really happening. But most importantly: I heart bread.

Great! Since your own interests don't seem to be fully formed quite yet, I'd suggest looking into a funded MA and MFA programs. Most MA programs in English are pretty general in their approach; you'll get a good overview of the field and be able to narrow in on a specific subfield towards the end. Given that, I'd find a funded MA or MFA program in locations you like, and apply! Also look for programs that seem open to supporting alt-academic careers, like editing. Here's a list of funded MA programs: Also, my understanding is that MA and MFA programs are pretty different from each other. I googled "difference between MA and MFA programs," and this was what I found: https://www.awpwriter.org/programs_conferences/advice_choosing_program_advice_field_view/2730/ma_and_mfa_the_final_word. Also, the NYU Summer Publishing Institute may be of interest to you: http://www.scps.nyu.edu/academics/departments/publishing/academic-offerings/summer-publishing-institute.html Once you have really decided on your route (MA vs. MFA, fiction writing vs. british literature), folks here will be able to give you specific program suggestions. Until then, take as many opportunities as you can to experience different aspects of English academia (creative writing, literary history, publishing, etc) to get a clear idea of what field makes you happiest. Good luck!

Hi Melpk16! Maybe you could tell us a bit about what you want to study and what you hope to gain from a graduate degree. Given that you don't want to teach, I imagine you are interested in MA programs. I see that you are interested in editing. Are you looking for a program that will give you the skills and experiences to work as an editor? Have you researched what type of degree would be best suited for that? (Heck, you may not even need a graduate degree!)

Professors are busy. Some will reply quickly; some will take some time to reply; some will never reply at all. None of these responses are indicative of your chances, and no one is stealing your ideas. More than anything, it's the beginning of the semester, and professors are swamped with emails. Understandably, their priority is to respond to their colleagues and current students. This process can make anybody freak out, so make sure that you are taking care of yourself and surrounding yourself with supportive people.

If only there was a way to see recent funding offers to PhD applicants... https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Al9pLrYezRcSdGdUTk0zWk5QVUJFSGxVZ2FJQ1QwWFE#gid=0 TA-DA!

While I am an avid reader of YA novels, I am not a scholar of children's or YA lit. However, I remember the last MLA convention I attended had a handful of children's lit panels. I just checked on their website, and it seems like there are three to five panels relevant to children's lit each year (although, I did notice that there was quite the boom 2006-2008, so you may investigate why there were fewer panels these past few years). I searched "children's literature" here: http://www.mla.org/conv_listings_res. From there, you can see with what schools presenters are affiliated, and go from there.

I don't know why I didn't offer this before, but I'm happy to share my 500 word SoP for Illinois, where I was accepted but will not be attending. PM me if you'd like to me to send it to you. I don't think it's brilliant or anything, but I did manage to trim 500+ words off my primary SoP, a feat of which I am very proud!

Hello! You've already received some great advice, and I'm going to offer up some more feedback. I have to echo the MA first thing. And I'll tell you why: I was you. I applied straight out of undergrad, which isn't inherently a problem. No, the problem was that I had disparate interests. My SoP read like a list of books I liked on a FB wall (feminist theory! slave narratives! modern interpretations of arthurian legend! critical pedagogy!). I was a solid academic writer and one of the top students in my class, but I was rejected from all PhD programs. I'm not surprised now. Because while it's okay to have a variety of interests, it's crucial to understand how and why they overlap. You may not have to choose between lit or rhet/comp, but you'll have to find a thread that connects the two specific lit and rhetoric topics you want to study. It wouldn't have been enough for me to add a transition sentence. I had to know the history, language, and theory behind the connections, and illustrate how they overlap in an interesting way. I personally wasn't able to do that out of my BA program. So, it doesn't hurt to add a few MA programs to your list. Like Lons, I don't think that rhet/comp is necessarily the best place for you. I applied to rhet/comp programs last year; I was accepted to a handful, and visited a few. Most of the programs I visited have a pretty firm boundary between lit and rhet/comp. Now, that isn't to say that lit people can't take classes in rhet/comp and vice versa, but the lit and rhet/comp communities were separate. I essentially noticed this at Arizona, Miami, and Illinois. Rhet/comp folks liked that isolation from literary study; so often, in programs without a defined division between lit and rhet/comp, lit takes over. Rhet/comp programs understandably want their autonomy, hence the distinction. However, there are a few examples where that isn't the case. One of the reasons I chose Maryland over more established rhet/comp programs was because I noticed while the cohorts are certainly separate, there's a lot of overlap. Unlike other programs, I noticed that lit students and rhet/comp students knew each other at the orientation. Also, as a PhD student (I can't speak to the MA/PhD program), I have to take nine classes-- and I can choose any classes I'd like, as long as they support my interests. This freedom has allowed for some students to straddle the lit/rhet/comp line, including one 5th year student of 18th century literature AND rhetoric, who had a TT job lined up for this Fall. Berkeley's Rhetoric program may also be of interest. An interdisciplinary program at heart, theory seems to be at the center of everything the faculty does. Scholars are able to pursue a variety of interests that stem from whatever theoretical framework they are working with. Good luck! And hope that was helpful.

I referenced it, but mostly because it represents one of my chief interests and one of my major research projects from my MA program. It also gave me the opportunity to mention that I presented said paper at MLA, which I did less to show off and more to indicate that I take research very seriously. However, I referred to the paper by the title, not as "my writing sample." I think if the paper illustrates your commitment to and research experience in your specialty area, then it's easier to mention organically.

Hi antigone. It's really a crapshoot. Some of us got into one, some of us were wait listed before we were accepted, some of us got into several, and some got into none. It's such a strange process, really difficult to predict. I know of a few folks who "only" got into UNC Chapel Hill, which is, you know, an AMAZING program. Just remember, no one's worth as a scholar is determined by how many programs s/he gets into. If you look into the threads for the 2013 Acceptance Freakout, Wait list, and No Confidence threads, you'll see a variety of different experiences. Hope this helps!

I, unfortunately, have no in-depth knowledge of your specialty, but I just had an idea! Search the MLA Convention program for key words. I've been suggesting the MLA bibliography, which is also helpful, but the convention program is available to everyone; you don't need a subscription. See who is presenting on your interests and where they are. Many of the presenters will be current grad students or junior faculty, but at least you can see what schools are currently producing work about your interests. I searched "Dickinson" and a bunch of panels popped up. http://www.mla.org/conv_listings?msg=pcl

I agree with the others; however, I'd also add that you should devote even more time and energy to your statement of purpose and writing sample. With an AW score that low, you'll want to show the committee that you really can write smart analysis with (nearly) flawless prose. So, use the written aspects of your application to counter your AW score.

Regarding a lack of research, I'm curious what your BA is in. If you majored in English and/or American Studies, it's hard to imagine that you didn't write a research paper at some point in your study. Is the concern that you had another major? Or that your program wasn't rigorous in its research requirements? About your second question, maybe you could tell us what you were thinking about asking them, and we'll give you feedback on the questions. You want questions that demonstrate your sincere interest and curiosity. So, what do you want to know? Start there, and we can help you out!

I don't know anything about the programs you mention, but you might consider adding Purdue and Miami to your list. They both have MA programs in rhet/comp, and I believe they both offer opportunities for funding incoming MA students. Oh! And they are in the midwest. http://www.digitalparlor.org/rhetcomp/curriculum.html http://www.units.muohio.edu/comprhet/Curriculum/MA.html And I'm not too sure about funding for IUP, but they do have an MA program that fits the rest of your criteria! http://www.iup.edu/english/mateachingenglish/default.aspx

I know there are some good suggestions for Native American lit programs in this thread: That is a good place to start; hopefully, folks have other suggestions as well!

Glad to hear you're in a safe place! There is no one way to contact POIs. Actually, if you surf through the forums, you'll read lengthy debates about whether or not contacting POIs is valuable. I did, but only when I actually had a question about the program. I don't think prior contact made any difference in my application season. In fact, I would really only email if you had a genuine question, rather than just to introduce yourself. Of the three programs with which I had the most contact, I was accepted to one, wait listed at another, and rejected at the third. That being said, I would do it again, only because the discussions I had with the POIs helped me to think about what to address in my SoP.

I would suggest searching "Octavia Butler" in the MLA Bibliography. Even if you are not interested in her work, anyone who writes about Octavia Butler is most likely interested in sci-fi, race, and gender. I did a quick search, and I found over 200 articles. The first was written by Jane Donawerth, who is my mentor at UMD; I had no idea she was interested in science fiction!

I would move personal statement way up, above GRE and Letters of Rec. You can't do much about your LoRs once the professors have agreed to write them. You want to carefully select the writers, get them your materials, and follow up with them, so it's more grunt work than anything. GRE scores are important, but the personal statement is THE THING. When I was accepted, my POIs would contact me and mention either my writing sample or my personal statement. Not a single person mentioned my GRE scores; that being said, you don't want to bomb them, but the GRE shouldn't be nearly as high. Also, I'm not sure where you are located, but I hope you and your loved ones have been safe and removed from the violence!