U Penn English

[w2010]

Has anyone been accepted to U Penn or placed on the waitlist?

I was notified of my placement on the waitlist today, and I was wondering if anyone knows anything (or knows they will/will not be attending). I really hope that I am offered a spot off the waitlist, but I am trying to not let my initial excitement get my hopes up.

[blankPaige]

I can't believe they had 684 applicants!?! I wonder if that was MA and PhD ... that's insane.

[diehtc0ke]

I just got off the phone with David Kazanjian and I'm still shaking. I was accepted and I think this is the most excited I've ever been in my life. He asked me if I had any questions and I had to tell him "I'm sure that if I could put a coherent string of words together I would but I can't" (edited for coherence).

[w2010]

I just got off the phone with David Kazanjian and I'm still shaking. I was accepted and I think this is the most excited I've ever been in my life. He asked me if I had any questions and I had to tell him "I'm sure that if I could put a coherent string of words together I would but I can't" (edited for coherence).

Congrats diehtc0ke! I am excited just being on the waitlist. What period do you study?

[straightshooting]

Well played, diehtc0ke and w2010! I am actually quite interested to hear about the research interests of both of you, as I heard that there was a good deal of jockeying by faculty members for a different distribution (sub-field-wise) of graduate students than the past couple of years have yielded.

Congrats diehtc0ke! I am excited just being on the waitlist. What period do you study?

Edited February 27, 2010 by straightshooting

[w2010]

Well played, diehtc0ke and w2010! I am actually quite interested to hear about the research interests of both of you, as I heard that there was a good deal of jockeying by faculty members for a different distribution (sub-field-wise) of graduate students than the past couple of years have yielded.

Hey straightshooting--

I'm interested in any insight you might have into the process--unfortunately, I am still waitlisted (which is comparable to the limbo of grad school hell!) What do you mean by jockeying around by the faculty? Which subfields are they trying to cut down on and which ones have they been getting a lot of in the past? I am late 18th/19th century transatlantic fiction.

[straightshooting]

UPenn tends to admit a disproportionately large number of Early Modernists, and my understanding is that faculty in other areas have been actively seeking to remedy the imbalance. Basically, I am quite curious to learn whether any were admitted, especially given the extremely small size of the new cohort.

Hey straightshooting--

I'm interested in any insight you might have into the process--unfortunately, I am still waitlisted (which is comparable to the limbo of grad school hell!) What do you mean by jockeying around by the faculty? Which subfields are they trying to cut down on and which ones have they been getting a lot of in the past? I am late 18th/19th century transatlantic fiction.

Edited February 27, 2010 by straightshooting

[Hypnertomachia]

UPenn tends to admit a disproportionately large number of Early Modernists, and my understanding is that faculty in other areas have been actively seeking to remedy the imbalance. Basically, I am quite curious to learn whether any were admitted, especially given the extremely small size of the new cohort.

Yes, I'm an early modernist! However, I'm not so sure that you should judge anything based on my acceptance, since I was admitted to a lot of other comparable programs as well. I think this has more to do with something about my individual application (I'm still trying to figure out exactly what) rather than with the committee's supposed preference for Renaissance people. Though I do focus heavily on the history of the book, and UPenn is particularly well known for this sub-field...

[hinesaj]

Yes, I'm an early modernist! However, I'm not so sure that you should judge anything based on my acceptance, since I was admitted to a lot of other comparable programs as well. I think this has more to do with something about my individual application (I'm still trying to figure out exactly what) rather than with the committee's supposed preference for Renaissance people. Though I do focus heavily on the history of the book, and UPenn is particularly well known for this sub-field...

I went to Penn for undergrad and am close with a couple faculty members there. The department is both front-loaded and back-loaded period wise, in other words, incredibly strong early modernists, and incredibly strong modernist faculty. There a few stellar people in between, but for the most part the department sort of lacks any large Victorian cohort. There was a lot of talk of changing that when I was there, by bringing in both new faculty and grad students in that particular field. Of course this is sort of a catch 22 because if there are not a ton of victorian professors why would incoming victorianists want to study at Penn and vice versa.

If I had to venture a guess I think they'd try for a few more 18th/19th Century folks than any others--the program seems strong on both ends, and is by no means weak in that area, just lacking the number of resources and people as the others.

[diehtc0ke]

Congrats diehtc0ke! I am excited just being on the waitlist. What period do you study?

I study 20th-century American with a critical race/queer studies theoretical focus.

[tortola23]

Any rejections yet?

[InTransition?]

Any rejections yet?

http://www.english.upenn.edu/Grad/admit.php

[tortola23]

http://www.english.u.../Grad/admit.php

Thanks! Hadn't seen that yet.