How large/small is your cohort?

[glg96]

I found out today that my cohort is only 3 other students. Is this normal? What is the average size of a comp lit program (per year)? 

[a_sort_of_fractious_angel]

I think the average (for English) is closer to 10 per year, but I'm basing that more on anecdata than hard fact. That being said, I'm one of 3 for my English PhD and I know a few other programs that opt for a smaller cohort, so it isn't extraordinarily unusual.

[TeaOverCoffee]

Funding has dropped for a lot of programs, so it's becoming more and more typical, but my cohort was about 10 Ph.D. students.

[frenchlover]

I'm in a 4-person cohort.

[Warelin]

My cohort (in English) has 6 people. One of the other cohorts I was accepted into had 12 people.

[klader]

My program overadmitted this year (oops), and I think there are going to be 9 comp/rhet PhDs and 3 lit PhDs (all in one English Department). 

Usually its around 10 or so new PhD students total, split more evenly between comp/rhet and lit. 

I think small, close-knit cohorts can be great! But I also think it can be nice to have a large cohort of people to experience grad school with. There are pros and cons to both, I suppose. 

Edited June 6, 2018 by klader

[signandsignifiers]

My cohort has 13 total (they also overadmitted this year--they were aiming for 10), my best friend's has 6, and another friend of mine had 4 in his cohort (all of these are different English Lit programs). It varies. I almost wish I had a smaller cohort, but, as @klader said, they both have pros and cons!

[madamoiselle]

My cohort is 3, and 5 were admitted. In total, I think we have around 30!

[bpilgrim89]

My cohort has 11 students (including myself), but my other admit cohort, CUNY, had 18!

[punctilious]

Husband’s cohort is 8–quite a few people who were admitted seem to have ended up choosing Princeton, Berkeley, UChicago, etc. over Harvard. 

[Dogfish Head]

I think my cohort is around 7-8, not sure on the exact number but it is a pretty typical cohort size.

[alexanderhamilton]

I was in a cohort of two (only one other person) for Comp Lit. The next year there was an unusually large cohort of seven, and the year after only one. 

 

Smaller cohorts can be good because you’re fighting fewer people for funding, but it can get lonely.

Edited August 5, 2018 by alexanderhamilton