2019 Applicants

[WildeThing]

5 hours ago, WildeThing said:

As others have said, I go back and forth depending on which program I looked at last but Emory, Columbia, and Brown are up there. All great schools in cities I'd like to live in and some good fit as they're all strong in Af-Am and Critical Theory. Worried about cost of living in NY but then again that's going to be an issue everywhere and my wife would prefer NY.

See? I just saw this again and thought “Wait, don’t I prefer Rutgers or Penn? Or Chicago or Stanford? Or  NYU or Northwestern?”

Truth be told Chicago and Stanford might be more secure on my dream list if the West Coast wasn’t so damn far away and if I hadn’t had so many people tell me to keep away from Southside. Not that it stopped me from applying but it is something I think about.

[Bopie5]

1 hour ago, WildeThing said:

if I hadn’t had so many people tell me to keep away from Southside.

I've heard this same thing a few times, and it's definitely the reputation of the Southside (I grew up in the Chicago area). However, I have some friends who live on Lake Shore Drive and they say that the Hyde Park area around UChicago is improving in terms of safety. The bigger complaint that I've heard is that there isn't much in the way of night life, it's not as accessible to public transportation, and groceries can get kind of expensive. And (this is just my opinion), a lot of the negative rhetoric around the Southside can be racially charged. I'm sure you already know/have researched/thought through all this, but any big city has crime and safe and unsafe areas, and from people I know who live in or near the Hyde Park area, they say it's generally safe if you're careful and especially safe closer to campus, and that there are good fun little shops and restaurants if you know where to look.

[disidentifications]

12 hours ago, WildeThing said:

Yeah, it's probably just a Graduate School requirement, but still seems silly. Bhabha, Gates Jr and Carpio are all awesome and I would have loved to work with them but I have generally tried to avoid relying on the big names in my applications. In all likelihood they're getting a lot of mentions from other applicants but are also more likely to be unavailable due to research stays and projects. Outside of Carpio and Gates Jr there are a few new hires in Af-Am, but I haven't had much of a chance to research their work to see if we would mesh

Ah, of course, that's always a concern with the big names... I'm certain you'll be able to find your place in the department, but as to how close a fit it is as compared to the programs you've applied to, I can't quite say since I'm not all too familiar with your areas of interest.

 

7 hours ago, WildeThing said:

 Truth be told Chicago and Stanford might be more secure on my dream list if the West Coast wasn’t so damn far away and if I hadn’t had so many people tell me to keep away from Southside. Not that it stopped me from applying but it is something I think about.

5 hours ago, Bopie5 said:

I've heard this same thing a few times, and it's definitely the reputation of the Southside (I grew up in the Chicago area). However, I have some friends who live on Lake Shore Drive and they say that the Hyde Park area around UChicago is improving in terms of safety. The bigger complaint that I've heard is that there isn't much in the way of night life, it's not as accessible to public transportation, and groceries can get kind of expensive. And (this is just my opinion), a lot of the negative rhetoric around the Southside can be racially charged. I'm sure you already know/have researched/thought through all this, but any big city has crime and safe and unsafe areas, and from people I know who live in or near the Hyde Park area, they say it's generally safe if you're careful and especially safe closer to campus, and that there are good fun little shops and restaurants if you know where to look.

Forgive my ignorance, but since I've never actually stepped foot in the states, and have only heard of such safety concerns from others (I'm sure Baudrillard has something to say about this), can I just ask, what is the so-called benchmark for "safety" there? I've lived in, and gotten by quite well on my own in other big cities like London and Paris, but gun safety's always a concern for me wrt to living in the states. (I never know if it is exaggerated in the media, or if things are exactly as they seem — quite horrific, by the looks of it. Also, I don't know if it's something I'll ever be able to get used to...) 

[WildeThing]

9 hours ago, Bopie5 said:

I've heard this same thing a few times, and it's definitely the reputation of the Southside (I grew up in the Chicago area). However, I have some friends who live on Lake Shore Drive and they say that the Hyde Park area around UChicago is improving in terms of safety. The bigger complaint that I've heard is that there isn't much in the way of night life, it's not as accessible to public transportation, and groceries can get kind of expensive. And (this is just my opinion), a lot of the negative rhetoric around the Southside can be racially charged. I'm sure you already know/have researched/thought through all this, but any big city has crime and safe and unsafe areas, and from people I know who live in or near the Hyde Park area, they say it's generally safe if you're careful and especially safe closer to campus, and that there are good fun little shops and restaurants if you know where to look.

I'm certain Southside's reputation is the way it is because of racial stigma. You're right that every city has better and worse areas and you need to be aware of them. If Southside is like the equivalent areas in other cities then that's fine, but since I haven't been I don't know. I lived outside of Baltimore for a while and it also has a reputation even though I had no issues in my time there. At the same time, I knew people who lived in the city who were adamant I needed to be careful. It's hard to know from outside how dangerous a place can be, especially when the discourse is manipulated to create racial narratives.

[placeinspace]

As of 10 minutes ago, all my apps are officially in! I think Chicago is probably my top choice, but it's hard to pick because I love all the schools I applied to. 

[Bopie5]

8 hours ago, flungoutofspace said:

I've never actually stepped foot in the states, and have only heard of such safety concerns from others (I'm sure Baudrillard has something to say about this), can I just ask, what is the so-called benchmark for "safety" there? I've lived in, and gotten by quite well on my own in other big cities like London and Paris, but gun safety's always a concern for me wrt to living in the states. (I never know if it is exaggerated in the media, or if things are exactly as they seem — quite horrific, by the looks of it. Also, I don't know if it's something I'll ever be able to get used to...) 

Haha! I'm sure Baudrillard would have a LOT to say about this. 

Gun violence is definitely an adjustment if you've never been to the states. It's hard to say what the "benchmark for safety" in the US is, because the US is so big and people have a variety of experiences that lead them to view "safety" differently. Based on your schools and having lived on your own in Paris and London, I honestly think you'll be fine. In my experience (I spent a semester in London, and have spent significant time in Hong Kong, Chicago, San Francisco, and LA), big city safety is relatively the same in the US as other major international cities--hold your bag close to you, don't walk in certain areas alone at night (especially if you're female-identified or female-presenting), choose the well-lit path over the faster one, etc. Gun violence is real and troubling, and one of my less favorite aspects about being American. But part of what makes it scary is its unpredictability--shootings happen in schools, movie theaters, concerts, bars. As scary as this sounds, there's no real "method" you can use to avoid all possibility of gun violence. And to be honest, I haven't been able to get used to it either. I'm not as familiar with international coverage of American gun safety, so I can't speak to exaggeration, but it is horrific and a real problem in the states. However, I don't think it has to discourage you from getting your PhD in the US if that's what you want to do! 

4 hours ago, WildeThing said:

If Southside is like the equivalent areas in other cities then that's fine, but since I haven't been I don't know. I lived outside of Baltimore for a while and it also has a reputation even though I had no issues in my time there. At the same time, I knew people who lived in the city who were adamant I needed to be careful. It's hard to know from outside how dangerous a place can be, especially when the discourse is manipulated to create racial narratives.

My impression is that it's similar or equivalent to other "dangerous" areas in big cities. You definitely have to be careful, but in my opinion the discourse around the Southside has definitely, as you said, been manipulated to construct racialized narratives about "urban" areas. People talk a lot about the Southside being "Chi-Raq" or having a huge homicide problem, but when adjusted for population, the homicide rate per capita is actually lower than many other major American cities, including Detroit, Baltimore, Oakland, and even Milwaukee (https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2017/06/21/is-chicago-really-americas-most-dangerous-city-infographic/#5022763b50da). My opinion is just one opinion, so definitely try to talk to more people and do more research to find out if Chicago would be a good place for you. But in my experience, research, and conversations, the Southside is comparable to many "dangerous" areas in major American cities, and gets a bad rap due to the racist narrative of the Northside being safe, wealthy, good, etc (when what some people really mean is White) and the Southside being violent, dangerous, poverty-stricken, "urban" (when really people mean Black). Unfortunately (as I'm sure you know/experienced in your time in Baltimore), this kind of manipulated racist discourse is both pervasive and deeply rooted. There's a big history of de facto racial segregation in Chicago, only exacerbated by public policy, public opinion, and systemic injustices like redlining and under-funded school districts. 

[Warelin]

38 minutes ago, placeinspace said:

As of 10 minutes ago, all my apps are officially in! I think Chicago is probably my top choice, but it's hard to pick because I love all the schools I applied to. 

Congratulations!  

 

[havemybloodchild]

On 9/17/2018 at 8:43 PM, Bopie5 said:

In my graduate study, I'm looking to pursue Feminism and/or Gender and Sexuality, focusing around ideas of embodiment, intersectionality, and identity. My writing sample is a Kristevan reading of Chaim Potok's My Name Is Asher Lev, focusing on the maternal body as a site of suffering that resists sign/signifier/signified relationships, and my current research surrounds the ways in which the 'evil' or villainous body is visually coded as "other" in Western animation. Also currently pursuing a full length theatrical project utilizing the poetry of T. S. Eliot and Anne Sexton as the basis for a devised piece of poetic theatre exploring the human movement towards the divine. 

We're applying to a lot of the same schools with similar interests and I have to say I would be very excited to have classes with you!  Your research sounds fascinating

 

[Mumasatus]

On 12/29/2018 at 9:18 AM, dilby said:

@beardedlady you can dm me if you have any questions about UT Austin English faculty, or about the university in general  it sounds like your POIs might include Ann Cvetkovich and Julie Minich, who I don't know personally but have heard wonderful things about

My oldest daughter just graduated from UT Austin and Ann Cvetkovitch is actually my sister-in-law. 

Just a heads up-Ann has taken a position at University of Ottawa. She is driving up there at the moment. I think she may be the new head of women/gender studies, but I'm not 100% sure. 

In any case, I know for sure she is not at UT any longer. 

[dilby]

@Mumasatus If I'm inferring correctly, I had a media theory seminar with your daughter in Fall 2017. Small world.  

Thanks for the heads up about Ann's departure! I'll be sure to keep that in mind while chatting with people about UT.

[pdh12]

Among us, I wonder what the average number of schools applied-to might be---I think I capped at 15 o.o .....seems like Too many, but it was like a tin of pringles...

[WildeThing]

I think 8-12 is the standard.

[Mumasatus]

1 hour ago, dilby said:

@Mumasatus If I'm inferring correctly, I had a media theory seminar with your daughter in Fall 2017. Small world.  

Thanks for the heads up about Ann's departure! I'll be sure to keep that in mind while chatting with people about UT.

Ah, you may be right! If you have had a class with her, you will understand why I am concerned with her finding a program that is a good fit. LOL. It takes a particular personality to appreciate her.

That class turned out to be very fortunate for my daughter though. Apparently, at some point, the professor invited anyone interested to take his graduate class the next semester. 

My daughter said she still isn't sure that he wasn't teasing.

But she went straight to the dean to get permission to sign up for it and  that sealed their academic alliance.

No one saw that coming. 

 

[beardedlady]

On 12/29/2018 at 7:18 PM, dilby said:

you can dm me if you have any questions about UT Austin English faculty, or about the university in general  it sounds like your POIs might include Ann Cvetkovich and Julie Minich, who I don't know personally but have heard wonderful things about

Thanks! I'll take you up on that when I get in (I've chosen now to sprinkle the logic of self-fulfilling prophecies on top of general self-preserving negativity--I'll never get in anyway!--to make things interesting). Yes, both Cvetkovich and Minich, as well as Lisa Moore. It's a shame to hear that Cvetkovich won't be around anymore though, @Mumasatus!

[havemybloodchild]

On 12/28/2018 at 3:47 PM, mandelbulb said:

so what is everyone's dream program and why?

U Chicago.  I would kill to work with Lauren Berlant, I love the city, rent is cheap, the funding is amazing, and with the current state of the job market graduating from a top ranked program would provide some comfort.  Also my favorite professor and advisor from undergrad, her son goes there (she lives in Oregon), and I would just love to be her spy to let her know he's okay and eating and paying his electric bill ?

I would also DIE if I got to work with Suzanne Bost at Loyola.  About half the funding of U Chicago but I swear I've read everything she has published a dozen times and I just find her inspiring as heck.

Edited December 31, 2018 by kendalldinniene

[WildeThing]

Seems like Chicago is the top stop for many people here. Hope that means at least some of us will be very happy in a few weeks (Chicago was my first official rejection last year, so I'm expecting to hear from them (or Emory) first).

[havemybloodchild]

8 minutes ago, WildeThing said:

Seems like Chicago is the top stop for many people here. Hope that means at least some of us will be very happy in a few weeks (Chicago was my first official rejection last year, so I'm expecting to hear from them (or Emory) first).

I have been working hard to prepare myself emotionally and intellectually and (lets be honest) physically and spiritually to not get an interview in the middle of next month and then just flat out forget the school exists. 

[havemybloodchild]

On 12/27/2018 at 5:38 PM, sugilite said:

@Mumasatus Not sure if you came across this already, but Michigan doesn't require GRE scores

Or U Nebraska Lincoln or Stanford!

[havemybloodchild]

On 12/28/2018 at 11:38 PM, flungoutofspace said:

 

It's currently a toss-up between Columbia and Chicago. On one hand, there's Marianne Hirsch at Columbia; on the other, there's Lauren Berlant at Chicago... How to choose, how to choose — as if one could even be so lucky to be offered that choice in the first place. To be honest, I think I'd be more than happy at all the programs to which I've applied, though Duke does present a slight challenge since I've always been more fond of living in (or at least, close to) a big city. But who knows, I could like North Carolina after all. 

At this point, all I'd like is an acceptance (just one will do!!), because I don't really have a satisfactory Plan B, except to proceed on to do a masters at my current university. I could go back into journalism or take up a gallery internship, and maybe do some language courses on the side, but I'm just afraid the pause will lead me to stagnate. 

A) Lauren Berlant

b) JUST SOMEONE LET ME IN

I just relate to your comment so hard

[jadeisokay]

my dream program is penn comp lit, then chicago cinema then northwestern. we may be forming a chicago meetup group in the future if certain dice are rolled, it seems right now! i have a long-shot video interview for a backup plan tomorrow (flight attendant) and i'm in the haze that is potential federal govt hiring also, but backup is still looking to be "fuck it and move." i work in hospitality right now and absolutely abhor it for the most part, other than the fact i wrote most of my major coursework sitting at the front desk on 11 pm-7am shift, but i guess i could lateral. i just really have no passion outside lit/film and wanting to teach.

Edited December 31, 2018 by jadeisokay

[Bopie5]

1 hour ago, WildeThing said:

Seems like Chicago is the top stop for many people here.

So true! I mean, between the amazing theorists there (Berlant, Ngai, etc!!!) and the great funding, it's hard for anyone not to have Chicago at or near the top of their list if they are into theory. Getting accepted by them would be a dream. Fingers crossed, but honestly everyone on here is so amazing and intelligent and experienced, and this is only a fraction of the pool. I'm feeling my odds are slim, but here's hoping I can get at least one acceptance from SOMEWHERE.

[dilby]

FYI I'm really digging everything that everyone is saying but GradCafe won't let me like any more posts today !!

Now that this thread is really bumpin, I just wanted to say that I hope everyone's doing alright. This forum infamously activates people's anxiety/jitters, and I know none of us need that. It would be great to be, like, the most mindful thread in town. :]

[lyonel_]

University of Chicago is probably the one school i regret not applying to. I got super self-conscious last minute and didn't put my letter writers in the application, and then I just forgot. I feel that my research could have fit well with their faculty... particularly Slauter and Berlant... 

[Bopie5]

12 minutes ago, dilby said:

This forum infamously activates people's anxiety/jitters, and I know none of us need that.

Ugh this is beyond true. Since it's holiday break, and I don't have as much to do, I've been spending far too much time on here, and I can't tell if it's quelling or exacerbating my nervousness and stress! But it is comforting to know all of you are experiencing some of the same feelings I am, especially since none of my friends are pursuing graduate school right now, and don't totally understand the visceral anxiousness this process can foster.

[jadeisokay]

my best friend/roommate is almost finished with a counseling degree but otherwise, none of my friends are either, @Bopie5 . within my extended family just graduating college is a big deal so i feel like a total anomaly. i went blue in the face explaining how funding and dissertations and everything work at the last gathering i went to this year.  and of course i was still asked after what exactly i was thinking majoring in english. sigh.