UT Austin Acceptances

[millw]

Hi all! I'm waitlisted at UT but it is currently my top choice. I'm really hoping the list moves but we will see. Does anyone have any insight into UT's placement rate? I've looked at the placement they publish on their website and it's somewhat disappointing although I recognize how difficult a time it is currently to find a tenure track job. Was just wondering if anyone had any additional info!

[gloriagilbert]

Not looking at UT Austin specifically, but seconding this--would love any and all information on how to properly (read: realistically) interpret placement data. Given that the job market is so abysmal, I don't know what exactly I should be looking for!

[Warelin]

2 minutes ago, gloriagilbert said:

Not looking at UT Austin specifically, but seconding this--would love any and all information on how to properly (read: realistically) interpret placement data. Given that the job market is so abysmal, I don't know what exactly I should be looking for!

I'm not sure if it possible to realistically figure out a way to accurately interpret programs. There are a few factors that play into this. How many people were accepted into a cohort? What percentage of those applicants dropped out after earning an MA? How many people decided to not enter the National Job Market? How many people decided that they wanted an alternative academic job or decided to pursue another career instead? How comfortable was the student with leaving the city of their school? Does the student feel comfortable moving their family across the country if they've started a family? Was the student completing the degree as part of a passion project? I'm sure there are many other factors which I can't think of but these are some things which can impact placement data and which can often not be seen through data alone.

[madandmoonly]

2 hours ago, millw said:

Hi all! I'm waitlisted at UT but it is currently my top choice. I'm really hoping the list moves but we will see. 

No idea re: UT placement rates, but I do suspect their waitlist will see some movement™ before April 15th. ? Hope this helps you!

[tacocat211]

2 minutes ago, madandmoonly said:

No idea re: UT placement rates, but I do suspect their waitlist will see some movement™ before April 15th. ? Hope this helps you!

Can you say a little more about this? I'm waitlisted also, and they're my top choice.

[silenus_thescribe]

@tacocat211, @millw, @gloriagilbert: Hey all, current UT PhD student here. I'm not sure why the department hasn't updated the placement information yet, but hopefully that should happen soon. While all the standard qualifiers apply to the following statement (e.g. "the job market is tough, etc"), here it goes:

We have had several straight-to-TT placements in recent years, or at least TT after one year of completion. Generally speaking, UT fares better on the small-to-mid size universities, especially liberal arts schools, but if you're in the Rhet/Comp track you're likely to do extremely well, as UT is in the top three of that category and is generally well regarded, with lots of big names in that department. I would say that attrition is relatively common pre-MA; at least one person per year since I've been here has left after getting their MA, commonly due to losing interest in academia/not wanting to slog through the job market. Some have dropped out pre-diss defense but it is uncommon. 

My own feeling is that people who are fully committed to the job market typically end up coming out pretty well in lit (my field), with virtually almost perfect placement in the Rhet/Comp field (fewer of those students are accepted each year; it's something like 12-15 lit, 4-5 in Rhet Comp per cohort). I work in modern and contemporary dramatic literature, which is not a super robust field in literary studies on the comparative (in my experience looking for PhD programs back during my application season, when a department listed "drama" as a speciality of its faculty, it was typically a 60-90 percent Shakespearean subset of the professoriate), so I might have a harder time on the job market than some other fields, but overall I don't have anything above the typical sense of dread about the job market. UT is still a well regarded school with a large, respected faculty; it's a great place to study.

If y'all have any more questions specific to your field and interests, feel free to PM me. I can be more helpful if I know specifics about what you're working in.

[beardedlady]

Thank you so much for this detailed reply, silenus!

2 minutes ago, silenus_thescribe said:

If y'all have any more questions specific to your field and interests, feel free to PM me. I can be more helpful if I know specifics about what you're working in.

I'm going to take you up on this, if you don't mind. ?

[silenus_thescribe]

Actually y'all, I spoke a bit too soon about one thing in my last post... it looks like they have updated placement info on the site. I think some of the folks that have been listed actually haven't defended yet (things might have changed up schedule-wise), and there are some jobs that the listed folks have gotten quite recently, been but otherwise that is the most recent stuff.

Edited February 21, 2019 by silenus_thescribe

[millw]

On 2/21/2019 at 5:32 PM, silenus_thescribe said:

Hey all, current UT PhD student here.

Thanks @silenus_thescribe, this is all really helpful--hoping more than ever to make it off the waitlist at UT! 

[zombiekeats]

Dusting off my GradCafe account to offer perspectives/hellos to any prospective folks with questions about the program. I'm a second year studying 19th c. women's writing, poetics, and disability theory (just about to wrap up coursework!) Otherwise--congrats, and see you in March!!

Edited February 25, 2019 by zombiekeats

[arbie]

Had to visit UT early due to a conflict during the official weekend. 

Sitting in the airport waiting for my flight home, but I wanted to tell y’all that: 

While i was visiting, there was a grad student conference called Fugitive Futures: Graduate Students of Color Un-settling the University and SAIDIYA HARTMAN was the keynote. I only got to peep in for a panel or so, but for all my Poco and “Ethnic” Lit people, just wanted to tell you that that happened (just bc i had no idea prior and thought it was pretty cool)!

[cloudofunknowing]

Hi all, I’m dusting off my GradCafe account too to chime in as a current UT-Austin student. I’m a 5th year candidate, a medievalist who works on Chaucer and his reception history, saints’ lives, and critical theory (especially psychoanalysis). I’m also a poet who completed an MFA before pursuing the PhD. I’d be happy to correspond if anyone has program-specific questions, ones about Austin, and/or being queer in the Austin area. Cheers! 

Edited March 11, 2019 by cloudofunknowing

[madandmoonly]

See y'all later today!

[arbie]

Please collect and share all info you glean! 

[silenus_thescribe]

To any of y'all who choose UT Austin: DM me if you'd like info on moving/finding neighborhoods, etc. I can also forward your info to department listservs to see if any current grad students are looking for roommates.

[arbie]

Can we get a roll call of who accepted for the fall?! 

[Pnwonder]

On 4/16/2019 at 11:24 AM, arbie said:

Can we get a roll call of who accepted for the fall?! 

One hand in the air over here for rhetoric!