2020 Applicants

[ArcaMajora]

11 hours ago, Indecisive Poet said:

UC Irvine is a program I'm strongly considering applying to – I'd love to PM you with a couple of questions, if you don't mind! ?

I am happy to field any questions you have about the program Send me a PM any time.

[thepeeps]

Does anyone remember how submitting applications and uploading letters of recommendation work?  I'm doing my Masters at the same school as my BA, and for the life of me I can't remember how this worked.  Do professors get the email to upload their letter of rec only after we hit the submit/apply button?  

Reason why I'm asking is I'm trying to get fall grades from my MA on my transcript, and most of my deadlines are over winter break, and I know it will be a concern of mine to make sure my professors submit their letters.  But I'm just not sure if they can do that ahead of time before I submit the actually application if that makes sense.

[thepeeps]

13 hours ago, Indecisive Poet said:

 

I seem to recall that Stanford's website says something about suggesting applicants contact potential supervisors in advance. And, of course, most British programs suggest this as well. But barring explicit instruction to do this on department websites, I think it's unnecessary and makes no difference in whether or not you're accepted.

It's funny because when I made my original post Stanford was on my mind, but I don't think the professor whose interests align with mine is even apart of the graduate program, or is a potential supervisor or advisor.  Just says she's the director of one of the programs (not undergrad or grad specific).  My fear was the email the professor and make a fool of myself you know?  I think if anything I won't contact anyone.  It just seems kind of risky to me.  

[ArcaMajora]

54 minutes ago, thepeeps said:

Does anyone remember how submitting applications and uploading letters of recommendation work?  I'm doing my Masters at the same school as my BA, and for the life of me I can't remember how this worked.  Do professors get the email to upload their letter of rec only after we hit the submit/apply button?  

The usual system (especially if your programs use Slate or ApplyWeb for their application interfaces) is that you input their names and e-mails and then the application system sends out the request irrespective of whether or not you've sent the application. You can put in the recommendation request at any time, even well before you submit the application. There should also be options to send reminders from the application itself (schools that use ApplyWeb can do that, not sure about Slate).

However, there are some schools that only send out the requests after the application has been submitted. SUNY Buffalo is one program I know of that did that this past cycle.

[victoriansimpkins]

On 6/28/2019 at 10:11 AM, SomethingWicked said:

I'll be at the SCMLA this October, so It'd be cool to who else will be there.

 

On 6/29/2019 at 12:33 AM, Bopie5 said:

2019 cycle applicant popping on to the thread to say I'll also be at SCMLA this October! What session are you presenting in? 

I'll be there too! I'm over-exerting myself and chairing two panels (Irish literature and 19th-C British) and presenting in 18th-C British. It's my 5th year presenting at SCMLA, and I have to say the people I've met are fantastic, and many helped me craft essays. Sad to say that this will be my last at SCMLA, since I'm relocating to the midwest, it only makes sense to actually submit to conferences around Chicago (finally!)

(my GRE scores were laughably bad - and I mean I laughed with my advisor about the scores after I studied for months because there was no other way to handle that stress tbh - but I still got into the only school that even looked at them)

 

GOOD LUCK to everyone! Let me know if you need anything -- even just an ear. Love to you all.

[trytostay]

Just putting it out there that I’m available to answer questions anyone might have, having gone through the process just a few months ago. Feel free to PM me. My notifications for PM’s are on. Good luck to everyone—it’s an exciting time! 

Edited July 3, 2019 by trytostay

[CaliAcademic]

Hi All:

First time on gradcafe. I'll be applying to English & American Studies PhD programs this coming cycle. Glad someone has already made a thread in which we can connect! I am recently finding myself having to make a decision concerning letters of recommendation, and I am therefore seeking advice. I pursued a bachelor's in English at a reputable undergraduate institution where I performed very well academically. Three years out of college now, I am in my 2nd year of a master's in social work, a program I selected because I also have an interest in psychology and culture. My question for those who can help is as follows: is it okay to use a letter of recommendation from an undergraduate professor (albeit one whom I had four to five years ago)? I feel my undergrad degree is more relevant to the English/American Studies Phds, even though my masters is still pertinent in other ways. Thus, is it okay to have two letters from undergrad professors, and only one from my master's program? One of my undergrad professors says she will simply use the same letter she wrote for my master's degree. Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you!!

 

[victoriansimpkins]

8 hours ago, CaliAcademic said:

One of my undergrad professors says she will simply use the same letter she wrote for my master's degree. Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

I would urge them to use more updated information about your work, imo. Send them updated papers so they can see progress, a new CV, a statement of your plans, etc., so that it's more in line with your other letters. I would have been extremely upset if a professor simply reused a letter from years ago, since we've all changed quite a bit since then, and you want the programs to see who you are now, and will be in the future.

[ACurlyShepherdLad]

Hi, all:

Add me to the list of possible applicants! Still trying to discern whether I stand a snowball's chance with a somewhat scattered background--not to mention whether I have the energy (academia is home but gosh, is the pace exhausting sometimes). But I'm excited for the convos, happy to see at least one other person here with a CW background and glad we're in this together.

Edited July 6, 2019 by ACurlyShepherdLad

[Wimsey]

I noticed some ambiguity on Yale's website with regard to the subject test, so I emailed the DGS about it. He reported that the subject test is not required for the 2020 app cycle. The test is still listed as a requirement on the general page for Yale's grad programs in the arts & sciences, but I assume that will change. I thought this would be good information to pass along.  

[mandelbulb]

hey y'all. just want to pop by and offer myself up for anyone with questions about 1) applying during the last year of your MA, 2) applying after your MA, 3) applying again after being rejected the first time, 4) applying to MAs after being out of school for 5+ years/being older and applying, or 4) UCSD! if your research interests overlap with mine at all, i may have time to take a look at your SOP  just DM. otherwise, i'll be lurking in case there's any question i can help answer.

[northwestnative]

11 hours ago, mandelbulb said:

hey y'all. just want to pop by and offer myself up for anyone with questions about 1) applying during the last year of your MA, 2) applying after your MA, 3) applying again after being rejected the first time, 4) applying to MAs after being out of school for 5+ years/being older and applying, or 4) UCSD! if your research interests overlap with mine at all, i may have time to take a look at your SOP  just DM. otherwise, i'll be lurking in case there's any question i can help answer.

Can second this, although mandelbulb's advice will probably be better than mine. Any questions about the application process, applying from an MA, applying after a year off, and American lit/pomo/religion stuff, please feel free to reach out!

[HenryJams]

Hey everyone, long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm getting ready to apply to 12-13 PhD programs this fall.  A little about me - I wrapped up BA degrees in philosophy and English back in 2014.  Went to a top-tier law school on scholarship through 2017, and have been in the workforce since then.  I'm interested in Henry James specifically, Victorian literature more broadly, and the theoretical intersection of structuralism/post-structuralism and systems theory.  I also have an idea to dabble in an interdisciplinary law/literature kind of thing, if only to demonstrate to people that my JD doesn't make me a dilettante, haha.

I've gotten my writing sample completed (it was pretty fun getting back into the literary-scholarly mode of writing, after trying my hand at strictly analytic legal writing for so long).  And right now I'm working on my SOPs, which are . . . more difficult than I thought they would be.  It's hard to cram a lifetime's worth of work into a couple pages.

I'll be taking the subject test in September and honestly that's giving me the most stress right now.  Initially I just got the Princeton Review book and tried to use its easy-way-out tactics, but then I realized that I'd be better off reading the Norton anthologies over again, so that's been my life for the last few months.  Rereading some of my old favorites has been nothing short of a joy.

I see a lot of people in these fora who get MAs before seeking PhDs.  Yet a lot of the programs I am looking at appear to award MAs along the way to PhDs.

So my question to the more experienced users here is:  what are good reasons to get/not to get an MA before seeking a PhD?  I just want to make sure I'm not throwing money at PhD adcomms if my chances of getting in without an MA are slim.  Any thoughts, y'all?

[Bopie5]

2 hours ago, HenryJams said:

I see a lot of people in these fora who get MAs before seeking PhDs.  Yet a lot of the programs I am looking at appear to award MAs along the way to PhDs.

So my question to the more experienced users here is:  what are good reasons to get/not to get an MA before seeking a PhD?  I just want to make sure I'm not throwing money at PhD adcomms if my chances of getting in without an MA are slim.  Any thoughts, y'all?

I think for me, one reason I decided to pursue an MA instead of waiting and applying for PhDs again was to give myself a stronger background in my desired field of study. I went to a pretty small school for undergrad, with only one prof working in Critical Race theory and one in Fem/Gen (in general, it wasn't a particularly theory-driven department), and both were 19th century. Therefore, my experience in my field was largely developed through independent study and/or asking profs if I could modify assignments to suit my interests. My profs were incredibly supportive and put in a lot of time and energy to help me find good resources (a pro of being at a small school), but I think my MA will give me a better sense of the state of the field, which will enable me to refine my research and make sure it's relevant and in conversation with what's happening for the field now.

I can't speak to whether having my MA beforehand will increase my chances with PhD adcomms for my next app cycle, but I am 99% sure my application will be more competitive because I will have 2 years to refine my focus. Plus, those 2 years give me more chances for networking, more opportunities for publication, more opportunities for conference presentation, more research and teaching experience... 

When I wrote my apps last year, I had no academic publications and no conferences, and a really broad idea of what I wanted to specialize in. Now, even just 7 months after I applied, I have a published article and forthcoming conference presentations at IGA, SCMLA, and MAPACA, and I have a much more specific sense of what I want to pursue in my research. Getting an MA first is 100% the right move for me, even though I didn't realize that until I had already sent in PhD apps and received some decisions.

[NatyC]

Hello! I am so happy to see this thread! I am a Victorianist with specific interests in queer and narrative theory. Canadian, so taking the GREs feels like the BIGGEST drag. I have studied a bit, and am a little nervous, but feel good about the verbal portion (quant? not so much). I love Dickens, Bronte, James, Sedgwick, and thinking about shit (literally). Can't wait to have this little support group to guide me through this fall!

[HenryJams]

19 hours ago, Bopie5 said:

When I wrote my apps last year, I had no academic publications and no conferences, and a really broad idea of what I wanted to specialize in. Now, even just 7 months after I applied, I have a published article and forthcoming conference presentations at IGA, SCMLA, and MAPACA, and I have a much more specific sense of what I want to pursue in my research. Getting an MA first is 100% the right move for me, even though I didn't realize that until I had already sent in PhD apps and received some decisions.

Thanks so much for the input!  That definitely clarifies the advantages of applying to a few MA programs as well.  I think I will look into MAs going forward.

[AtlasFox]

Hi, everyone! First I want to say that I'm really excited that I found this community! 

A little about me: I'm earning my MA in English currently, at the same university where I earned my BA. I wasn't sure if grad school was what I wanted to do as an undergrad, and I really didn't have the stats or experience to apply straight to PhD programs after I graduated. I'm currently working on my thesis now, and overall I feel a lot more confident in applying to larger universities. 

That said, I'm mainly looking at applying to Literature PhD programs, but I've picked up interest in creative writing after taking a few workshops... so I might be throwing in a few MFA programs or dual literature & creative writing PhDs into the mix. I'll be applying to 10+ programs total, probably closer to 15. 

My research interests mostly center around queer theory and affect theory, and I'd like to focus on 20th and 21st century LGBT literature and film. I've read most people tend to label themselves as strictly interested in British or American literature for simplicity's sake, and I guess I'm wondering if there's a better way for me to identify myself in my statements of purpose, as I'm really interested in a transatlantic approach to queer literature. 

Anyways, I look forward to hearing how everyone else handles this complicated mess! I'm hoping being on here will help me lose my imposter syndrome feelings haha. 

[GoneWilde]

Yay, finally one of these threads I can be a part of after lurking for years!

I'll be applying to 8-10 schools for Fall 2020. I'm not as far in my preparations as I'd like to be (thanks to working full time during my gap year), but what can you do? I've definitely done a lot of brainstorming and have at least read some for the GRE...

In terms of subject area, I'm into British 19th century literature, especially the movements of the late 1800's (aestheticism, decadence, arts & crafts, etc). I've also dipped my toes in the Late Romantics and some of the turn of the century Irish writers. In terms of methodology/questions/etc, I haven't quite figured out exactly how to describe what I do but a couple things I dig are: medical humanities, esp. addiction & drugs, queer writers and their experiences with catholicism, how texts converse with each other, and how texts engage with other art forms.

Some schools on my list are: Ohio State, Indiana Bloomington, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, and Rutgers. If any of y'all have particular thoughts on those schools/my interests I would love to have a chat!

[axtax]

hi! i'm applying for this cycle too now as I finish up my last year of undergrad. I'm primarily studying for the GRE subject test (brutal) and in the process of narrowing down my list of schools. I took the GRE last month and had a pretty awful writing score but a great verbal that i'm hoping matters more? I'm mostly interested in Southeast Asian anglophone literature, transnationalism and postcolonialism, and modernist aesthetics.

I can't help but feel quite imposter syndrome-y about this whole process and I wish my professors had more wisdom to offer (other than, dont worry your gpa is fine! or, maybe take a gap year!) - thankfully everyone on gradcafe has been more than willing to offer up their experiences haha

No one really goes to get humanities PhD's at the school I'm attending so it's so nice to have a thread specifically for this application cycle! thanks y'all!

[ArcaMajora]

Welcome to everyone who has joined! Very glad to see the Fall 2020 community develop, especially as we loom closer to the start of the new school year.

For those focusing on GREs, while all of you are making very good choices in studying in advance for them, I just want to stress that they are one component of the total application package. I got into my current program with very uneven GRE scores (158V/142Q/5.5AW), so for anyone worrying that an eye-popping Q score (12th percentile for my case lol) or a non-160 verbal will throttle an application, no fear.

It also seems English PhD programs are beginning to drop the GRE even more. On the Ivy side of things, Yale has been mentioned as dropping the GRE subject (courtesy of Wimsey). Also, did some sleuthing on Harvard's English site and it seems they've dropped the GRE (both general + subject) entirely. Not sure if it was ever announced the same way Cornell was forthcoming about it, but for anyone looking to apply there (or if it's always been that way, I swore they required the GRE last Fall), you can go in GRE-less. All this to say, there's definitely an increasing trend of English departments formally dropping the requirement, so here's to hoping many other programs follow suit from here on out. (EDIT: I decided to take a random look at UMich's site and it seems they too have just dropped the GRE)

For anyone living around the Northeast or follows this regional MLA, I've poked around the UPenn CFP database and it seems that NEMLA has released their CFPs for their conference next March. I haven't taken too close of a look but there's some very intriguing panels in there (including one on Elizabeth Bishop), deadline's September 30th for most of them.

Also, if travel funding works in my favor, I'll be presenting a paper in SAMLA this November! If there's anyone going to Atlanta this year or is around the local area, let me know Would love to see GCers around.

Edited July 16, 2019 by ArcaMajora

[Indecisive Poet]

On 7/16/2019 at 6:33 AM, ArcaMajora said:

It also seems English PhD programs are beginning to drop the GRE even more. On the Ivy side of things, Yale has been mentioned as dropping the GRE subject (courtesy of Wimsey). Also, did some sleuthing on Harvard's English site and it seems they've dropped the GRE (both general + subject) entirely. Not sure if it was ever announced the same way Cornell was forthcoming about it, but for anyone looking to apply there (or if it's always been that way, I swore they required the GRE last Fall), you can go in GRE-less. All this to say, there's definitely an increasing trend of English departments formally dropping the requirement, so here's to hoping many other programs follow suit from here on out. (EDIT: I decided to take a random look at UMich's site and it seems they too have just dropped the GRE)

Stanford and Ohio State have also dropped all GRE requirements ?

[Narrative Nancy]

On 7/19/2019 at 6:18 AM, Indecisive Poet said:

Stanford and Ohio State have also dropped all GRE requirements ?

So have Vanderbilt and Pittsburgh! And I think it's now optional at Boston University 

[Warelin]

On 7/20/2019 at 12:26 PM, Narrative Nancy said:

So have Vanderbilt and Pittsburgh! And I think it's now optional at Boston University 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MYcxZMhf97H5Uxr2Y7XndHn6eEC5oO8XWQi2PU5jLxQ/edit#gid=0

^ List of schools in that don't require the GRE Subject exam:  Brandeis , Buffalo, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, Colorado, Cornell, Davis, Duke, Emory, Harvard, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Princeton,  Rutgers, Virginia, WUSTL, and Yale.

[merry night wanderer]

Hi everyone - having mulled this idea over for years, the time has finally arrived to join the applicants thread! Happy to meet you all (and to have finally decided to do this - my friends and family are relieved that I've finally decided to do the thing they've known I was going to do for years).

I'm a British Romanticist a year out from a MFA in Fiction, in my thirties, currently freelancing and traveling as well as finishing a manuscript. I'm in the weeds of a huge critical review to try to see where my place is in the period's  present state of scholarship and hone down my interests. My interests right now are allegory, the ethics of the sublime,  and comparing philosophy of mind and consciousness studies with the Romantic project. They need some reigning in, to say the least. I've decided not to use any of my lit papers as samples since my best work was on Wilde, Pater, and Arnold and not my time period/focus, so I will probably try to submit that as some kind of paper somewhere, and, I don't know, try to write something new about Shelley or Hazlitt or something. 

I completed the Lit GRE and got an Acceptable Score (90%) and need to retackle that completely stupid  general GRE monster, which, in the face of all of this scholarship to read, I'm zero percent motivated to do, but c'est la vie. 

Edited July 21, 2019 by merry night wanderer

[indoorfireworks]

Hey hey, this seems like a good time to jump in after just lurking last app season.

Last year, I was finishing up my MFA in creative writing and applied to six CW PhDs and three lit. I definitely think that the pressures of teaching, working a 2nd job, and finishing my thesis were a huge time/energy burden on my PhD apps. I got on one CW and one lit wait list, but didn't get an offer. Of course it stung for a bit, but in the time since I've seen how much of a benefit it was. I didn't really have a firm plan of study in mind and my WS/SOP were pretty garbage. In the time since, I've realized I really don't want to do another CW degree, and am way more familiar with the lit fields I want to pursue. My main focuses are psychoanalysis and Marxism, especially within modern and contemporary poetry. I just finished my final list of schools yesterday and now have a total of 11. 

I have to admit I'm particularly anxious about not having a lit background. My bachelor's is in psychology, but I did a couple lit classes then and in my MFA. My GRE scores are decent for verbal and writing (96/92) but 12% in quant, yikes. I think the main thing I have going for me is that my new writing sample was just published in a scholarly journal, so hopefully that demonstrates critical reading ability enough to make up for not having formal classes?

My other main concern is how much detail to go into about POI's work in my SOP. If anyone would care to share that section of their SOP for reference, I would really appreciate it. 

Looking forward to being more active on the forum over the next few months (and hopefully beyond)! 

Edited July 23, 2019 by indoorfireworks