2020 Applicants

[NoodleKidoodle]

On 10/20/2019 at 5:47 PM, Hasspurple said:

I'm an applicant for this cycle, and I am trying very carefully not to mess up any information on the online applications. It seems quite easy to mistype or say something. Also, I noticed UMass Amherst has a policy to apply for the TAship with an application. Is this normal? Or do other programs, if you are accepted, just give you funding of some kind?

every school has a different funding structure; umass' funding is through teaching in the writing program, which is not the same as the english program. so, just because english admits you, doesn't mean that writing wants to hire you.

at the same time, the writing program app/interview is not particularly grueling. 

[Warelin]

On 10/20/2019 at 4:47 PM, Hasspurple said:

Also, I noticed UMass Amherst has a policy to apply for the TAship with an application. Is this normal? Or do other programs, if you are accepted, just give you funding of some kind?

Most of the top 50 schools guarantee funding. Some might not guarantee funding in their first year. Most programs don't require a separate application for funding. Some programs require you to teach during your first year. Some programs don't require you to teach during coursework because they want you to focus on writing seminar papers that you rework and turn into publications. Some programs require you to teach 2 courses per semester; some only require you to teach 1 course per semester.

 

1 hour ago, NoodleKidoodle said:

every school has a different funding structure; umass' funding is through teaching in the writing program, which is not the same as the english program. so, just because english admits you, doesn't mean that writing wants to hire you.

I'm not sure if UMass goes much into this on their website. What percentage of people get accepted by the English program and hired by the writing program? What happens if you're accepted by English but rejected by the writing program? Are there other ways you can apply for funding? Are you given a fellowship or would it be an unfunded offer?

[NoodleKidoodle]

3 hours ago, Warelin said:

Most of the top 50 schools guarantee funding. Some might not guarantee funding in their first year. Most programs don't require a separate application for funding. Some programs require you to teach during your first year. Some programs don't require you to teach during coursework because they want you to focus on writing seminar papers that you rework and turn into publications. Some programs require you to teach 2 courses per semester; some only require you to teach 1 course per semester.

 

I'm not sure if UMass goes much into this on their website. What percentage of people get accepted by the English program and hired by the writing program? What happens if you're accepted by English but rejected by the writing program? Are there other ways you can apply for funding? Are you given a fellowship or would it be an unfunded offer?

I don't have hard numbers on numbers of offers and don't want to give out wrong info -- I just know that this is why the funding structure is set up this way. 

From what I know, though, the writing program needs a lot of teachers -- they hire phds and mfas, as well as people outside english. this is why their mfa program is funded -- which I think is pretty rare (although @Warelin seems to have better intel, see below). so it's not exactly ultra competitive -- It's not like there's fewer teaching spots than there are prospective teachers. Again, it's not that grueling of an app or an interview. I don't want to use the word "formality" because i don't know if that's the case. 

Interviews are also right after acceptances go out -- and you're notified before the april 15 signing date. so you won't commit to the school without knowing your funding situation. 

source: went through this process...

Edited October 25, 2019 by NoodleKidoodle

[Warelin]

2 minutes ago, NoodleKidoodle said:

this is why their mfa program is funded -- which i think is pretty rare.

I think the majority of MFA programs at reputable schools are funded. Originally, a fair amount of MFA programs were unfunded, but universities have gotten better in the past 10 years about funding their students. There are still unfunded programs, but most have moved on to funding their students through a variety of means.

 

5 minutes ago, NoodleKidoodle said:

and you're notified before the april 1 signing date.

Did you mean April 15th here?

Side note to those that this might cause worry too: The April 15th resolution only applies to universities that signed the agreement and only applies to funded offers received prior to this date.

7 minutes ago, NoodleKidoodle said:

so you won't commit to the school without knowing your funding situation. 

I cannot emphasize this point enough. Wherever you apply to, please make sure you know your funding situation before accepting an offer.

 

On 10/2/2019 at 9:06 PM, DanArndtWrites said:

I have no idea if my MFA will help or harm my application 

Some programs might count the degree as the equivalent of a Master's. If they do, you might be put in a pile with other students with Master's degrees and be ranked with students who have been given more exposure to be professionalized. Often, it'll also mean that they'll expect your writing sample, SOP and scores to be higher than if you were applying with just a BA because you've had more time to develop your writing and interests.

 

On 10/19/2019 at 12:56 PM, grace2137 said:

Hey guys - does anyone have advice about CVs/resume for the PhD applications? I'm applying straight from undergrad, so I don't really have significant teaching experience/published articles, etc (though I do have a lot of work experience).

Graduate Schools don't expect a lot from your CV if you're applying straight from undergrad. And they don't really expect much but a few conferences (or a few classes taught) if you're applying with a Master's. Unless the work is related to the degree, I wouldn't recommend putting it on your CV. Tutoring at the Writing Center might be worthwhile to put down; a summer job working retail is unlikely to be something they'd be interested in and would be seen as padding. Overall, they don't put much weight into your CV though.

[NoodleKidoodle]

1 minute ago, Warelin said:

 

 

Did you mean April 15th here?

 

whoops, yes. edited...

[ArcaMajora]

Hi all

I hope everyone here is doing well with their graduate school applications. This is genuinely only the beginning. The process truly does not let up at all, and the fact that all of you are in this position of applying is already a tremendous achievement. Remember to rigorously self-care throughout this process and remember that you are human, too. I leaned on my support system to an almost immense degree during this process and I felt completely out of my depth when applying. I lost faith in myself more times I'd like to admit. The whole thing (applying + then writing the applications + decision letters) was an emotional rollercoaster, and I feel that's an understatement. If you ever feel lost please know that my DMs are open.

No matter where you're applying, no matter what stage you are in, know that in the words of Warelin, you are GREAT. Please, please, please remember that.
-----
Additionally, I just wanted to throw out some signals as far as upcoming conferences that people are either planning to go to or are shortly forthcoming! SAMLA is in a matter of a few weeks if anyone's planning on traveling to Atlanta. Feel free to talk to me if you're currently slated for SAMLA or are going to be in the local area in mid-November.

NeMLA 2020 is also happening and my abstract's been accepted. I'm also happy to talk if anyone's gonna be in Boston for NeMLA!

Edited October 27, 2019 by ArcaMajora

[merry night wanderer]

On 10/25/2019 at 4:18 PM, Warelin said:

Some programs might count the degree as the equivalent of a Master's. If they do, you might be put in a pile with other students with Master's degrees and be ranked with students who have been given more exposure to be professionalized. Often, it'll also mean that they'll expect your writing sample, SOP and scores to be higher than if you were applying with just a BA because you've had more time to develop your writing and interests.

I get the impression they do not think MFA = MA, and rightly so, because MFAs 1) don't write Master's theses (and as such have not had the time to seriously hone their interests) and 2) have wildly varying requirements for literature classes. I think if you have taken lit classes and done well in them, it will count, and as such the expectation would be that your sample is better than an undergrad's, but an MFA is a creative degree at the end of the day and not a scholarly one. Some MFAs are all studio classes. 

It is also not rare for MFAs to have funding, or some degree of funding. Full funding is just highly competitive. 

[Warelin]

1 hour ago, merry night wanderer said:

I get the impression they do not think MFA = MA, and rightly so, because MFAs 1) don't write Master's theses (and as such have not had the time to seriously hone their interests) and 2) have wildly varying requirements for literature classes.

My information is based on conversations I had with programs when I was applying a few cycles ago. There are several programs that will consider your MFA to be equivalent to an MA because you've had additional years to hone in your interests, attend conferences and become professionalized.  While I can't think of an MFA program that requires a critical final project, not every MA program requires you to complete a Master's theses either. Some programs offer you a choice to do an alternate project such as a field exam.

[indoorfireworks]

13 hours ago, merry night wanderer said:

I get the impression they do not think MFA = MA, and rightly so, because MFAs 1) don't write Master's theses (and as such have not had the time to seriously hone their interests) and 2) have wildly varying requirements for literature classes. I think if you have taken lit classes and done well in them, it will count, and as such the expectation would be that your sample is better than an undergrad's, but an MFA is a creative degree at the end of the day and not a scholarly one. Some MFAs are all studio classes. 

It is also not rare for MFAs to have funding, or some degree of funding. Full funding is just highly competitive. 

I'm going into apps with an MFA and of the schools that I've asked about it, here's what I've found out: 

- Ohio State generally considers an MFA equivalent to an MA, but there are some MFA students who they feel would benefit from an additional master's and only admit them on that condition. 

- Kent State considers MFA equivalent to MA. 

- Illinois at Urbana Champaign and UMass-Amherst do not consider an MFA equivalent to an MA and would require a student to complete one before being admitted to the PhD. 

Hope this helps. If there's any doubt, I wouldn't hesitate to ask. It's an additional two year commitment; you don't want to be hazy on whether it's necessary or not.

As far as whether an MFA will hurt you, one of my letter writers has just encouraged me to use my SoP to play up the critical work I did--and I did a lot, even for a studio degree--to address any reservations lit programs might have. Ultimately, I get the impression it comes down to the SoP and WS as it does with everyone. And if it will make you feel better, look at the grad student profiles on the department's web site. You'll see a smattering of MFAs, which I found encouraging. 

[CaliAcademic]

Hi All,

Happy to be on-board with all of you during the application process! I'm hoping someone can help answer a question I have regarding letters of recommendation. My undergraduate background is in the humanities, and my graduate background is in the social sciences (clinical social work). I am now applying to PhDs in English and Cinema Studies. I have one letter of rec from a very close professor from my undergraduate institution, and one from my current Social Work program. That being said, I am having trouble finding a third letter writer, because my current master's institution has been cutting a lot of professors. Do people think it would be okay if I had another letter writer from my undergraduate institution?  I am thinking of someone who had previously said she was amenable, however it would be the same letter she wrote for my master's applications. She explained she only knew me as an undergraduate, and therefore could only include a letter that attests to the same information she previously submitted as i was applying to my current master's program. I believe it was a very strong letter, nonetheless. Any advice or recommendations would be immensely appreciated. Thank you!!

[merry night wanderer]

This is all great information for applicants with an MFA and we should definitely keep trading notes. The programs I've spoken to have said "it depends." The thing is, in MFA-world, studio-centric programs are often highly prestigious and sought-after. Many creative writers have no interest in scholarly work; a lot of them downright resent lit classes, and some MFAs are structured accordingly. I loved lit classes, but I still took, at most, one a semester. That's nowhere near enough for an MA, to say nothing of the rigor required for an exam or a thesis.

Edited October 28, 2019 by merry night wanderer

[onerepublic96]

On 10/28/2019 at 12:14 PM, CaliAcademic said:

She explained she only knew me as an undergraduate, and therefore could only include a letter that attests to the same information she previously submitted as i was applying to my current master's program.

Would it be possible to send her some current coursework from your masters (or perhaps a portion of your dissertation, if applicable)? That could potentially help her to track some of your progress and tailor the letter she previously wrote to take into account how you've grown since then.

[karamazov]

When self-reporting my GPA on application forms for each undergrad institution attended (I transferred once, plus dual enrolled during high school, so three institutions total, RIP), do they want my GPA from that particular university or my total GPA that includes coursework from my previous institution(s)? Or should the previous GPAs be reported separately? The GPA box actually isn't a required field on the application, it's only optional, as I'm assuming they'll see the GPA quite clearly on the transcript, so I could just leave that field blank, but I'm concerned that will look like I'm hiding something. I've become hyper-paranoid about the possibility of doing anything wrong on these apps, SOS. 

[dilby]

@karamazov coursework from high school is not particularly important; I had about a year's worth of credit from HS, but I think I only even sent information about this to one school (Duke?). I'm not sure how it should work with the transfer stuff though.

[merry night wanderer]

Is anyone else struggling with how specific to be on the SoP? I have pretty defined interests at this point, I hope, but it's just difficult to indicate which subfields I want to enter when I feel like I've got so much more reading to do in them. How narrowly are you defining your interests? 

Edited October 31, 2019 by merry night wanderer

[Bopie5]

3 hours ago, merry night wanderer said:

Is anyone else struggling with how specific to be on the SoP? I have pretty defined interests at this point, I hope, but it's just difficult to indicate which subfields I want to enter when I feel like I've got so much more reading to do in them. How narrowly are you defining your interests? 

One of the things I failed to do on my first round of applications was be specific enough. Something that I should have done more carefully but didn't was look at conference areas/fields. Usually in conferences' CFPs, they'll list the sessions or sections (e.g. "Trauma in African American Studies," "Orientalism and Romanticizing the Homogenized," "Crypt and Death Studies," "The Irish Gothic," "Adolescent Narratives," "Fat Studies," etc). This can give a sense both of what more specific subfields are out there, and what they're currently being called. You might feel like you're really interested in British Romanticisms, which gives you a good temporal and geographic field to define yourself in. Looking at session titles can sometimes help to narrow that, especially if sessions get subtitled (e.g. "British Romanticism: Fathers and Mothers" or "British Romanticism: Food, Flesh, and the Monster" or whatever). I think if you feel like you have pretty defined interests at that point, you should say so! How did you get to those more narrowly defined interests? What thinkers or theorists are important to you or helped you know that these interests were what you wanted to pursue? Whose work do you hope to build on? I think it helps to have a clearer sense of where you're going, and to say so. To be able to speak to a specific sub-field or strain of thought or development in the field that you hope to investigate or work in would most likely work to your gain so long as you're not like, totally off base about what's happening in the field!

[snorkles]

5 hours ago, merry night wanderer said:

Is anyone else struggling with how specific to be on the SoP? I have pretty defined interests at this point, I hope, but it's just difficult to indicate which subfields I want to enter when I feel like I've got so much more reading to do in them. How narrowly are you defining your interests? 

My two cents is that I don't know if being hyper specific is always beneficial. I articulated a few guiding research questions/problems that I thought my field could benefit from and then footnoted books that may be in my sphere of research. It's important to demonstrate room for growth in your SoP, I think. My philosophy was to provide a balanced account of who I am, my research goals, and my professional interests (unless the program greatly limited the word count or said what type of content they're looking for). 

[Brown_Bear]

I second the request for more advice regarding statement of purposes.

How informal/formal should they be? How focused or unfocused should they be? How individualized / unique should they be per program basis?

Any final tips for those who are in a program, looking back? It seems like such a crucial part of the application.

I know another poster just asked, but I wanted to reiterate the question.

[karamazov]

Does anyone have adviser/letter writer appreciation gift ideas? What have people from past cycles done for the professors who have gone above and beyond to help throughout this process? What are people from this cycle planning? I definitely want to do something for my professors, especially since they really have done so much that they totally did not have to do (reading and re-reading revised writing samples, statements of purpose, etc.). I feel like gift cards are maybe too, like... monetary? I've thought about things like gift baskets, but I don't really know the food/candy/etc. preferences of my professors. I would love to hear other people's ideas! 

[Wimsey]

I was surprised to see that Stanford has reinstituted the general GRE requirement. I know they did not require it at all last cycle.

[indoorfireworks]

On 11/3/2019 at 9:26 PM, karamazov said:

Does anyone have adviser/letter writer appreciation gift ideas? What have people from past cycles done for the professors who have gone above and beyond to help throughout this process? What are people from this cycle planning? I definitely want to do something for my professors, especially since they really have done so much that they totally did not have to do (reading and re-reading revised writing samples, statements of purpose, etc.). I feel like gift cards are maybe too, like... monetary? I've thought about things like gift baskets, but I don't really know the food/candy/etc. preferences of my professors. I would love to hear other people's ideas! 

Last year I got my writers tins of some nice tea. I spent less than $20 apiece, but I felt like it was way better than a gift card. 

[karamazov]

6 hours ago, indoorfireworks said:

Last year I got my writers tins of some nice tea. I spent less than $20 apiece, but I felt like it was way better than a gift card. 

That is such a nice gift! Thanks for sharing! 

[CanadianEnglish]

To answer your question @karamazov about gift ideas, I gave my letters of rec writers something from my hometown. I'm a Canadian going to school in the States, so just getting a small jar of maple syrup was a safe bet (who doesn't love syrup?!). I was also thinking of getting them something that involved my literature interests, but sadly I am in Iowa and do not have the means to go get presents in the Caribbean... maybe later in life I'll get to it. 

Just submitted my first application of the season! WOO! (I am hyperventilating as I write this) 1 down, 6 more to go. ?

Hope everyone is having a great application season so far!

[The Hoosier Oxonian]

Definitely also feeling the need to give some nice gifts to my recommenders. The two in the US I know just what to do for, but does anybody have suggestions for long-distance gifts? Two of my recommenders are in the UK (where I studied abroad for a year) and I'm not sure how to approach sending them something.

[karamazov]

9 hours ago, CanadianEnglish said:

To answer your question @karamazov about gift ideas, I gave my letters of rec writers something from my hometown. I'm a Canadian going to school in the States, so just getting a small jar of maple syrup was a safe bet (who doesn't love syrup?!). 

That is so sweet*! I think I might do something similar. Thank you! 

*no pun intended