2020 Applicants

[digital_lime]

Congratulations to everyone that got interviews! I'm emerging from lurking to report that I had my first fucked-up dream about graduate admissions of the season! (The admissions committee found out I threw an egg at my neighbor's house when I was, like, nine; most of the dream consisted of my POI grilling me over the phone in a never-ending, hellish loop.)

Here's hoping we all get through this without suffering emotionally too much!

Edited January 11, 2020 by digital_lime

[aussiekoala]

Congrats to everyone! Great start already. Should I take it as an indirect rejection if I didn't get an interview? :p 

[onerepublic96]

4 hours ago, NinaM said:

Congrats to everyone! Great start already. Should I take it as an indirect rejection if I didn't get an interview? ?

Same, also no interview request from Emory. ?Bit of a bummer to start with but oh well... 

[WildeThing]

4 hours ago, NinaM said:

Congrats to everyone! Great start already. Should I take it as an indirect rejection if I didn't get an interview? ?

My advice is to assume (but not act on the fact) that everything is a rejection until it isn’t. Personally it was helpful with keeping the pain to a minimum, but a no is only a no when it is official. So if acceptances have been out for a month but you’ve heard nothing, prepare yourself for the no but don’t go accepting other offers or making any big decisions (like “hey I’m rejected so I’ll just take this job in Randomville”) until you hear back. 

Sometimes you’re on an invisible list and sometimes people get interviewed while others get accepted straight off at a later date. Chicago was a big mindfuck last year for a lot of people because of this, if I recall correctly.

 

[politics 'n prose]

This is all anecdotal information that I've gleaned from avidly (obsessively?) reading old threads, but another complicating factor is that some schools only interview candidates applying in certain periods (e.g., Columbia has historically interviewed, I think, medievalists, but not others). I don't mean to traffic in false hope--and, in fact, I think @WildeThing's advice is spot-on--but the main thing to keep in mind about interviews specifically is that every school does (or doesn't do) them differently, and it's still way too early in the game to count yourself out.

Congrats to all those who are already hearing back from schools--and have heart, those who are still completely in the dark. We're just getting started!

[Indecisive Poet]

Congratulations to everyone who received interview requests! I didn't apply to Emory but three of the programs I've applied to typically do interviews, so I'm curious: how is everyone preparing for interviews, if at all? I'm not sure what to expect if (fingers crossed) I am offered an interview with any of my programs.

[Brown_Bear]

I reread one of my SOPs, and realized a sentence early on is a bit clunky. It barely works grammatically and I think that I should have omitted an extra word. Uh oh.. I hope this doesn't kill my chances .... :/. I spent so much time on the final half I may have missed a correctable error in the beginning.

[Warelin]

6 minutes ago, HPurple said:

I reread one of my SOPs, and realized a sentence early on is a bit clunky. It barely works grammatically and I think that I should have omitted an extra word. Uh oh.. I hope this doesn't kill my chances .... :/. I spent so much time on the final half I may have missed a correctable error in the beginning.

I would try not to worry about it. Programs are here to make you a better scholar and writer. If your SOP was perfect, you wouldn't need their training. I think most universities are interested in the ideas you have and your thought process behind the ideas. It might be a different story if there were a lot of typos or if there was a bad fit. However, I think an extra word or two won't be used against you.

[politics 'n prose]

Agreed. At the end of the day, the content of your SOP--how you present your academic history and research interests, how you locate those interests in the larger discipline, and how you articulate your professional goals--will matter far more than the stylistic flourishes. (Also, not to throw shade at academics, but there's certainly plenty of phraseology in published articles in English/Lit that could generously be described as, shall we say, "a bit clunky." ?) Try not to sweat it, @HPurple!

6 hours ago, Indecisive Poet said:

Congratulations to everyone who received interview requests! I didn't apply to Emory but three of the programs I've applied to typically do interviews, so I'm curious: how is everyone preparing for interviews, if at all? I'm not sure what to expect if (fingers crossed) I am offered an interview with any of my programs.

Ooo, yes, I am also curious to hear more from folks on this. I only applied to one school that seems to do interviews--and said school (Chicago) is so far out of my league anyway that the odds of me getting an interview to begin with are close to nil--but I still have no idea how to approach or prep for a hypothetical interview. (I had a dream last night--my third app-related dream of the season so far, for those of you keeping score at home--that I had a phone interview with a made-up POI at a made-up school, and it was stressful.)

[Cryss]

I only applied to 1 school that interviews also. I'm currently trying not to think about it too much just yet, but if it does happen,  I will prepare by making sure I go over my materials with a fine-tooth comb. I don't feel the need to read other materials because it's just impossible to know everything, and it's understandable to say "I haven't read that work yet, actually" if it comes up. We're obviously not scholarly experts in our sub-fields yet. Being an expert in your own work and materials, however, seems like a much better way to go, and is akin to being questioned after presenting your work at an academic conference. 

Side note: Any one else feeling more and more inadequate the closer we get to hearing back? 

 

[snorkles]

36 minutes ago, politics 'n prose said:

Agreed. At the end of the day, the content of your SOP--how you present your academic history and research interests, how you locate those interests in the larger discipline, and how you articulate your professional goals--will matter far more than the stylistic flourishes. (Also, not to throw shade at academics, but there's certainly plenty of phraseology in published articles in English/Lit that could generously be described as, shall we say, "a bit clunky." ?) Try not to sweat it, @HPurple!

Ooo, yes, I am also curious to hear more from folks on this. I only applied to one school that seems to do interviews--and said school (Chicago) is so far out of my league anyway that the odds of me getting an interview to begin with are close to nil--but I still have no idea how to approach or prep for a hypothetical interview. (I had a dream last night--my third app-related dream of the season so far, for those of you keeping score at home--that I had a phone interview with a made-up POI at a made-up school, and it was stressful.)

I think the best thing you can do to prepare for an interview is to review your materials. It can be helpful to think about how your project might branch out in the future. Being personable is also important, I believe. I've heard some intense interview stories, but mine with Chicago was very pleasant (despite my stumbling over answers and feeling extraordinarily dumb). 

[coffeelyf]

16 minutes ago, snorkles said:

I think the best thing you can do to prepare for an interview is to review your materials. It can be helpful to think about how your project might branch out in the future. Being personable is also important, I believe. I've heard some intense interview stories, but mine with Chicago was very pleasant (despite my stumbling over answers and feeling extraordinarily dumb). 

I'd second that! Having been through a MA program with lots of interaction with faculty in my program and other unis, I'd like to think that English profs are quite nice and it's best not to be too tense. For my interviews, I plan to review my materials and research the schools/programs in detail (I already did for writing the SoPs, but refreshing my memory is helpful I think). As for any job interviews, preparing questions for the interviewers is extremely important too - though I've found that can be rather difficult. UMD specifically told me that they are not going to "quiz" us on our dissertations, so that is kind of reassuring. 

Good luck to everyone! I was extremely nervous before I heard back about interviews, and now I'm still nervous af. Whatever happens happens I guess. 

[digital_lime]

40 minutes ago, snorkles said:

I think the best thing you can do to prepare for an interview is to review your materials. It can be helpful to think about how your project might branch out in the future. Being personable is also important, I believe. I've heard some intense interview stories, but mine with Chicago was very pleasant (despite my stumbling over answers and feeling extraordinarily dumb). 

My guess is that it wouldn't be a bad idea to re-read the introductions of the books written by the person with whom you're interviewing so you can engage with the stuff they've written. Thankfully, I don't have any interviews (although I did have a phone conversation with a POI, which I think went well), but I've heard from a few professors that name-dropping someone's most recent scholarship is seldom a bad idea.

[Brown_Bear]

Question for all:

I am trying to finalize my five classes for my final semester, this Spring session, and I am having a bit of an issue. I am registered for 5 classes, and when I sent my unofficial transcripts to schools during the application process, these courses appeared under the "Spring 2020" semester. If I get accepted, I understand that I will need to send a final transcript to verify that the information is correct and valid.

Here is the catch--am I able to add/drop courses for my final semester of undergraduate, even if this will change what my final transcript looks like? I don't want to have an offer rescinded because the unofficial transcript doesn't match my final one. However, I may want to take different courses now that I think about it. Please, can somebody give me a strong opinion on this? This is a low-key concern, but a concern nonetheless.

Thank you.

[CaliAcademic]

I really wouldn't worry about that. These things happen, and I highly doubt your last semester courses will be a determining factor in your admissions decision. 

[politics 'n prose]

Agreed. This shouldn’t be a problem, especially because transcripts uploaded to the application are generally understood to be unofficial (i.e., subject to change for those students whose final semester coursework is still in progress), with acceptance contingent on students furnishing a final, complete transcript. 

Think of it this way: If one of the courses you’d scheduled for the spring semester wound up being canceled by your school between when you applied to grad school and when the spring semester started, that would create a similar discrepancy between your unofficial transcript and your final transcript, through no fault of your own. Don’t sweat it!

Edited January 13, 2020 by politics 'n prose

[caffeinated applicant]

Another agreement that it likely won't change anything if your classes are different, assuming there isn't some drastic change, like you drop (or fail) five literature classes and no longer finish your major (or degree). At a lot of schools, students' class registration commonly isn't set until the end of add/drop, and like @CaliAcademic indicated, I'm sure they're not making decisions based on your senior spring, which is at best just a set of four or five classes without grades. 

If you're really quite concerned, you could perhaps send your finalized enrollment to the graduate admin/coordinator at each program, just so that they have a record that they were notified of it. (This is probably way overkill, but I can't imagine it would be a black mark on your application if it turned out to be unnecessary.) 

[merry night wanderer]

On 1/12/2020 at 4:45 AM, Indecisive Poet said:

Congratulations to everyone who received interview requests! I didn't apply to Emory but three of the programs I've applied to typically do interviews, so I'm curious: how is everyone preparing for interviews, if at all? I'm not sure what to expect if (fingers crossed) I am offered an interview with any of my programs.

Fortunately, UMD sent me a list of three questions I might be asked, so I'm writing out detailed answers to that. I'm reviewing recent scholarship; I love the "read the introductions" advice (especially since the two profs in my area at UMD are older and have a lot under their belts). And sweating bullets over my proposed project in the SoP, since it feels so speculative, but hopefully they understand the nature of the beast is speculative. I'll re-read my paper again.

Someone on the forums mentioned that pasting post-it notes with various topics to bring up on your laptop will help when you're flustered; I think that sounds like a great idea. 

Edited January 14, 2020 by merry night wanderer

[WallaceShawn]

Got an email from a member of a graduate committee at a school I applied to asking if I would like to talk on the phone. "Not a formal interview in any way, just a chat." That's not nerve-wracking at all. I think it's mostly to get me to flesh out some of my research interests and try to align them in a better way with the department than my statement does.

 

Ergh. Talking on the phone.

[Cryss]

3 hours ago, WallaceShawn said:

Got an email from a member of a graduate committee at a school I applied to asking if I would like to talk on the phone. "Not a formal interview in any way, just a chat." That's not nerve-wracking at all. I think it's mostly to get me to flesh out some of my research interests and try to align them in a better way with the department than my statement does.

 

Ergh. Talking on the phone.

Wow! That's hella scary. Great that they're interested enough to want more info from you, but still anxiety-inducing for sure. Good luck! 

[digital_lime]

4 hours ago, WallaceShawn said:

Got an email from a member of a graduate committee at a school I applied to asking if I would like to talk on the phone. "Not a formal interview in any way, just a chat." That's not nerve-wracking at all. I think it's mostly to get me to flesh out some of my research interests and try to align them in a better way with the department than my statement does.

 

Ergh. Talking on the phone.

Hey, at least it means they're interested enough in your application to take the time to speak with you. I guarantee they're not doing this to every candidate. I'd call that a win!

[ArcaMajora]

Congratulations to everyone who has received interview offers thus far! This is a very encouraging sign and it could lead to wonderful things down the line. For those that are sitting on silence so far, I want to stress that this is only the beginning. 

For those applying to UC Irvine or UC Riverside this cycle, I'm happy to field questions about the departments and the cities for both. I'm currently in the midst of wading through seminar coursework and my research so I'm not sure what the admissions committee for UCI is doing sans reading the apps right now. If the schedule and procedure from last year holds, I'm expecting calls to go out to unofficial admits by late January/early February. 

Edited January 14, 2020 by ArcaMajora

[aussiekoala]

I'm honestly going crazy here not hearing any news whatsoever about the applications. I can't even focus to work on my thesis  I wouldn't even mind getting a rejection at this point, just any kind of news to keep me going. 

[Indecisive Poet]

2 hours ago, NinaM said:

I'm honestly going crazy here not hearing any news whatsoever about the applications. I can't even focus to work on my thesis  I wouldn't even mind getting a rejection at this point, just any kind of news to keep me going. 

I totally understand your anxiety but I wouldn't worry about anything just yet. The vast majority of programs send out decisions in February and March – there are just a handful that send out interview requests in January.

If Notre Dame keeps to the same schedule as last year, you could hear from them today or tomorrow! But it may be a few days or even a week or two later this year – who knows.

[aussiekoala]

3 minutes ago, Indecisive Poet said:

I totally understand your anxiety but I wouldn't worry about anything just yet. The vast majority of programs send out decisions in February and March – there are just a handful that send out interview requests in January.

If Notre Dame keeps to the same schedule as last year, you could hear from them today or tomorrow! But it may be a few days or even a week or two later this year – who knows.

Yh I hope so, I have a list of the universities with their approximate decision dates based on previous years, but I'm just getting so impatient (I know I should practice patience and worrying won't help or rush the process, but I'm naturally an anxious person and so I just always have my email open now) (Also, does anyone wake up in the middle of the night and randomly check their emails even though there are no notifications? I'm trying to convince myself that this level of worrying is normal...).