2020 Applicants

[xuyixin]

On 1/29/2020 at 12:52 AM, karamazov said:

Did anyone apply to the University of South Carolina? Last year they sent out decisions on January 23rd so I'm getting anxious... I've considered calling but since it's still relatively early I'm not sure if that would be jumping the gun. 

I get their email for acceptance. How about you now?

[cruel optimism]

2 hours ago, pre-raphaelite said:

I am a first time poster (currently fretting over my application to Cornell) and the above posts have me mortified. I worry that I've gone too far in the other direction and treated my SoP a little too much like a project proposal. I'm a bit of a neurotic—and I know this time of the application cycle is ripe for neurosis—but I can't help but wish I had found GradCafe a little earlier... a reminder to personalize my SoP would have been useful. 

If it's to anyone's comfort, I don't think there's any one particularly "right" way of approaching the SOP, given that I've received tons of contradictory advice from applicants, current grad students, and professors alike on how to structure such a tricky piece of writing. And of course, depending on one's own personal/academic trajectory, there are likely varying aspects of the SOP that one might like to stress more (MA students might more often discuss their conference papers/presentations; someone with an unconventional life trajectory might want to discuss their own experiences; a student applying with a concrete project in mind might have some of the details laid out, etc). 

I'd also like to point out that different programs — or even readers, for that matter — appear to have their own expectations and preferences (for instance, it seems like comp lit/interdisciplinary programs favour SOPs that read like project proposals, because the nature of their work tends to be more individualised), so it's quite hard to say for certain what the departments to which you're applying want, really. In any case, there are far more factors than the SOP alone that matter in the admissions process (writing samples, fit, availability of resources, and so on), almost all of which are out of our control for now, so let's just hope for the best! 

[coffeelyf]

3 hours ago, pre-raphaelite said:

hello! 

I am a first time poster (currently fretting over my application to Cornell) and the above posts have me mortified. I worry that I've gone too far in the other direction and treated my SoP a little too much like a project proposal. I'm a bit of a neurotic—and I know this time of the application cycle is ripe for neurosis—but I can't help but wish I had found GradCafe a little earlier... a reminder to personalize my SoP would have been useful. 

But, the SoP has been written, submitted, and reviewed by my professors, so I suppose there's not much I can do. 

I think the specific-general balance is really hard to strike, and also depends a lot on what your field/interests/actual ideas actually are. For me applying with a MA, I had a really specific idea and specific questions after doing my thesis, but I was told to take a step back and make my ideas a bit more general. I thought that was helpful, but I still offered some questions I'm interested in asking, my general lenses, etc. From the perspective of the readers, those questions would help them see how you think and how your approach aligns with their department and specific professors. That's the sense I got from an interview I had recently with a rather high-ranked program. And programs also know that your interests and questions would change down the line. I truly sympathize with your worries, but as you said, it's gone and submitted now, and I find there is really no "right" way of writing a SoP!

[Cryss]

1 hour ago, coffeelyf said:

I think the specific-general balance is really hard to strike, and also depends a lot on what your field/interests/actual ideas actually are. For me applying with a MA, I had a really specific idea and specific questions after doing my thesis, but I was told to take a step back and make my ideas a bit more general. I thought that was helpful, but I still offered some questions I'm interested in asking, my general lenses, etc. From the perspective of the readers, those questions would help them see how you think and how your approach aligns with their department and specific professors. That's the sense I got from an interview I had recently with a rather high-ranked program. And programs also know that your interests and questions would change down the line. I truly sympathize with your worries, but as you said, it's gone and submitted now, and I find there is really no "right" way of writing a SoP!

This is what I did too. I wrote the direction I can see my project going in and also wrote some questions I'd want to tackle that can contribute to the field/current conversations. 

 I agree with you. I don't think there's a "right" SoP either. Everything in this field is subjective, and the success of your SoP can change based on who reads it and what expectations they have at that particular time, which cannot be fully anticipated. I feel it's important to do your best, be genuine in your SoP, and be confident in what you submitted (at the time of submission, not during the waiting period when we're cringing at ourselves and questioning our every decision). 

[Indecisive Poet]

14 hours ago, Wimsey said:

I also want to reassure everyone that it is okay not to treat the SoP as a project proposal. In fact, when I was revising my statement of purpose, one of my professors critiqued it for being too focused on a specific course of study. He recommended that I use phrases like "I'm interested in x" or "I'm curious to learn more about y," rather than "I will research x through the lens of y." Another prof emphasized that grad school is meant to train us as scholars and that programs don't expect (and maybe don't even want) their applicants to be committed to a fully delineated research project.

This is great advice. The SoP is not a research proposal – I wrote proposals for the two British programs I applied to, and they are very different exercises. Around November, I sent what I thought was a very good SoP to an acquaintance of mine currently attending a top-20 program and he told me it was well-written but too narrow; too focused on one methodology and not personal/voice-y enough. I did a top-down revision to broaden out my area of interest considerably and inject more of myself as a human being in there, and although at the time I was worried that it might be too general and too vague, I now see that that was absolutely the right decision and I'm very grateful for the advice. In fact, my final draft didn't have any wording that was explicit about what I might write my dissertation on – I just mentioned the general direction I want to go in, how it leaps off of my previous work, and a couple of different, more specific lines of inquiry I might look into (i.e. "For example, how does x author approach y?"). I didn't specify what might be a seminar paper, what an article, or what a dissertation.

I think above all (and I emailed with a couple of POIs who confirmed this back in the fall), admissions committees are looking for you to have in mind the particular period you'd like to study and to display a strong commitment to (and ideally background in) that period. They want to know which authors you're interested in, which methodologies/approaches appeal to you, and how some of your academic experiences have helped to shape your interests. I do not think any (American) faculty members are looking for dissertation proposals or treatises on very narrow approaches to a period's literature.

Edited February 3, 2020 by Indecisive Poet

[aussiekoala]

Good luck to everybody waiting on decisions this week!

[alphabet soup]

Good morning to all,

I have been silently creeping on this page and finally made an account to join in on the panicking during this dreadful waiting period. According to the results page, my top pick, Carnegie Mellon, had informed a few people through email on Saturday that they were waitlisted. And when I had emailed my POI before, he told me that they would have the results by the end of the month (January). It is February now and some people apparently received emails about being waitlisted, yet, my inbox is still waiting.

Should I take this as a good sign since the people who were contacted were all waitlisted? I am close to dying here of stress haha.

[WildeThing]

Small note on SoPs (not sure if I've said this before): one of the people in my cohort and I read each other's SoPs one day to see if we could spot trends (especially since we both came off the waitlist). They were completely different. One of them was less specific about the work of the POIs here and broad about what the project would be, but more detailed about how previous work had led them to that point. The other barely discussed previous work, presented a fairly specific project, and cited specific POI articles. In other words, they were as different as they could be but we both made it to the same place. It sucks, but there's just no way to know what works until after the fact, and even then, you don't really know why. The only thing that seems true across the board is that what you write is not a binding contract.

[meghan_sparkle]

In at Chicago. First notification of season. Holy mother of...

(For some reason my content is still moderated so this probably won't even be approved by mods for hours but .... !!!!)

 

Edited February 3, 2020 by meghan_sparkle

[theburiedgirl815]

20 hours ago, LearsFool said:

I've been expecting a rejection ever since decisions started coming out, especially since someone on the board who got accepted mentioned that their research is in disability studies which is the same as mine. It would still be a huge disappointment though since it's one of my top schools. 

The wait is killing me. I know I won't get in everywhere I apply, but I would still like to choose between at least two programs. I'm beyond thrilled that I got an interview invite for Emory because that's my dream program, but I'm starting to get more and more nervous as the days go on and I'm hearing nothing from any other schools (besides Duke, which I knew was a long shot to begin with...). The problem with my focus (Irish studies) is that there are very few programs in the US that have well-developed Irish Studies programs and faculty who would be willing to take on a doctoral student that offer decent funding on top of it. I'm hoping the Emory interview goes well, and also keeping my fingers crossed for UT Austin (my thesis director got his doctorate there and was one of my recommenders so I'm hoping that will help even if just a little). 

I just would rather know sooner rather than later if I'm going to have to rethink my plans for the fall because I need to start looking at alternatives.

I feel like the application and waiting process takes at least 10 years off my life. 

[ja.col]

I've been a long time lurker on this forum, and used it for some great advice earlier in 2019. So I thought, you know, good time to post that I got my first decision of the cycle, and it was an offer from the University of Chicago. !!?

[Cryss]

6 minutes ago, ja.col said:

I've been a long time lurker on this forum, and used it for some great advice earlier in 2019. So I thought, you know, good time to post that I got my first decision of the cycle, and it was an offer from the University of Chicago. !!?

Congratulations!!!! That's amazing news to start your cycle off!

[ecogoth]

54 minutes ago, theburiedgirl815 said:

The wait is killing me. I know I won't get in everywhere I apply, but I would still like to choose between at least two programs. I'm beyond thrilled that I got an interview invite for Emory because that's my dream program, but I'm starting to get more and more nervous as the days go on and I'm hearing nothing from any other schools (besides Duke, which I knew was a long shot to begin with...). The problem with my focus (Irish studies) is that there are very few programs in the US that have well-developed Irish Studies programs and faculty who would be willing to take on a doctoral student that offer decent funding on top of it. I'm hoping the Emory interview goes well, and also keeping my fingers crossed for UT Austin (my thesis director got his doctorate there and was one of my recommenders so I'm hoping that will help even if just a little). 

I just would rather know sooner rather than later if I'm going to have to rethink my plans for the fall because I need to start looking at alternatives.

I feel like the application and waiting process takes at least 10 years off my life. 

I hope things work out in your favor this cycle - but, if they don't, I would recommend looking into Boston College! Among other areas, they have a strong emphasis on Irish studies - as well as additional funding for PhD students focusing in on Irish lit. That being said, I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for you for this current cycle!

[jm6394]

Saw some Columbia interview requests go up on the results page. Anyone know if no interview = rejection? I have zero expectations of being considered there (not even a great fit I don’t think) but I’m in NY so I shot my shot. 

[Rrandle101]

Hey just a heads up, I'm the goofball that messed up the UT Austin waitlist notification on the results page. Got a very nice email just now about it from their graduate office about it but my portal still hasn't been updated. Hopefully more emails from them go out today for other people about acceptances/waitlist notifications!

[onerepublic96]

26 minutes ago, jm6394 said:

Saw some Columbia interview requests go up on the results page. Anyone know if no interview = rejection? I have zero expectations of being considered there (not even a great fit I don’t think) but I’m in NY so I shot my shot. 

would love to know the answer to that as well 

[Wimsey]

31 minutes ago, jm6394 said:

Saw some Columbia interview requests go up on the results page. Anyone know if no interview = rejection? I have zero expectations of being considered there (not even a great fit I don’t think) but I’m in NY so I shot my shot. 

I've seen in other threads that you can be accepted even without an interview. I also recall reading that interviewed applicants tend to be in medieval or early modern subfields, but I'm not sure if that's accurate for this year.

[digital_lime]

Just looked over my application for UVa because I'm obsessive and in my SoP I mentioned how much I'd like to participate in department life at a completely different school from which I copied and pasted that paragraph 

So that's cool and great   

(And if anyone's feeling insecure about their SoPs, at least you didn't do what I have done!!)

[theburiedgirl815]

42 minutes ago, ecogoth said:

I hope things work out in your favor this cycle - but, if they don't, I would recommend looking into Boston College! Among other areas, they have a strong emphasis on Irish studies - as well as additional funding for PhD students focusing in on Irish lit. That being said, I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for you for this current cycle!

Thank you! I did consider BC in my first application cycle in 2016, but I am trying to avoid taking the subject GRE as much as possible, since I don't do too well with standardized tests. Boston is also reaaaaaally expensive for living, but I might consider it in the future. 

 

[Warelin]

1 hour ago, meghan_sparkle said:

In at Chicago. First notification of season. Holy mother of...

(For some reason my content is still moderated so this probably won't even be approved by mods for hours but .... !!!!)

 

 

1 hour ago, ja.col said:

I've been a long time lurker on this forum, and used it for some great advice earlier in 2019. So I thought, you know, good time to post that I got my first decision of the cycle, and it was an offer from the University of Chicago. !!?

Congrats to both of you!

[theburiedgirl815]

Ask for and you shall receive.

Just got a no from UT Austin. ?

[inchoate-eyes]

3 minutes ago, theburiedgirl815 said:

Ask for and you shall receive.

Just got a no from UT Austin. ?

I just got rejected too. Kind of a bummer. 

[emotional haircut]

6 minutes ago, digital_lime said:

Just looked over my application for UVa because I'm obsessive and in my SoP I mentioned how much I'd like to participate in department life at a completely different school from which I copied and pasted that paragraph 

So that's cool and great   

(And if anyone's feeling insecure about their SoPs, at least you didn't do what I have done!!)

Oof. If it makes you feel better, I did the exact same thing this cycle.

[agunns]

5 minutes ago, theburiedgirl815 said:

Ask for and you shall receive.

Just got a no from UT Austin. ?

I also just received a rejection from UT Austin. Definitely a blow because it was my top choice. 

[onerepublic96]

I'm still dreaming of a phone call from Northwestern but the silence this Monday morning isn't too encouraging...