2021 Applicants

[Kapol-in]

I know this is probably very soon but does anyone know when 2021 applications usually open (meaning you enter Fall 2022)? 

[Warelin]

2 hours ago, Kapol-in said:

I know this is probably very soon but does anyone know when 2021 applications usually open (meaning you enter Fall 2022)? 

Universities tend to set different dates for when they start accepting applications. Applications for Fall 2022 admission will likely open in August-October 2021.

[onerepublic96]

20 hours ago, Kapol-in said:

I know this is probably very soon but does anyone know when 2021 applications usually open (meaning you enter Fall 2022)? 

Last year it was right about October for me.

[merry night wanderer]

Just dropping in to mention Johns Hopkins waived the GRE general and subject test requirement.

Edited July 17, 2020 by merry night wanderer

[Herbert_and_Windhovers]

Hello lovely people, I've been lurking around the forum for quite a while and am glad to be posting for the first time; can't wait to get to know you all!

Quite nervous about going through the whole app process (especially now with COVID-19) but really love the solidarity on the forum ?. I'm an early modernist particularly interested in religious prose, allegory, classical reception theory, gender, psychoanalysis, as well as the advent of New Formalism in critical theory. 

I'm from the UK so very much unfamiliar with the dynamics of the US system though do prefer the look of the PhD structure.

[Rootbound]

On 7/19/2020 at 4:33 PM, Herbert_and_Windhovers said:

Hello lovely people, I've been lurking around the forum for quite a while and am glad to be posting for the first time; can't wait to get to know you all!

Quite nervous about going through the whole app process (especially now with COVID-19) but really love the solidarity on the forum ?. I'm an early modernist particularly interested in religious prose, allegory, classical reception theory, gender, psychoanalysis, as well as the advent of New Formalism in critical theory. 

I'm from the UK so very much unfamiliar with the dynamics of the US system though do prefer the look of the PhD structure.

I'm an early modernist at a phd program on the east coast of the US (also very into allegory), feel free to message me if you have questions!

[Herbert_and_Windhovers]

On 7/24/2020 at 4:27 PM, Rootbound said:

I'm an early modernist at a phd program on the east coast of the US (also very into allegory), feel free to message me if you have questions!

Will do! ?

[Bopie5]

I know this thread has been a little dormant this summer, probably in part because it's early in the season, but more likely because there is no one whose life hasn't been interrupted, derailed, confused, or unsettled. But I just wanted to check in and say I hope everyone's doing all right (as much as is possible).

Was curious to see where everyone's at as the fall approaches. Are you all still planning on applying, or are you delaying (or changing) your plans? What's the upcoming semester looking like, for those of you currently in programs? 

Hope everyone is well--happy to swap materials with anyone still aiming to apply!

[jadeisokay]

hey! things are going decently here, all things considered. i've been doing a german reading course and my ta training this summer, and both courses wrap up this week. tomorrow is the german exam and eek. definitely still applying to four schools including my own. this upcoming autumn quarter will be full time plus ta'ing and leading a writing seminar for first years! so a lot of fun coming up.

[SocialKonstruct]

Why do I feel that post-structuralist approaches have fallen out of favor?

I am a huge fan of Deleuze and it's because of New Formalism coming back that I decided to switch to visual art instead of English literature Ph.D. track.

[cassidyaxx]

On 7/29/2020 at 9:03 PM, Bopie5 said:

I know this thread has been a little dormant this summer, probably in part because it's early in the season, but more likely because there is no one whose life hasn't been interrupted, derailed, confused, or unsettled. But I just wanted to check in and say I hope everyone's doing all right (as much as is possible).

Was curious to see where everyone's at as the fall approaches. Are you all still planning on applying, or are you delaying (or changing) your plans? What's the upcoming semester looking like, for those of you currently in programs? 

Hope everyone is well--happy to swap materials with anyone still aiming to apply!

I've fallen off track quite a bit with my materials, as I was hoping to be done with them before August, and am not quite yet finished lol. But would definitely be willing to swap once I have more done, though! I'm still planning on applying, but I feel that many of the schools I apply to will probably end up cutting cohort sizes (UConn has been in the talks of doing so, with a push to do so by grad students with pushback from the grad exec board). So I've been planning on having multiple back up options (editing jobs, education programs, etc.) available to me in the chance that I'm not accepted to any programs. 

This will be my first semester teaching two sections of First Year Writing, so I'm a bit stressed. Both teaching as well as my seminars are online for the fall, and I assume they will be for spring as well, as I don't see the COVID situation getting any better (though of course I hope it will) in time to have a ~normal~ spring semester. Still looking forward to my seminars for fall, though!

[Port in a Storm]

Just FYI, I emailed a POI at UChicago for some clarity on this statement and was told that they are cutting admissions significantly this year and will only be admitting a handful of students, all of whom will be in Black studies. I can't speak for other institutions but I imagine others may be making similar decisions.

[jadeisokay]

oh wow, that's really neat of the english dept. i'm in cinema/media studies but don't know any internal working secrets going on.[ i wish, though, if  only for my own sake...)

[Ramus]

10 hours ago, Port in a Storm said:

 I can't speak for other institutions but I imagine others may be making similar decisions.

Can confirm. There's an ongoing debate within OSU English about whether to cut or suspend altogether 2021 grad admissions.

Edited August 3, 2020 by Ramus

[riverbender]

Hey guys! Still applying over here as well.

Just curious - is anyone else not taking the GRE this cycle? All but one of the schools I'm looking at aren't requiring it. 

Also, would LOVE to swap materials this Fall with anyone/everyone!

[jadeisokay]

i refuse to retake it. i'm not paying for it again and i don't want to ruin my beautiful 8th percentile quant score.

[Kapol-in]

What are y'alls experience surrounding how much graduate admissions take into account foreign language in their applications? I remember reading foreign language experience as a somewhat deciding factor in graduate admissions from... Somewhere... So I was wondering what you all thought about it or how you're approaching it, perhaps I'm just mistaken. 

[cruel optimism]

7 hours ago, Kapol-in said:

What are y'alls experience surrounding how much graduate admissions take into account foreign language in their applications?

For comp lit programs, it goes without saying that foreign language proficiency is by and large mandatory. But what differs between each program, and what you should note quite carefully, is how many languages they require upon admission (the information should be detailed on their admissions page, or else you could email the department to find out). Most would ask for at least two — though many applicants would have more, and they would probably also have completed some coursework in those languages — but some schools like Johns Hopkins would be willing to admit a student with only one. 

As for other English programs (I don't know about media studies or linguistics), I'd say that the same might apply even if the department doesn't explicitly require foreign language proficiency upon admission. Because most programs would demand that students acquire at least a reading knowledge of two non-English languages before they sit for their quals — and because prior knowledge of languages would reduce one's need to take on extra language classes (and consequently one's course load or even time to degree) — an applicant with more language skills would likely be preferable. Of course, this is not to suggest that knowledge of foreign languages is the most important factor in admissions for such programs (it's far from it), but language skills might just make a difference when adcomms are deciding between two closely-matched candidates. (One could make the case, for instance, for a candidate being potentially more hireable in non-US academia if they're familiar with other languages.)

Anyway, I'd say that unless you're applying to programs for which you have to meet certain language requirements at admission, don't worry so much about picking up languages now. It might give you just a slight edge over other applicants, but not any more than a good SOP/WS would. 

[Anna D.C.]

Hi, does it matter if a school email me to reapply? It was automated. But a GA before urged me to apply again. Do schools remove your email from their contacts? They stopped emailing for two months after I received my final decision. 
Thank you.   

Edited August 7, 2020 by Dann

[Anna D.C.]

On 8/5/2020 at 8:43 AM, riverbender said:

Hey guys! Still applying over here as well.

Just curious - is anyone else not taking the GRE this cycle? All but one of the schools I'm looking at aren't requiring it. 

Also, would LOVE to swap materials this Fall with anyone/everyone!

Hi, @Riverbender. May I know the schools where you are applying? I would love to exchange my SOP with applicants and hear feedback! Thank you.
 

[Bopie5]

@riverbender @cassidyaxx @Dann Sorry for the delay in response here, but I'd be happy to swap materials with anyone. My WS is on its third or fourth round of revisions, but my SoP is still very much a jumbled/incoherent first draft (complete with many parentheticals saying things like "This isn't how I want to say this" or "I want to say [xyz] but don't know how to"). PM me if anyone wants to share drafts at any stage!

[jadeisokay]

i told myself back in june that i would edit my thesis this summer to get it in good shape for a writing sample. uh, i am not there yet but once i've made some progress in the next few weeks, i will also gladly trade!

[Kapol-in]

On 8/6/2020 at 7:54 AM, cruel optimism said:

For comp lit programs, it goes without saying that foreign language proficiency is by and large mandatory. But what differs between each program, and what you should note quite carefully, is how many languages they require upon admission (the information should be detailed on their admissions page, or else you could email the department to find out). Most would ask for at least two — though many applicants would have more, and they would probably also have completed some coursework in those languages — but some schools like Johns Hopkins would be willing to admit a student with only one. 

As for other English programs (I don't know about media studies or linguistics), I'd say that the same might apply even if the department doesn't explicitly require foreign language proficiency upon admission. Because most programs would demand that students acquire at least a reading knowledge of two non-English languages before they sit for their quals — and because prior knowledge of languages would reduce one's need to take on extra language classes (and consequently one's course load or even time to degree) — an applicant with more language skills would likely be preferable. Of course, this is not to suggest that knowledge of foreign languages is the most important factor in admissions for such programs (it's far from it), but language skills might just make a difference when adcomms are deciding between two closely-matched candidates. (One could make the case, for instance, for a candidate being potentially more hireable in non-US academia if they're familiar with other languages.)

Anyway, I'd say that unless you're applying to programs for which you have to meet certain language requirements at admission, don't worry so much about picking up languages now. It might give you just a slight edge over other applicants, but not any more than a good SOP/WS would. 

I'm guessing this foreign-language experience is more of an academic one? I'm native in both Spanish and English just because of the nature of how I grew up but have never taken any Spanish classes in undergrad. 

[cruel optimism]

7 hours ago, Kapol-in said:

I'm guessing this foreign-language experience is more of an academic one? I'm native in both Spanish and English just because of the nature of how I grew up but have never taken any Spanish classes in undergrad. 

This really depends on the programs to which you're applying, as well as the sort of work you're hoping to do:

1. Does your proposed research require any understanding of Spanish/English literature? (If so, some evidence of academic work — this doesn't have to be a language class, it could also be coursework completed in a particular language — in either/both literatures would be good.)
2. Are the comp lit programs in which you're interested more traditional ones, where you're expected to engage with/specialise in some national literatures, or are they more interdisciplinary and theoretically-oriented? (In the former case, you should be prepared to work relatively independently with literary and scholarly materials in your chosen foreign languages. But in the latter case, there is usually more leeway for you to pick up languages as required — this is usually French, German, or Italian — throughout the course of your program.)

Of course, it never hurts to have any additional foreign-language experience, since it means that you'll be able to read and draw from a wider range of scholarship. But within the context of comp lit admissions, it would be helpful if your language background (even if it isn't strictly academic) is related to your research interests. Above all, however, I think that you should check with the individual departments that you're considering to find out more about their respective stances on foreign-language experience. Some schools can be particularly strict about such requirements, but other programs like Duke Lit wouldn't badger you to certify your language skills (as another student in my program said, the professors probably have much better things to do than to check if you've passed all your language tests.)

[shoegazin]

hi everyone, 

hopping on this thread to introduce myself. I'll be applying to phd programs in renaissance/early modern lit this upcoming fall with a focus on book history, authorship, manuscript culture, and poetry. 

so far, I plan to apply to University of Toronto, Penn State, Northwestern, UVA, and Rutgers. I, too, am very nervous about how COVID is impacting this application season, but i'm trying not to worry about it too much. 

excited to commiserate and get to know fellow applicants over the course of this season! also, fellow early modernists, do say hello! i'm curious to know what people are interested in and working on