2021 Applicants

[semiotic_mess]

23 minutes ago, 1 Pint of Ricotta said:

Are there certain days of the week that are more likely for results?  I really thought today would be a flood, but so far nothing..

From some intel I got from one program (that was supposed to release last week) and other programs (in philosophy depts) it seems like things are pretty delayed at some universities because of typical 'beuracracy during a pandemic' reasons that you would expect. I am trying to let go of expectations for release dates this season, but I am finding that really difficult as all of you probably are 

[factical.illusion]

46 minutes ago, semiotic_mess said:

@mashatheicebear

(And anyone that needs interview advice)

I am so, so, sorry! I had some personal stuff come up and totally forgot I promised the doc. I will just post what I have here.

My personal advice after my own interview that was very academically oriented (some of it is just reinforcing what others have said): 

 

Review your own material. Focus more on the things you mentioned in your SOP rather than researching the faculty work. I am not sure about others, but, there wasn't any point that I needed to know faculty work or could have shown this off at all (definitely worth at least knowing what each of the committee members do generally, just as context for their comments or just generally to be familiar. But this isn't more than checking the faculty website)

 

Write out an explanation of your past/current work. Take the time to do this because externalizing it will help. Then, PRACTICE SAYING IT. I wrote out my explanation and then come interview, my brain decided to do it's own thing. I wish I had practiced an elevator pitch or talking points MULTIPLE times so that I had something already ingrained in my brain. See if you can practice with a friend and have them ask about your work and future plans. 

 

Also prepare an answer for "Why X university?" or "Why are you a good fit for X?". And say something specific about the program and yourself. If you an say it about my university or candidate, it isn't a great answer.

 

Don't get thrown off by a critical comment or question. Consider it thoughtfully and if you don't have an answer don't try and BS, just say that was a good point you hadn't thought of and digging into questions like that further are part of the reason you want to get a PhD (good place to sell yourself as dedicated to academia) and then thank them for the question. They just want to see how you respond (it is nothing personal); they like you enough to interview, so don't think something critical means they don't! If you are mentally ready for them being harsh, you are either going to be prepared and not sweat it, or it turns out they were really nice and it is a nice surprise! Go into it thinking it will be like a tough conference crowd and then you won't be thrown off by critical comments or questions.

 

Remember, most of the interview is just to see that you are professional and a person they would want to be around for the next 5-6 years, so be nice, humble, and highlight your passion and dedication to the discipline and a career in academia.

 

That is all I have to add to the great advice below.

 

Most of this is not my own words, but a collection of different advice I found or was given:

____

From a professor:

 

"There could also be wildcard questions like “What do you like to do when you’re not doing philosophy?” or “What’s your favorite book?” These are designed to assess whether you have the maturity and well-rounded life to succeed in a doctoral program and not crack under the pressure. The oldie-but-goodie “Tell us about a challenge you faced, a time when you failed at something, etc.” might also surface. The most important thing here is NOT to say that you’ve never failed or faced challenges; be ready with a genuine example. Finally, they might ask you in general terms what areas of study you’re interested in, but I doubt they’d ask detailed questions designed to assess your knowledge of a specific figure or text."

 

From previous gradcafe threads:

As someone else said, feel free to admit that you haven't read something/don't know much about something. However, the best thing to do is not let that "I'm not sure, I haven't read that" end the conversation or question. Instead, try to turn the conversation back around into something you either DO know, or turn it into a relevant question. i.e. "You know, I actually haven't read much Foucault, so I don't think I'm confident speaking about his ideas of biopower. However, I have found myself really interested in X, who says Y-- and you're right that I should dive into Foucault to see what he can add to my thoughts about Z." Or, "I haven't read Frankenstein in a while, but I think you're right that it could open up an interesting question in my work. For instance, I'm really interested in... Thanks for the recommendation!" 

With the above, if someone asks you something that you REALLY know nothing about-- say they mention a theorist or author that you've never heard of-- ask for clarification! Say something like, "I don't know Jane Doe's work. What's her take on eco criticism?" Then, use their answer to similarly make connections like I said above

 Don't feel like you need to have a definitive answer. Places where they ask you something that you haven't thought through yet are a great place to (1) say where you thinking IS at, but then follow that up by saying (2) this is why you want to be in a PhD program. Great phrasing would be something like, "I really do think that the relationship between gender and the publishing industry has had a huge impact on the reception of certain authors. I think to get to a definitive answer, however, I'll have to do some archival work, which I haven't had the time to do while in my M.A. That's one of the reasons I'm really excited about the prospect of being in your program-- you have such a great collection of early publishing records, and I love the work that Dr. X has done with them."

Have some questions prepared to ask them, if they give you the opening to do so. Even if you don't really have any questions, have some-- saying "I don't have any questions" can make you seen uninterested. These questions, though, should be higher-order questions about the program, and not nitty-gritty. i.e. DO ask about recent placement, but don't ask about specific stipend questions (unless they give you the space to do so). DO ask about the availability of funding for conference travel, but don't ask about how much. After you're admitted, you can ask about details, or about the city or housing or whatever. Right now, you're just trying to get in the door.

The best advice-- for interviews, and for campus visits when y'all get to that stage-- is to fake it 'til ya make it. It's ok to say that you're nervous if you are! But also, act confident, sociable, and kind, no matter how you feel inside. I used to teach speech, and I'd tell my kids that everyone starts to feel nervous before public speaking. That's a normal, healthy, bodily response. The key is to turn those nerves into energy, rather than thinking that they mean you're going to fail, and letting them shut you up. 

 

1. This may be obvious to you, but think of the interview as you pitching your work to the department. The point of the interview is to share your work with the faculty – both the past work you've done and future work you want to do – and to explain why you are excited to do that work at that particular program. I had no idea what kinds of questions to expect – did they want to get to know me better as a potential colleague? Did they want to hear about more ideas that didn't make it into my materials? Nope – they just wanted a better idea of how all of my interests fit together and some clarification of what I've done and what I want to do, research-wise. Our conversation never strayed from my SoP and WS. Talk about your past and future work in as specific terms as possible, rooted in arguments you have made and methods/avenues of research you want to pursue

 

2. Review your statement of purpose and writing sample very carefully for at least a few days before the interview. Practice talking about them with confidence in very specific terms, and be able to explain how they link together. Do not waste time reviewing books/articles written by the faculty at that program. I spent far too much time doing this and didn't have a single opportunity to hint at my knowledge. I should have spent the time reviewing my own materials carefully.

 

3. As @urbanfarmer mentioned, do have questions prepared for your interviewers. But while questions about funding and placement may be welcome at some departments, I very much got the sense that my interviewers did not want to be asked about classes, placement, job support, teaching (whoops). They made it fairly clear at the end of the interview that I should have asked about the opportunities available to me within my specific field/subfield at the program, and what the work culture is like in those areas. I didn't think to ask about those things because I had already researched them well and I didn't want to seem like I hadn't, but in retrospect, I do not think it is necessarily a bad idea to ask questions you already know the answers to. For my next interview, I plan to begin the "question" section with "I'm really excited about University's program because of x opportunities in my Field. Would you mind talking a little bit about the opportunities and culture in Field at University so I can get a better sense of how I would fit in to your program?"

 

4. Similarly, when possible, throw in phrases reiterating that you are excited about and think you are a good fit for the program because of x. Only after my not very good interview did I realize I really just talked about me the whole time and made it seem like I didn't know or care about the program. I thought my understanding of the department's opportunities in my field and my fit with the department was evident from my statement of purpose, but in retrospect, I wish I had emphasized these things during the interview.

 

https://dukeofbookingham.tumblr.com/post/190293342155/so-ive-been-in-the-room-for-prospective-phd

____

Here are some questions I wrote for a meeting with faculty before applications that could suit an interview well (These are particular to program, but you can extrapolate for other department specifics):

 

Website mentions: What is the mentoring program? Tell me about the teaching apprenticeships? What are the certification programs? Dual degree and minors? 

 

Professional development?- info on Graduate Placement Officer, who organizes placement workshops, arranges for mock interviews and works closely with students to put together a compelling CV and dossier?

 

Support for DAAD, Fullbright applications?

 

Lecture series? reading groups? department affiliated extracurriculars

 

**Would you say that students are often involved with faculty scholarship or vice versa (research assistants, co-editors, etc.)?

 

Dissertation advisor process?- how frequently do you meet, is it one person or many, how self-directed is it?

 

For the coursework requirements, are the courses taken exclusively graduate seminars or do you take some courses that are undergraduate/graduate mixed level courses? What is the typical class size of the graduate seminars?

 

I saw that taking courses in other departments is an option, but it does not count towards philosophy credits, only as credits required by the graduate school.  Would the credits required by the graduate school normally be fulfilled by the regular program requirements entirely in the philosophy department? Would this mean that by taking courses in other departments you would be taking more credit hours than the requirements for graduation? 

 

For the foreign language requirement, is there any assistance for students to fulfill this requirement or is it something that needs to be done independently? Do you know if there are student-based study groups for this? I saw that auditing requires permission, is it common practice for students to audit language courses?

 

Question examples (and what not to ask) from a professor:

 

"Something you’ve seen on the website and want further information about — this will not only let them know that you’ve visited the website, but will also allow them to learn about some aspect of the program you’re particularly interested in

 

Opportunities for contributing to the department (e.g. whether grads are involved in organizing a lecture series, conference, or some other aspect of departmental life) — in other words, a “what can I do for you” type question

 

How they organize TAing/teaching (if not clear from the website) — it’s a good idea to find something to ask about teaching, to show that you’re exited about it and not someone who will just want to do your research and not pull your weight in the classroom

 

Placement (if not on the website) — makes it clear to them that you’re interested in an academic career and serious about completing the program"

 

Things NOT to ask (almost as important)

 

"Anything that you could easily find the answer to on their website — you don’t want it to look like you’re not invested enough to check out the website for basic information and answers to common questions   

 

Anything about specific faculty members (e.g. whether they’re taking on new advisees) — that could make everyone else feel resentful or more likely to favor candidates who might want to work with them. Questions about the faculty or the department’s strengths in general are fine, as long as it’s not about info that’s easily available online.

 

In general, avoid asking too many “what can you do for me” type questions — asking about one resource that’s particularly important to you (e.g. travel funding) is fine, but don’t ask a list of questions that will make them think you’d be a diva or high maintenance"

 

_____

I am currently on my tablet, so I will go back and edit to add the sources from the gradcafe threads (also that's why there might be some spelling or grammar mistakes, sorry!

I hope this advice helps someone! I have no idea how my interview went, so who knows if what I have to say is useful ?

@semiotic_mess Wow this is amazing - thank you! I have an not-interview on Thursday, and I'm equally not worried and freaking out.

Edited February 1, 2021 by factical.illusion
typo

[shamrox]

Hi, All,

It would seem that the lion's share of responses from BC have been issued. I'm curious for those still waiting, did you also say you'd be interested in the master's program, as well? I'm wondering if that's why my app is still in "submission" status. 

[queenofcarrotflowers]

1 hour ago, LtotheOG said:

I think we have to take into account the fact that this cycle is poised to be exceptional in more ways than one: talk about cohort size, funding, delays...

My guess is it does not conduct an interview for every admit, like many other schools and programs.

Then again, I've heard otherwise on previous threads, and it seems all who've participated in grad cafe forums and are now attending UCI were interviewed. I'm not totally sure what the answer is, but if anyone knows for sure do let us know!

[LtotheOG]

5 minutes ago, queenofcarrotflowers said:

Then again, I've heard otherwise on previous threads, and it seems all who've participated in grad cafe forums and are now attending UCI were interviewed. I'm not totally sure what the answer is, but if anyone knows for sure do let us know!

UCI english/comp lit/both?

[queenofcarrotflowers]

1 minute ago, LtotheOG said:

UCI english/comp lit/both?

English. Again, I'm pretty unsure tho

[wildsurmise]

29 minutes ago, shamrox said:

Hi, All,

It would seem that the lion's share of responses from BC have been issued. I'm curious for those still waiting, did you also say you'd be interested in the master's program, as well? I'm wondering if that's why my app is still in "submission" status. 

I'm one of the waitlisted, but I was accepted to the MA 2 years ago, and I would guess that your hypothesis is right--decisions for the MA typically go out late February/ early March. It's also possible they're still emailing the waitlistees--I got  my notification about an hour ago.

[LtotheOG]

5 minutes ago, queenofcarrotflowers said:

English. Again, I'm pretty unsure tho

No problem! Thanks for the clarification. ?

[shamrox]

1 minute ago, wildsurmise said:

I'm one of the waitlisted, but I was accepted to the MA 2 years ago, and I would guess that your hypothesis is right--decisions for the MA typically go out late February/ early March. It's also possible they're still emailing the waitlistees--I got  my notification about an hour ago.

Brilliant. Thanks and best wishes with the waitlist moving in your favor if that is your hope!

[Cordelipup]

15 minutes ago, queenofcarrotflowers said:

Then again, I've heard otherwise on previous threads, and it seems all who've participated in grad cafe forums and are now attending UCI were interviewed. I'm not totally sure what the answer is, but if anyone knows for sure do let us know!

Based on previous years, it looks like interviews are offered over the course of several days.

[languageisaskin]

@semiotic_mess Your interview post is amazing, thank you so much for sharing! I was about to start trawling the forums to find advice in preparation for an interview tomorrow, and you just saved me a lot of time and stress ?

Edited February 1, 2021 by languageisaskin

[Kapol-in]

@semiotic_messthanks a lot for your interview post, I'll surely come back to it if ever offered an interview, definitely eases the anxiety.

[semiotic_mess]

1 hour ago, LtotheOG said:

Incredibly resourceful! Thanks a ton, @semiotic_mess!

 

 

1 hour ago, factical.illusion said:

@semiotic_mess Wow this is amazing - thank you! I have an not-interview on Thursday, and I'm equally not worried and freaking out.

 

38 minutes ago, languageisaskin said:

@semiotic_mess Your interview post is amazing, thank you so much for sharing! I was about to start trawling the forums to find advice in preparation for an interview tomorrow, and you just saved me a lot of time and stress ?

 

28 minutes ago, Kapol-in said:

@semiotic_messthanks a lot for your interview post, I'll surely come back to it if ever offered an interview, definitely eases the anxiety.

No worries! Glad I could help! I know I was extremely nervous for my interview and any bit of info or advice made me feel a bit better and more prepared, so I can only hope that I can help any way I can with the trauma that is grad school applications. I tend to be an over planner (yet somehow still a procrastinator?), so I tend to go on intense internet hunts for little gold info nuggets for these kinds of things in order to feel like I have some charade of control over what's happening (I have ADHD an am extremely impatient ?. I am dying on the inside with every moment of radio silence ?)

Edited February 1, 2021 by semiotic_mess

[factical.illusion]

22 minutes ago, semiotic_mess said:

I tend to be an over planner (yet somehow still a procrastinator?)

oh wow I feel seen. ??

[EffervescentMoon]

I see there is an acceptance and a waitlist on the Results page for Vanderbilt. I wonder if all acceptance and waitlist emails have gone out for them.

[MaoistTowelette]

24 minutes ago, EffervescentMoon said:

I see there is an acceptance and a waitlist on the Results page for Vanderbilt. I wonder if all acceptance and waitlist emails have gone out for them.

Yeah I'm thinking that's all she wrote for Vanderbilt.

[haleydanielle]

26 minutes ago, EffervescentMoon said:

I see there is an acceptance and a waitlist on the Results page for Vanderbilt. I wonder if all acceptance and waitlist emails have gone out for them.

I've been nervously refreshing my portal and haven't gotten a thing... I'm still holding out hope for tomorrow, but I'm a bit nervous about it.

[EffervescentMoon]

Just now, haleydanielle said:

I've been nervously refreshing my portal and haven't gotten a thing... I'm still holding out hope for tomorrow, but I'm a bit nervous about it.

Yeah, me too. Last year, acceptances and rejections went out the same day. Since I haven't received either, maybe more acceptances will go out tomorrow.

[Cloudbury]

Any updates on Duke English? 

[haleydanielle]

Just now, EffervescentMoon said:

Yeah, me too. Last year, acceptances and rejections went out the same day. Since I haven't received either, maybe more acceptances will go out tomorrow.

That's what I'm hoping. Best of luck!! 

[EffervescentMoon]

15 minutes ago, haleydanielle said:

That's what I'm hoping. Best of luck!! 

You too!!

[cassidyaxx]

Has anyone reached out to Notre Dame at all? I'm wondering if they'll be doing interviews this year or just sending outright acceptances, but I've been hesitant to contact any programs as it's still rather early. 

[ShivD]

7 hours ago, semiotic_mess said:

@mashatheicebear

(And anyone that needs interview advice)

I am so, so, sorry! I had some personal stuff come up and totally forgot I promised the doc. I will just post what I have here.

My personal advice after my own interview that was very academically oriented (some of it is just reinforcing what others have said): 

 

Review your own material. Focus more on the things you mentioned in your SOP rather than researching the faculty work. I am not sure about others, but, there wasn't any point that I needed to know faculty work or could have shown this off at all (definitely worth at least knowing what each of the committee members do generally, just as context for their comments or just generally to be familiar. But this isn't more than checking the faculty website)

 

Write out an explanation of your past/current work. Take the time to do this because externalizing it will help. Then, PRACTICE SAYING IT. I wrote out my explanation and then come interview, my brain decided to do its own thing. I wish I had practiced an elevator pitch or talking points MULTIPLE times so that I had something already ingrained in my brain. See if you can practice with a friend and have them ask about your work and future plans. 

 

Also prepare an answer for "Why X university?" or "Why are you a good fit for X?". And say something specific about the program and yourself. If you can say it about any university or candidate, it isn't a great answer.

 

Don't get thrown off by a critical comment or question. Consider it thoughtfully and if you don't have an answer don't try and BS, just say that was a good point you hadn't thought of and digging into questions like that further are part of the reason you want to get a PhD (good place to sell yourself as dedicated to academia) and then thank them for the question. They just want to see how you respond (it is nothing personal); they like you enough to interview, so don't think something critical means they don't! If you are mentally ready for them being harsh, you are either going to be prepared and not sweat it, or it turns out they were really nice and it is a nice surprise! Go into it thinking it will be like a tough conference crowd and then you won't be thrown off by critical comments or questions.

 

Remember, most of the interview is just to see that you are professional and a person they would want to be around for the next 5-6 years, so be nice, humble, and highlight your passion and dedication to the discipline and a career in academia.

 

That is all I have to add to the great advice below.

 

Most of this is not my own words, but a collection of different advice I found or was given:

____

From a professor:

 

"There could also be wildcard questions like “What do you like to do when you’re not doing philosophy?” or “What’s your favorite book?” These are designed to assess whether you have the maturity and well-rounded life to succeed in a doctoral program and not crack under the pressure. The oldie-but-goodie “Tell us about a challenge you faced, a time when you failed at something, etc.” might also surface. The most important thing here is NOT to say that you’ve never failed or faced challenges; be ready with a genuine example. Finally, they might ask you in general terms what areas of study you’re interested in, but I doubt they’d ask detailed questions designed to assess your knowledge of a specific figure or text."

 

From previous gradcafe threads:

As someone else said, feel free to admit that you haven't read something/don't know much about something. However, the best thing to do is not let that "I'm not sure, I haven't read that" end the conversation or question. Instead, try to turn the conversation back around into something you either DO know, or turn it into a relevant question. i.e. "You know, I actually haven't read much Foucault, so I don't think I'm confident speaking about his ideas of biopower. However, I have found myself really interested in X, who says Y-- and you're right that I should dive into Foucault to see what he can add to my thoughts about Z." Or, "I haven't read Frankenstein in a while, but I think you're right that it could open up an interesting question in my work. For instance, I'm really interested in... Thanks for the recommendation!" 

With the above, if someone asks you something that you REALLY know nothing about-- say they mention a theorist or author that you've never heard of-- ask for clarification! Say something like, "I don't know Jane Doe's work. What's her take on eco criticism?" Then, use their answer to similarly make connections like I said above

 Don't feel like you need to have a definitive answer. Places where they ask you something that you haven't thought through yet are a great place to (1) say where you thinking IS at, but then follow that up by saying (2) this is why you want to be in a PhD program. Great phrasing would be something like, "I really do think that the relationship between gender and the publishing industry has had a huge impact on the reception of certain authors. I think to get to a definitive answer, however, I'll have to do some archival work, which I haven't had the time to do while in my M.A. That's one of the reasons I'm really excited about the prospect of being in your program-- you have such a great collection of early publishing records, and I love the work that Dr. X has done with them."

Have some questions prepared to ask them, if they give you the opening to do so. Even if you don't really have any questions, have some-- saying "I don't have any questions" can make you seen uninterested. These questions, though, should be higher-order questions about the program, and not nitty-gritty. i.e. DO ask about recent placement, but don't ask about specific stipend questions (unless they give you the space to do so). DO ask about the availability of funding for conference travel, but don't ask about how much. After you're admitted, you can ask about details, or about the city or housing or whatever. Right now, you're just trying to get in the door.

The best advice-- for interviews, and for campus visits when y'all get to that stage-- is to fake it 'til ya make it. It's ok to say that you're nervous if you are! But also, act confident, sociable, and kind, no matter how you feel inside. I used to teach speech, and I'd tell my kids that everyone starts to feel nervous before public speaking. That's a normal, healthy, bodily response. The key is to turn those nerves into energy, rather than thinking that they mean you're going to fail, and letting them shut you up. 

 

1. This may be obvious to you, but think of the interview as you pitching your work to the department. The point of the interview is to share your work with the faculty – both the past work you've done and future work you want to do – and to explain why you are excited to do that work at that particular program. I had no idea what kinds of questions to expect – did they want to get to know me better as a potential colleague? Did they want to hear about more ideas that didn't make it into my materials? Nope – they just wanted a better idea of how all of my interests fit together and some clarification of what I've done and what I want to do, research-wise. Our conversation never strayed from my SoP and WS. Talk about your past and future work in as specific terms as possible, rooted in arguments you have made and methods/avenues of research you want to pursue

 

2. Review your statement of purpose and writing sample very carefully for at least a few days before the interview. Practice talking about them with confidence in very specific terms, and be able to explain how they link together. Do not waste time reviewing books/articles written by the faculty at that program. I spent far too much time doing this and didn't have a single opportunity to hint at my knowledge. I should have spent the time reviewing my own materials carefully.

 

3. As @urbanfarmer mentioned, do have questions prepared for your interviewers. But while questions about funding and placement may be welcome at some departments, I very much got the sense that my interviewers did not want to be asked about classes, placement, job support, teaching (whoops). They made it fairly clear at the end of the interview that I should have asked about the opportunities available to me within my specific field/subfield at the program, and what the work culture is like in those areas. I didn't think to ask about those things because I had already researched them well and I didn't want to seem like I hadn't, but in retrospect, I do not think it is necessarily a bad idea to ask questions you already know the answers to. For my next interview, I plan to begin the "question" section with "I'm really excited about University's program because of x opportunities in my Field. Would you mind talking a little bit about the opportunities and culture in Field at University so I can get a better sense of how I would fit in to your program?"

 

4. Similarly, when possible, throw in phrases reiterating that you are excited about and think you are a good fit for the program because of x. Only after my not very good interview did I realize I really just talked about me the whole time and made it seem like I didn't know or care about the program. I thought my understanding of the department's opportunities in my field and my fit with the department was evident from my statement of purpose, but in retrospect, I wish I had emphasized these things during the interview.

 

https://dukeofbookingham.tumblr.com/post/190293342155/so-ive-been-in-the-room-for-prospective-phd

____

Here are some questions I wrote for a meeting with faculty before applications that could suit an interview well (These are particular to program, but you can extrapolate for other department specifics):

 

Website mentions: What is the mentoring program? Tell me about the teaching apprenticeships? What are the certification programs? Dual degree and minors? 

 

Professional development?- info on Graduate Placement Officer, who organizes placement workshops, arranges for mock interviews and works closely with students to put together a compelling CV and dossier?

 

Support for DAAD, Fullbright applications?

 

Lecture series? reading groups? department affiliated extracurriculars

 

**Would you say that students are often involved with faculty scholarship or vice versa (research assistants, co-editors, etc.)?

 

Dissertation advisor process?- how frequently do you meet, is it one person or many, how self-directed is it?

 

For the coursework requirements, are the courses taken exclusively graduate seminars or do you take some courses that are undergraduate/graduate mixed level courses? What is the typical class size of the graduate seminars?

 

I saw that taking courses in other departments is an option, but it does not count towards philosophy credits, only as credits required by the graduate school.  Would the credits required by the graduate school normally be fulfilled by the regular program requirements entirely in the philosophy department? Would this mean that by taking courses in other departments you would be taking more credit hours than the requirements for graduation? 

 

For the foreign language requirement, is there any assistance for students to fulfill this requirement or is it something that needs to be done independently? Do you know if there are student-based study groups for this? I saw that auditing requires permission, is it common practice for students to audit language courses?

 

Question examples (and what not to ask) from a professor:

 

"Something you’ve seen on the website and want further information about — this will not only let them know that you’ve visited the website, but will also allow them to learn about some aspect of the program you’re particularly interested in

 

Opportunities for contributing to the department (e.g. whether grads are involved in organizing a lecture series, conference, or some other aspect of departmental life) — in other words, a “what can I do for you” type question

 

How they organize TAing/teaching (if not clear from the website) — it’s a good idea to find something to ask about teaching, to show that you’re exited about it and not someone who will just want to do your research and not pull your weight in the classroom

 

Placement (if not on the website) — makes it clear to them that you’re interested in an academic career and serious about completing the program"

 

Things NOT to ask (almost as important)

 

"Anything that you could easily find the answer to on their website — you don’t want it to look like you’re not invested enough to check out the website for basic information and answers to common questions   

 

Anything about specific faculty members (e.g. whether they’re taking on new advisees) — that could make everyone else feel resentful or more likely to favor candidates who might want to work with them. Questions about the faculty or the department’s strengths in general are fine, as long as it’s not about info that’s easily available online.

 

In general, avoid asking too many “what can you do for me” type questions — asking about one resource that’s particularly important to you (e.g. travel funding) is fine, but don’t ask a list of questions that will make them think you’d be a diva or high maintenance"

 

_____

I am currently on my tablet, so I will go back and edit to add the sources from the gradcafe threads (also that's why there might be some spelling or grammar mistakes, sorry!

I hope this advice helps someone! I have no idea how my interview went, so who knows if what I have to say is useful ?

This is SUPER HELPFUL! Thanks so much for putting this together and sharing your own experience. I have an interview coming up next week and I really needed this!

[ShivD]

Also, did anyone apply to CUNY English program? Heard anything?

[R Westy]

2 minutes ago, ShivD said:

Also, did anyone apply to CUNY English program? Heard anything?

I applied to CUNY and haven’t heard anything. I think they usually notify a bit later so I’m not too stressed yet.