2021 Applicants

[WildeThing]

1 hour ago, Oklash said:

The other program is less highly ranked but has a higher stipend and  awarded me an additional diversity scholarship/fellowship. So now, this school is offering almost $10k more than than what the other university is offering (22k vs 31k). This school is also only 4 hours from my current location while the highly ranked school is a 16 hour drive. So the lower ranked school also has a much cheaper moving cost. The fellowship would also look good on my CV. The program is good but truthfully, but not highly ranked. They are not as shiny of a name as #1 despite offering more money.

I don't have an answer to your question because there are so many factors and so many questions to navigate (and for the most part they have been addressed on this forum). I just wanted to say that you should make sure to investigate cost of living before making a decision based on finances. I'm sure you've already considered this, but 10k can seem like a big difference but if rent is higher at the latter place then you might find that the offers are equivalent.

I would also say, if money is the reason why you'd choose one over the other, it might be worth going back to the first school and seeing if they'd increase their offer.

[Rootbound]

8 hours ago, queenofcarrotflowers said:

 and Rutgers *might* start releasing acceptances this weekend (if not, I'm assuming next weekend, since they seem to mostly release on weekends)

I'm not sure if you're already aware of this info, but take a look at the English department's calendar. I think your estimate is spot on: https://english.rutgers.edu/news-events/events-98/range.listevents/-.html

 

[Mikha]

4 hours ago, WildeThing said:

I don't have an answer to your question because there are so many factors and so many questions to navigate (and for the most part they have been addressed on this forum). I just wanted to say that you should make sure to investigate cost of living before making a decision based on finances. I'm sure you've already considered this, but 10k can seem like a big difference but if rent is higher at the latter place then you might find that the offers are equivalent.

I would also say, if money is the reason why you'd choose one over the other, it might be worth going back to the first school and seeing if they'd increase their offer.

+1. And @Oklashif you're coming in with an MA, some schools will allow you to use that to justify a bump up in rank (and pay) immediately once you start TAing, so I'd inquire about that and take it into consideration as well when crunching the numbers.

[ShivD]

Anyone heard anything from CUNY English?

[queenofcarrotflowers]

5 hours ago, Rootbound said:

I'm not sure if you're already aware of this info, but take a look at the English department's calendar. I think your estimate is spot on: https://english.rutgers.edu/news-events/events-98/range.listevents/-.html

 

Did not know about that- thanks!! At least that's one we know when to expect!

[Emailchecker]

Hi all. Are there any offer-holders from WUSTL here? (Congrats btw!) Anyone would like to share if they are considering giving up the offer for something else?

[The Maritime Scholar]

I saw that someone posted for Auburn and University of Virginia. I'm sensing a rejection from them, since that's how it felt when I saw someone post for Illinois. Don't they usually send all the acceptances at the same time? That's why I'm thinking a rejection. 

[AnxiousBean]

9 hours ago, ShivD said:

Anyone heard anything from CUNY English?

Haven't heard anything for English. I don't think historically they do interviews. 

[Oklash]

12 hours ago, Mikha said:

+1. And @Oklashif you're coming in with an MA, some schools will allow you to use that to justify a bump up in rank (and pay) immediately once you start TAing, so I'd inquire about that and take it into consideration as well when crunching the numbers.

Wait? You can do that?

You can actually ask for a rank increase.

(and yes, I do have an MA)

[Oklash]

20 hours ago, Warelin said:

To add onto @mashatheicebear,

There are several "top" programs that don't have certain subfields. It would be rather difficult to pursue a subfield if it isn't something the university currently has. If accepted, you'll be able to do your own research on it but not having someone to guide you through that process is going to make you not feel as supported by the department. It'll also likely make the job application process more difficult.
 

There’s one university that does not have anyone in my subfield!

But after looking at their student placements, I found that they have produced a few dissertations within the field. I took it as a sign that the department was interested in the field and had a bit of experience.

I’m hesitant to make a decision until I actually speak to someone. And I am very concerned about the potential lack of support.

But if it helps anyone, try looking into and reading a few dissertations from recent graduates. See if any are in the subfield. And when meeting department talk about that project and get a sense of how the department handles your subfield. See how they could support you if you end up in this situation 

[A Small Raven]

@Bopie5 I noticed that you applied to a range of different kinds of programs at different schools - I was just wondering what you experience, underlying motivation, and application strategies etc. was for applying to such different programs? How different was your application across the different programs, did you have different letters of recommendations when applying to an english program vs. american studies or communications, etc. ? 

What made you decide to apply to such a wide range of programs? Do you have one central research interest that is able to stretch into each of these programs/departments, or do you have multiple possible research proposals, that differ based on the program?

I ask because, if I'm shut out this year (which I have a strong feeling is likely, at this point) I'm considering applying to more than just straight english programs next year, as I have a pretty unusual area of interest, and it could possibly stretch into a variety of different departments/programs. Just wondering the best way to go about this if it is what I end up doing next cycle. 

Also, congratulations on all your acceptances! That is so exciting for you!! ?

[Tybalt]

21 minutes ago, A Small Raven said:

@Bopie5 I noticed that you applied to a range of different kinds of programs at different schools - I was just wondering what you experience, underlying motivation, and application strategies etc. was for applying to such different programs? How different was your application across the different programs, did you have different letters of recommendations when applying to an english program vs. american studies or communications, etc. ? 

What made you decide to apply to such a wide range of programs? Do you have one central research interest that is able to stretch into each of these programs/departments, or do you have multiple possible research proposals, that differ based on the program?

I ask because, if I'm shut out this year (which I have a strong feeling is likely, at this point) I'm considering applying to more than just straight english programs next year, as I have a pretty unusual area of interest, and it could possibly stretch into a variety of different departments/programs. Just wondering the best way to go about this if it is what I end up doing next cycle. 

Also, congratulations on all your acceptances! That is so exciting for you!! ?

Just saw this post, and had a quick question--based on your interests, Buffalo seems like it might be an ideal fit for your work.  Did you look into them at all?

[Tybalt]

23 hours ago, 1 Pint of Ricotta said:

This has been really hard for me to deal with when it's coming down to decision making.  Is it the best school for me, or is it just the highest ranked school I got into?  I had all these personal rankings before I applied that I essentially threw out the window once I got into some USNews-well-ranked universities.  Now I'm struggling to decide how important the ranking is to my future, especially in terms of job applications.

 

Don't try to predict the job market at this stage--it will be different in any number of ways by the time you are ON said market.  For example, the big new thing when I was in my application cycle (2011) was Eco-criticism.  It seemed like every third job had Eco-crit as a primary or preferred sub-field. Five years later, when I first started tracking the market, Eco-criticism was far more rare, and digital humanities was the new big thing.  Fast forward to this year, and the overwhelming emphasis is on race and indigenous culture (long overdue, IMO, and influenced by the protests last summer).  It just isn't possible to predict what will be "hot" when you hit the market.

 

There are three major things to consider (in my view) at this stage of your career:

1- What is a target school's completion rate?  The sad reality is that a LOT of people who start PhD programs never finish them.  I started with a cohort of 8. Three of us finished the program.  Get as much data as you can on this--do NOT just trust the data released by the school.  Look at recent commencements--which professors seem to regularly have advisees graduating?  Are any of those professors working in your field?  School prestige is a great thing to have as an option, but it only means something if that school's name and your name eventually wind up on the same sheet of paper.

 

2- What kind of job are you interested in after graduation?  If you want to work at an R1/SLAC or bust, then the reality is that you need that prestige diploma.  If you are all about teaching, can see yourself teaching a 4-4 (or more) load, would be fine with a TT job at a regional public or a community college (and don't knock those--CC jobs often have a LOT of perks.  A couple of my friends went that route and couldn't be happier), then the prestige doesn't matter quite as much.  I'm in a TT job now, and the main reason I got the job was because my CV showed that I could wear a lot of hats--I'd taught a wide range of courses and they knew that would give them scheduling flexibility.  If I had come out of a top 10 program with only two or three courses in the teaching column of my CV?  I wouldn't have been offered this job.  Each path (prestige vs. less-so) opens different doors to different kinds of job markets.  The key is figuring out which kind of job you legitimately want, because making the switch is difficult in either case (to appeal to teaching heavy schools with an Ivy degree, you would need to likely spend a couple of years post-degree building up your teaching chops.  To appeal to an R1 or a SLAC with a degree outside of the top 10-20, you would likely need to get a TT position at a teaching school and rapidly publish a LOT of well-regarded material in the hopes that you could make the jump before earning tenure).

 

3- Be wary of schools where you only see ONE person that you want to work with.  The importance of the advisor/advisee relationship cannot be stressed enough, and you likely won't know until you are already there if the person you are dreaming to work with is a legit dream or a total nightmare.  You learn a lot about the faculty during coursework, and schools with multiple potential advisors in your field offer you options if your primary presumptive advisor turns out to be a bad fit. This one cycles back into the first point--grad students with poor advising are less likely to complete the degree.

[Bopie5]

1 hour ago, A Small Raven said:

@Bopie5 I noticed that you applied to a range of different kinds of programs at different schools - I was just wondering what you experience, underlying motivation, and application strategies etc. was for applying to such different programs? How different was your application across the different programs, did you have different letters of recommendations when applying to an english program vs. american studies or communications, etc. ? 

What made you decide to apply to such a wide range of programs? Do you have one central research interest that is able to stretch into each of these programs/departments, or do you have multiple possible research proposals, that differ based on the program?

I ask because, if I'm shut out this year (which I have a strong feeling is likely, at this point) I'm considering applying to more than just straight english programs next year, as I have a pretty unusual area of interest, and it could possibly stretch into a variety of different departments/programs. Just wondering the best way to go about this if it is what I end up doing next cycle. 

Also, congratulations on all your acceptances! That is so exciting for you!! ?

Hi, thanks for reaching out. I'm definitely not any kind of expert here, but I can speak to what my process was like! 

I applied to multiple programs because my research interests don't necessarily fall neatly into one department. I am really interested in television studies/media studies, and that doesn't consistently fall into one kind of department. My research proposal is largely the same, but with different framing/emphasis for each discipline. I wrote a somewhat unique SoP for each program regardless of discipline, because one thing I worked hard on this cycle was articulating fit beyond just naming professors of interest. I did a lot of research into centers, certificates, student organizations, programs, and curriculum, and talked specifically about those things in my statements. 

Basically, fit was what guided me this time, much more than last time I applied. Some Comm programs are more media studies focused, whereas at some schools Comm is much more political communication or information studies driven. Some schools sort of house media studies scholars in the English department, while some English departments are much more focused solely on literature. A good starting place for me was identifying scholars who are important to my work, and then seeing if their department would be a good fit for me in other ways (since one scholar you admire doesn't necessarily constitute good fit). 

In terms of letters of rec, I had recommenders who were very generous with their time and support. I used the same recommenders regardless of program, and I waived the right to see the letters, so I don't know how different the letters were, but I do know they varied slightly for each discipline. 

I personally think applying to multiple disciplines was the right move for me, although it certainly required much more research (for many Comm programs I looked in to, I was able to find stats as to whether the program primarily took people with Comm BA/MAs, or if their cohorts were more interdisciplinary). What initially motivated me to consider other disciplines was advice from my professors. That's what got me started in terms of thinking about jumping disciplines.

I can't say whether it would be the right thing for you since I'm not familiar with your work, but I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have over PM! And it's not over til it's over--we're still early in the cycle. Hope you get good news soon.

[Mikha]

3 hours ago, Oklash said:

Wait? You can do that?

You can actually ask for a rank increase.

(and yes, I do have an MA)

Well in my department it was less of an ask than a reminder like "oh don't forget if you already have an MA show us the paperwork so we can get you tagged properly in our system for that experience instead of making you work a redundant year to 'earn' it before you get bumped up from level 1 to level 2" — hopefully most programs do this automatically if they make pay/rank distinctions based on years of experience, but I could see this part slipping through the cracks (I know it would've for me if I hadn't been reminded)

[Warelin]

3 hours ago, Oklash said:

Wait? You can do that?

You can actually ask for a rank increase.

(and yes, I do have an MA)

Not at all schools. Some schools will have this information laid in either its handbook or FAQ. This is no option at some schools.

Also, if you're looking for a school to increase its funding, the competing school should be closely ranked.

[languageisaskin]

14 hours ago, ShivD said:

Anyone heard anything from CUNY English?

@ShivD Radio silence on the CUNY front for me. I walked by the Graduate Center this afternoon and tried to send communicative energy their way, but no luck yet... I hope you hear back soon!

[Oklash]

I’m in at Fordham! Though I am very confused by the funding. 

[A Small Raven]

4 hours ago, Tybalt said:

Just saw this post, and had a quick question--based on your interests, Buffalo seems like it might be an ideal fit for your work.  Did you look into them at all?

I did not look at Buffalo's program, but I definitely will now! I'd love to know more, are there any specific professors there who specialize in my area of interest that you could recommend looking into?

[A Small Raven]

2 hours ago, Bopie5 said:

Hi, thanks for reaching out. I'm definitely not any kind of expert here, but I can speak to what my process was like! 

I applied to multiple programs because my research interests don't necessarily fall neatly into one department. I am really interested in television studies/media studies, and that doesn't consistently fall into one kind of department. My research proposal is largely the same, but with different framing/emphasis for each discipline. I wrote a somewhat unique SoP for each program regardless of discipline, because one thing I worked hard on this cycle was articulating fit beyond just naming professors of interest. I did a lot of research into centers, certificates, student organizations, programs, and curriculum, and talked specifically about those things in my statements. 

Basically, fit was what guided me this time, much more than last time I applied. Some Comm programs are more media studies focused, whereas at some schools Comm is much more political communication or information studies driven. Some schools sort of house media studies scholars in the English department, while some English departments are much more focused solely on literature. A good starting place for me was identifying scholars who are important to my work, and then seeing if their department would be a good fit for me in other ways (since one scholar you admire doesn't necessarily constitute good fit). 

In terms of letters of rec, I had recommenders who were very generous with their time and support. I used the same recommenders regardless of program, and I waived the right to see the letters, so I don't know how different the letters were, but I do know they varied slightly for each discipline. 

I personally think applying to multiple disciplines was the right move for me, although it certainly required much more research (for many Comm programs I looked in to, I was able to find stats as to whether the program primarily took people with Comm BA/MAs, or if their cohorts were more interdisciplinary). What initially motivated me to consider other disciplines was advice from my professors. That's what got me started in terms of thinking about jumping disciplines.

I can't say whether it would be the right thing for you since I'm not familiar with your work, but I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have over PM! And it's not over til it's over--we're still early in the cycle. Hope you get good news soon.

Oh my goodness thank you so much for such a thorough response! I really appreciate it. This is my first PhD admissions cycle, and I don't think I was completely prepared for quite how competitive it would be honestly. I got my MA in England and the application process was very different than I think it is here. Definitely learning a lot this round for my PhD apps. 

[Tybalt]

1 hour ago, A Small Raven said:

I did not look at Buffalo's program, but I definitely will now! I'd love to know more, are there any specific professors there who specialize in my area of interest that you could recommend looking into?

I'm not incredibly familiar with their department, but a couple of friends of mine did their PhD's at UB, and said that the program was ridiculously strong in psychoanalytics, poetics, and theory in general.  I got the vibe that it had a kind of crunchy theory/creative vibe as well.  I did my degree an hour and change down the road at Rochester.

[EffervescentMoon]

10 hours ago, The Maritime Scholar said:

I saw that someone posted for Auburn and University of Virginia. I'm sensing a rejection from them, since that's how it felt when I saw someone post for Illinois. Don't they usually send all the acceptances at the same time? That's why I'm thinking a rejection. 

Not sure about Virginia, but I saw one PhD acceptance to Auburn last week. I saw another one again yesterday. They may just be sending out notifications over the course of time.

[Kapol-in]

Have been pretty depressed since my last post, I just barely got an acceptance from UOklahoma for their History of Science MA program; honestly didn't think I was going to be accepted anywhere, so this is nice. Downside however is that I'm an "alternate for funding" and that they're "working on funding" for me, no idea what this means, it was very vague, but hopefully it all turns out okay...

[ShivD]

11 hours ago, languageisaskin said:

@ShivD Radio silence on the CUNY front for me. I walked by the Graduate Center this afternoon and tried to send communicative energy their way, but no luck yet... I hope you hear back soon!

Thanks a lot! You too-- goodluck!

[Doc Sportello]

7 hours ago, Kapol-in said:

Have been pretty depressed since my last post, I just barely got an acceptance from UOklahoma for their History of Science MA program; honestly didn't think I was going to be accepted anywhere, so this is nice. Downside however is that I'm an "alternate for funding" and that they're "working on funding" for me, no idea what this means, it was very vague, but hopefully it all turns out okay...

Congrats!!! ?☺️ That sounds like a really interesting program-- I hope the funding works out!