Comp Lit 2021 Applicants

[mnelmcar07]

Since no one has created a thread specifically for comp lit applicants this year, I figured I might as well initiate one just to ease some of my excruciating anxiety, and hopefully that of a few other comp lit friends - how have y'all been holding up at this point in the cycle?

What programs have you applied to? Have you heard back from any so far? What are your languages/areas of study?

Looking at the result page, it seems to me that the majority of comp lit programs do not require interviews for admission (or maybe the sample size is simply too small to be representative, who knows). 

[factical.illusion]

@mnelmcar07 Thanks for starting this thread. It seems to be a quiet year for comp lit. I have an "interview" with Yale comp lit later this week. I got an email for a request to "speak briefly" last week. From what I have dug up here, an interview could be just a formality (it's required for depts by the grad school) but also people have been rejected after an interview, according to the results page. With the weird and statistically likely more competitive cycle this year, it seems like a toss up. Anyway it's nice to have gotten an interview since I only applied to Yale this year, since I am already in a PhD program. 

Edited February 2, 2021 by factical.illusion

[Kapol-in]

Got pretty depressed with Comp Lit when I saw that UOregon closed their admissions for Fall 2021, I really liked one of their faculty members. I think the only comp lit program I applied for was Cornell.

[mnelmcar07]

11 hours ago, factical.illusion said:

@mnelmcar07 Thanks for starting this thread. It seems to be a quiet year for comp lit. I have an "interview" with Yale comp lit later this week. I got an email for a request to "speak briefly" last week. From what I have dug up here, an interview could be just a formality (it's required for depts by the grad school) but also people have been rejected after an interview, according to the results page. With the weird and statistically likely more competitive cycle this year, it seems like a toss up. Anyway it's nice to have gotten an interview since I only applied to Yale this year, since I am already in a PhD program. 

Congratulations! You must be the only Yale interview post I saw on the results page. I also applied there but haven't heard back. I assume that's an implied rejection. 

I haven't heard of many people who transfer institutions in a PhD program. How does that work for you?

Best of luck for the interview this week!

[mnelmcar07]

 

11 hours ago, Kapol-in said:

Got pretty depressed with Comp Lit when I saw that UOregon closed their admissions for Fall 2021, I really liked one of their faculty members. I think the only comp lit program I applied for was Cornell.

Similar here. I wanted to apply for the UChicago Comp Lit and after they closed I opted for the notoriously mysterious Social Thought department that has quite a few overlap faculty members with CompLit, though it seems to accept very few people each year. Now I feel like out of the seven PhD applications I submitted, only three (and three really competitive ones) are what I would be genuinely happy to attend. Even though it might be too early to know, chances are I'll be reapplying next cycle. 

I see that you're going for Oregon's philosophy program. Hope that works out well! 

 

[surplus_value]

Hey team, solidarity to you all in this most agonizing part of the season — and good luck!! Kind of strange keeping up with the results page in Comp Lit considering how few applicants there seem to be (who use this site at least). 

I was lucky enough to have an interview with UC Irvine but don't really feel like I was at my sharpest. Sort of wish I could have that one back, but oh well. A professsor there recommended that I also apply to both CL and Culture and Theory (which was my top choice if pressed to choose).

Anyone else here looking at interdisciplinary programs in addition to Comp Lit?

[LtotheOG]

16 minutes ago, surplus_value said:

was lucky enough to have an interview with UC Irvine but don't really feel like I was at my sharpest. Sort of wish I could have that one back, but oh well. A professsor there recommended that I also apply to both CL and Culture and Theory (which was my top choice if pressed to choose).

Hey, how standard is an interview for Irvine’s CL? I applied, and never heard back. Great fit, great correspondence, hence great expectations.... ?

[LtotheOG]

18 minutes ago, surplus_value said:

Anyone else here looking at interdisciplinary programs in addition to Comp Lit?

Also applied to Stanford’s modern thought and literature... 

[semiotic_mess]

Friend was just accepted to University at Buffalo's Comp Lit program

[Kapol-in]

49 minutes ago, mnelmcar07 said:

 

Similar here. I wanted to apply for the UChicago Comp Lit and after they closed I opted for the notoriously mysterious Social Thought department that has quite a few overlap faculty members with CompLit, though it seems to accept very few people each year. Now I feel like out of the seven PhD applications I submitted, only three (and three really competitive ones) are what I would be genuinely happy to attend. Even though it might be too early to know, chances are I'll be reapplying next cycle. 

I see that you're going for Oregon's philosophy program. Hope that works out well! 

 

Thanks! Yea, I still wanted to apply to UOregon so I chose the next big thing--a faculty member there and I share similar interests.

[semiotic_mess]

Also thanks for this thread! I am a philosophy Master's student so I applied to about 10 philosophy programs and 3 comp lit, which are Duke Literature (which I was interviewed for and am (un)patiently waiting to hear back from), University at Buffalo Comp Lit (which my partner is at), and Emory Comp Lit. I applied to more Philosophy programs, but I think I realized I would rather do Comp Lit ? 

In reduced terms, I do 20th century Continental Phil (Social & Political Phil, Deleuze and Foucault), Psychoanalysis, Queer theory, and Media Studies (but I vary how I frame these depending on the kind of program).

And as for how we are holding up, tbh I have not been holding up well. I am already susceptible to manic episodes and anxiety/panic episodes, so this process has exacerbated everything  and I have been dealing with some extreme ups and downs the past week ?

[factical.illusion]

1 hour ago, mnelmcar07 said:

I haven't heard of many people who transfer institutions in a PhD program. How does that work for you?

Best of luck for the interview this week!

@mnelmcar07 I actually know a few people who transferred to Yale from my current school (Hopkins; one was already ABD, but moved with his advisor; they made him redo coursework lol). This year was always going to be a wash, but I am of course more than grateful to be in a funded program on fellowship this AY. I work in relatively niche languages (Nordic, Russian, German), in modes that my current school is not as strong as I thought in (environmental studies/humanities/philosophy, film/media studies) and one that it is (equal focus on literature and philosophy/thought). Hopkins is obviously a good school; its humanities programs are small yet solid and as interdisciplinary as the faculty resources allow. I am plenty self-sufficient, but I am very picky (and a little stubborn), so if I can make a move to a better milieu for my work, I will. I only applied to two schools for my MA (UW-Madison, UW-Seattle; accepted and recruited at both), and only two for my PhD (acceptance, and waitlist-turned-administratively forced rejection). So far it's more or less worked out for me. 

And thanks! Best of luck to you! I have seen almost no comp lit chatter, so who knows how it well end. What seems to be certain is that each admissions committee that is taking apps is getting a firehose of them.

Edited February 2, 2021 by factical.illusion

[LtotheOG]

2 minutes ago, semiotic_mess said:

Also thanks for this thread! I am a philosophy Master's student so I applied to about 10 philosophy programs and 3 comp lit, which are Duke Literature (which I was interviewed for and am (un)patiently waiting to hear back from), University at Buffalo Comp Lit (which my partner is at), and Emory Comp Lit. I applied to more Philosophy programs, but I think I realized I would rather do Comp Lit ? 

In reduced terms, I do 20th century Continental Phil (Social & Political Phil, Deleuze and Foucault), Psychoanalysis, Queer theory, and Media Studies (but I vary how I frame these depending on the kind of program).

And as for how we are holding up, tbh I have not been holding up well. I am already susceptible to manic episodes and anxiety/panic episodes, so this process has exacerbated everything  and I have been dealing with some extreme ups and downs the past week ?

Thanks for sharing! We have Emory’s CL and Duke’s Lit in common. Heard back from nowhere, and I’ve kinda given up hope but have not been able to move on..

won’t go into my history here; have interests in psychoanalysis, Heidegger, theories of subjectivity, poetry and philosophy, and subaltern literature.

best to all!

[factical.illusion]

53 minutes ago, surplus_value said:

I was lucky enough to have an interview with UC Irvine but don't really feel like I was at my sharpest.

@surplus_valueCongrats! One of my MA committee members graduated from UCI and loved it (and not only because she got a TT job). Good luck! Sending good vibez!

[factical.illusion]

19 minutes ago, semiotic_mess said:

And as for how we are holding up, tbh I have not been holding up well. I am already susceptible to manic episodes and anxiety/panic episodes, so this process has exacerbated everything  and I have been dealing with some extreme ups and downs the past week

Is it just me or does nothing anyone tells us to do to cope work? Besides daydreaming about good outcomes and vindictive/passive-aggressive emails in response to a rejection/waitlist that I would never send but imagine getting satisfying feelings from, I go on a lot of long walks without my phone and lean into the distraction and daydreaming.

Edited February 2, 2021 by factical.illusion

[mnelmcar07]

12 minutes ago, semiotic_mess said:

Also thanks for this thread! I am a philosophy Master's student so I applied to about 10 philosophy programs and 3 comp lit, which are Duke Literature (which I was interviewed for and am (un)patiently waiting to hear back from), University at Buffalo Comp Lit (which my partner is at), and Emory Comp Lit. I applied to more Philosophy programs, but I think I realized I would rather do Comp Lit ? 

In reduced terms, I do 20th century Continental Phil (Social & Political Phil, Deleuze and Foucault), Psychoanalysis, Queer theory, and Media Studies (but I vary how I frame these depending on the kind of program).

And as for how we are holding up, tbh I have not been holding up well. I am already susceptible to manic episodes and anxiety/panic episodes, so this process has exacerbated everything  and I have been dealing with some extreme ups and downs the past week ?

Congrats on the interview - that's definitely a good sign! I received a rejection from Berkeley about two weeks ago, which was also my first and only result so far. Though it wasn't my top choice, I've felt quite hopeless about this entire cycle since then (how naively hopeful I was when I submitted all my apps lol). Just been impulsively checking websites and unable to really concentrate on anything.

Hope we can all move on to somewhere exciting after this month or so! Rejection or not, I just wish to hear back now so I could at least be settled with other plans :((

[factical.illusion]

2 minutes ago, mnelmcar07 said:

Just been impulsively checking websites and unable to really concentrate on anything.

I feel that. It's amazing how much I've learned through compulsive gradcafe scrolling about programs that are completely unrelated to anything I've ever thought about. Anxious procrastination at its finest. ?

Edited February 2, 2021 by factical.illusion

[LtotheOG]

3 minutes ago, mnelmcar07 said:

Rejection or not, I just wish to hear back now so I could at least be settled with other plans :((

DITTO

[LtotheOG]

6 minutes ago, factical.illusion said:

Is it just me or does nothing anyone tells us to do to cope work?

I wouldn’t know really — no one tells me anything, or perhaps I don’t listen?

[mnelmcar07]

17 minutes ago, factical.illusion said:

@mnelmcar07 I actually know a few people who transferred to Yale from my current school (Hopkins; one was already ABD, but moved with his advisor; they made him redo coursework lol). This year was always going to be a wash, but I am of course more than grateful to be in a funded program on fellowship this AY. I work in relatively niche languages (Nordic, Russian, German), in modes that my current school is not as strong as I thought in (environmental studies/humanities/philosophy, film/media studies) and one that it is (equal focus on literature and philosophy/thought). Hopkins is obviously a good school; its humanities programs are small yet solid and as interdisciplinary as the faculty resources allow. I am plenty self-sufficient, but I am very picky (and a little stubborn), so if I can make a move to a better milieu for my work, I will. I only applied to two schools for my MA (UW-Madison, UW-Seattle; accepted and recruited at both), and only two for my PhD (acceptance, and waitlist-turned-administratively forced rejection). So far it's more or less worked out for me. 

And thanks! Best of luck to you! I have seen almost no comp lit chatter, so who knows how it well end. What seems to be certain is that each admissions committee that is taking apps is getting a firehose of them.

Thanks for sharing the info! It was a relief to know that you can transfer if you haven't ended up with the ideal choice first time round, and I think your decision is totally valid; I'm going to take that into consideration if I do get into somewhere. I have been planning for a master in France if I didn't get into my top three choices (just because I feel that my chances would be better at any other normal year, when I could also apply to those programs that are now closed). But again, finding a center to take those language tests during a pandemic has been another nightmare lol

[mnelmcar07]

5 minutes ago, factical.illusion said:

It's amazing how much I've learned through compulsive gradcafe scrolling about programs that are completely unrelated to anything I've ever thought about.

Indeed!! My partner is applying to biology programs and I've been checking for his results more frequently than him lmao

[factical.illusion]

16 minutes ago, mnelmcar07 said:

I have been planning for a master in France if I didn't get into my top three choices (just because I feel that my chances would be better at any other normal year, when I could also apply to those programs that are now closed). But again, finding a center to take those language tests during a pandemic has been another nightmare lol

I've also thought about doing that, too. I know a few people who have; one did a UK MA at Cambridge and had rich parents, another did a German MA...and had rich parents. Beyond the financial impossibility (for me at least), it's v hard to meet all their basic admit requirements, or at least a hassle to get the degree qualifications equated and the language tests taken care of. As much as I would love/prefer to move abroad, I'm not in a position (yet?) that would enable to me to reasonably settle down with an indefinite timeline. The idea of a "there and back again" doesn't do it for me, at least not now, and in spite of all the emotional and personal yearnings. TBH my plan is to lowkey get my foot in the door as a researcher when I'm ABD. I'd rather bounce from position-to-position (or leave academia) within Europe than in the US. Like...the idea of, like, living in Berlin or St Petersburg or Stockholm or wherever as a "Barista, PhD" sounds way more appealing to me than anything other than the most elusive TT jobs in the US.

Edited February 2, 2021 by factical.illusion

[mnelmcar07]

19 minutes ago, factical.illusion said:

I've also thought about doing that, too. I know a few people who have; one did a UK MA at Cambridge and had rich parents, another did a German MA...and had rich parents. Beyond the financial impossibility (for me at least), it's v hard to meet all their basic admit requirements, or at least a hassle to get the degree qualifications equated and the language tests taken care of. As much as I would love/prefer to move abroad, I'm not in a position (yet?) that would enable to me to reasonably settle down with an indefinite timeline. The idea of a "there and back again" doesn't do it for me, at least not now, and in spite of all the emotional and personal yearnings. TBH my plan is to lowkey get my foot in the door as a researcher when I'm ABD. I'd rather bounce from position-to-position (or leave academia) within Europe than in the US. Like...the idea of, like, living in Berlin or St Petersburg or Stockholm or wherever as a "Barista, PhD" sounds way more appealing to me than anything other than the most elusive TT jobs in the US.

That's very true! I am also worried about adapting to a very different educational system and having trouble with rec letters (which seem not a common practice in EU schools?) and writing sample by the time I reapply, although France does have the benefit of a close-to-nothing tuition. I guess my best chance would be the funded MA at UToronto, but I heard it's very competitive for internationals and I'm not betting all my hope on it. My main reason for a master abroad is that I didn't find many affordable options in the US that interested me (I guess MA isn't a big thing here simply because most PhD programs do not require it?) - I'm glad a master did work out for you, though.

And yes, I would also love to end up in Europe with all the vacation and intellectual environment than a TT job in some obscure place in the US - Have you heard of anyone from your program who has successfully done so?

Edited February 2, 2021 by mnelmcar07

[factical.illusion]

10 minutes ago, mnelmcar07 said:

That's very true! I am also worried about adapting to a very different educational system and having trouble with rec letters (which seem not a common practice in EU schools?) and writing sample by the time I reapply, although France does have the benefit of a close-to-nothing tuition. I guess my best chance would be the funded MA at UToronto, but I heard it's very competitive for internationals and I'm not betting all my hope on it. My main reason for a master abroad is that I didn't find many affordable options in the US that interested me (I guess MA isn't a big thing here simply because most PhD programs do not require it?) - I'm glad a master did work out for you, though.

And yes, I would also love to end up in Europe with all the vacation and intellectual environment than a TT job in some obscure place in the US - Have you heard of anyone from your program who has successfully done so?

It's hard to say, since the programs I've been in had/have actually more international students than American ones. So if they (the Europeans) didn't land a job in the US (TT, contingent, alt-ac or otherwise), they simply went home and kept on living. I know a few Americans with American PhDs who have gone on to Europe to work on funded projects and/or work in academic-adjacent university admin positions. And I know of a few American PhDs who ended up becoming full professors at European universities, which is astonishing (including one tenured prof in the US who went to be a postdoc in Norway but afterwards was given a full professorship...i can't even; small country/field problems?). I would guess that all such moves where Americans moved for good to Europe hinged entirely on networking. In my (anecdotal) experience, European companies/institutions rarely have any inclination to go through the hassle of hiring a non-EU citizen.

Edited February 2, 2021 by factical.illusion

[LtotheOG]

Hey can I ask what folks think about how common interviews generally are for complit programs; that is, if most or all admits are vetted first?

It’s hard to get a grasp from the Results of the past...