2022 Applicants

[thursdaysnext]

1 hour ago, Cordelipup said:

Did anyone else receive an email from UW late last night about filling out a required sexual misconduct declaration? The email says that it does not predict future admissions decisions, but I did not receive one last year and I remember others on this forum had discussed receiving this email. They could also very well just be requiring all applicants to fill out the form this year! 

I did! I received it last year as well and the content and timing of the email is markedly different. I think it likely that it was sent to everyone. 

[scoobydont]

On 12/16/2021 at 11:03 AM, clara salmon said:

Hey, just lurking and wanted to say I'll be at NeMLA too! I was in last year's app cycle and am currently at UC Davis. I'll be going with a friend so we can surely all meet up if that interests you!

That would be great! We can make a plan to meet up

[taylorjunebug]

Hey, did anyone else who applied to Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get an email from the financial aid office about sending your FAFSA to the school for Fall 2022? I know it's still super early and it might not mean anything but I'm looking for any small bit of hope!

[theonewiththepies]

7 hours ago, taylorjunebug said:

Hey, did anyone else who applied to Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get an email from the financial aid office about sending your FAFSA to the school for Fall 2022? I know it's still super early and it might not mean anything but I'm looking for any small bit of hope!

I got that email as well!

[Glasperlenspieler]

On 12/18/2021 at 8:14 PM, sadevilminion said:

I have some upcoming deadlines with writing sample limits of 12 and 15 pages, but my writing sample is 17 pages long! I'm curious what everyone does in this situation? Do you just submit the first 12 pages or do you chop it down to fit a full essay into 12 pages? Neither programs specify that it can just be part of a bigger paper.

Do they specify font and, if not, have you tried Garamond?

 

To be clear, I don't necessarily think playing with font, size, and margins is a good call, but in my experience Garamond is a very common font in academic circles, is very nice looking, and will probably get you close to that 15 page mark if you're that close.

 

I've seen people argue here that going over the page limits shows you're not someone who can follow directions and can irritate whoever is reading your app, I've also heard people claim that going over a little isn't going to matter. I tend to lean towards the latter camp, but it is good to remember that in academia little things can piss people off so ymmv

[sadevilminion]

17 hours ago, taylorjunebug said:

Hey, did anyone else who applied to Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get an email from the financial aid office about sending your FAFSA to the school for Fall 2022? I know it's still super early and it might not mean anything but I'm looking for any small bit of hope!

Yes, and I remember getting corny emails like that (with smiling people excitedly jumping around with foam fingers and pom poms lol) from other schools during the last cycle! UIUC is my #1, I wish they would stop strumming my heartstrings like that! It's gonna hurt when they don't let me in ?

5 hours ago, Glasperlenspieler said:

Do they specify font and, if not, have you tried Garamond?

 

To be clear, I don't necessarily think playing with font, size, and margins is a good call, but in my experience Garamond is a very common font in academic circles, is very nice looking, and will probably get you close to that 15 page mark if you're that close.

 

I've seen people argue here that going over the page limits shows you're not someone who can follow directions and can irritate whoever is reading your app, I've also heard people claim that going over a little isn't going to matter. I tend to lean towards the latter camp, but it is good to remember that in academia little things can piss people off so ymmv

I haven't heard of Garamond, but it's a very nice font. I don't think I'll use it for this, but I appreciate this sneaky tip for future use

[taylorjunebug]

3 hours ago, sadevilminion said:

Yes, and I remember getting corny emails like that (with smiling people excitedly jumping around with foam fingers and pom poms lol) from other schools during the last cycle! UIUC is my #1, I wish they would stop strumming my heartstrings like that! It's gonna hurt when they don't let me in ?

 

I feel ya! UIUC is my #1 as well! They generally start sending out decisions in early Feb, right? 

[Wimsey]

Hi folks! Logging back in here for the first time in well over a year.  I just finished my first semester at WashU, so let me know if you have any questions about my admissions experience or the early stages of coursework.

[A Small Raven]

Officially submitted all 12 applications! I hope everyone else's apps are going well! 

[taylorjunebug]

4 hours ago, A Small Raven said:

Officially submitted all 12 applications! I hope everyone else's apps are going well! 

Congrats!

[VicLitGuy]

On 12/23/2021 at 10:51 AM, Wimsey said:

Hi folks! Logging back in here for the first time in well over a year.  I just finished my first semester at WashU, so let me know if you have any questions about my admissions experience or the early stages of coursework.

Hi Wimsey. Anything you wish you knew a year ago or advice you have in the process? What has your experience been like so far? And is there anything you’re aware of being there in terms of this upcoming admission year that might be interesting to know? 
 

thanks!

[sadevilminion]

On 12/22/2021 at 6:33 PM, taylorjunebug said:

I feel ya! UIUC is my #1 as well! They generally start sending out decisions in early Feb, right? 

That or early January ?

[thecat00]

I just finished all of my applications. It took the entire month of December. I will need to go through them this week to make absolute sure that I'm not missing any materials. This was quite the process. I found myself tweaking my materials each time with each subsequent application.

I have no idea how this will play out. I have applied to over a dozen programs. I really wish I could tell now, but I am absolutely unsure of my chances at any program. Not an idea.

Good luck to all! Happy Holidays!!!!

 

[sadevilminion]

I just came across this question in the Texas Tech application that totally caught me off guard:

"What does the admissions committee need to know while considering your application? Tell us the part of your story that is not in the application documents (no word or length requirement)."

I think I might write about why my transcript from my first stab at undergrad is so bad. What would you all write about?

[VicLitGuy]

Does anyone have experience -- either as a current/previous student or someone who is applying now -- with these Boston area PhD programs: Harvard, Brandeis, Tufts, BU, Boston College. I'm looking for more information about them and if anyone feels comfortable posting or PMing me that would be a great help.

Specifically looking to know what the professor/student relationships are like, how accessible the faculty are, what the general vibe of the programs are, etc. Stuff you might not find on a website. Thanks!

[zetasp]

4 hours ago, VicLitGuy said:

Does anyone have experience -- either as a current/previous student or someone who is applying now -- with these Boston area PhD programs: Harvard, Brandeis, Tufts, BU, Boston College. I'm looking for more information about them and if anyone feels comfortable posting or PMing me that would be a great help.

Specifically looking to know what the professor/student relationships are like, how accessible the faculty are, what the general vibe of the programs are, etc. Stuff you might not find on a website. Thanks!

So, I'm certainly not an expert as I applied a few cycles ago, got into the BU MA program, and decided not to go, but I can tell you at least part of why I decided not to go. Of course the main thing was finances (it wasn't a funded MA), but vibe was part of it, particularly in specialties and focuses. I come from University of Hawaii, Manoa, an English program that isn't classic by any means and has a major focus in world lit, postcolonial lit, and feminist theory, and I had a fraction of the usual lessons in "classics" and general "canon" literature. Boston University is not that. The first thing that tipped me off was that they required the GRE Lit Subject Test, which is 98% canon/classic lit--the fact that they required it shows what kind of student and scholarship they're looking for. Basically that's my bottom line - although you should definitely take all of this with a grain of salt because I'm not in the program and this is observations from afar, but I'm pretty confident that the program is a lot more of a classic approach to literature. As for everything else and actual vibes, hopefully someone else knows better!

[JakeBarnes-]

Hello all,

 

I am sure this question is as old as time, but I am hoping someone can offer me some advice/insight. 
 

My background: I studied Chemistry and Biology at a small state school during undergrad. My gpa was 3.64. After undergrad I spent a number of years in the military. There I developed a interest in literature and entered an MA great books program. I will graduate this spring with an MA in Liberal Arts with a focus on literature (3.9) and hopefully go on to conduct mental health research on a Fulbright scholarship next year. I have teaching experience as a Americorps volunteer and undergrad TA, though nothing in English lit. I hope to apply to a number of English PhD programs for Fall ‘24. 
 

My master’s thesis and Fulbright research revolve around madness as differs between cultures/time periods. My research proposal would be similar but center around madness and the works of modernists in the wake of WWI and WWII. 
 

I am wondering if I am being realistic by applying to English PhD programs with a lack of English specific experience. Most of my applications will be for UK schools. I have no issue with finding since the VA will pay for my education. Is it typical to change fields of study so drastically? Are there any recommendations to make application more relevant? Will UK schools be open to non traditional applicants?

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you. 

Edited December 31, 2021 by JakeBarnes-

[theonewiththepies]

On 12/29/2021 at 3:40 PM, sadevilminion said:

I just came across this question in the Texas Tech application that totally caught me off guard:

"What does the admissions committee need to know while considering your application? Tell us the part of your story that is not in the application documents (no word or length requirement)."

I think I might write about why my transcript from my first stab at undergrad is so bad. What would you all write about?

I too was caught off guard by this question on the TTU app- I wrote about my undergrad transcript and the personal circumstances that led to several W's on there. I hope that's what it's meant for...

[A Small Raven]

On 12/29/2021 at 5:07 PM, VicLitGuy said:

Does anyone have experience -- either as a current/previous student or someone who is applying now -- with these Boston area PhD programs: Harvard, Brandeis, Tufts, BU, Boston College. I'm looking for more information about them and if anyone feels comfortable posting or PMing me that would be a great help.

Specifically looking to know what the professor/student relationships are like, how accessible the faculty are, what the general vibe of the programs are, etc. Stuff you might not find on a website. Thanks!

So I'm applying to a few of these programs this cycle (Brandeis, BU, and BC). Of the dozen schools I'm applying to this year, I found BU's faculty to be some of the most accessible. The interim department chair even offered to do a zoom call with me for a little personal Q&A. Of course I mostly asked questions specific to my own research interests, but perhaps they'll be relevant to you – I asked about weaknesses in the program, and she did mention that the department is currently in a stage of transition – various poetry faculty are retiring, and they don't have strong Native American literary scholarship within the department, though they are hoping to bring some on board. They do, however, have pretty strong scholarship in transnational literature.  

I also found BC and Brandeis faculty to be very responsive and friendly! When I reached out, they replied with long, thorough answers instead of just something short and generic (I received short generic answers from faculty at other schools, which makes the longer more personal responses stand out so much more). While that sort of thing might just come down to the specific faculty member you reach out to, for me, it reflected well on the department and made me more eager to apply. BC was one of the schools I applied to last year and was unfortunately rejected from, but...hopefully things work out better this time around! I Know BC does heavily lean towards Irish literary scholarship, so I'm not sure how much they distribute their admissions between Irish lit students and others on a year to year basis. I know they accepted a couple Irish lit students last year, so maybe they'll accept other research interests over that this year, to even things out. That's just my ungrounded theory though. 

The Brandeis professor I spoke to emphasized that since they are such a small school, they have to be selective about the research areas they choose to develop scholarship in – he mentioned that American and British Romanticism are strong fields within their department. He also mentioned that they are acutely aware of how competitive and challenging the academic job market is, so they help prepare their students to become strong candidates for alt-academic jobs as well.

A note on Tufts – I looked at their program, and while it seems like a great school, I ultimately decided not to apply because it wasn't a good fit for my research interests – the department seemed particularly sparse on any kind of poetic scholarship. 

Hope this helps! They all seem like decent programs to me, though they have their own strengths and weaknesses and specialties. Best of luck!  

[VicLitGuy]

7 hours ago, A Small Raven said:

So I'm applying to a few of these programs this cycle (Brandeis, BU, and BC). Of the dozen schools I'm applying to this year, I found BU's faculty to be some of the most accessible. The interim department chair even offered to do a zoom call with me for a little personal Q&A. Of course I mostly asked questions specific to my own research interests, but perhaps they'll be relevant to you – I asked about weaknesses in the program, and she did mention that the department is currently in a stage of transition – various poetry faculty are retiring, and they don't have strong Native American literary scholarship within the department, though they are hoping to bring some on board. They do, however, have pretty strong scholarship in transnational literature.  

I also found BC and Brandeis faculty to be very responsive and friendly! When I reached out, they replied with long, thorough answers instead of just something short and generic (I received short generic answers from faculty at other schools, which makes the longer more personal responses stand out so much more). While that sort of thing might just come down to the specific faculty member you reach out to, for me, it reflected well on the department and made me more eager to apply. BC was one of the schools I applied to last year and was unfortunately rejected from, but...hopefully things work out better this time around! I Know BC does heavily lean towards Irish literary scholarship, so I'm not sure how much they distribute their admissions between Irish lit students and others on a year to year basis. I know they accepted a couple Irish lit students last year, so maybe they'll accept other research interests over that this year, to even things out. That's just my ungrounded theory though. 

The Brandeis professor I spoke to emphasized that since they are such a small school, they have to be selective about the research areas they choose to develop scholarship in – he mentioned that American and British Romanticism are strong fields within their department. He also mentioned that they are acutely aware of how competitive and challenging the academic job market is, so they help prepare their students to become strong candidates for alt-academic jobs as well.

A note on Tufts – I looked at their program, and while it seems like a great school, I ultimately decided not to apply because it wasn't a good fit for my research interests – the department seemed particularly sparse on any kind of poetic scholarship. 

Hope this helps! They all seem like decent programs to me, though they have their own strengths and weaknesses and specialties. Best of luck!  

Hi Raven. This is really helpful and interesting to hear. Thanks so much for the thoughts.

I’d be curious to hear from anyone at these programs on their experiences … I’m sure you would too.

Stay safe all!

[sadevilminion]

[sarahpc2020]

Hello, y'all! I'm not planning to apply in this cycle, but I'm trying to prepare for my future applications. Is anyone else here applying to Comparative Literature PhDs? If so, I'd love to hear about your backgrounds, especially when it comes to languages! That's my primary concern.

My top choice -- and biggest reach -- program is Harvard. I'm primarily interested in World Literature and folk tales, which Harvard has a strong background in. It's also the only university that offers instruction/courses in both the minor languages I'm hoping to focus my work on. What have people heard about the kind of applications they're looking for?

Thanks! And best of luck to everybody this year!

[taylorjunebug]

Got an email from "Ohio State Graduate and Professional Admissions" this morning and my heart just about stopped. Opened it up to find a general message about applying for the benefit of living in Columbus. 

Blegh. 

 

[A Small Raven]

Anyone else already starting to get antsy waiting to hear back? ?

[Hard times!]

Yes! I am not yet done with all my applications but I keep putting them off until the deadline so that I don't start worrying about hearing back. That doesn't help though, because I have been dreaming of rejections! The post-application period is the purgatory and the worst place to be in! There is this looming possibility of a shutout (in my case at least) and a faint yet strong hope of at least one acceptance.