2022 Applicants

[WomanOfLetters]

17 hours ago, A Small Raven said:

Hey guys - this is a pretty basic question, but I feel like it might make a difference with what I'm doing in my apps – is there preferred formatting for the first page of the critical writing sample? Obviously it should have a title page,  but do I need to put my name with 'writing sample for so and so application' on there? 

I'm using a couple chapters from my master's dissertation, so I know I need to include a brief paragraph providing some kind of context for that on the title page. But what about a table of contents? It will likely just be two, maybe three chapters. 

Thanks in advance! 

I asked a professor of mine for the format of the title page, and he told me I didn't need one, so I won't be including a title page for my writing sample.

I also included a part of the literature review relevant to the piece and edited/rewrote it, so no table of contents in my writing sample either. But these are, of course, what I did only and not necessarily the right practice. ?

[OpenBook]

Hey all!  I am in my first quarter of my PhD now, in part thanks to Grad Cafe If anyone has any questions about my program (Stanford English), what my experiences were with other institutions I was accepted to (Indiana, Ohio State, UWisc, Uillinois, Rochester), or wants to see my application materials, please DM me!

Edited October 30, 2021 by 1 Pint of Ricotta

[missmarianne]

Wow. This site is an actual trigger, but I'm BACK Y'ALL. Let's see how this goes. 

[Hard times!]

How do you know if you should apply to Stanford because the fit seems great but your 'self-knowledge' warns you against such a move? Thanks in advance! 

[labradoodle]

4 hours ago, Hard times! said:

How do you know if you should apply to Stanford because the fit seems great but your 'self-knowledge' warns you against such a move? Thanks in advance! 

A lot of people apply to these kinds of places purely because of the name and prestige, and fail to see that the fit itself is terrible. If the fit is especially good, why not try?

[WomanOfLetters]

5 hours ago, Hard times! said:

How do you know if you should apply to Stanford because the fit seems great but your 'self-knowledge' warns you against such a move? Thanks in advance! 

For me, I would definitely apply to every single program that can accommodate my interests (unfortunately there aren't many....)

[elliehsz]

Hi everyone,

My name is Ellie. I'm new here, and I'm in desperate need of help. 
This is my situation: I live in Iran, and I HAVE TO get out of here as soon as possible because I just can't take it anymore. I need to get accepted to a PhD program in English. It literally doesn't matter where in the U.S or Canada (or even other big countries in Europe). It just need to be funded. I was wondering if anyone could tell me which university has a higher acceptance rate or any tips that would make it easier for me to get accepted. I also have budget problem due to Iran's currency so I can't just apply for like 20 universities and my professors won't send that many recommendation letters either. 

I have studied at state universities for both degrees, which have higher ranks and are considered more "prestigious" here because you have to have a higher rank in the entrance exam, and your education will be free.
GPA: B.A: 4.25/5 M.A: 4.3/5
Academic IELTS: 7.5, General: 8
TEF (Test d'évaluation de français): B1 
Work Experience: More than three years in the related field
Age: 28
My research interests are Narrative Theory, Metafiction, and The Novel (My Master's Degree thesis is also somehow related to this).
I have also written a proposal that's related to my research interest. It's not perfect, but I think it's decent.

So please let me know if you have any suggestions about any university that has a high chance of getting accepted. Thank you!

[missmarianne]

Family, tell me what I need to do here. I'm considering applying to some of the same schools because I already applied everywhere and got rejected completely. Have any of you applied for the same programs twice? What did you do about your SOP? Did you change your research project altogether? There are no other options for me aside from applying to the same schools twice. I've researched everything many times over and my field is just too specialized. I need to expand my research into Contemporary Lit, switch fields altogether, or I need to find some way of re-working my SOP based on the same project. If anyone has been rejected from a school and accepted into that school in a later cycle, I'd be very interested in hearing about strategy.

[WildeThing]

6 hours ago, elliehsz said:

Hi everyone,

My name is Ellie. I'm new here, and I'm in desperate need of help. 
This is my situation: I live in Iran, and I HAVE TO get out of here as soon as possible because I just can't take it anymore. I need to get accepted to a PhD program in English. It literally doesn't matter where in the U.S or Canada (or even other big countries in Europe). It just need to be funded. I was wondering if anyone could tell me which university has a higher acceptance rate or any tips that would make it easier for me to get accepted. I also have budget problem due to Iran's currency so I can't just apply for like 20 universities and my professors won't send that many recommendation letters either. 

I have studied at state universities for both degrees, which have higher ranks and are considered more "prestigious" here because you have to have a higher rank in the entrance exam, and your education will be free.
GPA: B.A: 4.25/5 M.A: 4.3/5
Academic IELTS: 7.5, General: 8
TEF (Test d'évaluation de français): B1 
Work Experience: More than three years in the related field
Age: 28
My research interests are Narrative Theory, Metafiction, and The Novel (My Master's Degree thesis is also somehow related to this).
I have also written a proposal that's related to my research interest. It's not perfect, but I think it's decent.

So please let me know if you have any suggestions about any university that has a high chance of getting accepted. Thank you!

I'm sorry to say that there aren't any programs with high acceptance rates. Maybe some are higher than others, but I'm not sure there's data and anyway, it wouldn't make for a great strategy. Any funded PhD program is bound to receive hundreds of applicants so it's really going to be a matter of finding the programs with the best fit.

4 hours ago, missmarianne said:

Family, tell me what I need to do here. I'm considering applying to some of the same schools because I already applied everywhere and got rejected completely. Have any of you applied for the same programs twice? What did you do about your SOP? Did you change your research project altogether? There are no other options for me aside from applying to the same schools twice. I've researched everything many times over and my field is just too specialized. I need to expand my research into Contemporary Lit, switch fields altogether, or I need to find some way of re-working my SOP based on the same project. If anyone has been rejected from a school and accepted into that school in a later cycle, I'd be very interested in hearing about strategy.

I was accepted by a school that rejected me the first time. The general logic is to limit the schools you reapply to because if they rejected you once it is likelier than not that they will again. Nevertheless I reapplied to a few and one did accept me. I did not retake any exams, my WS was the same, and my transcripts were basically the same. I don't remember exactly how the LoRs were similar or not but I think at least 2 repeated. Ultimately, the only thing I changed, but changed significantly, was the SoP. I was still basically proposing to work in the same field (20th c. African American) but the first time my project was, though defined, constructed in a way that didn't make me very legible (I was combining postcolonial criticism, existential philosophy, and critical race theory while referring to early century African American lit, across French and English). My second SoP focused on a more cohesive group of authors and proposed a specific topic that was easier to pin down within the discipline. I dunno if that is helpful; for me the ilegibility of my scholarship and the difficulty of classifying it was the main thing my LoRs and I interpreted as the reason I had no success, so - given that I had a different interest I was also interested in pursuing - I just abandoned the first project entirely. Unless that's your same situation, my experience is unlikely to be helpful. My advice would be be as self-critical as you can and talk to your advisors to really pin down why you didn't get accepted (the numbers game and luck will of course be relevant, but they're unhelpful because you cannot do anything to improve them). To the degree that you can change your SoP and address those things while still being true to your interests, I would make those changes. Of course, there's always the chance that you were a borderline acceptance and making changes might push you away from acceptance, so take this with a pinch of salt.

[elliehsz]

5 hours ago, WildeThing said:

I'm sorry to say that there aren't any programs with high acceptance rates. Maybe some are higher than others, but I'm not sure there's data and anyway, it wouldn't make for a great strategy. Any funded PhD program is bound to receive hundreds of applicants so it's really going to be a matter of finding the programs with the best fit.

Does it matter if I apply for schools that have more faculty members whose interests coincide with mine? and should I contact them before mentioning their names in my SoP?

What if I apply for master's degree again? Does that make me have a higher chance?

[torok2022]

Hi Everyone, 

Is there a list of funded MA programs? Having trouble finding one. Regardless, let me know if you know of any...thinking I may apply to some this year just incase. 

Thanks  

[WildeThing]

12 hours ago, elliehsz said:

Does it matter if I apply for schools that have more faculty members whose interests coincide with mine? and should I contact them before mentioning their names in my SoP?

What if I apply for master's degree again? Does that make me have a higher chance?

I don't know about the acceptances rates for funded MAs but I imagine that the entry bar is a bit lower than for funded PhDs. But yes, it will probably help you to apply to places with faculty and resources that coincide with your interests. You can reach out to them but it's certainly not required.

[OpenBook]

19 hours ago, elliehsz said:

should I contact them before mentioning their names in my SoP?

I didn't contact any professor before mentioning them in my SoP, and I don't see any reason why one would.  I mentioned 2-4 faculty members in each of my SoPs from the institution to which I was applying, which I think is typical.  You don't need permission to say you would love to work with or learn from someone, so I'd suggest writing your SoP with that in mind. 

[Hard times!]

58 minutes ago, 1 Pint of Ricotta said:

I didn't contact any professor before mentioning them in my SoP, and I don't see any reason why one would.  I mentioned 2-4 faculty members in each of my SoPs from the institution to which I was applying, which I think is typical.  You don't need permission to say you would love to work with or learn from someone, so I'd suggest writing your SoP with that in mind. 

Also, I think this is a repetition, but how specific does your SoP have to be? If you were to compare SoPs for UK phds with SoPs for US phds, what would the differences be? 

[illcounsel]

On 11/1/2021 at 1:32 PM, torok2022 said:

Hi Everyone, 

Is there a list of funded MA programs? Having trouble finding one. Regardless, let me know if you know of any...thinking I may apply to some this year just incase. 

Thanks  

Here is a list from thread from last year. I am not sure how updated this information is, but it should give you a general idea. 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XZ7ejtJETaRH7ufh2O1S21HOeTTy9EYgi7Z5vUHCRLI/edit#gid=0

[OpenBook]

On 11/1/2021 at 9:17 PM, Hard times! said:

Also, I think this is a repetition, but how specific does your SoP have to be? If you were to compare SoPs for UK phds with SoPs for US phds, what would the differences be? 

I will admit I have little information on this, but I can take a stab.  I was talking to a professor who studied in the UK when I was applying, and I specifically chose not to apply to UK PhDs because she said that the SoPs are much more of a formal proposal.  You have to really know what you're able to do and lay out how you'll do it, and even have messaged with a faculty member who would be willing to be an advisor.  Here, we still spend a bulk of the SoP describing our plan, but we're allowed to switch it up more afterwards and don't have to have done as much work on it yet.  I'm not sure if this was outdated information, though, or just her experience, so please take my statements with a grain of salt!

[Hard times!]

51 minutes ago, 1 Pint of Ricotta said:

I will admit I have little information on this, but I can take a stab.  I was talking to a professor who studied in the UK when I was applying, and I specifically chose not to apply to UK PhDs because she said that the SoPs are much more of a formal proposal.  You have to really know what you're able to do and lay out how you'll do it, and even have messaged with a faculty member who would be willing to be an advisor.  Here, we still spend a bulk of the SoP describing our plan, but we're allowed to switch it up more afterwards and don't have to have done as much work on it yet.  I'm not sure if this was outdated information, though, or just her experience, so please take my statements with a grain of salt!

Thank you so much! 

[Hard times!]

Also, I think this has been discussed before, but does the stated writing sample length include the bibliography, especially when we are looking at the upper limit?

[WomanOfLetters]

1 hour ago, 1 Pint of Ricotta said:

I will admit I have little information on this, but I can take a stab.  I was talking to a professor who studied in the UK when I was applying, and I specifically chose not to apply to UK PhDs because she said that the SoPs are much more of a formal proposal.  You have to really know what you're able to do and lay out how you'll do it, and even have messaged with a faculty member who would be willing to be an advisor.  Here, we still spend a bulk of the SoP describing our plan, but we're allowed to switch it up more afterwards and don't have to have done as much work on it yet.  I'm not sure if this was outdated information, though, or just her experience, so please take my statements with a grain of salt!

No, I don't think this is outdated information. This is really the main difference between applications for US and UK schools (at least in my opinion). Good thing is deadlines for programs in the UK is a little later than those in the US, so there's still a bit of time!

[OpenBook]

9 hours ago, Hard times! said:

Also, I think this has been discussed before, but does the stated writing sample length include the bibliography, especially when we are looking at the upper limit?

I doubt it does, unless otherwise stated!

[HopingForMFA]

I lurk this sub-forum fairly regularly because I, too, wanted a PhD in English Lit before going into another field. With that being said, I feel like if you have to ask strangers on the internet about what you should do, it seems clear to me as an outsider that this isn't the right choice for you. I share that with the caveat that I don't know you and you can do whatever you'd like with your life and time; and ultimately, none of us can make that decision for you. However, you seem to have a history of posting here and waffling back and forth about getting a PhD or which sort of program you should be attending, etc.. Perhaps releasing this and moving on in another direction, one you clearly state you'd be happy in, is what's best for you. But again, we're just all strangers on the internet.

[dr. t]

Do you want to be a university professor? Otherwise, no.

[thoreaulymodern]

Hello all! Second cycle applicant as well, just digging up Grad Cafe as I get ready to submit my first round of apps this Monday (?). I'm currently in a fully-funded MA program after the 2019 cycle.

I saw an early, early response asking about what we changed for this second go at PhD apps. My writing sample is completely new (like, I literally wrote it from scratch at the urging of my LoR writer because she said I needed a more complex 'base' text to do close readings of), and I re-wrote both my statement of purpose and personal statement. I think they're stronger now- I name my interests right out the gate and have a clearer picture, theoretically, of where I want to go. that I hope is articulated there. My LoR writers also seem stronger this time around because they just know me better (faculty advisor, associate prof I've taken two classes with, and a full prof who I've done a few Zoom meetings with in the hopes he can emphasize theoretical expertise).

Good luck to you all!

[A Small Raven]

2 hours ago, thoreaulymodern said:

Hello all! Second cycle applicant as well, just digging up Grad Cafe as I get ready to submit my first round of apps this Monday (?). I'm currently in a fully-funded MA program after the 2019 cycle.

I saw an early, early response asking about what we changed for this second go at PhD apps. My writing sample is completely new (like, I literally wrote it from scratch at the urging of my LoR writer because she said I needed a more complex 'base' text to do close readings of), and I re-wrote both my statement of purpose and personal statement. I think they're stronger now- I name my interests right out the gate and have a clearer picture, theoretically, of where I want to go. that I hope is articulated there. My LoR writers also seem stronger this time around because they just know me better (faculty advisor, associate prof I've taken two classes with, and a full prof who I've done a few Zoom meetings with in the hopes he can emphasize theoretical expertise).

Good luck to you all!

This is also my 2nd cycle, and I had a similar complete turnover of my entire application. Completely rewrote my statement and tried to make it a little more tangibly focused, as it was a bit too theoretical before. I narrowed it down to specific eras and mentioned several authors I was going to focus on. Have a new LoR writer, although two of  my recommenders are dragging their feet a bit with submitting, and that's making me extremely on edge, especially with the first deadline just days away. Also gave my writing sample a serious face lift. 

I've submitted most of my apps, just have three to go! Granted, I left all the tougher, more complicated apps for last. That "optional" question on the Yale app (personal experiences, interests, or perspectives that you can bring to the Yale community) will plague me right up until submission day. 

Anyway, best of luck to everyone! I hope we all get into our dream programs  

[clara salmon]

Hi there! I thought I'd throw in my two cents along with the others here. I'm echoing the same things they're telling you, but maybe with a little more optimism. While some might say that optimism is misplaced, I think you can read into this what you will and heed everyone's advice/considerations as much or as little as you desire.

Everyone knows about the dismal outlook of the job market currently, so there's no other argument to be made there. My professors had all said the same, too. That being said, if you are open to going for your PhD for the sake of the PhD itself - meaning the research, the experience, the environment, all that - and not necessarily for where that PhD is going to take you afterward, it's something worth pursuing. We can't expect to have a job in academia after we're done with this, and we have to possess that awareness otherwise we'd be in for some serious disappointment and disillusionment. But if you can afford it and it works with your timeline, there's no one to say that the experience isn't rewarding for what it is in itself. It's up to you to judge that. There's also many other job opportunities that can open up outside of academia as a result of going for your PhD.

So, I guess my point is that if you choose to pursue it, you'll have to go in with this awareness and be open to pretty much anything. You definitely can't be of the mindset that you'll be in a particular place or job position by the end of it. It sounds like I'm just saying to lower your expectations, but what I mean is just that if you can find this experience worthwhile, you have the time, and it will make you happy to pursue it (being within the means that you've defined for yourself), then do it. It is what you make of it, nothing more but also nothing less.