What are my chances for PhD/MA in Comp Lit?!?

[Liberal Artist]

Hi all,

I am applying to:

PhD Modern Thought & Lit @ Stanford

PhD Social Thought @ UChicago

PhD Comp Lit @ UChicago

PhD Lit. @ Duke

MA Comp Lit @ Dartmouth

Any suggestions or insights from someone who's applied (and hopefully been accepted?)

My stats: B.A. History & Intl Studies (minors in French & Chinese) from small, selective private liberal arts college

GPA: 3.68

GRE: 630 + 640 + 5.0

Other: Fulbright Fellowship

[poco_puffs]

Your stats look good, but it's important to remember that admissions committees have many reasons for choosing a candidate beyond simply their numbers. Sometimes candidates get in with lower numbers, sometimes they get in with higher numbers, and your scores really aren't the best indicator of potential success in the application process. I'd recommend looking at the advice given for some other forum members who have asked similar questions. Even if your field isn't the same, the advice generally is as follows:

If your numbers are adequate (and I'm not an expert, but yours are within the adequate range as far as I can tell) then the chances of your admission most likely ride on the written components of your application. Many school websites even state that specifically. Focus on getting good letters of recommendation, hammering out a stellar Statement of Purpose, make sure your writing sample is as polished and revised as you can manage, and give due time to any supplementary questions or essays they might assign. Make sure you research the departments and faculty in which you are interested, in order to a.) make sure you will be a good fit for their department and at least a few faculty members, and b.) work on expressing that fit concisely within your statement of purpose.

Unless you are planning to retake the tests, and other users on here will be able to give you a better idea of whether or not that will be worth your time, let the scores stand as they are and devote your time and passion to the other portions of your application that matter more anyway.

[Liberal Artist]

Thank you so much for your response! I completely agree with what you've said. I do not plan on retaking the tests (btw); I think I can make a stellar statement of purpose tailored to each program that takes into account the faculty and their research along with my interests. That's one of the reasons I narrowed down my choices and am only applying to 5 rather than 10-12 like a plurality of our peers. I imagine my letters of recommendation will be good - great because all my profs come from good programs although they are in varied fields and I'm not sure how I'll choose the best 3 for each program. I'm probably most concerned about the writing sample because I didn't take any English classes so I have no writing samples that close readings of an English text and my French papers were never extremely lengthy nor in depth. I think I'll end up using a portion (or all) of one of my senior theses - hopefully that's relevant enough...

[intextrovert]

Wait - is your thesis a literature paper? For comp lit programs, it absolutely needs to be. The writing sample is the single most important part of your application, and shouldn't even venture out of your subfield (don't send a paper on Flaubert and the Brontes, for example, if you want to study the 20th century), much less your field. If you don't have an adequate literature paper, researching and writing one would have to be step one. Especially for someone with a non-lit studies background, demonstrating you actually can produce the kind of scholarship/research and are familiar with the field and conversations in it that you want to enter through the writing sample will be absolutely crucial.

[inkli_11]

Wait - is your thesis a literature paper? For comp lit programs, it absolutely needs to be. The writing sample is the single most important part of your application, and shouldn't even venture out of your subfield (don't send a paper on Flaubert and the Brontes, for example, if you want to study the 20th century), much less your field. If you don't have an adequate literature paper, researching and writing one would have to be step one. Especially for someone with a non-lit studies background, demonstrating you actually can produce the kind of scholarship/research and are familiar with the field and conversations in it that you want to enter through the writing sample will be absolutely crucial.

Can the same be said if you're applying for only a Masters in Comp. Lit.? The paper I planned to use is a history paper, but I will address my Comp. Lit. interests in great detail in my statement of purpose.

[Liberal Artist]

I have a really good history thesis about the use of language in different cultural contexts and an international studies thesis about the use of rhetoric for branding and creating identity. The closest I have to a lit paper in English is from a film studies class which the professor didn't think was strong enough to use, but perhaps I could rework it enough to be acceptable. The only other problem with that is that it primarily cites a professor in one of the programs to which I'm applying so it wouldn't be appropriate to use for that school.

Thanks for your response and perspective!

[Pamphilia]

The only other problem with that is that it primarily cites a professor in one of the programs to which I'm applying so it wouldn't be appropriate to use for that school.

You may want to reassess this assumption.

[diehtc0ke]

I have a really good history thesis about the use of language in different cultural contexts and an international studies thesis about the use of rhetoric for branding and creating identity. The closest I have to a lit paper in English is from a film studies class which the professor didn't think was strong enough to use, but perhaps I could rework it enough to be acceptable. The only other problem with that is that it primarily cites a professor in one of the programs to which I'm applying so it wouldn't be appropriate to use for that school.

Thanks for your response and perspective!

Why would you assume that that's a bad thing? It already implies that you're a good fit for that school if you're using this scholar's work in your paper.

[Liberal Artist]

It's because my professor told me not to use the work of someone in a program where you're applying because it will a) be seen as sucking up or they will be offended because you misinterpret what they wrote.

[diehtc0ke]

It's because my professor told me not to use the work of someone in a program where you're applying because it will a) be seen as sucking up or they will be offended because you misinterpret what they wrote.

In that case, it probably wouldn't make for the best writing sample.

[Medievalmaniac]

It's because my professor told me not to use the work of someone in a program where you're applying because it will a) be seen as sucking up or they will be offended because you misinterpret what they wrote.

If the paper you are sending is on that topic and that professor's work is the best available research on the topic, then a. using his or her work makes sense and b. it's going to offend him or her deeply if you don't use it. In terms of misinterpreting - well, the professor put the work out there, and it's therefore open for interpretation, reinterpretation, and so forth. Unless you totally misread what s/he wrote, this should be a non-issue.

The only issue that should come into play here, is whether or not you believe that piece of writing is the best possible reflection of what you are capable of producing as a scholar at this point in time. They are looking for academic potential, a polished or emerging writing style, and your research focus.

I applied to my MA program and quoted the admissions director's work because it was the best material published on the subject. I got into the MA program. I'm sure there are many others who have had the same experience. Also, remember: just because that person works there, doesn't mean s/he will necessarily even see your application. Not all professors in every department do. In fact, I recently spoke with someone I listed as a POI last season, who never saw my application and didn't know I wanted to work with him - the department admissions committee voted on the applicants, made their selections, and THEN showed those chosen to the POIs. So...you never know.

Edited September 15, 2010 by Medievalmaniac

[milestones13]

The numbers are solid and the Fulbright is impressive. That said, you are applying to a small number of insanely competitive programs (more competitive than top ranked English lit programs), with 2-4% acceptance rates.

The truth? Anyone's chances for getting into any of the above are very low, which is true no matter what numbers are posted by people or what even the Almighty thinks of their writing.

Continue to revise your writing sample, SoP, your plan B. Maybe you might want to apply to a program that accepts 5-10% of applicants? In other words, have one or two "crazy competitive" as opposed to all "insanely competitive" ones.

Edited September 16, 2010 by milestones13

[Liberal Artist]

Thanks, milestones13! You're absolutely right. I guess that explains why they're my top choices and as for a Plan B - that's one of the reasons I have the M.A. on there and am still looking to find others. If I were to add other PhD programs they would be:

Comparative Literature & Literary Theory @ UPenn

Comparative Literature @ WUSTL

Institute of the Liberal Arts @ Emory

I just wanted to keep the list manageable am leaning toward doing an M.A. first rather than go to a program that's not a top choice if I didn't get any PhD programs I liked.

[Liberal Artist]

if that's the case, why not add another MA or two to your list?

If I do an MA instead, I only want to do a 1yr program (& preferably funded). Dartmouth is the only one I've found in Comp. Lit. I am actively looking for more and in other areas related to cultural studies. I may have found one @ Columbia, but am waiting to hear back more information about their fellowship.

[rising_star]

If I do an MA instead, I only want to do a 1yr program (& preferably funded). Dartmouth is the only one I've found in Comp. Lit. I am actively looking for more and in other areas related to cultural studies. I may have found one @ Columbia, but am waiting to hear back more information about their fellowship.

Why are you only interested in doing a 1 year MA program? There are many downsides to doing a 1 year program, particularly in terms of giving you the opportunity to develop a strong thesis, to further your language training, and to demonstrate your performance in graduate seminars prior to (re)applying to PhD programs. If you're at all serious about wanting to do a MA before a PhD, you should give serious consideration to 2 year MA programs in comp lit, area studies, and/or a national language and its literature.

[RosemaryJuniper]

Why are you only interested in doing a 1 year MA program? There are many downsides to doing a 1 year program, particularly in terms of giving you the opportunity to develop a strong thesis, to further your language training, and to demonstrate your performance in graduate seminars prior to (re)applying to PhD programs. If you're at all serious about wanting to do a MA before a PhD, you should give serious consideration to 2 year MA programs in comp lit, area studies, and/or a national language and its literature.

What rising_star said. I'm in the first semester of a 1 year MA right now, and the thought of diving back into the application process for the second year in a row is almost enough to make me want to take a year off. One thing I didn't consider before accepting my position was the fact that I'm going to have to ask every single one of my current professors for letters of recommendation, or else resort to undergrad profs (who still probably know me better than my grad school profs, but I'm worried about admissions committees thinking I was trying to hide something if I did that).