Comparative literature Phd application- which schools should I apply to?

[zhangzihan]

Hello everyone,

I am currently studying at a liberal arts college and am applying to comp lit phd programs in fall 2023. I am a native speaker of Chinese, and a learner of Spanish and German (both are around B2 proficiency level). My interest lies in 20th century literature (mostly novels) in Chinese, German, and Spanish (mostly Latin American). I am interested in women's writing, particularly those that address mother-daughter relationship, family relations, and female friendships. I also love exploring family sagas and the ways in which individuals negotiate their identities on a local, national, and global level. My other interests include continental philosophy, the intersection between justice and literature, and medicine and literature. I find myself not very interested in analyzing poetry and purely literary/aesthetic materials: my passion for literature always has a dimension of a concern for ethics and morality. I want to find out how reading stories of "the other" promote cultural understanding or how women feel empowered when reading other women's writings, for example. 

Methodology-wise, I would like to have an interdisciplinary approach. My ideal way of research is to examine a concept's genealogy: how this idea changes in history in respective cultures, drawing on knowledge frameworks of philosophy. Having a minor in computer science, I am also keen to explore what digital humanities has to offer.

I know it is a bit late to ask, but I am gonna try nonetheless! I am applying to UCLA, Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Brown, and Ohio State. Does anyone have recommendations where else should I apply to? Is there anyone studying comp lit phd at these schools that could kindly give me some advice in applying? Thank you very much in advance!