Kursteilnehmer Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 So who's applying to German programs for the Fall? (Where at? What are your interests?) In contrast to last year, no Germanists seem to be popping up... Anyone else applying to Yale? NYU? Northwestern? Chicago?
Kursteilnehmer Posted January 2, 2011 Author Posted January 2, 2011 I applied to Yale, Northwestern, and NYU, and a couple Comp. Lit. places as well. (I'm mostly interested in the Aesthetics of the Frankfurt School.) Any idea how competitive things are this year or anything like that? I regret not applying to Chicago or Princeton--I just found myself too stressed trying to manage those applications I had already undertaken earlier in the year, while also working full-time. Good luck in any case.
GK Chesterton Posted January 3, 2011 Posted January 3, 2011 No idea about competitiveness, unfortunately. I also applied to Michigan, Cornell, Berkeley and Princeton. I was a little bit hesitant to make any definitive statements about what I wanted to study other than broad sketches, as a professor I spoke to suggested that for big, comprehensive programs (Berkeley, Yale, Princeton, etc.) they preferred to see something like "German cinema" and not "Expressionism in Weimar Film" .
Kursteilnehmer Posted January 3, 2011 Author Posted January 3, 2011 [A] professor I spoke to suggested that for big, comprehensive programs (Berkeley, Yale, Princeton, etc.) they preferred to see something like "German cinema" and not "Expressionism in Weimar Film" . interesting, yes. i found it very difficult to put out my interests while remaining sufficiently liberal. hm, i imagine NYU and Northwestern will be far more responsive to my case than Yale... but i don't know. it's all so soul crushing, applying
uldo Posted January 11, 2011 Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) applied to NYU and Northwestern. Also Johns Hopkins, Berkeley, Princeton and Stanford. I listed my general interests in my CV and focussed on one specific topic in my SOP. I hope they'll take a look at the cv! Have also no idea about how hard the competition is, but all the people (at these schools) I've been talking to told me that they're gonna take 3-6 students for the PhD-program. Guess there are at least 3 top notch applications on the desk of every app-com to compete against But I can't start the negative thinking already!! Good luck to me and all you other guys! Edited January 11, 2011 by uldo
fiveone Posted January 15, 2011 Posted January 15, 2011 What do people think about the German department at Harvard?
Kursteilnehmer Posted January 16, 2011 Author Posted January 16, 2011 What do people think about the German department at Harvard? My interests tend closer to theory than the traditionally literary, so it didn't seem to be a good fit for me personally. Are you thinking about applying? Or have you already sent out applications for the Fall?
fiveone Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 <br />My interests tend closer to theory than the traditionally literary, so it didn't seem to be a good fit for me personally.  Are you thinking about applying?  Or have you already sent out applications for the Fall?<br /><br /><br /><br /> I've applied there and to Cornell. I don't know if I will even accept should I get an offer. The job market is just too bleak.
GK Chesterton Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 <br /><br /><br /> I've applied there and to Cornell. I don't know if I will even accept should I get an offer. The job market is just too bleak. Well, what are your interests?
fiveone Posted January 18, 2011 Posted January 18, 2011 18th century philosophy, moving into Romanticism. Systems theory, links with Isamic philosophy. You?
GK Chesterton Posted January 19, 2011 Posted January 19, 2011 18th century philosophy, moving into Romanticism. Systems theory, links with Isamic philosophy. You? Structuralist and post-structuralist textual approaches (i.e. Formalism / narratological approaches + deconstruction & Gramscian hegemony stuff), psychoanalysis, narrative temporality. Some political theory (Schmitt, Laclau, Agamben). My thematic interests are sketchier- Idealist philosophy, Weimar, '68, German Realism, Benjamin. Also film.
ontolome Posted February 2, 2011 Posted February 2, 2011 hi everyone. i wish you much luck in following weeks, as the answers come flooding in :} i will be applying to many of these german programs next year, and have a small concern/question. i would be very grateful for any advice you might have to provide. do you think it would be worthwhile for me to take the GRE again (750v, 520m), in hopes of making my math score less embarrassing? I did not study the first time, so I know there is much room for improvement. Although math counts for very little in these departments, might really good GRE scores compensate for a lackluster overall undergraduate GPA? Thanks in advance!
GK Chesterton Posted February 2, 2011 Posted February 2, 2011 hi everyone. i wish you much luck in following weeks, as the answers come flooding in :} i will be applying to many of these german programs next year, and have a small concern/question. i would be very grateful for any advice you might have to provide. do you think it would be worthwhile for me to take the GRE again (750v, 520m), in hopes of making my math score less embarrassing? I did not study the first time, so I know there is much room for improvement. Although math counts for very little in these departments, might really good GRE scores compensate for a lackluster overall undergraduate GPA? Thanks in advance! No.
Kursteilnehmer Posted February 3, 2011 Author Posted February 3, 2011 Very pleased to see there are already a bunch of German acceptances up on the results page. Congratulations! Anyone want to claim them? Anyone have additional news to report?
GK Chesterton Posted February 4, 2011 Posted February 4, 2011 No news and can't claim them, unfortunately. I wish I had heard from Berkeley. Waiting on Yale as well - thought that would have happened by now.
Kursteilnehmer Posted February 5, 2011 Author Posted February 5, 2011 No news and can't claim them, unfortunately. I wish I had heard from Berkeley. Waiting on Yale as well - thought that would have happened by now. Yeah I was expecting something from Yale this week too. It's gotten me very nervous, wondering if maybe the accepted students have already been contacted... I guess we just have to keep our fingers cross over the weekend. GOOD LUCK!
GK Chesterton Posted February 7, 2011 Posted February 7, 2011 I still haven't heard anything. Are those claims in results real? Does anyone want to claim them?
uldo Posted February 7, 2011 Posted February 7, 2011 I still haven't heard anything. Are those claims in results real? Does anyone want to claim them? at least mine was real. I got my first admission from Johns Hopkins and I am so happy! I got it last tuesday, but havn't heard anything from my other programs. Also had Berkeley and Northwestern on the list. @ontolome: don't do your GRE again! If anything counts it is verbal and writing. My scores were pretty bad, so I suppose it doesn't count in the end. Good luck to you guys!!
umamam Posted February 7, 2011 Posted February 7, 2011 I still haven't heard anything. Are those claims in results real? Does anyone want to claim them? I can claim the UCB acceptance, but I wouldn't worry if you haven't heard yet (GK - PMed you).
kalleziffel Posted February 8, 2011 Posted February 8, 2011 (edited) So who's applying to German programs for the Fall? (Where at? What are your interests?) In contrast to last year, no Germanists seem to be popping up... Anyone else applying to Yale? NYU? Northwestern? Chicago? Hi all, I applied to the University of Chicago, Cornell and Columbia. Have seen a few people posting about acceptances from Chicago (via email) which can't be true ... since they state twice in their FAQ section that all admissions decisions are communicated via post. Chicago's my top school! Looking forward to hearing from them .... (waiting, waiting, waiting, and boooored at work) Edited February 8, 2011 by kalleziffel
GK Chesterton Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 Hi all, I applied to the University of Chicago, Cornell and Columbia. Have seen a few people posting about acceptances from Chicago (via email) which can't be true ... since they state twice in their FAQ section that all admissions decisions are communicated via post. Chicago's my top school! Looking forward to hearing from them .... (waiting, waiting, waiting, and boooored at work) hey kalleziffel - the waiting is killing me too. What are your interests for study? Can't believe it's taking this long to hear anything.
umamam Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 Quick update - just got the official notification from UCB German Dept. via email. (I see someone else just got it, too - anyone here?)
GK Chesterton Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 Quick update - just got the official notification from UCB German Dept. via email. (I see someone else just got it, too - anyone here?) Bueller? Bueller? Anybody? Anybody? Sigh, nope. I honestly can't believe what sort of a wreck waiting on these things has turned me into. A shell of a man - I'm forced to resort to quoting 80's (almost) brat pack movies.
kalleziffel Posted February 9, 2011 Posted February 9, 2011 (edited) hey kalleziffel - the waiting is killing me too. What are your interests for study? Can't believe it's taking this long to hear anything. Hello Mr. Chesterton (interesting pick for a Germanist!), My interests include (but are certainly not limited to!) discourse theory (Kittler, etc.), psychoanalysis, modernism, Frankfurt school, film, comp. lit/studies with the Southeastern Slavic "Sprachbereich," and ADORE, adore Thomas Bernhard, Jelinek and the other crazy Austrians (Handke not so much)! Have worked on Kleist, Kafka, Benjamin, Musil, etc. Mostly attracted to Chicago for their strength in reading literary texts -- you can't fail with Wellbery and Santner! I'm dyyyyiiiiinnnnnnng in this "cube farm." Have many email alerts set up ... had received a very encouraging email a month ago from a faculty member at UChicago though, so here's hopin'! Edited February 9, 2011 by kalleziffel
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