Duke Literature

[bonesbines]

Has anyone seen this? Fascinating...

http://gradschool.duke.edu/about/statistics/admitlit.htm

I'm particularly interested in the drop in admissions numbers from 19 or 18 to only 9 or fewer from 2003 onward. Does this reflect a larger trend in Comp. Lit. as a whole? The Humanities as a whole? Presumably so.

Best of luck to everyone else applying!

(And to those lucky enough to receive offers/interviews, please share the results...)

[BrandNewName]

Has anyone seen this? Fascinating...

http://gradschool.duke.edu/about/statistics/admitlit.htm

I'm particularly interested in the drop in admissions numbers from 19 or 18 to only 9 or fewer from 2003 onward. Does this reflect a larger trend in Comp. Lit. as a whole? The Humanities as a whole? Presumably so.

Best of luck to everyone else applying!

(And to those lucky enough to receive offers/interviews, please share the results...)

Glad to hear someone else is applying to Duke Literature, I was beginning to think I was the only one of these boards.

I would just point out that I think that shift probably reflects budgetary concerns more than anything else. And, as far as disciplinarity goes, I would be hesitant to categorize Duke's Literature program as a Comp. Lit. program and to extrapolate Comp. Lit trends from it. Although they sometimes markets themselves as a comparative literature program, it seems to me that they have much more of a theory/cultural studies bend to them?

Maybe I'm off base...anyone else?

Even so, I did come across these statistics at some point in the application process and as disheartening as they may seem, they always seem to bring a bit of clarity (and calm) to the whole situation.

[KRC]

I did my thesis on Katherine Hayles and am very interested in Mark Hansen's work, but I didn't apply this year. Although systems theory and new media are two of my main interests, the dept. didn't have almost anyone in my first and second AOI's. Best of luck to any admits; it's an amazing program.

Among the many conclusions one could draw from this data, the GRE scores give quantitative proof to what I already suspected--stats mean relatively little in most departments like this.

[charles mingus]

Among the many conclusions one could draw from this data, the GRE scores give quantitative proof to what I already suspected--stats mean relatively little in most departments like this.

Or, at least, whatever stats may "mean" (oof) varies too much by applicant to be represented on the aggregate. This data doesn't seem to me rule out the propensity of top notch GRE scores, for example, to enhance a particular application. It does, though, suggest that admits are not simply chosen from some elite statistical band, and are most likely evaluated (as admissions websites always insist) holistically and on a case by case basis.

This thinking, I imagine, stems from my desire to regain some agency in this episode of intense, sustained deferral. I like to think that the specific app narrative that I constructed (which--ok, you got me--includes a kickin' GRE score) will get some traction in the black box.

CM

[KRC]

It does, though, suggest that admits are not simply chosen from some elite statistical band, and are most likely evaluated (as admissions websites always insist) holistically and on a case by case basis.

This thinking, I imagine, stems from my desire to regain some agency in this episode of intense, sustained deferral.

My thoughts exactly.

[BrandNewName]

Or, at least, whatever stats may "mean" (oof) varies too much by applicant to be represented on the aggregate. This data doesn't seem to me rule out the propensity of top notch GRE scores, for example, to enhance a particular application. It does, though, suggest that admits are not simply chosen from some elite statistical band, and are most likely evaluated (as admissions websites always insist) holistically and on a case by case basis.

This thinking, I imagine, stems from my desire to regain some agency in this episode of intense, sustained deferral. I like to think that the specific app narrative that I constructed (which--ok, you got me--includes a kickin' GRE score) will get some traction in the black box.

CM

Random question. Any significance to your username?

As for the stats, I didn't take much from them, just something else for me to spend my time over-analyzing.

I do love the program though. My research is on poverty and material culture, incorporating theoretical insights drawn from queer theory and performance studies. If anyone's interested I'd be willing to share more via PM.

Good luck to you guys and, please, post as soon as you hear anything - I'm dying to know.

[blackshirt]

Even so, I did come across these statistics at some point in the application process and as disheartening as they may seem, they always seem to bring a bit of clarity (and calm) to the whole situation.

THIS. I gained a lot of respect for Duke the minute I saw this. There's something to be said for honesty and demystification (however minimal) in regards to this whole process, and I really appreciated this data.

I have most often heard Duke Literature associated with Modern Thought & Literature at Stanford and Rhetoric at Berkeley. I tend to classify it as an Interdisciplinary Humanities program, theory heavy to be sure, and recently very much inclined toward new media and literature & technology stuff (from what I recall).

I'm actually mainly a Visual Studies person, but at Duke Literature was more logical for me than Art, Art History, & Visual Studies because of the above-mentioned emphasis on theory and interdisciplinarity. My interests are a little all over the place, but it all leads back to preoccupations with the audience/reader.

Well, interview invites should be coming out any day now. Good luck, everyone!

[ssundva]

I also applied to Duke Lit., mainly because of Katherine Hayles and Michael Hardt, though knowing that Jameson is still there, also, puts a cherry on the top. They also recently established an inter-disciplinary center for research into digital scholarship and other emergent/experimental forms of media technology that joins students in the humanities with cognitive scientists and computer programmers. Being interested in the spatio-temporality of digital media, shifts in what is considered the "human," and Deleuze and Guattari, Duke's program sounds quite heavenly.... Good luck everyone!

[KRC]

Being interested in the spatio-temporality of digital media, shifts in what is considered the "human," and Deleuze and Guattari, Duke's program sounds quite heavenly.... Good luck everyone!

If an acceptance comes your way (or to anyone with these interests) I would stalk Mark Hansen like a predator. His work his PHENOMENAL in this regard and for better or worse, he gets overshadowed by Hayles in the public eye from time to time.