About those predoctoral fellowships

[MichaelK]

Hello fellow literature types. I'm prepping applications for fall 2012 (seems ridiculously far away, but I suspect deadlines will be here before we know it). I've got a question about the Javits and Ford fellowships: What's the point? From a career standpoint I understand that winning one of these awards would certainly boost one's resume. And I suppose that it won't hurt with your standing in a department, either, since your fellowship funding will replace university funding. But from an admissions perspective, it would seem that neither of these awards will be able to help much. Javits awards aren't given out until March 1, and I suspect the Ford Fellowships are on a similar timeline (I can't find a date on their website, though I'm sure someone's posted it on gradcafe.) It seems like quite a bit of extra work, especially when I have no definitive promise of acceptance anywhere. On the other hand, come March, let's say I win one of these after having been rejected or waitlisted everywhere. What now? Do I contact programs letting them know, "By the way, I've got money coming with me?" Seems rather a sick way to get into graduate school. One of my recommenders (the only one I've broached the subject with), suggested applying to "everything I can," but I'm not sold yet. So, the question: Are you planning on applying to these programs? If so, what's your reasoning? Anyone talk to a professor or two about this?

[runonsentence]

Off the top of my head, I can think of a number of reasons it'd be useful to come in to a program with a fellowship:

• Putting it on your CV for the job market, as you mentioned. Don't underestimate the importance of this; the job market is shit, especially for lit. Having a high-profile fellowship on your CV would be a tremendous asset.
• Bargaining with schools that have accepted you (OR getting more acceptances by updating schools that you still haven't heard from that you got the fellowship. It would turn heads and probably help you win over another adcom or two).
• Having time away from teaching to do your own research. One of the biggest hurdles in time-to-degree is teaching load; having a fellowship is a fantastic way to find more time for your own research. (Keep in mind: I say this as someone who is very serious about pedagogy and lists it as one of her primary research interests. No matter how much you love it or how applicable it is to your scholarly identity, it can slow down your degree progress.)

Keep in mind that you will still be waiting to hear from a number of schools by March 1st. In my own experience last application season, I'd only heard from 2/10 schools by March 1st. It wouldn't be a weird/strange thing at all to contact schools that have waitlisted you (or simply have not contacted you yet) to inform them that you'd just won a prestigious fellowship. It's not just about the money, it's also the fact that you've demonstrated that you have the chops to win such an award.

[MichaelK]

Thanks for the feedback, Runon. I guess I'm a bit too caught up in the application process at the moment to view the big picture clearly. It sounds like these awards would certainly be useful once I'm in graduate school, and, based on your experience, might play a hand in landing me an admission somewhere as well. On reading my post again it seems like I'm just a bit cynical about the process at the moment...probably comes from spending too many hours staring at a statement of purpose draft. In any case, thanks for your useful perspective.

[stillthisappeal]

Runonsentence is right that you should have time to inform a number of programs that you've received the fellowship, which could help boost you above the rest of the pack where you have borderline admissions status. But really, unless you are confident that you have a shot at programs ranked in the top twenty, you would probably be better off focusing on securing admission with a teaching fellowship.

[runonsentence]

Rereading your post myself, I'm not sure whether I'd say you sound cynical, or just overwhelmed by the process at the moment. Certainly, I'd agree with stillthisappeal, and I wouldn't recommend putting all your eggs and hopes of funding in the Javits and Ford Fellowship baskets.

The bullet points from my original post are probably some of the reasons your professors told you to try to apply for everything you can. A fellowship would be a great career asset. But if you're too overwhelmed with the application process, don't let the fellowship applications detract from your putting in a good quality PhD application packet.