Finding Fit

[ahembree]

Greetings All,

I am applying to Ph.D. programs in English this fall. The most useful knowledge I've gained from these forums thus far has been in the form of specific experiences with programs and knowledge of individual departments. I would really appreciate some input on the programs I am considering, but more importantly on other programs that I should consider.

Here is my interest in a nutshell: My undergrad background is in Shakespeare, Joyce and Renaissance Italian works. I want my graduate work to focus on critical theory and the idea of authorial identity, particularly as it relates to the conveyance of a message from source to audience. I want to focus on literature, drama and film. The latter field has made program selection interesting.

So far I have "definitelies," "probablies" and "maybes." Feel free to re-prioritize on my behalf and, more importantly, to suggest different schools.

Definitely: U Chicago, Cornell, NYU, Brown, Rice

Probably: UNC, UC Irvine

Maybe: WashU, Yale, UCLA, Northwestern, Duke, UVA

I am starting this as a resource for my own search, but I certainly have no problem with others using the thread to find their own "fit." I would also appreciate any advice on locations to find scholarly articles, as those tend to be great measures of "fit" with a given professor and I am a year removed from that wonderful undergrad JSTOR membership.

Much obliged!

[ThePoorHangedFool]

Hello there,

I am also applying to English programs for next fall, although I'm considering those offering an M.A., as well (I say this because it appears you're specifically looking at Ph.D. programs--if you don't mind sharing your reasons for this, I'd love to hear them). Similarly, Shakespeare is my primary concentration, and my secondary interests differ from yours only somewhat (19th and 20th century American; medieval; film and cinema studies, among other subfields).

Because we have such similar interests, perhaps we'll be able to offer each other more relevant advice than other users who fall under the "Literature/Rhetoric and Composition" field. At any rate, I'm currently wondering why you only think WashU, Duke, Northwestern, and UVa are "maybes" for you, and also whether you've looked at all into Vanderbilt's program.

In regards to accessing peer-reviewed and scholarly articles and journals, does your former university's library website have a link to JSTOR/MLA? If so, you should still be able to use them. If not, I'd suggest looking on the library websites of other undergraduate (or, I suppose, graduate?) institutions and seeing if any have free access to JSTOR and other scholarly sites.

Also, Google Scholar is a great place to find some (though not nearly as many) articles, depending on the subject or writer you're researching. It will link you to JSTOR at times (sometimes frustratingly often), but not always, and can lead you to Google Books occasionally, as well. There you'll find some free eBooks, or even just Preview chunks of books containing helpful essays or chapters that conveniently encompass what specifically pertains to your subject.

[runonsentence]

Regarding database access: you might be able to get a community member pass at institutions in your local area; I'm at a public university, and we offer community members some access to our resources if they sign up for a card.

My alma mater also offers alumni library cards. Have you looked into something similar with yours?

[ThePoorHangedFool]

Regarding database access: you might be able to get a community member pass at institutions in your local area; I'm at a public university, and we offer community members some access to our resources if they sign up for a card.

My alma mater also offers alumni library cards. Have you looked into something similar with yours?

This is true for the fortunate, I agree. The thoughts I posited, however, stem from the fact that my own institution denies its "regular" or "community" members access to electronic databases regardless of whether a library card has been issued or whether a patron begs for the librarians to make an exception (trust me, I tried). I have never heard mentions of an alumni card there, either, though I know many institutions do have such systems in place. Ahembree, if you live near a University library--or, probably, select metropolitan public libraries, as well--you might be able to access the databases while physically in the library itself even if you can't from home, etc. You might end up using more paper than you'd typically prefer, but it seems that research is quite a valid excuse.

[runonsentence]

This is true for the fortunate, I agree. The thoughts I posited, however, stem from the fact that my own institution denies its "regular" or "community" members access to electronic databases regardless of whether a library card has been issued or whether a patron begs for the librarians to make an exception (trust me, I tried).

I'm not sure why you see my advice as contradictory. Again, my own institution offers community members who sign up for a library card access to resources (including database access if on-site), just as you mentioned. I simply recommended the poster check out these resources, in case Google access gets frustrating.

Edited July 26, 2011 by runonsentence

[HaruNoKaze]

two pieces of advice I'll share: Rice is a wonderful school, and a beautiful campus, but the students are competitive and the programs are hard work. Not to say anyone is lazy (I applied there in the past) but many of my friends who have been accepted and go there comment on how they have no life accept for school. A few years ago Rice was ranked for its high suicide rate, and that made me a little relieved I didn't get in. Brown is very laid back, also very beautiful, and I considered their program for a while. If I were selecting from that list, I would apply to Brown, Washington University in St. Louis, New York University and UCLA.

Second, I considered the straight PhD option myself (Rice only does straight PhD last I checked, doesn't do MA->PhD) but decided against it. It isn't for everyone. If you choose straight PhD, and something happens and you have to drop out of the program, you leave with nothing unless you take the MA exam after the fact. Even if you put in your first two years as if you were doing an MA, it doesn't read like that on paper. So fair warning. I was considering that option, but it seemed like too big of a risk to get half way through and have nothing. The program can also deny you an MA if you don't complete your program but petition to take the MA test. Know what you're getting into, and know the risks associated with it. I love Rice and wanted to go so much, but after talking with the dept a couple of years ago I changed my mind.

[Phil Sparrow]

I'm not sure if you're talking about "straight PhD" programs generally, or just Rice. I know nothing about Rice and can't speak for it in any way whatsoever. But at most programs I researched when applying (including my current institution), you'll be awarded an MA after 1-3 years (it depends on how your program is set up). So, if something bad happens and you have to drop out, or--heaven forfend--the faculty does not want you to continue, you'll generally be rewarded an MA for your efforts even at straight-to-PhD programs (when I say this, I mean programs where you don't apply first to the MA, then later to the PhD, but rather apply straight to the PhD). Even if these "straight PhD" programs have terminal MAs along side, you often won't have to complete the full MA requirements to receive an MA if you've done X years on the PhD track (that is, you don't have to write a these and/or pass exams).

I'm also not really sure what the problem is here...the risks associated with dropping out are the same everywhere; that is, you won't complete your degree. If you don't finish an MA program, you won't get the MA. If you don't finish your BA, you won't get your BA. If you walk away ABD or earlier from your doctoral program...you have not completed your PhD. And yet even straight-to-PhD programs which generally don't award MAs along the way often will award them to students who don't finish the PhD as a sign that they made at least some progress. Surely not all of them do this, but many do.

Anyway, sorry to derail the thread a bit. I was rather confused by this comment. And I may have confused myself even more with my own answer...

Second, I considered the straight PhD option myself (Rice only does straight PhD last I checked, doesn't do MA->PhD) but decided against it. It isn't for everyone. If you choose straight PhD, and something happens and you have to drop out of the program, you leave with nothing unless you take the MA exam after the fact. Even if you put in your first two years as if you were doing an MA, it doesn't read like that on paper. So fair warning. I was considering that option, but it seemed like too big of a risk to get half way through and have nothing. The program can also deny you an MA if you don't complete your program but petition to take the MA test. Know what you're getting into, and know the risks associated with it. I love Rice and wanted to go so much, but after talking with the dept a couple of years ago I changed my mind.

Edited July 26, 2011 by Phil Sparrow

[Phil Sparrow]

What era do you want to focus on? That will determine the answers to a lot of these questions. Also, what kind of critical theory and/or in what capacity? Do you want to study theory qua theory or just be a critical theory-heavy scholar?

For questions of early modern authorship, as well as film, Northwestern would be a great fit for you. They have a well-known film department as well as great early modernists who specialize in authorial collaboration, etc. Also great for early modern drama. How committed are you to working on Joyce, though? Because there's no stand-out Joyce scholar there that I can tell.

Like Northwestern, WUSTL is generally strong in early modern, and they also have a top-notch Joyce scholar as well as other great Irish lit people. Not sure about film there, but it's a great lit program.

Duke is great in early modern as well as theory. There's a lot of overlap between their English and Literature programs, so you could apply to either one and enjoy the resources of both. Furthermore, a benefit to going either to UNC or Duke is that you basically get two schools for the price of one. There is a great deal of collaboration and back-and-forth, and they're very open about cross-enrollment in courses, cross-institutional diss committees, etc.

I don't know about UNC for your particular interests, but it's also a generally strong program, especially in early modern lit.

On 7/21/2011 at 6:04 PM, ahembree said:

Greetings All,

I am applying to Ph.D. programs in English this fall. The most useful knowledge I've gained from these forums thus far has been in the form of specific experiences with programs and knowledge of individual departments. I would really appreciate some input on the programs I am considering, but more importantly on other programs that I should consider.

Here is my interest in a nutshell: My undergrad background is in Shakespeare, Joyce and Renaissance Italian works. I want my graduate work to focus on critical theory and the idea of authorial identity, particularly as it relates to the conveyance of a message from source to audience. I want to focus on literature, drama and film. The latter field has made program selection interesting.

So far I have "definitelies," "probablies" and "maybes." Feel free to re-prioritize on my behalf and, more importantly, to suggest different schools.

Definitely: U Chicago, Cornell, NYU, Brown, Rice

Probably: UNC, UC Irvine,

Maybe: WashU, Yale, UCLA, Northwestern, Duke, UVA

I am starting this as a resource for my own search, but I certainly have no problem with others using the thread to find their own "fit." I would also appreciate any advice on locations to find scholarly articles, as those tend to be great measures of "fit" with a given professor and I am a year removed from that wonderful undergrad JSTOR membership.

Much obliged!

[ThePoorHangedFool]

I'm not sure why you see my advice as contradictory. Again, my own institution offers community members who sign up for a library card access to resources (including database access if on-site), just as you mentioned. I simply recommended the poster check out these resources, in case Google access gets frustrating.

I don't see your post as contradictory. Well, technically our institutions' policies concerning community patrons' access to electronic databases are in opposition with one another, but I simply wanted to clarify to the original user that not all universities function alike (private v. public makes a difference in some cases). Moreover, not all public libraries adhere to the same guidelines; my situation is perhaps somewhat isolated from other users' given that my university library IS the community library.

I truly didn't intend to start a conflict over something so trivial (well, not so much trivial for the user who wants access). Being in the same canoe with everyone else in this forum discussion, I have little information about any user's specific circumstances that isn't provided by him or her. I just thought it would be helpful to offer people whose questions clearly provoke numerous and variant "right" answers the implication of that very notion.

Edited July 26, 2011 by ThePoorHangedFool

[runonsentence]

I don't see your post as contradictory. Well, technically our institutions' policies concerning community patrons' access to electronic databases are in opposition with one another, but I simply wanted to clarify to the original user that not all universities function alike (private v. public makes a difference in some cases). Moreover, not all public libraries adhere to the same guidelines; my situation is perhaps somewhat isolated from other users' given that my university library IS the community library.

I truly didn't intend to start a conflict over something so trivial (well, not so much trivial for the user who wants access). Being in the same canoe with everyone else in this forum discussion, I have little information about any user's specific circumstances that isn't provided by him or her. I just thought it would be helpful to offer people whose questions clearly provoke numerous and variant "right" answers the implication of that very notion.

No no, you didn't start a conflict, and no offense was taken. I was just perplexed (and still am, I confess) as to why you seem to be disagreeing with my suggestion. I don't think my post ever implied that every university would offer public access; as neither of us knows what kind of institution the OP comes from, I merely wanted to suggest s/he check it out. (It may still be of use to lurkers reading the forum in a similar situation.) But anyway, I don't mean to derail the thread, and again no offense was taken.

I second the suggestion to look into UNC Chapel Hill if you have early modern interests.

[lyonessrampant]

For early modern drama, check out Brown (Coppelia Kahn) and Northwestern is a good suggestion there. Other strong early modern programs include Stanford. . I heart Roland Greene. WashU is strong in early modern as well (Joe Loewenstein and Steven Zwicker). U of Minnesota has a strong early modern program (John Watkins, Shirley Garner, Nabil, Kathleen Schiel and strong Medievalists too). CU-Boulder is pretty good (Eggert). Oregon has some rising early modernists. Utah has a young early modernist who has a book coming out expected to be amazing. . .he's into drama and I can't remember his name from my campus visit (I'm into early modern poetry and critical theory). U of Chicago has Richard Strier, Michael Murrin, and Bradin Cormack (all awesome). I second the suggestion on Duke (Quilligan. . .need I say more?). U of Washington has a new early modernist on staff. The DGS called me to talk about him, but I don't remember his name. So yeah, good luck!!!!

[ThePoorHangedFool]

For early modern drama, check out Brown (Coppelia Kahn)....

I adore Coppelia Kahn; as far as my own circumstances are concerned, I'd effectively be asking for Brown to waste that one extra sheet of paper (or one minute of their life spent typing and sending an email) to inform me of my immediate rejection if I applied to their program. However, I've been heavily studying Kahn's critical essays exploring Roman women in Shakespeare for a subsection in my thesis from last semester (which I ended up having to give to my department in a version that, while "complete" as it technically was, didn't begin to discuss much of what I'd accumulated during my research. I'm currently expanding it into the much more extensive work I had originally intended it to be, and although I do end up arguing against Kahn throughout much of one section I'm completing for which her writings are a key source, she is absolutely brilliant and I would do almost anything to study under her tutelage for even a year of my graduate studies.

I should clarify that I am hoping to develop my graduate "concentration" around Shakespeare studies, so you can trust me when I assure you that my research on the strengths of various programs in terms of A) the courses each offers that cover Shakespeare--from any perspective, as well as the faculty members at each school whose specialties include or are predominantly centered around Shakespeare, has been more than sufficiently in-depth and thorough. Unsurprising now to all is that, naturally, my note-taking on other areas/periods/genres within each program is somewhat less elucidating; I do have a variety of other interests outside Shakespeare's works, but somehow always manage to relate much of what I think about (even if it doesn't make it into every essay) back to him.

Wow, my digressions are astounding these days...it seems that because I've been talking out loud significantly less often than I normally would during an average day, my suppressed words and thoughts quickly become word vomit into the text box of whatever I'm working on while using my computer....

THE POINT is that Coppelia Kahn is a magnificent writer and critic, but obviously she has a foundation quite solidly grounded in feminist theory, so if that is something that you've found yourself less interested in or less inspired by when writing your OWN work, she might be one you'd want to get to know through her essays and books before taking all my praise of her and possibly arriving at Brown next year and ending up miserable because she's not quite the way I portrayed her here....

Actually, I'd recommend that everyone here who hasn't already studied Kahn in some form or another read at least one of her chapters or essays on any one of Shakespeare's plays or poems. She is a great critic to study if anyone is just getting started with the basic thought of feminist criticism and theory; nearly all of her writing that I've personally read is, relatively speaking, straightforward and her main argument(s) easy to grasp hold of quickly without much outside research. If anyone out there is specifically aligned with either Shakespeare or feminist theory/criticism, I'd advise to go buy her books on Amazon or eBay or somewhere and try to become familiar with a few specific essays. She's one of the literary critics in academia that not only everyone has heard of and probably read, but you'll find that even when a professor disagrees with one of her points he or she acknowledges how imperative Kahn's overall contributions to literary criticism and feminist theory have been.

[ThePoorHangedFool]

I second the suggestion to look into UNC Chapel Hill if you have early modern interests.

Another random comment, at which point I'll try to stop bombarding this forum with my opinions, is that the professor with which I took my two general Shakespeare courses as an undergraduate got her doctorate at Chapel Hill. She is amazing (and will, incidentally, be the acting Chair of the English department this year, so that should help my recommendations ever so slightly, or I can hope so, at least). She too highly recommends Chapel Hill for a focus in early modern literature, so I'm really just seconding thirding (?) runonsentence's advice.

Edited July 27, 2011 by ThePoorHangedFool

[lyonessrampant]

Kahn is awesome . .. she's a rockstar, though, and as a result I've heard doesn't take on a lot of students. My own work is highly invested in feminist studies, gender theory, and early modern lit (though poetry rather than drama for the most part). Anyway, yeah, whee for the Crow Best of luck on your applications!

[ahembree]

First of all, thanks so much for all the responses! I'll do what I can to address questions and remedy a few errors on my part.

PHF: Glad to hear we share common interests! Many of the programs I have listed or looked at do offer an MA along the way to a PHD, even if they have no co-terminal MA. I think this is fantastic, and consider it a definite mark in a given program's favor. However, when it comes to finding the perfect fit, I am more than willing to apply to a program with full professors working in my areas of interest, even if it does not offer this practical option. If I have the luxury of choosing between a program that offers it and one that doesn't, that may be a pertinent factor for my decision.

In regards to my "maybes," those have already altered a bit since my original post, but your question is a good one. WashU, Duke, Northwestern and Virginia were listed as they were because, at the time of posting, I felt that the faculties were very strong in certain areas of interest (e.g. Early Modern), but not necessarily in drama or film. This is based solely on my reading of faculty interests and comparing my lists, which are changing every day. Right now, I would say UVA and WUSTL are both looking like better options to me, having dug a bit deeper. As for Vanderbilt, I definitely have looked into the program, which I like very much in many ways. Honestly, I think it was a mistake for me to leave it off of my list, as it is currently sitting on a post-it on my computer under "definitely," haha.

Runon/PHF, I've looked into alumni JSTOR access, and I can't find anything of the kind through my alma mater. I went on a bit of a downloading blitz at the end of my senior year, but that's all I have at the moment. My login information expired a few months after graduating, I'm afraid.

Haru: I have to say I am surprised to hear this about Rice. At the moment, I really like it as a smaller school and the faculty seems to align well to my interests. I intend to apply for sure regardless, but I appreciate the heads-up. Being more of the laid-back type myself, I know exactly what you mean about Brown, as I like basically everything about the program.

Phil Sparrow: In answer to your question, I am very interested in "theory qua theory," but my more specific critical/philosophical interests currently fall in the realm of the linguistic (e.g. Derrida, Foucault), and also ideas of narratology and genre (Bergson). It was Jakobson's description of the "communication functions" that got me interested in theory, though I wouldn't call myself a formalist. As I am (always) in the exploratory stages of my critical interests, however, I would say that my areas of greatest temporal interest are Renaissance/Early Modern and 20th century American novels/poetry. Joyce, for me, is almost an anomaly. His overlap with Dante and Shakespeare (and...er...brilliance in general) means I will always be reading him, despite the fact that Irish literature as a whole is not a strength of mine. In terms of "era," I am interested now in how modern writers, particularly in America, deal with their place in literary/philosophical history. As criticism is inseparable from that history, I suppose that would make me a critical theory-heavy scholar. Incidentally, though, my most likely writing sample concerns Shakespeare and Joyce, and many schools indicate that the writing sample should be in the proposed area of study.

I have to agree with you about Northwestern. It's a great program and I love the area, having visited before. It is also helpful to know that the film department has some rep, as I definitely want new exposure (no pun intended?) in that genre. My school collaborated with NWern for a Summer Shakespeare program, so I also have some exposure to their drama department. In all honesty, I put the program as a "maybe" because I have been reading the lists of professors' publications and was less-than-thrilled at the time of posting. I feel a bit more motivated to dig deeper now, though.

As for UNC/Duke, Duke was once my gold standard. When I started to really flesh out my interests, I became a bit disappointed with the drama/film dimension of the program. I admit the early modern at both schools is very strong, and both are all-around good programs. I am still likely to apply to at least one, and your comment on the collaborative nature of the programs is reassuring. It just feels like I'm interested because of their "all-around" rep rather than specific fit for me.

This has been extremely helpful for me! Any more information about the above programs would be appreciated. I would definitely like to learn more in particular about UCI's Critical Theory emphasis. I am also interested to learn about programs well known for strong drama, film or Italian departments that I may not have considered already. I have considered Duke's program in Literature, among other comparative programs, so I am open to any suggestions. I'm grateful for the input, and feel free to ask anything else about me here or via PM. I'm sure we can help each other.

[runonsentence]

Runon/PHF, I've looked into alumni JSTOR access, and I can't find anything of the kind through my alma mater. I went on a bit of a downloading blitz at the end of my senior year, but that's all I have at the moment. My login information expired a few months after graduating, I'm afraid.

Did you try asking librarians about alumni access, or simply try logging on with your old student credentials? From what I understand, schools that have alumni and community access would ask you to apply for access again (that is, your old student info probably wouldn't work).

If that's what you already did, then try something close by—community colleges might be your ticket. For instances, the county where I grew up had the community college in the same network as the county public libraries, so it was very easy to use the library there even though I wasn't a CC student.

Good luck!

[ahembree]

Runon: I haven't actually contacted the library, but I will try. Also, I live down the street from a large public university now, so maybe that would be a good place to start as well, given what I have heard. I'm also taking online classes from a CC for my teaching certificate, and I'd never considered checking there as well.

Lyoness: Thanks for the professor recommendations! Knowing names in advance makes the search much easier, so I really appreciate it. I haven't looked into a few of those programs yet (Utah and Minnesota in particular) , but definitely will.

PHF: Thanks for the info on Kahn. Feminist criticism isn't really my bag, but if she's an important Shakespearean, I want to read her. I find it interesting that her current research concerns modern reconstructions of Shakespeare, considering I am interested in how modern writers try to exist in his wake.

[ThePoorHangedFool]

PHF: Thanks for the info on Kahn. Feminist criticism isn't really my bag, but if she's an important Shakespearean, I want to read her. I find it interesting that her current research concerns modern reconstructions of Shakespeare, considering I am interested in how modern writers try to exist in his wake.

I'm glad my long-winded praise of her didn't backfire, as she really is one of the staples in both Shakespeare and feminist criticism. There is nothing wrong whatsoever with having less of an interest in feminist theory, but if you're planning on pursuing your graduate studies in theory and criticism, you'll almost definitely have to do at least a bit of coursework that covers feminist critics and theorists. Feminism is arguably one of the most useful lenses through which literature, and often especially that of male writers not working in a period or location where they'd ever be situated alongside an equal number of women writers, let alone women admired or renowned for their writing (i.e., most periods before the nineteenth century, at the very earliest). Kahn is great for another reason that I didn't mention previously, which is that she is heavily into revising her studies on various works and reprinting the updated editions to include new thoughts and ideas, often that stray from or even deny components of her original arguments.

Anyway, glad I could be of a little help. If you ever have questions about Shakespearean critics or theorists that are essentially fundamental toward either studies in theory or Shakespeare's works, let me know. At this point I've managed to accumulate a wealth of information that would probably be helpful to someone with your interests.

[BelleOfKilronen]

Another thing for the Early Modernists on the thread to consider is whether or not the school is a member of the Folger Consortium. Students at consortium schools can apply for free travel and lodging for Folger conferences and seminars, and tuition and most fees are also waived.

A friend of mine applied to a weekly seminar through the Consortium and, in addition to waiving his tuition, they paid for him to fly to DC each week. The seminar was super helpful for him--he honed in on a dissertation topic, met other folks with similar interests, and got to utilize the research library.

...annnnnd you get to write on your CV that you got a grant to hang out at the Folger for a semester, which isn't such a bad thing