Faux pas?

[ridgey]

So, I just submitted an application, and realised I needed to clarify something with the department. I go to the website to find out who I should contact, and I notice that one of the three faculty I mentioned in my SoP is the DEAN ofthe whole school this department is in.

Probably not taking students. Probably would only take those who noticed that he's the freakin' dean.

Am I the only one who has turned into a complete airhead through application season?

[rising_star]

You'll be fine. Sometimes people with upper level administrative positions will still serve on committees, even if they don't have time to be your advisor. Don't panic.

[mlle]

So, I just submitted an application, and realised I needed to clarify something with the department. I go to the website to find out who I should contact, and I notice that one of the three faculty I mentioned in my SoP is the DEAN ofthe whole school this department is in.

Probably not taking students. Probably would only take those who noticed that he's the freakin' dean.

Am I the only one who has turned into a complete airhead through application season?

If anyone hasn't already seen from my posts, I've turned into an airhead like you wouldn't imagine. I seem to have a proclivity for blunders of all flavors and degrees with everything from the SOPs to the supporting materials to the waiting.

[Tritonetelephone]

Not to mention, he was only one of three. I'll bet he'll at least be flattered - and you know he's probably on the committee

[Boz]

ridgey, I agree with everyone else that you'll be fine. Plus, the fact that he's the dean didn't have any bearing on your desire to work with him--he interests you as a professor, which is also a significant role that he occupies--so I wouldn't worry about it .

I thought I'd add a little faux pas of my own--I realized after submitting my application to a school (which happens to be one of my top choices) that there is a certain famous professor, huge in my field, who has a 6-year visiting professorship at this school. I would LOVE to work with this guy, and our interests correspond exactly, but since I hadn't even realized that he was there, I didn't even mention him in my SoP! He's been teaching at a couple of different schools over the past few years, and I guess I didn't track him well enough. Actually, he's pretty old, so I even thought that maybe he'd retired.

I didn't even catch this on the school website--I read about it in a magazine. What also made him tricky to find online is the fact that he's teaching in a separate department, so he wasn't listed with the English department faculty. Boo! However, it's still my fault for not looking closely enough, I admit it.

Anyway, this might sound silly to some of you, but I personally think that the admissions committee will wonder why I didn't discuss this guy in my SoP, considering his status and our compatibility. I worry that it will make me come across as uninformed about the program, since this guy teaches in Comp. Lit. and it would be completely plausible for me to still work with him as an English student.

So, I feel like an airhead about that.

[plisar]

Boz, it's fine that you didn't. Admissions committees usually don't like seeing visiting faculty listed in SoP's anyway.

[Tritonetelephone]

I didn't even catch this on the school website--I read about it in a magazine. What also made him tricky to find online is the fact that he's teaching in a separate department, so he wasn't listed with the English department faculty. Boo! However, it's still my fault for not looking closely enough, I admit it.

I can't imagine an adcom expecting you to know something like that. They'll probably make the connection on their own after reading about your interests and still think you're a good fit.

BTW, what magazine is this, that reports on the career of an english professor?? I'm sure it's flying off the stands

[Boz]

Thanks for the reassurance, both of you. I guess I was just being too obsessive (as usual).

BTW, what magazine is this, that reports on the career of an english professor?? I'm sure it's flying off the stands

Haha, it was actually some newsletter that I got in the mail for Phi Beta Kappa. There was a section about members who had been distinguished in some way, and my professor guy had won an award, so there was a little blurb in there about his transition to a new university. A fascinating read, I assure you .