Lit, Rhet, Comp - Chat Thread

[marlowe]

I think it would be beneficial to have a central thread where English applicants can conduct our online business. Here, we can discuss diverse topics that may not necessarily merit an entire thread to themselves (or we may decide here that a unique thread is necessary). Off-topic activity is also highly encouraged.

Further, we can centralize discussion about time sensitive topics such as schools with early notification, minor-heart attack sessions, and results board activity. That way, we won't have to scroll through entire threads just to read a single post. This thread should move quickly enough that all you compulsive GC refreshers won't have to wait long to see a bold thread.

Lit, Rhet, and Comp WILL become the premier sub-topic forum on Grad Cafe (if it is not already).

[indalomena]

good plan, I'm in

[marlowe]

Ok, what are the 'early decision' schools? So far, I have heard mention of Washington University in St. Louis and Northwestern (and Emory for interviews). Let's compile a list. If you add one, copy the schools already listed and add yours to the list (so the most recent post will have all of them).

WUSTL (Late January)

Northwestern (late January last year)

Emory (interview notifications)

[bdon19]

WUSTL (Late January)

Northwestern (late January last year)

Emory (interview notifications)

Duke (early February last year)

[lolopixie]

WUSTL (Late January)

Northwestern (late January last year)

Emory (interview notifications)

Duke (early February last year)

Kansas (early February past 2 years)

[isol3]

I haven't seen any discussion about Stanford or UPenn. Did anyone apply to these places? Does anyone go to either of them?

Edited January 17, 2012 by isol3

[bdon19]

I'm loving this off-topic topic thread.

So, I just got invited to submit a paper for a conference at one of the schools I've applied to (the invitation is totally unrelated to my application). The only problem is, the conference is the same day as another conference I've submitted a paper to. Now, this one would be a better experience in terms of institutional "prestige" and because of the nature of the conference itself. I haven't heard back about the other conference, even though I was supposed to by early Jan. So, how long should I wait before I submit to the second conference? The deadline is coming up in the next few weeks, so I have a little time. I just don't know what I should do...blah.

[perrykm2]

I haven't seen any discussion about Stanford or UPenn. Did anyone apply to these places? Does anyone go to either of them?

I'm surprised how few people I've seen applying to UPenn, especially since they have such generous funding.

[vordhosbntwin]

i applied this season to the upenn comp lit program. those accepted were notified last year between mid february and mid march; those rejected were notified starting march 1st to the end of march.

i just realized that that schedule is unpleasantly unpredictable :-(

Edited January 17, 2012 by vordhosbntwin

[woolferine]

I haven't seen any discussion about Stanford or UPenn. Did anyone apply to these places? Does anyone go to either of them?

I applied to both and have heard fantastic things from people who went through the programs and/or were seriously considering them in recent years. In love with both programs. A girl can dream....

[wintergirl]

I haven't seen any discussion about Stanford or UPenn. Did anyone apply to these places? Does anyone go to either of them?

I applied to Stanford. Last year they notified about interiews in late January. They're my earliest school for any sort of notification.

[marlowe]

I'm surprised how few people I've seen applying to UPenn, especially since they have such generous funding.

I don't think Penn will have any shortage of applications!

Interestingly, I don't really remember when I was actually notified of my rejections last year; rather, I remember sitting on Grad Cafe watching the acceptances roll in and just shaking my head.

[Origin=Goal]

Just curious to see if most folks are applying for English or (like myself) on the other pole; seems like mostly the former on the boards.

[Origin=Goal]

i applied this season to the upenn comp lit program. those accepted were notified last year between mid february and mid march; those rejected were notified starting march 1st to the end of march.

i just realized that that schedule is unpleasantly unpredictable :-(

I just wish we'd get the damn rejections sooner! Making us into mid/late March is simply cruel.

[HunkyDory]

I'm surprised how few people I've seen applying to UPenn, especially since they have such generous funding.

I went to Penn undergrad, and I'm applying for PhD now, I can probably answer most questions about the English department that you have. Actually I could probably tell you if you even stand a chance by what your research interests are.

[isol3]

I went to Penn undergrad, and I'm applying for PhD now, I can probably answer most questions about the English department that you have. Actually I could probably tell you if you even stand a chance by what your research interests are.

Ok, what can you tell us?

[HunkyDory]

What do you want to know? I'm not going to sit here wasting my time writing what you could figure out if you just looked at the department website (and maybe it's because I'm biased towards it but http://www.english.upenn.edu/ is one of the most helpful straightforward department sites there is).

So if you want to know something specific, say so.

[isol3]

Common sense would tell you that we're only interested in information that we can't get from the usual sources. Common sense would also tell you that there is no way you could tell us what chance we stand just by our research interests.

[HunkyDory]

Common sense would tell you that we're only interested in information that we can't get from the usual sources. Common sense would also tell you that there is no way you could tell us what chance we stand just by our research interests.

Wow, you seem like quite the asshole.

Penn's strongest areas are medieval/renaissance lit, Modernism, and contemporary poetry. They used to have Stuart Curran running Milton and Romantic Poetry (and his specialty was female Romantic poets), although he left in 2008. Since then there's been a bit of a gap in that area of the department, mostly because Curran was so outstanding that nobody could replace him. They've got Lesser running Milton now, but he's a fairly young guy.

Because of this, if your research interests are outside of these areas, you've got a drastically reduced chance of getting in...I mean, it's pretty much a "fit" issue here, and you probably weren't applying if you were outside of this area. They'll usually take a gender studies person and race/postcolonialism person, both more often than not working in the 20th century forward. For contemporary stuff (and especially poetry) they look for much more unique research interests. There's a current PhD who got in with interests in recordings and methods of sound production--an issue that's very salient to contemporary poetics that a lot of the faculty has written on to some extent--but an area which less work is being done in.

Poetry-wise, they're the opposite of the canonical Yale/Harvard programs, and much more in line with Buffalo is this respect. If your poetry interests are Dickinson and Longfellow, you're quite divorced from a department that has a number of L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets and affiliates in it.

So yes, common sense tells me that if you're looking to write about Dryden, then you're fairly out of luck in the department. A fairly good predictor of whether or not you stand a chance at admission.

If you said your specific interests, I could have told you if there's faculty members to champion it, maybe even some you didn't notice going through the website. If you wanted to know more about Philly specifically, about the Writer's House specifically, I could tell you. There's stuff online but people always have questions they can't find the answers to otherwise.

I just don't know why you're being such an enormous dick about me offering to answer questions.

[bdon19]

So much negativity going on right here! Guys, let's just be friends!

[indalomena]

Wow, you seem like quite the asshole.

I think it's comments like this that tend to present a problem. It's perfectly reasonable to ask people to be specific in the information they require. It's unreasonable to tell them you're not prepared to "waste your time". Offering to help is great Doing it aggressively tends to upset people.

If only you'd been nicer about it and not bookended the comment with "dick" and "asshole". Your info on Penn is very helpful! So thank you! I really like the idea of Penn, but I think their early modern work is a bit too history-of-the-book focused for me, so I didn't apply. What's your focus?

In other news, I can't believe how late in January it is already. This is terrifying, decisions will be with us soon!

[HunkyDory]

I think it's comments like this that tend to present a problem. It's perfectly reasonable to ask people to be specific in the information they require. It's unreasonable to tell them you're not prepared to "waste your time". Offering to help is great Doing it aggressively tends to upset people.

If only you'd been nicer about it and not bookended the comment with "dick" and "asshole". Your info on Penn is very helpful! So thank you! I really like the idea of Penn, but I think their early modern work is a bit too history-of-the-book focused for me, so I didn't apply. What's your focus?

In other news, I can't believe how late in January it is already. This is terrifying, decisions will be with us soon!

I mean, I'm more than willing to be helpful and answer questions that people might have. I'm still more than willing to do that.

But I won't put up with entitled people who make snide/passive-aggressive statements about common sense.

I'm glad what I said was helpful. It's a shame you're not interested in history of the book--I know that that's Stallybrass's specialty...and that man is insanely brilliant. His story is one of my favorites too. He worked as a mortician for years, and is an autodidact...he would just sit in the morgue all night for years reading nonstop.

And I'm interested in Contemporary/Digital Poetics myself.

Edited January 17, 2012 by dokkeynot

[indalomena]

I'm glad what I said was helpful. It's a shame you're not interested in history of the book--I know that that's Stallybrass's specialty...and that man is insanely brilliant. His story is one of my favorites too. He worked as a mortician for years, and is an autodidact...he would just sit in the morgue all night for years reading nonstop.

And I'm interested in Contemporary/Digital Poetics myself.

I understand...tone difficult to judge on internet, and all that.

I think history of the book is really interesting, but it's not quite what I want to research. Stallybrass is amazing though, you're right. Mortician?!?!?! I had no idea!

[Timshel]

WUSTL (Late January)

Northwestern (late January last year)

Emory (interview notifications)

Duke (early February last year)

Kansas (early February past 2 years)

UMass Amherst (First week or so of February)

Buffalo (First week or so of February)

[isol3]

dokkeynot is wrong on all fronts. I've had numerous exchanges with a professor there who has given me information completely different from the information that dokkeynot gives.