English and Comp/Lit applicants: How many of you corresponded with faculty before applying to a department [especially those accepted to a program]

[Grunty DaGnome]

I didn't vote because I'm not applying to lit programs, But I wanted to add that when my partner applied to English lit programs three years ago, he had email correspondences with POIs at all seven of the programs to which he applied. He was offered admission to five of those programs (all ranked in the top 10 I think). His emails introduced his researched interests, asked about fit and resources, and whether or not that particular prof would be accepting students in the coming year(s). The profs whose interests closely matched his own were more than happy to correspond. Would he have been accepted anyway? Probably? But the emails certainly didn't hurt his chances!

Edit: Just read this and wanted to add, he was also coming out of the British system.

Thanks for sharing that. This is probably the real point of corresponding with profs, namely to make sure there's a good "fit." Is your BF happy with his ultimate choice?

[Aztecson23]

I've applied to seven programs and have gotten into two so far. I was informed of the offers of admission via phone. I had contacted professors at both schools beforehand. The professor (from School X) and I corresponded via email: four emails in late September and three brief emails right before submitting. We also met very briefly at MLA (unintentionally as it turned out, which made me think of cosmic timing and all that. I believe decisions were made shortly after MLA. But that's another story.) School Y's professor and I have been talking on the phone for months. He approached me at a conference, got my contact info, and we've been in contact since August. We talk about three times a week on the phone. I know it sounds strange but I'm older than he is, our academic interests really match up, and we've become friends. And maybe he really wants me to go to his school. (And this is another story to be told at a more opportune moment, I believe.)

In addition to X and Y, a third school, probably the most prestigious of the seven, informed me of my status today: interview. I emailed the head of grad admissions to ask about the length of the SOP back in December. That was it. They emailed me this morning to tell me that I am a finalist and they want to fly me out for an interview--How did I manage to get an interview? (All finalists must interview.)

Having said all this, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. There are systemic issues way out of our control--you're coming in as a modernist and the really bad-ass modernist professor is: already working with four students/going on sabbatical/is retiring/trying to focus only on research and can't take on students/pulling for a student he or she has already worked with through a research internship, etc. In short, rejected/waitlisted applicants should not always take things personal. (Easier said than done, especially coming from someone who has been admitted to two programs so far and has been invited to interview for a third.)
   
2. Maybe it is the Statement of Purpose, not so much that it's badly written: it's safe to assume that English majors can write decently, but maybe the SOP shows little awareness of the genre. I learned from my Rhet/Comp friends how important it is to look at successful models and analyze structure, as well as consider variations and the extent to which an SOP can depart from conventions--not so much as it turns out. I looked at successful applicants' SOPs and there were differences in terms of structure but nothing radically distinct in terms of content--past research, future research, which professors' interests can profitably guide this future research, etc. And always a compelling narrative thread; which is not to say that it was a short story but that it contained a sustained, integrated rationale for pursuing literary studies that tied the whole thing together.
   
3. I strategically only chose to apply to schools with at least two professors whose specializations seemed to match with my future projects (though not always 100% but close enough). This left out a lot of the Ivy Leagues because I couldn't see myself working with certain professors who specialized in stuff I found to be, quite frankly, boring. (It probably isn't, just not to my liking, simply a matter of preference.) This made applying easier, though not easy. I just mean that when writing my SOPs and Personal Statements I could draw from a sharply defined pool of past, current, and future research interests. Because I didn't have to make up stuff or radically change my research interests, I had an easier time writing. It was still the most difficult thing I've ever done, though. The psychological roadblocks were terrible and I got into a really bad relationship to cope: the drama made me feel alive. I know this makes a lot of sense. But again, yet another story for another time. (I digress.)
   
4. When I contacted professors from schools X & Y, I was always brief in the initial email. I just introduced myself, the Master's program I was in, and my research interests. Because these were sharply defined for me, I was able to ask a question about the type of research that could be done at their school or, if possible, I would ask about something I was working on at the moment. I avoided emailing to ask about the obvious or to gush about how much I would love to gain admittance. I was always purposeful and brief. When one of their suggestions bore fruit, sometimes way later, I sent a quick email to show what I'd learned and say thanks. In other words, the content of my emails were always oriented toward intellectual or professional considerations that a thorough once-over of their Eng. dept. website couldn't address or that a cursory knowledge of their research areas wouldn't cover.
   
5. I'm not sure why or how I was invited to interview at the third school. I really can't say.
   
6. Rules work half of the time and they fail the other half. Sometimes there's no telling why a great applicant does not get in. Read Beckett and Sartre to see how absurd our quest to find meaningful patterns is. Sometimes you just have to respect the grammatical period at the end of the statement "I didn't get in and I don't know why." Acceptance of your lack of acceptance. You be the committee you wished you'd had. Or if you're courageous, you can ask the department what the weaknesses of your application were in order to iron out the kinks the second time around. But most people won't do this.
   
7. I apologize if I sound like a pedantic arse. I don't mean to. My attempt was to be as specific and clear as I could in case my experience might be helpful to some of you. I don't claim to have all the answers, except maybe on the topic of dirty limericks. By which I mean I know none, but the phrase "dirty limericks" certainly makes me sound cooler than I am.
   

And I do feel a little bit guilty that I got in, I must say, especially because I have found most commenters in the threads I've read to be such supportive, kind individuals. Many exhibit this beautiful ability to commiserate with and encourage others even as they might be feeling down themselves. I don't think it's fair. But, hey, I was the middle child, the chubby nerd and not the handsome athlete my brother is, so forgive me if I do secretly (well, up until writing this sentence) relish my getting in. I mean, all those years of being teacher's pet (and elbowing little grade-grubbing upstarts: it hasn't been easy, folks) have culminated in gaining admittance. This is the ultimate fantasy of a sad, lonely teacher's pet whose self-worth is tragically tied to approval from teachers/professors. I'm addicted to seeing that light of intense interest in my teachers' eyes when I propose or present a project. I live for that light. Without it, I am nothing. You all are all probably capable of loving. You can take pleasure in life's little moments. And for this I should be pitied.

But I am good looking now. I kind of look like a Latino Zach Galifianakis but with Humphrey Bogart nerd glasses , which to me is the ultimate in sexy, if my mirror does not lie. Which it doesn't.

Hold me.

Edited February 4, 2012 by Aztecson23

[Aubergine]

Thanks for sharing that. This is probably the real point of corresponding with profs, namely to make sure there's a good "fit." Is your BF happy with his ultimate choice?

Yep, he ended up in the perfect program!

[JeremiahParadise]

Hold me.

Yes. This and everything else you mentioned above were spot on. Fun to read, and I learned a lot. Thanks.

[Aztecson23]

Yes. This and everything else you mentioned above were spot on. Fun to read, and I learned a lot. Thanks.

Hahaha: hey, I'm glad you found my comment funny. I added you as a friend. Are you applying soon or are you in a program currently? And is that Kerouac in your profile pic? If it is, it has got to be the wizened alcoholic, conservative Kerouac. He looked beat, by then:-)

[Aztecson23]

Yes. This and everything else you mentioned above were spot on. Fun to read, and I learned a lot. Thanks.

Just saw that you're planning to apply for next year. If you need help, let's stay in touch. Peace.

[Aztecson23]

Hahaha: hey, I'm glad you found my comment funny. I added you as a friend. Are you applying soon or are you in a program currently? And is that Kerouac in your profile pic? If it is, it has got to be the wizened alcoholic, conservative Kerouac. He looked beat, by then:-)

And if it's you in the photo there's no way I can make it better, huh? Damn. I hope it's Keroauc or anyone but you.

[JeremiahParadise]

Hahaha: hey, I'm glad you found my comment funny. I added you as a friend. Are you applying soon or are you in a program currently? And is that Kerouac in your profile pic? If it is, it has got to be the wizened alcoholic, conservative Kerouac. He looked beat, by then:-)

Ha! It's actually not me, so no worries. And it's not Kerouac, either -- it's his buddy/contemporary, Neal Cassady. Glad you added me -- I'd love to stay in touch! I'm gearing up for the fall -- still teaching and doing some conference work -- but I have a long way to go, and it'll be great to have you as a resource. Thanks! I'll shoot you a PM to introduce myself.

[Frozenroses]

I contacted every single school that I thought of applying to in May, I built up a relationship with the people who I thought may make good supervisors through e-mail. This turned out to be incredibly beneficial because it essentially helped me weed out the psycho supervisors from the good ones - just because you have the same interests as they do, doesn't mean that they won't turn out to be Hitleresque in dictating how you take your research to you. I then visited 4 of the schools (that I had short listed through suitability in terms of supervision) and met with 4-5 profs at each one that I contacted or had already been in contact with in advance. Again, this compounded my relationship with the schools and also gave me a chance to see the city and the school itself (this process actually made me change my mind about my top choice as I met a supervisor who I realised would be impossible to work with even though she had appeared normal over the phone). I then followed these visits up with a polite e-mail to thank them for their time and reassert my interest in applying. I realise that not many people can visit their chosen schools - I lucked out because a friend of mine wanted to go on a roadtrip and offered to fund it (a rather epic journey taking in Ottawa - Toronto - all the way through the states to Vancouver and Edmonton). I have been accepted into all the programs I applied to and I know for a fact that meeting with one of the supervisors meant that he fought my corner to get me accepted (my background is not in English, but film). So, I am probably the most extreme in terms of contacting departments prior to applying but I believe that it really benefited me and influenced my decisions a lot (as well as my chance of acceptance).

[ktwho]

Frozen roses and Aztecson23,

What did you say in your first emails to POIs? I'm only interested in one school for a phd in Spanish Lit down the road from my house and it's ivy plus. I know they will be responsive to emails, I'm just not sure what to say. I have also been to one panel and will be attending more, so I know I will have face time, it's just so darned intimidating because I want it SO badly.

Also, would any of you who have been successfully admitted be willing to share your SoP?

Any advice appreciated.

[margarethale]

here's a great guide to sending a good email to your POIs (written by a professor at UVa). While it's not designed specifically for Lit/Comp grad students, the basic concepts and tips are still really helpful.

http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~evans/advice/prospective.html

[JeremiahParadise]

here's a great guide to sending a good email to your POIs (written by a professor at UVa). While it's not designed specifically for Lit/Comp grad students, the basic concepts and tips are still really helpful.

http://www.cs.virgin...rospective.html

That's a great read -- thanks! I recently spoke with a professor at Vanderbilt who told me she gets LOTS of emails from students who want to work with her. I'm sure most profs at major universities do. Anyway, she said that she only really thinks these emails are valuable if the student senders have read her work and can make specific connections between her interests and theirs. Otherwise, she said, it's pretty much just a BS attempt to get a foot in the door and is totally transparent to the prof. She recommended being as specific and succinct as possible, while still saying enough to be memorable.

[ktwho]

Thanks!

[ecritdansleau]

I guess it just seems to me that a question of equal relevance is "do any of your recommenders have personal or professional relationships with faculty at schools that accepted you?" But perhaps that's a separate issue.

This.

I wasn't entirely aware of it at the time I was applying, but after I spoke to a recommender about my acceptances, it came up that the professor had a colleague here and there at some of the schools to which I was accepted (to sum up, there were professional relationships between a recommender and faculty at 3 of the four schools where I was accepted). I did not, however, contact any faculty members at any of the departments to which I applied.

[Imogene]

I've heard this is huge. Unfortunately, I don't think any of my recommenders had particular colleagues synched with my schools. I really love my LORs, and they know me and my work really well, but this is making me think harder about this the next time around. Is it better to go out of your solid mentor/prof circle to get a rec from a prof that may not know you as well, but may have more ties in your prospective circle of colleagues/profs?

[Stately Plump]

I've heard, and I could be wrong, that establishing a personal relationship/connection with a POI before applying is more common in some of the hard sciences. Personally, I was not in touch anywhere, and I was accepted to two PhD programs, wait-listed at a third, and also accepted to two MA programs.

If you are going to try to establish a connection, I would strongly advise against sending emails to "superstar" professors. My first step would be to make sure your POI is still teaching, at least at the graduate level. Look at course listings; a lot of departments at larger schools have 50-60 faculty members, but only offer 12-15 (or less) graduate seminars per semester. That means a good 35 faculty members are just doing research, they are not even teaching. Some of them might not even be on campus, they might just be "honorary" faculty members who get a paycheck from the university. Don't waste your time sending those people emails; it will come off as naive, which is never good. Also, perhaps try contacting some current grad students and see which professors are advisors, which aren't, etc. If one of your POIs already has 6-7 advisees, she might not want to take on another.

I wouldn't say it's a bad idea to contact them beforehand, but make sure you do so tactfully. You'll be better off making no impression than making a bad one.

[ecritdansleau]

I've heard this is huge. Unfortunately, I don't think any of my recommenders had particular colleagues synched with my schools. I really love my LORs, and they know me and my work really well, but this is making me think harder about this the next time around. Is it better to go out of your solid mentor/prof circle to get a rec from a prof that may not know you as well, but may have more ties in your prospective circle of colleagues/profs?

I would say that (unless you're still at an earlier stage in your undergraduate career when you are still choosing courses to actually build professor relationships) you should stick to the professors who know you best: a recommender can only help you so much as they are willing to enthusiastically stand behind your scholarly aptitude. I have been told that letters of recommendation are less a testament to you being a decent student than a test of how much is a professor really going to bat for you; oftentimes, the nuances in LORs can volumes (ie the difference between "Sally has great ideas, and always earned an A in my courses" versus "From the first instance I heard her speak, Sally struck my as one of the most brilliant students I have had the privilege of working with in my twenty year career").

If someone has more than three obvious/natural choices for LOR writers, though, it may be something to consider (sometimes you can even get a sense of scholarly networking by reading the acknowledgements sections of professor's books).

Of course, all this should be taken with the grain of salt that your own materials (SOP, Writing Sample) should speak for themselves. But with admissions as absurdly and unpredictably competitive as they are, I don't think it would be wise to disregard any single aspect of one's application.