Fall 2013 English Lit Applicants

[id quid]

Feeling a little stalled and frustrated. Recommendation letters are the bane of my existence!

My favorite professor is also one of my staunchest supporters. Unfortunately, I've been having a lot of trouble getting in contact with her to resolve an administrative issue -- an "I" lapsed to "F" because the papers to make it an "A" didn't get to the right people in time -- for the past three years.

She's said she's happy to write a recommendation letter for me, but I'm nervous about relying on her for it! I am also having serious nerves about approaching a star in my field for a recommendation letter, though I know she thought very well of me after the last course I took with her, and I'm uncertain how to approach my #3.

There's a reason I want to be a research academic, and it has a lot to do with my people skills. Or lack thereof.

On the plus side, I'm quitting my 9-to-5. August 31 is my last day. That gives me the rest of the year to batten down on applications. I hope it helps.

[justkeepswimming]

Hello all,

So glad to have discovered this forum! I just graduated and I'm working odd jobs while preparing my application. Anyone else torn between taking the October and November subject tests ... ? I want to get it out of the way, but I'm also unsure if I'll be ready by October 13th. I should take it October and focus more on my writing sample/SOP right? I'm using a 15 page chapter from my undergraduate thesis.

[bfat]

Feeling a little stalled and frustrated. Recommendation letters are the bane of my existence!

I hear ya. I'm too many years out of undergrad, and I've only really gotten close with 2 professors in my MA--fortunately they are the chair and assistant chair of the English dept., but my third recommender will have to be someone with whom I've had 1 class... or half a class, since I think I'll ask the prof from my upcoming fall course.

On the plus side, I'm quitting my 9-to-5. August 31 is my last day. That gives me the rest of the year to batten down on applications. I hope it helps.

Luckyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...

I'm about to pop a kid out in, like, the next 2 weeks, so I'll be "off" but something tells me that caring for an infant is going to sit slightly higher on my priority list than tracking down LOR writers and revising my writing sample. And I thought I was being all clever about my timing, planning baby for the summer. Ah well, I suppose it'll be worth it.

[margarethale]

Luckyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...

I'm about to pop a kid out in, like, the next 2 weeks, so I'll be "off" but something tells me that caring for an infant is going to sit slightly higher on my priority list than tracking down LOR writers and revising my writing sample. And I thought I was being all clever about my timing, planning baby for the summer. Ah well, I suppose it'll be worth it.

this has absolutely nothing to do with the 2013 application season, but i just wanted to say that i am in constant awe of people who can plan a family and having kids alongside applying for grad courses. when i applied, the only thing i had to worry about was finding someone who could occasionally cover my bartending shifts. kudos and congratulations!

[sfh09]

Hello all,

So glad to have discovered this forum! I just graduated and I'm working odd jobs while preparing my application. Anyone else torn between taking the October and November subject tests ... ? I want to get it out of the way, but I'm also unsure if I'll be ready by October 13th. I should take it October and focus more on my writing sample/SOP right? I'm using a 15 page chapter from my undergraduate thesis.

I'm trying to figure out which to do as well. October 13th is the same weekend as a conference for a student group I'm part of that I really should go to considering that my school's chapter of that group is hosting the same type of conference in the spring...and I'm one of the chairs of the planning committee for our conference, so I sort of have to go to the one in October . Only four of the schools on my list require the subject test and they happen to be the four that I would drop if I decide to shorten my list. They also happen to all have fairly early deadlines and I feel like if I take it in November, the scores wouldn't make it in time. Basically, I'm trying to decide if I should a) just stay on campus that weekend and take the test; b ) not take the subject test at all and just not apply to those schools; or c) take the test on the campus where the conference is and miss part of the conference.

Anyway, I'd pay attention to when your deadlines are--some of the programs I'm applying to have indicated that if the subject test is taken in November, the scores won't make it in time. Also, I'd personally just get it out of the way and focus on the writing stuff.

Edited August 1, 2012 by sfh09

[ProfLorax]

I'm about to pop a kid out in, like, the next 2 weeks, so I'll be "off" but something tells me that caring for an infant is going to sit slightly higher on my priority list than tracking down LOR writers and revising my writing sample. And I thought I was being all clever about my timing, planning baby for the summer. Ah well, I suppose it'll be worth it.

How exciting, and congrats! My hubby (well, fiance, but we get married in a few days, so I'm making the switch now) and I plan on popping out ze babies in two years or so, right when I'll be in the middle of coursework (hopefully, at least!). So, in a few years, expect a frantic message from me with "HOW DO YOU DO IT?!?!" as its central theme.

[bfat]

this has absolutely nothing to do with the 2013 application season, but i just wanted to say that i am in constant awe of people who can plan a family and having kids alongside applying for grad courses. when i applied, the only thing i had to worry about was finding someone who could occasionally cover my bartending shifts. kudos and congratulations!

Thanks! But don't be in too much awe yet... I might just utterly fail at the whole thing.

How exciting, and congrats! My hubby (well, fiance, but we get married in a few days, so I'm making the switch now) and I plan on popping out ze babies in two years or so, right when I'll be in the middle of coursework (hopefully, at least!). So, in a few years, expect a frantic message from me with "HOW DO YOU DO IT?!?!" as its central theme.

Congrats to you getting married! I'm still not convinced that I'm not completely insane for wanting kids in the middle of this whole process, but I didn't want to put off important life events for too much longer (that big 3-0 is approaching more rapidly than I'd like). I figured the kid will be about a year old when I actually head off to a PhD program (hopefully), so at that point, we'll have our shit together, right? ... Right?

[antecedent]

Bfat, I just read the Willy Wonka quote in your signature and it made me so happy! Relishing in the absurdity of it all is pretty much the only way I got through the last application cycle. I fully expect Nonsense 2013 when I reapply next year

[asleepawake]

Hello all,

I'm a professor in a "top twenty" English department. I've served on the graduate admissions committee off and on for more than a decade. Let me quickly answer some of your questions . . . Finally yes, it's true that admissions are competitive. There is no magic bullet to get you in. Admissions committees look for curiosity and intelligence and a clear potential to produce good work in literary studies. All we have to go on is what you send us, so make sure that material is in tip-top shape.

Happy to answer any additional questions you folks might have and best of luck.

Thank for this informative post! Is is especially demystifying to hear from someone who isn't just guessing and repeating things we've heard, like the rest of us are.

I do have one question if you don't mind. The focus on "fit" is a big topic of discussion on these forums, but I often think all of us have different ideas of what it actually means. How would you describe "fit," in terms of what it should mean for those of us hunting through potential schools? To what degree does it factor into admissions decisions?

Edited August 3, 2012 by asleepawake

[TripWillis]

Hello all,

I'm a professor in a "top twenty" English department. I've served on the graduate admissions committee off and on for more than a decade. Let me quickly answer some of your questions:

1. GRE scores matter a great deal for initial cut offs. We get something like 300+ applications every year. A third of those or so are tossed immediately, based on a combination of low GREs, low grades, and a quick read of the materials. GRE scores continue to matter further on down the line, but become less important. I have seen low GRE scores kill a candidacy even at the late stages (when the writing wasn't enough to compensate). However, I have never seen high GRE scores by themselves admit anyone.
   
   
2. WS and SoP matter most of all. SoP should be a concise, clear, and jargon free explanation of why want to go to graduate school in English. Above all else, it should be intellectual. You should make it clear that you aware of and interested in the state of play in contemporary scholarship. Common errors are the "I love literature" essay. We all know you do, but that is beside the point. Or the "I want to write a dissertation on topic x" statement. We all know that you won't write that dissertation. Try for a simple, intelligent, and above all well-written explanation of what kinds of topics and questions in literary study you find compelling and want to pursue. And yes do explain what about graduate program x (what faculty, for example) interests you.
   
   
3. WS should simply be the best piece of writing you have. That is not very helpful I'm sure! But there really is no other way of putting it. Your professors will be able to tell you what among your work reads the best. Take the time to improve, polish, and get to the right length your best paper or thesis chapter or what have you. Everything else being equal, it's better if the sample is from the period you declare as your field of interest. That is, everything else being equal, if you're applying to work in the nineteenth century, you shouldn't send an essay on Chaucer.
   
   
4. Letters of recommendation matter less than you might think, given rampant puffery, but they still matter some. Your professors should be able to make a good case for you. So make it clear to them that you know why you're applying to graduate school.
   

Finally yes, it's true that admissions are competitive. There is no magic bullet to get you in. Admissions committees look for curiosity and intelligence and a clear potential to produce good work in literary studies. All we have to go on is what you send us, so make sure that material is in tip-top shape.

Happy to answer any additional questions you folks might have and best of luck.

I have to say that this is such a generous thing to take the time to write to people applying to these programs, given the incredible amount of nervousness and stress surrounding the process. Even though I already went through it, I thank you.

[nhswrestle]

1) There's really no way to figure out this information without just asking the DGS at your respective schools. That being said, it doesn't really matter how many spots are open for which specialities. You should apply to the schools that have the best fit for you regardless of how many spots they may have open. The thing is, most PhD programs only have around 5-15 spots for a cohort in total. Chances are there are only 1 or 2 spots for each specialty with a cohort of that size.

2) The best way to tell which programs are strongest in which specialty is to spend some time researching. There's no cheat sheet or master list and no easy way around doing good, solid research on which programs you think you might fit into best. If you're pursuing your PhD, you're going to be spending at least 5 years of your life at the institution you attend. Personally, I was only comfortable making that commitment after conducting some thorough investigations into a number of different programs. If you are looking for a jumping off point as far as rankings/specialty strength goes, then try: http://grad-schools....nglish-rankings

Here you can scroll through specialties and see which programs are statistically ranked better. Bear in mind that these were ranked in 2009.

3) Be as specific as possible when looking for professors that you could possibly work with. I would be more specific than "Oh look! I like 20th century American lit and this guy teaches it! ACADEMIC SOUL MATES 4 LYFE!!!" Of course you'll be able to find someone who teaches the period of literature in which you are interested. Be as specific as possible. If you're interested in 19th century Postcolonial Literature with an emphasis on Caribbean narratives, then find someone who teaches that above finding someone who just teaches the time period. Getting into grad school is not nearly as important as getting in somewhere that is a good fit for your individual interests. You don't want to spend 5 years getting a degree in something that you're not passionate about or that isn't a good fit for you, so find somewhere that is as specific to your specialty as possible.

As far as how many professors should you look for that fit your specialty: at least two. If there's one professor that you have your heart set on working with and you only mention that one person in your applications, then you're putting yourself at a risk. That professor may be retiring or going on sabbatical. Try to have at least one backup.

Thank you.

[Dark Matter]

Thank for this informative post! Is is especially demystifying to hear from someone who isn't just guessing and repeating things we've heard, like the rest of us are.

I do have one question if you don't mind. The focus on "fit" is a big topic of discussion on these forums, but I often think all of us have different ideas of what it actually means. How would you describe "fit," in terms of what it should mean for those of us hunting through potential schools? To what degree does it factor into admissions decisions?

Fit simply means how well your interests and intellectual profile match up with the department to which you're applying, or more precisely with the scholars working in the field(s) you want to study in. So, let's say you describe yourself in your SoP as wanting to work in Victorian, with a particular interest in fiction and the digital humanities, you might not be a great "fit" for a department where the Victorianists work primarily on gender or poetry or philosophical questions, etc. Ditto if you're a Modernist who wants to work on literature and film applying to a department where the relevant people concentrate on colonialism and race, and so on down the line. Like everything else, there is no hard and fast rule here. We all know that interests change and that applicants have more than one side. The same holds for faculty, whose expertise and teaching/supervisory interests can range well beyond their publications. Often we look precisely for curiosity and breadth in applicants. Nevertheless, you have to describe yourself as having intellectual interests. "Fit" simply means how well those interests will be served, and it is an important factor in decisions especially near the end.

[skybythelight]

Hello, everyone!

I'm making my official comeback to the forums as a fellow Fall 2013 applicant. I applied to four MA programs last season and was accepted to three, one with funding. However, it was on the complete opposite side of the country, and I found that I was unprepared for that kind of life uprooting move for various reasons.

This time! I am planning on applying to more schools, more diverse locations (last year all of my choices were in the Pacific NW), more! more! more! ... which is kind of terrifying. My areas of interest include queer and post-colonial theory, primarily. I'm looking specifically at MA programs that offer funding, which certainly narrows my choices a bit.

I'm also in a similar situation to the one some of you have described in terms of my significant other: it's a fairly new relationship (six months or so), but has moved steadily along and he is planning on coming with me wherever I may go. I've been trying to explain to him the importance of starting the list compiling process NOW, even though the actual move won't happen for nearly a year... sounds obvious to us that get it, but he isn't familiar with the insanity that is The Academy. He's also one of those "sure, sounds fine" types... which can be frustrating.

[fingerscrossed2013]

Hi there,

I've just got a few questions! First, here's a bit about me:

I'm a current MFA Fiction student and Promising Scholar at a top ten Creative Writing program (4.0gpa) who also has an MA in English from UVA where I was a teaching fellow (3.93 gpa). I'm a bit torn as to whether to apply to PhD programs this year because I might be in line for additional funded year at my current program (which I'd be nuts to turn down), but I really want to be able to keep my options open and I do hope to get a PhD post-MFA whatever happens. I'm an international student from the UK so there are a couple of issues around my staying in the country etc. and I basically just want to be sure I get my ducks in a row! My interests are: early and 20th Century American, Anglophone Caribbean and, to a lesser degree, Narrative Theory and the theories behind creative production. In addition to researching programs that have strong reputations in these areas, I'm also keen to apply to departments that have active creative writing communities. To that end, the two programs I'm most interested in are at UPenn and NYU. I know how competitive these programs are and I'm very nervous about applying but they seem like they'd be the best fit for me, and I'm happy to apply only to a handful this year, just to test the water. I have tenuous ties with UPenn ( I gave a paper at a conference in the McNeil Center for Early American Studies in 2009), and took a year of graduate courses there during my time as an undergraduate exchange student forever ago!

So these are my problems and I'd really appreciate any kind of advice you could give me!

• I haven't been able to get in touch with my thesis supervisor at UVA, although she'd be the best recommender. I sent her an email in June and she hasn't replied. Should I badger her?! If I can't get a rec from her, will it look odd?
  
• There's a possibility I could ask another prof at UVA but she already wrote me a rec for my MFA so I feel a little bit pushy asking for another. Is it rude to do that?
  
• If all else fails on the UVA letter of recommendation front, do you think it will look strange if my letters come from my MFA Fiction professors?
  
• The dreaded GRE. I really didn't revise at all and scored a 600 verbal on the old test. My math score isn't worth repeating. A 600 seems totally inadequate and I'm terrible at standardized testing, but I've already been to grad school. TWICE! And my undergraduate degree (in the British system) was exclusively in literature. I now have somewhere in the region of 8 years of literature/writing classes... Take the stupid thing again or push my luck? I hate the GRE!!!!
  

Thank you all so much for being so helpful!

[Stately Plump]

• I haven't been able to get in touch with my thesis supervisor at UVA, although she'd be the best recommender. I sent her an email in June and she hasn't replied. Should I badger her?! If I can't get a rec from her, will it look odd?
  
• There's a possibility I could ask another prof at UVA but she already wrote me a rec for my MFA so I feel a little bit pushy asking for another. Is it rude to do that?
  
• If all else fails on the UVA letter of recommendation front, do you think it will look strange if my letters come from my MFA Fiction professors?
  
• The dreaded GRE. I really didn't revise at all and scored a 600 verbal on the old test. My math score isn't worth repeating. A 600 seems totally inadequate and I'm terrible at standardized testing, but I've already been to grad school. TWICE! And my undergraduate degree (in the British system) was exclusively in literature. I now have somewhere in the region of 8 years of literature/writing classes... Take the stupid thing again or push my luck? I hate the GRE!!!!
  

Thank you all so much for being so helpful!

It's very possible your professor has just been away from her email for much of the summer. She may have read it and meant to respond, but hasn't been checking her email as regularly, so it's just slipped her mind to get back to you. I would try again and see if you can get a response.

I think it would be better to recs from literature professors, but it wouldn't necessarily be bad to have them from writing profs. Though I would limit those recs to one of your three letters, if at all possible. While writing profs will be able to attest to your ability as a student generally, literature profs will be much better suited to you ability and potential as a literary scholar, which, ultimately, is what adcomms are interested in. One of my letter writers was a philosophy professor, so he obviously didn't talk much about my future as a literary critic. He did talk (presumably) about my ability to work hard and handle the pressures graduate school would present. If the adcomm sees that you have an MA from UVA but all your letters are coming from your MFA, they might think that perhaps there's a reason you didn't get letters from your MA profs; maybe you thought the people at UVA wouldn't write you a good letter because you were mostly a distraction, didn't work hard, underperformed despite your GPA, etc. So the short answer is yes, I think it would look strange if ALL your letters came from your MFA professors.

The GRE is up to you. 600 is probably lower than the average programs like Penn and NYU normally admit, but I don't think it's so low that it would keep you out if the rest of your application is strong. I'm sure plenty of people have been admitted scoring 600. I took the test twice and did much better the second time (80% verbal first time, 92% verbal second time). I studied less the second time; I think I wasn't trying as hard, I was less nervous, I was more willing to just let it happen... Up to you. It's a risk, and a tediously awful risk at that.

Good luck!!!

---> application sunglasses

[feraleyes]

Can someone tell me if 2 months are sufficient to conquer this insurmountable exam? My test is in November and I started my preparations late. I cannot reschedule since the exam is held once a year in my country. I have the Princeton Review cracking the subject test book with me. Any other hints/suggestions/useful method and tools of study are most welcome.

[Stately Plump]

Can someone tell me if 2 months are sufficient to conquer this insurmountable exam? My test is in November and I started my preparations late. I cannot reschedule since the exam is held once a year in my country. I have the Princeton Review cracking the subject test book with me. Any other hints/suggestions/useful method and tools of study are most welcome.

My only advice is not to fret too much over the subject test. Study for it, do your best, follow the advice in the Princeton Review (I believe they recommend getting either a Norton or Longview anthology to accompany their guide?), but in the end, the subject test will neither make you nor break you. Of course, high scores are a good thing, but low scores WILL NOT keep you out. Several of us on these fora (i.e., me) scored very poorly on the subject test and were still accepted to several programs, including programs that required subject test scores.

So my advice, then, is to spend more time working on the writing sample and statement of purpose than the subject test.

[ProfLorax]

The internet was down at the writing center today, so I was able to focus on my writing sample. I revised my sample while also cutting down the length to meet the page requirements... and you know what? It is so much better now. Seriously, I didn't realize how much fluff I had in that paper until I was forced to shorten it.

Not a very exciting update, but the internet has returned, and I wanted to tell SOMEBODY about my accomplishment!

[obrera]

Well, I'm officially joining this thread. After much internal debate, I am going to try for a PhD admission. To the posters above re: GRE: I can't get the hang of the verbal section. The program that I really like admits GRE scores 90% or higher, and mine is... average, at best. I have other things going for me, though. I will hope for the best.

[nhswrestle]

Personal Statement Question:

My proposed field of research - broadly speaking - is the relationship between advertising and postmodernism. I hope to study this from a cultural studies perspective, using both literary and non-literary sources.

In my personal statement the authors I express interest in are Don DeLillo, Brett Easton Ellis, and Chuck Palahniuk. I also express interest in the stand-up comedy of Bill Hicks and George Carlin, the music of Rage Against the Machine, and the OBEY Clothing Company.

All the schools I am applying to have strengths in cultural studies and DeLillo Studies, yet only two programs have faculty with interests in BEE or Palahniuk.

Am I digging my own grave by mentioning such non-canonical material?

Something tells me Rage Against the Machine and the OBEY Clothing Company might not appeal to the professors reading my application...At the same time, everything I mention is very relevant to my area of research and the popular culture of the time period.

[ghijklmn]

Personal Statement Question:

My proposed field of research - broadly speaking - is the relationship between advertising and postmodernism. I hope to study this from a cultural studies perspective, using both literary and non-literary sources.

In my personal statement the authors I express interest in are Don DeLillo, Brett Easton Ellis, and Chuck Palahniuk. I also express interest in the stand-up comedy of Bill Hicks and George Carlin, the music of Rage Against the Machine, and the OBEY Clothing Company.

All the schools I am applying to have strengths in cultural studies and DeLillo Studies, yet only two programs have faculty with interests in BEE or Palahniuk.

Am I digging my own grave by mentioning such non-canonical material?

Something tells me Rage Against the Machine and the OBEY Clothing Company might not appeal to the professors reading my application...At the same time, everything I mention is very relevant to my area of research and the popular culture of the time period.

I think this sounds really awesome! Of course I'm not an adcom, so I could be wrong, but if we all just wanted to study authors that others are already experts on, what would be new about our work? If I were you, I'd mention the things/writers I'm interested in, but perhaps add a sentence about how I'm generally interested in such and such, as is Professor X.

[Stately Plump]

Personal Statement Question:

My proposed field of research - broadly speaking - is the relationship between advertising and postmodernism. I hope to study this from a cultural studies perspective, using both literary and non-literary sources.

In my personal statement the authors I express interest in are Don DeLillo, Brett Easton Ellis, and Chuck Palahniuk. I also express interest in the stand-up comedy of Bill Hicks and George Carlin, the music of Rage Against the Machine, and the OBEY Clothing Company.

I would tailor the SOP to the school. If they have strong DeLillo studies, emphasize your interest in DeLillo in the statement, and mention the other topics as asides or potential future interests/directions. I think you can write a strong statement with those interests, especially because it might stand out as unique. Just don't overemphasize Rage or OBEY, because the department may decide they don't really have the resources to accommodate you. Perhaps even mention that they are "potential" future directions, or use them as examples of the types of research questions you might ask (but will not necessarily pursue).

[ProfLorax]

Personal Statement Question:

In my personal statement the authors I express interest in are Don DeLillo, Brett Easton Ellis, and Chuck Palahniuk. I also express interest in the stand-up comedy of Bill Hicks and George Carlin, the music of Rage Against the Machine, and the OBEY Clothing Company.

All the schools I am applying to have strengths in cultural studies and DeLillo Studies, yet only two programs have faculty with interests in BEE or Palahniuk.

Am I digging my own grave by mentioning such non-canonical material?

There has been a lot of discussion on these boards about whether or not contacting professors before the application process will help an applicant's chances or not; however, everyone seems to agree that it is wise to contact professors to ask thoughtful and purposeful questions about their program. This, in my mind, is a great opportunity to email a POI and ask about how your interests would fit into the department. Something like: "I'm also interested in the intersection of postmodern literature and various pop culture and subculture texts. Are other scholars working with pop culture texts in your department?" Their response should give you a good indication about whether or not you will actually be able to pursue the research you want. You don't want to get stuck in a program that only treats canonical works as literature, and this attitude is rarely advertised on their website.

Also, you could look at the class listings for the schools to which you are applying. If you see cultural studies courses offered, especially if they have a focus on some sort of subculture, that could be a good sign that other students and faculty are doing similar types of research.

Edited September 6, 2012 by proflorax

[ProfLorax]

Studying for the verbal section of the GRE has made me realize something:

Despite my love of the English language, there are FAR too many words in the English language.*

Oy vey... back to the hit parade!

*Not really. Just GRE-fatigued.

[nhswrestle]

I think this sounds really awesome! Of course I'm not an adcom, so I could be wrong, but if we all just wanted to study authors that others are already experts on, what would be new about our work? If I were you, I'd mention the things/writers I'm interested in, but perhaps add a sentence about how I'm generally interested in such and such, as is Professor X.

Thanks for the comment! That's kind of how my personal statement is written right now. I discuss my own interests and then relate them to work being done in the department I am applying to. Outside of DeLillo though, the connections are usually broad (i.e. I want to work from a Marxist/Cultural Studies perspective and "Professor X" and "Professor Y" do research in Marxism and cultural studies).

I would tailor the SOP to the school. If they have strong DeLillo studies, emphasize your interest in DeLillo in the statement, and mention the other topics as asides or potential future interests/directions. I think you can write a strong statement with those interests, especially because it might stand out as unique. Just don't overemphasize Rage or OBEY, because the department may decide they don't really have the resources to accommodate you. Perhaps even mention that they are "potential" future directions, or use them as examples of the types of research questions you might ask (but will not necessarily pursue).

That's a great point. I think I'll take your advice and emphasize DeLillo and mention the other topics as supplementary/future areas of study. This will certainly align my interests more with the departments I am applying to. Thank you.

There has been a lot of discussion on these boards about whether or not contacting professors before the application process will help an applicant's chances or not; however, everyone seems to agree that it is wise to contact professors to ask thoughtful and purposeful questions about their program. This, in my mind, is a great opportunity to email a POI and ask about how your interests would fit into the department. Something like: "I'm also interested in the intersection of postmodern literature and various pop culture and subculture texts. Are other scholars working with pop culture texts in your department?" Their response should give you a good indication about whether or not you will actually be able to pursue the research you want. You don't want to get stuck in a program that only treats canonical works as literature, and this attitude is rarely advertised on their website.

Also, you could look at the class listings for the schools to which you are applying. If you see cultural studies courses offered, especially if they have a focus on some sort of subculture, that could be a good sign that other students and faculty are doing similar types of research.

I agree with you. I've only contacted one department so far about my interests (oddly enough the DGS expressed interest in working with me and his personal area of speciality was something completely different) but I think I'm going to contact 1 person from every school I apply to to get a better sense if my proposed field of research will be supported there.

Also, looking at the class listings is great advice. Thanks!