Fall 2013 English Lit Applicants

[TripWillis]

Yep -- people who sit on ad-comms read this board and they will figure out who you are. A few of us noticed this last year when we were meeting with our prospective programs. Someone at Rutgers mentioned something to me about my admission to CUNY w/o having been told that I got in there; another person who got into Rutgers told me someone brought up his waitlist at Princeton during a prospective visit. He didn't realize it at the time, but later he remembered that he hadn't told the guy about it.

[Swagato]

Meh, it isn't like I identified "that rotund halfling with one eye and green skin at Stanford". . .

 

In any case, the reason I ask is to know if you have *any* idea regarding what's going on at Modern Thought & Lit.

Edited January 15, 2013 by Swagato

[TripWillis]

Meh, it isn't like I identified "that rotund midget with one eye and green skin at Stanford". . .

 

Yeah, but you implied it. Subtext.

[Swagato]

Fine. I am irretrievably inscribed within the text of my own writing. ;\

 

Anyway, question. Is it the case that faculty members do this internet searching? Or is that more the province of grad assistants aiding the process?

[asleepawake]

Yep -- people who sit on ad-comms read this board and they will figure out who you are. A few of us noticed this last year when we were meeting with our prospective programs. Someone at Rutgers mentioned something to me about my admission to CUNY w/o having been told that I got in there; another person who got into Rutgers told me someone brought up his waitlist at Princeton during a prospective visit. He didn't realize it at the time, but later he remembered that he hadn't told the guy about it.

 

I certainly know that *I* would read this board if I were on an adcom. I'd be more surprised if they didn't! I think I'm pretty identifiable if you look hard enough. I hope my Heathers icon + love for animated gifs + recent admission that I haven't read any of The Canterbury Tales aren't going to cause me too many problems. 

[damequixote]

Yep -- people who sit on ad-comms read this board and they will figure out who you are. A few of us noticed this last year when we were meeting with our prospective programs. Someone at Rutgers mentioned something to me about my admission to CUNY w/o having been told that I got in there; another person who got into Rutgers told me someone brought up his waitlist at Princeton during a prospective visit. He didn't realize it at the time, but later he remembered that he hadn't told the guy about it.

 

 

If this is true, let me just say to University of Michigan: 

 

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate. / So long as this applicant can breathe, or eyes can see, / I shall be waiting patiently for a response from thee. 

[rems]

This scares me sometimes. That's even why I took out the schools I'm applying to from my signature. I hope they don't realize I haven't read Paradise Lost 

[sebastiansteddy]

This scares me sometimes. That's even why I took out the schools I'm applying to from my signature. I hope they don't realize I haven't read Paradise Lost 

 

Dear all schools I applied to: I have never read the Divine Comedy, Heart of Darkness, or any Christopher Marlowe (as admitted in another thread). I will begin reading all three right now.

 

Love,

Sebastiansteddy

[practical cat]

Is anyone else dreaming about other people's admissions chances? I totally dreamt one of y'all (I couldn't remember who if my life depended on it) got into Michigan. I might be coming down with a case of the clairvoyance.

Anyway, I think I'm pretty easily recognizable if they are reading, even without the school specific information. (I'm the one with the Dorothy Parker writing sample. . . . Please let me be the only one.) Dear adcomms: sorry about the overuse of the comma and the part where I'm not very funny. Hope to see you soon.

[waparys]

Anyway, I think I'm pretty easily recognizable if they are reading, even without the school specific information. (I'm the one with the Dorothy Parker writing sample. . . . Please let me be the only one.) Dear adcomms: sorry about the overuse of the comma and the part where I'm not very funny. Hope to see you soon.

And you wear glasses. Duh.

[lisajay]

I certainly know that *I* would read this board if I were on an adcom. I'd be more surprised if they didn't! I think I'm pretty identifiable if you look hard enough. I hope my Heathers icon + love for animated gifs + recent admission that I haven't read any of The Canterbury Tales aren't going to cause me too many problems. 

 

a heathers icon can only help you [in my world, at least]

[blakeblake]

If this is true, let me just say to University of Michigan:

 

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate. / So long as this applicant can breathe, or eyes can see, / I shall be waiting patiently for a response from thee.

 

My sentiments exactly, Damequixote.  Except for that whole "patiently" part.

 

[KeelyMK]

Hi people

 

I just signed up for this forum and will probably be spending way too much time on it until all my results come in. I received my first communication yesterday, an email notifying me of nomination for departmental fellowship for UCSB's English PhD. Not an official acceptance, but it sounded like an assumed acceptance after committee review. 1 UC down (probably), 3 left to hear from. Good luck to everyone as we wait out the next couple months!

[Datatape]

Welcome and congrats, Keely!  What are your research interests, if you don't mind me asking?

[KeelyMK]

I enjoy working mostly with Joyce and WWI soldiers, trying to use cognitive linguistics and trauma theory to look at how war/wartime memory affects narrative. Doing my senior thesis on David Jones' In Parenthesis at the moment. I notice that a lot of the people on here applied to the same few schools, so I look forward to hopefully meeting members of my future grad cohort! Thanks for the welcome and good luck, Data

[asleepawake]

Congrats, Keely! How exciting!

[bluecheese]

Yeah, Congrats!!!! 

 

Early acceptances are extra exciting.

[BrookeSnow]

Why do schools insist on 500 word or less statements! I cannot tell you everything you need to know in 500 words! 

 

 

 

Sorry needed to say that to someone. 

[Swagato]

That's exactly why. If you cannot put out a mission statement of sorts within a highly compressed frame, it doesn't say much for your potential for future grant applications, journal (abstract) submissions, etc. The dissertation is, ideally, not a bloated mess but rather a compressed form of that future first book. My feeling is that the word limit on SOPs serves both the cause of convenience (600+ applications...) and of a litmus test in this regard. 

[OctaviaButlerfan]

Hi, everyone. I have been lurking too, and posting to other sections of gradcafe. I have applied to three programs, and would have applied to more if I had more money. One of my biggest supporters told me about a week ago that her department would monetarily support my applications, but it was too late to be bothering people for LORs for the later deadlines.

 

Why do schools insist on 500 word or less statements! I cannot tell you everything you need to know in 500 words! 

 

I know what you mean.. I'm sure we both CAN do tell a committee knowing nothing about our work the essentials in 500 words, but it is certainly a challenge.. and it is somewhat painful.

 

Anyway.. to continue with my introduction, I am nowhere near as witty or wise as most of you (which is why I will probably not be getting into any of my programs and will be reapplying to more next year).

 

 

 

 

[DontHate]

Hey Octavia Butler Fan, I would suggest you take that department up on their offer. If your letter writers have already submitted letters for you, it would be next to no effort for them to submit more for you. DOOO IT!

[bluecheese]

Hi, everyone. I have been lurking too, and posting to other sections of gradcafe. I have applied to three programs, and would have applied to more if I had more money. One of my biggest supporters told me about a week ago that her department would monetarily support my applications, but it was too late to be bothering people for LORs for the later deadlines.

 

 

Do it! What places are still accepting applications? 

 

Houston (good faculty), Southern Methodist University (good faculty, great funding), South Dakota? etc.? Anywhere else?

[BrookeSnow]

That's exactly why. If you cannot put out a mission statement of sorts within a highly compressed frame, it doesn't say much for your potential for future grant applications, journal (abstract) submissions, etc. The dissertation is, ideally, not a bloated mess but rather a compressed form of that future first book. My feeling is that the word limit on SOPs serves both the cause of convenience (600+ applications...) and of a litmus test in this regard. 

 

I understand that, I'm just currently frustrated with cutting down my SOP. I can and will make it fit the word limit I just need to vent sometimes. 

[asleepawake]

SMU had a January 15th deadline, no? They aren't a great fit for me but that funding had me constantly toying with the idea of applying...

 

Louisiana State University is open until the 25th, and Cincinnati and U of North Dakota until the 1st.

[bluecheese]

Ah, yeah, I guess you're right about SMU. I just did a quick google search.

 

Houston!

 

& LSU is awesome. Great creative writing faculty (in poetry especially). Also some great theorists (I'm not sure they're all in the english department, but they're around). I didn't apply there... but I'm a fan.

Edited January 20, 2013 by bluecheese