School Lists 2013 (Where are you applying?)

[asleepawake]

I know it's a bit early, but I thought I'd start a thread for listing school and a bit of information to make it easier to find people who are applying to the same places and/or with similar interests. I'm a bit indecisive so my list is constantly changing, but I'd like to narrow it down soon.

Some questions:

1. Where are you definitely applying?

2. Where else are you considering applying?

3. What are your research interests?

[Datatape]

It is early, but this is how my lists look so far:

Definitely applying:

Auburn

Georgia State

Kentucky

Louisiana State

Nevada (Reno)

North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee at Knoxville

Texas Tech

Virginia

Considering applying:

Arizona

Chicago

Delaware

Denver

Georgia

Kansas

Missouri

Nebraska (Lincoln)

New Mexico

Texas (Austin)

West Virginia

My main research interest is the Literature of the American South. Specifically, I want to analyze postbellum Southern lit through an ecocritical lens. It's a pretty specific focus, so I'm casting a wide net on both institutions that have a strong background in Southern Lit and institutions that have at least a few professors who have some background in ecocriticism. I'm reapplying to my top two schools from last year, LSU and UNC-Chapel Hill; I was waitlisted at LSU and rejected outright at Chapel Hill. Obviously, I'm looking at applying to way, way more schools than the seven I did this year, so I've had to really get on top of things this summer and plan it out.

[claire56]

I plan to apply to the following schools (listed below in order of preference). I don't see my list changing much between now and application time because I've already been over and over the list of schools and their rankings, and there are only so many places I'm willing to live...

1) NYU

2) Rutgers University

3) Fordham University / University of Texas - Austin

4) Northeastern University / University of Texas - Austin

5) Temple University / University of Texas - Austin

6) University of Texas - Austin

7) Loyola University Chicago

8) University of Florida

9) University of Arizona

10) Georgia State University

11) Florida State University

I put U.T. in all those extra slots because it's kind of even with those places. U.T. is considered a better program, but I'd rather live in those cities (NYC, Philadelphia, Boston). So if I got into U.T. and the program in question, it'd be a tough choice. I already live in Texas (but not in Austin) and I'd like to get out of this damn state. Yet...Austin, Texas is a cool city and U.T. has a lot of academic cred. Also, Georgia State University is considered a less strong program than Arizona and Florida, but I'd conceivably choose it over those two because I have a family member in Atlanta who I'd like living near. NYU and Rutgers would just be easy choices; nothing would stop me from going to either...nothing except TONS better funding at another place. But getting into Rutgers or NYU? Ha. Don't know about that.

My interest is American Literature from 1900 to the present, women and gender studies, feminist literary theory and criticism. More specifically, I want to focus on three female novelists from the Harlem Renaissance in relation to black feminism. I'm also focused on contemporary novels and short stories (working on a writing sample right now on an American novel that was published less than a year ago). Have three pages written so far.

Edited June 17, 2012 by claire56

[Gauche]

Applying to:

1) Stanford University

2) University of Pennsylvania

3) Washington University in St. Louis

4) Johns Hopkins University

5) Emory University

6) University of Kansas

7) Vanderbilt University

? Boston University

9) University of Iowa

Considering:

1) University of Texas at Austin

2) University of Maryland

3) University of Connecticut

4) Washington State University

5) UCLA

6) University of Oregon

7) UC Santa Cruz

My research interest is 19th-century American literature, and I'm also considering on expanding out to the long 19th century so I can play with the early 20th century and the late 18th century. I'm mostly interested in the way racial hybrids are represented in literature and how whiteness, masculinity, and national identity each play a role in determining how racial hybrids are portrayed in literature.

[bfat]

Definitely Applying to:

Cornell (such a crapshoot... my heart will be broken)

U. Pittsburgh

Carnegie mellon

U. Colorado

Duke

Yale

Syracuse

Considering:

U. Virginia (I've heard of this thing called the "bloodbath" that sent this school onto this list from the above)

Tufts

U. Minnesota

Harvard (worth it for a lark? not worth the app fee?)

My research interests are in Theory (cultural studies, postmodernism, genre theory, and posthumanism) and contemporary fictions (film and literature post-WW2). My BA is in film, not English, and my MA will be in Humanities (also not English), so I'm hoping my broad theoretical background will be a help, not a hindrance, though I'm sure some schools won't look kindly at the lack of "English" anywhere on my transcripts except in course descriptions. My MA thesis is on cultural evolution in posthumanist fictions (mostly literature)... hopefully at least someone at one of these schools will find that interesting.

Edited June 18, 2012 by bfat

[dazedandbemused]

U. Virginia (I've heard of this thing called the "bloodbath" that sent this school onto this list from the above)

Out of curioustiy, can you elaborate on the bloodbath? Virginia is pretty high on my list too, but this bloodbath sounds ominous...

[bfat]

Out of curioustiy, can you elaborate on the bloodbath? Virginia is pretty high on my list too, but this bloodbath sounds ominous...

It would be lovely if someone could refute this, but I read somewhere that UVA admits more students than they can fully fund for 5-6 years, and after the first year cuts funding to a large portion of the first-year admits, essentially kicking them out of the program (hence, the bloodbath). This makes the first year incredibly competetive, and that's not the kind of academic environment I'm interested in. The admissions process is cut-throat enough.

But please, if anyone can disprove this or has better information, UVA sounds like an awesome program and was #3 on my list for a looong time until I read this (still trying to remember where I read it... I'll post a source if I find it).

[margarethale]

It would be lovely if someone could refute this, but I read somewhere that UVA admits more students than they can fully fund for 5-6 years, and after the first year cuts funding to a large portion of the first-year admits, essentially kicking them out of the program (hence, the bloodbath). This makes the first year incredibly competetive, and that's not the kind of academic environment I'm interested in. The admissions process is cut-throat enough.

But please, if anyone can disprove this or has better information, UVA sounds like an awesome program and was #3 on my list for a looong time until I read this (still trying to remember where I read it... I'll post a source if I find it).

yeah... if you do a quick search of UVa's website

http://www.engl.virg.../applicants/aid

the "bloodbath" gets disproved immediately

"All students admitted for doctoral study in English at the University of Virginia receive a financial package of $20,000 (combining fellowship support and, after the first year, wages for teaching) in addition to full tuition remission and health care coverage. This package runs five years (four years for MA transfers, who enter our program as second-year PhD students)."

Edited June 18, 2012 by margarethale

[asleepawake]

I guess I should answer my own post

1. NYU, UC Sanata Barbara, CUNY, WUSTL, Lehigh, SUNY Buffalo, Nevada at Reno

2. Brown (Modern Culture & Media), SMU, Case Western, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Rochester, U of Miami, Texas at Arlington, North Dakota... and still researching

3. I'm especially interested in postcolonial and 20th/21st century world literatures with a focus on animal studies and law and literature. I want to work with pop culture as well, so I'm especially drawn to programs that will allow me to do that.

[Phil Sparrow]

Yes, as margarethale noted, this is no longer UVa's practice. I understand that they stopped doing it maybe 15+ years ago, after the Terror that reigned over humanities grad programs generally in the late '80s and early '90s.

Their funding is nothing to sneeze at. One can live pretty well on $20,000 in Charlottesville.

Watch out instead to see how this insane coup by the business school over the President works out. If the Rector and her cronies come out on top, there may be a large exodus of faculty.

It would be lovely if someone could refute this, but I read somewhere that UVA admits more students than they can fully fund for 5-6 years, and after the first year cuts funding to a large portion of the first-year admits, essentially kicking them out of the program (hence, the bloodbath). This makes the first year incredibly competetive, and that's not the kind of academic environment I'm interested in. The admissions process is cut-throat enough.

But please, if anyone can disprove this or has better information, UVA sounds like an awesome program and was #3 on my list for a looong time until I read this (still trying to remember where I read it... I'll post a source if I find it).

[Datatape]

Watch out instead to see how this insane coup by the business school over the President works out. If the Rector and her cronies come out on top, there may be a large exodus of faculty.

Wait, wait. What's going on with the UVa president, now?

[pinkrobot]

Wait, wait. What's going on with the UVa president, now?

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/06/11/u-virginia-president-leave-over-philosophical-differences

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/06/18/reports-suggest-uva-board-wanted-president-eliminate-language-programs

and on the subject of the faculty's feelings about this, which Phil Sparrow alludes to, the most recent development there appears to be: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/higher-education/university-of-virginia-faculty-ask-rector-to-resign-after-popular-presidents-ouster/2012/06/18/gJQAxbGCmV_story.html

[bfat]

Yes, as margarethale noted, this is no longer UVa's practice. I understand that they stopped doing it maybe 15+ years ago, after the Terror that reigned over humanities grad programs generally in the late '80s and early '90s.

That is excellent news. I hereby reinstate UVA to my top list from the bottom.

ETA: I just read those articles... sheesh. I'm already attending one university that the administration is trying to run like a corporation... it's not cool, man. I'll still put an app in, but I guess we'll see how it plays out.

Edited June 19, 2012 by bfat

[Two Espressos]

Watch out instead to see how this insane coup by the business school over the President works out. If the Rector and her cronies come out on top, there may be a large exodus of faculty.

This. High-profile faculty are already expected to be leaving. That fool Rector Dragas needs to go. I wasn't going to apply to UVa anyways, but if I was, this debacle would have negated that altogether. Everything is really tense at UVa right now, and the Board of Visitors certainly doesn't have the humanities' best interests in mind. Prospective applicants: proceed with caution.

[Datatape]

Wow. That's really disconcerting. I'm going to have to seriously reevaluate whether to send an application into UVa now - it was always going to be a longshot, but if that's the future of where the school's going, I think my time and money will best be spent applying elsewhere.

[Timshel]

I guess I should answer my own post

1. NYU, UC Sanata Barbara, CUNY, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, Lehigh, SUNY Buffalo, Nevada at Reno

2. Brown (Modern Culture & Media), SMU, Case Western, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Rochester, U of Miami, Texas at Arlington, North Dakota... and still researching

3. I'm especially interested in postcolonial and 20th/21st century world literatures with a focus on animal studies and law and literature. I want to work with pop culture as well, so I'm especially drawn to programs that will allow me to do that.

Have you looked into UC Riverside? Some of the faculty are Riverside would work well with most of your interests.

[pinkrobot]

Wow. That's really disconcerting. I'm going to have to seriously reevaluate whether to send an application into UVa now - it was always going to be a longshot, but if that's the future of where the school's going, I think my time and money will best be spent applying elsewhere.

psst--if this affects your decision, you may want to know that Sullivan was reinstated as president of UVA couple days ago: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2012/06/teresa_sullivan_reinstated_as_the_president_of_the_university_of_virginia_.html

[Datatape]

That makes me feel better about UVa overall, but I don't think I'll be applying there. Virginia was always going to be a stretch school and I've got a couple of those on my list anyway. It would have been amazing if I got in, but I think I'll cast my lot somewhere that's at least a bit less obviously tumultuous.

This is my current list and I don't see things changing much from here. I may drop a school or swap one in, but this should be pretty close to the schools I'm applying to this fall:

Alabama

Delaware

Georgia

Georgia State

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana State

Nebraska (Lincoln)

Nevada (Reno)

Notre Dame

Oregon

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee (Knoxville)

Texas (Austin)

Washington University (WashU/WUSTL)

[lolopixie]

3rd time's a charm???? I hope. This will be my final time applying for a PhD program. I don't want any regrets in the future for not trying one more time, but the gloves are off this year. First year - rejected across the board. Second year - made it to 3 waitlists out of 5 applications. This year - I AM GETTING IN. My tentative list is as follows:

University of Arizona

Auburn

Arizona State

University of Missouri – Columbia

University of Texas – San Antonio

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville

University of Kansas

Miami University of Ohio

University of Southern Mississippi

IUP

Duquesne University 

[antecedent]

On 7/4/2012 at 11:11 AM, lolopixie said:

3rd time's a charm???? I hope. This will be my final time applying for a PhD program. I don't want any regrets in the future for not trying one more time, but the gloves are off this year. First year - rejected across the board. Second year - made it to 3 waitlists out of 5 applications. This year - I AM GETTING IN. My tentative list is as follows:

University of Arizona

Auburn

Arizona State

University of Missouri – Columbia

University of Texas – San Antonio

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville

University of Kansas

Miami University of Ohio

University of Southern Mississippi

IUP

Duquesne University 

Yay Lolo! Your tenacity is inspiring I'm so glad to see you're giving it another go.

I'm not applying for PhDs until the fall of 2013, but maybe I'll post my potential list later. I just wanted to comment on Lolopixie's post

[ProfLorax]

My interests are feminist disability studies, new media, and rhetoric and composition. It's been a fun, challenge coming up with my list because there are no rankings for rhet/comp, so my criteria was based on fit, placement rates, and location.

These schools are on my definitely list:

UNC--Chapel Hill

Purdue University

Ohio State University

University of Arizona

University of Maryland

UT Austin

Penn State

UMass--Amherst

These schools are on my maybe list:

Arizona State

Miami University

UI--Urbana-Champaign

University of Michigan, Ann-Arbor

I'm trying to decide if it's too risky to just apply to the first eight schools, the ones I really want, or if I should aplpy to all twelve schools to see what happens.

[Datatape]

Lolo, this is our year. LET'S DO THIS.

[lolopixie]

I'm working on my SOP right now, doing one final (if the last time wasn't final) edit on my writing sample, and creating all of my folders. I want to have everything ready to go so that when applications open up in September, I'll be ready to just submit and then not have to worry about deadlines. I'm also workin a LOT of overtime right now so I will be able to sit down one weekend and just submit and have all funds available. Then I will be contacting the programs in Novemberish, so I will be fresh on the minds of people, and have a chat about the program. I have to make a list of questions to inquire about and information about myself to talk about. I'll take a day or so off work to do this. If it doesn't work this time, it wasn't meant to be. Going as hard as I can because this is my last chance.

[asleepawake]

Have you looked into UC Riverside? Some of the faculty are Riverside would work well with most of your interests.

Actually, I haven't, but I'm looking now! I've also added Rice and UC Santa Cruz to my list. Thanks!

[tfr]

1. NYU, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Princeton, UChicago, UM Ann Arbor

2. UPenn, Duke, Yale, WUSTL

3. postmodernism, post WWII American novel, modernism, and all of that stuff.

I might have to redo this list because I might not get into any of these schools. To those applying again: did you refine your list of colleges?

Good luck to everybody!