Is it bad if my secondary area of interest wasn't something I studied in my BA?

[1Q84]

First post! I wanted to start by saying that this board is amazing and I felt so reassured when I found it. Misery loves company right? Just kidding... more like it's nice to know people are going through the same stress as me in preparing for applications!

Anyway, I'm beginning to write my SOP and my main area of interest is Renaissance Lit but with a Gender Studies focus. Not only am I interested in that but I feel like it's a somewhat "fresh" perspective. Am I way off base there?

I'm worried, however, as my BA was a double major in English and Latin. I don't have any formal training in Gender Studies. I only developed my love and interest in that field during my recent Bachelor of Education and the gender focus was all individual research and enjoyment on my part.

Would committees and profs look down upon me trying to proposing a Renaissance Lit/Gender Studies project in my SOP even though I don't have any formal training in the latter?

Thanks in advance for any advice

[asleepawake]

Not at all, especially if you don't have an MA. I'd think Adcomes are much more concerned with whether you have something to say worth saying.

The best thing you can do is read, read, read, write, and read.

Edited July 14, 2012 by asleepawake

[Phil Sparrow]

A lack of formal training in GS is unlikely to hurt you. However, I'd be wary of making it sound in your SOP like you've stumbled across some great innovation by thinking to put RN studies and GS together. Renaissance scholars have been at the forefront of queer/feminist studies (and all the sex/gender-inflected permutations between and around those two) for decades. There is a LOT of work out there on Renaissance lit and gender-whatever approaches. If you try to make it sound like a super original idea to do these two together--without being very specific about what in particular your original idea is--you will sound naive and uninformed.

That said, your SOP doesn't have to pitch a brilliant and totally original new idea. It should demonstrate that 1) you know how to develop a compelling set of research questions, and 2) you have a good understanding of the field and where you might potentially enter the critical conversation. (Those are of course only two among many other functions that the SOP should accomplish, though they are especially important.)

I'll also note that just because doing gender work in RN lit has been done, and a lot, does NOT mean that it is over done, passé, or not a compelling avenue of inquiry. It's a very, very rich area of focus. Just make sure you do plenty of legwork on the field to inform your application.

Edited July 14, 2012 by Phil Sparrow

[1Q84]

Amazing! Thank you asleepawake and Phil Sparrow.

It's good to know that committees are open to people finding new interests. I'll definitely try not to come off as naive. That's one of my big fears!

Do you think it'd be good to namedrop scholars from the RN/GS field and their major works to show that I know what I'm talking about? Or would profs probably find that annoying?

[Two Espressos]

Amazing! Thank you asleepawake and Phil Sparrow.

It's good to know that committees are open to people finding new interests. I'll definitely try not to come off as naive. That's one of my big fears!

Do you think it'd be good to namedrop scholars from the RN/GS field and their major works to show that I know what I'm talking about? Or would profs probably find that annoying?

I know next to nothing about renaissance literature and gender studies, but as a general rule of thumb, avoid name-dropping for its own sake.

[1Q84]

Well, not for the sake of namedropping itself, but to show the committee that I'm familiar with that field. I read in another thread somewhere that dropping in certain academics' names can trigger a "oh, I like that academic's work too... this applicant is awesome" effect.

[Two Espressos]

Well, not for the sake of namedropping itself, but to show the committee that I'm familiar with that field. I read in another thread somewhere that dropping in certain academics' names can trigger a "oh, I like that academic's work too... this applicant is awesome" effect.

Perhaps, but it can also backfire. The truth is, statements of purpose are idiosyncratic-- admissions committees, even more so! There are really no right or wrong answers with these things, minus a few extremes of course, so namedropping may very well work in the way you intend.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Two Espressos

[Stately Plump]

I would avoid name dropping for fear of it backfiring, like Two Espressos said. While Profs may read your statement and say, "Oh, yes, I like her work also!," they may just as well say, "Ugh, not another student who likes her work, it's terrible." Stick to trying to define your interests and methods.

As an aside, I applied as someone interested in Early Modern lit and gender studies. Like Phil Sparrow said, there's plenty of work being done in that area, but it's worth mentioning that it is still in some ways under-studied. If you can find a department that has some faculty doing work in that area, they may be willing to take on a new potential advisee.

Do some research on schools of interest and see what faculty there are working on. What have they published recently? What courses are they teaching? Do their CVs list any works in progress?

[1Q84]

Perhaps, but it can also backfire. The truth is, statements of purpose are idiosyncratic-- admissions committees, even more so! There are really no right or wrong answers with these things, minus a few extremes of course, so namedropping may very well work in the way you intend.

That's the impression I'm getting... finicky buggers aren't they?!

Do some research on schools of interest and see what faculty there are working on. What have they published recently? What courses are they teaching? Do their CVs list any works in progress?

Definitely have been trying that! Some are less than receptive... if they don't reply to an email, I suppose I shouldn't be bothering them by calling eh?

Thank you both for being so supportive

[Two Espressos]

Definitely have been trying that! Some are less than receptive... if they don't reply to an email, I suppose I shouldn't be bothering them by calling eh?

Thank you both for being so supportive

I'd be very cautious as regards emailing, calling, etc. You don't want to annoy anyone who could possibly end up on your admissions committee. As far as I'm concerned, communicating with potential faculty mentors or advisers is emphatically a bad idea. Others on here will certainly disagree with that sentiment. But the majority of accepted applicants don't email or call potential professors, which both common sense and a poll on these fora evince. I just cannot imagine overworked academics being receptive to the vast majority of email inquiries from would-be Ph.D. students. Personally, I'm not emailing anyone beforehand.

As I said above, these things are idiosyncratic, so do what you will. But tread carefully.

[ProfLorax]

I'd be very cautious as regards emailing, calling, etc. You don't want to annoy anyone who could possibly end up on your admissions committee. As far as I'm concerned, communicating with potential faculty mentors or advisers is emphatically a bad idea. Others on here will certainly disagree with that sentiment. But the majority of accepted applicants don't email or call potential professors, which both common sense and a poll on these fora evince. I just cannot imagine overworked academics being receptive to the vast majority of email inquiries from would-be Ph.D. students. Personally, I'm not emailing anyone beforehand.

As I said above, these things are idiosyncratic, so do what you will. But tread carefully.

I know that contacting professors during the application process is a constant debate on this forum, so I don't want to start that up. Also, I haven't applied to any PhD programs yet, so I can't speak to whether or not contacting faculty members beforehand is helpful in getting accepted. But I can say that contacting faculty members was incredibly important to my research. I emailed a handful of faculty members, and several of them invited me to call them during office hours. I even Skyped with one professor for almost an hour! The key for me is that I didn't approach these professors with "how do I get in? How do I impress you over the phone?" Instead, I approached it as research. I always prepared a list of questions I genuinely wanted answers to about the culture of the program, job search preparation, etc. One school on my "maybe" list shot up to my top choice after Skyping with the professor; she was able to talk about aspects of the program that weren't mentioned on the website (the collaborative environment, the school's weekly farmer's market, the preparation for the job market, etc).

So I agree that contacting faculty members beforehand will most likely have zero effect on one's acceptance rate, but it can provide valuable information about the program and whether or not it's a good fit!

[1Q84]

I'd be very cautious as regards emailing, calling, etc. You don't want to annoy anyone who could possibly end up on your admissions committee. As far as I'm concerned, communicating with potential faculty mentors or advisers is emphatically a bad idea. Others on here will certainly disagree with that sentiment. But the majority of accepted applicants don't email or call potential professors, which both common sense and a poll on these fora evince. I just cannot imagine overworked academics being receptive to the vast majority of email inquiries from would-be Ph.D. students. Personally, I'm not emailing anyone beforehand.

As I said above, these things are idiosyncratic, so do what you will. But tread carefully.

I know that contacting professors during the application process is a constant debate on this forum, so I don't want to start that up. Also, I haven't applied to any PhD programs yet, so I can't speak to whether or not contacting faculty members beforehand is helpful in getting accepted. But I can say that contacting faculty members was incredibly important to my research. I emailed a handful of faculty members, and several of them invited me to call them during office hours. I even Skyped with one professor for almost an hour! The key for me is that I didn't approach these professors with "how do I get in? How do I impress you over the phone?" Instead, I approached it as research. I always prepared a list of questions I genuinely wanted answers to about the culture of the program, job search preparation, etc. One school on my "maybe" list shot up to my top choice after Skyping with the professor; she was able to talk about aspects of the program that weren't mentioned on the website (the collaborative environment, the school's weekly farmer's market, the preparation for the job market, etc).

So I agree that contacting faculty members beforehand will most likely have zero effect on one's acceptance rate, but it can provide valuable information about the program and whether or not it's a good fit!

Very interesting. So much I don't know!

I've already been in contact with a lot of professors so I guess it's too late to turn back now... but most have been pretty open to answering my questions with the exception of a few who just didn't reply. I'll take what you said to heart, Two Espressos, and leave them be!

One of the main differences, I suppose, is that I've been emailing graduate advisors... it's kind of their jobs to put up with my annoying questions right? The kindest professor I spoke to also offered to Skype in August. I was very touched!

In all honesty, many of the inquiries I've made have been "what the heck does this part of the website mean?" I read in other threads about people complaining about how department websites are incredibly vague and poorly laid out. I couldn't agree more! I would've saved so much more time if they just had a simple checklist with a list of definitions.

As a Canuck with no idea of how the American system works, I hope they took pity on me and weren't annoyed by my constant questions. I plead internationality!

Edited July 15, 2012 by ponponpon

[Stately Plump]

I didn't email any profs at prospective schools. I emailed a few secretaries, but no profs directly. It was mainly because I didn't want to be a bother. But if it's working for you, keep at it.

I did most of my research just through the department website. Look at the course listings; they will usually have past, current, and future courses listed. Be sure to note whether your prospective professors are teaching, and what they are teaching. You might think they are interested in one topic, but then come to find out that they "finished" their work on that subject years ago and are now focussing their attention elsewhere. Also, you should be able to get access to at least a shortened version of many profs CVs, which should list publications and potentially even works-in-progress. Read some of that stuff to see if you might want to work with them.

If you've sent an email and they haven't responded, I definitely wouldn't contact them again. Additionally, and I would caution against this strongly, try not to send an email requesting information that is readily available on the website. If you send an email asking a prof which courses she will be teaching in the fall, and there is a section on the website for upcoming courses, you are almost certainly going to be ignored.

[ProfLorax]

f you've sent an email and they haven't responded, I definitely wouldn't contact them again. Additionally, and I would caution against this strongly, try not to send an email requesting information that is readily available on the website. If you send an email asking a prof which courses she will be teaching in the fall, and there is a section on the website for upcoming courses, you are almost certainly going to be ignored.

Agreed and agreed. I searched through the department website, the graduate school website, the faculty bios, and the class listings before I contacted any schools (and even then, I only contacted the schools for which I actually had questions). We want to impress them with our stellar reading comprehension skills!

[1Q84]

Well, I've spent the last 5-6 weeks sifting through university websites! I've gotten a fair amount of information but I found grad secretaries definitely the most helpful.

The sites are just so incomprehensible but that might just be because I'm unfamiliar with the American system. Not to mention some schools (ahem CSU Fullerton) have completely broken sites with nary a link that doesn't say "content missing". Wah!

Anyway, thank you for the responses. It'll definitely help me when writing my SOPs