Acceptance Freakout Thread

[rems]

Funny that I just posted the above this morning.

 

Just accepted to Ohio State's Comparative Studies program and nominated for a University Fellowship.

 

CONGRATS

[sebastiansteddy]

Wow, congrats!!! 

[DontHate]

Congrats! What is "Comparative Studies"?

 

And also (since hopefully you will be making a decision between this and other acceptances) what kind of hiring prospects do you have with a Comparative Studies PhD?

Edited January 18, 2013 by DontHate

[bluecheese]

http://comparativestudies.osu.edu/

It's like Berkeley Rhetoric, University of Minnesota Cultural Studies, etc.

 

Super excited!

[Troppman]

Congrats, bluecheese! They have some absolute rock stars (students and profs) in that department!

[HHEoS]

Congrats, bluecheese! All of this positivity is making waiting so much easier/better for me. 

[bluecheese]

The hiring prospects, I think, depend on what project one undertakes. Some things make the job market harder (like people who study theory strictly). My project should position me for english, gender studies, and theory programs. So, at least in my case, I think they're pretty good. Also, I'm in a good position for creative writing jobs (but those are always a shot in the dark).

 

Also,

 

Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

[asleepawake]

Funny that I just posted the above this morning.

 

Just accepted to Ohio State's Comparative Studies program and nominated for a University Fellowship.

 

ASFUIHASJDPAOSIDJASDOIASJDASODIASJDAS

 

CONGRATS! YOU ARE AMAZING.

 

[practical cat]

Congrats to both of you! And may there be many, many more of these posts in the coming weeks.

I will deny ever having said this but OSU's Comparative Studies program is pretty cool and was really hard to cross off my official list.

[DontHate]

Does OSU publish stats about the job outcomes from that program? I'd like to look at them.

[asleepawake]

Does OSU publish stats about the job outcomes from that program? I'd like to look at them.

 

jobs jobs jobs capitalism jobs

 

ETA: I'm just teasing you, of course.

Edited January 18, 2013 by asleepawake

[DontHate]

Shit's important to me! I want to be in academia for the long-haul, not just for 5-7 yrs. It has nothing to do with capitalism, it has to do with my life goals.

[asleepawake]

I want a job, too!

[rems]

Shit's important to me! I want to be in academia for the long-haul, not just for 5-7 yrs. It has nothing to do with capitalism, it has to do with my life goals.

 

Sounds like socialist talk to me. Me, my daddy, my daddy's daddy, my daddy's daddy's daddy, and my daddy's daddy's daddy's daddy don't take too kindly to socialists. 

[DontHate]

I've heard mixed things about interdisciplinary degrees. 

[TripWillis]

I've heard mixed things about interdisciplinary degrees. 

Same here. I don't know what to believe -- is cultural studies and interdisciplinarity the wave of the future (I hope so, yes please), or do you end up cornering yourself out of every available job market? (i.e. not a history scholar, not a sociology scholar, not an English scholar, no lines for "American Studies" professors -- might be a tough pickle)

 

Although, in Bluecheeses case, it is not the time to worry about that; it's the time to celebrate because this is effing awesome!

Edited January 18, 2013 by TripWillis

[InHacSpeVivo]

Congrats to you both!

 

Bluecheese, that is *super* exciting. I really, really wanted to apply to Comp Studies at OSU, but the program ended up not being the strongest match for my interests. You can rest easy the rest of the season knowing that you have at least one really awesome option!

[asleepawake]

 

AKA "I want to be employed until somebody else starts the revolution thnkx."

[1Q84]

 

AKA "I want to be employed until somebody else starts the revolution thnkx."

 

Heehee! You tell em, asleepawake! This is officially my new favourite post on gradcafe.

[bluecheese]

I know some people in a similar program. They do have a harder time getting jobs, but when they do get jobs they are often much better than the jobs than one gets from a second tier/or lower first tier english department (and are often equivalent to what one might get from a first tier english department). That said, it does make things a bit harder. Given my interests, though, it may open me up to a variety of interdisciplinary jobs (American Studies, Women and Gender Studies, etc. on top of english departments). I actually wouldn't have applied if I didn't think there were job prospects. I talked to several faculty before making the decision to apply to such programs It's "weirder" than a strait english degree, but it is totally doable.

 

And thanks to everyone for all of the good wishes!!!!!

Edited January 18, 2013 by bluecheese

[nada.am]

Congrats to both of you!

 

Adding to what is hopefully positive energy in the coming weeks for all, I got an email this morning saying that I've been nominated for a fellowship from UCSB's comp lit department.  Before I get too excited...fellowship nominations seem to be like unofficial acceptances or something of the sort, right? 

[bluecheese]

Yes, that's usually the case. CONGRATS!!!!

[thestage]

The hiring prospects, I think, depend on what project one undertakes. Some things make the job market harder (like people who study theory strictly). My project should position me for english, gender studies, and theory programs. So, at least in my case, I think they're pretty good. Also, I'm in a good position for creative writing jobs (but those are always a shot in the dark).

 

Also,

 

Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

 

out of curiousty, how specific of a project did you outline in your SOP?  did you talk to people in the department?

 

I looked briefly at that program and much more seriously at the more or less equivalent one at Minnesota, but I didn't apply to either because it looked like I wouldn't really have a shot if I wasn't willing and able to essentially turn my SOP into a mini dissertation prospectus.  I was neither willing nor able.  In your experience, is this a reasonably accurate conclusion?

[bluecheese]

My prospectus was fairly specific. It wasn't a mini dissertation prospectus given that I'm unsure what theoretical approach I want to use to tackle my project (I mentioned some options, but didn't have one set in stone). I also have 2 or 3 things that I'm interested in all circling around the same area (on top of my interest in creative writing). I do have a project that I want to do, vaguely. But it definitely wasn't as set in stone as a dissertation prospectus. To a certain degree, I think all programs (from what I gather) want applications to have some sense of what they want to study. If that changes, cool. 

 

I didn't contact anyone at any of the schools (I do know some people at a couple of schools because of creative writing connections... but not at OSU). I did mention people I might potentially work with in my SOP.

[t1racyjacks]

http://comparativestudies.osu.edu/

It's like Berkeley Rhetoric, University of Minnesota Cultural Studies, etc.

 

Super excited!

my Berk POI told me that Berk rhetoric, while good in theory -- is more law-oriented than really 'englishy' so if you want to do something with english and interdisciplinary studies (I cross over to cog and neuro science) it's better to apply to english. just fyi cuz the Berk rhetoric website doesn't make this clear. But I think gender studies might still make it to Berk rhetoric

 

Not sure about UMinn cultural studies

 

PS now wondering if us internationals get informed later than americans in general. granted, none of my unis have notified anyone yet....