Fall 2014 applicants??

[MissHavishslam]

I was gone for one day and three pages of posts!!! 

 

[toasterazzi]

Haha and this is why you can never leave

[practical cat]

I was gone for one day and three pages of posts!!! 

 

If 2014 is anything like the 2013 cycle, hold onto that gif, you'll need it. (As well as lots of whiskey.)

[dazedandbemused]

If 2014 is anything like the 2013 cycle, hold onto that gif, you'll need it. (As well as lots of whiskey.)

 

I don't know about you, but I had a lot more good times than bad times this year. I think the last few weeks have been a bit less fun, as the people with interesting things to say have stopped posting as much, while the trolls have found themselves with nothing better to do.

[MissHavishslam]

Haha and this is why you can never leave

 

I never will!!

 

If 2014 is anything like the 2013 cycle, hold onto that gif, you'll need it. (As well as lots of whiskey.)

 

I've already stocked up on liquor (and gifs)!

[toasterazzi]

I have caramel vodka and kahlua...I mean...just saying...

[practical cat]

I don't know about you, but I had a lot more good times than bad times this year. I think the last few weeks have been a bit less fun, as the people with interesting things to say have stopped posting as much, while the trolls have found themselves with nothing better to do.

I'd say it's been a wash for me but I like some people (you included!) enough to keep coming back. And I'll probably be here in the fall even if the wait lists do pane out because I love this awful place and am now invested in the 2014ers.

My advice on the liquor is probably timeless though...

[smellybug]

Hi all,   It appears I'm late to this thread, but I'm applying next year too (just registered here). I've been out of undergrad for coming up on five years (good lord), which presents a host of challenges. Three of my best professors have died in that period, and I'm wondering how well the remainder remember me. I was a bright, if precocious and immature, undergraduate with good but not perfect grades. I never stopped reading, though, and in my time away from school I've really solidified my research interests and writing skills. In the time before application I'm hoping to develop my German reading knowledge and try to get some Italian under my belt, in addition to the usual rigamarole of GRE, SOP, LOR, OMG, WTF, ETC. I'm primarily applying to Comp. Lit, though I'm still open to pursuing pure English for the right program. I'm open to any and all recommendations! The current strategy is to stay organized and tenacious with what I assume is a pretty typical Excel spreadsheet setup.   Right now I'm most curious as to how prepared Comp. Lit. students are in their secondary languages. Obviously this is central to these programs, but I have little in the way of institutional proof of study (except for Latin, which is not really relevant to my interests). Should I shell out the (deeply needed) cash to take a program at the Goethe Institut? Or should I just study on my own?   Good to meet you all!

Hi refinement! Good luck with all this-- it's stressful but hopefully worth the struggle. Languages were definitely the weakest part of my application (minor in French, two summers of study in another language), but I think I made up for it with a kickass SOP. I decided not to apply to the Ivies because I knew my language skills wouldn't be up to par; I could have been wrong to avoid these, though. If you can get a summer of study under your belt, by all means, do it. And beware that some of the top programs interview you in the language you propose to study. So just saying you speak the language isn't enough.

[champagne]

I have caramel vodka and kahlua...I mean...just saying...

 

My immediate reaction was revulsion. I tend to have a Ron Swanson philosophy on liquors.

 

Then, I realized you have the makings of a delicious White Russian. Cheers!

[dazedandbemused]

I'd say it's been a wash for me but I like some people (you included!) enough to keep coming back. And I'll probably be here in the fall even if the wait lists do pane out because I love this awful place and am now invested in the 2014ers.

My advice on the liquor is probably timeless though...

 

I'm still hoping that one of your waitlists work out! I totally have an awesome gif saved for when you get accepted   And yes, there is always a good time for alcohol.

Edited March 25, 2013 by dazedandbemused

[asleepawake]

 I tend to have a Ron Swanson philosophy on liquors.

 

Any liquor under 80 proof is a beer, and beers are pointless.

[toasterazzi]

Well, there's always Everclear...

[practical cat]

Any liquor under 80 proof is a beer, and beers are pointless.

Clear liquor is for rich women on diets.

[Datatape]

Clear liquor is for rich women on diets.

 

I - I'm sorry.  I couldn't resist.

 

[Fishbucket]

Ok guys, here's a list of schools for comp lit. I like modernism, 20th century continental philosophy, Europe & Latin America. Tell me what you think 

 

Princeton 

Cornell 

Stanford

Berkeley (RLL)

Brown

WUSTL (Dual Comp. Lit)

Chicago

UPenn

Duke (Literature)

UNC

Irvine

USC (Literature)

Maryland

NYU

Santa Cruz

Columbia

UVA

UCSD

UCSB

 

yeah ok that's all. i want to apply everywhere next round.

[asleepawake]

Clear liquor is for rich women on diets.

 

Flavored Vodka is for sissies and pregnant women.

[MissHavishslam]

On 3/24/2013 at 9:56 PM, Fishbucket said:

Ok guys, here's a list of schools for comp lit. I like modernism, 20th century continental philosophy, Europe & Latin America. Tell me what you think 

 

Princeton 

Cornell 

Stanford

Berkeley (RLL)

Brown

WUSTL (Dual Comp. Lit)

Chicago

UPenn

Duke (Literature)

UNC

Irvine

USC (Literature)

Maryland

NYU

Santa Cruz

Columbia

UVA

UCSD

UCSB

 

yeah ok that's all. i want to apply everywhere next round.

 

I'm not too familiar with your area of interest, so I don't know how valuable my advice will be. I know we have all debated about ranks of schools and what not, but I do know that applying is a numbers game. While your tentative list includes awesome programs, I can't help but think that maybe you should think about some schools that aren't in the top 30. I'm not saying you shouldn't apply to the schools on this list, but maybe throw a couple of schools into the mix that get less than 400 applications a year. All of the top programs have an acceptance rate of 4% (roughly 400 applications and 10 acceptances). There are, however, some reputable programs with 200 applications and 10-15 available spots. There are some fabulous programs in the lower than 50 rankings that have great placement records (which is what counts in the end). There is no such thing as a "safety school" in this process, but it couldn't hurt to cast your net as wide as you possibly can. 

[Fishbucket]

I'm not too familiar with your area of interest, so I don't know how valuable my advice will be. I know we have all debated about ranks of schools and what not, but I do know that applying is a numbers game. While your tentative list includes awesome programs, I can't help but think that maybe you should think about some schools that aren't in the top 30. I'm not saying you shouldn't apply to the schools on this list, but maybe throw a couple of schools into the mix that get less than 400 applications a year. All of the top programs have an acceptance rate of 4% (roughly 400 applications and 10 acceptances). There are, however, some reputable programs with 200 applications and 10-15 available spots. There are some fabulous programs in the lower than 50 rankings that have great placement records (which is what counts in the end). There is no such thing as a "safety school" in this process, but it couldn't hurt to cast your net as wide as you possibly can. 

 

Can you suggest some options for less-competitive schools? I'm already kind of banking on being at CUNY next year, so I don't see any point in applying to schools that are qualitatively worse than CUNY.

[MissHavishslam]

Can you suggest some options for less-competitive schools? I'm already kind of banking on being at CUNY next year, so I don't see any point in applying to schools that are qualitatively worse than CUNY.

 

Hm. It's hard for me to suggest schools since I am not familiar with the programs that would be a good fit with your interests. Right off the top of my head, I know that West Virginia University, while ranked in the 100s, has a placement rate of 75% and the national average for placement is 20%. Same with UN-Reno, they are ranked similarly but have a placement rate around 80%. Of course, these two options might not be a good fit--which would deter an admission offer. Fit and placement records, in my opinion, are two of the most important factor. I think that national rankings can sometimes cloud our judgement of "good" programs.

[Fishbucket]

Hm. It's hard for me to suggest schools since I am not familiar with the programs that would be a good fit with your interests. Right off the top of my head, I know that West Virginia University, while ranked in the 100s, has a placement rate of 75% and the national average for placement is 20%. Same with UN-Reno, they are ranked similarly but have a placement rate around 80%. Of course, these two options might not be a good fit--which would deter an admission offer. Fit and placement records, in my opinion, are two of the most important factor. I think that national rankings can sometimes cloud our judgement of "good" programs.

 

Ok, location for me is a factor. I would never want to live in reno or west virginia.

[MissHavishslam]

Ok, location for me is a factor. I would never want to live in reno or west virginia.

 

I completely understand. I was just using those two as examples of good programs that may be seen as non-reputable because of their ranking. It's just hard for me to recommend specific schools when I'm not familiar with schools that specialize in your field.

Edited March 25, 2013 by MissHavishslam

[Phil Sparrow]

I'm not too familiar with your area of interest, so I don't know how valuable my advice will be. I know we have all debated about ranks of schools and what not, but I do know that applying is a numbers game. While your tentative list includes awesome programs, I can't help but think that maybe you should think about some schools that aren't in the top 30. I'm not saying you shouldn't apply to the schools on this list, but maybe throw a couple of schools into the mix that get less than 400 applications a year. All of the top programs have an acceptance rate of 4% (roughly 400 applications and 10 acceptances). There are, however, some reputable programs with 200 applications and 10-15 available spots. There are some fabulous programs in the lower than 50 rankings that have great placement records (which is what counts in the end). There is no such thing as a "safety school" in this process, but it couldn't hurt to cast your net as wide as you possibly can. 

 

Honestly, I see this advice here all the time and disagree with it, especially if one wants to be a researcher as well as a teacher in the end. Those "lower-ranked" (fraught term, I know) programs with good placement rates often only place into teaching-oriented positions for which one will have to give up the dream of doing research. If you are fine with the prospect of a 4-4 or even 5-5 load at your future job (plus service, minus your own scholarship), go for those lower-tier programs. If not, don't waste the application fee. My respectful $0.02.

Edited March 25, 2013 by Phil Sparrow

[Fishbucket]

Santa Cruz, UCSB, Maryland, and UCSD are all less-competitive programs than the others on my list. I wouldn't want to go any less competitive than that. But suggestions for other schools in that range would be appreciated

[bluecheese]

Northwestern?

[smellybug]

Hm. It's hard for me to suggest schools since I am not familiar with the programs that would be a good fit with your interests. Right off the top of my head, I know that West Virginia University, while ranked in the 100s, has a placement rate of 75% and the national average for placement is 20%. Same with UN-Reno, they are ranked similarly but have a placement rate around 80%. Of course, these two options might not be a good fit--which would deter an admission offer. Fit and placement records, in my opinion, are two of the most important factor. I think that national rankings can sometimes cloud our judgement of "good" programs.

 Hey, fishbucket is talking about comp lit programs, right? If so, some of this advice is moot (I don't think Reno or West Virginia even have comp lit programs). Also, it's not quite as bleak as English program admittance: U Michigan, which is a top ten school, received 70 applications this year and typically receives less. Their stats are pretty clear:

 

https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/academic_information/program_details/comparative_literature/

 

U Maryland is definitely not a program I would consider a "safety" school either. UCSC will be less competitive, but they also don't have a comp lit program, per se. I would focus on finding programs that fit you and then reach out to professors. Take a trip there if you can. This is all assuming you are an enthusiastic, smart, warm, and engaging person and can show them how dedicated you are. If not, stick to email. 

Edited March 25, 2013 by smellybug