Fall 2014 applicants??

[Portia]

Not sure what subject to chose for the writing sample. Maybe I am not ready yet.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Portia

[Eternal Optimist]

Hi All, Its such a relief to have stumbled upon this thread. Thanks for all your valuable posts. I am an international student, applying for both Terminal M.A. programs and M.A./PhD track. I am fine with anything as long as it comes with funding. My areas of interest are Renaissance/Early Modern literature(esp plays), Psychonanalysis (Trauma Studies) and cultural studies. I am also interested in folklore studies esp in studying its relation to popular culture and media. Here is my list and apart from few changes now and then, this has been consistent for a while now. Let me know what you guys think. NYU Emory UMich, Ann Arbor UChicago Penn State Syracuse University of Washington, Seattle University of Missouri University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa (Strode program) University of Maine Oregon State University

[Eternal Optimist]

And sorry for the previous post without line breaks. My tablet id acting weird.

[Eternal Optimist]

I narrowed my list down to 16 schools and I'm really excited about this development! I thought I would tell gradcafe cuz who else would share in this peculiar form of excitement?

Haha! Just two days ago, I had narrowed down my 16 and didnt know who to share it with!

[Fishbucket]

Haha! Just two days ago, I had narrowed down my 16 and didnt know who to share it with!

 

My list just shrank to 13, I hope to get it down to 12 finally because 13 feels like a bad number. Or maybe I'll add another one. As long as it doesn't remain 13.

[Eternal Optimist]

Fishbucket I just finished reading all posts in this thread! Wow! Wish I had found you guys earlier. About the no of schools, I dont think I can be sure until I finally apply! But 16 is maximum. Usually, the unlucky numbers like 13 and 8 work wonders for me.

[Swagato]

My list just shrank to 13, I hope to get it down to 12 finally because 13 feels like a bad number. Or maybe I'll add another one. As long as it doesn't remain 13.

I applied to 13. >.>

[Eternal Optimist]

Is it necessary to have read works of faculty members that I plan on mentioning on my S.O.Ps? I am unable to find works of all my POIs online and some books are just too expensive. What do you guys suggest?

[Swagato]

It obviously does not hurt to have an intimate knowledge of works by faculty members you are highly interested in. Presumably, it is their research that drew you to the department in the first place. 

 

On the other hand, if you're absolutely ignorant of the research of someone and you suddenly discover them and are like "WTF why have I not discovered this person yet"...you can easily look up their most prominent publications to get a sense of things.

 

Abebooks.com is a lifesaver, as is...the Internet in general. 

 

I don't mean to be crabby, but I sort of feel like this place is going from a community of encouragement and broad-base guidance to a spoon-feeding one (I say this since I've actually been browsing around here since...2009?). The question you ask is really a very simple one if you'd just stop to think about it from the perspective of an admissions committee.

 

Edit: I wanted to add that I was actually guilty of being completely oblivious to the fact that one of my most compelling interests at Yale (now) is a person I didn't even mention in my SOP, as I was unaware of the turn their present research has taken. We had a laugh over this during my visit...while I tried not to look completely crestfallen. That being said, though, I do feel that my general SOP was very much in tune with where the department is headed, and that's what made things count. 

Edited June 26, 2013 by Swagato

[Fishbucket]

Is it necessary to have read works of faculty members that I plan on mentioning on my S.O.Ps? I am unable to find works of all my POIs online and some books are just too expensive. What do you guys suggest?

 

The best way is to figure out how to get access to a university library. They usually have a lot of these expensive academic books, plus the computers will give you access to databases with articles. Try to get alumni borrowing privileges at your undergrad school.

[Eternal Optimist]

It obviously does not hurt to have an intimate knowledge of works by faculty members you are highly interested in. Presumably, it is their research that drew you to the department in the first place.    On the other hand, if you're absolutely ignorant of the research of someone and you suddenly discover them and are like "WTF why have I not discovered this person yet"...you can easily look up their most prominent publications to get a sense of things.   Abebooks.com is a lifesaver, as is...the Internet in general.    I don't mean to be crabby, but I sort of feel like this place is going from a community of encouragement and broad-base guidance to a spoon-feeding one (I say this since I've actually been browsing around here since...2009?). The question you ask is really a very simple one if you'd just stop to think about it from the perspective of an admissions committee.   Edit: I wanted to add that I was actually guilty of being completely oblivious to the fact that one of my most compelling interests at Yale (now) is a person I didn't even mention in my SOP, as I was unaware of the turn their present research has taken. We had a laugh over this during my visit...while I tried not to look completely crestfallen. That being said, though, I do feel that my general SOP was very much in tune with where the department is headed,4 and that's what made things count. 

I am an international student with no access to websites that sell these books. Nor do I know anyone who has access to libraries in the US. I just wanted to know if there was any way I could make up for these shortcomings. Thanks for taking the time to answer.

[Eternal Optimist]

The best way is to figure out how to get access to a university library. They usually have a lot of these expensive academic books, plus the computers will give you access to databases with articles. Try to get alumni borrowing privileges at your undergrad school.

I live in India and my undergrad univ has access to Jstor, thats about it. And thats not helping much. And if I start ordering all these books through international shipment, I will end up spending a LOT which I cannot afford. I guess I would have to make the best of whats available online.

[bona_fide]

Hi! Just introducing myself as we all begin this process. I'm applying for primarily Comp. Lit PhD's for 2014 fall, with a medieval European focus. This fall I'll be attending the University of Toronto for a 1-year MA! It's crazy how much of my mental energy is being sucked up by worrying about PhD's, when I should be getting excited about my masters program I'm visiting campus next week, which is a big deal for me since I live in California. I think that will redirect my enthusiasm to THIS September instead of NEXT September!

 

Anyway, hi all, and thanks for all the great info! Any other medieval lit people lurking who want to share a list of schools?

[Portia]

I don't mean to be crabby, but I sort of feel like this place is going from a community of encouragement and broad-base guidance to a spoon-feeding one (I say this since I've actually been browsing around here since...2009?). The question you ask is really a very simple one if you'd just stop to think about it from the perspective of an admissions committee.

 

 For an international student, coming from a completely different academic culture, the answers are really not simple.

 

 To give an example, I have been reading about how the SOP needs to feel personal, and even have a catchy opening phrase. That is not only unheard of, but downright frowned upon in Europe.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Portia

[egwynn]

 For an international student, coming from a completely different academic culture, the answers are really not simple.

 

 To give an example, I have been reading about how the SOP needs to feel personal, and even have a catchy opening phrase. That is not only unheard of, but downright frowned upon in Europe.

 

I'd say it's potentially frowned upon here, too.  I frowned, at least...

[Swagato]

Where have you been reading about how the SOP should be personal or have a catchy opening phrase? That's actually the first time I've heard something like that in relation to PhD applications...

 

To be honest, I'd keep it professional. It's possible to be elegant and frame an attractive SOP, if you're that good with writing, but every SOP I read through during last year's preparations was played straight. Clear, precise language, very straightforward, very professionally academic. No hooks or catchy openings/endings.

YMMV.

[Two Espressos]

Edit: I wanted to add that I was actually guilty of being completely oblivious to the fact that one of my most compelling interests at Yale (now) is a person I didn't even mention in my SOP, as I was unaware of the turn their present research has taken. We had a laugh over this during my visit...while I tried not to look completely crestfallen. That being said, though, I do feel that my general SOP was very much in tune with where the department is headed, and that's what made things count. 

 

This.  A similar sort of thing happened with me: my interests slightly shifted in the time between submitting my SOP and visiting my program, so the parts of my statement that really were in tune with the department were more implicit than explicit, but when I visited and articulated that shifting focus, it became apparent that my interests nested quite well with the future direction of the department.

 

Personally, I think that that's probably the most important thing: matching with the department's focus or focuses, which goes much deeper than just historical periods and broad methodologies.

 

Where have you been reading about how the SOP should be personal or have a catchy opening phrase? That's actually the first time I've heard something like that in relation to PhD applications...

 

To be honest, I'd keep it professional. It's possible to be elegant and frame an attractive SOP, if you're that good with writing, but every SOP I read through during last year's preparations was played straight. Clear, precise language, very straightforward, very professionally academic. No hooks or catchy openings/endings.

YMMV.

 

I agree with Swagato: generally speaking, avoid catchy opening phrases or long biographical anecdote.  There will always be exceptions to that rule, but at least in my case, the brief personal anecdote that opened my SOP was, in retrospect, goddamn awful.  I'm pretty sure it added nothing to my application as a whole, and it was never mentioned by anyone.  I regret writing it.

[ComeBackZinc]

Without at all disputing what Swagato or Two Espressos is saying, I'd like to reiterate that you shouldn't look at your SOP like a contract. Departments know that your interests can and will change. (After all, if you knew just what you were going to study... why would you bother to do coursework?) The really compelling part about an SOP is that it allows students to demonstrate that they know what an academic project entails. It's not that you tell them what your dissertation topic is going to be. It's that you frame interests in a way that makes them say, this is a person who will one day be able to come up with an appropriate and marketable dissertation, someone who understands the arc of an academic career. It's a signalling device, and a very important one. That's part of why waxing on about your personal life or passion can be so dangerous.

 

None of this is to dispute the importance of fit. If you are describing projects that have nothing to do with the current faculty of a program, that's a major program. You want to show that, as you develop and grow, you'll be able to develop and grow into fields where you can be adequately prepared by current faculty. Fit and subject area do matter. Just remember that you certainly will be encouraged and expected to explore and discover, and that no one will care if  your SOP has little to do with your eventual focus. That ability to play is one of the best things about grad school.

[ScubaStevesGF]

I'm glad to hear that people think talking about your personal life or coming up with a good opening phrase is bad because I'm having a hard time doing it--so maybe I'll just stop! 

 

On other forums people have suggested reading Asher's book on Graduate Admissions Essays--How to Write Your Way into Graduate School. It's been about a year since I've read this book (I actually threw it away after my last applications because I thought I'd never apply again and just wanted to get all application stuff as far away from me as possible-- and now regret that decision since I am reapplying). Anyways, long story short, I believe it says in that book that the first sentence of a SOP is extremely important--that it should be unique, catchy, and want the reader to read more.

 

He also says that we should include stories that make us stand out from others. He actually says that we should brainstorm a list of things that make us unique as candidates and then figure out how to include it. The sample graduate essays, as far as I remember, tended to have some personal and unique story. So last round of applications I tried to include one. I don't think it was the best idea and I think it took up too much space in the SOP, especially at the beginning.

 

Oh well, this round I won't do that! 

[ProfLorax]

What the hay, here's my opening paragraph. Hope this is helpful. 

 

Throughout my academic and teaching career, I have come to realize that teaching and research are not isolated, contradictory fields. Rather, they are interconnected, and I strive for the teacher-scholar identity, a fusion of theory and practice. At Blank University, I will begin a lifelong career devoted to teaching at the university-level while pursuing research on my current interests--feminist theory, digital rhetoric, and composition studies—and discovering new areas of exploration. 

[ComeBackZinc]

major PROBLEM above, not program, sorry

[egwynn]

What the hay, here's my opening paragraph. Hope this is helpful. 

 

Throughout my academic and teaching career, I have come to realize that teaching and research are not isolated, contradictory fields. Rather, they are interconnected, and I strive for the teacher-scholar identity, a fusion of theory and practice. At Blank University, I will begin a lifelong career devoted to teaching at the university-level while pursuing research on my current interests--feminist theory, digital rhetoric, and composition studies—and discovering new areas of exploration. 

 

I started mine with a quotation and then a broadening analysis of it, just like I would an abstract for a paper.  In fact, my entire SOP is rather like an abstract for a conference paper.  I took a potentially presumptuous approach and informed the adcoms of what awesome shit I was going to do when--not if--they accepted me to their program and threw truckloads of money at me.  I would quote it, but that feels like posting nekkid pics.  Paranoia from watching tons of Criminal Minds, I guess.

 

By the way, I totally echo what people have said about the SOP not being a contract.  I went back and read the SOP I wrote for the uni where I got my MA (you know, the touchy-feely SOP that makes me feel abject shame now), and not only did I claim I wanted to work with someone whose seminar I dropped on the first day, but I mentioned a bunch of other stuff that I never did and, in some cases, hadn't even heard about anywhere but on the website.

 

Tangentially from that whole changing-your-mind thing: I would recommend that, when you're looking at programs, you try your best to factor in a contingency plan for each one.  I showed up to my MA excited to work with two people and discovered that I wasn't thrilled about one (just not my style) and could not stand the other.  I got lucky that I accidentally found a new time period that I loved and someone who was basically the best supervisor ever.  Upon applying to PhD programs, the people were absolutely not the first priority for me.  They were an important factor, but I wouldn't consider going somewhere because I read a book that I just loved and I want to work with that person come hell or high water.  That's what I did last time, and it nearly didn't work out.  I think that, if you know you're a particular person who is inclined to strong opinions about other people (I am), you would be better served to factor that in when you're looking at programs as well.  Just a thought.  Feel free to ignore, obviously.  This is one of those processes that you'd like to think is impersonal and entirely professional, but is there anything that's like that?

[egwynn]

OH! And, I think this is at least half just me telling myself this so that I can feel like an amazing applicant and/or generally worthwhile person, but I felt like having a single paragraph with specific info about one uni is obvious and a bit tedious.  I interspersed my stuff through the whole SOP.  That said, I know a lot of people are successful with just a subbing-in in the final paragraph.  

[practical cat]

I started with the fairly cheap rhetorical trick of a simple declarative statement that I would later problematize: "I like what other people like". I quickly framed my interest in popular culture in terms of a hybrid interest in democratic theory and identity politics, moving through my undergrad thesis (on the discursive potential of a genre) to how I see myself looking more at individuals -- celebrity -- in the future.

I think if I had to do it again, I would've liked to have barged in less abruptly with my opening line but, oh man, I spent so much energy on that and nothing good came. I'm not confident more time would've been it softer. I wish I'd had a slightly more concrete research topic to offer too. As others have said, it helps to show that you can come up with a viable topic, regardless of whether or not you use it. I would've benefited from starting in June instead of September FOR SURE.

General SOP advice: be confident in your potential as a scholar (EVERYONE STOP UNDERSELLING YOURSELF OR APOLOGIZING FOR HOW NOT GREAT YOU THINK YOU ARE OK), be cohesive in your story, be honest about your ideas and interests.

[Fishbucket]

in a fit of anxiety i just increased my list to 20

 

i will apply to all the places