Fall 2014 applicants??

[ProfLorax]

i will apply to all the places

Just replace the broom with a computer, and this can be you!

 

[toasterazzi]

My list is hanging out at 13 right now, but I think one or two might get taken off after some further investigation.

[crazyhappy]

My list is hanging out at 13 right now, but I think one or two might get taken off after some further investigation.

This!  Exactly.

[crazyhappy]

Did anyone see that Wisconsin-Madison changed their policy and wants students to start at the beginning and not with an M.A. for the Eng Ph.D. program. I still really want to work with some people there despite my previous M.A.  I'm thinking about calling the department.

[Eternal Optimist]

in a fit of anxiety i just increased my list to 20   i will apply to all the places

Wow

[Fishbucket]

how much about your educational background are you guys putting into your SOPs? I have an undergrad and master's in literature, but it just feels unnatural and irrelevant to talk much about it... any tips?

[ComeBackZinc]

Typically, only as much as is directly relatable to your current research interests. "As an undergraduate I discovered the works of X which interfaces with my interests in Y because...."

[somethinbruin]

Did anyone see that Wisconsin-Madison changed their policy and wants students to start at the beginning and not with an M.A. for the Eng Ph.D. program. I still really want to work with some people there despite my previous M.A.  I'm thinking about calling the department.

 

This was the main reason I took UW-Madison off of my list of places to apply last year. I really loved the school, but they have had this policy in place for a few years now (it's not new even if their website seems to indicate that) and they really do not deviate from it. You're certainly allowed to call the department, but I really don't think it will do you any good. When I was applying, their website was different and you could see more stats/bio info from their admitted students. UW-Madison had not admitted a student with an MA for several years if I remember correctly.

 

Your time and money might be better spent applying to a school where you have a better chance of being admitted. You might be a great and brilliant candidate, but Madison doesn't seem to depart from this policy very often. They basically only want students with BAs only. It strikes me as weird, too, but it's what they want.  

[crazyhappy]

This was the main reason I took UW-Madison off of my list of places to apply last year. I really loved the school, but they have had this policy in place for a few years now (it's not new even if their website seems to indicate that) and they really do not deviate from it. You're certainly allowed to call the department, but I really don't think it will do you any good. When I was applying, their website was different and you could see more stats/bio info from their admitted students. UW-Madison had not admitted a student with an MA for several years if I remember correctly.

 

Your time and money might be better spent applying to a school where you have a better chance of being admitted. You might be a great and brilliant candidate, but Madison doesn't seem to depart from this policy very often. They basically only want students with BAs only. It strikes me as weird, too, but it's what they want.  

 

Thanks for the info! This is indeed disappointing because the department seemed like such a great fit for me! I will probably still apply because it is one of the few geographic areas that  my dh will have a guaranteed job.

[marlowe]

This was the main reason I took UW-Madison off of my list of places to apply last year. I really loved the school, but they have had this policy in place for a few years now (it's not new even if their website seems to indicate that) and they really do not deviate from it. You're certainly allowed to call the department, but I really don't think it will do you any good. When I was applying, their website was different and you could see more stats/bio info from their admitted students. UW-Madison had not admitted a student with an MA for several years if I remember correctly.

 

Your time and money might be better spent applying to a school where you have a better chance of being admitted. You might be a great and brilliant candidate, but Madison doesn't seem to depart from this policy very often. They basically only want students with BAs only. It strikes me as weird, too, but it's what they want.  

 

Eh, I'd disagree -- they accept plenty of students with MAs-in-hand (there were at least five on my visit two years ago).  However, they wanted me to re-do most of the coursework from my MA and to essentially earn another; it felt very much like a step backwards.  However, once they were convinced I was looking elsewhere, they started throwing exemptions and money.  Call the department or email the DGS. 

[Swagato]

Am I the only one not that bothered about "doing over" the MA (in essence)? Perhaps it's because MAPH is a compressed one-year MA program, but I'm really happy about being groomed in Yale's approach. That's not to say I'll implicitly overwrite what Chicago instilled in me--I'm sure there will be interesting parallels and differences. I guess I'm really looking forward to both refreshing and advancing my foundations. 

[champagne]

Am I the only one not that bothered about "doing over" the MA (in essence)? Perhaps it's because MAPH is a compressed one-year MA program, but I'm really happy about being groomed in Yale's approach. That's not to say I'll implicitly overwrite what Chicago instilled in me--I'm sure there will be interesting parallels and differences. I guess I'm really looking forward to both refreshing and advancing my foundations. 

I'm pretty sure we're all in agreement that we would do anything short of violent crimes in order to go through Yale's program. In fact, I'm nowhere near certain a little blood on our hands would bother some of us in that case.

[Imaginary]

Well, I am ignorant of Yale's program s benefits other than its prestige, but I am fairly certain I am not interested.

I'm pretty sure we're all in agreement that we would do anything short of violent crimes in order to go through Yale's program. In fact, I'm nowhere near certain a little blood on our hands would bother some of us in that case.

[Swagato]

Calm down, people. I simply mentioned it as a response to other remarks about transferring coursework/credits for the MA at one's PhD institution. o_O

[ComeBackZinc]

Hey, here's a wild idea: Swagato does Swagato, Aspireperspireinspire does Aspireperspireinspire, everybody's happy. Different adults have different priorities and thank goodness for that.

 

I would never want to do another MA, but I know people who have done it and enjoyed it. Different strokes.

[champagne]

Well, I am ignorant of Yale's program s benefits other than its prestige, but I am fairly certain I am not interested.

 

Calm down, people. I simply mentioned it as a response to other remarks about transferring coursework/credits for the MA at one's PhD institution. o_O

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to incite a disagreement, and I don't know much about Yale other than the prestige. Just trying to keep things lighthearted. I suppose my usually deadpan delivery is even more deadpan over the internet.

[crazyhappy]

I don't really have a problem having to take some extra classes--after all, I love it (and that's why I'm in it)--if it means that my dh has a job to support me and the 5 kiddos while I'm getting my Ph.D. (he would have one if I went to Wisc-Madison). But, as ComeBackZinc said, each person has different needs, and I can totally understand someone not wanting to do it.  I just wish I knew what schools would accept me (and that I would accept) so that I could just apply to those

Edited July 2, 2013 by crazyhappy

[Romanista]

I wish there was a way to separate the professors who specialize in James Joyce from those who specialize in British Modernism. There are so many of them who list that as their specialty and yet 75% of their publications relate to Joyce only. 

Edited July 2, 2013 by Romanista

[champagne]

I thought this was interesting, and I'm not sure where to put it. Nate Silver's take on "The Decline of the English Major":

 

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/as-more-attend-college-majors-become-more-career-focused/?_r=0

[champagne]

I'm almost certain I know the answer to this question already, but I wanted to check with y'all. Could I start my SOP with a joke about myself? It would lead well into my academic interests, and I'm naturally pretty self-deferential. It feels like a bad idea, but I wanted to see what GradCafe thinks.

[ComeBackZinc]

I personally would not. High risk, low reward. It's true that it could catch the right adcom and make them smile, but it also could demonstrate a lack of seriousness in a process where weeding out unserious applicants is a big part of the point. I just don't feel the small chance of a positive response is worth the risk of a negative one, you know?

[Fishbucket]

Why not? It worked for Zimmerman's defense attorney.

 

I'm almost certain I know the answer to this question already, but I wanted to check with y'all. Could I start my SOP with a joke about myself? It would lead well into my academic interests, and I'm naturally pretty self-deferential. It feels like a bad idea, but I wanted to see what GradCafe thinks.

[champagne]

I personally would not. High risk, low reward. It's true that it could catch the right adcom and make them smile, but it also could demonstrate a lack of seriousness in a process where weeding out unserious applicants is a big part of the point. I just don't feel the small chance of a positive response is worth the risk of a negative one, you know?

Definitely. Makes sense. Thanks for the advice!

 

 

Why not? It worked for Zimmerman's defense attorney.

Knock, knock. Who's there? Champagne. Champagne who? Cham-painting the future of academia with every keystroke!

 

Something like that?

[Java47]

Hi everyone, 

 

I was accepted to the University of Southern Mississippi's combined M.A./Ph.D. program for Fall 2013; however, some issues arose and I had to defer my application to the Spring 2014 semester. I'll begin in January. Anyone else applying to USM for either Spring 2014 or Fall 2014? Good luck to all applicants! 

[champagne]

So, I had a rising high school senior ask me what I thought of her prospects concerning going into academia might be...

 

 

It didn't go well.