safety schools for Victorianists

[pereb3]

Hello all,

 

 I'm an undergrad applying for Master's/ Ph. D. programs. My field is Victorian literature. I am applying to a few great programs but can anyone recommend any quality "safety schools" preferably at private institutions? Thank you.

[ComeBackZinc]

No such thing.

[semicolon2013]

ComeBackZinc is right--believing any school can be a "safety" will not serve you well in this process.  That said, MAs are often easier to get into than PhDs (except the funded ones).  I would not recommend an unfunded MA, but if you are set on grad school in English and have some money saved up, you may want to apply to one or two.

 

I think the best idea is to apply to a wide range of schools (I am aiming for 12-15), put effort into every application by starting early, and hope for the best.

[Katia_chan]

Thirded.  Zinc is unfortunately right--there are hard schools to get into, and harder schools to get into.  Any school even sort of worth its salt is going to be a rough road to travel for admissions.

 

That being said, there is a slight difference between getting into UPenn/Harvard/whatever, and getting into, like, (insert non-ivy league here), but not in the matter of difficulty, only in the number of applications they receive, and even that is not a guarantee.

 

The only "safety" measure I can suggest is to look at the rankings, and pick things that aren't in the top ten.  It doesn't mean much, but then you should be able to dodge the ivy league schools.  But it's most important to apply where you fit--if there's someone at, say,  Harvard that is perfect for you, then you have just as good a chance at getting in there as you do somewhere else.

 

TL;DR: CBZ said it, I just rambled, and it comes down to the same thing.

Edited September 2, 2013 by Katia_chan

[somethinbruin]

Expanding what others have said, but basically the premise is the same: there is no safety school. The process is capricious. I applied widely (15 or so schools), and I categorized my choices as prestigious schools, strong schools, and lower tier schools (that I thought would be easier to get into). I got into many of my strong schools, and I got wait-listed or rejected at all of my "safety" schools. You can't ever tell, but you can help yourself by applying widely to a variety of schools.

 

Bear in mind that you can do everything right in the application process and still not get in, because you have to be what the school needs. For instance, I know that at one school I applied to they really liked my application, but they weren't looking for a student in my area of focus (postcolonial) because they had admitted two postcolonial PhD students the year before. Instead, they were looking for medieval studies students because they had just brought in a new tenure track medievalist and needed students to work with him. I could have been the most brilliant postcolonial scholar in the country and still not gotten in. As an applicant, you don't have any way to know these things ahead of time, but rest assured that they will torpedo your application all the same. It's all out of your hands after a certain point. That is why there are no real safety schools. 

 

Your best bet: find a variety of programs (MA, Phd, big, small) where you think you are a fit. Then work really, really hard on your applications and hope for the best. Good luck to you!

[gatz]

Also I can't imagine a school being public versus private indicates a meaningful difference across the board for funding or prestige.

Edited September 2, 2013 by gatz

[Swagato]

Also I can't imagine a school being public versus private indicates a meaningful difference across the board for funding or prestige.

 

I'd contradict this, actually. Unless the public institution is a Berkeley or something along those lines, then funding will likely be more restricted than a private institution. This is very discipline-specific, but generally speaking a private institution has more freedom in matters of funding and endowments, whereas the public institution is ever-beholden to state bureaucracy. 

[TripWillis]

University of Phoenix.

[gatz]

I'd contradict this, actually. Unless the public institution is a Berkeley or something along those lines, then funding will likely be more restricted than a private institution. This is very discipline-specific, but generally speaking a private institution has more freedom in matters of funding and endowments, whereas the public institution is ever-beholden to state bureaucracy. 

 

Yeah I just meant that as a basic criteria for narrowing down schools. Among schools I'm applying to there were about 3 public schools that have extremely competitive funding packages (according to the google docs spreadsheet). Not to mention the various public schools that offer solid funding opportunities to their master's students.

[rhetoricus aesalon]

Hm ... what about schools overseas? I feel like I've seen somewhere around here that those programs tend to be less selective than schools in the States.

[aGiRlCalLeDApPlE]

Hm ... what about schools overseas? I feel like I've seen somewhere around here that those programs tend to be less selective than schools in the States.

They might be less selective, but they have limited to no funding for international students. Many schools in the UK offer funding for domestic and EU students only. 

[plznE3]

They might be less selective, but they have limited to no funding for international students. Many schools in the UK offer funding for domestic and EU students only. 

Rose Egypt is right. And from what I've heard even domestic ad EU students often don't get funding.