Fall 2016 Entry Applicants

[__________________________]

I'm thinking UOregon, UCDavis, UCSanta Barbara, UTAustin, UTKnoxville, Rutgers, and Indiana. I'm looking for an English program with opportunities for medieval studies through either emphasis or certificate at a school that also has faculty who work with Old French. Of the above I think only Knoxville doesn't qualify...

 

Regarding the subject test--does that mean it's not as important to recognize works or authors? And probably takes longer because of all the reading comprehension?

I think any university with a strong medieval studies program will be worth looking at, even if you intend to be in an English department.  The "obvious" ones to look at (apart from the ones you mentioned) would be Cornell, Fordham, Berkeley, Notre Dame, and Yale.  If you're into a more "progressive" medieval studies environment (i.e., one that embraces/tolerates the use of theory), Cornell (Carrie Howie does Old French) and Berkeley (David Hult does too) should definitely be on your radar;  Fordham, ND, and Yale strike me as more old school.  All those places have fantastic English programs that are super medievalist-friendly.  Oh, and Northwestern definitely worth looking at -- they have some fantastic medievalists and a certificate program/"cluster" in medieval studies (and yeah, you can do Old French there).

 

Is an official emphasis or certificate in medieval studies a requirement for you?  If so, I think you might find that to be rather limiting -- there are plenty of English programs that will give you plenty of leeway for the interdisciplinary work required for medieval studies without necessarily fulfilling a certificate or designated emphasis.  I had pretty similar requirements going into the application process and ended up taking an offer at a place I wouldn't have at all expected when I started looking at schools (i.e., it isn't necessarily an "obvious" place to do medieval studies in English) -- feel free to PM me on the process.  Or unraed, if you want to feel like an underachiever.  

[unræd]

Mollifiedmolloy has both given excellent advice, as is par for his course, and mentioned almost every single one of the schools I was going to! I'd add OSU, which regularly offers both Old French and Old Occitan, and I'd check out Penn--I don't know their Old French situation, but they're gangbusters for Middle English. I'd also lean on the Yale and Berkeley recommendations; Ardis Butterfield's doing some really cool stuff with medieval multilingualism and French, and Cal's Medieval Studies concurrent PhD requires work in a second vernacular, plus I've heard nothing but great things about Hult.

 

I had pretty similar requirements going into the application process and ended up taking an offer at a place I wouldn't have at all expected when I started looking at schools (i.e., it isn't necessarily an "obvious" place to do medieval studies in English) -- feel free to PM me on the process.  Or unraed, if you want to feel like an underachiever.  

 

 

Yes, please, do feel free to PM me! (And mm: pshaw!)

[cloudofunknowing]

I'll give a shout-out for medieval goings-on at UT-Austin across a variety of disciplines - but, as of right now, there isn't an Old French specialist in the French/Italian dept. There are students in French & English who work on medieval French, however, & I'd be happy to put you in touch with them if you have questions. In English, there are 5 tenured medievalists whose interests range the spectrum of the Middle Ages: Anglo-Saxon, early Middle English & Anglo-Norman, late Middle English (in romance, premodern race, & Chaucer studies), and medieval rhetoric. There are also people, medievalists & early modernists alike, interested in medieval drama. The medievalists (and early modernists, too), are "theory-friendly." I'd be happy to answer any questions if you have them. My stomping grounds tend to be 1300-1550 or thereabouts. Cheers!

[lyonessrampant]

You might look into University of Minnesota.  Mary Franklin-Brown in the French department is a fantastic medievalist, and the Center for Medieval Studies and Consortium for the Study of the Premodern World provide tons of opportunities (and funding) for interdisciplinary medieval work.

[jhefflol]

Helloooooo 2016ers! After an unsuccessful (and expensive) 2015 season, I'm still trying to decide if I want to apply again this season or if I should wait it out for a few years. I'm waiting to hear back about a few jobs, and the more I learn about community college positions, the less I actually want to do a PhD for anything other than personal fulfillment. With an MA under my belt, I'm really feeling the reality of the job struggle. Sorry to be such a downer so soon, but this decision is going to be hard for me!

[BooksCoffeeBeards]

*throws beard into the ring* 2016 for a PhD in Literature!

 

Washington University in St. Louis

Oregon

Colorado-Boulder

Arizona State

Vanderbilt

Denver University

Saint Louis University

Temple

 

Looking at adaptations, mostly of pre-film Canon works (notably Jane Austen - I lover her work and studying it just came easily to me for some reason).

 

I am also concerned about the subject test; I only took it once, but that was WAY back in 2010 during an unsuccessful season...is it radically different? Is it mostly identification of works? Reading comprehension? Any literary criticism thrown in?

[Dr. Old Bill]

Helloooooo 2016ers! After an unsuccessful (and expensive) 2015 season, I'm still trying to decide if I want to apply again this season or if I should wait it out for a few years. I'm waiting to hear back about a few jobs, and the more I learn about community college positions, the less I actually want to do a PhD for anything other than personal fulfillment. With an MA under my belt, I'm really feeling the reality of the job struggle. Sorry to be such a downer so soon, but this decision is going to be hard for me!

 

Good to see you again, J-Heff, and whatever you decide, good luck...and know you've got our support!

[HumanCylinder]

Helloooooo 2016ers! After an unsuccessful (and expensive) 2015 season, I'm still trying to decide if I want to apply again this season or if I should wait it out for a few years. I'm waiting to hear back about a few jobs, and the more I learn about community college positions, the less I actually want to do a PhD for anything other than personal fulfillment. With an MA under my belt, I'm really feeling the reality of the job struggle. Sorry to be such a downer so soon, but this decision is going to be hard for me!

 

Hi jhefflol -- I will be on my third application season, and I also thought long and hard about going for it again.  In the first two seasons, I only applied to a handful of schools because I couldn't move at the time.  I felt like I didn't want to throw in the towel without giving myself a chance at"playing the numbers" and applying very widely and broadly, which from what I can tell is pretty much conventional wisdom about this process. 

 

But beyond that, one of the biggest factors in my decision to reapply came down to writing criticism and doing research.  I would much prefer to have both of those things included in my job description.  I've also been teaching freshmen comp. as an adjunct for the past three years at a four-year university.  While I enjoy teaching writing and rhetoric, my ultimate goal is to teach literature and I feel like a Ph.D would give me more leverage in that endeavor. 

 

I just wanted to share my experience in making a similar decision -- best of luck in the process!

[HumanCylinder]

Looking at adaptations, mostly of pre-film Canon works (notably Jane Austen - I lover her work and studying it just came easily to me for some reason).

 

I am also concerned about the subject test; I only took it once, but that was WAY back in 2010 during an unsuccessful season...is it radically different? Is it mostly identification of works? Reading comprehension? Any literary criticism thrown in?

 

Hi BooksCoffeeBeards.  It looks like I will be applying to some of the same schools you are (my list is not finalized yet), but my field is Modernism. 

 

In my experience, I thought the subject test had a fair mix of comprehension and identifications.  There is definitely criticism/theory on it, so I think it's worth having a grasp of some standard texts and authors. 

[jhefflol]

Hi jhefflol -- I will be on my third application season, and I also thought long and hard about going for it again.  In the first two seasons, I only applied to a handful of schools because I couldn't move at the time.  I felt like I didn't want to throw in the towel without giving myself a chance at"playing the numbers" and applying very widely and broadly, which from what I can tell is pretty much conventional wisdom about this process. 

 

But beyond that, one of the biggest factors in my decision to reapply came down to writing criticism and doing research.  I would much prefer to have both of those things included in my job description.  I've also been teaching freshmen comp. as an adjunct for the past three years at a four-year university.  While I enjoy teaching writing and rhetoric, my ultimate goal is to teach literature and I feel like a Ph.D would give me more leverage in that endeavor. 

 

I just wanted to share my experience in making a similar decision -- best of luck in the process!

 

Thanks for sharing! I love hearing about others' experiences. I have a research project that I reallyreallyreally want to do, but I won't have the time or resources to do it without being in a PhD program. That's my main motivation for wanting to reapply. On the other hand, I'm not sure how much more debt I want to incur if I will have to end up adjuncting at a community college, which is exactly where I'm at now just without the debt. I don't really care what I teach as long as I'm at some kind of collegiate institution, so there isn't any motivation in that aspect for me as there is for you. Adult decisions are hard.

 

On the other hand, I applied to 15 schools last season and didn't even get waitlisted at one. I think if I do apply again, it will be to a maximum of 5 schools just because the process was so expensive and consuming. But, like you, applying to a large number of schools was the advice I was given. I hope it works out better for you than it did for me!

 

Good to see you again, J-Heff, and whatever you decide, good luck...and know you've got our support!

 Thank you! You were such a big support during last season, so I just want to thank you again for that. Good luck with the start of your program!

[Romanista]

I'll be applying to a couple rhet comp PhD programs, 4 or 5 max. 

 

I'm debating whether to audit or take this undergraduate course in rhet comp this fall. If I don't take it I will graduate having taken only 3 rhet comp courses (not counting dissertation related research): a composition pedagogy course, a special topics course related to rhetoric and the other is TBA as I have to take it next spring.

 

The reason I'm interested in taking an undergraduate course it is that at least one of my programs wants a writing sample that was written for a course and as of now I have only one paper that I could use. I'd like to have the option of choosing between writing samples but this course will cut into my research time. 

[bhr]

I'll be applying to a couple rhet comp PhD programs, 4 or 5 max. 

 

I'm debating whether to audit or take this undergraduate course in rhet comp this fall. If I don't take it I will graduate having taken only 3 rhet comp courses (not counting dissertation related research): a composition pedagogy course, a special topics course related to rhetoric and the other is TBA as I have to take it next spring.

 

The reason I'm interested in taking an undergraduate course it is that at least one of my programs wants a writing sample that was written for a course and as of now I have only one paper that I could use. I'd like to have the option of choosing between writing samples but this course will cut into my research time. 

What do you mean by Rhet/Comp courses, and what sort of undergraduate r/c courses exist that you can take? I'm going into my second year of an MA, and I will be taking my first, and only, graduate level "rhet/comp" course (Rhet Theory and History). The rest of my coursework's been focused more on my professional and research interests, including some pedagogy work and an information design course. I don't think you need to narrow your definition of r/c to just courses on rhetorical theory.

[Romanista]

What do you mean by Rhet/Comp courses, and what sort of undergraduate r/c courses exist that you can take? I'm going into my second year of an MA, and I will be taking my first, and only, graduate level "rhet/comp" course (Rhet Theory and History). The rest of my coursework's been focused more on my professional and research interests, including some pedagogy work and an information design course. I don't think you need to narrow your definition of r/c to just courses on rhetorical theory.

 

I mean courses that my department describes as comp rhet courses. The course in question is called Studies in Writing and Rhetoric, which is taught by the director of the writing center. I'm probably worrying too much about this. It's just that I've wanted to pursue a PhD in English for a long time but I recently changed my focus to from literature to rhet comp and I'm worried that I need to show adcoms that I've taken the right courses to show that. I mean this time last year I didn't even really know what comp rhet was. 

[bhr]

I mean courses that my department describes as comp rhet courses. The course in question is called Studies in Writing and Rhetoric, which is taught by the director of the writing center. I'm probably worrying too much about this. It's just that I've wanted to pursue a PhD in English for a long time but I recently changed my focus to from literature to rhet comp and I'm worried that I need to show adcoms that I've taken the right courses to show that. I mean this time last year I didn't even really know what comp rhet was. 

The dirty secret is that most people in the field can't define it either. I think that's a good thing (it becomes a "big tent" rather than the niche/hyper-focused nature of most Lit scholars), and allows more people and topics into the conversation. I do get what you are saying though, I came out with a BS that included 0 comp/rhet courses and only learned about the field the summer before I sent out my MA applications.

[empress-marmot]

I mean courses that my department describes as comp rhet courses. The course in question is called Studies in Writing and Rhetoric, which is taught by the director of the writing center. I'm probably worrying too much about this. It's just that I've wanted to pursue a PhD in English for a long time but I recently changed my focus to from literature to rhet comp and I'm worried that I need to show adcoms that I've taken the right courses to show that. I mean this time last year I didn't even really know what comp rhet was. 

 

The dirty secret is that most people in the field can't define it either. I think that's a good thing (it becomes a "big tent" rather than the niche/hyper-focused nature of most Lit scholars), and allows more people and topics into the conversation. I do get what you are saying though, I came out with a BS that included 0 comp/rhet courses and only learned about the field the summer before I sent out my MA applications.

 

The Rhet/Comp program directors I've talked to have seemed very open to taking MA students from different backgrounds. I think the field is still young enough that adcomms want to know what you'll do in their program more than what classes you took to get the MA in Rhet/Comp. 

 

I would focus on your research time. Taking a course you don't really need seems like a lot of extra effort, especially during an application season.

[ProfLorax]

My BA and MA are both in literature. I took one course in rhetoric as an undergrad (Women's Rhetoric) and one course in composition as an MA student (teaching digital writing). Both courses were helpful in steering me toward rhet/comp as a field, but my writing sample was actually from a literature class! The paper dealt with rhet/comp issues (I didn't realize it at the time) but was definitely a literary analysis. I did ok! I was accepted to five rhet/comp programs. The key is to frame your literary experience in rhet/comp language. I'm happy to share my materials with you, so you can see how I did that!

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

I agree with BhR, Empress-Rodent, and Eco-Suessian. 

I read Comp/Rhet stuff that quotes sociologist, lit theorists, media study, and Csikzentmihalyi - and the Adcoms that I've encountered are more than willing to honestly entertain multiple tracks into the programs

[rhetoricus aesalon]

I'll be applying to a couple rhet comp PhD programs, 4 or 5 max. 

 

I'm debating whether to audit or take this undergraduate course in rhet comp this fall. If I don't take it I will graduate having taken only 3 rhet comp courses (not counting dissertation related research): a composition pedagogy course, a special topics course related to rhetoric and the other is TBA as I have to take it next spring.

 

The reason I'm interested in taking an undergraduate course it is that at least one of my programs wants a writing sample that was written for a course and as of now I have only one paper that I could use. I'd like to have the option of choosing between writing samples but this course will cut into my research time. 

 

Based on your profile, I'm assuming you're an MA student thinking about taking/auditing an undergrad course in rhet/comp. In other words, you are not an undergrad -- is that right? 

 

If you're an undergrad, you have nothing to worry about. Choose a writing sample that is good work -- a clear argument supported by well-researched evidence that shows that you are familiar with doing scholarship in the fields of English studies.

 

But if you are already a grad student, then you will want to work on crafting a clear alignment or pathway to rhet/comp in your PhD writing sample. Even if you end up with a revision of a lit-based paper, the expectation will be to see how the work you are doing is connected to scholarship in rhetoric and composition broadly defined. 

 

With that said, and you decide you need more exposure to rhet/comp to do this (which I'm not saying you do -- to me it sounds like you have more than you might give yourself credit for), I don't feel taking an undergrad class is necessarily the best route to get there. Does your program have an option for independent study? Do you have an adviser or professor who you are especially close with and trust to give you good and honest feedback? You might think about crafting a class around this very issue with this person -- articulating your work as rhet/comp scholarship -- and do readings that support the work you're already doing and create a strong writing sample as a final product. You will be held to a much higher standard than an undergrad class, and you will get much better results for what you want. 

 

But that's just my 2 cents!

[biyutefulphlower]

Hello to all the other folks applying for Fall 2016! 

 

I'll be applying to UChicago, Ohio State U, UOregon, CUNY, Columbia, UFlorida, and maybe Duke. (It looks like a few of us are applying to some of the same schools – cool!)

 

I've got my BA and MA in English Lit and am looking to do Comic Studies, probably with a slant toward ‘identity studies’.

[SoyCoffee]

Hi all~! 

 

Any suggestions for Renaissance students focusing on rhetoric and women-writers? 

 

Applying for PHD (I hold a BA & MA in English Lit.), 

thinking about: 

Oxford

UCL 

Toronto

Chicago

Penn 

 

But all of these are very very selective and competitive... I haven't taken the GRE / GRE Subject yet so I don't really know what my chances are at this point but in any case I'm looking for good Renaissance programs that aren't necessarily top 10-20...

Edited June 25, 2015 by SoyCoffee

[Ramus]

On 6/25/2015 at 5:43 AM, SoyCoffee said:

Hi all~! 

 

Any suggestions for Renaissance students focusing on rhetoric and women-writers? 

 

Applying for PHD (I hold a BA & MA in English Lit.), 

thinking about: 

Oxford

UCL 

Toronto

Chicago

Penn 

 

But all of these are very very selective and competitive... I haven't taken the GRE / GRE Subject yet so I don't really know what my chances are at this point but in any case I'm looking for good Renaissance programs that aren't necessarily top 10-20...

 

Just to name a few: Ohio State, Boston College, WashU, UMass-Amherst, Fordham, and Notre Dame. Northwestern should probably be on your list as well, since Wendy Wall is there.

[SoyCoffee]

Thanks!!! 

Wendy Wall is a great suggestion! 

I'm also checking Boston University and Vanderbilt...  do you know the English Dept. there? 

[ProfLorax]

Penn State (Cheryl Glenn) and Maryland (Jane Donawerth). My friend who studies rhetoric and women in the Renaissance also applied to UNC and Miami. Soy, are you looking for focus on rhetoric or literature? Some of the programs you listed don't have a rhetoric program, but depending on your interests and career goals, that might be fine.

[SoyCoffee]

Penn State (Cheryl Glenn) and Maryland (Jane Donawerth). My friend who studies rhetoric and women in the Renaissance also applied to UNC and Miami. Soy, are you looking for focus on rhetoric or literature? Some of the programs you listed don't have a rhetoric program, but depending on your interests and career goals, that might be fine.

 

Thanks!!! I'll check these out too 

I'm applying to English Lit programs. My focus is women's rhetoric in the Renaissance... not rhetoric per se.

Edited June 25, 2015 by SoyCoffee

[Ramus]

Thanks!!! 

Wendy Wall is a great suggestion! 

I'm also checking Boston University and Vanderbilt...  do you know the English Dept. there? 

 

Both of those schools are fine options. Leah Marcus is at Vanderbilt, and she does really good work. I believe she edited the collected works of Elizabeth I a few years back. I applied to BU last year and still think highly of their program. The only downside to them is the low stipend (relative to Boston's cost of living) and their small admit class. Last year they took in a grand total of five people.