Fall 2016 Comparative Literature Applicants

[WendyWonderland]

Hey guys!

Here I am again! Just submitted all of my applications (16!) to Comp. Lit.

Anyone out there who is also applying to Comp. Lit?

Anyone who is already in a Comp. Lit program right now? The waiting has started, I am feeling anxious again:)

Wendy

[haltheincandescent]

Most of mine are English Lit, but I applied to a couple of Comp Lit programs as well (Emory, Columbia [since it's together with English anyway], and Duke [well, their Literature program anyway]). Definitely feeling the anxiety of waiting as well! I've been out of school since May, so I've been away from the similar anxiety of waiting for grades for a bit--definitely didn't miss it! But, I think that at this point, I've (we've?) been working on the apps for longer than there's left to wait now--so, not that much longer :). In the meantime, I have a stack of books and a Netflix queue to get me through the next months.

[WendyWonderland]

On December 7, 2015 at 11:13 AM, haltheincandescent said:

Most of mine are English Lit, but I applied to a couple of Comp Lit programs as well (Emory, Columbia [since it's together with English anyway], and Duke [well, their Literature program anyway]). Definitely feeling the anxiety of waiting as well! I've been out of school since May, so I've been away from the similar anxiety of waiting for grades for a bit--definitely didn't miss it! But, I think that at this point, I've (we've?) been working on the apps for longer than there's left to wait now--so, not that much longer :). In the meantime, I have a stack of books and a Netflix queue to get me through the next months.

Also if you come to La, welcome to hit me a message! Gonna be here for Winter break!

[haltheincandescent]

18 hours ago, WendyWonderland said:

Also if you come to La, welcome to hit me a message! Gonna be here for Winter break!

Oof, I wish I could take some time off and go to LA. Alas, I can't afford anything between app fees & saving for potential campus visits come decision time D:

[bugambilia]

Hello – very new here, also applying to Comp Lit programs (13 + 1 Romance Lang & Lit dept) My languages are Spanish, French & Arabic. Good luck to everyone, hopefully by this time next month we'll have started to hear back!

[Birdsong on the Radio]

Hello - I literally just submitted my final applications last night!

I've applied to 7 schools (of which Columbia, haha). I feel so much better now that the decision process is out of my hands and I have nothing to do but keep myself distracted until February!

[getoutofmyhouse]

Hi. 6 down & 4 to go. Last couple apps are due on 15 Jan. I'm applying to both Comparative Literature and History & Theory of Architecture PhDs (6/4 respectively).

[KingNikolai1]

I applied to two Comparative Literature programs even though I am focusing on Slavic Languages and Literature. Cambridge only offers a DPhil in Slavonic but gives a MPhil in Comp. Lit through the Slavic department. UPenn does not offer a MA or PhD in Slavic, but the Comp. Lit department allows Slavicists to take the majority of their coursework in the Slavic department so there is a workaround.

[haltheincandescent]

1 hour ago, KingNikolai1 said:

I applied to two Comparative Literature programs even though I am focusing on Slavic Languages and Literature. Cambridge only offers a DPhil in Slavonic but gives a MPhil in Comp. Lit through the Slavic department. UPenn does not offer a MA or PhD in Slavic, but the Comp. Lit department allows Slavicists to take the majority of their coursework in the Slavic department so there is a workaround.

Ни пуха ни пера! or, maybe, mnoho štěstí! (I've got nothing as far as polish, bulgarian, SBC, etc., go, but you know, good luck!)

[rosali]

Also applying to comp lit programs...the wait is killing me. I'm already obsessively checking my email, even though I'm not supposed to find out until February at the VERY earliest.

A couple questions that have been on my mind: did the programs you guys applied to have interviews? I'm pretty sure none of mine did, but I keep seeing people (mostly from other programs) posting about interviews, and it's freaking me out a bit. Also, does anyone have any idea how many common it is to be notified by phone? I had to give my mom's phone number on my applications, since I'm out of the country and American phones apparently have a really hard time calling Andorran ones. I'm worried they're going to call her and she'll miss it or something.

[rosali]

10 hours ago, WendyWonderland said:

Hey!

I feel you, believe me I feel just the same as you do. I don't think many programs do interviews. Also, I am kind of confused about how they do interviews, is it like with everybody who is accepted  or just some of them. I emailed one of of the DGS, and she said that in my case I already had an interview, because I visited the school before I applied, and she will be in contact later on. I know Stanford used to do interviews, not sure if they are doing it this year. 

You don't have to be worried about the phone thing. I am pretty sure they would send you an email. Though they might do phone/ Skype interviews, still, email is the most efficient and reliable way to communicate.

Best of Luck!

Wendy

Well I feel better knowing that! Thank you! 

I mean, this isn't going to keep me from checking my email a gazillion times a day, but now that the weekend's over I'm back to being crazy busy, so I at least have less time to obsess!

Best of luck to you, too!

[WendyWonderland]

Hey yall,

So, after reading the result board, I figured that I have been rejected by USC and probably Davis since I did not get an interview. Erghhhh, the waiting is killing me! 

How is everybody doing? Good luck to us all!

[getoutofmyhouse]

The results board & my email are officially my enemies. No info from the schools I applied to has been posted. According to past results, U Minnesota CSDS and some of my other intended programs reach out to acceptances next week. Luckily, for me, Mardi Gras celebrations begin this Saturday in New Orleans and continue until the 9th of February - this should alleviate some of the pain.

[WendyWonderland]

21 hours ago, getoutofmyhouse said:

The results board & my email are officially my enemies. No info from the schools I applied to has been posted. According to past results, U Minnesota CSDS and some of my other intended programs reach out to acceptances next week. Luckily, for me, Mardi Gras celebrations begin this Saturday in New Orleans and continue until the 9th of February - this should alleviate some of the pain.

Oh I am preparing myself for my Stanford rejection. I didn't get the interview email. The result board scares me everyday. Pain?

[getoutofmyhouse]

Any claims on the Minnesota acceptances? Comparative literature or comparative discourses?

[WendyWonderland]

I finally got my first acceptance today form UCSB! Super thrilled it's my top choice! Good luck to us all!

[getoutofmyhouse]

2 hours ago, WendyWonderland said:

I finally got my first acceptance today form UCSB! Super thrilled it's my top choice! Good luck to us all!

Way to go!

[WendyWonderland]

20 minutes ago, getoutofmyhouse said:

Way to go!

Thank you! And good luck!

[bugambilia]

Hiya, does anyone want to claim the Berkeley acceptance? Quite early for them to be notifying. Regardless, congrats stranger!

Edited January 28, 2016 by bugambilia

[Birdsong on the Radio]

Anyone else waiting to hear from Berkeley? Seeing those acceptances has re-awakened the nervousness that had been dormant since submitting the applications!

And congrats to those accepted! 

[kiddakota]

So has anyone heard anything from Minnesota CSDS or CSCL?

[getoutofmyhouse]

27 minutes ago, kiddakota said:

So has anyone heard anything from Minnesota CSDS or CSCL?

I'm wondering the same thing. I noticed an acceptance from CSCL and also "Comparative Studies" (both from 22 Jan.) but I'm unsure which program the latter is. I applied to CSDS.

[vertige]

Hi guys, anyone applying to Top 10 Ph.D. programs? I applied to a mix of German and Comp. Lit. and I'm starting to get a bit neurotic -- it looks from past years that a few of these programs (Yale, Cornell, Johns Hopkins) have interviewed or informed applicants within the first two weeks of February, though it seems to change from year to year. 

Also, anyone want to claim the Cornell interview from Monday? I haven't heard anything from their program.

Finally, if you'll indulge a little word vomit: I'm trying to be logical here, and the more I look over my applications in retrospect, the more proud I am of how they turned out (Ivy League undergrad, solid GRE scores, theoretically-rigorous yet clear and reasoned writing sample, etc.). However, I have this overwhelming, immutable conviction in recent days that I will be rejected from all 6 of my schools, with maybe one or two waitlists at lower-ranked programs. This is despite the positive, in-person conversations and e-mail interactions I've had with faculty at top schools. I just sincerely don't see this going my way.

Anyone else in this boat?

Sincerely,

Müde in Manhattan.

[WendyWonderland]

26 minutes ago, vertige said:

Hi guys, anyone applying to Top 10 Ph.D. programs? I applied to a mix of German and Comp. Lit. and I'm starting to get a bit neurotic -- it looks from past years that a few of these programs (Yale, Cornell, Johns Hopkins) have interviewed or informed applicants within the first two weeks of February, though it seems to change from year to year. 

Hi vertige,

It seems like we have similar interests. I have applied to Comp. Lit programs only, and my languages are German, English and Chinese. I am native in Chinese. My English and German are both at the C2 level. My GPA is not very high though and my GRE verbal is miserable. I am very interested in German women authors and Asian American literature.My third field of interests would be translation studies. What about you? I would love to do literary translations between German, Chinese and English. Currently I have one acceptance without funding info from one of the UCs. It is a German track and one of my top choices. I looked at your school list, we both applied to Columbia, Princeton and Johns Hopkins lol. I assure you that I have heard absolutely nothing from them yet. Good luck to us both! Hang in there!

Wendy

[WendyWonderland]

57 minutes ago, vertige said:

Finally, if you'll indulge a little word vomit: I'm trying to be logical here, and the more I look over my applications in retrospect, the more proud I am of how they turned out (Ivy League undergrad, solid GRE scores, theoretically-rigorous yet clear and reasoned writing sample, etc.).

By the way, I see that you're from Harvard. I visited and talked to the DGS, however, I don't think that I can get in. She made it pretty clear to me that they need high scores on both Gs, since it is so competitive. I applied anyway, a girl can dream:)