Duke English 2016

[solomonski]

Hey all. I got an email this afternoon from Duke English saying they were "very impressed" with my application and wanted to talk with me over Skype. Obviously I'm pleased to hear anything at all, but I am a bit worried. I'd heard before of the Literature program doing interviews, but not the English program, so it's taken me by surprise a bit. Has anyone out there endured this process before, and if so, how did you fare? Any advice for a first-timer like me? 

At the moment, I'm just planning on being prepared to talk about my writing sample, my undergrad thesis if they ask, and some areas of graduate-study interest that I think are especially suited to their program (which is why I applied in the first place of course). Any insight?

[Ezzy123]

Congrats! I can't answer any of your questions but I'm sure it's a great sign. I also applied to Duke so keep us updated!

[exbeppe]

No email from Duke so far. Congrats and best of luck! Keep us updated. 

[clmos]

Congratulations!! I would advice you to look at posts about interviews and practice the basic questions. Be comfortable talking about your proposed research and also have an alternative research project up your sleeve that you can talk about, and of course how you fit the department

Duke English is one of the places my girlfriend is applying to, and I'm curious, are both the entries on the result search from you?

Good luck in the interview!

[solomonski]

I haven't posted anything on the result search. Ummm, to be honest, I haven't yet figured out what "the result search" is, but I keep seeing everyone mention it. Time to go a'searchin' I guess.

EDIT: Oh, the giant tab that says RESULTS. Okay. : |

Edited January 20, 2016 by solomonski

[haltheincandescent]

2 minutes ago, solomonski said:

I haven't posted anything on the result search. Ummm, to be honest, I haven't yet figured out what "the result search" is, but I keep seeing everyone mention it. Time to go a'searchin' I guess.

It's here: http://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/

You can search for, say just "literature" or "english" to pull up all results in your fields, or, also more specific things like "duke english," etc., and it'll show you all the results people have posted for that field or program over the history of this site, along with the date it was received. If you hover over the little red diamond, it'll give you the stats that the people who got the acceptance/reject inputted. Basically useful to keep track of when results start coming in, as well as the average GPA/GREs of those admitted (though of course there's always a lot more at play than just those stats). You can also record your own interview/acceptances/rejects there to keep others updated.

If you're feeling especially anxious checking that board all the time, you can go here: (someone put together a pretty useful site where you can set it up to email you when new results for your programs are posted, so you know when to check websites/your mailbox for your own stuff, etc.)

 

[solomonski]

Thanks! I went ahead and posted my two results thus far (interview with Duke, "soft acceptance" at UC Santa Cruz (no official notice but email from DGS saying I'm in))! Good luck, everyone -- I'm happy to be a part of the hand-wringing with you guys this time around.

[Ezzy123]

I wonder why Duke English is doing interviews this year, and if they are interviewing all persons of interest. Let the worrying continue! 

[solomonski]

Yeah, I was surprised as I've heard it said before that only the Literature program does interviews.

Some details if you're interested: the email seemed to suggest they had culled down the field of applicants and said they were "on the verge of making final selections" and were conducting interviews to "determine the best fits." There were 15 possible time slots to sign up for. Of course, who knows what, if anything, all that signifies? 

[haltheincandescent]

Could be something to do with the other change this year, the switch to allowing applicants to apply to both Lit and English--might just be someone new in charge, setting it up a different way--that includes interviews--, or perhaps both sides are getting more applicants, instead of a split between the two, meaning more strong candidates, meaning greater need for interviewing? Could be a lot of things, though.

[solomonski]

Anyone else have an interview with Duke English today? I believe they said they were all scheduled for today, although there were some technical difficulties because of the winter storm on the east coast that might result in some rescheduling. Regardless, I had mine -- anyone want to compare notes/worry together?

[AllThisLearningHereIsByYou]

Hi All,

According to a current Duke English PhD, the department may be trying to up its ranking by increasing its selectivity. He also mentioned that budget cuts may have had something to do w/ the decision to do interviews vs. hard admit/reject as w/ yesteryear. He said that the department may be responding to universal lack of tenure track positions for hum/Eng faculty. Lastly, he said that if he had applied this year, he doubts he'd have gotten an interview... oh, and that of the ones admitted last year, the majority were pre-19th cent concentrations.

Of those offered interviews/eventual admittance, what were your specialties?

Congrats to those offered interviews.

Edited January 26, 2016 by AllThisLearningHereIsByYou

[solomonski]

1 hour ago, AllThisLearningHereIsByYou said:

According to a current Duke English PhD, the department may be trying to up its ranking by increasing its selectivity.

Oh boy, that's gonna help me sleep easier! 

To answer you though, the projects I talked about on my SOP and my writing sample dealt with transnational modernism. 

[AllThisLearningHereIsByYou]

16 hours ago, solomonski said:

Oh boy, that's gonna help me sleep easier! 

To answer you though, the projects I talked about on my SOP and my writing sample dealt with transnational modernism.

 Hehehe. Take heart; at this point, the odds ARE (ever) in your favor! If you've made the cut--of that 3-5% offered an interview--you're more likely than not, to be in that 60% offered a hard-admit. "Don't stop believein'". You're like that one sperm that made it--both figuratively and actually. Ha.

All the best.

[solomonski]

OH MY GOD I GOT INTO DUKE

[haltheincandescent]

11 minutes ago, solomonski said:

OH MY GOD I GOT INTO DUKE

Congrats!!!!!

(Here's hoping the Literature turnaround from interview to decision is as quick, because, wow that was fast!)

[solomonski]

Thanks! Yeah, I hope so too. My interview was last Friday, so it seems it took about seven days. I was worried at first because I just got an email saying "check the site for your decision," which I had sort of conditioned myself into believing was a sure sign of rejection. Hands were shaking by the time I clicked on "view decision." 

[AllThisLearningHereIsByYou]

@solomonski...hate to say I toldja so but...  I'm so very excited for you! Welcome to Durham, neighbor!

 

 

[Lauren Teneriello]

Should I consider a rejection from Duke if I haven't been asked to interview?

[solomonski]

Hrmm. I would always say hold out hope til that hope is officially squashed. I can tell you, however, they've already made arrangements to bring people in for the visiting weekend, and that it's happening rather soon.

Note this is for the English department; not sure about Literature. 

Edited February 5, 2016 by solomonski

[catfurniture]

Got an email from the English program that a decision had been made this morning regarding my application. As expected, it was a rejection letter. Congrats to everyone who got an acceptance, and good luck to everyone who is in the same boat as me!

[CaptainPuck]

Howdy all! Anybody else not get an acceptance or a rejection? 

[elnino]

18 hours ago, CaptainPuck said:

Howdy all! Anybody else not get an acceptance or a rejection? 

I have yet to hear anything from duke. I'll probably email them on Monday.

[CaptainPuck]

47 minutes ago, elnino said:

I have yet to hear anything from duke. I'll probably email them on Monday.

Oh, good, not just me! I was thinking of doing the same :") thanks!

[AudreLorde]

I am still waiting to hear back from Duke (literature). Did anyone email them? Thanks!