Stanford Mod-Thought

[WildeThing]

Hey everyone, I'm new to this site. I have been looking for information on Stanford's Modern Thought and Literature PhD program but have not found anything recent. Has anyone here applied in the past few cycles? If so, could you tell us about your experience, how did it go, and what your profile was like? They seem to look for a very specific type of candidate but I don't know what that is exactly other than it seems that they want candidates whose approaches are extremely interdisciplinary.

[poliscar]

I think you really have to go in with a strong idea of the disciplinary intersections of what you want to do. Since work done in the program is so varied, this comes down to being able to articulate why Stanford is the best place for you in terms of advancing your research interests. So, for example, are there scholars in German/Anthropology/Theatre (just randomly selected fields) whose work you are interested in, and with whom you think you could successfully design a project? Would you be unable to do so in a Comparative Literature program, or in a department devoted to another specific field? Likewise, where does literature fit in your research? Are you interested in "non-traditional" approaches to literature, or approaches that aren't necessarily supported in "pure" literature departments? Furthermore, since you have to take eight (out of 16) courses in non-literature departments, where would you foresee yourself taking those courses? 

More or less, I think it's a matter of demonstrating that what you want to do as a scholar requires, or would deeply benefit, from the framework of the program. So in some ways it's a "very specific" type of candidate, but at the same time you could propose almost anything, provided that you outline a coherent and compelling case for its relevance to the program...

[WildeThing]

Thanks poliscar! Would I be right to assume that you have applied to MTL? Would you be so kind as to share your experience and thoughts about the process?

[poliscar]

17 hours ago, WildeThing said:

Thanks poliscar! Would I be right to assume that you have applied to MTL? Would you be so kind as to share your experience and thoughts about the process?

Haven't applied, but I've considered it. Also have looked at a lot of grads of the program to try to get a feel for the work being done in it. 

If I recall correctly there was a poster here who ended up at MTL 1-2 years ago? There might be something to dig up in older threads. That being said, I think they accept like 2-3 people a year, so there will be less information available than other cases. 

[ratanegra19]

I've also been looking closely at that program--I have a strong interest in the intersections of cognitive science and literature, which as you might imagine has been difficult to find in PhD programs   I've just finished my first year of my MA in English Literature, and am gearing up to apply in the fall

MTL looks perfect, since I legitimately couldn't do this project (without lots of independent studies and a very indulgent faculty) at other institutions. Although MTL's info is a bit old, they have a current list of graduate students who are working on their doctorates now. I haven't contacted any of them yet, but I'm planning to around midsummer.

I am applying to various schools, of course, but after hours of searching and cross-referencing, this one seems like the best for people with a strong background in Lit who have a legitimate, self-driven interest in another field or fields. 

[poliscar]

18 minutes ago, ratanegra19 said:

I've also been looking closely at that program--I have a strong interest in the intersections of cognitive science and literature, which as you might imagine has been difficult to find in PhD programs   I've just finished my first year of my MA in English Literature, and am gearing up to apply in the fall

MTL looks perfect, since I legitimately couldn't do this project (without lots of independent studies and a very indulgent faculty) at other institutions. Although MTL's info is a bit old, they have a current list of graduate students who are working on their doctorates now. I haven't contacted any of them yet, but I'm planning to around midsummer.

I am applying to various schools, of course, but after hours of searching and cross-referencing, this one seems like the best for people with a strong background in Lit who have a legitimate, self-driven interest in another field or fields. 

Look at Joshua Gang at Berkeley—probably could also be a good place for you. 

[ratanegra19]

2 minutes ago, poliscar said:

Look at Joshua Gang at Berkeley—probably could also be a good place for you. 

!!! 

He sounds super cool! Maybe he'd be willing to answer a couple of questions about programs, etc. Berkeley was another one I was interested in because, let's face it, you really can't get much better than that. I'm glad to hear they have at least one faculty member whose interests align with mine!

Thanks a bunch, poliscar  

[poliscar]

Just now, ratanegra19 said:

!!! 

He sounds super cool! Maybe he'd be willing to answer a couple of questions about programs, etc. Berkeley was another one I was interested in because, let's face it, you really can't get much better than that. I'm glad to hear they have at least one faculty member whose interests align with mine!

Thanks a bunch, poliscar  

No problem, also Berkeley requires all students to have an out-of-department committee member, so you could pull people from Cog Sci and Phil. I believe a recent PhD student worked with John Searle, for example. 

[jungThug]

Anybody know what Mod Thought's placement record is like in recent years????