From a BA of French literature to an MA of English

[Yanaka]

Dear Gradcafé-ers,

You have all probably noticed that results are coming in and that some of us are freaking out and starting to think about MA's that have not yet met their deadlines.

I am one of them. I am pretty confident my not getting into any PhD program is largely due to my state of novice researcher which is, in turn, emphasized by my lack of experience in the field of research and dissertation-writing.

An MA of English is the degree I am aiming at now, in order to get a feeling of what graduate studies really are and in order to have a more solid profile. However, I am worried that my BA focusing on French (comparative) literature (& humanities) will not allow me to get into any program.

The fact is: I was born in the US and initially grew up there (or "here", for most of you reading from the North American soil), but my French mother fled the country of freedom (yikes) due to divorcing my father. Consequently I have been brought up mostly surrounded by French literature and culture since the age of six despite more or less maintaining my fluency in my native language. My only undergrad-level knowledge of anglophone literature comes from personal readings, a few critiques on the web and a few semesters of actual American/English literature classes at my school. By the way, I hope having studied these few classes at the Sorbonne will help me a little in this process. 

In other words: I fear I am a weak candidate even for an MA, and I really don't want to enter any other program like American studies or another interdisciplinary degree (which might also be a problem anyway since I haven't bathed in the US's culture since almost forever apart from my short visitings throughout the years, and since I don't think a PhD adcom will really value those degrees). I do aim at a rather flexible PhD in the end though, and want to use all of my interests for politics, sociology on top of UK, US and FR literature in my research. However, as I said, I think doing an MA of English is the smartest choice. Feel free to disagree on this!

So the questions are: will schools sniff and despise my all-French education? Do you know of other MA graduates who came from another country and did not have any particularly strong studies in Anglophone literature prior to being admitted? Do you think I would be lost and miserable if I were accepted somewhere while not having read The Scarlet Letter yet and having only devoured To Kill a Mockingjay(bird--jk) last summer? 

Also, if we consider having read the books is not the only parameter, I think of how, since I was a teen, I was told about the Lumières and all the historical contexts that surrounded the literature I've been studying over here. So my issue is not only that I haven't read all the stuff, but rather that I don't have a solid intuition about all the stuff.

Am I screwed........... down to the French grounds and doomed to never being able to fulfill my dream of studying English in the United States of America that saw me be born? (See how I avoided being offensive?)

Thanks!

[orphic_mel528]

I applied and was admitted to a number of MA English programs with a BA in Psychology. It's really not that uncommon. You'll be fine. Make sure your writing sample is strong, and make it about an Anglophone piece.  

[Yanaka]

Thanks @orphic_mel528! Did you have a hard time doing some literary catch-up during the degree? Was your MA dissertation (is that what it's called?) related to psychology? 

[orphic_mel528]

I really didn't have a hard time at all. Initially, I was a little intimidated by the way my classmates threw around critical theory with such ease, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

I approached the professor with whom I felt most comfortable and asked her to recommend some reading for me to do over the breaks. If I were you, I'd get the Norton anthologies for Brit and American, if you don't have them already, and give them a read-through. There's really no way of predicting what readings your class will be focused on, and you definitely won't be alone in seeing something for the first time. I really wouldn't worry too much. 

That said, you may not be competitive enough to get into a program like Yale's or the like, but I wouldn't worry about that, either. My MA is from a program that's definitely not at the top of the rankings, but my classmates have been accepted to PhD programs like Purdue, UC San Diego, Oxford, Washington University, UPENN, etc. 

[Yanaka]

Awesome, thank you @orphic_mel528. Yes a few of those Norton editions, and try to purchase similar critical editions in order to reinforce my culture.

Right now I'm looking at MA's that have solid funding opportunities and have late deadlines so I can try and squeeze into one of those for Fall 17. So the choice is succinct anyway! And don't really want to go into Yale or Harvard b/c I don't feel comfortable with mean, smart people   

I see you've enjoyed the discipline enough to apply to PhD programs, good luck!

[claritus]

Hey—stop second guessing yourself. You still have four schools to hear from, and this can be a very arbitrary process. I had two rejections (implied still, but almost certain) before I got into a program this cycle. It's the nature of the process; each school could likely admit two or three times as many applicants without diluting the "quality" of the incoming class. You really can't assume that you're not competitive after two rejections, because the final decisions are subjective choices based on a super qualified pool of applicants. Treat each and every school as a separate situation, because they simply aren't correlated. 

Re. MA programs—the only case in which I can see your French degree impacting your success is that in which a program specifically asks for X credits in English Literature. By and large, programs are looking for your ability to read critically, and that's a skill that is equally applicable regardless of the language of the text. That and the fact that you are not going to be grilled about your knowledge of canonical English language texts. If you can make a reasonable case in your SoP for your course of study, they're not going to push you for more confirmation. 

All that being said, and assuming you are rejected across the board (which I don't expect will happen), there are also a few MA programs in Comparative Literature you could look into. The program at the University of Toronto comes to mind, and it's really excellent. It's hard to get better than working with someone like Rebecca Comay! 

[Yanaka]

Thanks @claritus for the pep talk and the input! I am still hoping that one of my applications will be a success, but I'd rather work on plans B and C... 

Very interesting information about U of Toronto as well. I need to look into it. Is funding an issue in Canada, too?

[claritus]

4 minutes ago, Yanaka said:

Thanks @claritus for the pep talk and the input! I am still hoping that one of my applications will be a success, but I'd rather work on plans B and C... 

Very interesting information about U of Toronto as well. I need to look into it. Is funding an issue in Canada, too?

It is, but I think U of T has improved quite a lot recently, especially for international students. You would be quite likely to receive scholarships/bursaries, as well as a TAship. 

I did my BA at another Canadian school, and there were a number of international students in the English MA program, all of whom seemed to be doing pretty well in terms of scholarships, teaching, external funding, etc. One thing that is good about Canadian programs as well is that the MA and PhD are standalone, and the MA isn't positioned as inferior to the PhD since an MA is almost a requirement for PhD applications. Whereas MA programs are often seen as cash-cows/funding the PhD stream in American programs, I haven't run into the same logic here. 

[Yanaka]

I am super grateful for your tremendously helpful answers. Plus, going to Canada is a true alternative to Trump's America. 

However, I seem to understand that I am not very competitive at U of T: "You also need a minimum of 7 full (1 year) courses or the equivalent of full year and half year courses in English"

Their deadline is Jan 20 anyway  

[claritus]

10 minutes ago, Yanaka said:

I am super grateful for your tremendously helpful answers. Plus, going to Canada is a true alternative to Trump's America. 

However, I seem to understand that I am not very competitive at U of T: "You also need a minimum of 7 full (1 year) courses or the equivalent of full year and half year courses in English"

Their deadline is Jan 20 anyway  

Oh no, I am thinking about http://complit.utoronto.ca/about-us/masters/! Requirements are only a Bachelors in Language/Literature with a B+ average. You would be able to take courses in the English department (there are a number of cross-listed faculty), and the MA would set you up to apply to doctoral programs in English or Comp Lit afterwards. 

It's unfortunate that the deadline has passed, but it's something to keep in mind for next year, if things don't work out! 

[Yanaka]

3 minutes ago, claritus said:

Oh no, I am thinking about http://complit.utoronto.ca/about-us/masters/! Requirements are only a Bachelors in Language/Literature with a B+ average. You would be able to take courses in the English department (there are a number of cross-listed faculty), and the MA would set you up to apply to doctoral programs in English or Comp Lit afterwards. 

It's unfortunate that the deadline has passed, but it's something to keep in mind for next year, if things don't work out! 

Ugh, completely forgot the Comp Lit detail! Yes, two minutes after reading your message.

Yes I will definitely keep the program in mind, thank you for your precious help  

[DBear]

I know this whole process is the breeding ground for self-doubt, but having gotten an MA in English Lit after working in a completely unrelated field for over 7 years, I'm sure you well excel should you go the MA route. Like someone else already mentioned, you still have some schools you are waiting on so don't give up. But I agree with @orphic_mel528, it may be intimidating at first when all the students who did BAs in English Lit start throwing around titles and authors and theory that you may not be familiar with. However, you are still a literature major, so pretty much all of the critical theory would be similar. I had a difficult time at first because I hadn't studied any sort of literature in a decade and everyone seemed to know so much about works that wouldn't even be considered canonical. That was only in the very beginning, though, and I know for sure that you know more about literature now than I did when I started my English MA. So however this turns out, you'll be okay!! 

[Yanaka]

Thank you @DBear, you alone are always such an awesome support system!! 

[Straparlare]

I agree with most of the people up above. Calm down. You're only two schools down, you can still come back. This isn't a game of tic-tac-toe or something! A question I do have is if you are so concerned with your competitiveness (and I'm assuming this isn't new) why did you only seem to apply to top programs? Personally, I'm not certain about my competitiveness either, and so I applied to a couple lower ranked programs (including an MA program in English) just in case. There are several Comp Lit MA programs around (Boulder [just finished my BA there] used to have one, but it closed down). If you do decide to go down the English MA track things to think about: the subject test (I didn't do a BA in English either and didn't feel comfortable doing the test) so maybe look for programs that don't require it (I don't know how many that is), and if you're wanting a PhD in the end is there a program that may not end in one but that you'd be happy to study at and have someone who does research in something you're interested in. Is an English MA something that you'd like to do? If not and you're just throwing yourself down that rabbit hole, then maybe stick with Comp Lit. Just my two cents. PM me if you'd like to talk since we're both Comp Lit people. 

[Yanaka]

@Straparlare Errrrrrhm well, I don't know. Coming from a top French school, it felt only natural to aim at other top schools. I was probably mistaken in proceeding this way, but it was bound to happen given that this was my first season and that literally nobody around me even has a remote idea about this process. However, I must say that I am afraid of a lot of states in the US, and geography was another decisive criterion in my choice.

I don't think I'm throwing myself into the MA option, since I very sincerely wish to consolidate my knowledge of English literature and culture, and become more competitive and more comfortable academically! 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Yanaka

[Straparlare]

@Yanaka I don't mean that an MA is a rabbit hole, just an English one if you're set on Comp Lit. Certainly geography plays a role in all application decisions [the MA I applied for was in Hawaii (the application process was awful)]. And if you had confidence at the beginning of the process, don't get down now. It's only early February! There's still time. 

[Yanaka]

What would be other options for me as a future Comp Lit applicant if I wish to enter an MA first? I have seen liberal/interdisciplinary degrees on different websites, but I'm not sure of how they are considered by adcoms.

[Straparlare]

The obvious answer is Comp Lit MA programs. Investigate a few of them. I mean, I'm not trying to dissuade you from English, if you honestly want to go that route and think it'll be good for your interests and future career in academia, then go for it. But if you're choosing to go apply to English MA programs just because you didn't get into a Comp Lit PhD program (again, still time), then maybe consider a Comp Lit MA. There are also a couple lower level programs in Comp Lit that take later applications if they have room and rejected their first wave. You could also look into those. UC Davis is one them, and I think U of Oregon is another.

[anxiousphd]

3 hours ago, Yanaka said:

Right now I'm looking at MA's that have solid funding opportunities and have late deadlines so I can try and squeeze into one of those for Fall 17. So the choice is succinct anyway! And don't really want to go into Yale or Harvard b/c I don't feel comfortable with mean, smart people   

I don't know of that many MA programs with possible funding that are still accepting applications, but I know Villanova accepts applications until March 1. I applied and was accepted there two years ago (decided to go somewhere else for more funding/ closer proximity to my family), and the professors I spoke with assured me that the program was very interdisciplinary. I'm not a comp lit person, but I would suppose that an interdisciplinary/flexible MA would translate fairly well to a comp lit PhD later on.  

Try not to get too discouraged! So far I have 2 official rejections and 3 implied rejections to English PhD programs, but there is still hope for us!

[Abyss21]

Don't lose hope in your PhD applications or in your ability to get into an American graduate school just yet. I'm Canadian and have my MA from a Canadian institution but there was one person in my class who was from the Philippines, had received his entire education there, and is now doing his PhD at a Canadian institution. His research interests are largely in Filipino and other postcolonial literature and he did not have a strong background in Western or specifically North American literature before getting accepted into his Canadian MA and PhD. I'm not sure whether the US is similarly as open to someone from a different culture and educational background, but you could always apply to a Canadian program, which I'm sure will gladly take you!

By the way, the Comparative Literature program at the University of Toronto is indeed fantastic! I participated in their conference last year and met several students and professors from the program, who were all incredible. I highly recommend it, especially since having a strong background in French is especially valuable in Canada.

Edited February 7, 2017 by ThePomoHipster

[SophieHatter]

I'm at Kansas State University, which has a decent MA program with full funding available that you might look at. They give preference for GTA-ships to applications received before February 1, but as long as they're not all gone yet (and they rarely are), there's still a chance you might get one if you apply now. It's not a top tier program, per say, but because there's not PhD program here, the MA students get tons of attention. In addition, everyone I know who has wanted to go on to a PhD program from here has gotten into one they're happy with.

Whatever you decide, best of luck to you! 

[Yanaka]

Thank you for your contribution, @corinnek! However, as I said, I find location very important and I am confident Kansas does not make the cut... I am open to know more about your life there, though!

[Yanaka]

@ThePomoHipster I am happy you agree with the previous poster's opinion of U of T. Will definitely add them on my list for next year if I have to  

[Yanaka]

Hey guys,

So I have a question and I don't know where else to ask it. Rutgers answered telling me my WS should be top-notch (obviously). Now, I know some of you ask professors to read your material, but in my case I was wondering if that would be "cheating".

Lemme explain: I am not the best dissertation-writer just yet (especially not the French one), and my English language has a few flaws since I'm not 100% bilingual like never mind, I speak and write like any other American who's always stayed in contact with the language outside of books and the solo experience they come with. So of course my WS would benefit from someone looking it over and making comments on the structure and the language, especially considering that I translated this essay from French to English. Someone proof-read it and helped me out, but she wasn't from academia (she's an American who graduated with an English major BA).

But I do not want it to be perfect because I don't want to be overrated and misplaced in the anglophone academic world. Does that make sense? 

How did you feel about having top-notch professors correcting your writing sample?

Edited February 8, 2017 by Yanaka

[Straparlare]

13 minutes ago, Yanaka said:

Hey guys,

So I have a question and I don't know where else to ask it. Rutgers answered telling me my WS should be top-notch (obviously). Now, I know some of you ask professors to read your material, but in my case I was wondering if that would be "cheating".

Lemme explain: I am not the best dissertation-writer just yet (especially not the French one), and my English language has a few flaws since I'm not 100% bilingual like never mind, I speak and write like any other American who's always stayed in contact with the language outside of books and the solo experience they come with. So of course my WS would benefit from someone looking it over and making comments on the structure and the language, especially considering that I translated this essay from French to English. Someone proof-read it and helped me out, but she wasn't from academia (she's an American who graduated with an English major BA).

But I do not want it to be perfect because I don't want to be overrated and misplaced in the anglophone academic world. Does that make sense? 

How did you feel about having top-notch professors correcting your writing sample?

I just had a professor glance through mine and tell me what they thought. They gave me advice on how to broaden it a bit. I don't see how it can be cheating, I mean, it's still your work. You're the one applying to grad school, not them.