2018 Applicants

[Warelin]

4 hours ago, amstu said:

I haven't seen numbers but I would be surprised if more people apply to Iowa's Nonfiction MFA than to University of Chicago's English program. Does anyone have numbers? 

Please note the word, generally.

It's also important to realize that the majority of MFA programs do not have a separate program for nonfiction. Most lump it with fiction and label it 'prose'. Of the programs that designate a set amount of nonfiction writers, that number is often as low as one or two. Unfortunately, creative non-fiction is seem as a sort of a step-child in Creative Writing.

Comparing Chicago to Iowa is a bit unfair.

A fairer comparison might be looking at Wisconsin-Madison which ranks in the top 20 for both Creative Writing and Literature PHDs.

https://www.gradsch.wisc.edu/webextras/education/academicprograms/profiles/243.pdf  (CW)

https://www.gradsch.wisc.edu/webextras/education/academicprograms/profiles/405PHD.pdf (Lit PHD)

Let's look at the past 4 years of available data for each which would cover a period that someone may do an undergraduate degree in.

The English PHD program received 266, 246, 180 and 213 applications. They accepted 42, 40, 23, 37 or 42/266,  40/246, 23/180, 37/213. This is a 13-17 percent admit rate.

The Creative Writing program received 596, 321, 603, and 267 applications. They accepted 9, 12, 8, 11. This is the equivalent of 1-4 percent admit rate.

Minnesota:
Creative Writing: https://apps.grad.umn.edu/stats/ad/1120300.shtml

English: https://apps.grad.umn.edu/stats/ad/1027600.shtml

The goal here isn't to dissuade you from pursuing a degree but I think it's also important for you to know why you're interested in either. Both of them are remarkably different and each offers its own set of ways of trying to make it through the top. An MFA degree does not guarantee a book deal. If Academia is the main goal, most places will want you to have at least 1, if not 2, books published. Competing for spots in lit magazines and fellowships will also help to shape your CV.

A PHD degree comes with it's own set of challenges. A big name might help you land interviews, but you'll have to sell yourself through your experiences. It isn't uncommon to see universities expect a stellar publication record in addition to teaching experience.

[Keri]

12 hours ago, Dogfish Head said:

Hello all, I was just wondering, out of the people who are applying for the Fall of 2018, who else is applying to predominantly or all MA programs? 

I am! I'm only applying to five MA programs mainly because I'm an online only student and also because I feel I am not ready for PhD level work. You're not alone!

[Dogfish Head]

7 hours ago, Keri said:

I am! I'm only applying to five MA programs mainly because I'm an online only student and also because I feel I am not ready for PhD level work. You're not alone!

 

Nice, have you had a good amount of luck finding online programs? Are they low residency or completely online? Also, do you plan on going on to get a PhD? Feel free to PM me.

[amstu]

17 hours ago, Warelin said:

Please note the word, generally.

It's also important to realize that the majority of MFA programs do not have a separate program for nonfiction. Most lump it with fiction and label it 'prose'. Of the programs that designate a set amount of nonfiction writers, that number is often as low as one or two. Unfortunately, creative non-fiction is seem as a sort of a step-child in Creative Writing.

Comparing Chicago to Iowa is a bit unfair.

A fairer comparison might be looking at Wisconsin-Madison which ranks in the top 20 for both Creative Writing and Literature PHDs.

https://www.gradsch.wisc.edu/webextras/education/academicprograms/profiles/243.pdf  (CW)

https://www.gradsch.wisc.edu/webextras/education/academicprograms/profiles/405PHD.pdf (Lit PHD)

Let's look at the past 4 years of available data for each which would cover a period that someone may do an undergraduate degree in.

The English PHD program received 266, 246, 180 and 213 applications. They accepted 42, 40, 23, 37 or 42/266,  40/246, 23/180, 37/213. This is a 13-17 percent admit rate.

The Creative Writing program received 596, 321, 603, and 267 applications. They accepted 9, 12, 8, 11. This is the equivalent of 1-4 percent admit rate.

Minnesota:
Creative Writing: https://apps.grad.umn.edu/stats/ad/1120300.shtml

English: https://apps.grad.umn.edu/stats/ad/1027600.shtml

The goal here isn't to dissuade you from pursuing a degree but I think it's also important for you to know why you're interested in either. Both of them are remarkably different and each offers its own set of ways of trying to make it through the top. An MFA degree does not guarantee a book deal. If Academia is the main goal, most places will want you to have at least 1, if not 2, books published. Competing for spots in lit magazines and fellowships will also help to shape your CV.

A PHD degree comes with it's own set of challenges. A big name might help you land interviews, but you'll have to sell yourself through your experiences. It isn't uncommon to see universities expect a stellar publication record in addition to teaching experience.

I appreciate the numbers. I'm surprised to see that Wisconsin Madison received so many MFA applications. However, as unfair as it is to compare Chicago and Iowa, those are two of the schools I am comparing, as an applicant. I'm pretty targeted in my applications and I am already working on my book project. If non-fiction programs are receiving so few applications then that that's advantageous. I can't control the PhD admissions process so I'm applying to MFA non-fiction programs as a back-up. 

[hj2012]

5 hours ago, amstu said:

I appreciate the numbers. I'm surprised to see that Wisconsin Madison received so many MFA applications. However, as unfair as it is to compare Chicago and Iowa, those are two of the schools I am comparing, as an applicant. I'm pretty targeted in my applications and I am already working on my book project. If non-fiction programs are receiving so few applications then that that's advantageous. I can't control the PhD admissions process so I'm applying to MFA non-fiction programs as a back-up. 

Non-fiction programs - especially full-residency programs with stipends - are absolutely not receiving fewer applications than PhD programs. Wisconsin-Madison's numbers are not outliers. Creative nonfiction programs are extremely competitive, as the opportunity to have 3 years to work on a book project is very compelling even to professional journalists, editors, and writers. For example, I have a friend who recently transitioned from a full-time job as an investigative reporter to an MFA program with far less prestige than the Iowa Writer's Workshop. She has years of experience, an excellent portfolio, and is represented by a great agency in NYC. This is your competition. Therefore, MFA non-fiction programs are a poor "back-up" choice to the PhD. In fact, considering the competitiveness of fully funded MFAs, you might want to conceive of it as the other way around! 

Beyond admissions statistics, however, it might behoove you to think carefully about what your overall aims are, as @Warelin also suggested. Grad school is a means to an end, and my concern is that you seem to want to enter graduate school for the sake of it, which is not the best plan of action. If you want to be a literary scholar, commit to PhD programs, even if it means multiple application seasons (which, by the way, is not rare!). If you ultimately dream about being a nonfiction writer, commit to improving your craft and your CV, and ditch the PhD apps - they won't help you get there. 

[Keri]

18 hours ago, Dogfish Head said:

 

Nice, have you had a good amount of luck finding online programs? Are they low residency or completely online? Also, do you plan on going on to get a PhD? Feel free to PM me.

It took a lot of digging but I found a couple that really interest me, but it worries me because they're three different disciplines based on the school. I have interest in all and all will help my future, so I'm okay with it, just worried I'm not focused on one discipline. These are all completely online (I had low residency ones on my list, but had to nix them.) I am on the fence about the PhD, I plan for now to get the English Master's and I want to get another Master's in a couple years in Health Sciences or Health Studies after I find a new job for a couple years. I want to be a translator or an editor at a Korean company of some kind, bonus points if it's in the healthcare field.   Then I would move back to America (currently live in Korea with my husband) and think about the PhD based on location. 

Are you thinking of doing the PhD track? What do you ultimately want to do?

You can PM me too if you'd like! ^^

[kem2486]

So torn on what to doo...I need advice! Looking to go to PhD program in the top 25 hopefully. Come from a fairly selective undergrad know locally to be very tough. Overall GPA 3.7, English and related GPA 4.0

I took the GRE and got a 164V, 151Q, and 5.5 Writing. Should I retake to up my chances? I know most top 25's publish that they want a 166V>

I am especially looking at University of Indiana Bloomington

[Dr. Old Bill]

2 hours ago, kem2486 said:

 

I took the GRE and got a 164V, 151Q, and 5.5 Writing. Should I retake to up my chances?

No.

[punctilious]

Hi everyone! I'm going to be posting on behalf of my husband, as I am his organization-obsessed counterpart in life. After getting accepted into master's programs at Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin, and Cambridge (but without any funding), we are jumping back into the application cycle to specifically look at PhD programs in the US instead.

He is a postmodern/contemporary Americanist and graduated in 2016. His stats thus far (stole this formatting from another topic):

Undergrad Institution: Medium-sized state research university, top 100 on US News
Major(s): English & History
GPA: 3.98
Position in Class: #1
Research Experience/Publications:

• Research Assistant for the Department of History (summer & fall semester)
• Publication in university's history journal

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

• Award for highest ranked graduating senior
• Award for outstanding senior in English
• Award for excellence in history
• Award for best senior history essay
• Phi Beta Kappa Society member
• English Departmental Honors
• Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society member
• Dean’s List (all semesters)

Pertinent Activities/Jobs:

• Taught English during semester abroad

Miscellaneous Accomplishments/Information:

• In the process of writing a book review for a prestigious literary journal that sent him a review copy of the book, and this will hopefully will be published in the fall (?!) 
• One of his professors who wrote him a LOR is an accomplished poet and editor of a prestigious literary journal, if this matters

Applying to:

• Harvard University
• Boston College
• Boston University
• Tufts University
• Brandeis University
• Yale University
• Brown University
• Columbia University

He's taking the GRE this Saturday and is diligently working on his writing sample. He's planning to reach out to some of his professors who attended Tufts and Brandeis (these professors are in addition to those who have already written LORs for him). I'm so excited to help him through this process (as someone who never plans to get a PhD and knows next to nothing about literature, but thoroughly enjoys creating spreadsheets, researching schools & professors, etc.). Good luck to all of you!

Oh, and if you have any idea of his chances at these schools or suggestions of other Northeast-area schools that would be good to take a look at, please let me know! This list is certainly not set in stone yet, we'd just really like to live in the Boston area or somewhat close for familial support.

Edited July 6, 2017 by punctilious

[Keri]

7 hours ago, kem2486 said:

So torn on what to doo...I need advice! Looking to go to PhD program in the top 25 hopefully. Come from a fairly selective undergrad know locally to be very tough. Overall GPA 3.7, English and related GPA 4.0

I took the GRE and got a 164V, 151Q, and 5.5 Writing. Should I retake to up my chances? I know most top 25's publish that they want a 166V>

I am especially looking at University of Indiana Bloomington

No, that is a really good score. I wouldn't retake. 

Hi @punctilious's husband and welcome! His stats seem really great. I hope he kicks the GRE's butt! If he does, I think he'll have a great shot at all the Ivy schools on his list. Just gotta make sure the SOP and the LORs are shining and amazing. Those are honestly the most important part.

 

[Keri]

Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing alright. I've been working on last drafts of my SOPs. I've decided to apply this Sunday to all of my programs (as I am aiming for Spring 2018) and now I'm stressed! I think I'll feel great on Sunday though when it's all done. I've ordered and sent all my transcripts so now it's just time to apply!

I need some advice on my third LOR. I asked one of my old Korean professors in mid-May and he said, of course! He remembers who I am and knows my work closely, because we were very close during my studies and still keep in touch regularly on Facebook and e-mail. However, he didn't tell me he was writing a thesis, so when I touched base at the beginning of June after getting my GRE scores, he let me know he was busy with that until mid-June and also told me he was going home to Canada on June 21st and hadn't written my LOR yet. To make a long story short, he was on vacation in LA (and didn't tell me again eep!) and just came back to Canada yesterday. I messaged him two days ago letting him know I was applying on Sunday and he said he would get it done, no problem. I guess my question is, should I e-mail him again and let him know when I apply on Sunday? Or leave it for a week or so after to ask if he had sent it yet as the schools will contact his e-mail personally? I feel like I've already bugged him enough about it, but it's obviously very important. 

Edited July 6, 2017 by Keri

[hj2012]

2 hours ago, punctilious said:

Hi everyone! I'm going to be posting on behalf of my husband, as I am his organization-obsessed counterpart in life. After getting accepted into master's programs at Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin, and Cambridge (but without any funding), we are jumping back into the application cycle to specifically look at PhD programs in the US instead.

He is a postmodern/contemporary Americanist and graduated in 2016. His stats thus far (stole this formatting from another topic):

Undergrad Institution: Medium-sized state research university, top 100 on US News
Major(s): English & History
GPA: 3.98
Position in Class: #1
Research Experience/Publications:

• Research Assistant for the Department of History (summer & fall semester)
• Publication in university's history journal

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

• Award for highest ranked graduating senior
• Award for outstanding senior in English
• Award for excellence in history
• Award for best senior history essay
• Phi Beta Kappa Society member
• English Departmental Honors
• Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society member
• Dean’s List (all semesters)

Pertinent Activities/Jobs:

• Taught English during semester abroad

Miscellaneous Accomplishments/Information:

• In the process of writing a book review for a prestigious literary journal that sent him a review copy of the book, and this will hopefully will be published in the fall (?!) 
• One of his professors who wrote him a LOR is an accomplished poet and editor of a prestigious literary journal, if this matters

Applying to:

• Harvard University
• Boston College
• Boston University
• Tufts University
• Brandeis University
• Yale University
• Brown University
• Columbia University

He's taking the GRE this Saturday and is diligently working on his writing sample. He's planning to reach out to some of his professors who attended Tufts and Brandeis (these professors are in addition to those who have already written LORs for him). I'm so excited to help him through this process (as someone who never plans to get a PhD and knows next to nothing about literature, but thoroughly enjoys creating spreadsheets, researching schools & professors, etc.). Good luck to all of you!

Oh, and if you have any idea of his chances at these schools or suggestions of other Northeast-area schools that would be good to take a look at, please let me know! This list is certainly not set in stone yet, we'd just really like to live in the Boston area or somewhat close for familial support.

There's U Mass Amherst and Northeastern and, depending on his willingness to travel further from Boston, other New York area schools (CUNY, NYU, Fordham, Stony Brook, etc).

[Dr. Old Bill]

10 hours ago, punctilious said:

He is a postmodern/contemporary Americanist and graduated in 2016. His stats thus far (stole this formatting from another topic):

So, your husband's "stats" are great, of course, especially when you present them the way you do. Based on how it looks, he should be a strong candidate. The problem, however, is that, believe it or not, most applicants are going to have lists that look quite similar. It's very important to not think of this as a quantitative process -- in some respects it is (more on that later), but after going through two cycles myself, and being an active GCer for three, it has become abundantly clear that "fit" trumps all...and "fit" is both difficult to define, and works both ways. If your husband's specific research interests (i.e. more specific than postmodern/contemporary American lit) don't mesh well with the faculty members he has highlighted at his chosen programs, the best academic "stats" in the world will likely not garner him admission. This is why the statement of purpose (SOP) and the writing sample (WS) are so important: the "stats" will get him through any unofficial cutoffs (e.g. GPA, GRE etc.), but when the field committee of contemporary Americanists are distributed the dozens of otherwise worthy applications in their area, they're going to be looking for compelling research and an interesting approach in the WS, and demonstration of significant potential in an intriguing direction in the SOP. All admissions committees (adcoms) work differently, but this methodology seems to be a common denominator.

I had a bit of success in this last cycle, getting into (and accepting the offer) at one of my top choice programs, based on how a few faculty members (and the program as a whole) meshed with my interests. My SOP and WS worked together -- the former talked about how I can continue the research evidenced in the latter, and how the same approach can be applied to other works (in my case it was theories of editions in early modern books of poetry). A month or so ago I had a lengthy conversation with my advisor at my new program, discussing a paper I was considering submitting for publication, based on what two professors at my prior institution had recommended. My new advisor thought the paper was good in many ways, albeit not necessarily publishable, since it was doing two or three different things (he suggested that publishable articles usually have one core idea that is sustained); a key comment he made at the outset of our conversation, however, spoke volumes to me about the admissions process...even though the process wasn't mentioned specifically. He asked how the paper came to be written, and why I chose the methodologies I did. Once I told him that it was for a book history class, but that I was encouraged by the professor to take the paper in a different direction than a purely book history approach, he brought up my research intentions as were stated in my SOP, and mentioned that he hoped to see work that was more like what I had proposed. It's not hard to read something significant between the lines: he was clearly on the adcom, and he was clearly compelled by my stated interests when he first read my SOP and WS. There is little doubt in my mind that he had a hand in choosing me because he was compelled by the work I had done and the work I said I wanted to do (as opposed to the kind of work on display in the paper I sought to publish). This is but one lengthy, personal example, but I truly think it shows how most "stats" are secondary to clear and compelling interests stated in the two main written documents.
 

Quote

Applying to:

• Harvard University
• Boston College
• Boston University
• Tufts University
• Brandeis University
• Yale University
• Brown University
• Columbia University

Quote

Oh, and if you have any idea of his chances at these schools or suggestions of other Northeast-area schools that would be good to take a look at, please let me know! This list is certainly not set in stone yet, we'd just really like to live in the Boston area or somewhat close for familial support.

That's a rather narrow and exclusive list. My biggest question would be whether or not there are three or more faculty members at each institution doing the kind of work your husband really wants to do. Does he fit with them? Will they fit with him? Which leads me to...

Geographical considerations are important, of course...especially when you have a significant other or family obligations. And if you have to be tethered to one geographical area, the Northeast is probably the best when considering grad schools. That being said...just remember that most graduate programs in English receive upwards of 200 applications (some potentially triple that number). And despite all of what I mentioned above about the primacy of SOP / WS and fit, and that admissions generally isn't a qualitative process, from another perspective it most assuredly is. If a program accepts, say, fifteen applicants, with an expected cohort of eight or nine, the percentage of admitted students is well below 10%...and potentially below 5%. Countless factors could make an otherwise "perfect fit" applicant miss the cut -- perhaps a program accepted three contemporary Americanists last year, and they don't want to oversaturate that area group. Perhaps two of the faculty members listed in the SOP as POIs (professors of interest) are on sabbatical, or their research interests have changed. Any number of intangible factors can knock an excellent candidate out of the running. As a result, spreading your net wider (both in terms of geography and number of programs) increases your chances on a very basic quantitative level.

Anyhow, these are my admittedly long-winded thoughts on you and your husband's situation. Hopefully this makes sense and is at least somewhat helpful!

 

Edited July 6, 2017 by Old Bill
Formatting gremlins

[punctilious]

Thank you so much, everyone, for your helpful responses!

@Old Bill, I really appreciate your detailed response. One note about fit is that one of his English professors actually gave him the following advice:

"I am of the opinion that it's best to look at programs that have a decent-sized faculty and seem to have a pretty vibrant graduate culture. Some people will say that you should pick programs based on who's there--that is, choose programs with specific faculty with whom you want to work. That is not my approach for two reasons: (1) You might end up changing fields once you get to a program and (2) Sometimes, faculty turn out to be insane or their mentoring style may not work for you."

She encouraged him to discuss this point with other professors, but this was one reason why we have been hesitating to focus on particular professors when assessing fit, instead looking at location, program quality, etc. However, my spreadsheet for him does include 1-2 POIs with their research interests. I also looked through dissertations (both of students at the different schools and for his professor that attended Brandeis and has similar research interests) that related to his research interests and confirmed whether the committee members were the professors I had noted. I imagine, of course, that no professors will align perfectly with his interests (and I couldn't explain his specific research interests in detail if I tried, I unfortunately am not on all of your genius levels!). I will work on this spreadsheet to see if I can bring it up to 3+ POIs.

As for the school list, I read somewhere that one should apply to 6-8 schools. What would you say is a good number of programs to apply to, then? We are trying to keep in mind the cost of application fees, sending test scores, etc. He had also been thinking about NYU, Northeastern, Fordham, and perhaps other Rhode Island schools, but cut them to bring the list down.

Of course, the SOP and WS are of major importance. He has a few professors who will be looking over these pieces for him, but he hasn't started the SOP yet. I haven't done a whole lot of research on where to begin with this one, but it will be next month's focus, I believe.

Thank you again!

[Dr. Old Bill]

50 minutes ago, punctilious said:

Thank you so much, everyone, for your helpful responses!

@Old Bill, I really appreciate your detailed response. One note about fit is that one of his English professors actually gave him the following advice:

"I am of the opinion that it's best to look at programs that have a decent-sized faculty and seem to have a pretty vibrant graduate culture. Some people will say that you should pick programs based on who's there--that is, choose programs with specific faculty with whom you want to work. That is not my approach for two reasons: (1) You might end up changing fields once you get to a program and (2) Sometimes, faculty turn out to be insane or their mentoring style may not work for you."She encouraged him to discuss this point with other professors, but this was one reason why we have been hesitating to focus on particular professors when assessing fit, instead looking at location, program quality, etc. However, my spreadsheet for him does include 1-2 POIs with their research interests.[/quote]

I'm loath to counter what a professor has said...especially when different perspectives in this process can be equally valid! But that being said, I've been told by professors that you apply for the people...and that advice has seemed to bear fruit for a lot of folks. But it's certainly a question worth pondering at length. I will just say that when it comes to writing the SOP, it's generally expected that you highlight two or three faculty members you'd like to work with. To do so, you really have to figure out why those people would want to work with you and vice versa. It's usually pretty obvious when one is just name-dropping in a SOP, and when there are obvious and natural connections.

As for the school list, I read somewhere that one should apply to 6-8 schools. What would you say is a good number of programs to apply to, then? We are trying to keep in mind the cost of application fees, sending test scores, etc. He had also been thinking about NYU, Northeastern, Fordham, and perhaps other Rhode Island schools, but cut them to bring the list down.

Well, I recognize the cost factors etc., seeing as how the average application is $100, when you factor in the cost of sending GRE scores etc. But by that same token, when you're dealing with 5% acceptance rates, there's really a "more is better" element to the process, provided you're a competitive applicant (which it sounds like your husband is). Some great applicants get into six or seven programs out of twelve applications. But some also get into just one...and some (alas) don't get into any. We had one person here in the last cycle who applied to eight programs and got into seven of them. But we also had a few who applied to more than ten, and were shutout. Basically, there are no guarantees, no matter how strong of a candidate you are, so if you can afford to play the odds a bit by applying to more programs, it likely increases your chances (again, provided the application is otherwise competitive).

[punctilious]

15 minutes ago, Old Bill said:

I'm loath to counter what a professor has said...especially when different perspectives in this process can be equally valid! But that being said, I've been told by professors that you apply for the people...and that advice has seemed to bear fruit for a lot of folks. But it's certainly a question worth pondering at length. I will just say that when it comes to writing the SOP, it's generally expected that you highlight two or three faculty members you'd like to work with. To do so, you really have to figure out why those people would want to work with you and vice versa. It's usually pretty obvious when one is just name-dropping in a SOP, and when there are obvious and natural connections.

Well, I recognize the cost factors etc., seeing as how the average application is $100, when you factor in the cost of sending GRE scores etc. But by that same token, when you're dealing with 5% acceptance rates, there's really a "more is better" element to the process, provided you're a competitive applicant (which it sounds like your husband is). Some great applicants get into six or seven programs out of twelve applications. But some also get into just one...and some (alas) don't get into any. We had one person here in the last cycle who applied to eight programs and got into seven of them. But we also had a few who applied to more than ten, and were shutout. Basically, there are no guarantees, no matter how strong of a candidate you are, so if you can afford to play the odds a bit by applying to more programs, it likely increases your chances (again, provided the application is otherwise competitive).

This is really informative. I did not know that you should highlight faculty members you'd like to work with in the SOP. Is there a resource regarding SOPs with examples or something? I feel like this is the piece I know the least about.

I think you have a great point about number of schools. I think we could stand to go up to 10-12 schools instead of 6-8. I of course really want him to get into a program, as he is a driven and brilliant person who should totally be in literary scholarship. So I want him to have the best chance he can!

One other question--his writing sample is on a (late? I don't know the time frames well) modern American poet. Since his research interest is contemporary American fiction, I was somewhat concerned about his writing sample not having the same focus. Do you think this would be an issue at all?

[Warelin]

On 7/5/2017 at 4:21 PM, kem2486 said:

So torn on what to doo...I need advice! Looking to go to PhD program in the top 25 hopefully. Come from a fairly selective undergrad know locally to be very tough. Overall GPA 3.7, English and related GPA 4.0

I took the GRE and got a 164V, 151Q, and 5.5 Writing. Should I retake to up my chances? I know most top 25's publish that they want a 166V>

I am especially looking at University of Indiana Bloomington

I'm not sure if most top 25 schools publish they want a 166V. A few schools mention that they might average a 166, but that means there are both scores above and below that score. Other schools mention it might be their median score which means even less in terms of accepted scores.

I'd also encourage you to take a look beyond the top 25.

Beyond US news rankings, it's important to look at how well regarded programs are in your specific subfield. Notre Dame and Alabama aren't in the top 25; but they're considered great programs if your interest lies in early modern studies. Take a look at professors within the subfield, what type of offers are being obtained by students in different subfields and what affiliations universities have with certain external organizations. You might be surprised by how many programs you might become interested in learning more about.

[Keri]

Hi everyone! Hope you're all having a great weekend! 

I applied to all of my schools today! I can't believe it! Now I just have to wait for my recommenders to send in their letters and wait around until I hear some (hopefully good) news!

 

[punctilious]

Hi again everyone! So my husband got a 163V/151Q on the GRE yesterday. I told him that seemed A-okay and that he shouldn't bother retaking it but he wants me to ask you all. Is this score good enough to not bother retaking?

[Dr. Old Bill]

1 hour ago, punctilious said:

Hi again everyone! So my husband got a 163V/151Q on the GRE yesterday. I told him that seemed A-okay and that he shouldn't bother retaking it but he wants me to ask you all. Is this score good enough to not bother retaking?

It should be... The verbal is the only one that really matters (perhaps the AW to a lesser extent), and 163 is over 90th percentile, which some see as the benchmark.

That being said, some of the schools you mentioned he'll be applying to might expect higher (whether they state it or not). A solid-but-not-exemplary GRE is likely not going to be a deal-breaker if everything else is strong, but higher is always better. I personally wouldn't retake the GRE with a 163, but if your hubby has the time and money, and thinks he has a solid shot at bumping it up, it can't hurt.

[cowgirlsdontcry]

Hello all. Have been following your posts and would like to interject my own thoughts and experiences of the PhD application process. I went for the MA first because I didn't feel ready for PhD. Punctilious, I had GRE scores almost identical to your husband's, although I didn't have quite the background he does. I belong to several honor societies and graduated with GPAs of Undergrad-3.82, and MA 4.0. I was TA/RA all four semesters of MA to two Americanists and taught my own section of rhet/comp the final semester of MA. Presented at several national level conferences, as well as several regional conferences, but no publications yet. I had all three recommenders read my SOP & WS, making suggestions for edits. I did not apply to any Ivy universities as I attended a Southern Region Level 1 university that, although a good university, wouldn't have gotten me into an Ivy. I'm happy with where I have been accepted, as I get to continue my pursuit of Cormac McCarthy, contemporary American lit (modernism/post-modernism), along with some Southern lit.

I did not choose programs to apply to based on who was there, but rather because of the diversity of research in American lit the faculty revealed in their bios. Because McCarthy and his works were the topic of my MA thesis, together with my theory regarding American ideologies, I have read all over the canon and into scholarship and criticism, with particularity given to early American texts. It is important to me, to see all sides, even though I have one area of focus.

Finally, as to how many programs you all apply to -- more is definitely better. My thesis advisor applied to 20 programs and was admitted to two. I applied to 9, admitted to 2, waitlisted at 2, and rejected at 5. I was rejected at a university I thought I would be admitted to and accepted at a university, I never believed I would be, as one of my recommenders failed to submit the LOR. As far as I can tell, universities choose applicants based on everything, plus some undefinable thing that only each committee understands. The program I am attending accepted 5 PhD applicants in the current cycle, out of several hundred applicants.

[punctilious]

3 hours ago, Old Bill said:

It should be... The verbal is the only one that really matters (perhaps the AW to a lesser extent), and 163 is over 90th percentile, which some see as the benchmark.

That being said, some of the schools you mentioned he'll be applying to might expect higher (whether they state it or not). A solid-but-not-exemplary GRE is likely not going to be a deal-breaker if everything else is strong, but higher is always better. I personally wouldn't retake the GRE with a 163, but if your hubby has the time and money, and thinks he has a solid shot at bumping it up, it can't hurt.

Much appreciated! My thought is that it may be better to put that $200 towards two additional university applications.

 

2 hours ago, cowgirlsdontcry said:

Hello all. Have been following your posts and would like to interject my own thoughts and experiences of the PhD application process. I went for the MA first because I didn't feel ready for PhD. Punctilious, I had GRE scores almost identical to your husband's, although I didn't have quite the background he does. I belong to several honor societies and graduated with GPAs of Undergrad-3.82, and MA 4.0. I was TA/RA all four semesters of MA to two Americanists and taught my own section of rhet/comp the final semester of MA. Presented at several national level conferences, as well as several regional conferences, but no publications yet. I had all three recommenders read my SOP & WS, making suggestions for edits. I did not apply to any Ivy universities as I attended a Southern Region Level 1 university that, although a good university, wouldn't have gotten me into an Ivy. I'm happy with where I have been accepted, as I get to continue my pursuit of Cormac McCarthy, contemporary American lit (modernism/post-modernism), along with some Southern lit.

I did not choose programs to apply to based on who was there, but rather because of the diversity of research in American lit the faculty revealed in their bios. Because McCarthy and his works were the topic of my MA thesis, together with my theory regarding American ideologies, I have read all over the canon and into scholarship and criticism, with particularity given to early American texts. It is important to me, to see all sides, even though I have one area of focus.

Finally, as to how many programs you all apply to -- more is definitely better. My thesis advisor applied to 20 programs and was admitted to two. I applied to 9, admitted to 2, waitlisted at 2, and rejected at 5. I was rejected at a university I thought I would be admitted to and accepted at a university, I never believed I would be, as one of my recommenders failed to submit the LOR. As far as I can tell, universities choose applicants based on everything, plus some undefinable thing that only each committee understands. The program I am attending accepted 5 PhD applicants in the current cycle, out of several hundred applicants.

Thank you so much for your advice! We are a bit concerned that he may have too many Ivies on his list, but that partially is because we are trying to stick to Northeastern/New England area cities, ideally, where many of the Ivies are located. Based on all of the advice I'm seeing on here, we are thinking we'll bump it up to 10-12 schools instead of 6-8. It seems that it is pretty much a crapshoot, so the more places he applies, the better chance some magic might happen. Did you happen to apply to any Northeast-area schools? Any that you might recommend looking into? Though the authors he is interested in are more Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo, Jonathan Franzen, David Foster Wallace, Jennifer Egan, Rivka Galchen, George Saunders, etc.* (essentially Adam Kelly would be his dream adviser).

_{*Please be aware that I know just about nothing about literature and couldn't explain his specific research interests, so my apologies if I am making this sound like his interests are too broad or something.}

Edited July 9, 2017 by punctilious
fixed author list

[cowgirlsdontcry]

24 minutes ago, punctilious said:

Thank you so much for your advice! We are a bit concerned that he may have too many Ivies on his list, but that partially is because we are trying to stick to Northeastern/New England area cities, ideally, where many of the Ivies are located. Based on all of the advice I'm seeing on here, we are thinking we'll bump it up to 10-12 schools instead of 6-8. It seems that it is pretty much a crapshoot, so the more places he applies, the better chance some magic might happen. Did you happen to apply to any Northeast-area schools? Any that you might recommend looking into? Though the authors he is interested in are more Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo, David Foster Wallace, Jennifer Egan, Rivka Galchen, George Saunders, etc.* (essentially Adam Kelly would be his dream adviser).

_{*Please be aware that I know just about nothing about literature and couldn't explain his specific research interests, so my apologies if I am making this sound like his interests are too broad or something.}

I did not apply to any programs in the NE. I did, however, spend my senior year as an undergrad at UMass Amherst through the NSE program. Essentially, I learned that there are good professors everywhere, which later influenced my decisions on where to apply because it told me you get out of something what you put into it. Two things were amazing to me coming from a small public university: 1) the variety of classes that I could take; and 2) the library, which when the 5-college consortium has been added in, provides a library that comparable to Harvard's. I never had to wait more than a day for a book when I was doing research. I think that Amherst is a pricey little town, but Western MA is very beautiful and the people were welcoming. There is great public transportation and you can even catch a bus to either Boston or NYC or down to the train line near Springfield from campus. I brought my car, but used the system around campus. I believe it is also cheaper to fly in and out of Hartford, than Logan.

I have read Jennifer Egan's Good Squad and found her form to be outstanding in that text, something she has in common with Zadie Smith (Brit writer). Haven't read DeLillo, but noticed he is near in age to McCarthy and they were both influenced by Faulkner, so I will read some of his. Peter Heller, who openly uses McCarthy stuff in an interesting way and wrote The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic dystopian text. Junot Diaz The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Yan Martel Life of Pi. Like Modernism--taking a class on American Modernist Poets in the fall. Like the Beat writers, especially Kerouac and James Baldwin and poet, Allen Ginsberg, "A Supermarket in California." Like renaissance Southern lit the best, especially Eudora Welty and Tennessee Williams. Think Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men (a loosely fictionalized version of the life of Huey Long) is probably the best book I have ever read (my own little opinion). I also have some British loves, Conrad, Lawrence, Foerster, Marsh and Rhys. Finally, my own research has led to my beginning the journey to becoming a McCarthy scholar. So I'm all over 20th/21st C American lit.

[clinamen]

Hello everyone! I am trying to keep on schedule with completing all aspects of my applications in a timely manner. The major thing that seems to precede everything else is finalizing my list of schools, as from there I can begin working on SOPs, and taking/not taking the GRE Lit (which, I will never, ever do well on considering I specialize in 20/21st c American lit and my education has been predominantly noncanonical). I am working through a long list of programs right now and have only eliminated about four so far. I am interested in urban space/place studies--much of my research has been interested in Los Angeles and its literature but I'm not wanting to limit myself to LA, so I'm planning to send a paper I've written on urban architecture in American modernism for my WS. Anyone have an idea of what programs would be a choice fit for me? Despite my hesitance over applying to top-ranked programs, I will be applying to U Chicago and Princeton for their fit in this area. I just want to make sure I don't miss a perfect program for my interests, so any advice is much appreciated!

Also, I know this was posted a while back, but I'd love to join any accountability-oriented group chats! 

[klader]

I unfortunately don't know how to add people to chats, so could @lit_nerd, @Keri, @verjus, or @mk-8 please add @clinamen and @a_sort_of_fractious_angel to the chat? 

Edited July 10, 2017 by klader