Johns Hopkins

[minnares]

I'm wondering who else has applied to JHU's English department. Care to share anything you know about your application process? Contacts in the department? Just talk about the school? I looked around the boards and couldn't find a thread for the Hopkins Jays. Thought I'd start one.

~ m

[crutch]

I'm wondering who else has applied to JHU's English department. Care to share anything you know about your application process? Contacts in the department? Just talk about the school? I looked around the boards and couldn't find a thread for the Hopkins Jays. Thought I'd start one.

~ m

I applied there also. However, I honestly don't know very much about the program at all. I wanted to apply to approximately 15 schools just to maximize my chances of getting in somewhere. I found about 12 schools that I thought were good fits. Then, at the end of the process I added a couple more schools that I really didn't know anything about, other than the fact that they were well respected.

So I don't really expect to be admitted to JHU, nor do I know much about it. Basically, I'm useless here.

[hopefulJ2010]

I applied there also. However, I honestly don't know very much about the program at all. I wanted to apply to approximately 15 schools just to maximize my chances of getting in somewhere. I found about 12 schools that I thought were good fits. Then, at the end of the process I added a couple more schools that I really didn't know anything about, other than the fact that they were well respected.

So I don't really expect to be admitted to JHU, nor do I know much about it. Basically, I'm useless here.

my thesis advisor is a hopkins english grad. he said the department is teeny. but i know it's a really good one! good luck guys.

[minnares]

If I remember correctly, you're interested in Indiana because of the flexibility between English and Creative Writing?

That's part of my reason (and wow, you have a good memory). Bloomington does publish the Indiana Review, which is really well regarded in poetry circles. Dr. Gubar actually brought it up to me when I met with her, which I appreciated since it meant she actually looked at my CV. That aside, it's more about the faculty I've met there, the fact that they'd let me work in an interdisciplinary nature with the religious studies folks, and that we have in the family area. My CW is really for pleasure and art, rather than a focus academically. That said, I would love to be able to work it into my teaching at some point and to continue participating with CW activities since it's a pure joy activity for me.

Thanks for all this terrific input on Hopkins. That's good to know about the workshops issue and the underlying tension between the departments. I applied to Hopkins because of some of the excellent staff, the classes looked really interesting, and they publish ELH. There are at least two professors there that I could totally envision working with. Lastly, the poetry magazine I intern with is in Baltimore. And zo... I applied. Trying to position myself in areas where I might have friends or families who could help us make the transition/move, as well as considering all the other balls we all seem to be juggling in terms of these choices. Of course, that all might be moot in a few weeks if they reject me as a candidate.

~ m

Edited February 12, 2010 by minnares

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

minnares, did you also apply to the cornell MFA/PhD program? or just the straight up PhD?

[minnares]

minnares, did you also apply to the cornell MFA/PhD program? or just the straight up PhD?

Yes, I did. I don't have an MA or MFA yet. So all of the programs I applied to were either MA/PhD or MFA/Phd. Actually, Cornell is the only MFA/Phd I applied to. The rest are MA first. My research essay writing is really my strong suit and what I'm excited about for grad school. I've been writing poetry all my life, so I can always do that on my own time

~ m

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

Yes, I did. I don't have an MA or MFA yet. So all of the programs I applied to were either MA/PhD or MFA/Phd. Actually, Cornell is the only MFA/Phd I applied to. The rest are MA first. My research essay writing is really my strong suit and what I'm excited about for grad school. I've been writing poetry all my life, so I can always do that on my own time

~ m

AWESOME Cornell is definitely on my list for next year - same program. although I MIGHT have a chance for just the MFA this year (they don't require the subject GRE, and I'm only doing it in April). I guess it just depends on how much they like the writing sample I sent them...

[minnares]

AWESOME Cornell is definitely on my list for next year - same program. although I MIGHT have a chance for just the MFA this year (they don't require the subject GRE, and I'm only doing it in April). I guess it just depends on how much they like the writing sample I sent them...

I know! I was actually excited that Cornell asked for a critical and creative writing sample for that program. It felt like an opportunity to give a fuller picture of my abilities. I'm just now working on getting some articles published (which is terrifying I might add), but I've been fortunate with poetry publications for a decade even prior to my UG. So that I knew I could do pretty well Still, it's upstate New York, and ultimately for my family, this will all come down to financial package/job for my DH/selling the house. Not asking for much, I know .

Veering back onto the JHU topic... (Branwen feel free to PM, if you'd like to talk more about this or books).

~ m

[apcoach]

A couple of my undergrad profs suggested that I take a serious look at Hopkins because they have such a strong placement rate. In this ridiculous field, that really is an overwhelming reason, especially when it happens to be an excellent school.

I would like to have a job after all this.

[BillyPilgrim]

I applied to the JHU Humanities, Comparative Literature program. I felt like it was a good fit for me and would love to get in but I anticipate a rejection. I get an elitist, highly selective vibe from them (don't know why...) Also, Baltimore is buried in snow right now so the decisions will probably be delayed