English Literature PhD 2008

[rising_star]

Hmm...that's something to think about. I finally received a very nice reply to my October 2007 email from April Alliston today about the congruency of our research interests. It was good to get some feedback, finally. I had very little luck contacting people in general, except at Harvard and Stanford. One of my advisors was a Princeton Comparative Literature graduate and spoke well of the program, with the caveat that he hadn't been there for awhile and didn't really have a good sense for the faculty anymore. I think Princeton's isolation from the world might be solved by being able to drive to other places (a luxury afforded few undergraduates at the eastern residential colleges, I think) but maybe I'm wrong about that. It's the one place, apart from Yale, that I'd really need to visit before I agreed to attend. I was a Harvard undergrad, so I know Boston well. I grew up in Michigan, where Chicago was the local Big Deal. I live in Southern California now, so the San Francisco area is at least somewhat familiar and easily accessible in any case. But Princeton and Yale are total unknowns to me, in terms of the living arrangements. From my husband's standpoint, they'd be good choices because of their proximity to the kind of work he does, but neither of us have done much more than drive through New Jersey or Connecticut.

I'm pretty sure it's April who has problems with both wrists and doesn't do much email but I could be confusing her with someone else. As far as isolation, a car helps but then there are tolls, bad traffic, etc to get anywhere. It takes an hour to drive to Philly and 1.5 hours to NYC. The train is better for going to NYC or anywhere in the Northeast Corridor really. *shrug* You have to consider that when you're busy with grad school, that kind of trip can get tedious/repetitive and then just become nearly impossible. I remember making a goal of going to either NYC or Philly once a month and only getting close in 1 of 4 years. As far as living arrangements, be prepared for the high cost of living in Princeton. On-campus housing is the way to go. I recall renting one room in a 3 bedroom townhouse was like $850/month not including ANY utilities... Hence many grad students and nearly all faculty do not actually live in Princeton.

[Minnesotan]

New Haven is probably worse than New Jersey, if you're talking about desirable places to live.

I made up my mind this year that I'm only going to apply to places where it's:

1) A campus in the downtown area of a large city, with a variety of nearby housing options, and decent public transit.

Or,

2) A midwestern college town, with reasonable traffic situations and affordable housing.

I'm not sure if I want to bring my vehicle with me or not (depends on a number of factors, I guess), but being at a school in the suburbs right now, where 99% of the students and faculty make a long commute from downtown, or other suburbs, is a pain in the butt. It also presents a horrible choice: do I commute at least an hour each way, three or four days a week, and live downtown, or do I stay in the boonies, where everything closes at 8pm, to be close to campus and the library?

It's a no-win situation.

[picklejar]

That's interesting, Minnesotan, because those geographical considerations came into play for me, too. I'm wondering, if it came down to it, whether you'd prefer city or college town?

[Minnesotan]

I'm not sure. I was raised on a ranch, but I've lived in big cities for most of my adult life. I'm always torn. If there was a nice compromise, like Madison, which is a small city in a nice area, with a short drive to outdoorsy stuff, I would know for sure.

However, if I could live in the heart of, say Seattle, Toronto, NYC, or Boston, I would definitely choose that over an Urbana-Champlain, or a Bloomington. New Haven would have no chance, if they didn't have such a good school - the town is shite. Too bad there are no appealing programs (for me) in NYC or Boston.

I'm probably going to get stuck in a college town with no decent sushi places, brewpubs, or public transport. Bleh. At least I'll save money.

What are you leaning toward, provided you got accepted to two equally appealing programs?

[rising_star]

Oh I'm definitely a college town girl. Princeton is not a college town though.

As for Stanford cost of living, remember that you'd be living in/near Palo Alto and not so much San Francisco. So just slightly cheaper.

[picklejar]

Well, the one good thing about smaller college towns is that they're much more likely than non-college small towns to actually have sushi, brewpubs, etc.!

I've always been a small-town girl, so for a new experience I'd love to live in a city. But with a baby, college towns (like Bloomington, Lawrence, Athens) definitely seem less intimidating. I guess it would have to come down to the actual places in question--cost of living, education, crime, etc.

Considering my top two choices are in Minneapolis and St. Louis, I might be persuaded to choose city life after all.

[rising_star]

Minnesotan said:

Not having to teach is a bad thing? I know one guy (me) who would love to have the extra time this semester to polish his thesis!

I think it can (or at least *should*) make it more difficult to get a good TT job. I mean, why hire someone who has only ever led 1-hr preceptorials when you can hire someone who has designed and delivered their own course?

[bluewhisky]

all these geographical considerations are mind boggling...i'm an international student. would gorgeous, sprawling campus close to cosmopolitan city (where i can eat sushi & drink sake) be too much to ask? just give me an admissions offer. anybody. somebody. please.

[Minnesotan]

There's a big transportation problem in a lot of cities in North America, Blue. Being stuck in the suburbs is like slipping into the Twilight Zone. That's my problem right now. My university is technically within the boundaries of a large city, but in reality it is basically in the middle of a cornfield, with a gas station and an overpriced grocery store the only things within walking distance. What little civilization there is closes no later than 8pm (including the bloomin' liquor store!).

So, really, it's commute for at least an hour each way, or have no social life. And falling asleep on bus or train at 3am, is not the lovely prospect it sounds.

[grifter]

Nice! That made me laugh so hard that I freaked out my cat.

Probably the neighbors, too.

Sadly (awesomely?), my only snappy comeback lines are straight from Abe Simpson. And thanks for another 30 second diversion. I can now go back to obsessive craigslisting of my possible future cities of residence. This blows. Entirely. All joking aside, I would probably prefer a stabbing to this crapshoot.

[picklejar]

I can now go back to obsessive craigslisting of my possible future cities of residence.

I thought I was the only one!

[grifter]

I thought I was the only one!

It is like crack for the fingers and eyes...isn't it?

[workinginnyc]

Since I am anxious as all of you, lets be anxious together. Also since I have no idea what I am up against maybe I can find out, I'm only half joking.

Well I applied to a bucket of programs without a clear trajectory, beyond 20th century/contemporary american, postmodern/poststructuralist politics and ethics. And ideology critique. At least thats what I have worked on so far.

The list is long, Columbia, Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, Cornell, U Chicago, UCLA, UC Irvine, Princeton, UPenn, WUSTL, UIC, and Rutgers. And I am glad to be done with those apps. I am working an internship for the time being so that should help pass the time. I am excited to be in a good program, because my mind has trouble functioning well in much of the rest of the world. Well we will see if I get in. Mostly its a difficult list, but the advice i was getting was lesser programs aren't worth it because you will not end up where you want to without the right grad advisors. This makes sense, and I could always work for a few years if I don't have luck this time. What are other people's thoughts about not getting in? Not to cast a bad light here, but imagining the worst helps cope with the waiting.

[Minnesotan]

Imagining the worst just makes me want to hang myself a second time.

I'm not sure what I would do, if I didn't get in. I don't really want to think about it, either, unless the worst possible scenario does occur.

I dunno. Teach English in Japan for a year?

[workinginnyc]

I dunno. Teach English in Japan for a year?

I thought about that before I applied, those companies seem suspicious.

[Minnesotan]

Yeah. My gf did that in Russia, and apparently it's not the best experience.

And you don't make any money.

[grifter]

Some friends of mine have taught in Korea, China, and I think Vietnam. They all told me the same thing: the only way to actually make money beyond what is necessary is to teach private lessons in your off time. Some companies don't allow that though, so if it ever becomes a reality (and I hope it doesn't for you), check on that detail.

[Minnesotan]

Sorry to change speeds on the thread, but was that Rutgers PhD admit one of our regular contributors here? If so, congrats. Let us know your stats, field, where else you applied, etc.

I'm jealous. I didn't apply to Rutgers, but I would love an extremely early acceptance, like that!

[antsy]

Sorry to change speeds on the thread, but was that Rutgers PhD admit one of our regular contributors here?

An admit already? Ah, now, yes, now I have known the definition of envy.....(regardless, congrats to the mysterious Rutgers admit).

(hi I'm new here, actually apply for an English PhD with Creative Writing emphasis, and, of course, as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockin' chairs).

[Minnesotan]

There are a few of us writing/rhetoric geeks hanging around the forums, now. Luckily none of us have applied to overlapping programs, yet, so we can all like each other and root for one another's success. =)

So, where did you apply, if you don't mind telling (don't ask me - I'm keeping my mouth shut until I get an acceptance)?

[antsy]

There are a few of us writing/rhetoric geeks hanging around the forums, now. Luckily none of us have applied to overlapping programs, yet, so we can all like each other and root for one another's success. =)

So, where did you apply, if you don't mind telling (don't ask me - I'm keeping my mouth shut until I get an acceptance)?

Only five schools....I had thought my candidacy strong enough that I didn't need to worry too much. That was before the apps ended up in the mail, of course.

U Cincinnati

U Wisconsin-Milwaukee

U Utah

Mizzou

U Illinois-Chicago

As a creative writing applicant (poetry), I don't think I'll be competing with anyone on the board. :-)

[Minnesotan]

Oh, are you going for an MFA? My mistake.

[antsy]

Oh, are you going for an MFA? My mistake.

No...I have one. PhD with the creative dissertation option....

Still should be heavy in Lit & theory, with hopefully opportunities to publish critical work, but the dissertation itself is a collection of poems...

[Minnesotan]

the dissertation itself is a collection of poems...

What a scam! I should have gone that route - save myself three years of research, I would!

[antsy]

What a scam! I should have gone that route - save myself three years of research, I would!

Ah, play nice...you know, you still have to write good poems (as well as write essays, take comps, etc, etc.) In fact, I think most of the programs actually require more coursework and allow less time for the dissertation. At least with a Rhetoric (or Lit) PhD, half the world doesn't they think can do what you do, no?

I think most of the programs I applied to also have some flexibility with the dissertation; personally, I'm contemplating/hoping to manage both sorts of dissertation. After all, when else would I have such an opportunity to indulge myself in the joys of research? (fingers crossed, knock wood, etc.)