English...later news than other programs?

[Medievalmaniac]

It seems like there are very few English program acceptance notifications posted in comparison to other programs of study...several rejections, but not so many acceptances. Does anyone else notice this? I've only seen "full rounds" from UCLA , Duke and SUNY at this point...so, is that a good sign for those of us who have heard "nothing from no one"? Maybe later is better for English applicants.....I hope?

Edited February 17, 2010 by Medievalmaniac

[veronica]

It seems like there are very few English program acceptance notifications posted in comparison to other programs of study...several rejections, but not so many acceptances. Does anyone else notice this? I've only seen "full rounds" from UCLA , Chicago and SUNY at this point...so, is that a good sign for those of us who have heard "nothing from no one"? Maybe later is better for English applicants.....I hope?

I was noticing this also, hoping it is a good sign!

[astroturf]

All of my advisors seemed pretty convinced I wouldn't hear much before March, and true to that, I've only received one rejection letter so far. Two of my schools have emailed to say not to expect any kind of decision till at least early March as well. So, I do think we have a slightly longer wait. I'm sure sifting through all those SOPs and writing samples takes awhile for any English program.

[Nighthob]

Ditto, astroturf. My advisors said that I probably wouldn't hear anything until March. I know that most of my schools are currently reviewing applications, but I don't really expect to hear anything for a couple more weeks. (Although, one can always hope.)

[Kam]

According to past years, I'd guess that next week is when a lot of English programs will start making decisions, going into March.

Though, strangely, my undergrad advisor asked me at the end of January if I'd heard anything yet. As far as I know he's been on admission committees before, and my school's PhD program usually notifies at the end of February, so I'm not really sure why he asked so early...(I'm trying to tell myself it's some kind of good sign, though I don't know how that makes any sense haha)

[subzoo]

It seems like there are very few English program acceptance notifications posted in comparison to other programs of study...several rejections, but not so many acceptances. Does anyone else notice this? I've only seen "full rounds" from UCLA , Duke and SUNY at this point...so, is that a good sign for those of us who have heard "nothing from no one"? Maybe later is better for English applicants.....I hope?

I noticed you placed SUNY in the list of schools that have made their decisions by now - but does anyone know if SUNY Buffalo is anywhere near done reviewing apps? I've only noticed a couple acceptances on the results page (and, for my part, my application is still labeled "not reviewed"). In any case, I certainly think it should take them longer than a month to review so much writing - it's not just black and white credentials they're evaluating, as it sort of is with non-humanities majors.

P.S. Astroturf, do you mind if i ask which schools you applied to (just so I know which schools your advisors don't expect will notify until March).

[Medievalmaniac]

I noticed you placed SUNY in the list of schools that have made their decisions by now - but does anyone know if SUNY Buffalo is anywhere near done reviewing apps? I've only noticed a couple acceptances on the results page (and, for my part, my application is still labeled "not reviewed"). In any case, I certainly think it should take them longer than a month to review so much writing - it's not just black and white credentials they're evaluating, as it sort of is with non-humanities majors.

P.S. Astroturf, do you mind if i ask which schools you applied to (just so I know which schools your advisors don't expect will notify until March).

In the results section, it is clear that SUNY sent out a full round of notices...that's not to say they are done, but there are several posts there. It's probably just one of a number of rounds, though - they do have a lot to sift through!!! So - keep those hopes up!!!

[Envengr]

Isn't it because English program has the largest applicant pools?

I wonder what's the criteria they use to admit people...

Do you guys have any specific research objectives you guys hope to achieve by doing your PhD?

What research do English major PhD candidates do?

Sorry, I think I'm way too out of topic. I guess I'm just curious.

[readgreen]

From what I've heard from my advisors, late February/early March is pretty standard for English programs but I'm holding out hope that I will get a miraculous admission notice any day now. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one!" Good luck, everyone!

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

Isn't it because English program has the largest applicant pools?

I wonder what's the criteria they use to admit people...

Do you guys have any specific research objectives you guys hope to achieve by doing your PhD?

What research do English major PhD candidates do?

Sorry, I think I'm way too out of topic. I guess I'm just curious.

Some answers (and not expert ones, just from what I've gathered):

I doubt English has the largest application pool. One of the most competitive, perhaps (budget cuts have seriously compromised cohort size in universities over the past few years).

Criteria - depends on school, but from what I understand (and in no way am I an expert, just quoting what other ppl say here): SoP and LORs, fit for the program, Writing sample, numbers & stats (different emphasis for each school obviously, some only have a cut off point for the scores, some take the scores into account).

Can't speak for anyone else - I have pretty specific research objectives, and most of the ppl I know here are also fairly focused on their concentration. On the other hand, there are many PhD applicants who aren't really sure exactly what they want to research - they may have a vague idea, but are planning to narrow it down during their first year of grad school.

English PhD candidates do all sorts of research in... English Language and Literature!! (including American, postcolonial, Anglophone, popular culture, theory, and so on). There are many many many subfields to choose from, and many programs to work with in an interdisciplinary way - many English medievalists work quite a lot with the medieval studies department at their school. So this is a VERY wide, encompassing question

Edited February 18, 2010 by Branwen daughter of Llyr

[intextrovert]

Isn't it because English program has the largest applicant pools?

I wonder what's the criteria they use to admit people...

Do you guys have any specific research objectives you guys hope to achieve by doing your PhD?

What research do English major PhD candidates do?

Sorry, I think I'm way too out of topic. I guess I'm just curious.

We're not "English majors" at the Ph.D. level.

Of course we have research interests! Just like any other discipline in the humanities. Generally, you have a time period, a methodology, and a set of questions you're interested in. For example, my major interests are in spatial theory and ecocriticism - so I'd examine how literary texts reflect and offer insight into how people relate to their environments. I'm particularly interested in the 20th century, and in the shifts that happened in terms of sense of place and relationship to environment and space. I'm interested in how conditions of modernity, which generally claimed to sever people from their environments (technology, rise of the city, increased interconnectedness and ease of travel, eventually leading up to globalization), as well as modern thought, interacted with Romantic ideas of landscape and place and growing scientific knowledge. All of that is reflected in the literature of the time - it would be my job to research where those things appear, explain how it does that, and how what I find reinforces or contradicts the current thinking/scholarship on the issue.

But other people study representations of women, or of race; others study the rise of the use of metafictional devices, or print culture...the possibilities are endless! (Well, not quite, but broad!)

Does that give you a better idea? I generally take any opportunity to explain what I want to do, so all I can say is, you asked for it! Plus, it helps me clarify for myself to articulate it in a condensed way.

[Medievalmaniac]

Yes, "English" is as bad as "History", "Science" or "Math" at this level! lol Usually (not always) you have a central focus - a time period that you really want to work in, OR y a specific set of criteria you are looking at comparatively/ cross-eras, or a specific genre, author, or something along those lines that you want to specialize in, or some combination thereof, as well as one or two subfields. And a lit focus is different from rhetoric/composition, or writing/creative writing, or linguistics, all of which are fields in "English".

For my part, I'm a medievalist, and my central focus is Post-Conquest England (+/-11th-14th c.) and concepts of identity, both individual and collective/national as well as insular versus Other. Within that, my primary focus is on Arthuriana and folklore. But I also subspecialize in Middle English and Old English, focusing on epic, saga and romance - which extends my range as a medievalist from 3 centuries to about 6. Then, through Arthurian studies, I am also a student of medievalism, which is the appropriation of medieval subjects and ideas in other eras, most notably the 19th and 20th centuries. The themes I work in most often are supernatural/magic/monsters, violence and victim's agency, women's agency, the agency of minority groups (Celts, in particular), chivalry/courtliness, loyalty and treachery - the sorts of themes you find often in Arthurian texts. In the end, although it sounds complicated, it all boils back down to the concepts of identity and agency in post-Conquest medieval texts.

I know other medievalists who don't do anything like what I do. A friend of mine specializes in historical chronicles of the 13-15th centuries. Another does only hagiographic/Church related materials. Another works in philosophical treatises and literature (Boethius, Neoplatonism, etc.) Another works in feminism in medieval writings. Then there are all of the other medieval traditions (French, Spanish/Iberian, Italian, etc.) which usually fall under comp. lit. but are also found in some English/Modern Languages departments for regular English students to diversify their training. So, short answer, even when you narrow it down to a time period, there is a vast array of specializations.

So, I think English departments might well have the most applicants, because they encompass the literature and writing from ancient times through the 20th century in every culture that has a written tradition.....that's a LOT of specialties, subspecialties, and scholarship for an AdComm to plough through!!

[_alyssaryan_]

English PhD acceptances can happen anytime between January and mid-March, or later. If you read the results page looking at "English" from last year, it was a pretty broad range of acceptances/rejections/waitlists from January to even beyond April (with some people making it in off of waitlists after the "due" date). I realize this is a really long time to wait, but I think it's necessary to acknowledge that long haul that some of us might be in for...

That said, if you haven't heard anything yet, I wouldn't worry too much. I had an application that was due in December that I haven't heard anything from - not even an email saying "your application is under review," and I had two applications that I turned in January 15th and heard back from between the end of January and last week. An email from one, asking for more information (their personal statement was limited to 250 words, oi!) and a phone call from the DGS of another offering a spot in their program.

I don't know if SUNY is completely finished, but if you consider that a lot of programs are admitting under 10 people, and that the number of graduate students on this website does not reflect the entire applicant pool to SUNY, it is definitely possible that they are finished. I've seen a couple of SUNY admits and waitlists on the results list, but that's not to say they won't add another one or two in the next month or so.

I guess my point is... you just never know.

[glasses]

@Branwen, intextrovert, and Medieval: y'all are much more patient than I am. I have to say that I've just started answering those kinds of questions with "Yes," regardless of whether or not the question can even be answered with "Yes." ("Do you have specific research objectives?" "Yes." "What research do English major PhD candidates do?" "Yes.")

[Medievalmaniac]

@Branwen, intextrovert, and Medieval: y'all are much more patient than I am. I have to say that I've just started answering those kinds of questions with "Yes," regardless of whether or not the question can even be answered with "Yes." ("Do you have specific research objectives?" "Yes." "What research do English major PhD candidates do?" "Yes.")

lololol, Glasses: There's a glass of wine app for that...!

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

@Branwen, intextrovert, and Medieval: y'all are much more patient than I am. I have to say that I've just started answering those kinds of questions with "Yes," regardless of whether or not the question can even be answered with "Yes." ("Do you have specific research objectives?" "Yes." "What research do English major PhD candidates do?" "Yes.")

Sorry, I just got a giggle attack from reading that.

I guess I just LOVE writing about my research ideas. It helps me focus them. I'm also a nerd who would rather talk about this than anything else (I should remember NOT to bore my new colleagues to tears when I start working there in March...) I get all excited and flushed and happy when talking about grad school. god knows why I waited for so long before deciding to take the plunge...

[Lise]

I just got the news that BU is reviewing my English application. There was something missing and they asked me to fax it so they could start reviewing. Guess there will be news soon!

[Medievalmaniac]

Sorry, I just got a giggle attack from reading that.

I guess I just LOVE writing about my research ideas. It helps me focus them. I'm also a nerd who would rather talk about this than anything else (I should remember NOT to bore my new colleagues to tears when I start working there in March...) I get all excited and flushed and happy when talking about grad school. god knows why I waited for so long before deciding to take the plunge...

Yeah, what she said. Branwen, stop reading my mind and then passin my thoughts off as your own! But really - if there's anything better than bouncing research ideas off of other people who are interested in the subject, I don't know what that it. Really. I think people are always really sorry after they ask me what I'm reading lately, or what I'm working on, or what I'm studying.....! lol

[Medievalmaniac]

I just got the news that BU is reviewing my English application. There was something missing and they asked me to fax it so they could start reviewing. Guess there will be news soon!

Fingers crossed for you - good luck!!!

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

Yeah, what she said. Branwen, stop reading my mind and then passin my thoughts off as your own! But really - if there's anything better than bouncing research ideas off of other people who are interested in the subject, I don't know what that it. Really. I think people are always really sorry after they ask me what I'm reading lately, or what I'm working on, or what I'm studying.....! lol

I should say the same for YOU!! (maybe we were separated at birth?)

I'm such a nerd that I'm even psyched about cramming for the GRE lit in April. *sigh*.

oh, btw... just got my AWA score - 5.0. Stupid stupid GRE scorers. I wrote KICK ASS essays. one was about clothing, and I compared how the Royalists and Puritans dressed post-restoration as an example of how clothes can signify attitudes and interests, as well as political and social standing. I mean... REALLY!! (but 5.0 is GOOD ENOUGH. I'm NOT taking that DAMN test again )

[intextrovert]

@Branwen, intextrovert, and Medieval: y'all are much more patient than I am. I have to say that I've just started answering those kinds of questions with "Yes," regardless of whether or not the question can even be answered with "Yes." ("Do you have specific research objectives?" "Yes." "What research do English major PhD candidates do?" "Yes.")

Ha, YES. I think that means you win, glasses.

That patience comes with gritted teeth. The frequency with which literary PhDs are asked to justify the seriousness of the discipline is off-putting...and really, I feel like asking the question in the first place probably means you've already decided about it. Which is, of course, ridiculous. Why is it that so many people think it's appropriate to de-legitimize an entire discipline? But whatever, I like talking about it, obviously it is worthwhile, so I do indulge it, foolish or not.

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

Ha, YES. I think that means you win, glasses.

That patience comes with gritted teeth. The frequency with which literary PhDs are asked to justify the seriousness of the discipline is off-putting...and really, I feel like asking the question in the first place probably means you've already decided about it. Which is, of course, ridiculous. Why is it that so many people think it's appropriate to de-legitimize an entire discipline? But whatever, I like talking about it, obviously it is worthwhile, so I do indulge it, foolish or not.

I've had some genuine questions about it (like the one above - I didn't feel like it was a de-legitimizing question, just a curious person who has no knowledge of the field), but also some silly ones. I try to be patient with both. Anyhow, the silly questioners get scared off and blank expressions with glazed eyes when I start REALLY getting into my research ideas (or blathering on about a specific passage in The Merchant of Venice or some other text). Genuinely interested people may actually enjoy it. But hey - they asked?? I'll ANSWER.

[intextrovert]

I've had some genuine questions about it (like the one above - I didn't feel like it was a de-legitimizing question, just a curious person who has no knowledge of the field), but also some silly ones. I try to be patient with both. Anyhow, the silly questioners get scared off and blank expressions with glazed eyes when I start REALLY getting into my research ideas (or blathering on about a specific passage in The Merchant of Venice or some other text). Genuinely interested people may actually enjoy it. But hey - they asked?? I'll ANSWER.

Yeah, I think it's possible to see it that way, and likely is, which is how I treated it - but it's also possible to read it otherwise. I won't judge in this case, since it's over the internet and impossible to judge tone. But in general it does happen too often, and disproportionately with English. It's fine, but wouldn't it be nice not having to constantly justify the validity of what I want to do with my life?!

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

Yeah, I think it's possible to see it that way, and likely is, which is how I treated it - but it's also possible to read it otherwise. I won't judge in this case, since it's over the internet and impossible to judge tone. But in general it does happen too often, and disproportionately with English. It's fine, but wouldn't it be nice not having to constantly justify the validity of what I want to do with my life?!

I know exactly what you mean. It happens a lot in Israel, as well - "what will you do with a PhD in ENGLISH??" etc. when I say "teach, research, and write" they look at me somewhat goggle eyed. some ppl really can't understand that it takes a whole lot of different folks, passionate about various things, to make up the world. If we didn't pursue our passions, the whole world would be filled with robotic people with no individuality, all aiming to out-do each other in exactly the same things (what ever is considered practical that year, i suppose). After all, without ppl like us, who would teach Shakespeare? Critical reading? Writing excellent compositions?