Introductions from the new wave?

[mercadia]

GRE06, hey I need to point out a few things about English lit programs that kind of worried me in your last post. English lit programs are very theoretically based, and they have a language requirement--some have a two language requirement. If you don't have a theoretical background, you might want to get one because you need something theoretical basis for your writing sample at the PhD level. You can't just do a close reading and expect it to fly anymore. Just thought I should point that out. Or maybe I'm not quite sure what you mean by "theoretically oriented."

[mercadia]

GRE06, hey I need to point out a few things about English lit programs that kind of worried me in your last post. English lit programs are very theoretically based, and they have a language requirement--some have a two language requirement. If you don't have a theoretical background, you might want to get one because you need something theoretical basis for your writing sample at the PhD level. You can't just do a close reading and expect it to fly anymore. Just thought I should point that out. Or maybe I'm not quite sure what you mean by "theoretically oriented."

[gre06]

Thanks for the heads up, Mercadia. I guess should clarify a bit. I do "have" two foreign languages, but of the two, my stronger is an Asian language which doesn't match my research interests at all.

As for theoretically oriented, I mean programs that place a heavy emphasis on theory or are particularly strong in theory (i.e. Irvine's program is probably more "theoretically oriented" than the typical English dept). I do admit that my theoretical scope is limited since I've primarily worked with one specific branch of philosophy -- I'm just hoping my work within that branch will demonstrate my abilities to delve into other areas.

I hope I don't come off sounding defensive because that's certainly not my intention. While I don't want to overestimate myself as an applicant or to discount the competitiveness of the field, I definitely wouldn't be spending hundreds of dollars on applications if I thought had no chance at all. That said, I'm trying to make myself comfortable with the fact that I may receive all-around rejects -- if it happens, it happens...

[gre06]

Thanks for the heads up, Mercadia. I guess should clarify a bit. I do "have" two foreign languages, but of the two, my stronger is an Asian language which doesn't match my research interests at all.

As for theoretically oriented, I mean programs that place a heavy emphasis on theory or are particularly strong in theory (i.e. Irvine's program is probably more "theoretically oriented" than the typical English dept). I do admit that my theoretical scope is limited since I've primarily worked with one specific branch of philosophy -- I'm just hoping my work within that branch will demonstrate my abilities to delve into other areas.

I hope I don't come off sounding defensive because that's certainly not my intention. While I don't want to overestimate myself as an applicant or to discount the competitiveness of the field, I definitely wouldn't be spending hundreds of dollars on applications if I thought had no chance at all. That said, I'm trying to make myself comfortable with the fact that I may receive all-around rejects -- if it happens, it happens...

[mercadia]

My first course as a graduate student was a theoretical survey--every grad students had to take it at the MA level and it covered everything from the formalists to lacan to race, queer, and gender theory, etc. etc--so you'll definitely have some fun with theory, I'm assuming in any department you end up at. Most of the students coming into the Masters had already had some experience with theory, but I'm just saying that it is a definite requirement for every grad student in my department in their first semester and that some didn't have much experience with it--but they definitely do now and are expected to employ or allude to the appropriate theorists and schools of though whenever applicable to their project (which is all of the time).

However, I'm not dissuading you at all, I'm just saying that to say Comp Lit is more theoretically based doesn't seem to fit in at all with my experience in an English lit program, and if you're thinking English will be an easier type program because it's not as theoretically based, you might be surprised.

However, I have a friend who is studying Post-colonial lit, specifically texts that come out of the middle east, and she's having some issues with her dissertation as it's being judged "too comp lit" for the English department. It's a complicated argument however, so if your project is going to end up obscure or about other cultures that don't have something to do with merry old England...you might want to go Comp Lit and not worry about not having enough theory or language.

[cridamour]

Do you mind me asking more about your research interests? I was initially drawn to comp lit programs since they tend to be more theoretically oriented, but I don't quite have the language background (or, at this point, the theoretical scope), so English Lit is a better fit.

My main focus is psychoanalysis, mostly linked to limit events, such as the Holocaust, Hiroshima, and 9/11. Apart from limit events, I'm also interested in typically female maladies and urban studies. I haven't quite decided upon anything definite yet as I still need to take two years of courses anyhow and I will probably change my mind. But it will all be within the fields I mentioned. So yes, very theoretical, but all of that is up to you. In the first semester, I am taking 3 theory courses and 1 literature course, but I could've done it the other way around as well. At least at Brown (in comp lit), I've seen people working on something very theoretical and others nearly entirely focusing on primary sources, and I presume the same is true for Eng Lit, a dissertation topic can be very theoretical, or not at all and a lot of theses in Comp Lit could be theses in other departments (such as Eng Lit or MCM/film studies). The reason I chose Comp Lit is because I also wanted to continue to work on Italian Lit and film. It's very much of a choice considering all factors, it's not that clear-cut as some of the projects I've been thinking about could easily be done in an Eng dept, film studies, Italian studies, Romance languages, or American Studies dept. Luckily for me, all of them fit in nicely within Comp Lit.

[saramari]

It's nice to see some new activity in here! I've been thinking about applying to PhD programs for some time, but am now actually going through the process of applying for Fall 2007.

I'm interested in modern and postmodern lit, but really like to work with these texts in the context of Romanticism. I also like to study lesser-known texts by otherwise well-known authors. (For example, I wrote my thesis on how Kate Chopin's Bayou Folk tells us more about her ideas about feminism and gender than we would ever know from reading The Awakening alone.)

I don't have my list of schools finalized yet, but am working on it. I take the general test next week and will be taking the subject test for the first time in November. I have a great GPA and solid recommendations, and have what I think are some pretty good ideas brewing for my SOP. I can't wait to be done with the GRE so I can get on with it, already.

Good luck to everyone and let's stay in touch as we prepare our applications!

[grassissinging]

Dear Cridamour,

Congratulations on your admission at Brown! I would also like to thank you very much to help us with valuable information , advice and encouragement.
I also applied to a number of American and Canadian universities for PhD program last year but got rejected from most of them. Some of them told me to reapply. So I am thinking of retaking the GREs. The university authorities were generous to let me know why I did not get admission through personal e-mail. Since they do not mention the reasons of rejection in their formal letters I wrote to them to find out the reasons. They usually look into the students' undergraduate result, an excellent SOP and theoretical background. My interest areas are Postcolonial Literature, Diaspora Literature and Feminism.
It seems the English Departments in the West are becoming more and more theoretical based. I got rejected in most cases because they thought I did not have much theoretical orientation. Another reason for rejection was my undergraduate result!
It seems that the Western educational institutes do not have much knowledge about the system of South Asian grading system. According to my university I rank in the top 5% ( upper second class) which they presumed to be a very low score. No one got a first class in years! Where as other departments get first classes in abundance. It is difficult for them to understand why English students do not get first classes. I tried to make them understand through my application that I am a serious academic person but in vain. I felt they are sometimes over critical of Asian applicants although many of us end up doing quite well when the chance is availed! Maybe it is difficult for them after all to understand our OLD SYSTEM.
I was wondering if you would kindly send me your private e-mail address so that you could could give me some helpful advise on my SOP and make it better. I am a 29 year old, female lecturer teaching in some university in Asia for the last couple of years and badly needs to have a PhD to get promotion. What else is there to do but keep on trying even when I know there is very little chance of getting admission and not to mention the huge amount of money spent for the admission procedure?

Good luck with your academic life!

--Grass-is-singing

[Scraggle18]

Hello everybody!! I'm applying this year, too. Hurray! I just glanced at this forum after it was quiet for so long, and am thrilled to see it picking up again.

Good luck to all!!

[Scraggle18]

Here I am, again. The discussion about emailing professors is really interesting: I do think its a case-by-case decision people have to make. Sometimes I read a prof's work and background and go rummaging in their articles, and become SO EXCITED because I feel like they are a kindred spirit. Those are the ones I, personally, tend to email. (usually in the middle of the night, sounding slightly derranged.) For this Ph.D. application process I want to try to do that sort of thing in a less spur-of-the-moment-at-five-in-the-morning way, just to make sure I don't gush anything too insane at the prof! heh.

So, I've been looking over the essays I wrote during undergrad, to see if there are any potential writing sample beginning points, and to brew in my head some ideas for my SOP. I'm realizing that my area of interest is poetry written by women, and poetry / literature that is connected to social or political change. American women poets, and the Beat Movement are two areas I get really excited about.

Theoretcially speaking, I'm a lush for feminist theory, critical race theory, and queer theory. I'm a little worried though, and need to do more research about the LITERARY theory side of these theoretical frameworks. I know these theories as LEGAL theories. How are they different when applied to literature? How DO you apply them to literature? Does anyone have a favorite book to start me on the process of understanding these theoretical frameworks in the context of literature?

In law, when we talk about the various strands of feminist theory we discuss people like Catherine MacKinnon, Carol Gilligan, Andrea Dworkin, and others I'm not remembering at the moment. Who are the literary feminist theory star players?

About the admissions process: I am terrified too. I went through this with law school, and it definitely is true that you just never know what is going to happen. I was rejected / waitlisted by many lower ranked law schools, but somehow also managed to get a good scholarship at Cornell. Law school is so numbers-based, you could at least *vaguely* predict what range of schools you might get into -- this is so much more left up to fate. How the admissions committees react to our SOPs, references, writing samples, etc will make a huge difference -- and how much emphasis they decide to give our scores, too. I'm going to apply to probably ten schools. Its insane, but it helps increase the chances of getting something good!

Isn't it maddening?

OH AND I HAVE A QUESTION -- Does anyone know whether publication in student-run magazines "counts" as anything worthwhile?

In undergrad I had poems and papers published in lots of different campus magazines. (some of which seemed to be more selective than others) I was also published in a law school magazine, and was a member of its editorial board. Should these things be on my resume? Do campus publications "count" as real publications?

Thanks for listening to my post. Best of luck to everybody!!!!