Fie on it!

[icepixie]

I fail at this picking grad schools to apply to thing. I'm about to the point of pinning the latest US News and World Report ranking to the wall and throwing darts. Blindfolded.

After getting some actual advice from Jesse, I've...gotten rid of most of what was on my list before. I'm keeping UC Santa Barbara, because...it's by the beach? Okay, that's just part of the reason.

UVA is apparently at the top of the list now. They look strong all over, but particularly in that large 18th-20th century British area I want to inhabit. I'm also thinking University of South Carolina (if not for their English program, then for their public history program, because part of me still wants to run a museum), maaaaybe FSU, and maaaaybe Penn State. (Penn State has lots of resources for my pet areas, and even offers a class on cyberpunk literature, but seems to be big on queer theory, feminist theory, afrocentrism, and other trendy topics. I'm more the type of person who's content to admit that the canon largely consists of dead white guys, and to analyze their writing in the context of having been written in a society controlled by old white men. Boring, I know, but I'll be over here contemplating Hardy's pastoral nostalgia as reaction to the massive industrialization of Britain if you need me.)

Although since all these programs seem so very similar, it's almost worthwhile to just apply to a large chunk of the upper end of the mid-ranked schools (and several at the lower end of that middle), and see who gives me the most money.

Comments

[zeplum.livejournal.com]

Well, FSU's english department is housed in the most twisty of buildings and on top of a very large (by FL standards) hill. But it's on the good side of campus and right next to my most favourite building of all.

[icepixie]

Twisty buildings I can deal with. Half my classes at Kenyon were in old houses from the early/mid nineteenth century, one of which supposedly has a secret hideyhole and/or passageway that was used when the house was a stop on the Underground Railroad.

it's on the good side of campus

Good to know!

[vbrooksutk.livejournal.com]

yikes, well best of luck picking something out. it's a headache, I know. I have a friend who is getting her PhD in English at Ohio State if you want any contacts there.

My advice is to pick a town that you can see yourself having a good time in, as well as a school that you like. Then worry about campus and program size, etc. etc. etc. Grad school is lonely enough without worrying about living in a dead-end city, right?

PS Was fun bowling with ya :)

[icepixie]

If they were just slightly more different from each other, this would be a whole lot easier.

My advice is to pick a town that you can see yourself having a good time in, as well as a school that you like.

Well, what I'd really like is a small town, but small towns and largeish research universities are fairly incompatible things. So I'm aiming for "not giant cities," which is working okay, I guess, but still leaves lots of options.

Grad school is lonely enough without worrying about living in a dead-end city, right?

Well, I'm not having much luck outside of grad school in a city that's not really dead-end, so I'm actually hoping for campus activities and classes to give me a social life again. *g*

Bowling was great. We should do it again if we're ever in the same town at the same time again. ;)

[orangetango.livejournal.com]

PENN STATE IS EVIL.

If for no other reason than they rejected me via form email. Oh, but that form email was sent out to all other rejected applicants. At the exact same time. And it wasn't BCC'd. So we got to see who all of us were. It was great. And by great, I mean in violation of their privacy policy.

[icepixie]

Okay, Penn State was already at the bottom of the list, but now I think it might get a lot more blank space between it and the other possibilities. (Not only for the non-BCC'ing, but if they didn't let you in, I don't have a chance.)

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Ooooof. Insanity. That's one of the many reasons I didn't bother even looking at grad school: I wouldn't have a clue as to where to start. At least you've got JJ on your side, though!

I'm keeping UC Santa Barbara, because...it's by the beach?

I'm trying to imagine you as a Californian, and... my brain just broke.

I'm more the type of person who's content to admit that the canon largely consists of dead white guys, and to analyze their writing in the context of having been written in a society controlled by old white men.

Yay dead white guys! Trendiness only goes so far before it starts sucking.

Good luck! Don't get mauled by feminists!

[icepixie]

I'm kind of getting the impressio that ranking of the department is all that matters, at least in regards to future job prospects. They're all basically identical. And half the degree is spent working on your own anyway, so it's not like even the classes matter all that much.

I'm trying to imagine you as a Californian, and... my brain just broke.

Eh, put a pair of sunglasses on me and I'll fit right in. Y'know, if you ignore the 24/7 sunscreen and the blinding paleness.

(Although more seriously...if my skin is driving me crazy during this drought, I'm kind of scared to imagine what would happen if I moved somewhere where "drought" is sort of the permanent condition.)

Yay dead white guys! Trendiness only goes so far before it starts sucking.

Like a big, black hole.

Good luck! Don't get mauled by feminists!

*sidesteps feminist hordes*

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

And half the degree is spent working on your own anyway, so it's not like even the classes matter all that much.

Yeah, in that case, it's probably more important that you find some faculty who are helpful and supportive. (And... know something about your area of focus...)

Y'know, if you ignore the 24/7 sunscreen and the blinding paleness.

Pfft. I'm sure you'll settle into a nice shade of lobster. Just don't become a leper! Skin is good for you!

*sidesteps feminist hordes*

*hands you a red cape to flourish*

[icepixie]

Yeah, in that case, it's probably more important that you find some faculty who are helpful and supportive. (And... know something about your area of focus...)

Except faculty tend to move...

Pfft. I'm sure you'll settle into a nice shade of lobster. Just don't become a leper! Skin is good for you!

*pets skin*

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Except faculty tend to move...

Like, between schools? Often? That's odd. Well, there's always blindfolded darts....

[icepixie]

Sometimes. I guess the important thing is to look for tenured faculty, and hope none of them go on sabbatical when I'm trying to write a dissertation.

Well, there's always blindfolded darts....

I'm leaning towards that option.