I applied to 15 schools, and that was a lot to handle--each online form is slightly different, each writing sample has slightly different requirements, etc. I managed just fine in the end, but there was a lot of frantic express-mailing going on, and I wish I had trimmed my list down to 12 or so (which I totally could have done had I looked a little more closely at my fit with each program). That said, I agree with ladykathryn that there's no right or wrong number: you're bound by what you can afford in terms of both money and time. But don't sell yourself short by letting that "over the moon if any of them accepted me" feeling govern your list too much: some programs might be better-suited to you than others, and if you have a choice to make, you want to give yourself real and interesting options.
As far as questions for faculty: yes, do engage professors by talking about their work--what you've mentioned here sounds great. But don't fret if you're not as familiar with their work as you'd like--they don't expect you to have read everything they've written--or even, most of the time, any of it. A good question is always, "What questions are you working on right now?" as it allows them to talk about both the objects of study and their methodologies. You can also ask about their approach to working with grad students. Also, a whole other avenue of questioning that can help you figure out which programs to apply to is about the structure of the programs themselves. Are you applying to PhD programs or MA programs? Different questions apply for each, but asking about funding, placement, internships and teaching requirements, etc. can be really helpful. Depending on their familiarity with the administrative structure of the program, some faculty are more equipped than others to answer those questions, but asking them broader questions about the graduate program can reveal a lot about the atmosphere.
As far as questions for faculty: yes, do engage professors by talking about their work--what you've mentioned here sounds great. But don't fret if you're not as familiar with their work as you'd like--they don't expect you to have read everything they've written--or even, most of the time, any of it. A good question is always, "What questions are you working on right now?" as it allows them to talk about both the objects of study and their methodologies. You can also ask about their approach to working with grad students. Also, a whole other avenue of questioning that can help you figure out which programs to apply to is about the structure of the programs themselves. Are you applying to PhD programs or MA programs? Different questions apply for each, but asking about funding, placement, internships and teaching requirements, etc. can be really helpful. Depending on their familiarity with the administrative structure of the program, some faculty are more equipped than others to answer those questions, but asking them broader questions about the graduate program can reveal a lot about the atmosphere.
Reply
Thank you for the comments on talking to professors, this is very helpful.
Reply
Leave a comment