PhD Applications
Oh god what am I doing this is madness.
So. I am applying to four schools. They either have PhDs in Creative Writing and Literature, or PhDs in English with creative dissertations. Three of them are among the best in the country. These are places that accept a single-digit number of people per year. I am less than enthusiastic about my chances of being accepted to any of them.
That said, THE CANDIDATES ARE:
So yeah, there's that. Anyone attend these schools or know someone who has? Similarly, anyone living in Las Vegas/LA/Denton and want to talk about their town? I need to go visit these places eventually. :/
This entry was originally posted at http://jenni-the-odd.dreamwidth.org/10819.html. You can comment here or there; it matters only that you comment PLEASE I NEED THE ATTENTION OH GOD PLEASE LOVE ME *SOB*.
So. I am applying to four schools. They either have PhDs in Creative Writing and Literature, or PhDs in English with creative dissertations. Three of them are among the best in the country. These are places that accept a single-digit number of people per year. I am less than enthusiastic about my chances of being accepted to any of them.
That said, THE CANDIDATES ARE:
- University of Houston
- This is my first choice school. It has a fantastic program, and because I have friends who've been in classes at the undergraduate and graduate level, it's the program with which I'm most familiar.
- For all the crazy-ass weather, I love Houston. It's an amazing city that really doesn't get the respect it deserves. It will be cheapest to live here, because I can stay with my family. Also, given that it tends to take me about two years to start feeling comfortable enough in new surroundings to put down roots and establish good friendships, the prospect of not having to relocate yet is extremely appealing.
- However, living in Houston means living with my family. I'm 27 and I've wanted to be independent since I was about five. That's just depressing to me.
- University of Nevada at Las Vegas
- This one scares me most, possibly because they only accept one person a year for poetry and they want a 50-page portfolio. I don't have a lot of poetry; to get to 50 pages I have to use some stuff that I'm not particularly fond of.
- I have been to Las Vegas, briefly, and didn't love or hate it. I think the touristy-type stuff would get old quickly, but I am hermit-like and would do my best to avoid it.
- University of Southern California
- I don't know too much about this school or this program, honestly.
- Also, while about half the people I know loathe Los Angeles with a fiery, burning passion, both my sisters are looking at schools in San Francisco, and my aunt and uncle live in Crescent Mills, and it'd be nice to have some family in the same state. I mean, it's a 7-hour drive to either of those places from LA (not sure how long a flight it'd be), but I am from Texas and that's less time than driving out to El Paso from Houston. No big deal.
- University of North Texas
- UNT is the odd one out. It's still in Texas, and Denton isn't too far from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, so I'd be close enough to a big city to be comfortable (I am a city person. I like them. Country is lovely, but I go a little mad without lots of buildings and places that are open all night. See also: years spent in San Antonio).
- This is something like my 'safety school'. Not that I'm certain to get in, at all, but it's much less competitive than the others. It's also the only program that doesn't require the Literature in English subject GRE.
So yeah, there's that. Anyone attend these schools or know someone who has? Similarly, anyone living in Las Vegas/LA/Denton and want to talk about their town? I need to go visit these places eventually. :/
This entry was originally posted at http://jenni-the-odd.dreamwidth.org/10819.html. You can comment here or there; it matters only that you comment PLEASE I NEED THE ATTENTION OH GOD PLEASE LOVE ME *SOB*.