<p>I'm considering grad school but want to be realistic about my chances in various programs, so any help would be appreciated. </p>
<p>I'm an undergrad at UIUC entering my senior year pursuing a (perhaps peculiar) double major in Comparative World Literature (emphasis on English and Classical Latin, also taking fourth/fifth(?) semester of French) and Mathematics. Quick info, some of it probably more pertinent/helpful than others:
--3.9 GPA, math not as high
--A handful of graduate-level courses spanning Comparative Literature, English, and Latin
--Part of the Campus Honors Program and the James Newton Matthews Scholar Program (not sure how relevant these really are to an application considering that both are mostly just indicators of some requisite GPA)
--Participated in a mathematics REU summer before sophomore year; was a research assistant in a cognitive neuroscience lab from the beginning of freshman year to the beginning of sophomore year, summer included (voluntarily left, was well-liked)
--Received annual Comparative and World Literature award from the department in Spring 2013
--Beginning work on a senior thesis
--Past experience with Spanish and Old English, working on quickly regaining proficiency in both
--No real work experience during college, no significant clubs/groups/sororities or fraternities/etc., no internship experience after the the small things mentioned above</p>
<p>Assuming the best case scenario for GRE scores and teacher recommendations, do I have a realistic chance of being admitted to a (comparative/Western) literature program? An English program? A linguistics program? And if so, would there be any realistic chance at someplace high-tier, like Stanford or Princeton?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>First of all, you don’t really sound ready to go to graduate school unless you can answer the same research question from all of those programs. Comparative literature is different from English literature, which is very different from linguistics. I know it’s sometimes the case that students will apply to different programs in different disciplines because the research they want to do can be covered from multiple angles (I myself considered public health, social psychology and sociology programs). But if you’re just undecided as to what PhD program you want to attend, then put it on hold for a few years and figure it out. Don’t get stuck.</p>
<p>Your mathematics research experience and grades won’t be important to a comparative lit or English lit program, but will be more important to lingustics because quantitative methods are used there. Most English literature programs are going to expect reading proficiency in at least one language before you enter and working on proficiency in another; but the languages have to be relevant to your research interests. Comparative programs will likely want to see two solid ones before entrance.</p>
<p>You are a decent candidate, but English literature is ridiculously competitive. It’s not uncommon for even the best candidates to have to get an MA before they enter a PhD program. This is especially true if you don’t have some research experience in English, although it’s more common for literature students to get in without working as an RA first. You will need to have an outstanding writing sample and some indication that you understand how scholarship in literature works. Comparative literature is less competitive than English, but stiull competitive.</p>
<p>For linguistics, you absolutely need to have research experience. One year in cognitive neuroscience is good but not really enough. With that, you may have to take 1-2 years off and work in a research lab or something.</p>