<p>Anybody else applying to PhD programs in the humanities? How many programs are you applying to? I have about a list of 15 schools that I'm strongly interested, but I don't think I'll have time or money to do all of them. Also, I don't really have a contingency plan for next year if I don't get into any PhD programs, so for me I think applying to only around 5 or so schools is probably too few. Also, in my field admissions are tricky, as quantitative measures matter very little to the process - since there's definitely no such thing as a "safety" school.</p>
<p>Most PhD programs are “tricky” in that way, especially in the humanities. A general “rule” is to apply to 10-12 schools, so I would agree that 5 are too few. Just make sure you have a good spread, i.e., not all are “top 10,” but not all are below 50th rank, etc. </p>
<p>I’ll be applying next year for marketing programs, but I was dead-set on social psychology until this past summer. I was compiling a list of roughly 10-12 schools. Just be sure that they are all an excellent fit for your research interests. If they are all great fits and you still want to cut a couple off your list, then consider location and where you think you’d be happiest living, or try to get to know the personality of the professors by contacting some current students - some profs are just tough to work with and you might not know until you’re there. Good luck =)</p>
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I’m not sure I agree. Job placement drops MUCH more rapidly among PhD programs in the humanities than selectivity does; you can have a really weak program that’s nevertheless super selective. I’m not at all convinced weak(er) programs are worth consideration if you have the stats for the best programs – either go big or go home, in my opinion. </p>
<p>What would be worth consideration instead, I think, are funded master’s programs that could be a stepping stone to a good PhD program. They do exist! Check out non-flagship publics in particular.</p>
<p>Actually that’s interesting - I applied to a mix of 8 schools as an undergraduate: 3 doctorates and 4 masters. I didn’t get in to any doctorates, and two masters with only one of them being fully funded via TAship. Indeed, it was at a good public with a large regional reputation - particularly large undergrad proportion - but not the state’s flagship. Now, I’m applying to PhDs, including two of the ones that rejected me a couple years ago, and hopefully completing a Masters will have strengthened my dossier in the meanwhile.</p>
<p>I think if every aspect of your application is perfect, then yes, you may be able to apply to all top schools. But if you have some doubts, and you REALLY want the PhD, then it would make sense to also apply to some lower-ranking, good-fit schools. Obviously if you get into a better ranked school with a strong fit, you’ll choose that instead. I really want a PhD, so even if I had to settle with a top 50 school rather than a top 30, I’d take it because I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life (especially with just a BA in psychology). If I didn’t get in anywhere, then I would probably apply to masters programs like warblers said. It depends on how strong your application really is for the field you’re looking at. Not everyone can get into the best of the best, that is reality, but I didn’t say you shouldn’t try.</p>
<p>Yes - also in the arts and humanities - the whole concept of ranking (“top 10”, “top 50”, etc) that people on CC (often in the sciences) refer to, just simply does not exist. Really.</p>
<p>You need to have a contingency plan. PhD programs - especially programs in many of the humanities - are very competitive, and many people don’t gain admission until their 2nd or 3rd cycle. There’s no shame in it, honestly, and taking some time “off” might be a good idea.</p>
<p>I’m not in the humanities so I’m not sure if the concept of ranking does not exist there. In the sciences, it certainly does, so perhaps there’s some conflation there? My humanities friends do seem to say that there are definitely distinct difference.</p>
<p>I think if every aspect of your application is perfect, then yes, you may be able to apply to all top schools. But if you have some doubts, and you REALLY want the PhD, then it would make sense to also apply to some lower-ranking, good-fit schools. Obviously if you get into a better ranked school with a strong fit, you’ll choose that instead. I really want a PhD, so even if I had to settle with a top 50 school rather than a top 30, I’d take it because I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life (especially with just a BA in psychology). If I didn’t get in anywhere, then I would probably apply to masters programs like warblers said. It depends on how strong your application really is for the field you’re looking at. Not everyone can get into the best of the best, that is reality, but I didn’t say you shouldn’t try.</p>
<p>Again, I’m in the sciences so take this with a grain of salt. But on a general level, I would not agree with this. I mean, if your goal is simply to get a PhD - any PhD - then fine, I can imagine going anywhere…but if your goal is an academic career as a professor or a researcher, than “any PhD” will not do. For an extreme example, you wouldn’t want to get a PhD at Walden or Kaplan or one of those other online universities, because you’ll be wasting 5-7 years - those PhDs do not lead to tenure-track appointments.</p>
<p>But for a more nuanced (and debateable) one, you may not even want to go to a PhD program with a poor placement record. If the majority of previous PhD graduates from that program have not been able to get jobs, what makes you think <em>you</em> will? I would ask about placement rates from any university you get accepted to - if their placement rate is bad, I would reconsider. If they say that they don’t track that kind of thing or they don’t know where their graduates end up, I would also reconsider, because that means they either 1) don’t care enough about their graduates to find out how they are doing (their advisor at least should know where they ended up!) or 2) their graduates take SO long to graduate that they lose track of them somewhere along the way. Or worse, they don’t keep track of where their graduates end up because they don’t want you to know.</p>
<p>And honestly, I keep hearing people say that you should only get a PhD if you “can’t imagine doing anything else.” Personally, I think that’s unhealthy for people of a reasonable age. Of course if you are 22 and you have never had any context outside of high school and college it will be hard for you to imagine doing anything else - because you haven’t yet. But particularly if a student has never had an internship or experience doing any other kind of thing, I’m skeptical in the belief that they can’t enjoy ANY other kind of field. Think about it: what if you join the ranks of the 50% who don’t finish? What if you hate graduate school with a passion? What if you join the roughly 4 out of 5 humanities PhD holders who doesn’t get a tenure-track job? You should ALWAYS have an exit strategy. Otherwise you will feel trapped and miserable - trust me on this one, I’ve been there.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong. I am a currently happy, thriving graduate student with some measure of success. But that does NOT mean that this is the only thing I can imagine myself doing. Quite the contrary, I can imagine myself doing many other things - but this is the thing I imagine myself the HAPPIEST at. Honestly, I think that is the yardstick by which you should measure yourself. If doing the PhD and pursuing an academic career makes you the happiest out of all the other things you could do with contentment, then do that. And consistently reevaluate that at every stage of your career.</p>
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<p>That really depends on the subject. I know psychology programs are more loosely ranked, but there are still clear “top” schools depending on your sub discipline in psychology. </p>
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<p>I don’t think anyone /that/ serious about a PhD would apply to those such programs (although I know there are people out there who still do). And there is a huge difference between throwing in one or two top 50/top 30 schools as opposed to applying to unranked schools that no one outside of the small town has heard of. But you should only do so if it is still a program with an /excellent/ fit. Some people have such specific research interests that perhaps they only find a select few profs studying it, and they may not be at top schools (this is probably more common in the humanities). This does not mean you should throw in some top schools anyway, if the profs are not doing research that interests you. </p>
<p>I said that I can’t imagine doing anything else because I love research, I love academia, I love my subject matter, I love thinking about and analyzing things - this is just my personality. Even subjects I hated were bearable because I still got to think critically, research, write, etc. I took some time off after undergrad and although I have a fulll-time job, my current job and any other job listings I am seeing that I would be qualified for are a terrible fit for my personality and interests. I knew this going into psychology, and the plan was always to go back to graduate school. I never planned to do anything with my BA other than kill time at the best job I could find until I could afford to go back.</p>
<p>I also think anyone who /really/ wants a PhD probably has more experience in research and other projects within their field than someone who hasn’t thought about it as deeply and just likes the “idea of a PhD.” So those doing it on a whim to get “any PhD” would probably end up at lower ranked or unranked schools than someone who genuinely wants it.</p>
<p>Also - in the fields of arts and humanities that are creative (many visual arts, creative writing, music composition, dance choreography, multimedia, etc) - there of course are no rankings, nor would it be at all possible to even attempt one. In these fields, applications typically require a portfolio submission that is vital to the process, in addition to writing samples, SOPs, recs, and scores.</p>
<p>But with art schools, the better schools accept the better artists. Less impressive schools will accept less impressive artists. So portfolios are still treated similarly to research experience and SOPs. </p>
<p>With art schools (since I used to be a design major), I’ve found that the good undergrad programs (e.g., RISD), accept amazing students to start with - so I wonder how much they really develop them. I also found that less impressive art schools demonstrated greater growth in their students who weren’t as strong freshman year, but who may still fall short of the top art programs’ students.</p>
<p>So there may not be hard rankings, but some programs certainly have a better reputation than others.</p>
<p>That’s for sure. Reputation certainly exist - as does selectivity. There are programs, like with any field, that accept maybe 2 students out of a field of 200, and others who only get 10 applications. However, in this field the issue of aesthetics come into play - applicants who are qualified will not get in because of fit - not unlike research based programs I wager.</p>
<p>Remember this:</p>
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<p>I am the living proof that you do need to go through several cycles and try to have another plan should nothing work out.</p>
<p>It’s that hard.</p>
<p>Sounds like your plan was simply to try again next year and then the next after that 
That’s mine as well!</p>
<p>I have a backup. Assuming things don’t go well, I will go back to my CC for 2 semesters for practical nursing, get my license, and make roughly $50k/year to start. A lot of areas are doing away with LPNs, but in my area they are in HUGE demand, and have been for years (with pay rates becoming more competitive since there aren’t many <em>good</em> nurses out there, in my area). And the starting rates are appealing for only 2 semesters of classes, since I already had a number of the requirements through my BA. But - I will still keep trying for grad school. The LPN will just be to pay down loans faster and get me into a better financial position. A BA in psych will not likely get me that salary in this area without working for the company for a long time. Even MAs in social work or counseling start at around $30k in my area, so not good.</p>
<p>And I know I over-simplified the process, but my mom went through the program not long ago and I know I can handle the course work and clinicals. I’d just have to pass the test for the license.</p>
<p>Most of people think that earning a PhD in the humanities is more often a labor of love than a wise career choice. Also such PhDs are considered for non-academic jobs. Actually programs leading to the PhD in Humanities are designed for individuals who wish to conduct advanced research and to teach at the college level. It enhances fully their knowledge and skills, making them competent in this world.</p>
<p>Amen ChristaJones. Love what you do, do what you love. What a concept! :)</p>
<p>will completing my phd help me get a job in public affairs?</p>
<p>The answer is no.</p>