How to Apply
Admission to graduate study in Comparative Literature at Penn State is based on a number of considerations. Above all we seek intellectually curious, highly motivated students whose interests suggest a good fit with our departmental strengths. We welcome well-qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds.
We are often asked what our committee looks for and the truth is that there is no standard formula. We consider GPAs and test scores (GREs and TOEFLs), but above all we look for intellectual engagement and scholarly commitment. The graduate committee that evaluates applicants seeks evidence of intellectual promise, openness to new ideas and methods, capacity for original scholarship, the ability to think critically and to write clearly, and potential for professional success. Of obvious importance for scholars who will work across cultures is appropriate language preparation. Research plans that are in synch with our areas of expertise are also of importance.
Though we admit students on a rolling basis, for full funding consideration applications should be complete by January 15. Those who apply early have the best opportunity for support.
We will reimburse the SEVIS fee for international students who enroll in our program.
We recognize that the vast majority of graduate students require financial assistance to complete their studies. In the majority of cases, we admit students with multi-year funding packages (two years for the M.A., four years for the Ph.D., five or six years for the M.A./Ph.D.) that include both a stipend and a tuition grant-in-aid. No separate application for financial aid or graduate assistantship is required.
Your application to Comparative Literature at Penn State consists of four categories of items:
1. You must complete an online application to the Graduate School. Note that you will be asked to create a Friends of Penn State account.
2. TOEFL scores are required of applicants who do not hold prior degrees from institutions where the language of instruction is English. Applicants with degrees from U.S. institutions, on the other hand, must supply GRE scores. These are self-reported in your online application, with official scores submitted to Penn State through the normal mechanisms of the agencies that administer these tests.
3. Official transcripts of all relevant university education, and three letters of recommendation should be sent via post by the university registrar(s) and recommenders, respectively, to the Department of Comparative Literature at the address listed below. We do not require a specific form for recommenders.
4. Your statement of purpose, a sample of your written work (preferably an essay on literature), and your speaking tape (a cassette tape or CD-Rom on which you read your statement of purpose, or part of it, in the languages you intend to use in graduate study, including English if you are not a native speaker) are submitted via post directly to the department at the following address:
Graduate Program in Comparative Literature
c/o Irene Grassi
427 Burrowes Building
Penn State University
University Park, PA 16802 (USA)
We encourage you to get to know our faculty, graduate student cohort, and program thoroughly before applying. Visit our Graduate Program page to get started.
We of course hope to welcome you back here soon to start your application!
Sophia A. McClennen
Graduate Director
E-Mail: sam50@psu.edu
phone: 814.863.0589 | fax: 814.863.8882 | email: cmlit@psu.edu
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