Phd Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley - Do I have a chance?

Question

I'm looking at Phd programs in comp lit. I was hoping someone out there could evaluate how realistic my chances are at getting into Berkeley. Is anyone familiar with what it takes to make the cut?
My profile: GRE 700V (96%), 780Q (88%), 4.5AW (51%);
UNC-Chapel Hill: undergrad GPA 3.55 with double major in English/French lit;
two years study abroad;
intermediate classes in spanish, italian, ancient greek, anglo-saxon (Old English).
If Berkeley is a longshot for me, what other West coast schools should I consider?
Thanks!

Answer 1

You have a pretty solid background and will certainly get into a ranked program. But Berkeley is the highest ranked lit program in the US -- so even though you are qualified to get in there, you may not. You should apply, though.

For lit, the best programs in California are probably Berkeley, Stanford and UCLA. I suspect that Stanford and UCLA are as difficult to get into as Berkeley. I'm sure that there are other decent programs in California -- but the fact is that you can get into a better program than any of them, so why bother.

As for living in California, I got my Master's at Duke and PhD at Berkeley. I much prefer the NC Piedmont to the scuzzy atmosphere of the town of Berkeley.


My advice is to go to the best PhD program that you can get into. Don't worry about the location.