Hello Carrie,

I write in response to the call for open letters about the future of the program. Though I’ve only been a part of the Graduate Center English community for one semester, I feel as if I can respond directly to one of the questions posed in the original call: what are we (or should we) be “know for” nationally as a program?

First, let me start by offering what I feel the program is presently “known for.” In sum, the GC is a realistic opportunity for potential scholars and intellectuals of all sorts. I certainly don’t need to tell you how competitive the graduate school application process is, especially considering that many prestigious programs only accept a cohort of about 8-10 students. Since the GC accepts around 20, students simply face better mathematical odds in applying. But, I don’t bring this up to suggest that we should necessarily advertise those kinds of statistics, or, to transparently advertise them simply to communicate a better possibility of admittance (especially considering that the new fellowships will likely raise the number of applicants in the coming years).

Nevertheless, I do feel that the GC should be know as a bigger program. I can imagine someone throwing that argument back by suggesting we are more invested in quantity and not quality of students. But in my experience, the bigger cohort has enriched and enlivened my experience. Simply put, my cohort is full of wonderful, bright, and dedicated people, who I already feel fortunate to know, learn from, and hang out with. I suppose what I’m suggesting is that being known as a larger program could be seen as advantageous in a number of ways: better chance of admittance; more student interactions/networking/collaboration opportunities; a diverse spectrum of perspectives, etc. This isn’t even to mention the quality of the program itself, and how much that quality can be attributed to quantity (professors, number of classes offered, extracurricular events both at the GC and in NYC).

I hope you find this helpful as you imagine the future direction of the program. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to have our voices heard, and I look forward to four-and-a-half more years of enjoying this great, big, wonderful program!

Best wishes,

Stephen Spencer