damequixote

Hey all, I rarely post, but I probably check this forum hundreds of times a day. I've been reading through last year's jan-april threads (which both mollifies and exacerbates my anxiety!!) and have noticed that many people ended up speaking to potential professors on the phone upon/before acceptance. Generally speaking, are appointments made for these phone calls or should we be prepared for impromptu calls with dazzling talking points and well-informed program-specific questions? I guess since I'm done with my applications, I'm looking for more things to freak out about. Thanks for any advice.

secret garden

I waited two years, so I felt the same way. Rather than asking them to read your WS, I would just provide them with your stuff so that they can reference it if they like. Personally, I provided the following: 1) CV, SOP, writing samples 2) A letter on our professional experiences together to help them recall useful information that might be included in a letter (and as a sentimental thanks) 3) My UG and grad transcripts 4) Any papers I had written for them 5) A concise outline of other professional accomplishments (especially since the two years I've seen them)

I read your post on the lit&comp board as well--their advice to you was good. The truth is, there just isn't any way to know. If you had extremely bad GRE scores that might get you cut out of the applicant pool before serious consideration or interests that are antithetical to the programs you applied to, we could tell you your chances aren't great--though still not impossible. For people like you, really qualified applicants, there just isn't any way to know. We're all stressed and hoping that our chances are good, so welcome to the club! You might also want to check out the "Before you ask, 'What are my chances?'" Forum, here:

Ideally, everything makes it by the deadline. Many departments are lenient about exactly when LORs arrive, but you'll want to check with the department you're worried about because, for some, applications that are incomplete by the deadline get thrown out. My advice: get your transcripts and GRE scores sent now, talk to your letter writers, and get that app submitted by the deadline. You've still got ample time to make it by Jan 1. Also, it'd probably be best if you finished all of your apps by Jan.1 as it would make things easier for your recommenders, but I'd worry about one thing at a time and see how it goes.

I think it's likely that you'll have to resend them, but it's possible that they'll still have them on file.

In response to your question about what to send, my general feeling is that more is better.... As long as it's well organized so that your recommenders can reference what they like. In my packets, I included: 1) Stamped, addressed envelopes for each program requiring mailed letters 2) An overview of where letters need to go and when organized by medium (mail, online, email, etc.), a checklist-like spreadsheet, and a general overview of quotes from department websites about what they want to see in letters, 3) CV, SOP, writing samples 4) A letter on our professional experiences together to help them recall useful information that might be included in a letter (and as a sentimental thanks) 5) My UG and grad transcripts 6) Any papers I had written for them 7) A concise outline of other professional accomplishments 8) A card with a hand-written thank you note & Starbucks gift card I also emailed a version of the packet with hyperlinks. This is a lot of information, so it needs to be well organized to be useful... if you're not careful, your recommenders will get lost in a sea of information. A table of contents helps. My recommenders expressed real gratitude and said the packet really helped (one mentioned it in her letter! hehe). All you really need, though: list of schools, CV, SOP, writing samples (finished or not)

Hah, guess I over-reacted! I just didn't want to seem dishonest. Thanks for the advice.

Blarg! So one of my references *implied* that she had an EdD; she's my boss and I felt awkward about asking outright--her linkedin profile says EdD, but I recently found out that she hasn't finished it. I listed her as "Dr." on my vitae... I'd really like to take that back! I'm worried, however, that if I contact departments to draw attention to this misleading mistake, it'll just make me look worse. What should I do?

Agreed. Your readers will definitely agree that your work is relevant, no need to use valuable space on this. When writing about the future, I think what you want to do is focus on your scholastic and professional plans, showing them that you have potential to bring recognition to the program. <-- My best guess