[Fall 2013 English Lit Applicants]

Dear UMD Applicants:

Which SoP instructions are you following? The ones on the ASF include a diversity/personal statement type thing. I e-mailed the department to point out this contradicts what their website says, and was told to obey the department instructions (i.e. just a standard SoP, no personal stuff). So then should this be 1,000 words or still 1,000-2,000?

Help is appreciated!

Hey waparys, I submitted a standard statement, following the department-webpage's guidelines, that was 1070 words. I didn't notice any length requirements on the departmental webpage, so I went with the 1000-2000-word guideline noted in the supplemental application section. My standard statement is 1000 words, so when I couldn't find any length-requirements on the departmental website, I decided I'd just add anything additional I felt like adding (which turned out to be 70 words). The extra 70 words weren't about diversity or anything like that. Hope that helps.

[Quick SOP question]

Okay, so I have the same problem. My SOP is around 580 words, and Northwestern wants "approximately" 400-500, according to their website. I don't see how I'm going to cut anything out of mine. Would submitting a SOP at this length jeopardize my application in any way? I need to know soon because today is the deadline, haha.

Hey Two Espressos,

Is there absolutely no way to cut it any further? I think if you get it to maybe 550 it'll be alright. Last year, I submitted a 525-word SoP to a program with the same requirement and was wait-listed. I don't think it's anyone's job to sit there counting SOP lengths, but if the document looks/feels long it might be an issue. If you do happen to go with the longer statement, I'd suggest (as noted above) uploading it as a PDF to ensure there's no easy way for word-length to be counted. If it were me, I'd at least try to get it to 550 though.

[just mailed my first app -- tears ensued]

I am having a bit of a freak out with one of the applications I just submitted. I accidentally clicked the "request fee waiver" button and didn't find out until after I submitted my application. I emailed the department immediately about this problem and of course, offered to pay my fee ASAP. They'll still review my application ... right? Btw, this was my UCLA application.

Edit: Congrats to everyone who submitted!

Hey justkeepswimming,

I would suggest waiting until they get back to you, and if that doesn't happen soon enough, giving the Grad Admissions office a call. I'm sure there's a way for them to fix that problem on their end. I'm not familiar with UCLA's application. Was there a "pay by check" option? Maybe they'll have you do that. I'm sure they'll review your application once everything's cleared up. I'm thinking worse case scenario, they delete your current app and have you complete a new one and pay online. Hope that makes you feel better about it.

[just mailed my first app -- tears ensued]

Woah, really?! Thank you so much for telling me, I had NO IDEA... I mailed them a packet... I never saw email on their website. I wonder when they changed it?

No problem. I was actually kind of getting worried that you didn't see my post about it. Glad you saw it.

PS. They are probably not going to confirm that they've received it. I waited two weeks for a reply, then emailed the same address and confirmed that they received it.

They definitely changed it since I went through all the programs to which I am applying and took notes on their requirements. At that time (early September or so) I copied and pasted this from OSU's website: "Please send the following items (note that the writing sample, personal statement, transcripts, typed page containing GPA, and curriculum vitae/resume are not to be submitted electronically, they must be mailed directly to the English department)"

I guess that should be a lesson: always check and recheck what programs want! Again, thanks for notifying me of this.

Yea, last year they asked for it to be mailed. I would advise everyone to keep rechecking departmental webpages. During the process, at least 3 programs of the 13 to which I'm applying were updated with different info.

Again, I'm relieved that you saw my post.

[Program Specific Questions - Fall 2013]

I have a couple of questions about this one:

-- there's a section in the online application to upload the writing sample (supporting materials), and I'm uploading mine there. I assume that's all that's needed, but this sounds like you also/alternatively emailed the graduate school with your sample attached. Anyone else have any experience/insights on this one?

-- for the TA/TO application for UMass, are you guys mailing the application form snail mail to the department? That supplemental materials section in the online app also would seem to allow additional departmental application forms, so I was thinking of uploading it there (it says at the top that it includes "departmental applications"). Anyone else already check on this?

Thanks for adding these notes, HHEoS!

No problem, Imogene.

I uploaded my statement to the UMass app, but I also emailed it to that address. I did that because they didn't mention uploading to the app as an option for submitting the sample when I contacted Grad Admissions. Here's the message verbatim:

You can send it in hard copy or upload in pdf form and submit to this email with your full name in the subject line.

I chose to mail the TA application just to be safe. I would email Graduate Admissions just to be sure if you plan on just uploading it.

Hope this helps!

[Returning applicants - how're ya feeling?]

wow, HHEoS, that is a unusual situation. I think you should feel somewhat confident given your offers last year, though I have been told by both faculty and other applicants that previous offers/wait-lists don't necessarily mean those schools will offer admission again, but it should indicate that your credentials and interests have strong appeal for programs.

Did you change anything for this time around? As in, did you work on your writing sample or significantly change your SOP? Are you applying to same/different programs this year?

I got wait listed by two programs last year, but no admits. I wrote a completely new writing sample and took a new approach to my SOP. I'm applying to about 4 of the same programs as last year (including the 2 that wait-listed me), plus 5 new ones.

Best of luck, y'all!

Hey Imogene, I've also been told that previous offers mean nothing to decisions in other admissions seasons. The Acting DGS at the program that offered me admission but not funding did tell me he'd look out for my application personally this year if I reapplied though. I've considered contacting him as sort of reminder, but I haven't. Were you in contact with anyone at the programs where you got wait-listed? Have you contacted them this year? I guess this question is also for you, mostlytoasty, and anyone also in a similar situation.

As for changes: I'm hesitant to mention this on here, because I saw a discussion in another thread about how rare this is, and I don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers or come off as though I'm bragging, but here goes. The biggest change in my application is that I got a shorter version of my writing sample from last year published in a well-known, longstanding (almost 150 year-old) journal. I'm not using it as my writing sample this year, though, except for one program to which I'm applying that requires two samples.

My writing sample this year is currently under review for publication at a prominent journal in my particular field. I wrote it last fall for a Master's course during the application process, and made several major bouts of revision since. The latest revisions have been based on the comments of specialist readers at two journals where the piece was rejected. All these readers commented that the argument was publishable, but needed work.

My advisors and I discussed these possibilities thoroughly before I made my possibly risky decision in April.

My personal statement has been revamped completely. Only my paragraph on teaching is relatively similar to last year's.

I applied to 13 schools last year. I'm applying to 13 again: 7 are same (including the program from which I got the unfunded offer last year, and another where I was wait-listed last year), 6 are new. Because I decided to roll the dice instead of taking the offer last year, most of the new ones are very prominent programs.

So that's the long version of why I'm mostly, cautiously optimistic about my chances this year. I'm still worried that my terrible test-taking skills and atrocious GRE Subject Test scores will keep me out of programs though.

Good luck to you, Imogene, and everyone else reapplying this year.

[Program Specific Questions - Fall 2013]

Hey everyone, I just joined GradCafe today because I promised myself I wouldn't sign up until I was done with all of my application stuff (I kind of treated it as reward). I have been reading everything on here for the last month or so though. I got done on Tuesday, so here I am! Anyway, I'm posting here not because I have a program-specific question, but because I have a few pieces of info I got through contacting departments during the application process that might be helpful to others. Here goes:

Columbia: The grad school website and application states that they want a 1,000 word SoP, while the English Department webpage says they want a 500-word or 2-page, double-spaced one. The department "prefers" the 500-word statement.

UMass Amherst: The writing sample can be submitted via email to gradadm@grad.umass.edu or mailed. I chose to email it, because they'll confirm that it's received, and it costs nothing.

UPenn: If you applied to their program last year, they will waive the application fee if you apply again this year. You have to chose the "pay with check" option and email the grad school. I was so happy when I found out about this because it saved me $80 and it was the last school to make my re-application cut.

Florida State: If you applied there last year, there's no fee to reapply. You don't even have to notify them to have it waived, just submit the app.

[Returning applicants - how're ya feeling?]

Hey guys, I'm a returning applicant as well. My situation is a little different, however, since I wasn't exactly shutout last year. I got offers from two programs: one funded, one unfunded. The latter said it was likely I'd get funding, and I was first on their wait-list. I didn't. I'd set my heart on that program, and even though the other offer was from a great program, I didn't accept. I talked it over with my advisors, and they agreed with my argument for reapplying. I'm not pessimistic at all, in fact, I'm pretty excited about my prospects this year. I'm not sure if that's because of what happened last year. It would really suck if I got shutout completely this year though. Anyone else in a similar place?

[Potentially Stupid Buffalo Question]

Urgh Maryland does that, too. Now they keep reminding me to submit their supplement--as though I've forgotten!

Hey Waparys, if you enter your recommendation-letter writers' information on the Supplemental Application section of UMD's application, I'm pretty sure they will send messages to them immediately. You don't have to complete the entire thing and submit it to have those messages sent.

[just mailed my first app -- tears ensued]

I submitted OSU: Dec 5th deadline, but it must be mailed. I also submitted USC (online), which has a Dec 1st deadline.

Hey sebastian, Ohio State's supplemental materials are supposed to be emailed to the English Department. They asked applicants to mail stuff last year, but now they want it sent electronically:

Please send the following items electronically to the Department of English atenglishphdapply@osu.edu:

• a personal statement (1-2 single-spaced pages) that describes your background in English studies and your purpose in pursuing graduate work; this statement should address both your scholarly interests and your interest and/or experience in teaching;
  
• writing sample: a short essay or portion of a longer work is appropriate. This essay should demonstrate your abilities as a critical reader of a literary or related text, as well as your ability to use current scholarly sources; it is the most important part of the application. Applicants should submit a clean copy of the sample (i.e., not a photocopy that includes a teacher's comments).
  
  Students applying with a Bachelor's degree: an 8-10 page sample;
  Students applying with a Master's degree: a 12-20 page sample.
  
• a summary page giving your undergraduate GPA and GPA for courses in English;
  
• curriculum vitae/resume of no more than two pages with a clearly stated sentence at the beginning of the CV that declares your scholarly area of interest(s), for example: American literature and queer theory, 18th-century poetry, postcolonial theory and women writers.