champagne

Ha! I read this as, "And always, I'm high!" I guess that's one way to deal with it.

I don't know if it's "normal", but it's at least not unique. My cat has an annoying habit of trying to stick his whole head into a wine glass if it sits on a table for too long.

You're right. How terribly insensitive of me. "Sentient being with a properly endowed torso"

Now that you mention it, my cat is certainly not looking quite so svelte lately...

Definitely dry food. I've had way too many bad episodes involving kitty vomit following a wet food meal.

Nailbiter: I hesitate to say that AW scores don't matter, but AW scores don't matter. It could possibly be a deterrent for outside funding (i.e. fellowships) not directly handled through a GTA-type position. The same goes for quant scores, from what I understand. Also, I think your concerns about having a cliched writing sample is completely legitimate. You probably are going to write something that is relatively similar to something somebody else has written, at least in its nascent stages. That's why, if you're writing a new sample, you need to start very soon to make sure your covering all of your bases as far as finding a special niche within your discipline(s). I know this seems like common sense, but I find it comforting that there are many people applying to these programs that don't have much of a strategy going in. Use this time to your advantage and make sure when the end of the year comes, that there was absolutely nothing else you could have done to improve your application. With that said, even if someone reads your writing sample and finds something too familiar about it, I think that's okay too. If I were on an adcomm, I would be looking more for potential of development and general perspicacity than anything else. What the hell do I know, though? I'm just an applicant!

Bah! This is one of my favorite songs. Someone asked me if I had a constant song playing in my head one time, and I told them, most assuredly, it was this one:

Just calling for some reassurance on my sanity here. I don't know what it is, but it is literally an hour-by-hour switch on my confidence about this whole process. I might wake up in the morning, have my first cup of coffee, read something that sparks a few ideas, and think, "Holy Hell! I'M THE SMARTEST MOST ABLE ACADEMICIAN IN THE WORLD! EVERY ADCOMM EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD WILL LOVE ME!!!" Then, I have two more cups of coffee, I start to research school to which I might apply, I look at the raw statistics, and I fall into a desperate maelstrom of second-guessing of which Prufrock or The Underground Writer would be proud. Is this happening to anyone else? Or should I really be concerned about my mental health? Sorry for the hyperbole, but it really isn't too far off...

Teach For America can go reside in the deepest s-bend in the dankest bathroom of the central circles of Hell. Sorry. I have a prejudiced opinion of TFA. They exacerbate the problem they purport to help.

Up-voted because Corgi.

It sounds like you're well-informed on the realities and shortcomings of the market for someone with such a diverse background as yours. This is anecdotal, but my most respected professor from undergrad comes from the same background as you. She is an incredible poet/researcher/teacher, and she's just an overall badass. She got a BA in creative writing and an MFA, and she planned on getting her Ph.D. in poetry; however, she got connected with a really great researcher at her Ph.D. institution that led to her getting her literature degree. I understand certain misgivings you've been given for wanting to take this specific path, but maybe look into SLAC's for job placement at least. If you do enjoy teaching, the multiple skills required for such TT positions at these types of institutions seem right up your alley.

I think smellybug's advice template is a great start with whatever additions you need to make to let them know whatever personal experience was meaningful for you. It was rhetorically responsible and professional. I would let them know as quickly as possible as it will maintain what professional contacts you have made throughout the application process.

dazedandbemused: I wouldn't let the language reflect what you think of the University or the department. I really think they are being practical considering the precarious position higher education now has in the state of Florida. It sucks, but there is a very tangible possibility that the humanities will be treated as a third-tier discipline under Rick Scott.

Welcome, apre-coup! You sound very well prepared for the process. I say throw caution to the wind and apply to at least a few schools this time around. As for the subject test, I would definitely be more nervous about it if I were a non-major applicant. Although, you could legitimately mitigate any misgivings adcomms might have about a low GRE score by citing your non-traditional background and expressing how that would add richness to the department and your research. It all depends on where you're coming from and where you want to go. Also, I find it helpful after each practice test I do terribly on to remind myself that very few modern departments put a lot, if any, stock in the subject test. It is a flawed test, and I think the departments that are worth working with know that. It sure would be nice, though, to ensure that my test score won't cleave me from the pack at the very beginning of the process...

squire_western is mad because they won't be able to buy as many interwebs after being downvoted.

I am immensely excited for all of you, but please don't do this in a few years: http://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/streleski-theodore.htm

I'm wondering what kind of witchcraft OP used to copy and paste my research and transcript history to this thread.

Exactly. The most respected researcher I've worked with in undergrad told me that it was absolutely fine to get to a program and shift your interests. Hell, it should probably be expected if the department is bringing in truly intellectually curious people.

Yep. Basically, some old guy (or maybe gal, but most of the time guy) gave a bunch of money to take the next step beyond having a building named after them and got a person named after them. Or it's in honor of a professor emeritus that held that position for X years. I think it's perfectly prudent to pursue those professors as POI's. Usually, having an endowed position means the department/university thought enough of you to give specifically allocated money to your job/research. I might do a little bit of research on how involved some of them are as a few of them have probably gotten to the point of being a figurehead more than an active member of the department. Just my instinct.

Because the sheer numbers of this daunting process can seem intimidating, I think it's easy to think you have to be "perfect" to get into a program. I put "perfect" into quotations because, as many students of aesthetics will tell you, being "perfect" is just as subjective as anything. While you feel like your entire academic career may boil down to certain numbers, just remember that everything in this process is driven by fit. There are some programs that feel like their fit only lies within a certain quantified range of test scores. There are other programs that are more holistic in their approach to statistics. That said, you do want to put your best foot forward by doing as well as you can on both the subject and general GRE. Just don't construct it to be the end of the world if you don't reach a certain stratum of scores.

Definitely a safe comparison.

Yeah, my professor first showed that to me when I was thinking about Literature graduate school to pursue a tenure-track job in higher education, I suppose to make sure I got the real skinny. Long story, short. Here I am.

My immediate reaction was revulsion. I tend to have a Ron Swanson philosophy on liquors. Then, I realized you have the makings of a delicious White Russian. Cheers!

Thanks for your opinion, Dark Matter. As always, enlightening and helpful.

FWIW, girlwhowearsglasses, I initially went about the process with an inverse weather-motivated selection process to yours. I quickly realized that I was SERIOUSLY missing out on some great programs simply because I don't like to wear heavy layers of clothing. Also, while you certainly won't get as much snow as you've gotten in Ann Arbor (Thank Christ!), this latitudinal plane is pretty good for one good 3-4 inch snow every year. I think it's a pretty good change of pace.