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smellybug

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Everything posted by smellybug

  1. I got accepted off the wait list to my top program after my POI told me he was "hopeful." It definitely happens. That said, you have no idea what happens behind the closed doors of the adcom meetings...
  2. Maybe another professor can mention them in a letter? If not, I think you've got to mention them in the SOP. In my opinion, yes, I think that would look bad.
  3. Fair enough. Sorry we took this as an opportunity to criticize your decision... As far as loans go, the only advice I would give is yes, by all means, avoid private loans. If something happens where you cannot pay government loans, there are always things you can do. You'll be paying them off forever, but, honestly, it's not the end of the world. However, private loans can really, really mess up your financial life. And that's no exaggeration. It's really nothing short of a scam and, frankly, I'm sometimes surprised that it's legal. I've never had any experience with PLUS loans, but I guess you'll have to make something work if you're paying more than 20,000 in tuition. Maybe you can contact the fin. aid. office at Washington and ask a couple of questions. Again, sorry this thread got hijacked by our judgement. Congrats of Washington and your decision!
  4. I agree. They won't consider your transcript separate from the LOR, so that should clear it up.
  5. Anal parade? Are there floats? And candy? It seems that in many fields the GRE is a gatekeeping mechanism, which means that no, it's not important... Unless it is. That is, unless it's an arbitrary factor that screens you out. Obviously, all sorts of things are at play here. Sure, some people get into schools (even Ivies) with so-so GRE scores. However, I don't think it's good advice to disregard it entirely because of some anecdotal evidence. Some of the schools I spoke with told me it matters; others said it didn't. In my case, I had a few strikes against me and wasn't willing to take any chances. I'm glad I didn't. That said, who knows if I would have gotten the same acceptances with a lower score? It's clear that no one's going to tell you they were super impressed with your GRE scores and that made you an attractive candidate...
  6. Hard to hear (and I don't know that I would have taken the advice, either) but I certainly agree. ETA: This is coming from someone with an UNGODLY amount of loans.
  7. I agree. I had to take the GRE three times to get the score I wanted. I think chances are that successful applicants will do what they have to (get tutoring, attend workshops, etc.) to get the score they need. It's do-able.
  8. They are very interdisciplinary (not just in theory) and are looking for people who are not just interested in literature in the traditional sense. I didn't mean to imply that it wasn't a great program, but on visit day there were twelve of us. And that's just the people who could make it. I am assuming they made close to twenty offers, which is really a lot. Perhaps this is an unfair assumption, but I thought that meant it would be less competitive. Great program, but they still make a lot of offers. intextrovert, could I ask you a couple questions about the program at Michigan? That is likely where I will be headed in the fall. ETA: When asked about placement, UCSC said they have a decent track record of placing people who study American-minority literatures. A current grad student told me that some schools seem to be "confused" by the unique program and that may hinder job-seeking graduates.
  9. Of the places I've been in contact with, I think Michigan and Rutgers fund everyone, and Illinois funds everyone but international students, I believe. Just so you know, I received funding offers from all the universities I was accepted to. It seems that comp. lit. programs are pretty good about finding funding. I got into schools that are generally ranked quite a bit higher than my undergraduate and graduate university. I have a BA in Creative Writing and will have an MA in English this spring.
  10. Thanks for starting this thread! My husband and I are going across the country with two dogs and two cats... Any pet ideas/warnings would be super helpful...
  11. I went to a visiting day at one university and, after asking a graduate student about job prospects, was told that if I was concerned about getting a job I was in the wrong field. Thanks, pal.
  12. Hey, fishbucket is talking about comp lit programs, right? If so, some of this advice is moot (I don't think Reno or West Virginia even have comp lit programs). Also, it's not quite as bleak as English program admittance: U Michigan, which is a top ten school, received 70 applications this year and typically receives less. Their stats are pretty clear: https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/academic_information/program_details/comparative_literature/ U Maryland is definitely not a program I would consider a "safety" school either. UCSC will be less competitive, but they also don't have a comp lit program, per se. I would focus on finding programs that fit you and then reach out to professors. Take a trip there if you can. This is all assuming you are an enthusiastic, smart, warm, and engaging person and can show them how dedicated you are. If not, stick to email.
  13. Hi refinement! Good luck with all this-- it's stressful but hopefully worth the struggle. Languages were definitely the weakest part of my application (minor in French, two summers of study in another language), but I think I made up for it with a kickass SOP. I decided not to apply to the Ivies because I knew my language skills wouldn't be up to par; I could have been wrong to avoid these, though. If you can get a summer of study under your belt, by all means, do it. And beware that some of the top programs interview you in the language you propose to study. So just saying you speak the language isn't enough.
  14. P.S. Just to get back on topic: The point is that you should pick somewhere you'll be happy. I could have been happy in Urbana, or Athens. But probably not Reno, Nevada. And that's just me. I know there are great places in the South (obviously! since, yes, I have actually been there...) but was more just making the point that disregarding place entirely (which, yes, is what you'll probably have to do once you're on the job market) isn't necessary at the graduate level. People tell you it is, but I don't agree. Good luck with this, guys.
  15. Ha, ha. This is hilarious. Touchy, touchy.
  16. I hear there's a really great thread on gradcafe about what's "hot" right now... Maybe you should check it out.
  17. ... and for me it's basically hell on earth. It takes all kinds to drive this bus, I guess.
  18. Geography's important. Don't let people tell you otherwise. My husband was like, hell no, we are NOT going to the south. And the more I thought about it, he's right. You have to actually live there, after all. You can make some concessions (I was willing to live anywhere that had a food co-op, for example) but don't do anything that will make you or your S/O miserable for the next six years...
  19. One quick thing from personal experience: can you afford the trip overseas? (I'm assuming you're in the U.S.) In my undergrad, I foolishly took a trip overseas on my own dime only to realize that I could have found better, more cost-effective ways to present my work. And there wasn't much chance I would do PhD work in that country, so it was unlikely I'd make good connections... With that said, though, this particular conference did result in a publication, which is no small thing. I would say to apply and sort out the details when you're accepted.
  20. They've told me the same thing for comp lit.
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