literary_tourist

Thank you so much! Yeah, that was a good SOP, and the writer's topic and interests were well explained. I hope I can write something that can be comparable to this.

Where can one find a good SOP sample for literature? I've googled some, but they are mostly in history, sociology, etc.

It may also be great to narrow it down by genre, certain authors or certain periods (mid-Victorian, etc). A lot of people have written on masculinities already. Maybe it may also help to connect it to different topics like the idea of Empire, and add some authors and ideas that you are considering for your possible theoretical framework. There are many ways to approach a topic that has been written about already. I think the key here is to read around. A lot.

OMG! Lots of Victorianists here. I'm also a Victorianist, but I fear my grades may be too low for some of those universities. I know I will have to do a lot of explaining in my SOP. When one's Phd application is evaluated, do they look at one's cumulative GPA, or just one's MA if one has one? For instance, my grades during my undergrad were a lot higher than my MA grades. How do people in admissions convert grades anyway? I got both of my degrees outside the US (the Philippines and UK). I have also started looking at sample SOPs, but I can't find anything in literature. Does anyone know where I can find one? Thank you so much everyone. I am learning so much from your posts.

Wow. Talk about starting early

Thanks for the advice. I wouldn't worry about English language skills. I have been speaking it all my life. I grew up in the Philippines, but I studied in Britain. I came back to teach in the Philippines after my MA (as an adjunct), and whenever "the accent" comes out, my students give me a knowing look. Grrr. I realize that teaching here is difficult--composition classes feel like ESL classes too. I guess California is out then. I have been drawing up a list of programs (mostly mid-tier) to apply to but I find that they are extremely competitive. I'm not applying to ivy leagues or anything because I don't think my MA grades are good enough (I graduated with honors, but that was undergrad. My MA grades were only tolerable since the British grading system can be quite harsh. Anything below 70 is a B+, I think, in American standards). Looking at all the previous posts, it seems that getting funding from mid-tier universities can also be a pain. Has anyone applied to Canada? I looked at Alberta's program, and I think there is a strong 19th century lit group there. Not sure what funding is like there though.

I agree that time away can get one excited to go back to the academy. May be great to take a job, the other job that you fancied. If it turns out that it really sucks, it will get you wanting to go back to school again. Note: try avoiding call centers.

Thanks so much! That is a great idea and I will definitely put that in my SOP.

I'm an international, and I plan to apply for TAships like a lot of people. When it comes to giving out TAships, do universities prefer to fund non-internationals first before internationals?

Follow up question: would a conference and a publication that is not specifically in one's field hurt one's application? I'm a Victorianist, but I presented a paper before on a video game in an interdisciplinary conference. It was something that I did for fun, and it was my first conference. Would I be deemed by an admissions committee as someone who is unfocused?

This site might help: http://www.conferencealerts.com/