ekmoore

Hello world! I graduated in 2012 with a BA in English and a 3.44 GPA from a LAC with a reputation for its lack of grade inflation (hopefully the little card they attach to transcripts to this effect will be a boon of sorts) I'm planning on applying to library science programs, and have some questions. My list as it stands currently: UNC Chapel Hill, UT Austin, UW Seattle, U British Columbia, McGill, Simmons 1. Is there anything truly detrimental in applying to begin in the Spring (Jan 2014)? I know that a shot at funding/scholarships would likely be limited that first semester. 2. I'm interested in the more technical side of things. While I'd love to someday actually work at a library, I'd be just as happy, if not happier, doing database/metadata/UX/taxonomy things in the private sector. I'm leaning (strongly) towards MLIS programs rather than MIMS/MIS/WTFBBQ programs because they seem more versatile, and leave the library option open. Thoughts on this? (or on the above interests?) 3. GRE! Right now I'm 91st percentile verbal and 59th percentile quant, and 4.5 writing. I didn't study for verbal at all, so I figure a month with the top 500 vocab words and I could get that 91 to a 95. UT lists their "average" as 323, and I'm 319. UNC is a similar number/range. Should I retake the GRE, or trust that it's "good enough" and use the time I'd spend studying to craft a that-much-better SOP? 3a. Any SOP advice in general? Some schools give word count and topics, some are a bit more vague, and tips or anecdotes would be appreciated, just for reference and comparison. Any other advice? I know, I know, "go to the cheapest/closest place," but I tried to pick schools in cities I'd actually like to live in, since I'm aiming more towards private-sector not-strictly-library jobs, I figured networking/interning in places I'd want to live would be less of an issue. Thanks in advance!