repentwalpurgis

Sent the "could you quickly let me know if you've seen this letter" to the two recs. One responded, "Yes, great seeing you - let me know if I drop the ball - I'm busy but this is really important!" Phew. Other, no response. Do I freak out? Do I call them? I'm especially afraid of badgering this person; when I asked for the rec (in person) it was an "of course!" I can't see them just dropping me....but....... . All I want is a "yes" (I'm still writing it) and "yes" (I saw your materials). Just for the perspective, this person agreed to writing for me at least two months ago.... I guess, another thing I could do is email their gmail account - which I'm *fairly* certain is linked with their university account?.....

I don't think you were being a jerk at all. Thanks for correcting me.

I would say you are spending too much time. Research what topics are commonly found on the GRE, make a list, then forget about it. Then apply those topics to each practice. You're not going to have any time to research before each essay, so why do it now? Also - the intro is the least important part. Don't spend ANY time brainstorming that. In fact, it should be as succinct as possible, and it should clearly state your point - which you should already have thought about before writing, anyway. I did a 1-2 sentence intro for each of my GRE essays and received a high score.

I would say: don't pay attention to the reputation of the person. Email them or meet with them personally, and gauge their interest in your plans, and what they remember about your experience. Remind them of stuff, too - "I remember you mentioned _______ about my paper / whatever, and it really made me develop a good sense of _______".... or, "I really worked hard in this course" (whatever applies). I had meetings with potential letter writers - walked in with the thought that I'd ask them for a letter, and their lukewarm response to our past experience (class) together didn't make me feel comfortable asking! So I didn't - why waste their time (and likely mine too, if it's not a great letter)? Those who seemed like the best fit as my letter writers were immediately enthusiastic about my research goals, asked me productive questions, and in one case, offered to write the letter without my asking. Also, if the second potential writer is now done with their Ph.D, there's no reason why a potential school should know that they didn't have it at the time of the course...they aren't looking at their CV, too (I think. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong). Still, to conclude: Test the waters. Find your letter writers based on what they have to say about you.

I'm having a similar problem - I've met personally with each letter writer and they've agreed to write for me. They asked initially that I send old essays in order to begin thinking about the letter. In that particular email (a little less than a month ago), I asked if the deadline I had in mind was okay, and promised more information in a few weeks - no reply to that. Figured that was okay, they knew I was sending the information since we discussed it days prior! This week, I sent a cover sheet with details about my application and research interests, GPA, a copy of the SOP, etc. Still - no reply. I know - don't get me wrong, how busy each one of these people are, but when should I start freaking out? Can I simply ask for a "please email me if you've seen this?" Each one of these professors is extremely kind and willing to help, and I can't see them backing out...

Tried the vodka approach last night with my writing sample. Didn't go so great.

But that's life I guess.

Yikes. Even if this isn't often the case, this prospect freaks me out. Personally, I think that's unfair since I haven't seen much quantitative material at all in the past four years of school. I feel that to have to relearn it and apply it to a test *where I've continually been told those scores don't matter* is just a deviation from the parts of the application that matter more. I don't think it would even matter whether it's a controlled environment or not - I truly could not ever be as proficient in the quantitative section as someone who's actually been using that part of their brain throughout all of undergrad.

I realize that English might not be your first language, so I'll point this out: "The seeds of my interest in the study of civil engineering were sown by my father." "Seeds," "sowing," and the family mentioned is a sexual metaphor, so it stands out as weird in your first paragraph. Just say that your father inspired you.

Since I finally acquired an official copy of my latest schools transcript, I've come to find that CC grades or even transferred classes are not listed whatsoever. Fabulous!

I'm trying to figure this out right now. My assumption is that a resume might include too much information and expounding on all of your experience is too much for the adcoms - a more succinct listing in categories of different *types* of experience gives them the type of organization they need? It just worries me because the curriculum vitae seems so much shorter... Can somebody chime in here?

Small bump. Since talking with letter writers, most have been extremely positive (even especially surprised, if they didn't already know / had forgotten) and supportive about my CC experience, and seem to see it as an interesting path in undergrad. That's alright with me! On a side note, transferred grades, as I've come to remember in looking at transcripts, are NOT listed in my final school's transcript: blejalksdfhashhhhheahuh. Since I went to three different schools, in some cases, I'll need to have all three.

I'm done responding to this thread because OP just seems absurd, and probably is just messing around, honestly. I can't even take this seriously anymore. Ultimately, I was just trying to help, even if I got a little snarky. I'm sure there will be people who will be much more straightforward than I was. OP won't budge from this mindset, and at least we've all said a few things he/she could take into consideration. #1- Nope, not experience - but I know others have. It's not worth crying about if the test experience is bad. (Again...you suck it up). #2- You misunderstand, and dodge the point of what is referred to in the second bold sentence. I am still talking about being upset, in ANY extent that causes a person to feel they must legally deny their responsibility to have studied in the first place, and pick a pointless battle with ETS. From your post, I must assume that... actually, I don't know what you are talking about nor how a cold has to do with the initial incident. You are just sympathizing with a person that kinda just needs to grow up. "Pretty indicative that"... the blank was to be filled in by you, and I don't think it was hard. So actually... my energies are also being expended on something I don't wanna waste my time on anymore! Good luck to all! Bye!

Right. It's so great that you got a good GPA in your undergrad without cracking a book. It'll probably be the exact experience when you get to grad school! You'll be just fine! And nobody will ever scorn you for your actual lack of knowledge! Look. We have all, yourself included, become quite aware of the scamming inherent to registering for the GRE, and the giant bureaucratic element of it that doesn't FOR SURE-OR-ACTUALLY determine whether we're apt to study at a graduate level or whathaveyou. And you drove 40 miles? What do you do if your home state is 100,000 square miles and you're in the middle of nowhere, and you drive FIVE hours to the test with similar conditions? Well, you want it so bad that you just do it. And you study enough to not blame the proctor for your own mistakes, even if there is a distracting element. Shit happens. Your overriding concern with this test, pointless energy inflicted on a random incident, and this lack concerning your actual study habits and attitude, I think, is pretty indicative that...

My studying has finally paid off!

Allergies suck. Cleaners suck. Distractions suck. Standardized tests are the pits. Oh, um, and wait...this whole application process sucks! I don't want to harangue, but, these are all of the problems and more you'll run into, not only in applying to grad school, but...surely throughout the entire process of attending! Nobody is going to sympathize with you, let alone give you 200$ for being peeved about an employee with cleaner. You have to learn that these problems exist and that nothing is going to happen to change them! Ever! If I'd stuck with my freshman attitude of "I want to kill the person who is sneezing or coughing in the library while I'm studying"...then, um, I wouldn't have gotten very far. I learned to work through my distractions (and I'll never stop being distracted!) and take them as they come (even if god forbid they crop up during a standardized test, but shit, they're gonna). It sounds like you have a lot of anxiety problems to work through - I used to feel quite similarly to the emotions, anxieties you mention. Which isn't to say I'm better. But...I just gotta say that you're going to need a lot of luck if you keep up with the "woe is me" attitude throughout the entire application. And barely opening a book is a terrible prerequisite to achieve anything worth your while in grad school.

No offense, but I think you are going about this very poorly. Of COURSE they are waiting for the prompt - if you don't have the exact information (ahem, deadlines, websites, info on the schools, whatever) they need to submit the letter to begin with, why would they just start writing a letter anyway? A small amount of professors might just write a letter out of nowhere, but more often than not, they are incredibly busy! They already send dozens on dozens of emails a day, and replying back to an email that promises some kind of information in the future is not exactly productive - nor is writing to a school when they don't know the first thing about how to submit a letter. The initiative here is on you - you send them the information, provide the links or prompt to submit the letter itself, and the information (SOP, transcripts, OLD WORK - you mentioned you hadn't seen your professors in years, might be a good idea) that will remind them about you and give them something to write about in the first place. Worrying about whether they're replying is not productive and setting the deadlines yourself (I hear 3 weeks is a good bet, 2 is too short and 4 is too long but I'm not sure about that) will get the ball rolling. Remember, this is your initiative, you decided to apply to grad school, and as such, you're the one who has to make letters happen.

I've heard from an adviser that they like when they're contacted; "it's flattering" and it's nice to communicate with someone who is interested in their work. However, this person also mentioned to me that it's important to do it in a tactful way that doesn't sound desperate, portrays you've actually done your research, and know what this person is up to. Surely it depends on the personality of the contact, too - this whole process is a toss-up anyway, right? "/

I would recommend using the Manhattan prep books. These confronted the way that I approach EVERY question (and type!). In this way, they introduce you to identifying what kind of question you are answering (especially important for reading passages - cuts your time greatly). This isn't to say that you need to constantly know what kind of question you are answering, but, it becomes a part of your subconscious that is MUCH more productive while in test mode. Furthermore, they actually have HARDER questions than what you'd see on the GRE. I went back to Barron's prep software yesterday and found myself getting every question right! I still have to retake the GRE (in early November), but I have a feeling that my score will move at least a little bit (and uhhhh, here's hoping).

Here's the thing. Ann Arbor has gone through a lot of changes in the past few decades; it was once even more "crunchy" than it today, and a lot of the wealth in the city has contributed to some unoriginal changes and I'd say it's a less carefree place than it used to be. Coupled with the fact that there is definitely some large percent of white upper-class (and you're right, kinda snobby) liberals, that doesn't knock what's already been said - it's still a wonderfully ethnic and diverse place to be. I'd say that what might be of some annoyance are those that seem to hang on to that once crunchier environment...but really came from some suburban middle class background. It's just a different place now, that's seen a lot of changes (we recently saw one of the best bookstores in town shut down to be replaced by a burger joint, the original Borders is a cemetery basically, etc). But that doesn't erase the fact that if you are attending UM, you're at one of the most incredible institutions in the world, and it really is still quite diverse. I wouldn't let it sway your choice of environment.

I forgot to add - don't edit, don't worry about what you are writing, about any kind of voice, anything at all. You're writing for the ideas. But the longer you write, the more material you will have - and the stuff that should probably not go into your SOP, won't!

How has being labeled in such a way (i.e. "disabled") informed your experience of reading literature? You mention medieval studies - surely there is some resonance there, no? Otherwise, how did reading Medieval lit inform your experience of disability? Are you certain that your professors simply want to hit a minority angle? I would assume there is far than that. How did having a disability at a university create adversity, as you mention, or conversely, were there moments where you wished it was not labeled or recognized as adversity at all? (I'm asking this because disability theory is a huge interest of mine - if you want to chat about it at all, please feel free to PM me anytime you want). There are definitely ways to discuss disability in your SOP that are new and engaging, as I'm sure you know - and you will find them. :} As for writing exercises, I would absolutely try a free write. Write for as long and as much as you can. Set it aside for a few days, and come back to it. Make an outline - check out the gradcafe forums for SOP. Outline the paragraphs where certain topics should be addressed, and move your free write into a cohesive series of paragraphs that fluidly showcase you and your academic/personal experience in an organized way.

danieleWrites, your post has helped me to realize that I'm on the same track to something similar, but the fact that I have unease in my choices (still) is going to be helped by emulating some of what you've done. Thank you.

I'm applying to Comp Lit, too! My focus is concentrated in Early Modern literature, extending to the Medieval influence. My interests are periodization, Shakespeare, Cervantes, travel narratives, the New/Old World, mysticism, etc. My languages are English, Spanish, and Portuguese. I studied Old English at one point, and read a ton in Middle English. I have a question for you all about letters of recommendation. Which professors are you using? One for each language? How do you feel about using your degree as merit for proficiency in the language, in place of a professor in that field? I assume this is a bad idea, considering you want to showcase your critical thinking and writing in that language as well. Just want to hear your thoughts, though.

Michigan isn't a biggie just yet (for Portuguese, anyway) but it's fast developing since the past couple of years and surely a good place to look.