repentwalpurgis

Someone tell me if I'm wrong, but this helped me out, and maybe it can help others. I looked at recent conferences in my field, at specific papers and who wrote them, and whether their interests fit with mine (better yet if they are from the broad-reaching list of schools that I started with). Of course, this is introducing a question of whether I should be looking at "fit" at all, but this is quickly helped me to eliminate the schools where I realized there was no one I could work with and that I'd merely been in awe at their merit or hearsay. Of course, I've moved far away from "I want to go to that school just cuz it's IN THE TOP MILLIONTH WHATEVER". I'm still looking at schools that are excellent, but making sure I can fit in with who is already there, too. Methodology, resources (a personal favorite is if the school is a part of the Folger consortium), opportunities for collaborative work (academic graduate journals and the like) are not merely cherries on the proverbial top but slowly becoming logical reasons to attend such-and-such school.

Right, I forgot to add that the Trinity TESOL and the CELTA are really the only respected ways to get a certification quickly. What is your course called?

Is it a TEFL course, or a TESOL course, for starters? TESOL is for higher learning ESL, and that's typically always through an actual graduate program. This is to say, a TESOL Master's completed at a university is an actual accredited certification and a course really isn't. I have no idea how graduate programs in literature value ESL teaching. Still, it is the act of teaching experience an in actual classroom that's more valued when you apply for ESL jobs, than say, a weekend/online/quick TEFL course. If you completed a course and possess zero ESL teaching experience, then that's (sorry, to be quite honest) nothing much at all. If you have some teaching experience, then I really wouldn't worry about the course itself. Don't waste your time unless you've got some to spare. I would never sacrifice my grad school app time just to complete a course that does not supplement (competitively nor enough) my actual classroom time.

It can be easier than believing that all the hard work and effort you put into college and your applications might be overridden by those stupid numbers...

This. Thank you. Made me feel a lot better. I guess lately I have been reevaluating the way I've always regarded school - since grad school in itself seems to take an ounce or more of "Okay, you need to just calm down and let this thing BE." For some reason I have small confidence in my abilities even though my numbers in undergrad came out on top. In some extent this actually pushes me to work my ass off, but in other ways, it's explicitly detrimental to my progress. Anybody else feel this way? Gonna spend the rest of the day working hard on my writing sample (which is actually, in some regard, dare I say FUN because I'm showcasing my research. That's the number 1 reason why I'm doing this crazy process, right?) instead of worrying about redoing this scam of a test.

Ugh, I just wanted to add this...but when I went in to do the GRE, AW was the section I studied the least...which is to say, barely. This isn't about the GRE, but about confidence. I simply didn't care how I wrote...but it came out just fine. Do I need to apply the same attitude to the rest of the test? To everything, my apps in general?

I don't get it, but I didn't do great on the GRE reading comp section at ALL. A percentile a bit lower than 75%. I received a 5 on AW. I'm working my way through the Manhattan prep books now, but like....I feel really late in the game to be retaking and I'm still getting at least one question wrong on each section I practice. I don't know what I'm doing wrong anymore and I have little to no confidence when it comes to standardized tests. Like everyone else, I'm also working on my writing sample, SOP, I teach 30 hours a week, and I still need to sit down with my letter writers... *cries*

Oh yeah, and I forgot to add that you can look up what your local college or university offers in the realm of helping international students. I secured a job helping out incoming graduate students with their English and American pedagogy when I was in undergrad. It was very fun.

I don't have a certificate. But I teach ESL at a private language school. There are plenty of opportunities to teach ESL/TESOL at community colleges, language centers, private schools, etc. These types of jobs usually aren't going to be listed on Dave's ESL cafe or anything like that. I would ask these particular centers what other schools are in the area (or outside of it) and work from there. Many, many folks working the U.S. with a visa or whatever will seek out whatever resources they can to better their English and make their lives a little easier. And then that leaves husbands/wives, children who are often struggling with American school requirements. They all need help. Often, teachers will teach at multiple schools in order to have a full-time schedule. Ask them what they're doing. If you can't find a school right away, register yourself on universitytutor as an ESL tutor and build up some credentials and experience (and get paid under the table). Once you get your foot in the door, you'll be surprised at how many opportunities there are for ESL in the States.

Thanks to everyone's advice, I'm happy to admit that I've not sequestered myself into an English program alone. My list includes a plethora of English, literature, and comparative literature programs!

Ha, yeah, that's more along the lines I was thinking. My dream (along with so many of you) is to teach at a professorial level. Even though teaching these low literacy students sometimes made me want to scream, teaching felt exactly what I should be doing. So there's part of the "after this graduate degree" paragraph.

Sleep is important.

Yeah - I guess voicing those feelings about community college (I can't help but feel that some expect me to defend myself) and leaving it on the forum for a while has turned over a good leaf. It's just difficult to think about how much I should reveal - if I should justify myself at all, or something.

I went to a local community college in my first two undergraduate years in order to save money (and oh, I did - no debt ). I then transferred to one of the best universities in the world without a hitch. However, my question is whether this should be addressed in the SOP. It isn't unique or special, but it absolutely shaped me (I did get a position as an in-class tutor for lower-literacy students there, too). I feel very strongly about my decision to go to a cc for two years (I absolutely feel like it was the right choice). I am a huge advocate for the continuing presence of community colleges and how important they are to providing an opportunity for higher education (I'm still friends with a lot of the instructors there, and they are going through some difficult budget cuts - it's a very good cc in this area). But uh, that isn't unique or special either. Should I try to concisely state in just one sentence or two something about my cc experience? I also went to a local university to continue my Spanish (classes weren't offered at 300 level). I mean, I am going to have to send them a transcript from both institutions, so it seems to me that I'm leaving something out if I don't say a word. Plz help.

ktlynnjoy, major congrats on the Fulbright! Applied for one in my last year of undergrad and did not get it (eggs, one basket). Never studying abroad was definitely such a mistake - have you looked into ciee programs at all? I think I might apply to one next year. I currently teach ESL about 25 hours/week so I've been getting a ton of teaching experience. A great excuse to go abroad and extend my skills there as well! However, I really miss learning about languages. Teaching the ins-and-outs of ENGLISH grammar, writing, and reading is truly not what I want to do for life. Lately I've been leaning toward the idea of applying to several MA Literature programs, and perhaps a translation program too, and seeing where that takes me. In my perfect vision, next year I'm abroad somewhere in a Spanish speaking country, and hopefully coming home to a graduate program. But damn, that's a strong ideal - we'll see. PM me and let me know what's up!

Wow, I have to say that I really appreciate everyone keeping this thread up and running. As an academic, the expansive mind feels betrayed once you feel the need to narrow your focus, so this support has been great. I just wanted to say to poliscar and rising_star that I did indeed read the initial post, and I'm sorry that you might have felt I didn't regard your efforts appropriately. Declaring an adamancy against comparative literature programs was reductive to begin. However, statistics like this don't give me much hope ("Berkeley, for example, has placed a good 13 Comp Lit PhDs in English departments over the last 8 or 9 years"). But, the good amount of information in rising_star's post that gave me a little more fresh perspective. Just been wondering what other options I could create for myself, too. To be honest, I have been looking more and more into M.A.'s as sort intermediary for the Ph.D. I don't imagine that I will apply to a Comp Lit program to begin, but once I feel that my focus is more sound, I may go for Comp Lit in the future - Bennett, really appreciate the perspective from a Comp Lit student. Do you like it so far? Lady Rowena, PMing you!

Comparative Literature is a far more competitive field with a lower amount of jobs available than an English PhD., in a diminishing academic environment. Granted, I know that I'm searching for an academic profession and that's not really stretching my prospects initially. But I'm also looking toward what the future of academia is likely to be eventually. I've also heard over and over again from Comparative Literature doctorates that they are unsatisfied due to having divided future employment prospects and interests.

Oooh, yes. Forever searching through the plethora of good schools in California. Thank you for the tip!

whoops, I mean - works in English and Spanish renaissance lit!!!

Get in contact with Thomas Toon at the University of Michigan.

Aw, thanks so much, you guys. It's been recommended to me before that I chart out some kind of study that included "New World" lit. I suppose it just seemed a little absurd to have any kind focus in another language...in an English department. It's also a little uncommon for professors to be more informed in both English AND Spanish works. And that would not only be a very satisfying area but create more marketability. I remember continually seeing a crossover of thematic issues in both English and Spanish classes. Any word on good "straight Literature" programs? I've only been looking at English thus far - wondering how to change my perspective, here

Hello, I graduated from U of Michigan 6 months ago with dual majors in both English and Spanish. While I've been thinking for the past few months that I would go into a program to focus on Renaissance Literature (in English, hopefully Ph.D), I can't help but feel like I'm really missing my Spanish (I started studying Portuguese, too, but that was in the early stages of introduction at Michigan). Before anyone suggests a Comparative Literature program, I must admit that I do not want to do that - not because it doesn't seem appealing as a study, but I don't want to sequester myself in a program that would not allow me a proper focus in one area or another (and thus, render myself unemployable to English and/or language departments). From what I hear (and I'm sorry, Comp. Lit-ers, I love you, but I need a better guarantee of employment) Comparative Literature departments are on the fritz and are small, few and far in existence (and it will only get worse). I'd like to do English because at the very least I could end up teaching composition and rhetoric and that is always a necessary job position. But man, do I miss my languages. To be clear, I don't think I could apply to a Spanish or Portuguese program as I never studied abroad (due to putting all my eggs in one basket with my heart set on a grant right out of undergraduate. I know, it wasn't smart). Sigh. So, I guess my question is - how often does one get to study languages within an English department? This might be a terrifically dumb question. Thanks, all.