guinevere29

First off, I'll echo rachelann and queennight in saying that they are absolutely correct on how to do better on the Verbal. Plain and simple, memorize those words. My goal was to break into the 90th percentile and I didn't achieve that the first time, in my estimation, because I was taking a more hollistic approach to studying. Second time, I just took practice tests and memorized vocab and I got into the 90th percentile.

Wyatt - I also got a 4.5 the first time I took the Analytical, mostly because I didn't believe that I needed to study examples of how to write an essay. I'd gotten a 12 out of 12 on the ACT writing the first time I took it, so I figured, why wouldn't I get a 6 on the GRE? Well, I ended up retaking it because I was embarrassed by that 4.5 and I ended up getting a 92nd percentile score on the Analytical the second time I took it just by studying how the section is scored and the example essays. I'd recommend taking it again if you can afford it, because I definitely think a 5.0 or a 5.5 is achievably on your second shot.

As for the creativity advice given by queennight, I can't really speak to that because I don't think I was very creative on my GRE essays. My strategy was to hit all my points in the most logical format possible, but maybe that's why I didn't make it to a 6.0!

You may be correct about this. I did explain to them how they were a better fit for me but it didn't seem right to turn down the offer at this point. I also mentioned that hopefully I am lucky enough to get a second chance when I apply for their PhD.

The program advisor was very kind and said he wished he was able to extend an offer to me earlier to beat the competion. He added, 'I hope you consider us when it is time for your PhD.'

So I am glad that I have left things on good terms with them.


And I feel a LOT better after talking to you guys about it. So thank you

Hi ReadingLisa! Sorry you're being made to feel split between family obligations and academic goals. I had a similar situation. I am my mom's only child; she's single and her parents are gone. She really struggled (and eventually succeeded) in being supportive of my decision to go to a school across the country. My biggest suggestion is to drive her to UPenn. First, she'll see that the drive isn't so bad. Second, she'll see where are you going. When my mom flew out last month, I took her to campus; something just clicked for her. She said she could totally picture me on my campus, in my building, at my desk. Now, when I tell her I'm at school, she can imagine where I'm sitting. But most of all, it seemed to all come together for her: why I was doing this, what it meant to me, and why this was the best place for me and my goals. It's still hard for both of us to be this far away from each other, but I swear it's been easier for her since she saw my new world. 

I went through something similar with my dad, to whom academe is a mystery. When I moved 12 hours away for work, he was heartbroken and didn't understand why I couldn't get a job as a secretary or teaching highschool with my MA in English Composition. I'm the first one in my family to go to college, and they don't always understand. I'm sorry you're going through this; I know how it feels.
 
Let's be pragmatic for a minute. Our field is absurdly competitive. You may not find a job when you graduate, and if you do find a job, it may not be one that pays a livable wage. This means that you'll want to go to school that gives you the best chance of finding work after graduate school. That also means that if you earn a PhD in English, it helps to be okay with the idea of moving far away to get a job. Sometimes people luck out and find a job, and if they're incredibly lucky, it's close to home, but that's rare. No matter what, your family's may want to adjust to the idea of you living somewhere far away if they want you to be (a) self-sufficient, and ( equipped with resources to allow you to help them out in the future. It sounds like they just don't entirely understand that; I'm sure they want the best for you.
 
For what it's worth, three years' after I moved away, my dad has forgiven me, and I've been able to help my little brother and mom out of a few financial scrapes because I took this job, so he's come around. It's not awesome being far away, but working here has opened doors and made options available that will allow me to some day live closer to my family again. Good luck making the decision that works best for you.

I think reading the bible is important because it'll make you not christian. the majority of practicers haven't read it, hence they still are.

Thank you so much for shedding some light on this! I'm keeping IUB at the top of my list as I actually wouldn't prefer to live in a big city, and the entire atmosphere of campus and the surrounding community seems so exciting, welcoming, and stimulating. The 1-on-1 teaching load sounds sweet - and thank you for the tip on the shrinking incoming class! It's daunting, yet encouraging to hear that while spots may disappear, funding opportunities might increase. I'm from Boston, and the thought of $450 rent (!!!) is making me swoon 

I meant to upvote this! I'm so sorry- don't have my glasses on and I hit the wrong one by accident.

Love the Groundhogs Day reference.
 
I think part of what people are frustrated about here is that while there certainly are naive, rosy-eyed students appying to PhDs in the humanities who definitely should be warned, if they have spend any amount of time on the forums here, they should be well aware of that fact.
 
On the otherhand, it has been really refreshing to hear people defending their choices to pursue PhDs in the humanities when there is so much negativity going around. Once you've considered all the risks and rewards and made the choice to get a PhD in the humanities aware of the dismal job market (as many of the people here clearly have), the lack of respect your decision seems to garner gets depressing. Sure, it's not for everyone but I've decided the PhD is for me. Cheers to supporting each other and keep each other positive.

Love the Groundhogs Day reference.
 
I think part of what people are frustrated about here is that while there certainly are naive, rosy-eyed students appying to PhDs in the humanities who definitely should be warned, if they have spend any amount of time on the forums here, they should be well aware of that fact.
 
On the otherhand, it has been really refreshing to hear people defending their choices to pursue PhDs in the humanities when there is so much negativity going around. Once you've considered all the risks and rewards and made the choice to get a PhD in the humanities aware of the dismal job market (as many of the people here clearly have), the lack of respect your decision seems to garner gets depressing. Sure, it's not for everyone but I've decided the PhD is for me. Cheers to supporting each other and keep each other positive.

Love the Groundhogs Day reference.
 
I think part of what people are frustrated about here is that while there certainly are naive, rosy-eyed students appying to PhDs in the humanities who definitely should be warned, if they have spend any amount of time on the forums here, they should be well aware of that fact.
 
On the otherhand, it has been really refreshing to hear people defending their choices to pursue PhDs in the humanities when there is so much negativity going around. Once you've considered all the risks and rewards and made the choice to get a PhD in the humanities aware of the dismal job market (as many of the people here clearly have), the lack of respect your decision seems to garner gets depressing. Sure, it's not for everyone but I've decided the PhD is for me. Cheers to supporting each other and keep each other positive.

On my phone so I can't upvote, so you have this post in lieu of it.

"watch out for that first step! It's a dooozy!"

So just to be clear: you came to a message board full of people applying to English/Rhetoric/Comparative Literature PhD programs and decided that, now, in March, 5 months after applying, you will remind us of the news no one doesn't know and repeat to us the websites and stats our loved ones, family members, and friends harp to us constantly?
 
Do you have a Kickstarter page so I can fund you to push kids off swings while telling them Santa doesn't exist?

Thank you so much for this, Algernon. I can relate to your experience in a number of ways, though I'll chose to mention one for the sake of brevity. I would, however, like to mention that I study rhetoric and composition and can really only speak to that context.

I did my undergrad at a state university in Minnesota, just large and old enough for it to have a long and illustrious history of binge drinking. Despite its high enrollment, it's a comprehensive university and is little known outside the state. I did mediocre in my courses and found much more satisfaction by putting in as many hours as I could as a writing tutor. Of course, there are fine things about spending several years of my life here, but I want to emphasize that getting into a masters program was a huge concern for me.

I had convinced myself that going to a better institution for my masters was essential for getting into a PhD program in rhetoric and composition, and I set out to take a year off to prepare for that endeavor. But after trying my hand at teaching abroad (and finding out after a few months that it wasn't my jam), stressing about the GRE, and working at a meat-packing plant through a temp agency, I was ready to go chat with the faculty at my alma mater to see if I could still get into their small, newly established M.A. in Rhetoric and Writing. Less than a month later, I was admitted and offered an assistantship to teach composition that fall.

Of course, I was pleased to have the opportunity, but I went into that program knowing that its prestige or reputation wouldn't do me any favors when it came time for me to apply to phd programs. Over the course of a year, I did anything and everything I could to bolster my application. Because departmental funding was nonexistent, I ended up spending a fair amount of money out of pocket to present at 10 conferences over a year and a half. I interned as a tech writer for an health mobile app startup in Georgia (and couch surfed that summer to make ends meet). Finally, I stressed out (probably a bit too much) to write a book review which was published in a major journal just before the application season.

Were all of these activities and expenses necessary for me to be a competitive PhD applicant? Absolutely not. But what I can say about this is that I have been able to learn a great deal about the field, and more importantly, myself. While all of these activities were shaped by my context, I'm confident that many readers of this thread can relate to concerns about reputation when applying to doctoral programs.

I did not take the GRE seriously, frankly, because I don't believe it's an accurate assessment of my ability to do research and teaching in rhetoric (I expertly selected three programs that did not require it for admission). As of today, I've been waitlisted by every program except for my top choice, where I have been accepted. I am pleased that a great number of successful scholars in rhetoric and writing have come from institutions like our little-known, Midwestern universities, and I certainly wouldn't mind working at one once I get my phd.

I thought Jazzy's first post was very helpful and that she (or he-- sorry I can't tell from you profile) was very clear both times. It's sort of, well, rude to compare how helpful people are, if they're all being helpful. There's a way to compliment someone without taking a jab at someone else. All of this info is volunteered. No one's obligated to answer questions, not even follow up ones.

As for the cover letter, and obviously this is just my opinion... There are plenty of people who got into 4 or more top ranked programs who didn't include a cover letter, myself included. I'm sure the cover letter is not a make or break thing -- or even very helpful, by most accounts. At best it's overlooked or ignored in favor of the SOP/WS; at worst it annoys someone on the committee because it wasnt asked for, and why should one applicant get more time and space to "make their case," so to speak? (Not my opinion - just playing devil's advocate here!) So the net effect is either 0, marginally positive (but not enough to make a difference, all other things being equal), or negative.

All of this is to say that the time is probably better spent on the SOP and writing sample. Unless you can dash off a quick cover letter! I am being 100% serious when I say that at every school, THAT's what they mentioned post-acceptance. They quote things, point out what they liked, what they could incorporate in their own work, how their school's offerings align with my interests, etc.

It's ridiculous that so many great applicants don't get admitted anywhere. So the other thing I will add is that luck was a big factor. You can do everything right and still not get into the school where your work and background "fit." Those are just the odds. I totally understand the point of this thread and it's definitely helpful! But I just want to say that it's also a crapshoot. I don't know what I did to get in, not really. I don't know why they picked me over someone else who is just as qualified, who fits just as well. I can guess. But none of us can know for sure. And in a pool of highly qualified people, the power of luck shouldn't be ignored.

Well I'm on here, I guess I'll put my two-cents in on perspectives on success.
 
I'll let everyone else be the judge of to what extent I was successful; I didn't get into any Ivy Leagues, but I also didn't really apply to any of them besides Stanford, and that was at the behest of my advisor.
 
I got into one PhD program that is top-20 for Medieval Lit. The school itself fluxuates around 20-22 in the USNWR for overall English program ranking, but obviously it was more important that it be highly ranked for my field. I got into two top-tier masters programs that were unfunded, and one funded masters program that is from a small state school that doesn't even offer a PhD, but is well-known specifically for its medieval studies resources (that would be Kzoo for all you medievalists).
 
Aspects of my application I wouldn't/couldn't change if I did it all over again:
- a 3.97 undergraduate GPA from UIUC in English and minor in Spanish (if said it before on here recently).
- 90th percentile GRE verbal and writing scores
- an abmismal 57th percental subject test score (what a waste of time and money, am I right?)
 
Things I think could have gotten me into more PhD programs:
- Been less specific on my SOP. I didn't realize it at the time, but I think I pidgeoned-holed myself into Anglo-Saxonism when I was still interested in the medieval period more broadly.
- Consulted more with my advisors about which schools I applied to. To be honest, I should have looked into this way more than I did. I only applied to 8 schools, and I wish I would have applied to more and picked them more carefully.
- Spent even more time on my writing sample/conferences with peers. While a professor eventually came through and really helped me out on this one, I think I could have had a better writing sample if I had sought out more opportunities to revise.
 
Hope this helps!

Well this certainly got interesting in a hurry!
 
Let's be fair to Academicat, who took the time to write a hell of a post and then followed up with explanation when asked (unlike others)...and who said the cover letter was partly the result of being pissed about a year of rejections and who was told that most applications do include them. It strikes me that this has to do with the particular people/departments that got specifically contacted for advice. On top of all that, Academicat is admitted to 4 programs. I for one don't sneeze at that. If, when it's my turn, I have a choice of 4 programs, I will do some unmentionable mode of celebration, it will be epic. And hell, if you get shut out one year and you get 4 acceptances the next time around, and one of your main differences is this tangible and identifiable, and we're asking, and Academicat is will to share, then I guess the neighborly thing here would be to continue seeking clarification:
 
Academicat, you mention taking a calculated risk with your writing sample...do you think the cover letter was another calculated risk? Would you have drafted and submitted a cover letter if you were pissed but did not get information that most applications contain them? If decorum by and large deems a cover letter irrelevant to other departments' application protocols do you still recommend it based on your current success, or do you think your applications were to an unusual set of departments in this regard? In short, what do you make of this mess we have on our hands? Please help to un-confuse me and possibly others.

Since fit is always discussed most often when people talk about SOPs and writing samples, I figured I'd copy and paste this from an email received by another poster by the DGS:
 
 
I think this is a useful way to think about fit-- it's not a static quality. It can evolve from year to year based on the internal movements of faculty within a department, and is dependent on the particular advising load for particular faculty members. As usual, the process serves the needs of the departments first. Just food for thought. (And more reason that you shouldn't beat yourself up about any given rejection-- there's just so much you can't control.) 

Most of the top-tier schools have notified applicants of their decisions, and certain forum members have had repeated success.  (I can think of four in particular, but there are probably more.)  I think it would be exceptionally helpful in many ways to many readers if those members who have been admitted to multiple schools among the top ten or fifteen or so would describe their applications in general terms, to give everyone some general idea of what it takes to gain admission to those schools.
 
For example, it might provide some context for those who were not admitted in understanding why not.  It may also provide some guidance to applicants in future years as to what their chances are, and whether it is worth the application fee.  It may also provide a sense of what "best practices" are helpful in achieving admission to these schools.
 
There's no need to provide information so specific that it identifies anyone personally.  I'm thinking of a level of generality like:  Ivy undergrad, or top ivy undergrad, highly-ranked state university or average state university, private university, SLA, west-coast-ivy-equivalent, etc.
 
It would probably be helpful to indicate your degree (BA or MA) and how many years, if any, it has been since you were last in school.  Also, if your undergraduate major was in a field other than English.
 
Some general information regarding GPA and GRE would be useful.  I believe they will most likely show that a range of numbers is OK.  
 
Information regarding letter writers would, I think, be particularly helpful:  For example, if they are well-known scholars at a top school; or if they are well-known scholars in your primary field of interest; or if they have a particularly close relation to one or more members of the faculty who may have had an influence in the admissions process (for example, if your LOR was a former student or mentor of a faculty member at a school you were applying to); or if your LOR had taught at that school at some point.
 
Giving an indication of one's field of interest and/or research perspective would also be helpful, and whether there seemed to be a particularly strong and objective fit between your interests and those of the faculty at the schools you were admitted to.  Alternatively, how you saw the fit, and whether there seemed to be a better fit at the schools you were admitted to than at those where you were not.  Also interesting would be whether you tailored your statement of research interests differently to different schools.
 
Things like "strong LORs" or "strong WS" would not be particularly useful, since most everyone's LORs are strong, and presumably everyone here is a good writer.  I think it's more helpful to say something about the letter writers themselves, since there is reason to think that not all letter writers have the same level of influence.  (A strong letter from Helen Vendler, say, might well be expected to carry more weight than an even stronger letter from someone less eminent.)  Also, it would be helpful to describe the extent, if any, of faculty involvement in reviewing and revising your SOP and WS.
 
Basically, it would be interesting to see if any correlations can be drawn between certain sorts of applicant/application characteristics and repeated admission to the top schools.

I love meaningful resolutions. I posted a few back in August on my blog, right before my classes started. For this semester, I made a few goals about keeping to a reasonable schedule (so far, check!), developing interests and commitments outside of academia (check!), and maintaining a consistent exercise schedule (huge, blatant failure!). 

This bit is really interesting! I'd like to hear more about what type of research you might do on this. I'm in the PhD program at Indiana U Bloomington. I mostly do Anglo-Saxon/Old English studies and I'm always fascinated by how much OE Tolkien puts in his writing. In my program start out teaching Intro to Composition but we can apply in later years to teach a lit class based on our own research, and I've always thought Tolkien and his medieval sources would make an awesome class that might get undergrads interested in Medieval Lit.

Anyone presenting at Kalamazoo or attending? Cause you should definitely check out the 1:30pm sessions on Sat (I'm presenting on Beowulf)

I've never known anyone to pay for a professional consultant. In my experience, the best consultant is a trusted professor who knows the expectations of ad comms and the language and state of your field.

Also, I was shut out of PhD programs when I applied right after my BA. I applied again after my MA, and I was accepted into five. Perhaps think of an MA program as a consultant: you'll get to work on a strong writing sample and you'll make deeper connections with professors who can guide you through the process.

Good luck!

I have been interested in the digital humanities for a while. Last semester I was part of a digital project for MAPS (Medieval Association of Place and Space) in which graduate students wrote Wikipedia-like entries for an online database on Arthurian legend. I also took a class that was completely dedicated to the "digital turn," but the professor was mainly interested in rhetoric rather than literature so any lit students were on their own to apply it to their fields. I ended up doing a video with a voice recording of the poem The Wanderer in the original Old English, so students who are learning to read OE could hear what the poetry sounds like when read aloud. 

I have to say, I'm still not sure I could come up with a finite definition of the "digital humanities." It seems to encompass a lot of different types of projects and research interests. I think to some extent its popularity as a category distinct from other research methods and presentation media will fade out as more and more people who grew up with computers get jobs as professors. People will of course still be working with digital media and talking about it theoretically, but it will be more semlessly integrated into pedagogy and research. Just my opinion!

First, take a deep breath. We all feel inadequate sometimes when we read our own writing (especialy when it counts for something important). Here are a few specific pieces of advice. I'll try to keep it brief since I'm sure you can find more detailed advice elsewhere on this site.
 
Try to think of it as an excercise in which you demonstrate to the admissions committee that you 1) can articulate a specific set of interests that are appropriate for your field 2) are a good fit for the school's program and 3) have the crudentials and experience necessary. I would error on the side of being direct and consice with your writing rather than fluffing up your writing with academic jargon. I also wouldn't waste time beating around the bush with cliches like "I've loved to read since I was a child..." or making claims about how much you enjoy academic work.
 
In the case of the disibility, it's hard to give specific advice without knowing your personal situation. Perhaps this would be something to ask the professors writing your letters of rec. Why did they feel the need to include it? Was it a personal obstacle you overcame? Does it somehow inform your academic work? Does it give you a diverse perspective that would be valuable in your field? In any event, I would keep it brief and positive.

You are right that a lot of schools do weed people out. If you scored 60th percentile or lower on the Verbal GRE, I would be concerned about getting cut. However, I see a lot of posts from people worrying frantically about their 75th percentile scores, or even their 80th percentile scores, and that's not worth your time or effort no matter what the websites say. Now, lower-end GRE scores combined with other sub par elements of your application lowers your chance of getting in. However, if you've studied and done the best you can do on the GRE, I would not go dropping a grand on a GRE prep course to improve your scores or studying an hour a day at the expense of revising your writing sample or improving your personal statements. Or using that money to apply to more schools!
 
I have more anecdotal evidence than statistical (just talking to current graduate students and department staff), but I have always been told straight up that the GRE is the least important element of the application. I think a lot of people on this forum make the assumption that if you are seriously considering applying to PhD programs, you have looked at your GPA and GRE scores and know that they are at least reasonable for getting into these programs, so I think that's where a lot of this advice is coming from. Someone who has a 75th percentile score with a perfect fit in terms of academic interests and a stellar writing sample will certainly get in over someone with a 170 GRE score and a poor fit. AdComs do understand that it is possible to perform poorly on a standardized test and still be a brilliant writer. That's as much as I've been trying to get across.

I feel like I'm always Debbie Downer when I drag this into these conversations, but I'm going to do it anyways.  I highly (and repeatedly and fervently) recommend that you give yourself as many options as possible.  Here's why:
 
1) What you want right now might not be what you want in January.  The time between submitting apps and hearing from schools can be a strange and mystical part of your life: you might read Jamaica Kincaid for the first time and become obsessed, you might meet your POI at a conference and discover that he is the devil incarnate, you might realize that you wouldn't live in Chicago if it were the last place on earth, or many many other things.  Be a little flexible about what you can imagine yourself doing, because not only will you possibly change what you want between now and March, but you'll almost definitely change direction at least a little bit once you arrive at your program and start trying and learning new things.
 
2) This is obvious, but it's worth stating and considering again and again.  What you see online, what you get in emails, what you hear from students before going places, and what your POIs tell you is all marketing.  I was admitted to a program this past season that seemed really good on paper and online, but when I visited it, I was immediately put off by the attitude of the department.  Be critical.  You don't want to end up somewhere that doesn't work for you because you were starry-eyed.  Being negative and fastidiously evaluative is a bit of a drag and might make you unpopular at margarita Mondays for a few months, but it will also probably put you in a better position than just riding on what the program says it offers and is.
 
3) If you can produce (and afford) 15 applications of the same quality that you would achieve if you were only producing 3, I would recommend applying more places.  I know that people feel strongly in both directions about this, but my reasoning is pretty basic and mathematical.  Both times I have applied, I have had a 25% success rate.  Had I applied to 4 schools, this would give me 1 option. Because I applied to 16, I had 4.  You want options for reasons 1 and 2 and also because, when you have multiple offers, you can haggle.  This is not true everywhere, as some schools have a standard stipend and that's that, but there are many schools that will ask you what your other offers are, and if you can return that U of A has offered you $5,000 more than U of B and you'd really prefer U of B, then you might just get $7,500 more from U of B.  (This is looking way ahead, but I'm also going to recommend not feeling timid about haggling; don't haggle if they have a set stipend, but if you think you have leverage, do it.)
 
4) Unless you feel very strongly that you would be utterly miserable living somewhere or you are moving with a partner/kids and need to consider location more, don't eliminate schools because of where they are.  I'm not particularly keen on Texas, California, or NYC, but I applied to 6 schools in those locations and very seriously considered the offers I got from some of them.  The fact that I ended up in a program that is both highly-ranked and pretty much exactly where I want to be is pure chance (and this program only became my first choice after I visited all of the programs I'd been admitted to).  Weigh the pros (what the university is going to do for you) against the cons (horrible weather, in a city, not in a city), and the pros will very probably win.
 
5) Listen to advice and recommendations, but also don't feel timid about rejecting it.  My advisor at my last program suggested about 30 programs to me, and probably 15 of them made it on my list or were already there.  I was pretty dubious about one of those, but I decided to go for it even though I wasn't keen on the location and the program wasn't represented well on the website.  This program became my #2 and I very nearly ended up there.  Even though I did not choose to do my PhD there, I made very valuable connections with the faculty during my visit.  The program I chose is not the one he was pushing for, but I decided it was the best fit for me.
 
Anyways, those are some of the more nuanced ways I made my list.  I'll also answer id quid's question a bit more directly with this bullet point:
• ask any helpful faculty
Your an advisor is, obviously, important in this process, but you have far more brains to pick than his or hers.  Ask profs you get along with in your department and in relevant departments.  If you're not a dick about it, people who are in radically different specialties than the one you want to enter will probably be willing to take the time and effort to think about it and even reach out to contacts they have on your behalf.  Be polite, friendly, and solicitous, and you will be inundated with helpful information.