CrisCain

I used "a pleasure to work with/among"

Hi all, I know this is awfully redundant, but I would much appreciate it if someone (anyone!) could PM me and read my SOP for my English PhD applications. This one is for Princeton, but obviously, the others will be tailored to other schools. Also - Princeton's word count it 1,000. My SOP is 1,167 words, but is still less than 2 pages. How strict is the word count enforced? Should I keep cutting? Thanks a million! Cristen

Definitely study Theory and the names associated with the movements - there were a lot of questions like that (i.e.: which did Jacques Lacan write).

Hi everyone, I recently talked to my current advisor about letters of reccomendation, and he agreed, but now he keeps asking me if I have found a mentor yet. Does he mean that I need a mentor picked out at each of the seven schools I'm applying to? Before I get in? I'm a little confused, can anyone shed some light on this? Thanks! Cristen

love it!

Heidegger!! I shudder at the thought...

Me too! I can use any help I can get!

I can relate- I'm also 22. I graduated from my undergrad in three years and went right into my MA. Now, I'll graduate from there in May and am furiously trying to get into a funded doctorate program for next year. I was worried about my age and discussed it with my advisor who said "Don't take a break! Keep going!" I think that there is something to be said for life experience- I see it in my master's classes now. But I also believe that us 'youngins' have a fresh perspective to contribute as well.

I am currently in contact with both of my advisors (from my undergrad and from my masters). I will be receiving LoRs from both of them, plus one from another professor that I have worked with in grad school. My SoP is already drafted- I have steered clear of the "I love to read" nonsense, and instead concentrated on why I am pursuing my PhD and what I hope to accomplish. As for my writing sample, though, I am a little worried. I have a paper on TS Eliot, but I have two problems with handing it in: 1) It is 21 pages long and will need to be drastically cut to meet the maximum page requirement for the programs (around 15pp); 2) It is on theory, which is not necessarily what I hope to focus on in grad school. I would like to start over and write a paper on Kerouac, but have found two problems with that as well: 1) I don't know how well-received it will be, as it is not a conventional, traditional author; 2) My grad advisor said that unless other professors in the programs I am applying to have written about Kerouac, it may not be a good idea. I found one professor at one of the schools I am looking at who wrote about him, but I don't want to have to write a different sample for every school I enroll in. Any advice?? Thank you!

Wow, I simply forgot the "s." Thanks for the support.

Hi all, I will be graduating with my MA in English Lit in May and am looking into PhD programs for the Fall. I'm just wondering what my likelihood of acceptance will be- I don't want to get my hopes up! Maybe you guys can help? If all goes well, I will have a 4.0 upon graduation and strong letters of recommendation (including one from a Rutgers PhD alum). I am taking both the subject and the general GREs in October (which I'm veryy nervous about!), and my one concern is my writing sample. I have a critical essay from last semester that I received an "A" on, but I'm worried that PhD standards are no where near MA standards. Does anyone have any advice for me?? The other school I'm looking at are: Stony Brook, Boston College, NYU, Fordham, CUNY... Thanks!