hj2012

This is very possible, haha. But I still think it would be worthwhile for the OP to email either the DGS or one of their former professors at UNT and ask for advice, particularly since he/she is an alumni. But rather than asking about minimum scores, it might be more useful to say something like, "Hey, I'm a former student of yours looking to apply to PhD programs, would you mind giving me some insight on the role the GRE plays in admissions to your university?" My undergrad professors gave me a lot of "insider tips" about how admissions works, which was really helpful to me as I crafted my application.

I should rephrase: having broad interests isn't a bad thing at all! In fact, being engaged across disciplines is very productive for innovative scholarship, particularly for your stated fields. That said, for the purposes of application (and facing the realities of the academic job market), you will need to carve out a niche and decide if you want to sell yourself as a sociologist, or a literary scholar, or a film critic, etc. This is crucial for all of us involved in interdisciplinary studies, for better or for worse. This is why I asked about the questions you're interested in pursuing, as it is possible to tackle the same topic (e.g. anti-capitalist struggles) from a myriad of perspectives. It might also be useful for you to think about what kind of introductory undergrad course you most ideally see yourself teaching (e.g. Sociology 101, Film Studies 101, Philosophy 101, etc), as the department you choose will prime you as a candidate for a specific kind of teaching position. After hearing more specifically about your previous work, I think you are wise to turn your attention to film studies programs. You may also want to consider places like Berkeley Rhetoric, UC Santa Cruz History of Consciousness and Minnesota's Comparative Studies in Discourse & Society. Neither of those writing samples, as you described, seem quite right for Sociology programs, which tend to be grounded in a certain kind of methodological approach. Good luck!

If you graduated from UNT, would it be possible for you to email the DGS and just ask if your GRE scores are sufficient for entry and, possibly more importantly, funding? Funding is what I would be most concerned about, as many graduate schools have what amounts to a zero tolerance policy about funding students under a certain score threshold - and many of these schools aren't necessarily the highly ranked ones. Trust me, I also find it ludicrous that standardized test scores matter so much, but it's a sad fact of grad admissions.

As fuzzy mentioned, it'll be easier for people to give advice if we know your subfield(s) and interest(s). The top schools for, say, medieval poetry will be different from postcolonial lit (though the tippy-top schools tend to have well-regarded scholars across a variety of subfields). I don't really know how much your other experience (MBA, military service, etc) will really help you; if anything, it might raise some eyebrows and you'll have do a good job in your SOP contextualizing why you want to make the switch to a PhD program. Furthermore, a 3.4 GPA in your English major might worry some admissions committees. Also problematic are your LOR writers. I'm assuming the grad professor from your MBA program won't be speaking to your literary abilities, and I would be concerned with only one letter coming from a literary scholar. To kill two birds with one stone (so to speak), would it be possible for you to register as a continuing student at a local university and take a few upper-level classes, preferably in your subfield? This would help demonstrate that you're capable of succeeding in upper-division English classes and hopefully get you another letter from an English professor. Another option is to look into MA programs, though this would, of course, add another 2 years onto your academic career. As a non-traditional student following a non-traditional path, you may find that MA programs will best help you transition back into the academic world. That said, research fit, a strong writing sample and SOP are really the most important parts of the PhD application package. If you feel that you already have stellar application materials, you may not need more experience before applying directly to PhD programs. Hope this helps -- good luck!

Probably wouldn't hurt (unless you phrase it poorly), but I wouldn't expect it to help, either.

It depends. How will you be describing yourself in your SOP? If you state that you're interested in studying avant garde poetics from a postcolonial perspective in your SOP, but your writing sample relies on, say, Harold Bloom as your major theoretical source, that'll probably raise some eyebrows. The same goes for the writer you choose to write on: pick someone that you think you'd be interested in studying in the future. Hope this helps! Good luck!

With your background, I would definitely look into programs like Pickering, Rangel and Payne that provide significant funding for grad school. Also look into programs like Fulbright or Boren as a post-grad option; out of my Fulbright cohort, lots of people transitioned into top IR masters programs with really strong funding packages. Good luck!

Definitely contact and ask, but I doubt that you telling them that you'd defer would spur them to fund you. Most departments have specific pathways for providing TA/RAships, and at the M.A. level I imagine the opportunities are competitive.

I, too, would favor the public policy experience, especially if you're looking at undergrad debt or the prospect of incurring more debt in the upcoming years. Re: GRE scores, it depends on how low they were. Was your combined score higher than 310? If so, you're probably hitting above the median of accepted students at your target schools. Generally, a higher GRE score can compensate somewhat for a lower GPA, so that's something else to keep in mind.

You sound like a really strong candidate from what you describe! I think the list of funded MA programs is a great place to start, though it sounds like you'd be competitive for some PhD programs as well. From your career goals, it seems that you might fit best in a rhet/comp program (or a lit program with a strong composition presence). I don't know how much teaching experience you have, but you may find it worthwhile to volunteer at your writing center or something similar in order to test the waters. The GRE definitely is not that most important part of the PhD application process, but it is sometimes used as a metric in determining fellowships and other forms of funding. For the schools you listed, I would only be concerned if your total score falls under 200, and I would aim for 160+ on the verbal section. However, I would also want to echo what jaymarias said -- don't sell yourself short! With a great writing sample and SOP, you should be a competitive candidate.

Hi there, It's possible to enter SIPA or SAIS without work experience, but you'll be facing an uphill battle. I know it's difficult and time-consuming to get a full-time job in Korea, particularly in international studies, but I highly recommend that you try to give yourself at least a year or two of experience before applying, even if it means taking an extended internship experience or applying for something like KOICA (especially if your interests are in international development). Good luck!

Not to be super corny, but the fact that academia is all you've known is MORE reason to try something else! I know I wouldn't have done well in grad school had I gone straight from undergrad because I, too, was quite burnt out. However, a few years in the "real world" has convinced me that the academy is where I want to be. I definitely have more fire in the belly, so to speak, from my years working. I encourage you to apply to full-time jobs, even if it's not EXACTLY where you want to be working, because the experience will be valuable regardless. You mentioned that you enjoyed being a TA; have you thought about entering education full-time? You could also look at volunteer programs like City Year in order to test the waters.

To be totally frank, you'll have a hard time getting into UVA's political science program with a 3.0 GPA. Nearly everyone I met in the program was coming in with a much stronger academic background. I did know someone who'd done a MA prior to entering UVA's MA (though his MA was in Education, so not necessarily a related field), but he did quite well during his prior grad & undergrad studies. You say you feel burnt out, which is totally normal considering how much direct schooling you've gone through! But if you're burnt out, I'm wondering why you're interested in pursuing MORE higher education. You didn't do well during your first MA -- what has changed that will enable you to do significantly better during your second MA? I understand the job market is tough these days, but I highly encourage you to go out and look for opportunities that will not only diversify your resume but allow you to take a break from academia. You'll need to be able to justify why you're making the switch from IR to American Politics, so why not spend a year working for Americorps (very low-paying, but many positions aren't particularly competitive) or volunteering for a campaign (midterms are coming up)? These seem like better options for you to survey the field and get a better sense of what you want, rather than going into deep debt for another degree that may or may not be relevant for your future career.

Yes, there's grade inflation in American graduate programs. Many PhD programs require students to keep above a 3.5 GPA, and from what I understand, receiving a "B" in a grad level course is indication that you're not doing something right.

It's hard to give you a list of programs without knowing more concretely what your interests are and, perhaps more importantly, the kinds of questions you're interested in asking. What you've listed in the original post is incredibly broad, and could be studied in a plethora of disciplines at any number of institutions. From what I understand, Marxist thought is often utilized across the social science disciplines, but if you want to study Marxism and its recent (re)incarnations directly you might want to be in a Literature (or perhaps cultural studies or continental philosophy) program. I think you need to decide what kinds of questions most compel you, and also get a sense of the scope of research that's realistic for a dissertation project. It's unlikely, for example, that your dissertation would be as broadly theoretical and critical as, for example, Vivek Chibber's recent book on postcolonial theory. If you were to apply today, what would your writing sample look like? That might give us the best idea of what you're looking for in a grad program.

For those looking for temporary housing, Airbnb can be a decent option.

At both my undergrad institution and my future grad institution, there's no distinction between MA level classes and PhD level classes (excepting courses like "Dissertation writing seminar," etc). There are, however, some courses that are not open to non-degree students, period.

It'll depend on who you ask, as these things are necessarily subjective. I don't think there's any one definition of "top tier" or "mid tier," and I find these words are frequently redefined depending on the conversation. That said, the metric that I've heard thrown around the most is that "top tier" correlates to the top 20 (according to the USNWR). I feel like there's little-to-no consensus on what constitutes the boundary between mid / low tier, though I can't imagine defining a school in the 40-50s (when there are 150+ English PhD programs in the country!) as "low tier." Just my $.02, though.

I'm not exactly in your field, having applied to interdisciplinary programs, but many of my friends in History PhD programs used their gap year(s) to beef up their languages or work as research assistants (the language bit is especially crucial, I've heard, depending on your subfield). Many also just take some time to work in the "real world" and save up money for grad school. ^^ There's nothing wrong with that, IMO.

Getting your master's in Germany isn't a bad idea in and of itself, but it seems that your eventual goal is to get a PhD, hence why you applied to PhD programs in the States. Unless the masters would help you achieve your short-term goals (whatever they may be), I don't think the opportunity cost would be worth it. Have you contacted OSU and TTU to ask directly about the funding possibilities? It seems strange that they haven't said anything one way or other this late in the game.

You can use a living wage calculator to get a sense of how much you'll need a month. I think your stipend sounds sufficient for Dallas. http://livingwage.mit.edu/places/4811319000 From what I understand, most stipends are taxed by the US government for international students, though there are some exceptions. It would be best to contact your grad school's financial division directly for details. I think it's pretty common for fellowships and stipends to be contingent on a certain GPA and normative progress. 3.6 sounds reasonable to me. Hope this helps! Good luck!

If you're looking to become an elementary school teacher, you're probably best off going to the most affordable option. I don't know if it's possible to justify 3x the cost when the job outcome will likely be the same or similar.

I don't think a 3.5 is so low that you would immediately get cut, unless your English major GPA was quite low as well. But at my top ten undergrad school, it would be difficult for you to gain entry without having a near-perfect verbal GRE score to make up for it. I understand this varies greatly depending on the school, though.

I agree that you shouldn't rent sight unseen. Does your school run an off-campus housing site where you could get in touch with other grad students looking for a roomie? That might be a safer way to go. I also echo everyone else who has suggested a short term stay (even a week in a motel!) to search for housing. Good luck to you!

Jonathan Spence's The Search for Modern China is the size of two bricks, and goes from late Ming to the 1990s. In my opinion, it is a wonderfully written overview of modern Chinese history, providing historical contextualization for the events of the 20th century. Disclaimer: I read Lieberthal's Governing China in an undergrad course, but I think it's a great introduction to the political history of the PRC.