rainy_day

p7389, I love your advice! And thanks for the inside scoop, cooolmlk2. That is mostly what I expected. I guess I am wondering how people acknowledge that a rock-star is part of the faculty, but obviously not really taking on students. I can't ignore her existence at the school in my SoP, but I'm at a loss for the words to use. Thanks, everyone!

I just want to reiterate that I don't think you should cut down on the number of applications because of this one professor. It varies by discipline, but in mine (English) the average PhD candidate probably applies to about 10 schools. (That is of course, whole un-scientific, but it is the reoccurring number on the forums and it was the number recommended to me.) Anyway, the point is just that it is definitely okay to apply to lots of programs.

I don't know that I would make that big a deal about it. I don't think schools put much, if any, stock in the cover form. I think the most important (only important) piece is where you waive your rights. You *do* need to send the form in, because you need to waive your rights to see the letter. If I were you, I would fill out the part of the form with your name, etc., waive your rights, and then attach a little note or something that says "letter will follow through a dossier service," and leave it at that. I am sure this feels stressful, but you are not the first student in this situation, and you won't be the last.

I currently have a list of 21. I'm trying to get it down to 10-12. I'd like to finalize the list by the end of next week, so I can really dig into the FIT portion of my SoP. So far I have 6 schools I *know* I am applying to (BC, Oregon, Tufts, Carnegie Mellon (Lit), Michigan (English & WS), and Berkely (Rhetoric Program/Gender focus).

I'm sorry you had to go through such a traumatic experience! I agree with KeiBelle that less is more here. Your years of strong grades bookend the traumatic experience, so it makes it clear that the poor grades were an anomaly. One, at the most two, sentences should cover it. Be sure to use positive language!

Jenninthebox, I am 24 too. We definitely are not too old! If anything, I feel that these two years out of school is going to make me a much stronger student, because I know how much I want to be in school and I am going to be incredibly focused. Honestly, I'm already much more focused on my applications than I would have been if I applied straight from school. I have heard this is true for most students who return to school after being away for a few years, and this time off might even strengthen our applications.

Okay, I wrote a longer reply, but it disappeared into the internets. I think you should just pick up communication with her. Write an email, remind her of how she knows you, say hello and ask how her research is going, tell her that you are excited to apply to her program, excited about working with her and with the other person, etc. See what she writes back. Maybe she will introduce you, by way of email, to this other professor. Maybe she is on the adcom! Maybe she will have advice for you. etc. I think asking for a letter would not be the best use of this asset, for the reasons you point out.

Definitely don't cut down the number of schools. You have probably already thought of this, but be sure to fill out as much of each form as you can. Then deliver them one packet with all the forms, stamped and addressed envelopes for the letters and/or instructions on submitting them electronically, your CV/SoP (for their reference), and a cover page with all the schools and the deadlines. This should make it easier for them to manage.

The thesis of my SoP is framed in the language of Spivak's "Can the Subaltern Speak?" and I am planning to apply to Columbia, where she teaches. I am not naive enough to think she will read my work and think "I will mentor this student!" but I certainly need to acknowledge the fact that she teaches there. Are any of you in a similar situation? How have you dealt with it? I don't quite know how to manage this, without sounding presumptuous or needlessly groveling. Have any of you reached out to rock star scholars via email? Have you had any luck?

Is it still part of your record, if it is from 15 years ago? If so, then you definitely need to address it and your LoR writers should speak to your character as well as your academic ability.

I'm sure the writing sample varies from field to field. I'm an English applicant, and I am just revising a paper I wrote my senior year. As for the SoP, I was really, really struggling with this. I've been mulling over ideas, and brainstorming, and generally floundering around for a few weeks. Finally, I just bit the bullet. All day yesterday and most of today I have been trying to work on my SoP. I went to bed last night practically having anxiety dreams about about the stupid 2-page essay. But then, finally, I broke through. It's far from complete, but I have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and something resembling a thesis. I would recommend doing something similar if you are struggling. Just isolate yourself with some research and a notebook, and keep writing, even if it is the same thing every over sentence. Personally, I am terrified of the GRE (and GRE Literature that I have to take), so I'm trying to put all my energy into presenting myself well in writing. I'm probably studying *less* than I should be, but I know that the SoP and WS matter more. At least, that is what I'm telling myself. My own writing seems like something I can have better control over, you know? Good luck! Promise to talk me down when I get to the end of October, and I've bombed the test.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I am taking my GRE for the first time in a few weeks, and pretty scared too. But don't let this get you down. Your GRE is probably the least important part of your application, honestly. Re-take it.( Make sure you spend extra time on the first few questions of each section.) And ACE your writing sample and SOP. Those are way more important than some silly standardized test. Good luck.

If you don't get a response, you could try calling them during their office hours. (The grad secretary should know their office hours if it is not posted.)

Ah, kdilks, it never even occurred to me that the SoP might not be the end-all-be all.. Personally, I'm English, so the SoP needs to be a work of art. I get the impression this is true for most humanities folks.

Taking the test three times, getting roughly the same score all three times, might make you look worse, because it will only reinforce the score. Do you realistically think you could improve your score much if you retook the test? If not, if I were you, I would put all that energy into writing an incredibly SoP and Writing Sample. A strong GRE score is nice, but you are going to accepted based on your SoP and WS. Good luck.

Why not do both? Apply for jobs, and for MFAs. The job market is so tough, so you might not have any offers, making the MFA a great option. But you don't want to pass up on the opportunity to land a TT job.

Good idea. I'd like to ask what area(s) of the department are growing/are they trying to grow. How do you plan to ask about their current research/future research? I am not really sure, honestly, how to have that conversation without sounding like a fangirl.

Yes, this is making me nervous too!

I'm planning on adding my work experience because I have been working hard and I think it's important to show that I wasn't off on vacation for the past few years.

If you go to the department website, many schools have posted median and mean GPA and GRE scores of accepted students. If you are interested in that data, it is worth looking at. I think that would be more helpful information than a random person's success story, because it will be an average for the program vs. a one-off story. Some schools do not post this information. I could be wrong in my interpretation, but I think that those schools put less stock in the GPA/GRE and more in the writing sample/LoR/SoP. Of course, at the end of the day it is always the latter that will make the difference. This process is so damn stressful. I'm on the same side of the fence as you are. We'll make it through. Where are you interested in? Where are you thinking of applying?

Definitely get the wildly enthusiastic letter!!

How were you doing on Verbal during the pre-test? Do you think you could drastically improve your score? You're score is not terrible. If you think it will stay about the same, then I think you should just leave it. If you have reason to believe you would improve a lot with a retake, then it might be worth it for your own level of confidence.

We cannot really tell you where to apply, as there are lots of programs. I would recommend starting somewhere like this website: http://www.gradschools.com/ and examining different programs, locations, etc.

The trick will be to use positive language, and emphasize how this is both behind you and an exception. Don't be overly sentimental, use negative language, and stay away from self-pity. Address it briefly, (one or two sentences) and in a very matter-of-fact tone. I've also read ppl suggesting that your LoR writers address it for you, which seems like a pretty good idea to me. They can write objectively about how your GPA does not reflect your academic abilities, etc. I don't know that you want every LoR writer to address the issue, but maybe one of them can? Good luck!

I'd be more interested in hearing from people who didn't have luck the first time around, and what they have learned. What are you doing differently? What mistakes did you make?