rachelann1991

Thanks, Wyatt's Torch and qwer7890! And I think you're absolutely right, quer7890. I didn't use exact quotes, despite the quotation marks - I more paraphrased - and I figured since it was six or so students pretty much saying the same thing, it would be okay, THIS TIME and in THIS CONTEXT, to write about, in a general way, the sentiments of the class as a whole. Plus, I pretty much told the entire class the same things I wrote in the blog when I gave the class a mini-pep talk on Thursday. However, I couldn't agree more with you about respecting student confidentiality. Had it been only one student, or had it been information of a more personal nature, or had any of the students shared their nerves about writing papers in anything but a casual, kind of off-hand way, I wouldn't have put it into writing at all!

Hi, all! First semester Ph.D. in English student here! I recently started a blog to share my experiences / difficulties / funny stories / good times in graduate school! Here's a link if anyone wants to check it out! http://englishphdreamer.wordpress.com Anyone else start a blog? I'd love to read it! Also, my dear 2015 applicants, feel free to ask me questions / solicit advice!

First, I'm sorry you've been through a difficult time, but I'm glad you're getting yourself healthy - that's the number one priority! I'm starting graduate school next year, so I'm by no means an experienced voice, but I will say that my professors all said I should never attend a school unfunded. They all said Ph.D applications are a crapshoot, so they made it clear that I should prepare myself psychologically for being shut out or getting into a school's MA program instead but getting no funding (which actually happened with a few schools for me). Taking a year off is hardly a bad thing at all; maybe audit some graduate courses at a school near you just to keep yourself intellectually stimulated, work a bit; any number of things could pass a year pretty quickly! Also, starting a program at 25 isn't bad at all, age wise! One of my professors did what I'm doing - she went straight out of undergraduate to University of Delaware and got a job on the TT the following year (lucky and fucking brilliant!); another professor of mine took many years to do her undergrad (she's one of those brilliant artsy people who dropped out twice, actually!), then lived in NYC for a while trying to be an actress, then finally found her calling and did her Ph.D. at Columbia. She mentioned that plenty of people get their doctorates in their thirties, and that I'm probably going to feel like a little baby next year, being 22 (turning 23 in October!). So, I'd venture to say that, even taking a year off, you'd still be on the younger end of the spectrum! Also and probably MOST IMPORTANTLY: it sounds like you have tangible, achievable things you can do to improve your application. The first time around, battling an illness, you weren't able to give it your best shot; that doesn't mean you don't have the ability to get into a top program!!! You deserve to show these programs your best. If you had done that before and didn't know why you were shut out, perhaps an unfunded offer may be necessary to improve your credentials. Rather, you have the credentials (getting an offer from Syracuse, even unfunded, while you weren't at the top of your game shows that!), you just weren't able to highlight them to the best of your ability. I know at your young age, a year sounds like a long time, but SO MANY PEOPLE take gap years, and if a gap year can let you tackle a Ph.D application season and program feeling rested and healthy, I say go for it!! You'll be so happy you did when you get into the program you really want, and have funding to go along with it!!!! I'm wishing you all the best! Be well <3

I agree a definite distinction needs to be made: sending a professor a CV or, what I did for my favorite professor, a list of every paper I produced for her for each of the three classes I took with her, helps a faculty member have everything at their fingertips. I suppose a very loose draft of a letter could produce the same affect as the documents I gave to my recommender. However, let's distinguish between a professor using a draft as a springboard for his or her OWN letter versus, as the above poster mentioned, changing a sentence or two and sending it off as written by the student.

For me, this DOES NOT SIT WELL. I think about myself as a future professor: I would NEVER ask my student to write a letter for me, under ANY circumstances. Maybe this is because I came from a small liberal arts college, where my professors care deeply about teaching and their students (one of them is actually my best friend, and I mean that in the sincerest form), but I deeply appreciated the time and care my professors put into my recommendation letters; in fact, one program actually told me my letters got me in. My three letter writers took the time and care to write a letter based on what THEY thought about me as a future scholar, and I can't wait to help a future student out in the same way; in fact, that's a big part of WHY I want to be a professor: so I can be there for students. Maybe it's not "academically dishonest" by official standards, maybe it is, but I still find it disgusting, and I would refuse to work with any professor who asked me to write a letter for myself, and I REFUSE to become a professor like that.

I scored a 167 on my verbal section (97%) and a 6 on the AW, and I completely echo what the OP mentioned: MEMORIZE. THE. VOCABULARY for the verbal!!! I used Princeton Review and found them super helpful, and then I also snuck into Barnes and Noble and just sat with the ETS book and used scrap paper in their cafe (with a free coffee from the supermarket next door ) instead of purchasing two books! I gave myself eight weeks over the summer, when I didn't do much else minus working a few shifts at Old Navy! As far as the writing: one of the biggest pitfalls is injecting one's own opinion into the analysis of an argument essay. I took formal logic because I'm a dork and LOVE PROOFS, so I had a general gist of how to structure and dismantle an argument, but if you haven't taken it it's not a bad idea to brush up on logical fallacies and ways to structure a cogent / strong / sound / valid argument (and knowing the formal differences in these four terms). As far as the subject test: can't really help you - I only scored 600 (67%), so, I mean, not disgustingly bad, but also not stellar. I just went through the ETS prep book and a Princeton Review book, but I really didn't give myself enough time to prepare for that one.

I scored a 167 (97%) on verbal doing a combination of things: 1) I went through the Princeton Review book and did the practice tests in there; I also made flashcards for vocabulary words using their "hit list," which I found INCREDIBLY HELPFUL! In fact, that was the driving force behind my score, I think. 2) Whenever I came across a word in a practice test or in general reading that I didn't know, I wrote it down, looked it up, and made a flashcard for it 3) I did the two online practice tests that the Princeton Review provided with their book 4) I did the ETS practice tests (offered free online), both the computer based ones and the paper-based ones 5) I'm very proud of this - I didn't want to purchase the ETS prep book and spend an extra $30-$50, so I went to Barnes and Noble, sat in their cafe for a few hours at a time, and used looseleaf paper to go through a copy of the ETS book that they had on sale Yeah, I'm cheap as hell . . . I gave myself 8 weeks over the summer, and I went hard so I could do it one-and-done, since I didn't have the money to take it a second time! Best of luck!!!!

I'm 22, a baby just coming out of undergrad, and I'm starting to get INCREDIBLY nervous about jumping straight into a Ph.D. program! I keep wondering whether I should have done a M.A. first or, even more, whether I should have done a gap-year like the advice in the above forum posts very smartly suggested, but I've made my decision and I have to deal with it, so now I'll try to justify it to myself and to you 2015ers who bravely want to do the same thing I'm embarking on! My professors all advised me with some words of wisdom and comfort about going straight on, so, 2015ers, I'll tell you why they (and hopefully me, eventually, once I get some confidence) think that moving straight on might not be such a bad idea for some people: 1. You're still in "school mode," so you might have more motivation to continue in that mindset, and you won't need to reset yourself once you're back in an academic setting. 2. The job market is bad in ANY and EVERY field, (I know, no shit, sherlock), so it might be more trouble than it's worth to find a temporary year-long job, and it might not even be financially the best thing in the grand scheme of your life. Especially if you have student loans, the chance to defer makes grad school the better potential option financially. 3. (1+2 were my professors, but this one's mine!) If you're dead serious about this, if you KNOW you want a Ph.D/M.A, why put off the inevitable? I know being an English professor is the only thing I'll ever wake up every day wanting to do, so, for me, doing a year of something else just wastes time and delays the life I want. Every minute I'm not reading or writing feels . . . like I'm not being ME. TL;DR: If you feel burnt out, if you need more time to work on your applications, if you need to feel more sure that a graduate degree is what you want, take a year off! Heck, even if you think it would make you happy to travel or something before more school for no other reason than you feel like it, DO IT!!! But, if you're feeling like anything besides graduate school would be a waste of time, don't feel like you HAVE to take a year off simply because that's the best path for someone else. Now, for all I know I could be full of crap and an idiot for starting a program so young and admittedly from such a sheltered little life, but only time will tell if you should listen to my advice, dear 2015ers

You could always do research at your local public library? Not the most convenient if you want to look up electronic articles from home, but your local library might just have these subscription services. Also, your local public university might let you use their library!

This is really helpful! I'll just add my own two cents on situation 3: declining admissions. Before reading this, I sent not super-short emails to the programs I declined, briefly and very politely explaining what went into my decision (a good fellowship and a particular faculty member I wanted to work with at the school that I chose). All of the DGS replied with kind, encouraging emails to the effect that they completely understood my decision and wished me the best at the program I chose. It actually seemed like they were grateful to know my thought process and I'm wondering if explaining the decision without a condescending tone might have saved some bridges that declining an offer might otherwise burn (even if they would have been burnt only in my paranoid mind!!!).

This made me so happy

You're very welcome I definitely think polite, honest communication is always the best option, even in this cutthroat world of academia ;-)

I know Northeastern, in their offer letter, said that if I had a problem with making a decision before April 15th, to let them know; I'm wondering if it would be best to contact your other offer and ask for an extension? From these forums, it does indeed seem in bad form to say you'll enroll and back out, unless you have accepted an unfunded offer and suddenly get funding elsewhere (then they can release you), but I'm not sure what the ethics on that is . . . Congrats on the waiting list at Brandeis, and I wish you good luck getting in

I'm pursuing an English Ph.D., and my professors all tell me this is COMPLETELY normal; it's called "imposter syndrome," and a good chunk of students feel this way. Because we can put a name on it, it makes me feel a lot better, like maybe they picked me AND YOU!!!! for a reason and everyone feels unworthy to some extent! Be proud of getting in and realize how normal these feelings are, as difficult as they are to deal with for both of us

Hi, Kermit! I turned down an M.A. with a half T.A.ship; I applied for their Ph.D. but was offered a partially funded master's instead. I wish you luck with UMD!!!! It's an amazing program, and I hope you get in! Also: I'm in Victorian/Early Modernism