JerryLandis

I am doing option 3... Using the final chapter intact, I have taken parts from each other section to make an introduction/first chapter. Well, I am still in the process and it's extremely tedious rewriting things that have already been carefully written and lovingly assembled. I only recommend doing this if it's absolutely necessary and you can't send anything else!

Could you possibly give cash to a friend and ask to use their credit card for the payments?

Aside from knowing that one of the places I'm applying to is tied for number 1, I don't know. Ranking doesn't really make a difference for me anyhow, because my sub-field is so tiny that most top 10 institutions would be horrible places for me to attend. Unfortunately, I am only applying to super-competitive PhD programs, because they are the only 3 places with relevant faculty.

Yes, they will want something slightly more specific. Of course, you should keep other interests in there so you keep the air of flexibility, but having one particular strong interest would probably be a good idea. It's pretty ridiculous that we essentially have to have PhD ideas ready when applying for a Masters, but that's just the way it goes. I'm applying to history programs that are also MA on the way to PhD, and my SOP lists general interests, offers a suggestion of what I would want to write a thesis about (specific but also flexible to whatever changes may be necessary), as well as some interests I would like to explore as a graduate student that I haven't been able to take classes on as an undergrad. I think organizing my interests like this has made my SOP more coherent than the original drafts - you're on the way to having that too, but I think restructuring your general interests paragraph would be beneficial to making you seem more decisive about your interests. Basically, it's a matter of keeping the exact same subject matter and wording it in a more bs kind of way.

I am applying to 3 PhD programs and 4 masters ones. Couldn't find any more relevant places to apply for the PhD!

"He" or "She" can be taken to mean "one" if you don't feel like writing he/she and disrupting the flow of your sentence. "They" is incorrect - it's plural and it annoys me when Facebook uses is as a singular replacement for he/she. As a result of this confusion, it's generally agreed that he or she can be used to mean 'a person' or whatever for the sake of brevity, and so that people don't have to be overly formal by using 'one' all the time. I know of a few people who use "she" to mean any man or woman, because technically it's just as acceptable as using "he." Saying "he" or "she" in this case does not necessarily mean you're being exclusive of the other sex. Our language really needs a non-offensive, informal, grammatically correct form of "it" to use in these cases. Sorry if this is boring and random, I'm killing time waiting for a bus.

Double spacing just looks to me like someone is trying to make a short, crappy essay look long - brings back memories of middle school homework assignments. I never use double spacing unless I'm printing something out to edit it and plan on writing a lot of notes in pen - I always use 1.5 spacing. I'm sure 1.5 spacing is fine for writing samples, but I wouldn't fiddle with the font size or margins. Generally I think that's a pretty obvious red flag that says "my essay is way too long and I'm trying to prevent you from noticing." It's like when people think double-spacing their bibliographies will make them seem more impressive - I'm sure the people reading them are entirely aware of what you're trying to do! Also, keep in mind that the people reading these will be reading a lot of writing samples and application materials, and you want your sample to be easy enough to read. Someone spending hours reading boring writing samples is not going to enjoy looking through a long essay written in a tiny font, and your ideas may not come across as clearly in that scrunched format. I'm having the same problem shortening my writing sample, but I've told myself that if I absolutely can't get it short enough, I'm just going to submit something else instead.

I think in some of mine I wrote in "Dr." Mr.," whatever, but I think in at least one I didn't fill that part out at all (you'll notice it's optional). I think it's just there so that in the automatically generated emails, they address them by their proper titles. That's just my assumption though, and I could be wrong.

One of my MA applications only requires a writing sample for those applying for funding, whereas the other 3 require a writing sample as part of the standard application. Not sure how important it is though.

Yeah, my family moved a bit when I was growing up so we were always putting off making improvements until after the next move, so as not to get too settled in only to have to leave. Of course, we would end up living in that place for 5 years or whatever, never buying any new furniture because my parents thought we could end up moving at any time... it SUCKS. Being a student across the Atlantic is difficult because I can't buy anything I won't be able to bring back home with me in my allotted airline luggage. I absolutely cannot wait until I can live a normal life, and buy household items like nice kitchenware, artwork (nothing too fancy though, I'll be lucky to get a small stipend!), decent furniture, etc. I've been considering submitting a more recent, shorter, less relevant writing sample just because I can't really be bothered to rewrite my existing one. I honestly do not have the time. But I'll only do that as a last resort.

Well then maybe you should mention how your background in political philosophy would be useful in discussing that topic? It's not that I think you should remove the parts about García Lorca/the Spanish Civil War, just that I think you should mention those interests more fleetingly and focus more on your other one, because that will make your application stand out more against other people citing the civil war and García Lorca as their major interests (I know if I were applying somewhere for Spanish I'd write about him, as will a million other people). You never specified, though, if you are applying to a PhD or MA program. If it's PhD, definitely get more specific about your interests (I'd suggest writing a long stream-of-consciousness rant about what you imagine writing about for your thesis, then re-writing it and editing it down considerably), however if it's MA then I don't think it's so much of a problem, and your range of interests sounds good.

Call instead. Emails can be easily lost or ignored, and some people don't consider a confirmation response necessary even if they are on top of whatever it is you are asking.

This looks pretty good, and covers all the basic areas. However, is it for a PhD or Masters program? If it's for a PhD program you should expand it to discuss who in particular you would work with at that department. Also, your interests are too varied for a PhD proposal. I would say to focus more on the Brazilian immigration issue - I know this is going to come out sounding way more offensive than I would like, but García Lorca's plays and post-Franco Spanish film are pretty popular topics that at least in my experience are generally covered by your average undergraduate Spanish student in the first year. That's not to say you won't have anything new or original to say about them, but they do sound like more cliche topics than the third one. Then again, I am not a Spanish major, so I may be wrong. With regards to the discussion of Guatemalan cash crops, I think you should put that sentence closer to your mention of your time spent in Guatemala and Peru. This sentence is awkwardly placed: "Combined with my own recent personal travels in Peru and Guatemala, I have discovered a few areas of specific interest." Jumping right to Spain after that sentence makes it seem like all you have to say about your experiences in Guatemala and Peru was that you went there. But if you mention your travels later in the paragraph, they will be integrated more effectively and it will be more apparent how your travel experience and cultural immersion can be related to your research. Also, just how famous is this dinosaur story? I'm assuming you're expecting that any Spanish professor would recognize it immediately, but if not, it needs to be clarified. I am not familiar with the story, so I think I am missing something when I read your first section. I don't entirely get it. "I think this aspect of my personality is one of the main reasons I wish to continue my education in a graduate program." Cut out the "I think." It makes it sound like you're grabbing for straws and you aren't sure if you really are interested for that reason. Lastly, does this program teach Arabic as part of a specific Spanish and/or Portuguese degree? Seems kind of random. Do you really think there is that much lasting Muslim/Arabic influence on Spain aside from almohada and some archaeological sites? I ask this because your final statement about the connection between Spanish and Arabic seems a bit vague. My general understanding, possibly misguided, is that after 1492 the Muslim influence was essentially erased from the peninsula. Perhaps you should add an example or two to clarify exactly what kind of connection you'd be interested in learning about. Best of luck to you. Sorry if I seem kind of rude in my critique, just doing for you what I've appreciated others doing for me!

Just got off the phone with my parents a bit ago and my dad asks, "So, what are your thoughts about next year?" I said well, what do you mean, they haven't changed, I am applying to the same places I told you I would last week. Then he asks, "So, where are you going to be?" I replied that unfortunately, that's not really my decision at this time, and I'll have to wait and see. So then he asks, "Well, are you submitting applications?" Am I? AM I? Every other day I send my parents an email saying something like "These applications are killing me and I think I need to go murder a large number of people to deal with the stress...." People just don't get it. Although you'd think that having attended two graduate programs himself, my dad would! Nope.

I hear ya about the continual checks of department websites for more information about fit. The other day it actually proved useful, though, as I found out that one of my potential supervisors has a blog where she writes about her life as well as her job. Even had a post about what kinds of research proposals she finds annoying (I think this had more to do with her colleagues than what she might read in SOPs though). Well, it wasn't that useful - I wasn't sure what I would find from the website that I wouldn't find in one of her books, and besides I felt kind of creepy reading her personal blog. But the point is that no matter how many times you read the pages of a department's website, even when you've gotten to the point of memorizing exactly which link takes you where, there still can be more to find out! What drives me crazy about this process is that so much of it is in my control. I can always do more to improve my application. Makes me wish I could just submit a bunch of numbers and be finished with it! Fortunately (or, really, unfortunately) I have a long way to go on my writing samples, so I'm not tempted to push "SUBMIT."

I don't think they would look down on you working as a secretary. My boyfriend got into a masters program this year after spending a year mostly unemployed, working part-time at a grocery store for a few months. People reading your application will not think that because you spent a year working in a job that may not be extremely challenging or competitive (well maybe it is, but you certainly seem to think it is beneath your potential), you are unqualified for their program. It is normal to spend some time after college working in temporary jobs that have little to do with your intended career. Lots of people have debts to repay after college, and can't afford to go straight to grad school. I doubt it will be a problem. GREs will be a problem, though. If a program says they require the GRE, your application won't be considered without it. Try looking for programs that accept applications into the spring (instead of the usual December deadlines) or that allow students to enrol in the spring semester (i.e. starting in January 2011). If you apply to these places, you still have enough time to take the GRE.

Well, in a sense, it kind of is its purpose. Some people claim that the GRE is useful because GPAs from different institutions cannot always be compared fairly or accurately. At some universities, grading is more or less strict than at others. The idea, then, is that the GRE allows candidates from different universities (potentially some from private, expensive universities and others from less expensive in-state programs) to be compared by taking the same test. The problem with this is the same as the SAT problem. Preparing for the GRE can significantly improve scores, however it is expensive. Books, sample tests, classes, etc. - these are all available to people who can afford them, which places such people at a distinct advantage. I don't know if it's the case with the GRE, but I remember that when I took the SAT there were several books and courses that guaranteed customers a significant raise in their scores. If people can be guaranteed higher scores by paying into expensive programs, then clearly these tests do not measure basic intelligence or aptitude, but a person's level of preparation and how much he or she was willing to pay. I attended a private high school, where almost every single person not only purchased SAT prep books, but also attended regular SAT prep courses. Many of these people were complete idiots ("What is the capital of Africa?" "Was the Black Death the cause of the Great Depression?" "It's unfair to say that private school kids all drive BMWs. All my parents bought me was a Jeep." etc.) and yet most of them scored in the 1400s if I remember correctly, and were all admitted to colleges that thereafter lost some of my respect as institutions of learning. I don't know enough people who took the GRE to comment about how well scores represent general intelligence. I'm sure that one has to be rather intelligent to get a score in the highest percentiles, and quite dumb to get a score in the lowest ones. But in between, say, ranging from 500-650, where most people seem to find themselves, I don't believe that the test really does determine very much about a person's intelligence or potential success. I think it's pretty much only useful in that it shows how good a person is at jumping through pointless bureaucratic hoops, as someone else already mentioned. The bottom line is that I don't appreciate having to spend a minimum of $150 (in my case it cost over $400 due to transportation and all that) to take a test that is generally considered to be the least important part of an application. Maybe the test helps admissions committees in certain decisions, but I don't think that is worth making thousands of students waste their time and money on a pointless test.

I hope you don't need to retake it, because I got very similar scores, and generally have a very similar student profile to yours, except that I'm in a completely different field and haven't done a masters. I'm not planning to retake it, unless of course I get rejected from all my PhD programs and have to apply again in a year. Okay, so our scores are mediocre, decent at best, for top schools. However, do you really think you'd be able to improve your score significantly if you took the test so soon? In any case, they're not terrible scores. As far as I know every one of your individual scores is above average, maybe getting into the 80th or 90th percentile for verbal and writing if I remember correctly. They may not be the stellar scores needed to boost your applications, but I doubt that you would be rejected on the basis of your scores. At least for the programs I am applying to, the individual departments tend to say that the GRE is the least important component of the application. Instead of spending extra time and money retaking the GRE's, you may consider applying to a couple more schools. Every university you listed will be very difficult to get into, no matter how excellent your application may be. While you definitely have a chance of being accepted into one or more of these places, you of course also have the chance of not being accepted due to the intense competition for spots, especially in the current economic climate. Sure, improving your GRE score would be useful, but I would choose sending out another application or two over taking the test again.

My thesis idea is also inspired by Peter Brown (completely different work though), how exciting. And I'm not applying to Princeton either.

In some ways, it's better than simply being rejected. At least you know now that you won't be attending that university, so you can focus your energies on applying elsewhere and looking forward to attending another place. Obviously I would most rather be admitted to my top choice, but were that not an option, I would rather be prevented from attending by it being an impossibility than by being rejected from a recruiting program.

In some ways, it's better than simply being rejected. At least you know now that you won't be attending that university, so you can focus your energies on applying elsewhere and looking forward to attending another place. Obviously I would most rather be admitted to my top choice, but were that not an option, I would rather be prevented from attending by it being an impossibility than by being rejected from a recruiting program.

Yeah, it's not really inappropriate, but it's pretty pointless. I would only bother mentioning it in passing, as in "another reason that University Q is my top choice is that blah blah" or something. Try to convey your enthusiasm with the rest of the things you write instead of just stating that you have such enthusiasm. If you show that you have taken time to research the way the program works, what classes are offered, who the faculty members are, etc., they will be able to gather from reading your statement that you truly do want to go there.

I wouldn't cite anything formally. Think of your SOP more as a one-sided conversation about your intentions as a graduate student. Casually dropping the name of a scholar or book will make you seem like you can have impromptu conversations about academic publications and the ideas of relevant scholars, which I think would impress the person reading the SOP more than a formally cited point. If the department you are applying to really is a good match for you, the people reading your SOP should be familiar with whatever it is you decide to mention, without needing publication information, page numbers, and all that.

Thanks. Do you by any chance know what "usitarunt" (I suppose from usitare) means? It's N/A in my Latin dictionary and I don't even know what I'm doing anyway.

Is anyone else having trouble with their current coursework due to the stress of applications? I'm not failing or anything, but my motivation is mostly being spent on perfecting my applications, and sitting around "reading" while simultaneously browsing this forum for reassurance/distraction. Currently I'm working on my "honours dissertation" (UK undergrad), which is basically a 12,000 word essay on a topic I chose and designed myself. Almost everyone at my university is required to write one in their 4th year. Is this more or less the same thing as a "senior thesis" or "honors thesis?" I get the impression that the American "theses" are not required, but are taken on voluntarily by exceptional students and completed on top of their normal courseloard. Is this correct?