Ambermoon24

Thank you all for of your comments and suggestions! The GRE is a little less daunting now, but I did have another question. I've heard mixed opinions about completing your master's degree at the same school where you've completed undergrad vs. going somewhere else for your master's degree. Since I'm a transfer student, and am less known in the department, would it be a bad move if I stayed at OSU? I've noticed that most professors at the community college I'd like to work at completed their undergrad and master's at the same institution. Most only moved to another university for their PhD. I'm not sure why I keep getting conflicting information about staying or going elsewhere.

Hi, I would really appreciate any advice on my grad school plans. I'll be applying to an English graduate program in early January, but I need some advice about what programs would be realistic options for me. Here's some info about myself that might make suggestions easier. I'm currently a junior at Oklahoma State University and would like to teach at either a small state university or community college after I receive my master's degree. My GPA is 3.93 and I'm working on my honors thesis this summer. I only have two Bs in college so far; the rest are As. Besides my grades, I've just received a Wentz scholarship affiliated with OSU to conduct individual research and I've also been given a small departmental scholarship. I haven't had as much conference experience as I'd like, but I did participate in a regional conference associated with the Great Plains Honors Council my sophomore year. I was one of six winners to win a research award, and I've had some creative work published in school anthologies and one independent journal. As far as my financial situation, I currently have no debt because I transferred from a community college and am receiving three scholarships. I should graduate with my bachelor's degree with no debt. My scholarly interests are mostly centered on Early American literature, specifically Hawthorne and Puritan poetry. I tend to gravitate toward neo-formalist and historical scholarship when needing sources or reading for my own enjoyment. So, the problem is, I really don't know what program would be a good fit for me academically. I'm afraid of aiming too high and getting mired in debt and struggling through the coursework, but I'm also concerned of finding myself at a school that isn't challenging. I'm unsure whether a degree in literature or comp rhetoric would be best for long-term stability. I'm well liked in the department, but because I'm a transfer student, not a lot of the professors know me yet, so I haven't received a lot of advice in this area. My adviser and I agreed the GRE will basically determine where I end up, but I don't know what's considered a good score and grad programs aren't always forthcoming about their expectations for the GRE. I'm concerned about my ability to do well on the test. I'm terrible at math and I have bad test anxiety, so I'm not anticipating a great score. I would like to stay in the Southwest, but I'm not averse to going elsewhere if I get accepted into a good program and get a sizable amount of financial aid. I really want to teach, not just produce research, and I have a deep appreciation for older students returning to school. It's important for me to have a career that supports my own writing interests, and I love working with students and hearing their thoughts on a text in a small discussion format. I feel I'm very committed about my plans and I love literary analysis and helping students work on a long-term paper or research project. My brief list of schools include: University of Oklahoma Oklahoma State University University of Arkansas University of Kansas University of Tulsa Any suggestions for grad school would be great! Thank you!