Dr. Old Bill

Aww shucks! Thanks Queennight. I'm always glad to help, even if it's often a combination of baseless enthusiasm, semi-informed opinion, and a dash of Polyanna optimism.

Yeah. I think I've spent $2500 so far, between transcripts, GRE, score sending, and application fees. And I still have a couple more to go. But hey, that shows dedication...right? Right?

That's an interesting (and helpful!) point, Proflorax.

Yes...several of us took it a couple of weeks ago. Feel free to PM me to discuss it, if you'd like.

For what it's worth, I did send Harvard hard copies.

Hey folks, So I figured there would have been a thread on this, but since there's not... Is there a standard for reporting fall semester grades to programs after application? I know a couple of the places I applied to had a post-application section specifically for uploading fall semester grades (I know Princeton says it is "optional"), but when my grades are finally available in mid-to-late December, should I make a point of sending them to the various graduate admins / assistants at each program? Or is it normal for programs to make their decisions based on the first three years of undergrad?

One thing to keep in mind (and this is more "educated speculation" than anything definitive) is that the top tier programs would probably get far more applications than they already do if they didn't post relatively stringent guidelines. Seeing that "166" on Harvard's site is probably enough to drive away 1/3 of all would-be applicants who have scores that are below that threshold. I also suspect that's why most of the tippy-top programs (someone else here used that term and I'm stealing it) still require the subject test: it weeds out a lot of candidates that might otherwise send in an application on a wing and a prayer. Doing the subject test and paying for multiple scores to be sent to an institution is a way to help streamline the process for the more serious applicants. This is just a hunch, of course...but it seems (to me) to make sense.

Mine too, actually, considering that those are nearly identical scores to my own. Again, rationally I knew all of this before, but every once in awhile I have those little moments where I despair over the weakest parts of my application. (Not helped by having one of my letter writers consistently misspell my name in every email he sends me!)

It is a common question here, but I don't really blame you for asking. Even though I took the GRE general back in May, just yesterday I had a mini fret session over whether or not my scores were good enough, and searched old threads on the topic for the umpteenth time. A verbal north of 160 / 85% seems to be a pretty good benchmark for most programs. Better is better, of course, but these things are relative.

I suspect we're a rare breed...not only hockey fans in general, but English majors to boot. Literature and sports often go together like oil and water! The Pens are one of my favorite teams. I'm a Vancouverite, so obviously the Canucks are first and foremost in my heart, but over the years I've become more of a general NHL fan, if you know what I mean. I'll often watch games between teams I have no particular investment in. It helps that I usually have three or four competitive hockey pools going on each year, but yeah...I'm quite a hockey fan, to be sure. Apologies for the off-topic posts. Two minutes for Interference.

Whew. Good to know. By the way...glad to see another apparent hockey fan here. That's Malkin in your avatar, is it not?

This is probably a very, very dumb question, but I have a reason for asking it: do you actually have to go through the whole application process again, or can you explore transfer possibilities? The reason I ask is that I have a friend who was pursuing her Ph.D. (in a different field) at Boston College, and after a couple of years, was able to effectively transfer to Ohio University. I'm almost certain that she didn't have to reapply, as she didn't wind up making the decision to transfer until early summer, and officially moved and started the new program by late summer. Again, it's probably a dumb question, but it might not hurt checking with certain DGSs to explore the possibility.

Not sure if it's "normal," per se, but I don't think it's abnormal. I would also assume that such statements are sincere -- a POI has no reason to say something like that without meaning it. I've had one POI do this for me, complimenting my preparedness, commenting at length about other programs / POIs that would be a good fit for me, and ultimately telling me he'd like to work with me if I apply etc. Put yourself in their shoes: if you were to come across someone with interests that mesh greatly with your own, wouldn't you want to work with that person? So ultimately this is a good thing for you, I think. It's certainly not a guarantee that you'll get admitted, but it might give you a little positive bump in the process.

Great first post, Rachelann! I'll be sure to follow it regularly. I've thought many times about writing my own blog, but simply haven't. Maybe someday...

That sounds really interesting, 1Q84... In fact, I'd like to read that at some point (when I'm not so insanely busy, that is). I quite love Paradise Lost, having studied it in depth recently...and Professor Marcus is one of my POIs at Vanderbilt! It would be great to read a gender-based take on it, if you're willing to share.

Hi Clarissa, First of all -- sorry for your bad GRE experience! That's really unfortunate. Second of all -- and this is even more unfortunate -- you probably won't be able to retake the GRE literature test. For reasons that I cannot possibly divine, ETS has it set up so that the last possible day to register for the October test is the day before the September test is administered. I'm not sure if this is the same for international students (I think it is), but either way, it is doubtful that you can get in for October even if you wanted to. A third problem is that (if I'm being completely frank), you probably should have a firm enough grasp of the language to not require the aid of a dictionary if you're applying to programs that require the GRE subject test. It sounds harsh, and I feel very bad writing as much, but it's somewhat true regardless. All is not doom-and-gloom, however. Since many programs don't require the GRE subject test, you have the option of focusing your application resources on the ones that do not. If you are still planning on applying to programs that do require it, then your best bet would be to include a supplementary note about the format being different from what you studied for. I would not, however, mention that it was a comprehension issue...just more a case of unexpected formatting, as that is certainly true in this instance. Personally, I didn't notice much of a difference between the lit test I took on Saturday and the one I took in the GRE practice guide, but that might be fairly subjective anyhow. The final point worth making is that the GRE subject test seems to not typically be a determining factor in your application. Would it have been better for you if you had gotten a 700? Sure. But if you have a kick-ass writing sample that catches the attention of one or more adcomm members, and a statement of purpose that makes you seem somewhat intriguing as a future academic, there's a good chance that they'll overlook an abysmal GRE lit score. I DO think that thinking about what I dubbed the "third problem" above is worthwhile, however. Just remember that you're competing against people who have mostly spoken, written, and studied English all their lives...usually to a very high degree. It has nothing to do with intelligence or aptitude, but everything to do with general familiarity. I'm not saying definitively that it can't be done, or that you're an inferior candidate...but just that it's worth double- and triple-checking your reasons for graduate study in English. If you have indeed settled on the right course, then more power to you...and good luck with everything!

Yeah, it's really amazing how much time it actually takes to fill in 230 bubbles. It's one of those factors that is rarely mentioned, yet significant nonetheless. And in the last ten minutes, I noticed that several of my bubbles looked suspiciously like some of the ones in the "incorrect" example provided by the question book...which is why I made a point of re-bubbling everything, which did indeed take nearly ten minutes...

Yeah, I had no problem with the time. I made my "first pass" in about an hour, and my second pass was done in another hour. The next half an hour was dedicated to cleaning up one-offs and questions I had a hard time with...or ones that required a lot of reading for a single question (the Eliot one, for instance, which required reading a paragraph to answer a single question). The final twenty minutes was spent on double-checking a few things and then making sure all the bubbles were completely filled in etc. I could get a 500. I could get a 700. No clue. But it didn't feel too hard to me...perhaps a bit easier than the practice exams. The October test will be completely different, of course, so all of this has to be taken with a sizable grain of salt.

Holy moly! Proflorax...congrats!!!!

I tried chatting with the two other lit test takers, but they didn't seem to want to engage much. I decompressed by...spending six hours at a wedding. It was enjoyable, but boy am I ever beat...

Incidentally, one thing you should NOT do is look up answers you thought you got right just to be sure. Ouch.

Yep! I did the same thing while waiting in the car this morning. Cracked open the Cracking the GRE book and re-read the A- and B-list materials...and a couple of things helped me get what I'm assuming were correct answers. It just goes to show that all the studying in the world can help you a bit, but usually it's just lucking out by having certain things fresh in your mind that happen to be pertinent for the exam. It really seems like cramming is a reasonable strategy for the GRE subject test in literature...which sounds crazy, but there it is.

Heh...just got home, and the first thing I wanted to do was check in to see how everyone felt about it too! We obviously can't get into detail because of the confidentiality agreement, but I'll just say that it seemed to play more to my strengths than the various practice exams did. It's impossible to say how well one did, but I feel fairly good about it. I know I didn't bomb it, at least. And about a dozen questions or so dealt with material I've been reading this semester specifically, which made me happy. All of this is necessarily very vague, but I can say that I managed to answer every question, and timing wasn't an issue at all (thanks, practice tests!). In fact, I spent the last ten minutes making sure every single box was filled in as much as it could be. There were only around 30 test takers in a room that seated 90, so that was a HUGE boon. The proctors were stern, but not overbearingly so. They made me pocket my analog watch (that I bought specifically for the test), but there was a clock in the room anyhow, so that wasn't a big deal. I'd venture to guess that virtually ALL of the test-takers in the room were Cornell undergrads. Only three literature test-takers overall. I may chime in later with more thoughts on it, but for now, I have a wedding to prepare for!

Quoted for truth (as they used-to-and-probably-no-longer-say-on-the-Internet).

By the way, for anyone considering applying to / attending Cornell... I did a drive by of the campus to suss out where the GRE is being held tomorrow. The campus is indeed beautiful, but holy moly is it ever hilly and downright perilous to get around. "Circuitous" would be an understatement, and I can only imagine what it'll be like in the harsh Upstate New York winters... This isn't really a criticism, mind you, nor is it something that would prevent me from attending. Just forewarning you! Glad to report that the room where the exam is being held has free-standing tables and chairs. I was worried they might cram us into those uncomfortable desk-chair combos. Still hopeful that there are headphones available but we'll see... 12.75 hours. Eep.