Dr. Old Bill

Who's in my icon? Picasso's Old Man with Guitar. I have a thing for ekphrastic paintings (or rather, paintings that inspire ekphrasis). This painting, of course, inspired Stevens' "Man With the Blue Guitar." Picasso also happens to be my favorite painter in general (though Van Gogh is a close second). I used to have a very large print of this painting, though it was too large to make the trip across the country when I immigrated (I had packed all of my belongings into my car and drove 3000 miles from Vancouver to D.C. in three days). My favorite ekphrasis-inspiring painting is Brueghel's Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, which is the focus of Auden's "Musee Des Beaux Arts," though it's not really avatar material, sadly. It's all about the details.

Unraed, I think that's the perfect assessment, to the point that I feel I could have written the exact same post. I felt fairly confident going in, and just as confident coming out. I've had a few PM exchanges lately with soon-to-be test-takers, and I've said pretty much the same thing to all of them. One other thing that hasn't really been mentioned is that for the most part, exams are anathema to English majors in general, and definitely to graduate students in particular. We're paper people. And while we get the occasional exam / quiz / midterm etc., we never have to face anything like the subject test. There is some solace to be had in this fact. As with Unraed (and I may have mentioned it half a dozen times here already too), I honestly don't know if I got a score in the 500 region, or the 700 region. And when you think about it, that's pretty crazy -- not knowing if I'm in the 30th percentile of English graduate hopefuls or the 90th percentile. Yet that is how ETS rates us! The margin of error is laughably slim, and I've made occasional reference to the "Slumdog Millionaire" element to it all: some folks will luckily recognize most of the material on the exam, while other folks will -- through very little fault of their own -- have studied a great deal of material that simply happens to not be on the test. So when you know it's an unfair measurement, you just have to do the best prep you can, and go through the exam with as light of a heart as possible. The best part is that most grad schools that require this test seem to treat it the same way. So again...don't stress over it!!!

A little more study of theory might not have been a bad idea on my part, even though I'm currently enrolled in a theory course. Just a bit more association of theorists with their more famous papers and/or fields. There wasn't too much, but more than was on the practice exam, as I recall. No scores back yet, unfortunately, so it's anyone's guess as to how well any of us did. I know I didn't do horribly, but beyond that...no clue. My only real advice is kind of dumb...but sincere: don't be nervous about it!!! Seriously, it's not worth getting nervous about. It's natural to get stressed about a big test in English, but since it's really NOT a measure of your ability to conduct research in English, and is likely more of a "checklist" item, just do as well as you can and don't let it loom larger than it truly ought. I constantly point to the results search tab -- countless folks have been accepted to GREAT schools/programs with so-so (or worse) GRE scores. So don't sweat it too much!

There was actually a couple of months ago. Basically, going into a Ph.D. program with reading proficiency in ONE language is quite normal. It's probably a bit of a disadvantage going into one with NO languages, but since that's not the case for you, all should be well. It sounds like you and I are pretty much in the same boat: I've got decent knowledge of Spanish, thanks to a couple of years of learning it as a freshman and sophomore. I can't claim to remember it too well, so will need a refresher as well...but it's good enough for claiming basic proficiency. And having completed thirteen applications so far, I can tell you that around 2/3 of them ask your proficiency level in languages (usually as a drop down list for what language, and another for "basic," "intermediate," and "fluent" or equivalent options). I made a point of mentioning in all of my SOPs my plan to learn Italian, since that language will be pertinent to my intended course of study. In your SOP you might want to make a brief blurb about plans on learning a language as well, though it totally depends on what area you're looking at studying. If you're doing American modernism (or something equally recent), you probably won't need to mention anything, but might want to think about learning one of the cognate languages or old English etc.

Priceless, Lyonessrampant! I'm out of upvotes for the day, so you'll have to be satisfied with having prompted a literal "LOL" from me.

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...