angel_kaye13

You probably posted, not realizing the posts went to the next page; I've done that before on here, and it confused the crap out of me/made me sad. Until I realized what happened.  
 
Pong Shots

sorry gonna go with the earlier post here
bottle rockets

I don't know the "backstory" here, but I do want to emphasize that writing recommendation letters is part of any professor's job. No, it's not something they get immediate credit for (much like serving on a dissertation committee--only the chair really gets credit for that), but it's something they're expected to do nonetheless. And many take pride in it. If you're a professor, you get a little bit of prestige by circulating letters to your colleagues at other programs. Failing to come through for your grad students isn't a career-limiting gesture, but it certainly won't win you any friends in your department (especially among other professors expected to pick up the slack), and it might even get you in trouble with the DGS (who wants to promote a solid program and place students in good places). 
Beyond that--yes, publishing is more important for a professor's career advancement. But that still does not give them the right to promise to write a letter of recommendation and then not come through for that student. If these professors promised to write letters and promised to have them in by these particular deadlines, then it's really not right for them to renege on this promise, regardless of when the student asked. 
I often write letters for students--not for graduate school but for on-campus activities and internships and what-not--and I would be horrified if I cost them an opportunity by missing a deadline, even if the student was somewhat late with their request. (If a professor feels a student has approached them too close to a deadline, then it is their job to say "I can't do this for you because of the last-minute nature of this request.") We all have articles to write and revisions to turn in. But that doesn't give us the right to promise things and then just flake out. It's not right. 

I want to clarify that I'm not suggesting that BlackRosePHD was lazy like I was. I'm just saying that if her unprofessional LOR writers have research to do, then that will always take priority, and I'm not convinced that the department would chastise faculty for putting research in front of service, even if it harms a graduate student's professional development.

I had a similar situation last cycle, where a letter writer took about two weeks to respond to my emails, and because of this I missed the December deadlines for some programs I was interested in. The truth is, I could have planned everything earlier but I didn't. I depended on prompt responses, which was kind of unreasonable, and I paid for that by not applying to certain programs.
I'm not saying I don't have sympathy for BlackRosePHD's situation, but what you're saying about how faculty don't appreciate ignoring student emails, this is unprofessional to me, but I don't think that it's necessarily looked down upon. Faculty, at least those that teach graduate students, are assessed based on research, not helping mentor graduate students. Ideally faculty should do both, but if they can't, if they are too busy, well then research always takes priority. I'm not saying this is the best way but this is the way it actually happens. 
Let's just say for the sake of argument that the professors BlackRosePHD asked for LORs are each of them working on an upcoming deadline for a journal article in a prestigious publication. The correct way to deal with that situation would be to get the articles submitted, and then deal with the LORs, if there's time left. If there's no time to do both, it is unacceptable to put writing LORs over research. Because the graduate student could have always asked for a LOR at an earlier time, but the journal submission deadline is firm.
Part of the problem with the unprofessional argument is that it depends on BlackRosePHD complaining to someone about how her LOR writers weren't helpful. She's a graduate student and TA, which means she has less clout than other people in the department. But the complaint shows that there's a problem. I didn't complain about how one of my letter writers wasn't particularly helpful. If a graduate student doesn't complain about unprofessional LOR writers, does the department have a problem? Probably not, because I assume that faculty spend more time discussing and dwelling on research instead of service. Writing LORs is not completely formulaic, but it's certainly more formulaic than composing essays about one's scholarly interests.

I've said this to people before, but there are way too many factors to really pinpoint how competitive it will be. It has a lot more to do with your letters of recommendation, writing sample, and transcript. Your GPA and GRE are important, but they aren't the only things that determine whether you'll be admitted. Also, maybe your area of interest doesn't allign with the school's research specialties. Or maybe the professor that would normally take you on is visiting elsewhere. I have no idea what a 2100 translates to as far as the GRE goes, but I wouldn't depend on the SAT as a good marker. I did significantly better on the GRE than I did on the SATs and I know people that bombed the GRE but had near perfect SATs (that's not usually the case, but it can happen if you don't study properly). To answer your question, the top schools will be very competitive. I know for Columbia's English program they receive about 700 applications for 12 or so spots. However, your GPA is good and graduating magna cum laude is certainly impressive, so definitely apply. Just make sure you apply to a minimum of 6 programs and have a few backup plans in case things don't work out. Really do your research. Read the articles that say not to go to grad school and look at the terrible job statistics and figure out exactly what is going to be asked of you. Go to department websites. Make a choice between Sociology and PolySci or don't and apply to both programs. Contact alumni and faculty. Read success stories and watch youtube videos of people getting their acceptance letters and picture yourself at each school. Go on campus visits if you can afford it. It's a terribly stressful process, but it's fascinating. Good luck!

For anyone checking out this thread in the future, apparently ETS got a new system in August, and during the changeover much previous data like past registration numbers were wiped. This sounds strange to me, but that is what they told me just a few moments ago.

I haven't done that for my undergrad, but that is the case for my graduate program. I don't think you need to feel awkward at all: if they're the best fit, that's great! Some schools (i.e. Stanford) caution that many undergrads don't get accepted in, due to wanting their students to have fresh ideas and have fresh ideas coming in (or so I seem to recall from their website a few years back, whether truth or not), so that would be the only reason why this might be a concern, in my own opinion. But many of my colleagues are applying for their PhDs at my graduate institution, and if my undergrad had a strong program in Medieval, I'd be there in a heartbeat! No shame at all! I suppose there's the awkwardness of mentioning them in your SOP, but it's mostly just a brief "this is why I'd do well, working with either one of these professors," and so not much to fear being strange. Just present yourself, be confident in your work and where you'd like to go! That's great you have such a strong institution to call home!

@RydraWong - Like angle_kaye13 above, I'm going to be applying to a PhD in the same 'system' as my Master's.  (For context, only the CUNY: Graduate Center offers PhDs, so I couldn't go to Brooklyn again if I wanted too.)  My old advisor recommended that I throw his name in my SoP as someone I'd like to work with again, especially since he's writing me a LOR.  Personally, I don't think it's weird.  You'd have to like your advisor and the line of research they do to work with them in the first place, right?  

First, who says you're not supposed to email the POIs? While not necessary (I didn't do it), it's pretty common to do so. Some successful applicants swear by it -- establishing a connection long before the application is due. Remember that you're positioning yourself as a potential scholar in the field who is not going to be working for the POI, but with the POI.

Second, most of the websites do give that kind of info (CVs are most helpful), but some basic research can reveal most of the pertinent info in fifteen minutes or so. You want to see their recent publications and research interests, or syllabi of courses they've taught in the past few years. What I'm getting at is that books take a long time to write, a long time to publish, and (obviously) have a long shelf life. Often a topic that a POI was interested in fifteen years ago will remain a basic interest today...but often that won't be the case. Think about your own research interests, for instance. Have you had the same general focus for two years? Four? Ten? It's a bit different, obviously, since we're all much earlier in our academic careers, but the central point remains the same: interests evolve.

Reading the books of multiple POIs is admirable from an academic perspective...but completely unnecessary for application purposes. You need to know what your POIs' current research interests are (as specifically as possible), their methodologies (i.e. marxist, structuralist, historicist), their general stature (no sense in wanting to work with a visiting assistant professor), and yes, some of what they've written.

Remember that research interests evolve over time. Reading a POI's book from 2002 might have little or no bearing on what that POI is interested in now. There is zero expectation on the part of admissions committees that all applicants have a deep, thorough, sophisticated knowledge of their faculty. In fact, some successful SOPs don't mention a single faculty member at all.

Again, if you are highly interested in the work of your POIs, reading their books will help you as a scholar, and might help you a little bit as an applicant, but as Yanaka says, your application will require very little direct reference to those professors, unless it is relevant and emerges organically in your SOP.

Or maybe there's something better/more right out there that you couldn't conceive?? I have no doubt you're the proper material, what little I know of you on here. Just like with so many of us, there are choices made, timing, numbers...a MILLION reasons why PhDs don't happen. But I doubt that comments on yours or anyone else's self-worth! (Sorry if I'm Little Miss Daisies this year - I just...after year one of grad school, I realized how much we all stake our self-worth on these things...and we obviously REALLY want them. But there are a million other wonderful things, if we get redirected. So I try to keep in mind.^^)
 

My "likes" were all out for today, but YES to all of this. I know, too, for a fact that South Carolina tries to give Teaching Assistantships to as many people as possible, which remits half of your tuition for the first semester (as an MA student), and remits full tuition for the second semester.

@Cotton Joe: I can't speak to any of these schools, so I hope you won't think me too forward, but - since you're looking in the South - I would DEFINITELY check out Dr. Robert Brinkmeyer, over at the University of South Carolina. I know his work, and he's bloody-brilliant, and I believe USC has a history of a.) offering decent stipends, and b.) having a very healthy, collegial English department.
Sorry if this is a detour from the info you want, I just wanted to put in a good word where I've heard good things happening!

Or maybe there's something better/more right out there that you couldn't conceive?? I have no doubt you're the proper material, what little I know of you on here. Just like with so many of us, there are choices made, timing, numbers...a MILLION reasons why PhDs don't happen. But I doubt that comments on yours or anyone else's self-worth! (Sorry if I'm Little Miss Daisies this year - I just...after year one of grad school, I realized how much we all stake our self-worth on these things...and we obviously REALLY want them. But there are a million other wonderful things, if we get redirected. So I try to keep in mind.^^)
 

You guys are so kind. Truly!

It's hard to say whether my writing style on GC is similar to my writing style in academic work. There must be a basic similarity at the very least (including my penchant for italicizing words for emphasis), and the most consistent comment I receive on papers is "thoughtful," which I consider a major compliment. In fact, I even told my 101 students that if I ever write "thoughtful" on their papers, they'll know they impressed me. (Most of them impress me anyhow, but still!)

I've had a few people ask me about my "plan B," and I'm simply not thinking about it unless or until I have to. Why waste the energy? The way I see it, I've got a paying gig at my university until the end of June anyhow, and I'll have an answer to my Ph.D. hopes by March at the latest (barring the dreaded nothing-but-waitlist possibility), so I'll have a few months to look at plan B's.

Anyhow, thanks again for your kind words. I fear we're derailing this thread, but at least it's got a couple of "gawwws" from me. ;-)

Aww. Thanks. I didn't mean it in a self-deprecating sense, however -- just a broad, realistic sense. I went through the cycle two years ago and was very fortunate to get a M.A. offer (that turned out to be a great option)...but that was one offer out of seventeen Ph.D. applications. In retrospect, I can think of a hundred things I did poorly during the last cycle (this despite being a regular on GC...hint hint), but the fact remains that even if I've learned a lot more in the past two years, if my writing sample isn't wowing adcomms, and my statement of purpose isn't really selling me as a scholar, then it's hard to see a future path to Ph.D. study and an academic life.

All of this needs to be underscored by the fact that I feel very strongly about my application. Enough knowledgeable people have read my writing sample for me to know it's both good and unique, and enough people have seen my statement of purpose for me to know that it paints a strong picture of me as a scholar (and it works with my WS). My GRE scores are a bit lower than the most competitive applicants, though my GPA for both my B.A. and M.A. are quite high. I'm older than average, but some will likely see that as an advantage, just as some will see it as a detriment. In other words, I'm a strong enough candidate that I feel there's a good chance that I'll get in somewhere. But if I don't? After all of my learning and all of the preparation that has gone into these applications, I'm not sure trying again and again year after year is prudent. It's really not a self-value judgment, but a question of whether I'm the right kind of potential scholar these programs are looking for.

Fortunately, however, I won't have to make that pronouncement for a few months, if I have to make it at all!

Or maybe there's something better/more right out there that you couldn't conceive?? I have no doubt you're the proper material, what little I know of you on here. Just like with so many of us, there are choices made, timing, numbers...a MILLION reasons why PhDs don't happen. But I doubt that comments on yours or anyone else's self-worth! (Sorry if I'm Little Miss Daisies this year - I just...after year one of grad school, I realized how much we all stake our self-worth on these things...and we obviously REALLY want them. But there are a million other wonderful things, if we get redirected. So I try to keep in mind.^^)
 

Yep, I hear that same voice. (Or it might be a different voice saying the same thing. Or perhaps it is the same voice, which might just prove the existence of god. Then again, that can't be the case because we're grad students and nothing providential ever happens to us.)

Either way, I gave serious thought to adding UW-Madison, U of Toronto, and Stanford to my thirteen, but vetoed all of them for various reasons despite them being good "fits." I could justify the expense, but for me, going beyond a dozen or so felt a bit impractical. I know that odds are odds, but in a very real sense, if I'm not cutout for the thirteen places I applied to, I'm probably not Ph.D. material. It's a harsh possibility that I won't believe until I have to, but "it stands to reason" as they say.
 

A couple of notes here:
Alabama is mostly renowned for its Strode Program within the English Department + the Creative Writing MFA.  I think the Strode Program boasts a 100 percent placement rate at the Ph.D. level.
If you're really interested in southern lit:
Southern Carolina is a good place to check out
Mississipi is a good place for it
LSU is another place I'd consider
Western Carolina has a decent number of faculty interested in Southern Lit and they also offer a funded MA.

I applied to 12.
Over the summer, I put together a list of the "top" 75 programs, and then went through every faculty bio at those schools to narrow it down to a shortlist of 20. Then I looked at those 20 more holistically (funding, placement, location, other resources, etc) and decided upon 9 that I definitely wanted to apply to.
But there were 3 more that I kept finding myself drawn to even though they were slightly less perfect fits, so I decided to apply to them as well because  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Location is definitely important, but, for me, the biggest concern was my field: what schools have the strongest programs for my field? Granted, I know that means that ups the chances of rejection. But, if I can get into a stronger program, that also ups my job prospects, from national/international to regional options. I may get rejected, but dang it if I'm not going to try for the best! *^^* (I applied to 10, a mix of regional and international reputations, according to my aforementioned concerns.)
I think...I'm not sure it always matters the quantity of applications as the quality and how much thought you put into it. Last year, one of my friends told me she applied to 7, and she regretted not doing more, or applying to programs she thought she wouldn't have a chance at. But some have gotten in by only apply to 3 or less, and several of my applying colleagues are doing just one. I'm an "odds" kind of person, so I went a higher number this time around, which I think is the old standard, at least: apply to more for PhD, less for M.A. (I only applied to 3 my first cycle.) If I can do as well, odds-wise, as I did last time, I'd be very pleased.
All this to say: if you've thought hard about your choices and done your research? Your numbers will make sense to you, and comparison doesn't matter.

Location is definitely important, but, for me, the biggest concern was my field: what schools have the strongest programs for my field? Granted, I know that means that ups the chances of rejection. But, if I can get into a stronger program, that also ups my job prospects, from national/international to regional options. I may get rejected, but dang it if I'm not going to try for the best! *^^* (I applied to 10, a mix of regional and international reputations, according to my aforementioned concerns.)
I think...I'm not sure it always matters the quantity of applications as the quality and how much thought you put into it. Last year, one of my friends told me she applied to 7, and she regretted not doing more, or applying to programs she thought she wouldn't have a chance at. But some have gotten in by only apply to 3 or less, and several of my applying colleagues are doing just one. I'm an "odds" kind of person, so I went a higher number this time around, which I think is the old standard, at least: apply to more for PhD, less for M.A. (I only applied to 3 my first cycle.) If I can do as well, odds-wise, as I did last time, I'd be very pleased.
All this to say: if you've thought hard about your choices and done your research? Your numbers will make sense to you, and comparison doesn't matter.

Thank you both so much! I really appreciate it. And I will try to set aside some time this weekend to just relax a bit. 
I have talked to other students in the program, and word on the street is that this professor is just the toughest one in our department. They've said that a lot of people have gotten their writing/ideas torn up and that some have indeed gotten Bs in the class, but the professor is just like that. They say it's like a different standard with this prof, and that this standard might possibly be known by others in the field (I mentioned I was nervous of having a low grade from this class for PhD admissions). 
I met with the prof today and I feel a lot better. We had a great chat about my paper, I have a better idea of how to frame it, and I know it'll all be okay and that I just have to buckle down and get the draft written (and then revise, revise, revise!). Other professors have even offered to work with me on my prose once I get it written, so that's encouraging, too. 
The first year indeed is an experience. I wasn't prepared for the pure emotional drain, but can one even be prepared for it? Here's hoping it gets better.