Branwen daughter of Llyr

Considering that this year's app round was a crap-shoot in the first place, I'm sure next year will be MUCH WORSE. However, I'm really glad I went through the process this year. I learned a LOT, and next year I will be much better prepared, send out much stronger applications, and bite my nails a whole lot more after I've sent the apps out... Currently THE LIST comprises 24 schools (UT Austin got added back in, after initially being cut, due to a specific prof who just wrote a book I'm using in my writing sample re-vamp). Narrowing it down will be an interesting thing... (will be sending out appx 10-12 apps for 2011 ranging from top-tiers to solid schools ranked in the 40's-50's, but with excellent placement records).

Yup - found at least FIVE schools with better fits program-wise than 2 of my 4 this year. Applying to them next year.

Just hearing about this entire experience has given me an itch to remove UNC from THE LIST. I'm now terrified that a B and two B+ in my English classes at the last semester will kill any chances despite a 3.66 GPA. On the other hand, their program is sooo attractive to Celtic medievalists... f*ck (pardon my old french). @MM - if they are SO numbers oriented, then... it's their effing loss. Seriously. You are one of the people I admire most in this community (and I'm not easily impressed ), and your dedication is exactly what grad schools SHOULD look for. Your positive attitude inspires me daily!

YES. You should. And his children's books are SPECTACULAR. The Graveyard Book is an absolutely brilliant creation. I wish I had his inventive mind. @Medieval - heh, haven't we already decided that we were separated at birth or something? (although I do read modern fiction, but it's often modern fiction with a twist) Also loved The Secret History and for Shakespeare fans I recommend The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber, and I'm also a HUGE fan of Iain M. Banks (his Culture books are amazing). Currently I'm on a huge Michael Chabon kick - another brilliant writer, highly recommended!

Hi slee, I just wanted to say - kudos to you for not quitting and trying to overcome this problem. I don't have ADD, but I know some people that do, and I've had some students that were seriously learning "disabled' due to ADHD combined with dyslexia. Trying to teach them English as a second language was an uphill battle, and I really admire you for your tenacity. The one thing I can add to some of the excellent advice you've already received on the post is this - don't just focus on the time issue. The time is a serious stress-factor, I know, but I had an ADD student that I worked with towards her matriculation exam in English (not her first language) that was really struggling, even with extra time. It turned out that her ADD was intensified because she didn't feel confident in her knowledge. We started focusing very intensely on understanding the material - improving her vocabulary, improving her reading skills, improving her understanding of grammar, and improving her listening skills. We stopped dealing with time-management strategies for the first three months of studying (and we studied a LOT), and we just slooooooooowly walked through every type of question, reading comp section, listening comprehension section, and so on. She slowly gained confidence in her knowledge and familiarity with the exam, and then we started speeding it up. Of course, matriculation exams don't compare to the GRE - not in terms of levels tested, nor in structure. But her much deeper understanding of the language, question types, and testing strategies really payed off as she was taking the exam - she was much less stressed than in any other subject, and ended up scoring much higher than in things she didn't study slowly and carefully for. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that you'll find a way to get through this idiotic test - you sound like an extremely bright individual, with a great deal of gumption and drive. Good Luck!! Branwen

I care, especially if it's people I've developed some kind of camaraderie in the GradCafe community. Obviously, I'm not happy when my friends (virtual or real life) get rejected from a school they really want to go to. But then, I also care if random people don't get in, especially if they tell a story I can empathize with. It's difficult to get rejected from anything, especially something you've worked hard for, and want very badly. The only people I won't care about are people who have been abusive or have acted/said nasty things. If they don't get in, I may shrug. On the other hand, their insecurities about their chances of getting in may have prompted them to behave in such a horrible way in the first place. This is a community overall, and hopefully we develop a sense of togetherness in this process. I know that I did, and I feel for each and every person that has been rejected from a school. Even if a rejection is expected and emotionally prepared for, it still stings.

New UVA acceptance was just posted - anyone interested in claiming? And CONGRATS to the lucky one!

Weelllllllll... not really ridiculous, but here goes: 1. I have time to actually save up a small nest egg for grad school (stipends are barely enough for rent...) 2. Time to get a head start by taking Latin at TAU (also making me a more attractive applicant) 3. Time to revamp SOP (ditto on attractive applicant) 4. Time to re-write writing sample + perhaps find somewhere to publish it (ditto on attractive applicant) 5. Time to finish YA novel I'm working on and maybe manage to get it published somehwere 6. More time with family here before the long haul back over the pond 7. Cats and dog get to wait an extra year before being subjected to an 11 hour flight 8. Time to read books NOT related to school 9. Time to acquire more skills & experience that will help land part-time jobs during grad school (as stated, stipends are barely enough for rent) 10. I'll want it THAT MUCH MORE next year 11. Time to bargain, beg, wheedle, and strongarm any higher power / divine being about 2011 apps

As a last minute decision entering my senior year, I joined the English Honors program. Wrote an honors thesis (~45pp), but for next year's round it won't be used as a writing sample (wasn't this year either, due to the second half of it being only in rough draft stage - I didn't save properly back in 2001), and I'm actually re-writing a different paper with a very different approach. Although I could possibly re-create the honors thesis, it doesn't quite match the field I'm interested in. The honors program and thesis will be mentioned in the SOP, of course - I needed recommendations to get in, and got them from my old theater major profs (I was a terrific academic in theater, less stellar of an actor hahah). I'm not sure how that ranks compared to other English majors applying to grad school, but I'm assuming that if you didn't do either an honors / senior thesis, you may want to go for an MA first and only then the PhD (so "advanced" scholarly work can be evaluated at the application stage).

Thank you!! I love both The Simpsons AND Black Books - was a very very welcome addition to my otherwise "rejected" day

I agree - I'm almost 38 and applying to grad school for the first time. I'm SO much more focused and mature now than when I graduated (and I was an older undergrad student as well) and I'm actually super-ready for the rigors of a PhD (even scored MUCH higher on general GRE this time around than right after UG).

If you liked American Gods, read Anansi Boys - super super super good (Neil Gaiman is my personal god hahahha)

wahoo reading lists!! Recent reads: PopCo, Scarlett Thomas The Medieval World, Friedrich Heer Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond Summerland, Michael Chabon The Yiddish Detective's Union, Michael Chabon Prydian Chronicles Lloyd Alexander (for the 700th time) The Farie Wars, Herbie Brennan Lord of the Rings (also for the 700th time) LionBoy, Lionboy The Chase, Zizou Corder Baroque Cycle, Neal Stephenson Current: Norton Anthologies (English & American) Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms (can you tell I'm studying for the subject test??) On List: Inkdeath, Cornelia Funke Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson The Purple Emperor, Ruler of the Realm, Herbie Brennan The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon All Terry Pratchett's (re-read and read ones I haven't yet) All Tom Robbins (re-read and read ones I haven't yet) The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, Susanna Clarke Empire of Magic, Geraldine Heng Gawain and the Green Knight Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend A Handbook to Literature Sacred Narrative: Readings in the Theory of Myth (in red - for revising writing sample) I could go on FOR DAYS on the list - my amazon wish list is HUGE.

Have no idea - I haven't heard squat . No invitation to the party - but no rejection either!!

I'm sitting on 4 nothings. Ho hum.

Well, you seem to be dissing academia on a regular basis (conferences are petty and boring, calling it "all powerful overlord," and quoting a writer who hated academia with a passion while saying that "Just a friendly reminder that most of the great writers didn't attend Ivy League schools, let alone get paid by them." to a group of individuals who haven't expressed much interest in being fiction writers, and are mostly interested in being scholars). I'm usually quite good at reading tone and voice - and most of your comments have been... well... very anti-academia. Perhaps you haven't stated it in so many words, but it's fairly implicit in just about everything you write.

You are SO giving me hope for next year, having a mish-mash of interests myself!! (also have twisted academic history, including two moves and a major change from Theater to English) Your SOP probably rules....

Thanks for that - It sounds like I've planned to do the right things. My ideas for the SOP are already much more focused than they were in November, I've chosen a writing sample to turn into a dazzling piece of academic work over the summer that touches quite strongly on my research interests, and I'm broadening the scope of schools I'm looking into from the top 20 to the top 50. Found some really interesting programs along the way that I'm super excited about - Michigan, Illinois. Also eliminated one top twenty that I applied to this year since it's not a terrific fit. Thank god for GradCafe... seriously !! Oh, and re test scores - this is how much they don't count - I applied to 4 top-twenty schools this year with a 600V, and NO SUBJECT SCORE AT ALL (I'm only registered for the April exam). The fact that I wasn't summarily rejected in the first round is super-amazing, and they MUST have liked something I sent.

I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for all my friends that are waiting for acceptances as well . And I haven't heard squat all February, which I find extremely surprising. I was pretty positive I would get tossed out in the first round (not good GRE's, unfocused SOP, and NO SUBJECT SCORES). The fact that some notifications have gone out and that I haven't heard anything at all is actually quite surprising...

Oh no... I totally blanked out the actual seder this year... I mean, I know passover's looming (it's all the people at the stupid store talk about), but I actually FORGOT about the dinner itself... I don't even have any idea where we're doing it... GAH!! Now I'm just waiting for all those questions. At least the new job will take off some of the pressure, and I think that most of my extended family is somewhat ignorant of the grad school applications... Thanks for reminding me! *humph*

Zoo, If you hate it so much, why go through it? I'm asking seriously. We want to be scholars. I don't see anything wrong with that. If you don't want to be a scholar, and you want to be the next JD Salinger (nothing wrong with that, seriously, I love his work), why even bother thinking about grad school?