
Katia_chan
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Everything posted by Katia_chan
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does it make me crazy if...
Katia_chan replied to crazyhappy's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
I am a filthy hypocrite, but I'm going to give the obligatory "whoah Nelly" here. The next few months are long. Pace the crazy--otherwise all you're ready for by March is to curl up under your blankets with your phone and weep. (...We're all probably going to be doing that anyway, but try not to hasten it along). -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
We'll assume the best--congratulations!!! -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Yeah. A POI might contact you on a weekend, because that is their own personal time. But in my multiple application seasons, I have never been contacted on a weekend. Of course there are exceptions, but take advantage of them and give yourself 2 days to breathe. Weekends are also the times I will let myself check the results board. Sundays. Then *generally* I hear about things after the fact, and don't have to start having a full-blown panic attack waiting for my phone to ring or my mail icon to pop up. It's a sanity saver. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
As seems to be the perpetual case, I am in need of advice from you lovely folks. So one of my recommenders submitted his letter to the electronic system, but apparently it didn't take, because Thursday the grad advisor Emailed me to say she was missing one of my letters. It was fine--she was still willing to take it. I told her that there must've been a mix-up, and she was very nice and understanding. I immediately Emailed my LoR writer and asked him to send his letter to her directly. But now... I have not heard from either of them. I don't know if I should Email him again, if I should send her an Email just saying that I'm trying to get a hold of him, or if that would be annoying... I don't want this chance to slip away--I love this university. But I don't know what to do, especially since my writer is not answering my Email, and the semester does not start for his school until next Monday. Thoughts welcome. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Well...this is my third round... much to my shame. I should probably start taking a hint. Getting up the motivation to keep doing them is a bitch. But I can't. Teaching university-level is what I want to do, and this is the way it has to get done. Not to mention, I miss being a student. So I keep switching things up, trying new programs. I retook the GRE this round, did more work on the WS... so we shall see. It's still January--after you get over the immediate post-submission "I'm screwed," it's the easiest month in which to be hopeful. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
My motivation for sending in the last apps comes from numbers. One year, I applied to 5 schools. After 3 rejections, my shots were pretty much up. Then the next year I applied to 8, and even though I still failed miserably, after 3 rejections I wasn't even halfway through, and it was much easier to stay hopeful. This round, I'm going for 11, because I'm spreading out my chances...and because I like things to filter by a bit more slowly. Not to mention, if I don't submit them, then the nameless villains that I build up in my head that are the adcomms, who sit around laughing evilly at application piles, have already won. If I don't send stuff in, I can't get anywhere. -
Alright, Give it to Me Straight.
Katia_chan replied to MariElizabeth's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
I specifically talked to a program that had the 310 cutoff. The woman I spoke with, after hearing that my verbal and writing scores were good, said it wasn't really going to be a problem. Unless they are so ungodly huge that they chop off at the numbers without even looking at specifics, you aren't going to be any worse off than the rest of us. As for specific programs...I haven't a clue. We're all just guessing here, after all. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
So between today and yesterday, I discovered that some of my transcripts made it to schools, and then never got attached to my files, and others made it there, and the BA got posted, but not the MA. I did both at the same university, so they are in the same transcript, and apparently this is confusing but there's nothing I can do to differentiate. One of the places the admissions lady told me it was their fault, and another guy told me it was mine/my university's. Needless to say, *after* most of my deadlines, I'm suddenly finding out that my transcripts might not be where they need to be. I am working very hard at not losing my shit. I managed to call about 5 of the 11 universities this morning while fending off the blinding panic, but now I need to take a break and huddle under my covers having an anxiety attack. I'm going to get rejected everywhere because my transcripts decided to live in the ether/people decided not to look at them.... Is it April yet? Please... -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
I can't look at my SoP again. I just can't... -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
I love your username. Just saying. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Listen to Jazz--it's good advice. Esp for those of you who are doing this for the first time. I drove myself to more than one mental breakdown, sobbing in a chair while clutching my (disapproving) cat. I made a bargain with myself--I would let myself be on the forum part, but I could only check the results page every week or so. That way, if places had notified, usually I would find out after the fact. It was heart crushing, but at least I didn't have to resist the temptation to glue my phone to my forehead so I'd never miss a call. Also there were more pages to scroll through, and that took up more time, which was a plus. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Okay, I'm freaking out. I just saw that one of my writers didn't submit a letter yet for something I notified him about a month ago. That app isn't the problem, but it's making me wonder if he submitted it for the one that was due on the 1st. I'm having trouble looking at the app status page, so I can't currently check. Is it worth Emailing the department? Or, since the deadline was a week and a half ago, am I pretty much screwed if he didn't do it? I *hate* this so much. For serious. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Me...very much me. This is my third app cycle, fourth if you count the one that got me into the MA at my UG school...I've been "in the process of applying" since 2011. The thought of possibly having to tell people again that it didn't work out is enough to send me under the bed until June. It's so hard to stay positive during this process... -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Fuck it. I'm submitting the remainder of my SoPs in middle English. If this whole thing is going to be stupid, I'm going to be stupid right back. -
When to apply to UK programs?
Katia_chan replied to karablythe's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of on the funding side of things; I can't afford to live in England for a year unfunded. I'll poke around a bit though, see what I can dig up. As for it being a second Masters, you are correct. And the way my advisor put it, it would be a chance to push me forward academically at a period where I'm kind of standing still, as well as a chance to get in contact with some really potentially great letter writers. I went to a pretty unknown school for my MA, and with how much people keep talking about prestige mattering for applications, I have to think adding a contact or two from Oxford wouldn't hurt my chances. Also just sort of something I've always wanted to do. If I could figure out a way to design a course that is as much history as it is lit, that would be even better. I'd considered getting a second MA in history anyway, and I'd love to blend the two. I apologize if this is rambly--I'm really drugged up on cold meds right now. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
I cut my sample to 13 pages including the works cited. I refuse to mess with it anymore--between submitting it as a thesis, presenting it at a conference, and using it for apps, I hate and loathe it with a fiery passion, and if I read it one more time I'm going to grab a TARDIS and go back in time to strangle Geoffrey of Monmouth. ...All that to say, I don't think NYU will have a huge problem with that. It's not like size 11 is pinpoint small. And they have to know that it's getting used multiple places. Or at least they should. Also, can I get a general cry of hate for the schools who want the SoP to be 500 words or less? 750, I can do. 1000, I can do. 500-? asdlfkj;ljdsfalkjdf;. Sorry, pent up frustration and "...you ever gonna write that letter?" anxiety building up over here. Hope everyone's surviving. Let us all drown sorrows in mashed potatoes. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Don't worry, you're not alone. During a meeting about "hey I graduated a year ago but still want you to write a letter for me this is what I'm up to," after voicing my frustration with freshmen/teaching freshmen comp, my former advisor told me that "If you don't like freshmen, you might want to seriously consider whether you want to teach." ...possibly a valid point. But are you *really* telling me this two weeks before I start submitting apps? I'm set on my course, I want a PHD and to teach, and an identity/confidence crisis is *not* what I needed right now. (I would take the advice more to heart if I weren't in a transitional period where I really want to get moving with my life but can't because I'm waiting on grad schools, which is possibly making me grumpy towards life). She also told me to be competitive at Northwestern I had to be in the 99% for verbal GRE. So that was fun... Chicago, it was nice while it lasted. /rant. *goes back to staring at WS in despair* -
When to apply to UK programs?
Katia_chan replied to karablythe's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
I have a few questions on this topic myself. First, my old MA advisor suggested that if I don't get into any doctoral programs this season, that I perhaps try doing a program at Oxford (I'm a medievalist, so yeah). Just wondering what people think of this. It could get me some great rec letters for later PHD apps, and it would be nice to use my brain again. On the other hand, it's expensive as hell, and intimidating as hell, and feels like a massive and scary decision. Related to that, if I did a M.ST instead of the M.Phil, would that look less good? I wouldn't mind doing the M.Phil, but since it's a second Masters degree, I don't really want to spend another two years before submitting PHD apps again. I'd like to maybe be done with school before I'm 40. And lastly, and I know this question is a long-shot, does anyone know if there are grants or scholarships or whatever if you're studying over there as an international student with a disability? From my brief travels, I know they are awesome with disability fees for stuff like museums, but I don't know if that consideration extends to universities, and even more if it extends to wandering Minnesotans. I'm feeling out this idea, so input would be great. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Georgia requires them to be mailed in as well. At least, some of them... apparently things are being updated somehow. But no one's quite sure how yet. I feel so strange scurrying into the post office with my little packet. -
Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
A quick question, for anyone who is applying or has applied to U of Georgia: In their online application, there is a place to upload a SoP. But on the English department's site, it says that we should mail in our SoP. I'm not sure what to do. It won't send out information to my recommenders until I submit the application online, but my SoP is still in progress. I don't know if it's the same document, if it's different, if anyone looks at the uploaded one, if it's just a place-holder for the grad school office, etc. I Emailed the graduate coordinator a week ago, and haven't heard anything. The deadline is Dec. 1, so I want to get this out to them immediately. But if this SoP is going to be a part of the app, I don't want to screw it up--this is one of my top choice schools. Info appreciated. -
Anyone going to the Midwest MLA conference this weekend in Milwaukee? It's going to be my first MLA... I'm intimidated as hell, but excited.
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Fall 2014 applicants??
Katia_chan replied to sugoionna's topic in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
It's a horrifying realization, isn't it? I keep having mini panic attacks, and where the hell did October go? I was going to have everything so neatly finished and packaged by the end of it. But suddenly it's November and nothing's ready and nothing's done and oh my god. Ahem. Anyway. Good luck to everyone else suffering. -
I'm going to put something out here that a lot of people are probably going to disagree with, but it was said by a very well-respected professor of mine, and it could stand to be repeated. "Once you have a PHD, no matter what it's in or where it's from, you *have* a PHD. You can reinvent yourself once you have it." Now, that may not ring true if the school has an actively bad reputation. If 90% of faculty in academia see that name and wrinkle their noses, yeah, you might be in trouble. But as long as it's a place that produces decent research, you are going to be fine. Yes, at one or two interviews you might lose out to the guy who has Harvard on his CV. But you could just as easily encounter a school where they don't think Harvard graduates get enough teaching experience, and they hate Harvard. Do your best work, and it won't matter that you didn't attend a top 20 school. ...And something that may or may not be *completely* true, but if you apply to work somewhere where prestige is that important, and where they would overlook you just because you aren't Ivy, then you may not have wanted to work their anyway. Just my two cents. Do with it as you will.