verjus

Count me in, @klader!

@klader You're not alone! I had a hellish end to my spring semester, and as a result I've been braindead for the past 2-3 weeks. But, realizing how much I want/need to do, I'm trying to get myself into gear by breaking things up and making myself accountable to others. I'm drafting a schedule with realistic minimum weekly targets for applications, thesis research, paper submissions, and GRE studying to make everything a bit more digestible. (I get an inordinate amount of pleasure just writing a plan down, building in tolerances, and then assessing my progress. The delight of checking things off is almost NSFW ) Also, a few of the people in my MA class are getting together for a workshop in a few weeks to read/give feedback on each other's work and ideas. Can you set up a similar group in your cohort? Otherwise, I'd be happy to participate in something online. Also, I'd also suggest returning to your plan and making sure your goals are specific, achievable, and time-bound. Sorry to sound all management-robot-like, but's just how I've learned to cope in my life as an over-anxious person.

Hi everyone, I just finished my first year of an MA program and am planning on applying this December! I'm taking the summer to study for the GRE subject test, prepare my SOP/writing sample, and get started on my thesis. It's a little a overwhelming! Good luck to all!

(Slots, I hope you don't mind that I'm jumping on your coattails here.) How important is the AW score in English PhD applications? I just got my GRE scores back and was shocked by my AW score (4!). I know that I had a bad case of testing nerves, but I didn't think that I did that poorly. Is this bad enough to hurt my application? I can write under timed circumstances and under pressure -- but apparently not on that one day. I'm happy with my scores otherwise (167V, 166Q), so I would hate to have to retake it. Ugh, I hate tests.

Yes! It seems that SJSU doesn't have distinct Composition or Literature tracks, so perhaps some informal preference will be given to Comp students. However, the (very helpful) graduate advisor was very encouraging about my applying for TA-ships (knowing that I'd be a Lit student), so I feel somewhat assured.

I love hearing these success stories! We can do it! I must have been sending out distress calls into the universe, because my mom called me today and gave me a long pep talk ("You're finally doing what you want! There is no downside.") ProfLorax -- I am in California, and I was looking at SJSU. (I'm also trying to figure out if I should consider commuting up to SFSU ) The tuition does seem manageable, and with grants and/or TA/GA-ships, I think I could avoid being too big a burden on my family. UCSC's MA program was another idea, but that would have to wait until next year (and I just get the sense that they are stingy with their MA students).

Thank you! This is so heartening to hear (also: every thread needs more Pete Hornberger). I know with my conscious mind that I'm so much more equipped for this undertaking now than I was 15 years ago, but every so often these stabs of anxiety and hopelessness overtake me. We're reading Hardy in the class I'm taking now, and it really isn't helping either

Thanks so much! Unfortunately, I'm stuck where I am (not close to any funded MA opportunities) for at least the next year, but I'm hoping to find my way down to southern California after that, where there's just more of .. everything. I guess I will see where this coursework takes me. Ultimately, I'd like to teach and research (naively I thought everyone wanted that). People's eyes seem to glaze over when I mention my area of interest (19th century literature & science, especially around the rise of neurology and psychiatry), so maybe it's not a very "sexy" field of study, and I'll have to broaden my horizons...

My possibly very naive question: Will going to an unranked state school MA literature program extinguish my chances of getting into a PhD program later on? I am in my mid-30s, and I just recently began pursuing this dream of studying literature (ultimately aiming for a PhD if it can be done) after a decade or so of work. I'm currently taking an undergraduate-level literature course, and next semester I'm taking a few graduate-level courses at a nearby state school. Because of their later application deadlines, I'd be able to apply to the state schools' programs for admission in Fall 2016. If I wanted to apply for more prestigious programs, I'd definitely have to wait for Fall 2017 in order to get my GRE, LoRs, SoP, writing sample, etc. in a row. I'd also be facing much scarier sticker prices. I feel really conscious of how late to the game I am, so I feel this urge to begin a program as soon as possible. And because I spent the last decade working a job I hated in order to pay off school loans, I'm also afraid of racking up too much debt. But... I'm wondering if I'm missing the bigger picture here? Do you guys have advice on how to approach this? Thank you!

Thank you so much! That was quite calming to read. So, I think I will reach out to some old professors with my SOP and writing sample (when they exist) and also take a few classes locally this fall or spring. I think that if I stay at my local state university, I can apply a number of units taken before admission into the program toward the degree. The settlement is saved!

Hi all! I am thinking about applying to MA English programs having been out of school for awhile (more than a dozen years), and I'm really anxious about how to go about the process. I haven't stayed in touch with any of my English professors, so I'm not sure how I'm going to scare up any academic LORs. Have any of you had experience reaching out years after graduation for your LORs? Is it advisable (or even necessary) for me to take some classes at a local university before I apply in hopes of getting a better LOR? Are professional LORs basically useless? Also, what does it mean if a program (i.e., my local state university) requires only "references"rather than LORs? I'm sorry if I sound like a mess -- I'm a big planner/optimizer, and I never thought I'd be pursuing this course in my life. I would appreciate any advice you guys have to give!