nevermind

Of course my previous comment was a generalization of how language relates to each other--but I didn't think writing specific examples was necessary to get my point across (which is a little irrelevant anyway, if he tried to learn Hebrew first, and then went on to study multiple languages). That being said, of course I'm not expecting them to speak Hebrew fluently after an introductory class or speak Hebrew fluently without study just because they know Arabic. But yes, if they were proficient in both MSA and Levantine Arabic, they really wouldn't have failed Introductory Hebrew unless something drastic happened. This is particularly true in beginning classes (less so in more advanced classes) where the material that is covered (like numbers - wahid / ehad/ahad, names of foods-bazal vs. basal -- how words are derived from a triliteral root, masculine/feminine/dual endings, singular/plural endings etc.) are incredibly similar to Arabic, both in pronunciation and grammatical construction (e.g. chiastic concord). I should also note that beginning Arabic might be a little bit harder because of the final forms of letters (Hebrew only has a couple) and the different shapes letters take if they are initial, medial, final forms of words. In addition, MSA has nominal, genitive, and accuative forms that are completely absent in Introductory Hebrew, so it assumes a higher level of grammatical knowledge, Modern Hebrew has a lot of English words "Hebraicized" (e.g. televitziah...adding the singular feminine Hebrew suffix to television), so although still a new language for somebody proficient in Arabic--it's a lot less strenuous than one might imagine. FWIW, I've studied Akkadian, Hebrew (Modern, Talmudic, Biblical), Levantine and MSA Arabic, and threw in Aramaic just for the heck of it. I did Arabic after studying Hebrew and got nothing less than A+s in my classes because they were so similar. Maybe I'm an exception, but I really don't think so. Many of my colleagues and students who have taken Hebrew after learning Arabic consider it pretty easy in comparison. :/

Hebrew is basically baby Arabic (in terms of how the languages relate to each other). If he failed introductory Hebrew, he must've not been trying at all or something serious happened (assuming he did MSA/Levantine before Hebrew). Yes, while one failing grade may not impact someone's chances...if he's trying to be a Middle East historian, he should address it somewhere, explaining that he failed yet overcame it, assuming he does have that proficiency now. b'hatzlacha.

http://magoosh.com/gre/2013/gre-scores-for-top-universities/

I have a similar GRE score (32% quant, but a 95% verbal and likely 90%+ writing...), so I don't plan to address it all in my application at all. My research is qualitative in nature though (I will just have to do a stats class), so I don't think my quant will ding me too much (though it still makes me nervous, despite my rigorous quant. preparation). You being Poli Sci though, it's a tough call. It's worth taking a look at this (http://magoosh.com/gre/2013/gre-scores-for-social-science-programs) to get an idea of how competitive your overall scores are....that being said, I wouldn't mention it in a personal statement (where you really should be showcasing your positive attributes and how you fit their program), but perhaps address it in a supplemental section. The problem with explaining it is...what really do you say? "I'm not a good test taker"? What happens when you have to take tests in grad school or--worse--when you have to prepare for comps? You definitely don't want to say, "I've just never been that good of a math person" because you'll likely have to do some math. Saying, "there weren't any more dates available" puts into question your time management skills. So it's not really "should" you try to explain it...but "how" do you explain it. I'm just not sure how exactly you could phrase it wouldn't sounding like you're trying to make excuses. Edit: I think you could try to get an Econ professor to really address this discrepancy. Talk to your LOR writers and see if they can address it for you ("despite their low GRE performance, they actually showed promise in quant. by doing such-and-such analysis in their work for my class.")....then YOU'RE not making excuses and the issue is addressed (From a credible source).

This probably isn't what you want to hear...but those programs are hyper-competitive, so you're really shooting for the stars. It's not to say that you won't get in--I don't know what the rest of your application looks like. It's just hard to say, especially since your GREs (even the writing/verbal) aren't doing you any favors. My advice (probably isn't what you want to hear) is to apply widely. Find some schools that are lesser ranked and a good fit and apply there as well. Not that it is less competitive, but Arizona (http://menas.arizona.edu/phd-critical) may be worth adding to your list, etc.

I think it comes down to learning styles. Some people love Magoosh...I used about 70% of Magoosh quant. videos and didn't pull my GRE quant score at all. I wish I would've focused primarily on Manhattan Prep's books, as I felt like they gave a lot more math review PLUS how the questions on the test will actually be formatted. Good luck!

I agree with the previous posters. You're going to have a hard time doing a PhD in NES without sufficient previous language preparation, especially in comp lit. I would suggest applying the MAPSS at U Chicago before doing any PhD applications. The admissions rate for MAPSS is significantly lower and sometimes there's financial aid awarded, if you are a promising candidate.

The obligatory application thread. What areas are you guys interested in? Where are you applying? What's your background/what do you want to study?

I agree with TheBumChikiBum. I think adcoms care more about a solid performance of TOEFL scores than GRE verbal scores. Your composite GRE score of 315 should get you past most cutoffs. If your TOEFL is solid and you have a strong application in other respects, I don't think you need a retake.

I would advise against trying to "force a hook". Otherwise, it might come across as too fake. Don't put too much pressure to write the perfect statement the first time your pen hits the paper (figuratively). Just crank out some thoughts on your intellectual chronology and adjust it later. My personal statement has been "finished" for 2 months, but I'm still nit-picking it and revising as necessary. That being said, when you get your thoughts on paper, omit any reference to how "you've always been interested in sociology". I also would advise against positioning your research statement by "highlighting debates in your research area and your intervention" for two reasons: you might potentially come across as having a messiah complex (these problems weren't properly evaluated/solved until s0ciology1992 intervened!) OR it's possible that someone on the adcom would disagree with you (maybe not your POI, but you don't know who might be reading/evaluating), especially if it is controversial. I'd say focus mostly on your graduate research plan and academic background. Think of particular articles/books/problems that have forced you to confront/have a change of heart....I think these things can be powerful content possibly worth mentioning somewhere. I write with mostly the tone of a cover letter, but with a little bit of personality so it's not cold. Don't write informally. Don't write too much personal information into your statement (illness, family drama, etc.). Take this for what it's worth, but make sure you "speak" the language of the department you're applying to. For example, I'm (broadly) interested in human geography and political ecology. One department that I'm applying to doesn't really emphasize human geography (it's assumed that's the branch of geography you'll be doing), so I focus more on how I can contribute to discussions on political ecology (via territoriality, border constructions, etc.). Look at professors' interests in the department as a whole and make sure you reflect that verbiage.

never mind. they changed it and it's working now. how do i delete this post?

If you have a strong TOEFL score and you're not going into a writing-intense discipline, I'm not sure it matters too much. I think adcoms will be more interested in your TOEFL score and your research experience.

I definitely wouldn't have forgone my first M.A. It helped get me into my second Master's program, which has ultimately made my application this time around stronger. In addition, it helped me secure funding for my second Master's degree by serving as a TA at an Ivy, where I also was invited to lecture during classes--more stuff to put on the CV. Ultimately, my application is stronger because of it, though it was a tortuous road getting there.

I used Magoosh and I didn't feel like the math preparation was particularly helpful. I started (too late) with the Manhattan practice books and made it through about 2 before my actual test date. The Manhattan books are BY FAR more comprehensive to actually reviewing math you've forgotten since high school. I feel like Magoosh doesn't really "review" but assumes you already know how to do the math, and then shows you the shortcuts to solving problems and saving time. For verbal, I memorized the 1000 Barron's word list and reviewed the Magoosh flash cards on my phone. Then I used Magoosh to "learn" how test questions are phrased. I did a ton of drills, using the ETS Verbal Reasoning book until I was only missing a handful of "hard" or "Very hard" problems. My Magoosh ranges were: Quant: 151-155 predicted (I only practiced the easy and medium questions, so I think that skewed it.) Verbal: 161-165 predicted Practice test #1: 149 q. 166 v. Practice test #2: 152 q. 161 v. Overall, I felt like the verbal on the real test was easier than Magoosh, while the quant seemed harder (I knew I bombed the first section when I saw a lot of easy questions show up on the second section). My test was VQVQV which was probably optimal for me, though by the time I got to the third verbal section, I was starting to feel nauseous with anxiety. Actual scores: 148 q., 165 v. I'm not retaking because my research is more qualitative than quantitative in practice. Who knows if this will be my achilles heel, but I'm pretty okay with it.

My journey to overcoming a low GPA has been an arduous one. I graduated my undergrad about 11 years ago with a 2.7 GPA (I developed a chronic illness that was difficult to diagnose and my GPA suffered). Even though I retook those classes and received decent grades in them, my school had a policy where all grades earned are factored in your GPA--regardless if you take them for a higher grade. I entered a Masters program to get more research under my belt and to prove to adcoms that I was more than my GPA. During this time, I published an article, I presented at a graduate student conference at a leading international university, I added two research languages to my CV, and I taught 2 college level classes as an adjunct. My GREs at the time were mediocre (1190 on the old system), but I thought because my Masters GPA was decent (3.7) and I had applied myself, it should prove that I was capable of performing graduate-level work. Wrong. I was, for all intents and purposes, shut out of every PhD program I applied to (offered one spot without funding, and another unfunded Masters at a good school as a consolation prize). I contacted professors to see how I could improve and they still cited my low GPA and mediocre GRE scores as an issue. One professor said that the "academic rigor" of my Masters program was also questionable (even though I earned the highest grade in his class when he taught there...which was the only reason I was offered an unfunded slot in his program) and I was competing against others from Ivies, so obviously, they wouldn't take me. It was a harsh truth--I just wasn't competitive at that time. I decided to take a break and regroup. I ended up balancing a part-time job and adjuncting 4 more classes at a local college and then applying to a Master's program at a lower Ivy (unfunded) to pursue new research goals and partially to gain legitimacy. I got in, networked, and got a TAship in two different departments (one in an engineering department during the summer, and one in the arts/sciences during the academic year). I contributed research to a poster presentation, and earned another high masters GPA (3.99). I took a ton of doctoral-level social theory courses, in addition to science courses (environmental engineering). So during this cycle, I feel like my research objectives are a lot more clear and my personal statement is strong. I have stronger recommendations from faculty at a more "reputable" school. I feel like I've proven I can handle the rigors of academia, in terms of meeting any GPA requirement while conducting research and serving as a TA. During the last five years of schoolwork, I've carried a relatively high GPA. I take the GRE tomorrow, and though my practice scores with Magoosh haven't been stellar (161-166 verbal, 149-152 quant) but they are still stronger than what I did last round and should (hopefully) get me past any initial barriers to entry (I'm just hoping for a 90%+ verbal, 150+ quant). At this point, with the exception of studying harder for the GREs, I'm really unclear how I can make my applications stronger. I'm applying to 8 programs--4 "Dream" programs, 4 programs I'd like to attend but not as much as the other ones--and just hoping for the best. It's been an incredibly hard and long road and I can't wait for this season to be over.

Honestly, it looks like a 4 essay to me. Your first paragraph should perhaps explicate on basic economic theory and "why" expanding profits are a good idea. How you do this is up to you and could take many forms...but it could be something like: For any business to succeed, they must generate an overall profit. Although some believe that theatre performance only serves as a creative outlet (and thereby should not be constrained by financial circumstances), in reality, theatre performance involves a myriad of skilled laborers who rely on compensation, including trained actors, set designers, costume designers, and audio and visual technicians. If an organization's profits dwindle, this may negatively impact the quality of life of the cast and crew who depend on performances for their income. As fewer people attend shows, overall costs prohibit adding performances to a schedule--and those involved may seek out alternatives to marry their creative ambitions with their financial goals. As such, action must be taken to increase attendance and drive overall profits, though it is unclear that starting a "Shakespeare in the Park" program will have these desired effects. Evaluations (2nd, 3rd, 4th paragraphs): You do a nice job of identifying why the comparisons aren't valid, but you don't really flesh out the ideas as well as you should. For example, you say: The Classical Shakespeare Theatre production would be in a bad situation if the location was far from the park, or the location of theatre is causing the decline in its profit. Therefore, the Classical Shakespeare Theatre production should evaluate its location before deciding to start a new program. "would be in a bad situation" is pretty lazy writing. You can polish up this whole paragraph... Your premise (and my assumptions about your premise): You can't compare the outcomes because they are in different locations which may or may not have the same outcome (i.e. apples and oranges). One caveat: The prompt NEVER mentions that the failing theatre company would be offering free performances in the park, like the ARC. This would be a stronger apples/oranges argument to begin with. Not ONLY this, but think about location. How could it negatively impact a outdoor Shakespeare performance? Maybe it's in a crime-ridden area. Maybe there are different geographical factors (too hot/too cold). Maybe demographics are different and in the ARC, many people are drawn to the "Free" factor, where as in the CST, a "Free" performance may be an indicator of a sub-standard object (like a luxury item that is more desired as a price goes up...). There are a lot of factors that could differentiate the two, but you don't address any of them. Conclusion: Your conclusion isn't necessarily the strongest. I'd stay away from saying "with these three factors, they'd know if the program works" but rather stick to something even more vague saying, "because of these factors, further assessment is necessary to determine if the Park program will increase profits." Good luck!

If I was grading this, I'd say it's at about a 4. It's a little clunky (using words like etc., phrases like "perceived as greater" without connecting that to a statement...greater than what?), and your transitions/topic sentences aren't clear. You don't show any nuanced ideas and how a nuanced version of the previous statement informs your views. One idea to incorporate nuance would be to focus on adjectives, like the key word "perceived". What does this mean? Perception by proponents of their ideas, opponents of their ideas, and international audiences might have differences in perception that conflict in the degree of greatness attributed to leaders-which can be discussed in the essay. In addition, the challenges of the leader alone may not be enough to bestow greatness. However, responses to challenges faced over time might develop skills that contribute to achieving a positive--and powerful--legacy, such as clear articulation of ideas, leadership skills, boldness, learning how to compromise in order to advance larger issues. Inherent characteristics are also difficult to assess (since they are not tangible things), but you could construct an argument for this too...may be a right place/right time argument (or look at Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers). Any of these ideas could be discussed at length in the essay to give the impression that there are other factors at play other than what you stated.

I might also suggest looking into the Peace Corps, if you can swing it (and for whatever reason, don't get the Fulbright). It will give you a chance to get international work experience and likely pick up a foreign language. The Peace Corps' reputation is also quite good and everybody that I've known who has done it has gotten into exceptional graduate programs.

To be honest, I've never really heard of professors telling promising students to leave academia. Usually, it's the opposite--they try to funnel them into programs where they know they'd succeed so they can realize their potential. If two separate professors have advised you to take time off--that's not insignificant. Sure, it might be a kick to the ego. Sure, you can "prove them wrong" and try to gain admittance and do well, but I would strongly encourage you to seek out alternatives that will supplement future PhD applications--especially if you don't get in this round.

Honestly, if a potential LOR told me that they would write for me with caveats, I would thank them but decline their offer. I asked one professor (with whom I took a graduate-level seminar and TA'd for...but was outside my field/didn't really know my work because his TA graded the seminar), if he would write me a letter--and he declined (he's retired now), with the caveat of "if you can't get anyone else to, I'll do it." I inferred that this letter would be mediocre at best, so I found another professor instead who (1) knew my work better (2) I met with a couple of times outside of class to discuss research opportunities (3) I started a study group for the class that benefited multiple students. At the time, we also discussed taking time off to assess if a PhD would be a good move (given the current academic climate / the nature of the discipline), and I took his advice and then was able to come back and say, "yes, this is what I still want to do"--which I also think is beneficial. He wasn't my immediate choice, but I feel like my applications will be much stronger with him as a writer as opposed to the other professor. Likewise, I think you should stretch your imagination a bit to see who else might be a strong writer for you. In your current situation, it sounds like the current professor's letter will hurt more than help. Writers are supposed to write glowing letters, so anything on the contrary would stand out (and not in a good way). In addition, emphasizing things like "hard worker" can some times be misinterpreted for "she's not bright, but she'll make an effort". Think about it--compared to people in an imaginary applicant pool: "This student is the best I've ever had." "I worked closely with this student on project X and without reservation support their application..." "This student works hard, but could take some time off to mature academically." Which one would you cut out? Sure, the deck is a little stacked (in that there are no other measures to quantify), but you get the idea. Don't give them reasons to doubt your success.

ANE is a notoriously difficult field to break into, especially if you don't have a certain academic pedigree. Many of my friends at "top" schools (Harvard, JHU, Yale, and UChicago) have completed 2 masters degrees before their PhD applications (usually 1 in a Near Eastern Language/comparative languages)...and they've usually taken classes with professors at their desired choices (through something like the BTI consortium)--who write them strong LOR. Honestly, enrolling in a distance learning MA would be more of a hindrance, assuming you're not independently wealthy (though maybe you are) and you'd have to go into debt to fund it. Added to the fact that you'll be competing against people from Harvard's MTS, Yale's MAR and Chicago's MAPSS for a coveted Ph.D spot--the academic rigor of a distance learning MA program would be called into question. If you're looking at ways to bolster your profile, I agree with the above poster who says to focus on your language acquisition. If you can't relocate, maybe you can attend a summer program (like Middlebury's language immersion). ND has pretty solid coursework in Arabic, which depending on your chosen subfield, may be extremely beneficial. You might look into their graduate program in Classics or start independently researching topics, writing papers, and consulting faculty for advice on presenting at regional conferences, etc.

Do an MDiv first and then apply for a PhD. Many programs give you an M.A. enroute to a Ph.D...however, I'd suggest you focus on your first round of applications and take graduate classes to assess if it's the right path for you.

Has anybody else tried to create an application for U Oregon? I've been trying for the past month and keep getting the same error: "Applications for admittance to the Geography Department's Master's and Doctoral degree programs are accepted through January 15th each year for the following Fall term only. The only exception is for applicants applying to GEOG-ED (formerly EDGE), a summer Masters degree program in geography education for K-12 teachers. " I emailed the graduate admissions office who referred me to the department secretary, but I have yet to hear back (over 2 weeks ago). Am I doing something wrong? (I'm assuming it's not available yet, but I'm trying to get my recommenders registered on all applications and like things to be consistent). Anyone know any details?

I've only reached out to two potential advisors so far because I feel quite strongly that their work overlaps with mine (it helps that I've read a significant amount of their work). I've used this general template (qualifications, aspirations, research interests, why them). It's yielded two responses, one positive (with a potential Skype interview), and one initially positive (but then never heard back from..chalking it up to professors being busy people). I don't attach a CV and I try to keep it short (and be respectful of their time). I think a lot of students tend to give an exhaustive account of all their accomplishments (which is what the application is for), when really--you just want to know about the program, the climate of the department, and try to network a little bit. Most professors won't say, "You're BRILLIANT, let me offer you admission right now!" and sometimes positive interactions are only that--just because a professor likes you doesn't mean you're put on the auto-admit track. It simply means you're putting yourself out there in a way that may help you in the future. My most recent email (to one of my top choices) looked like: Dear Professor ____, I recently completed a Master's degree in ____ from ____ . I am thinking of applying to ____ at ___ for a PhD. My research interests are [description], but mostly I work in [one-two sentences describing my research interests that are truly quite unique]. I've read a significant portion of your work on [sum up their work] and would love to work with you as a PhD student. As such, I want to know whether you will be taking on any students in the near future. I'm also interested in your current research interests on [another area where their work relates to mine]. I'm also interested to know about what you look for in the students you work with. Thank you much for your time.Sincerely,____

It sounds like you have the quantitative stats to belong in a program like F&ES...however, don't ignore the qualitative: are your research interests in line with the program's output? Is there a professor you want to work with? What do you intend on doing with the degree? How will that advance your career? You don't say whether you want to pursue a Master's degree or a Ph.D....or what your research interests are. I'm not applying directly to F&ES, but I'm applying for History of Science (Ph.D.) and would like to take classes through F&ES that deal directly with my research (more historical/geographical, but could benefit from using GIS/remote sensing). If you're looking for a general comparison of applicants, my stats are pretty similar to yours: Masters in Agriculture/ID from an Ivy (2015): 3.99 Masters in Religion (2008): 3.7 2 years research (A+ in all research classes), including one master's project on water sustainability and one project on sustainable development. 1 publication/1 international graduate student conference. 1 poster presentation at student conference at Ivy. Taught 5 undergraduate classes (English/Religion) as an adjunct at a LAC or 2 year college, TA'd three classes (1 in env. engineering, 2 in religion) at Ivy. First year of doctoral level qualitative methods taken. 3 years of Hebrew, 1 year of Arabic (related to my research interests). I haven't taken the GRE yet, but I'm consistently scoring around 165 in verbal. I'm trying to get my quant. up to 160. I expect 5+ in AW. I've worked for the past three years in technology/digital marketing, with a senior-level title. (I wanted to reassess the level of dedication I had to a doctoral program after spending 5 years doing graduate work.) ---- I'm applying quite broadly. Yale is just one of many excellent schools that I could benefit from attending...and I'm excited by the prospect of attending any of the schools I have chosen. I would encourage you to find other programs that you would love to attend and apply to those as well, without getting fixated on Ivy recognition.