brontësaurus
-
Posts
12 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by brontësaurus
-
-
Hi, Storyteller! Which school do you think is the best fit for you? Which school has the most potential advisors? Which school has centers or programs that are specifically tied to your interests?
I'm a UC Santa Barbara admit for the English department this fall, and I chose this school because of its Literature and the Mind center as well as its overall quality. This center is perfect for me because I plan to study Victorian lit and mental illness/neurodiversity. There are several potential advisors whose interests run with mine, so I'm pretty set in that respect. Funding-wise, I'm up for a fellowship as well. It sounds like you have several great choices; I really think it comes down to fit. Congratulations!
EDIT: Aaaaand I just saw that you wanted reasons OTHER than fit. D'oh!
-
11 hours ago, WendyWonderland said:
Awesome! Congrats!
Are you in English or Comp. Lit? Are you going to visit the campus on 1. March? We may see each other there!
Congrats to you, too! I'm in English. I haven't heard anything about the first of March yet, but if the English dept. meets the same day, then I will see you there!
-
I got in to UC Santa Barbara, too! My top choice. Word's can't express how thrilled I am. They even said nice things about my writing sample! I've read the email about a zillion times. Congrats to those who have been accepted so far! <3
-
Six out of seven done! Trying not to stress overmuch...
-
-
6 hours ago, BooksCoffeeBeards said:
Scores are up.
:/
Hugs! Like you said, it's just one part of the application.
I'm feeling okay about my score, considering that I thought I completely bombed it and was depressed for, like, a week afterward. I got 77th percentile, 630 scaled score. Can anyone tell me if this is just middling, or if it will be considered a black mark on my application? I'm pretty nervous about it...
-
One of my friends told me to "max out" the number of pages suggested for the writing sample. For example, if a program asks for 10-20 pages, then you should give them 20 pages. Is this true?
Would it be acceptable, do you think, to send a 15 page paper to a "10-20 page" school? How about 15 pages to a "15-20 page" school?
Thanks so much for reading!
-
I think I need to state my interests in a sentence similar to the one you suggest. I thought my interests were coming through clearly, but now that I look back at it, the information is sort of scattered about. Thanks for the advice!
-
8 hours ago, ProfLorax said:
What are your interests? Let's start there.
I'm interested in looking at mental illness and neurodiversity in the works of the Brontës. Here are some research questions I've come up with: To what extent do the Brontës' perspectives on mental illness reflect popular 19th century English attitudes? To what extent do they resist them? Do those attitudes draw on the emerging science of psychology, or do they draw on earlier conceptions of madness? What role does exposure to harsh natural elements play in the development of mental illness in the Brontës' works, and what, specifically, are the dangers that nature poses? What personal contact do the Brontës have with mental illness, and is it experiential or observational?
-
Thanks so much for all your responses. I'm so grateful. Now to rewrite!
-
I just received comments on my statement of purpose from one of my old professors, and...ouch. Here they are:
I’m not sure what to suggest. It’s unusually well-written, but I think a review committee for a Phd program at least would say that it doesn’t target specific research areas you would work on—other than the most general-- and sounds a lot like many other letters of application (even the information about depression to explain wobbly grades, surprisingly.) For an MA program, it’s probably fine.
I have severe depression and PTSD that was untreated in college, and I mentioned it in my SOP to explain some withdrawals I have. My GPA is 3.78, so it's not super shabby, I think. Should I take this information out? It is related to my research interests (disability studies).
My second question is the most important: how specific can, and should, I get on my research interests? I don't have an MA, and I feel sort of lost where this is concerned. Any words of advice would be appreciated!
UC Santa Barbara English
in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Posted
Hi! I'm an accepted applicant to the MA/PhD program in English at UCSB, and I would love to talk to other people who are considering entering as well as those who are already in the program! This thread is a place for us to meet each other, share information, etc. Anyone planning on going to visit on March 11?