lifealive

Okay, but the average GPA doesn't really seem to be an issue here, as the OP says they still have a pretty good GPA. Even if someone's GPA isn't completely marred by an F, and even if they make it past initial cuts, the F by itself still might be an obstacle. (That's not saying it definitely will, just that it might. And an F can be kind of a red flag for the reasons I've listed--which have nothing to do with someone's average GPA.) Moreover, we don't even know how committees make their initial cuts. I've seen a lot of people say that committees do this, that, and the other thing, when really each committee is very individual, and it's difficult to tell how they assess candidates. Sure, you can look at averages, but they don't tell the whole story because this process is very sloppy and subjective.

As someone who's now on the other side of this process (meaning I've been hired into academia), I would urge you to get this situation fixed. A B- on a graduate transcript is a red flag (and depending on who's reading the application, a possible KOD); an F could very well stop a committee in its tracks. It's not an issue of "balancing out" the F with high an otherwise fine GPA or high GRE scores or good "fit." Committees do scrutinize transcripts, and a failing grade says a few things (which might not be entirely fair): 1. You didn't finish the class. In other words, you took an incomplete that turned into an F--probably because you didn't turn in a final paper. No one wants to admit a candidate who has problems finishing things. Attrition is a major issue in a lot of English grad programs. It hurts the program's statistical profile and sucks away funding (programs don't like to invest money in people who never finish). And yes, having an "I" on a transcript is equally discouraging because of the same issues. 2. You had a major problem with the professor. Maybe it was the professor's fault, or maybe it was yours. In any case, whose fault it was probably doesn't matter. It just says you might not get along well with people, and you've opened yourself up to this kind of speculation. Speculation will always follow an F, and it might not be speculation that works in your favor. 3. You don't have the initiative to follow through and fix things. Perhaps the F happened for a good reason--you had a family tragedy or a health problem. Still, if this F happened more than a semester ago, then most people would expect you to have fixed it by now. An F in grad school is a big deal. It's not like one loner F in undergrad, where maybe you were having a bad semester or fumbling through organic chemistry before dropping your pre-med major. You are expected to get mostly A's in a grad program. Grad professors know this and most give very good grades. Grad school is your job and you should be treating it seriously. I'm not saying that you'll never get into grad school or that this is the end of the road. No one can really tell you this. Adcoms are quirky entities; some might not care and some might care a lot. You don't have to be a perfect person to get into grad school, but getting into grad school these days is indeed really difficult, and no one here can tell you whether you're "top 20" material or "top 40" (how do people here know these things?--I would have no idea). The only useful advice I can give is to talk to your advisor and talk to your DGS. Talk to as many trusted professors as you possibly can. Perhaps one of your recommenders can address the problem in a letter.

You're coming across as rude and entitled and passive aggressive. People here were trying to help, and characterizing their efforts as "grudging" simply because they couldn't read your mind and give you "exactly the post you were looking for" makes you look like a snowflake. If this is how you approach your recommenders and professors, then you might have more difficulty getting into grad school than you anticipate.

Not everyone reads every post in a thread. Your first post was very vague; it's basically like walking into an open food market and saying, "What kind of international cuisine should I try today? I like things that are sort of spicy but not really that spicy." People were doing the best they could with the bare-bones information you provided. Then you said you already had 12 programs you were applying for--well, which programs? And why? I would suggest talking to an advisor or a professor in the field. They could give you more specific advice on your proposed topic of study (which is vague and non-literary to me, and I have been around for a while) and what to do about your GRE scores. If you have PhD aspirations in the future, you will definitely have to get your scores up. The GRE isn't as important for MA students, but it matters for PhD applications. zanmato4794 is right in that yours are very borderline, and without the backing of a degree from a prestigious school, they will not work in your favor. If your writing sample is two pages short, then why not see if you can add two pages by fleshing some things out or adding more examples? We're talking two pages short here, not 10 or 20. Adding two pages is not a particularly onerous task; you should be up to that task if you're thinking about grad school.

The regional MLAs are not that important, but it is better to have regional conferences than no conferences at all. And they do serve a practical function of allowing you to practice your paper-giving skills. But you should not spend a lot of money going to them. As an undergrad or MA student, conferences are not important at all to have on your CV.

First of all: Do nothing until you've sent a personalized, hand-written and mailed condolence card, if you haven't already. Don't mention anything about your letters of recommendation. Do not simply send an email expressing condolences or combine your condolences with a request for an additional letter! That would come across as extremely rude. After that, I think you could probably contact him after two weeks have gone by (as long as you're still a month out from the deadline), reiterating your sympathy and then politely asking for another letter of recommendation. I think approaching the situation in the way proflorax described is a good idea. Alternatively, if you know that this death has absolutely devastated your adviser, you might simply ask him to put a generalized letter in your university's credential file, stressing to him that you'd like to have the letter for the future. That way, you can send it to as many places as you like, and you don't have to worry about impinging upon more of his time. If he insists on writing a personalized letter of recommendation for every school, then great! He's the one who's volunteered to do that. But he's already written the letter, so it shouldn't be a problem to just put it in your dossier.

Two-hour classes are particularly cruel. I taught them for years (well, 1 hr and 50 min twice a week, with 50 students). If it's possible, I would recommend starting off each class with a quiz or something else to get them "back into" the material that they read or reviewed for that day. This eats up 10-15 minutes at the beginning of the period and forces them to actually produce something. In my class we would then go over the quiz as a way of launching into discussion, or I'd bring the quiz up little by little throughout the discussion. Group work is also good, but you have to be careful with it--i.e. don't overuse it, and try to exert some control over the formation of the groups. I would often form groups at the beginning of the semester by cutting up their names and pulling them out of a hat or something right in front of them, so they'd know it was at random. But if you let students form groups on their own, they stick with their friends (of course) or they get pulled passively into a group with whoever is around them and don't tend to get invested. But if you make them physically get up and move around and actually meet new people, then they're often forced to actually work at it. Then they get to know the people in that group and form a working relationship with them (rather than a social relationship). In terms of group work--I also try to change things up with the format. Sometimes I make them put together a quick presentation and get up in front of the class. Sometimes I make them write their findings on the board. Sometimes I make them designate one person as the "recorder" who simply writes down everything people say in stream-of-consciousness fashion, and then they report back on that. I almost ALWAYS make them keep a record of what they've talked about and hand it in to me, even I don't grade it. Lastly, it's okay to end class a few minutes early if you feel things have run out of steam. Better to confidently call an end to class on a good note than try to force it to keep going.

Retake the GRE. It is important. All aspects of your application are important. Prepare and retake--seek out tutoring if you have to. Even if the test isn't important this year (and I do believe that the verbal score does matter for MAs), it will come up again when apply for a PhD. And, as you pointed out, you don't want that hanging over your head. Just retake. Retake, retake, retake. Multiple scores don't look as bad as a low score.

This isn't necessarily true. Funded MA programs are not quite as competitive as PhDs, and they actually aren't that rare, even in today's academic climate. Many of them are located in unexciting places, though (out in the Midwest or West or South), so I think they tend to get overlooked. But just off the top of my head and with a basic google search I was able to find funded MAs at places like U of Kansas, U of Nebraska, Michigan State, Texas AM, and Ohio U. I'm sure I could find many more if I continued looking.

I'm someone who did two MAs before getting into a PhD program--first in a "studies" type discipline and another in English. To be frank, getting a second MA was not my first choice. I applied to a mixture of PhD and MA programs, and I had hoped to sail right along into a PhD program. However, my MA (in the non-English field) was just not adequate preparation, and all PhD programs turned me down. I got offers from two funded MA programs and decided to take one of them. I had also been away from school for too long, though not that long (four years out of my master's and six out of undergrad), and to be honest, I did find that the time away had also made me "stale." In the end, I felt that my only way to be more "current" was to do the second MA, get an updated writing sample out of it, and get letter writers who could speak more specifically to my strengths. I thought about taking a class as a way to strengthen my application profile, but all the universities in my area were expensive, and I didn't know what kind of connection I'd be able to make in one semester. (Auditing a class isn't a terrible idea, but keep in mind that this professor will have many actual enrolled students that he or she will be writing LORs for, and he or she will be much more invested in these students' success since they reflect directly on that program.) After my second MA, I was able to get into a PhD program, but it was very difficult. I was rejected from all the topflight PhD programs, and part of me still does wonder if my unusual trajectory and old age (30) took me out of the running. (I think that Ivies in particular really like "traditional" candidates.) But I was able to get into a relatively decent program and I've done well there. Now that I'm nearing the end of my PhD, it doesn't seem to matter that much that I had to get a second MA. So I would encourage to apply to both MAs and PhDs, and apply VERY WIDELY. Make sure the MA programs you apply to are funded. Keep in mind that a second MA will probably not do you any favors in getting into an elite PhD program ... but remind yourself that any program that would turn you down because you have two MAs probably would turn you down anyway for being older or more nontraditional or "career student."

My school is public. Even public universities want to boost their prestige by admitting talented international students, believe it or not. Moreover, private universities also receive federal funds.

Really? My program actually wanted to recruit international students. Administrators believed that the presence of international students raised the profile of the program and made the university look like a global powerhouse. My school waives the tuition of everyone who has a TAship regardless of what state or nation they're from. It's debatable whether or not the waived tuition actually costs the department "real money" or if the charges are just symbolic. According to some people I've talked to, the department must pay the tuition and fees for each grad student they wish to fund (tuition that is more expensive if someone is an international student). According to other people, the department is never charged the tuition in the first place. In any case, I'm not sure why we should all be outraged by the allegation that the playing field isn't the same for international students who want to attend US schools. Education costs money, and US schools are funded with the expectation that they will foster a more educated US electorate. We still haven't become a completely borderless, global society that views all people as citizens of the world and entitled to the same benefits. It works both ways. As a US citizen, for instance, I can't just expect another country's university to throw open its doors for me and pay me a full stipend. They MAY do this for me if I show them I am talented enough, but it's going to take some wrangling and some paperwork--much more than for someone who grew up in that country, paid taxes to that country, and will probably stay in that country after their degree is completed. Being an international student is complicated because of citizenship and visa issues.

Congrats! Arizona is a great program. I have a professor who went there, and he said that they taught sections of freshmen comp. That's probably what you'll be doing; it's a very standard assignment for first-year TAs. You'll probably be responsible for designing and grading one or more sections of writing 101 or a comparable class.

There was an interesting debate about this on Inside Higher Ed: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2014/03/06/essay-problems-created-students-who-are-too-informal-professors http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2014/03/10/essay-professionalism-and-formality-teaching And Rebecca Schuman's follow-up: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/education/2014/03/what_should_students_call_their_college_professors.html

Again, I don't think it's a call any of us can make about the OP (granted the OP's post is genuine). Sure, it makes total sense that one should get certain aspects of their health on track before making a big change, but one can't always put one's life on hold either. It's not like we all have the luxury of doing one thing at a time. And perhaps the prospect of going to grad school will motivate this person (or any other person in the same predicament) to make health a priority.

Not me, personally, but someone with whom I'm very close. She got a different adviser. Mine never said that to me specifically, but they did tell me that I did an awful job on my exam. It did wonders for my confidence! But I recovered.

The fact that you keep such track of who votes up or down on whatever seems to speak otherwise. *shrugs* It's a public internet board. We don't have to converse in order to up or down vote each other. I've left plenty of other downvotes in the past week. I didn't know I was "trolling" you. That's my point--don't take it so personally.

Well, yes, *now* I've given you about ten downvotes. I think I've got a new hobby. I don't seem to be the only one downvoting you, either. Perhaps it's you? You seem to have an issue with your reputation points, as this anxiety comes up in a lot of your posts. As you said, it's not something to be sensitive about, though. You shouldn't be so concerned whether or not people like you.

Hoo-boy, I think I voted down two or three of your posts, and because I disagree with them, as I do with the post you left above. A tad bit paranoid, there? Relax, pal. It's just a message board. No need to get yourself in a big twist about it. ETA: Just gave you a few more downvotes, just so you could feel better about it.

Well, the OP logged on asking for advice on which campuses might be more accommodating--not to be "concern-trolled" on how to lose weight. I'm sure that she knows where to find advice for weight loss. The internet is pretty big. And I've never met a fat person who was completely surprised by a) the fact that they were fat, or b. the fact that being fat isn't healthy. The world pretty much makes sure that they know this.

As a general rule, you'll sink more hours into TAing when you first start. A 50% appointment is generally supposed to translate to 20 hours a week (40 hours being a full-time job). But if you've never taught before, you are probably going to spend more than 20 hours a week lesson planning and grading. Just a thought.

Having a lectureship isn't so bad. The hours are generally good, and it's miles ahead of adjuncting. You get health care. You get benefits. You get child care. No, you do not have job security or support for your own research. And yes, it's another symptom of administrators and corporate types taking over the university. But I would not consider myself a failure if I had a postdoc for a few years and then a lectureship. Seriously, tho. If you find yourself miserable and not being able to make heads or tails of this field ... then walk away. Leave! There's a big world out there. One must not be an academic just because one has a PhD. Think of all the other things you'd rather be doing.. And then, go do them!

I'm having the same exact problem. Ever since we switched to online teaching evaluations, my numbers have been all over the place. Routinely only about 8 students (out of a class of 45 or 50) bother to fill out evaluations. I feel that such a small sample should be disregarded, but the university feels that anything above 4 respondents (no matter how large the class) is sample enough to go in your file. Seriously, I have classes where 5 out of 45 students responded ... and that data is in my file. What's worse is that the university has retained the "department averages" since before we switched to electronic evaluations. So the department average is always something like 4.5 or 4.8 out of 5 ... and mine, though okay, very rarely get to the 4.5+ range. But of course, you're expected to report where you fall in terms of department average in your teaching portfolio. Well, according to my spotty data, I'm solidly below average. However, considering that most of my "customers" haven't even bothered to respond, I'm guessing that they're basically satisfied. I can also clearly see the distribution of numbers. In every class, out of those 8 students who bother to respond, it's clear that a few think I'm great, a few think I'm average, and then one or two students give me one's down the line. I'm assuming that they're just angry about grades. If 40 or 42 students were responding, then I'm guessing those few ratings from disgruntled students would have a negligible effect on my entire average. But two people out of 7 or 8 respondents can tank your overall score! My written evaluations are always basically fine ... except for that one person who thinks I'm an asshole (because of grades). However, in our number-hungry culture, quantitative data really matter. I'm wondering if anyone else has tips for listing this kind of "data" in your teaching portfolio? How do you address the fact that your numbers are spotty because your students haven't bothered to evaluate you?

Just joining the chorus here, and I also wanted to add that, even if it's true that UCI students are a clueless bunch (and I doubt that they are), a university's undergrad population is almost never an indication of the quality of its graduate program. The first lesson you learn when applying to schools is not to be swayed by a university's undergraduate reputation (or lack of one). Rutgers and Indiana are, like UC-Irvine, large state schools charged with educating qualified in-state residents. Their undergraduate populations include students with a wide range of abilities and interests. However, their PhD programs in English are among the top in the nation. I would never turn down Rutgers simply because I heard a rumor that the undergrads weren't that bright or something. That's insane. Additionally, there are plenty of schools that are top-ranked for their undergrad programs, but not so well-known for their English or Comp lit PhD programs. (I won't name any for fear of starting more drama.) And sorry you're not having a good season, RockDenali. But seriously, quit looking for opportunities to insult graduates of certain schools, specialists of certain areas, and admits of certain Ivy League programs. It's getting old, and it's not cute.

Perhaps if Mr. Crankypants had read my posts closely enough (maybe he's got too much grading to do to read things carefully, and in that case he has my sympathy), he'd have noticed that I was speaking from personal experience. I taught a 2-2-2 load myself during my MA (yes, on quarters). And, moreover, I've never had any time off from teaching throughout my entire graduate career. I definitely do not attend one of the Ivies, which shield their students from excessive teaching, and whose students (perhaps not so coincidentally?) land the best jobs regardless of quantity of teaching experience. Less teaching isn't just some ivory tower dream. It has real, practial, material consequences for your graduate career. It means navigating your graduate career more quickly. It means having more time to write your dissertation so you can get out into the world, stop eating ramen and taking out loans, and start that glorious 4-4 load. Even teaching-oriented colleges want to see evidence of research and professional development, and most liberal arts colleges want their hires to be not only good at teaching but top researchers in the field. I think it's irresponsible to suggest that teaching a lot is the path to success. Additionally, when a program makes it its policy to offer more money for less teaching, it attracts better graduate students and competes with better programs for those students. This reason, perhaps most obviously, is why you should steer clear of programs that expect so much teaching for so little in return. I turned down a program with a 1-2 teaching load for one that was 1-1. Expect that other people are going to do the same. I'm very active in labor issues for TAs, and that's why I would urge a future grad school student to go into a labor contract with his or her eyes open. You need to compare offers from other schools and see how the workload/pay compares to other schools of a similar rank and location. For instance: If the school 150 miles away pays its graduate students 5k more a year and guarantees a fellowship year, then why is your prospective school asking you to teach so much for less money? What's going on there? And if you have leverage (i.e. better offers from other schools) then use it. There are plenty of threads here that give advice about negotiating your offer. The question shouldn't be "How much CAN you teach?" I'm sure that any of us, if called to, could produce an unbelievable amount of labor. The issue is about discerning the attitude the graduate program takes toward its students. Teaching load says volumes about a graduate program's values. Does the program want its students to be successful at both research and teaching, or does it need to employ TAs to staff an endless supply of English 101 classes? Does the program/university/state value TA labor, or does it have an attitude of entitlement? (You're just so lucky to be getting your tuition for free that you should be thrilled to double up the load.) Also, I'm so glad that Mr. Crankypants brought up the various constraints of the job market. Of course no school will hire someone without teaching experience--not even the biggest R1s. But here's where quality is much more important than quantity. That's why it's important to inquire about the variety of classes you'll be able to teach. Everyone starts off with some form of an introduction to English or composition. But what about everything after that? Does the program let you teach upper-level English classes that pertain to your interests? Will they allow you to design your own classes, or do you have to work from some pre-ordained curriculum? Do you have to wait until you've advanced to candidacy to teach anything other than introductory classes? Will you have opportunities to work at the writing center (a valuable thing for rhet/comp people)? Will you be able to swap out your teaching assignment for other useful assistantships, like helping to run the writing program or working as a research/editorial assistant? It's been my experience that the job market likes people who have a variety of skills--not just those who can teach a succession of identitical composition classes. Additionally, I'd like to turn this argument around. Perhaps Mr. Crankypants feels that the wealth of teaching experience is sure to land him a better teaching job at the end of the cc tunnel (and I'm assuming that the job is not going well). As for me? Well, I'm not so sure--especially since the days of hiring people based solely on their teaching experience have passed. I know that in order to be competitive on the job market, I'm going to have to prove that I'm capable of many different things. I've got the teaching down; I'm also going to have to publish, present, work as an editor of a journal, and get some travel grants. After all, most of the people I'm competing with go to better schools AND have teaching experience. I'm going to have to distinguish myself in some other way. I wish the simple answer was just "teach more." But the job market is more complicated than that. And that's my final point: It's all about GETTING to the job market. My friends who got a teaching-free year? They get there a little faster. Or they get more time to work on their dissertations (I have to speed through mine). And most interviewers have asked them what and how they teach--not how much.