Warelin

http://ls.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/statement_of_purpose.pdf - History Ph.D applicant but the comments might be useful for you.
The links below are from applicants that were successful in getting into an English Ph.D. program:
http://statementofpurposeexamples.com/humanities-statements-of-purpose/english-statements-of-purpose/farms-agrarian-literature/ 

http://statementofpurposeexamples.com/humanities-statements-of-purpose/english-statements-of-purpose/the-living-nature-of-past-literature/

http://statementofpurposeexamples.com/humanities-statements-of-purpose/english-statements-of-purpose/imitating-literature/
https://www.gradschools.com/get-informed/applying-graduate-school/essay-writing/graduate-school-personal-statement-examples (See Personal Statement 1)

I think this is a very real danger to consider. There's been a recent upsurge in very short posts from some users as well as some advice being offered that could potentially be hurtful to the applicant if followed. If the trend continues, these forums have the potential of losing out on a lot of what makes this community. I also think it could risk losing a lot of people who might otherwise have signed up if they don't believe people are getting quality answers to their questions.

Nobody expects you to know everything about a field. Being aware that you're barely scratching the surface is a good thing. It shows awareness. If you can find a way to bridge your interests with his, I think you'll go far.
 
I can just about guarantee that a lot of people feel this way. I can almost guarantee that there will always be someone will less experience than you in any given area. Schools look for fit, an ability to succeed in their school and how well you fit into the cohort they're building.
 
If we could all beautifully articulate questions 100 percent of the time, there wouldn't be a need for Grad School. You'll need to ask questions higher than you would at the undergrad level but I think there's a lot of value in being great at close reading that will help guide you with really great questions. I think the easiest way to find magazines that you're interested in to search for articles you're interested in and seeing where they appear and other journals that they reference. You'll notice certain trends appearing over a certain amount of time. Pay close attention to those journals as they're likely considered to be high-impact journals in your area.
 
I am.
 
Not at all. I think it's more important to ensure that all your recommendations come from individuals who have a Ph.D. and are preferably tenured or tenure track. While it may be helpful to have at least one professor with similar interests, I can assure you it is not required. My recommendations all came from people with very different interests.
 
I think a simple " I plan on applying to PH.D. programs. Do you believe you know me well enough to write me strong letters of recommendation?" would work really well here. It allows them opportunities to ask follow-up questions or  for them to suggest you seek a letter from someone else who may know you better.
 
Life is a learning process. I can say that I've been there but I think it's these experiences which help us grow and ultimately shape us into who we become.

A lot of my information regarding Berkeley was gathered from talking to grad students and the Grad Coordinator a few years ago. They also at one point publicized information (via newsletter?) about where their current students received their degrees from. On average, only one or two people per cohort had a Master's degree. I was provided multiple years of data and it seemed very consistent with the information I heard from other students. It is possible that they could be changing; as different DGS like running things differently but usually programs don't interfere with how they judge applications because it's often a grad school admission.

For example, Penn State's English department would like to weigh GRE scores differently for their PHD program. PSU's grad school determines what weighs how much though so high GRE scores are important. Numbers are easier to understand for grad schools because it's easier to display those numbers to the grad school. We might never know what those magic numbers are, but we do know that Penn State's English department has had to fight hard for candidates they've really wanted that don't fit those numbers. PSU is often thought of as a program that prefers BA-only applicants as is Pittsburgh. Both are state schools and I think it has something to do with the way that Pennsylvania's educational bylaws are written.  

Adcoms don't start reviewing applications until the deadline has passed. Submitting early might allow the coordinator to notify you of missing recommendations or components of your application. There are some applications that won't allow you to submit recommendation requests until 24 hours after you've submitted your application. Most places allow you to request recommendations in the middle of filling your application. 

I think you're going to have a hard time finding the answer you're looking for because there is no standard saving amount. There are a few factors that impact this:

-Your stipend (which may or may not be the same as everyone else's in your cohort. Sometimes, people do bring in outside funding which increases their total funding. Sometimes, the university adjusts their funding if you have outside funding. Some limit it to a certain amount.)
-Cost of rent: Some people have no problem living with others to cut costs. Sometimes, you have no choice to share a house or apartment to be able to live on the stipend. Some people prefer living on their own and will invest to ensure that they don't have roommates. Having a pet or a family complicates things even more. Sometimes, there are two people earning an income; sometimes just one. Someone might pay $700 or so for rent while another person will pay $1300 to live in a more desired location with easier access to attractions or the university or for more space.
-Cost of food: Nobody in a single cohort will eat the same thing. Some prefer investing money in organic food or eating locally. Some people might only have access to one grocery store.
-Transportation: Not all universities provide free public transportation to their students. Sometimes, a car is needed. A car costs money and unexpected repairs might put a dent in savings. Having a car does offer you the mobility to get groceries whenever you'd like. A parking pass will cost more money at most universities. The cost of a parking pass varies significantly.
-Bills: Electricity + Gas aren't included as part of your monthly rent. This numbers vary depending on how often you need them. Cellphone and internet are other things you'll likely have to pay for.
-Books: Different courses require different books. Most people will take different classes.
-Conferences:  Local conferences can be cheap. Not all conferences will be local. Some might require a plane ride + hotel reservations. Some universities are generous in covering all expenses; some might have a certain limit for your entire time at the program.
-Moving expenses: Most universities don't give you additional money to move.
-Furniture: Unless you move into a furnished unit, you'll need to buy some furniture if you don't have it.
-Going out: Sometimes, your cohort will want to hang out. Sometimes, you'll hangout at restaurants and you'll want to ensure that you have money to do so. Sometimes, you won't feel like cooking. If it's a sit-down restaurant, a tip is courtesy and is common 

Other expenses may include: pet expenses, lyft/taxi rides,  hospital bills, dental appointments, major appliance purchases (such as a washer or dryer), and so on. 

Adcoms don't start reviewing applications until the deadline has passed. Submitting early might allow the coordinator to notify you of missing recommendations or components of your application. There are some applications that won't allow you to submit recommendation requests until 24 hours after you've submitted your application. Most places allow you to request recommendations in the middle of filling your application. 

A lot of my information regarding Berkeley was gathered from talking to grad students and the Grad Coordinator a few years ago. They also at one point publicized information (via newsletter?) about where their current students received their degrees from. On average, only one or two people per cohort had a Master's degree. I was provided multiple years of data and it seemed very consistent with the information I heard from other students. It is possible that they could be changing; as different DGS like running things differently but usually programs don't interfere with how they judge applications because it's often a grad school admission.

For example, Penn State's English department would like to weigh GRE scores differently for their PHD program. PSU's grad school determines what weighs how much though so high GRE scores are important. Numbers are easier to understand for grad schools because it's easier to display those numbers to the grad school. We might never know what those magic numbers are, but we do know that Penn State's English department has had to fight hard for candidates they've really wanted that don't fit those numbers. PSU is often thought of as a program that prefers BA-only applicants as is Pittsburgh. Both are state schools and I think it has something to do with the way that Pennsylvania's educational bylaws are written.  

Congratulations on your score.

I know that, of everything, your AW score matters the least. But, I got my official scores today and I got a 5.5 (98th percentile) on the writing! I was kind of bummed about my scores (especially my verbal), but I feel really, really good now! 

It depends on the regulations of your program, but I can see a few conflicts arising:

-Most programs require you to teach classes at their university during all or part of your ABD phase
-There may be some programs that require you to attend events hosted by the department
-Conferences that you're interested in presenting at may occur during those times
-Your adviser might like to meet with you during those times to discuss your dissertation
-You might have students who would like to meet with you during that time
-The Graduate Director might want to meet with you
-You might find after working a full day that you might not have the energy to focus on the dissertation
-It might be a violation of your contract that you signed with the grad school. Some schools prohibit it; others say that you must seek special permission.
 

You're most likely doing so already. But, please look into funding for whatever schools you're looking at. For every school that is unfunded in an area, there is almost always a funded one. Considering the type of environment you want to be in is another important factor to consider. Some people do well in a rural setting; others thrive in the city. Temperatures could also play an important factor. I think being happy is an important aspect to ensuring you finish with your best possible work no matter where you up deciding to apply.

I somehow found a place in University City within my budget. It looks big and nice and I am really excited, but living on my own sounds intimidating too. Oh well.

You're most likely doing so already. But, please look into funding for whatever schools you're looking at. For every school that is unfunded in an area, there is almost always a funded one. Considering the type of environment you want to be in is another important factor to consider. Some people do well in a rural setting; others thrive in the city. Temperatures could also play an important factor. I think being happy is an important aspect to ensuring you finish with your best possible work no matter where you up deciding to apply.

That's good! For some odd reason and for what it's worth, I've always had L2 associated with Arizona State University and Illinois State University.

https://english.clas.asu.edu/isearch-expertise/second-language-writing
https://english.illinoisstate.edu/graduate/phd_engStudies.aspx

Have you considered also looking into Education or Linguistics programs? I feel that both would be able to accommodate your interests quite comfortably. Have you googled which programs might have TESOL certificates? Finding those universities might help you determine some scholars working at schools which could be a good fit for you.
 

Hi Norse!

Humanities admissions don't work like that. It isn't as simple as number-based so there are no safety or reach schools. Instead, it's based on how well your interests fit in with theirs as well as the makeup of the incoming class. You'll be competing with people that have similar interests. They'll also likely be assessing how well your personalities jibe together based on the application you presented as a whole.
Depending on where you have those two papers published, it could be a major plus on your application. Some programs do warn against early professionalization because research tends to follow you around forever.

As a side note: If you decide to adopt a cat or dog, be prepared for a lot of apartment and house rentals to be unavailable as an option and be okay with that. I've seen way too many people adopt a puppy, then get bored 2 years later when the puppy is no longer new and abandon them at the pound when they get bored and want to live somewhere that doesn't accept pets. Roughly, 33-50 percent of housing will not accept pets.
I've traveled with my dog for the past 6 years. We've moved into multiple apartments and houses across multiple states. I've never been interested in a place that wouldn't have both of us regardless of how nice the location or apartment or house was.

TWU (Rhetoric)  Feb 1
UTexas at San Antonio - Feb 1
Southern Mississippi (Feb 15)
University of Louisiana-Lafayette (March 1)
Oklahoma State University (March 1)
Villanova (March 1 for MA)
 

MA ranking doesn't matter because MA programs are not ranked. The important thing is to network, present at conferences, write great-quality papers, gain a variety of experiences and do well in your academic work so that you can obtain strong recommendation letters.

Going into any unfunded humanities degree is generally not worth it. 
$60,000 borrowed at a 6% interest rate would result in a monthly loan payment of $666.12 over 10 years. This would result in $19,934.90 being paid in interest during that time. This number will likely be higher if the cost doesn't include the cost of living in NYC.
You mention that you'd like to be a literature or writing professor. Generally speaking, that is not what MFA graduates do. Those jobs generally go to people with either an English Literature PHD or a Rhetoric/Composition PHD. (It's also worth noting that these jobs are rare even then as less than 1/3rd of teaching jobs at universities are tenure-track)  Sometimes, MFA graduates become Creative Writing Professors; but the current trend is that you'll need either an MFA + PHD in Creative Writing or an MFA + PHD in Literature or Rhetoric/Composition in order to do that. More schools are looking to do hires where one person can take on multiple teaching responsibilities.

With an MA degree and substantial teaching experience,  community colleges might be a good place to get a tenure-track job if you were interested in teaching writing. The candidate pool has the possibility of being larger though because you'd be competing with applicants that have earned an MA and a PHD.

That's good! For some odd reason and for what it's worth, I've always had L2 associated with Arizona State University and Illinois State University.

https://english.clas.asu.edu/isearch-expertise/second-language-writing
https://english.illinoisstate.edu/graduate/phd_engStudies.aspx

@indecisivepoet: I think I've had the following explained to me regarding some funding. Many years ago, some students were given 100 percent guaranteed funding. If they transferred, that funding went with them.  They got to keep the previous college's stipend as well as their new college's stipend.As a result, most colleges are very careful of how they word things and have things such as annual reviews to help offset and prevent this from happening. 
Unfortunately, some colleges have horrible ways of explaining their funding. The colleges I listed above are ones I've had conversations with the DGS because I had similar concerns. I can't speak for the majority of your list.
If you search the school's name on this board, you might come up with funding packages that people were offered in the recent past. I know certain colleges have offered non-renewable 3 year packages, instead of their typical 5/6.

State School stipends can be unfortunately impacted by how much that school puts into education for the year.  Wisconsin lost their tenure-system in 2016 which resulted in a lot of tenured professors losing their tenure and going elsewhere. Politics can have a huge impact on the finances of a college.

Kansas: Looks like they offer a tuition waiver + a stipend for 10 semesters. 

Brandeis: Seems to be fully covered. Seems like you'll have to pay for health insurance and might have to pay for some university fees. This is common at a fair amount of universities.

Michigan State: Sounds like the majority of their students teach in various departments or tutor at the writing center. They get to choose which classes they'd prefer to teach in later years. And a select-few are nominated and awarded fellowships.

Vanderbilt: It sounds like the competitive part they're referring to are the "top-off" awards which could be the difference from 26k to 36k.

University of Tennessee- Mentions that Tuition Waiver (including summer course work) + Stipend is guaranteed.

Indiana: First year starts with 18k fellowship. If you hold an MA (or after the first year), you get a teaching instructorship. Stipend for the instructorship was $15,750.

Small Note: Washington, Northeastern, UC San Diego, Vanderbilt and Ohio State (pop:  860k; 15th largest) are in huge cities. I'm sure you know this, but your "no big cities" comment caught my eye.

It depends on the regulations of your program, but I can see a few conflicts arising:

-Most programs require you to teach classes at their university during all or part of your ABD phase
-There may be some programs that require you to attend events hosted by the department
-Conferences that you're interested in presenting at may occur during those times
-Your adviser might like to meet with you during those times to discuss your dissertation
-You might have students who would like to meet with you during that time
-The Graduate Director might want to meet with you
-You might find after working a full day that you might not have the energy to focus on the dissertation
-It might be a violation of your contract that you signed with the grad school. Some schools prohibit it; others say that you must seek special permission.