AnimeChic101!

WS formatting is proving to be particularly difficult. Any advice or examples of WS formatting? I know that i need to double space, TNR, name in the corner, but do i need the typical MLA name, prof name, class thing? If I have an epigraph, do I need to single space it? What about images? Do they take up page space?

Please watch out for this. Look at the specific program, because some state that they do not accept letters after the deadline.

The majority of the programs I was going to apply to were in the midwest and south. I have friends in those areas who are currently facing hostility that they have never experienced before as east-coast transplants. I am removing those programs from my list because I am not sure of my safety in those areas. If the k**n is going to be doing marches in those cities and outwardly presenting their hate, then I, as a black woman, can not safely venture into those spaces. I am attending an international conference in the upcoming months and a few of my fellow panelists (2 of which were Muslim women) have decided that it is safer for them to not travel from their countries to the conference (which is in the south). This is what is happening. It is scary. At least this helped me slash down my list quite a bit.

You're the real MVP for actually sending in an email to ask. I'm not sure, however, if that answer really clarifies the difference. I might just ask the literature DGS what the difference is and then compare them.

I know undergraduates at the institution where I go to grad school who are published in established journals in the field. They normally do the work with a professor and it goes in under both names (co-author). Could you possibly try that? It would open up quite a few more options for you.

This is so interesting. When I called in to confirm this information about a year ago, I was told that it takes much longer to send out because it's physically mailed or some such nonsense.

@eyeshadow, I also haven't encountered this (besides the one program that said they wanted to get rid of it but were not allowed to do so....aka the program I am in now )

I'm applying to a lot of programs. I know strong applicants who didn't get in anywhere, and the one piece of advice they always give me is: "don't apply to less than 15 programs." My director also encouraged me to apply as many possible (upwards to 20-25 was encouraged), and I really trust his opinion. It's really hard to get into programs and I really have no money (I live paycheck to paycheck as a masters student, and that barely covers stuff as it is), but i'm pushing everything i've got into this. I have a little bit in savings and I have about 3 credit cards (I just got 2 more for the purpose of applying). It's not financially smart, but going through some tough times in order to get into a funded program is worth it to me. I'll also be trying to get fee waivers. I tried to get one from Yale prior to my MA, but was denied. I'm going to try again though.

I'll do that. I mean, I just don't want to waste money I don't have. I keep being told that I need to add safety programs to my list, but there aren't any...otherwise I would put the money towards them. Also, would you by any chance feel comfortable sending me a PM about which programs said that?

the scores take about 5-7 weeks to be shown in your GRE account, and then (according to the people I spoke to at the are) another 6-7 weeks to get to the programs you want.

I think I may have to remove some programs. I could just apply, but I don't want to waste the money if they'll just too out my application because of my low score. I am nowhere even near that 50th percentile. I really mean it when I say that this exam actually has nothing to do with anything that my field is about. It is really frustrating, and I'm not sure why we continue to have these exams. The things is that there are some people who are obviously doing extremely well. What i've also noticed, is that a good majority of them (that i've interacted with) are working in the fields covered by the exam. On the other hand, I also know some programs that have said that they ask for scores because it's required of them by the graduate school. Wireline, i think that emailing the programs anonymously is a good idea. I may try to anonymously email my top choices that require the exam so that I can see if I should still apply to them. I have only 5 programs that want the subject test score.

Hi all, so my GRE scores just came in. I've complained numerous times that it never covers the breadth of my field. I don't study Western literature, and this fact obviously showed in my score ( a really, really low percentile). Here's my question: only 5 of my school's require the scores (most of which are the ivy's), so should I even bother attempting to take it again? Should I write about the score in a roundabout way in my SOP? I know that the other factors of my application will be pretty good. I took the exam 2 years ago and I only went up by 70 points (and that's with a Master's degree); My percentile tripled (this all sounds good, but trust me, it's not if you know my original score). Advice? Should I remove my other schools that want the Lit GRE? The fit is there. The other elements of my application are there. I really dislike these sort of exams, especially when they consist of nothing that my field is about.

There were soon many long passages in the last exam. I went through the packet and did all the questions with shorter passages first. TBH, there was only one question in my field. It's not something that somebody can study for but I did study. That was my second time taking the exam. I'm doing the general in a few weeks. At this point I've had to take out some credit cards to even afford my applications so there's NO WAY that i'm redoing the subject test. The thing is, I know my stuff. I really know my field. I really hope that I can get to the interview stage and prove this (as is shown in my SOP and writing sample). I think that the people in my field understand how unrepresented my field is in these sort of exams and that they look at my materials with that in mind. Anyways, may the curve be in my favor. We get scores back in a few days. p.s. we're applying to a lot of the same schools. What's your area?

I took it last month. I refuse to do it again. 1) I can't afford it, and 2) most of my schools don't require it. It's a wallet drain and it hurts my spirit to sit there doing it. Plus, as an AfAm/Africana lit person, there were less than 5 questions on the exam that related to me area of study. It is terribly skewed to represent the traditional, white, cis, male and western cannon. This is an issue in literature studies and I don't want to pay into it. /end of off topic rant lol

Thanks for all of the advice! I settled on 2 rewards cards ($1000 each). I think that will help me pay for my applications and my conferences for the year.

What was your field and how did this work out for you? I may end up doing something very similar. The proposal will transform into the introduction anyways.

Thanks, TakerUK. Accruing points sounds great. I don't mind paying an annual fee after the first year (i'm more than likely to going stop using the card after the application cycle). I'm more of an American Airways person myself lol. I'll def take a look at that card. Any other cards that people can recommend?

Hi all, What would be a good credit card in the USA for applications (including sending GRE scores) , traveling to conferences, and traveling to visit grad programs? I have a discover card (which is great), but i'm using it for other things at the moment. What would you recommend? I would prefer a card with a low interest rate, and no annual fee (for at least the first year). I also have decent credit (mid 700's). Any recommendations would be great.

www.cfplist.com is my main bae

A quick note: my area of focus was tested via 4 questions on the exam. Yep, only 4. It in no way shows an adcom anything about you as an intellectual besides your ability to memorize these facts. Some of the questions are truly absurd. I once had to fill in the blanks on a poem that only had three lines. I'm blessed that I was a TA and teaching that poem (and that it is one of my favorites), otherwise I would have never known what all the blanks were.

This is painfully and woefully me. I was much more social in undergrad. Grad-school sucked that out of me. There are more people in the same boat as you than you think.

I'm also curious about the LOR having to come from somebody in your field. My program is extremely small. There are only 2 people in my area and only one of them knows me fairly well. LOR's are a real issue if you don't come from a place with a lot of people in your field. In undergrad, there was nobody in my field so at least this is better.

Thank you all for the advice. I've decided to use the paper that I was originally going to use. I'll decrease it to 15 pages, add in about 2 paragraphs and then tighten the language a bit. I'm also going to run it by my letter writers and see what they think. Thanks!

I want them to match because I received advice similar to what Wyatt stated. In regards to the phrasing, I actually think that's perfect. Something along those lines might end up being my one sentence explanation. Thank you for that piece of advice! I'll give a hypothetical example of what I'm doing. If somebody is a budding Shakespearinist with an interest in relating his work to concepts of colonialism and race studies (I'm just making something up here), but submits a paper on Shakespeare and an analysis of a play rather than creating that connection between Shakespeare and colonialism and race studies, would that be seen as an issue? Would that be a glaring error? If the person is able to depict a working knowledge of Shakespeare and race studies and colonialism in their SOP yet only show a working knowledge of Shakespeare, his texts and the scholars in conversation over a specific text, would that be a problem? It's technically the same area but it has a different focus. (I am not working with Shakespeare, but I just thought that this may be a good example).

The longer paper is the most straight forward version of my interests (without all the frills). The frills (the specific research questions I have) are what I believe will really differentiate me from others in my area. I feel that neglecting those areas of inquiry within my SOP in favor of having the SOP and paper align would be detrimental to my application. Plus, the SOP has gone through several rounds of edits at this point with various professors in my program. Editing that might actually be harder (since the SOP is a really weird genre). But, then again, I want the SOP and WS to match.