bluellie

My GRE scores are almost identical to yours, and had a BA in another field and no thesis/major research. I applied to English MA programs last year and got in everywhere. Focus on a strong writing sample and an excellent SOP, these will make or break your application. Remember, MA programs are MUCH less competitive than PhD programs. Good luck!

Have not tried this, but it looks promising: http://www.grammaruntied.com/

Why not take a couple graduate level courses as a non-degree seeking student and use that as an opportunity to prove to the adcom that you can get good grades?

Whichever plays better. ;-)

As far as database storage goes, I've been using a copy of DevonThink to store and organize my recipes. It's got a pretty decent search functionality and will suggest where you might want to store a new article. I'm not sure if I'd pay money for it (granted, I'm using an older version I got it for free during one of those MacHeist promotions), but it's a solid piece of software.

I'm not sure about Peterson's; I couldn't get the CD to work right on my Mac. I did score significantly lower, however, on the Kaplan exams (the ones on CD) than I did on the real test. Good luck!

I'm afraid I can't give you The Answer, as I still haven't found it. I'm sure there are texts and handbooks out there for you to read that can address some of those problems directly. I admit, I'm addicted to the manuals that tell me how I should write; yet every single one gives me the same basic advice: Read what you want to write, then practice writing it yourself. Studying for the GRE's AW portion reminded me of some of the rhetorical techniques you can use to strengthen your argument--acknowledge the other position; trivialize a weakness in your argument or turn one of the opposing argument's strengths into a weakness, etc.. The example essays were helpful to see how these techniques were put to use. I'm sorry I can't give you a better answer. Good luck!

I've been using a flashcard program, Anki (http://ichi2.net/anki/), for the past couple years. The creator has just submitted an app to the Apple Store last week, so I'm not sure what features the iPhone app has. I've been using the desktop application and the online version (it syncs) for almost two years now to study Japanese. I'm really happy with Anki, but if you can implement a better program/interface/what have you--more power to you! When designing your flashcard algorithm, I would look into the research/literature regarding spaced repetition. I'd like to see, however, a learning mode and a reviewing mode. When you're learning, you only look at new cards and you see them fairly frequently (imagine having a deck of card that you're just shuffling through). When you go into review mode, those cards get added to the review deck and then the SRS algorithm kicks in. Customizable flashcard formats with multiple fields are also pretty important (one of the reasons why Mnemosyne didn't work for me). Media support (audio, pictures, possibly video) is a huge plus. Being able to sort, filter, search and tag cards is also pretty handy. Charts and graphs of progress and of potential cards due at a future date are also helpful. I think one thing I'd like to see would be to be able to isolate easily a set of cards to drill repeatedly (i.e. cram) and then re-merge it into the larger deck of material without altering their stats. Perhaps this could be done by putting them back into learning mode for the time you're cramming for your test. I haven't found a good way to study grammar in a flash-card program. If your program, which is aimed at language learners, had a way of addressing the study of grammar, your application would definitely stand out. Another thing you might want to consider is including a couple pre-made decks (most of my decks were made by other users) or a way for users to share their decks. A couple of different card templates might also be useful. I hope this makes sense and was helpful. I would definitely check out other flashcard programs and see what they address well and what can be improved of tweaked. Some desktop programs I've used are Anki, Ebbinghaus, and Mnemosyne. You should be able to download them for free and then play around with them. Good luck!

I did my undergrad at Brown and dabbled in the CS department. While I didn't go much further than the first theory class, the professors I had were very good. I'm not sure if the option to TA will be open to you as an MA student, but they do hire undergrad TAs for a lot of classes. It definitely wouldn't be enough to live on (I think it was close to $1,000-$1,500 for the semester), but it would give you pocket money and teaching experience. Head TAs make more, I believe, but I'm not sure by how much. Again, I'm also not sure if those opportunities would be closed to MA students as Brown does place a lot of emphasis on its undergrad program. The only TAs I had that taught classes were in the mathematics department. A lot of the CS undergrads end up working for the usual suspects--Microsoft, Sun, Google. I believe Oracle and Pixar come to recruit on campus as well. My Ph.D. friend is currently doing his post-doc at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. I will say that I've fallen in love with Providence. It's a lovely little city. You could probably live on the East Side (where Brown is, and generally a good part of town) for around $1,000/month (with roommates). Perhaps a little less, depending on how much rent is and how well you like to eat. Sorry I can't be of more help. Best of luck in your decision.

Just a quick note (since I, too, was in the market for a funded MA)--not all "funded" programs provide funding to all accepted students. Case in point, American University. They admitted 10 students, but could only fund 3 this year. I'm not sure if Nebraska or Binghamton funded any MA students (also on that list). Also, there are some programs that say they don't fund their MA programs, but then sometimes offer partial funding. I applied only to universities off of the LJ list. I was only offered full funding from one and partial funding from another. In retrospect, I'd look for universities that funded all of their MA students, not just some. I'd also apply to a school where you can get in-state tuition, just in case you end up with no funding offers. Best of luck.

Actually, I see this as a pro, rather than a con. You don't have to deal with people who just want to practice their English. This gives you more opportunities (and a greater impetus) to practice your French outside of the classroom. I tend to think that natives respect people who speak their language poorly over those who don't try to speak their language at all. I wonder if zerolife would have been ignored if she/he had tried asking directions in French. (No disrespect!) Anyhoo... As far as language acquisition goes, I would second trying to take summer courses (ideally in France). Being there makes a huge difference, and having to make yourself understood in French in order to get by will be incredibly helpful. Another thing to consider is how much French you knew when you studied it originally. Were you reading at a high school level and generally conversational at one point, or were you still speaking in scripted dialogues and reading textbooks? It'll be easier to get up to speed if you just have to worry about your French coming back to you, rather than learning it anew. I wouldn't worry so much about not being able to make friends due to poor language skills. I would worry about being able to handle the assignments (reading and writing) in French. Do you think your reading/writing will be up to snuff after only a summer of study? Are you willing to possibly do poorly your first semester with the understanding that your grasp of the language will improve with time and practice? What sort of support structures are available to you as an international student? Do they offer the equivalent of ESL classes that you could take in conjunction with your normal class load? I would love to be able to do my MA abroad in a different language, so perhaps I'm projecting a bit when I encourage you to take the plunge and do it. At the end of it, not only will you have your MA, you'll be fluent in French. How cool is that?!? Good luck with your decision!

I'll tell you what has been repeated here time and time again: follow the money. The reason? Less crippling debt to worry about. Teaching experience, rather than tutoring experience. Furthermore, from what I understand, your MA is more about what you produce rather than the name on your diploma. Unless you see yourself miserable at school A, I'd go for it. It's so, so difficult to find good funding for MA programs (I've been striking out a lot these days...despite a whole bunch of admits). Ultimately you have to do what's best for you, and, unfortunately, finances do play a part. Can you imagine having to worry about making ends meets while trying to write term papers/study for comps? Good luck.

Has funding information for the MA program at Binghamton? I know it's a long shot...

I can't speak for the top tier MA programs, as I didn't apply. I will say my numbers were worse than yours: upper 600s on the verbal, upper 700s for quant, and a dismal AW score; I had a GPA from one of the universities you mentioned of 3.3 overall and a 3.5 in my major, which was not English or even English-related; I didn't take the subject test or write a thesis. Based on these factors alone, I don't think I would have gotten in anywhere. I wasn't expecting much, given that I have NO coursework in English literature or any in literary theory, criticism or composition. (I have taken a fair number of lit courses, just not English/American lit.) That, taken in addition to the extremely competitive applicant pool this year, made me believe that I was bound to get rejections across the board. So, I tried to be realistic in my expectations and aimed for mid-level MA programs that promised funding. While funding has yet to materialize, possibly due to the fact that I'd have to learn the material as I was TA'ing it, I've managed to hear back positively from all the programs to which I applied. All were acceptances, except for one wait-list to a tiny program that wasn't a great fit. While I will say that I do worry I might have been admitted for the wrong reasons, I'd like to think my writing sample really opened doors for me. One professor has written to me saying that he really enjoyed reading it, so I don't think I'm completely off-base. Similarly, I think my SOP explained my interests, albeit what I want to study at the Ph.D. level in a related field, and why I needed an MA in English/Literature to get there. My point is that your writing sample and your SOP, both aspects of your application over which you have complete control, can get you into programs beyond what the numbers might lead you to believe. If you can prove to the admissions committee that you are capable of writing a compelling, original research paper, they're probably going to be more inclined to want to have you as a student than if you just have good stats. Plenty of students have good stats; you need to WOW them with what you can do. Your writing sample IS your application. That being said, I would hesitate to just submit one of your undergraduate papers, even if it earned you high marks. More than just editing and patching holes in your argument, I would comply re-do it. Take the summer and start over completely, from re-reading the piece you want to comment on to re-doing the research, to writing draft after draft after draft until it's perfect. Thus, you create a paper whole-cloth, rather than just trying to find and repair all the weak points in your original argument. It is a lot of work, but it pays off (at least in my experience). Thankfully MA programs are not as competitive as PhD programs, though funding is much harder to come by. Programs that say they offer funding don't necessarily make funding available to every admitted student. I do wish you the best of luck. You're way ahead of the game when you start the application process this early. =)

Recently read Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. Currently slogging through Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren's How To Read A Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading in preparation for the vast amounts of reading I will have to do as a grad student. It's pretty interesting, but by no means a pleasure read.

I'm a bit embarrassed to have to ask, but... How do you take notes on what you're reading? What tips and tricks do you use? My own note-taking strategy--bullet points of quotes that I can either quote directly or summarize--seems to work well for shorter papers with a limited number of references. It's a system I've used since high school and while it has worked well for me in the past, I imagine there's a better way to take and organize my notes. What methods have worked well for you and what haven't? How do you keep all your notes organized?

Congratulations! It seems like they do rolling admissions, so there may still be hope for those still waiting. I believe funding decisions will be made in early April. A caveat: they try to accept 10-11 but can only afford to fund three. At least, this is for the MA program. I'm not sure what the situation is for MFAs.

Why not an M.A.? You continue your education, write a thesis and see if graduate school is something that appeals to you without committing to five plus years before you earn your degree. It seems that an M.A. may make you a more attractive candidate to a Ph.D. program, though that is only what I gather from here on the forums. You might also want to think about getting an M.A. in Rhetoric and Composition instead of literature. I don't know if that will help you attain your goals, but it's something to consider. My advisor suggested that the M.A. was a positive experience, since you're taking classes in subject that you love. She said for the Ph.D. you have to deal with a lot of depression, anxiety and self-doubt, especially while you're doing your research and prepping for your dissertation. You're doing a lot of work for years and years and years without seeing any pay-off. I wouldn't say she used the term "soul-crushing," but the clear implication was that it was not a pleasant experience. Do you want a Ph.D. or is it something you think you should have? Don't feel pressured by your professors. This is your life and ultimately your decision. No one's going to think less of you if you decide not to pursue your Ph.D. There are plenty of people who go to work after their B.A. and they're (probably) much better off financially for it. Perhaps see if you can get an internship at a publishing company this summer while you're still a student? Some of my undergraduate acquaintances have landed in the publishing industry that way. If you're not 100% sure that you want to go to grad school, take a gap year to make sure. Work in the industry, if you can and go from there. Probably not the clear answer you wanted. :-\

I'm sorry if I've said something to offend you. It was not my intent; my comment wasn't personal. If I misunderstood your original comment, then I apologize for that. The lack of funding for the M.A. program sucks, agreed. Unfortunately, funding for an M.A. in general is harder to come by--even by those programs purported to offer assistantships or fellowships to MA students. Nonetheless, yellowjackets, I'm curious as to what you think would be a better solution for those Ph.D. applicants that the department wants but cannot support. Should it waitlist them? Reject them? Admit them to the Ph.D. program without funding? How is being referred to the (unfunded) M.A. program any more demeaning than being outright rejected? Plenty of schools do this. It's not just Rochester. So, yellowjackets, what course of action would you suggest?

There is no application fee. Thus, resubmitting an application is gratis. Free. Costs nothing. Nada. Zilch. The school is not getting a dime out of its applicants during the application process. So the idea that they're asking applicants to reapply for the sake of money is complete nonsense. I honestly believe that asking a candidate to resubmit their application is a silly computer/bureaucratic thing more than anyone wanting to make Ph.D. candidates jump through additional hoops to be considered as an M.A. candidate. I highly doubt it's anyone on the adcom power-tripping. As an M.A. applicant, I'm actually grateful that they're not just admitting Ph.D. candidates to the M.A. program before looking at the M.A. applicant pool. It seems like they would be reviewing everyone for the M.A. program at the same time. From my perspective, this policy of not automatically admitting Ph.D. applicants to the M.A. program is giving me (and other M.A. applicants like me) a fair shake at getting in. How is this wrong? How is this demeaning? I'm sorry that not all the Ph.D. applicants who wanted to go didn't get in. That sucks and I sympathize. You still, however, have a second chance. Take it or don't, it's your choice. I wish those who do choose to reapply to the M.A. program the best of luck.

I have one acceptance (but no funding) from an out-of-state school which allows me to defer admission for up to one year. I'm still waiting on 4 other programs. Should I be rejected from my top choice, I'm tempted to reapply the following year. Is it bad form to defer acceptance to this one school and see if I can get into my top choice during the 2011 application season? I would, of course, inform them that I would not be attending in April of next year if I did end up deferring. Is this done? Or am I trying to have my cake and eat it too?

I'm not sure if this helps, but I'm switching fields, too. I did my BA in area studies (e.g. Middle Eastern Studies, East Asian Studies, African Studies, etc.) and am applying to English MA programs this year; the only courses I took in the English department that are on my transcript are a couple creative writing workshops. I do, however, have a fair number (7-8) of literature courses that were related to my area of studies (i.e. foreign literature in translation). I have no theory courses whatsoever. I spoke with the DGS from one the programs to which I applied. He assured me that they would consider my application and at worst I would have to take an extra course or two to fill my "deficiencies." As my advisor told me, terminal MA programs are geared towards those switching fields and I shouldn't be intimidated about not having a degree in English. Nonetheless, I would make sure that you have a couple literature courses on your transcript in order to be considered. That way, you demonstrate that you do have a background in literature and you know how to analyze/critique it. Plus, this will give you the bare-bones of your 10-20 page writing sample. You would not want to submit a writing sample written for the field of IR. And, as of today, I have one acceptance (albeit from my safety school) and am waiting on four other schools. So, it's not impossible to get in from a different field. I hope this helps. Good luck!

The U of R doesn't have an application fee. The MA program is a 1 year, unfunded program. I really have no advice to offer you, but if you do go the MA route, a one year program would be cheaper than the typical two year program. As far as what the e-mail is about, I imagine they're asking if you want them to consider your application when they review the MA applications. It's not an offer of admission, it's an offer for a second chance. They like you enough to not reject you, so that's encouraging. Good luck with your decision. =)

I like your optimism. I hope you're right. I'm just terrified that I'll go, fall in love, and then get rejected. I'm not sure if I could go after getting rejected. I've seen four acceptances to the program to which I applied (literature) on grad cafe...and I've yet to receive any notification from them. @Pizza: What do you think the dress code is? Is business casual a safe bet? I've got a week to break in a nice pair of flats. Sigh...

I feel your pain. I've made plans to go, but if I get rejected between now and then I'll just hang out with family instead. What program did you apply to?