Hello everyone,
I'm new to this forum, and I am hoping to gain from your collective knowledge and experience.
I've been out of undergrad for quite a while (10+ years), and have a law degree (worked as an attorney for 5+ years), but I am considering going back to school for a PhD. Reading is my passion (sounds cheesy), and I often find myself annotating, dissecting, analyzing whatever work of fiction I happen to be engaged in. Since I have virtually no interest in practicing law--it's just a paycheck to me at this point--I thought perhaps it time to switch careers in hopes of spending my time doing something I might actually enjoy (life is too short to do something you hate). That explanation out of the way, I have a few specific-ish questions you knowledgable folk might be able to help me with:
(1) As an undergrad, I was a history major and thus did not take many (or any) proper literature courses. Will this count against me in the application process given how long I've been out of undergrad?
(2) I have nothing remotely resembling a writing sample. Does anyone have suggestions on where to begin developing one from scratch? More to the point, is there anyone here who has faced a similar situation (creating a writing sample without a smidgen of guidance from a Professor, knowledge of current trends in literary analysis, experience in literary analysis, a prompt, et cetera)?
(3) My undergraduate grades were far from fantastic (better than a 3.0 but not by a large amount), though the institution I attended is well respected. My law school grades were not fantastic either, though the school is considered to be top five in the field. I only mention this las bit because it may be relevant in how an admissions office looks at my academic background. Between you (the board) and I, those rankings are absolutely meaningless in terms of indicating quality of education (or student for that matter). What sort of program might I have a chance of gaining entrance to? Is anything open at this point or would I be advised to look outside the "top" programs?
Thanks in advance for the help.