monsterheart

i was a shut out last year. here’s what i did between then and now:
- finished MA, which allowed me to see a gap in the literature that i could articulate better in my SoP as a research interest
- i went through a few more revisions of my SoP than the year before, and all my letter writers helped revise 
- also my writing sample had been from my thesis, so in getting to finish it for my MA, i was able to revise it a lot and get good feedback from my committee 
- i strengthened my relationship with some of my letter writers, thus strengthening their letters 
- i expanded the list of schools i applied to because i had more money lol 
 
i was looking at a shut out until like two weeks ago, and this was my plan for next cycle: 
- inevitably, a few schools felt less like a fit after being rejected, so i was going to research into more schools. some ppl with shared interests as me applied to some places i hadn’t looked into so i was going to start there
- take the gre subject test (i’m so glad i don’t have to now)
- scrap my writing sample and try something else, working with my letter writers to continue strengthening our relationship 
- reshape my SoP a little to gesture toward new sample, revise it, etc 
- apply to a few conferences so i could add at least one to my cv (i have two, plus several in a different field)
- email POIs, first reaching out to ask about any of their current projects to get a better idea of what their research interests are, then moving into asking about advise for applying 
- also, for schools i decided to apply to again, think about asking POIs what i could do to improve my application for the next year
 
it was rough being shutout last year, but honestly i’m glad that it happened now. for a lot reasons, this is a better time for me to go so it feels like it all worked out for the best

I was a shutout last year—didn't make it off of either waitlist. I had finished my MA, so I've spent the year adjuncting. I stayed in close contact with my MA advisor and letter-writers, and I attended another conference and added a couple more reviews to my publications. As others have said, spending a year revising SoPs and writing samples is so helpful: my first-cycle SoP was cringeworthy, but this year's was, I think, far better. I also expanded my apps a little, from four to six, and did more background work: emailing PoIs, reading their work. As @kendalldinniene astutely said, find a community. Share letters and writing and anxieties. And keep your head up! It gets easier the second time around!

From last year I really focused on fine tuning my SoP and WS (including readying an additional WS so I could better target schools’ particular interests). But I think the key for me (not that I’ve had the most wonderful cycle, but better than last year) was rethinking the way I selected the schools I applied to. I think reading new research on your interests and looking at where those folks graduated from (recent grads of course) is a good strategy. Also looking at publications from a potential school’s recent grads is really helpful, because if they have been supporting a grad the last five or six years with your interests, chances are they can support you and will have an interest in doing so. Also I applied to A LOT more schools. I got 80% of my app fees waived, so that helped (if you want more info about that feel free to pm me). I also requested SoP from really successful applicants this time in case I need to reapply and everyone I asked was super generous with providing them, so I sugges you do that too.
Keep your head up and good luck! 

You are a love @kendalldinniene!!! This is some kinda info that I won't get from anywhere! Your point about looking into where peeps graduated from or looking at publications from recent grads is an awesome strategy. Since I graduated already, it's kinda frustrating not to have a place I can belong to. I'll definitely do more research on potential schools. Thanks a lot for sharing your view on this! ❤️ 

Why are people so generous and awesome??? Thank you for the encouragements and these incredibly helpful & refreshing tips, @natalielouise @sugilite @northwestnative! ? This is great. I hadn't given much thought to finding a community before but I already see why it is important just from getting responses here and sharing thoughts. Hopefully, I can become a better applicant next cycle and emerge as someone who can give advices/tips just like y'all did! 

I'm lucky enough to have received acceptances, but I was looking at a shutout a week and a half ago. I had a couple plans in place: 
IRT for application help and fee waivers (mentioned by @WildeThing) https://www.andover.edu/about/outreach/irt  Revise writing sample--I submitted my senior thesis, and (sloppily and hastily) edited it to meet the page count. Submit to a conference (as a couple mentors have mentioned this would be a good conference paper.)  Have mentors read Statements of Purpose and ask for feedback--I procrastinated on these and only wrote them after my letter writers had submitted their rec letters so I felt too behind to show it to them for feedback at that point.* Read material from POIs to customize SoP more. There was a good post discussing how people identified "fit" recently that you might want to check out! (Note: If you don't otherwise have access to academic resources, you might look into your nearest public university's library.) I considered studying for the GRE (quant section) and the subject test. There was a recent post about how the GRE quant section didn't matter at all, so I think I would recommend against that after all. Not sure to what extent the subject test matters, but I would also wait a bit to see if any schools will change whether or not it is required.  *Edit: I would also try to supply my LOR writers with my application materials well ahead of time. I met with each of them to talk about what schools to apply to, but I think it would have been helpful for me to supply them with at least my CV and SoP. 

Not sure where/what programs you applied to this cycle, but definitely look into applying to MA programs along with PhDs your next time around. I was shut out from every PhD I applied to right out of undergrad but was accepted to a few MAs. Doing my MA first was definitely the best decision I could have made (even though I am leaving the program a bit disenchanted with it) -- I feel so much more prepared/excited/less nervous to begin my PhD in the fall. It also gives you a good opportunity to test the waters and take grad seminars, teach, write a thesis (which I did not do in undergrad), and present at conferences without the pressure of the PhD. 
Best of luck to you! I would be happy to chat about my MA experience if you want more info!

Hey!
I'd say it's pretty important. I originally applied to Comp Lit at Cornell. About two weeks ago a very kind professor called me. He told me that Cornell's Comp Lit Department only had 2 spots, which I think is ludicrous. Anyway, he told me that I was not accepted to Compt Lit, but that my application was referred to Romance Studies, where I was accepted (he told me they had a lot more places). In short, I think that ad comms recurrently come across wonderful applicants whom they wish to accept, but financial issues prevent them from doing so.
Hope that helps.