takethiswaltz

eye exam

combat boots

feather tickler

pony express

I loved UC Davis's and UC Santa Barbara's apps. the best. They flowed like honey!

Writing that shows an unhealthy fondness for adverbs.

Haters gonna hate. Congrats, by the way!

Yeah, those are pretty frightening odds, but the only thing we can do is turn in the most solid application packet we possibly can. I'm going over my writing sample with a fine toothed comb today even though I've already submitted it to other schools. Good luck, cquin!

Is anyone else applying to Duke's Literature program as opposed to English? I'm planning on sending in my application tonight although I know the chances of getting accepted are so slim...Even so, the prospect of taking classes from the likes of Jameson, Hardt, and Hayles tickles me to no end....

I told my boyfriend a few nights ago that we could have an awesome, week-long vacation in San Francisco with the money I'm spending on the application process (we've been too broke to get out of the city for a few years). Argh. I hope this isn't a huge waste...

Don't worry; just ignore the yellow box and upload each document anyway. If you follow Grunty Da Gnome's and ecritdansleau's instructions you'll be fine. I should know because I've just submitted my app. (yay!). Anyway, if even after logging back in your document still doesn't show up on the "preview" window, go ahead and work on something else for a bit and come back to the application later. I did that when my SoP refused to load...

If all the elements of your application are rock-solid and you're worried that your score might weaken your overall packet , I wouldn't bother sending in the subject scores unless they were stellar (85th percentile and above). In any case, some of the programs for which the subject exam is optional have explicitly said that, while a high score may give you a boost in the selection process, an average or low score will not hurt your application (UPenn comes to mind). Also, when I ordered my ASRs a few days ago, I was able to send in my general and subject scores on the same report without having to pay an extra $23 for the subject exam. You might want to look into that, too.

There are some great programs even in the Midwest. Take a look at the English program at UW Milwaukee and at the CSCL program at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

The best way to study for the subject exam is by taking as many practice tests as possible and using them to figure out your weak areas. I took about 4 practice tests and it really helped me boost my score from an approximate scale score of 590 to 710 on the last practice test. Given that I just barely made it to the end of the real exam, and that I had to rush through the last quarter of the test, I'm expecting to score anywhere from 600-640. We'll see... To get the fullest benefit of the practice exams, I would only give myself 2 hours to complete them if I were you. You want to get used to reading those passages rather quickly...

On this page it says that the subject exam is recommended but not required: http://english.fas.nyu.edu/object/english.grad.ProspectiveStudents Hmm...

Wow. That test was truly devastating. I spent most of my preparation time concentrating on Restoration literature and Modern Drama, both of which were featured prominently on the practice tests. However, there was so little of it in the test. :: sigh :: I came in to the testing center with such high hopes, too.