ZeeMore21

I'd say your friend is pretty insecure....and I also question this friendship...friends are suppose to build each other up, not break each other down. She's seems like a very toxic person, so I would sit down and analyze this friendship and really think about whether you need this type of person in your life. As far as grad applications are concerned, the only people who will determine whether or not you are qualified to be in a graduate program are the members of the admissions committee. Your friend has absolutely no say in your admissions process. I would focus on doing the best you can do to perfect your application and let your friend do whatever she has to do for her application. Her application should be none of your concern...you are on your own path.

Definitely understand how you feel jessicamarie! Looking for programs can be overwhelming since there a ton of great schools out there. In my case, I started my school search by looking at lists of the strongest programs for my field...my field of interest was African American lit. I also included schools where certain professors I was interested in taught at in addition to including schools where these professors attended. By the end of my search, I had about 25 possible schools I could attend! I sat down with my advisor afterward and he helped me weed down schools (professors usually know the politics of certain schools and professors/departments you want to avoid) in addition to suggesting schools that I should add, especially lower-reach schools. Although you aren't really looking for a list of schools to consider, I would strongly recommend you look into the University of Pittsburgh, which is pretty strong in post-colonial literature. I attended Pitt this past year and only have good things to say about my overall experience. I don't know what area you are interested in exactly, but there is one professor, Shalini Puri, who specializes in Caribbean lit, and 2 professors who specialize in African Literature, Susan Andrade and Lily Saint. They are all pretty great.

Well written, Sparky. I don't think I will ever look back and regret this experience. Still hope that I do land a college career though!

I'm guessing that perhaps it would just be better to wait until you get on campus and can make these potential advisers face to face? Just my opinion, though. I had initially thought that you were in the process of applying to programs, but I see that you already got into a program. I think when you actually sit down with these professors, you will have a deeper feeling as to who you would work better with.

I honestly think your GRE scores are great, I personally wouldn't waste more time and money on another GRE exam. I would, on the other hand, go on to spending time working on perfecting your personal statement and writing.

I did two R.A ships without informing each adviser...I guess I just didn't think it was wrong to begin with. I also didn't think it was something I actually had to hide...I would have informed them if I needed to. I was able to do both position effectively given that I had specific blocks of time devoted to each R.A job.

While this may be true, there are times when studying the roots can get a bit crazy...I don't think anything beats actually seeing a word and knowing the definition automatically without having to pick it apart...you save a lot of time that way and you avoid error.

I took my GREs in October and the schools got the scores around December. If I were you, I would take the exams as early as possible, say September. In that way, if you are unhappy with the scores, you can always schedule another exam in October...which gives you another month to prepare.

Perhaps the verbal GRE is a roll of the die to a certain extent, but individuals who study correctly for the Verbal will score consistently well. There is no doubt, for example, that being able to memorize a significant portion of vocab words will help you score well in the exam, along with studying things such as POE and how to make an educated guess. So yes, a person who did study their best may not have the same exact score if they took the test multiple times, but their score would be consistently high given that the exam is computer adaptive.

Same here, definitely sticking with this forum through my program!

I'm sure your department just means that they expect all of their doctoral students to take a stats course at some point in the course of the program.

Hi all, Although I am just starting a doctoral program in the fall in Literature, I can't but help feel a bit terrified as far as the job market is concerned...tenure-track positions are dwindling, and job posts for Humanities professors are scarce (been looking at job posts on the Chronicle every now and then out of curiosity). It seems like schools are looking more into hiring adjuncts and instructors, which leaves me questioning at times if getting a PhD is even valued anymore. I guess my question is how are new PhDs in the Humanities coping with the uncertain future? To be clear, I definitely am excited about this new stepping stone in my life... I will be the first PhD in my family, and I don't see the doctoral program as simply a means to an end, but a period of time where I can develop as an intellectual in particular and a individual in general. However, I am constantly thinking about whether or not there will be any tenure-track positions in 5-6 years, when I am hoping to be done with my doctoral program. I am starting to think that it would be smart to think about other careers that I might look into, but I feel as though I should be focused solely on getting a position teaching in a university if that is my main goal. I have also entertained whether teaching abroad would be a viable option or perhaps teaching at a boarding school or a community college. I did read Gregory Colon Semenza's Graduate Study for the 21st Century:How to Build and Academic Career in the Humanities (a very good read!), and he urges that doctoral students see the lack of tenure-track positions as not only a bad thing...students should use it as inspiration to create strong work. However, I am not quite sure that simply creating good work necessarily means one will land a job...luck plays a huge role in landing a tenure track position as well. There are also other doctoral students who I have spoken to who are under the impression that a lot of baby-boomers in academia will be retiring in 5+ years, leaving more teaching positions...I really don't buy this either....with the economy where it is now, people who were planning on retiring soon have been forced to remain in the job market way longer than they expected. And plus, professors usually stay in their positions way past the average retiring age. To end my rambling, I just wanted to know how humanities doctoral students cope with the uncertainty of their future in academia while trying to relish the time they have as doctoral students and creating good work. Honestly, I don't know what is better than being paid to study something you love. It really is such a privilege, and I really don't want to spoil my experience and take it for granted by stressing out too much about my job prospects in the near future.

Don't really understand this question, please clarify.

The trade started in the late 80s, so I'm sure it will would be fine to look into Sierra Leone and blood diamonds. The events leading up to this trade would also be valuable, so you would also be looking at the years before the trade.

Well the Rodney King Riots happened in 92, and 20 years from then would be 2012...research on this event would definitely be doable now. However, I feel as though research has been done on this event for a while now, especially in studies on black-white race relations.

As a TA in my Masters program, my responsibility was to attend class lectures to take attendance as well as hold recitations every Friday so that the students could discuss the readings. I also had to grade assignments and calculate/enter final grades. I am not sure what school you will attend, but usually only doctoral students are allowed to teach courses by themselves. I'm not quite sure if you would be teaching on your own as a MA.

I attended Pittsburgh, and there is the possibility of doing an M.A. Film is very strong at Pitt, so I would include this program in your list.

Perhaps there aren't that many current Princeton students on this forum? I think this may be the reason why you don't see Princeton come up that often. I,too, have noticed that Princeton really doesn't come up. I do hope you do get the information you need about this program. I did apply to Princeton this cycle but got wait-listed. I definitely would have attended Princeton if I had gotten in, it is a very strong English program.

I would "like" your posts truckbasket but I filled up my plus one quote for today lol...but you hit it right on the head. I did apply to Brown this admissions season and the subject test is no longer required.

Do you get your money back if you do decide to drop out of the program?

I think one idea might be to really focus on what you are trying to achieve...in this case, you are completing these applications because you want to better your future through a graduate program. I know I definitely did get lost in the pile of applications I had to do...I lost track at times of why I was completing applications in the first place. However, I would at times, for a bit of inspiration, do a lot of research on a school and imagine myself there, and suddenly realize that I do have a chance at the school if I create the best application I can. I would also research people who have gotten to where I want to be goal-wise, and use their stories as inspiration. But to quit my rambling, I just am saying that when you realizing that completing the applications are the means to your bigger goal itself, you should feel more inspired to get them done. Imagine where you want to be years from now, and see these applications as stepping stones to your destination.

Vanderbilt does not require a Subject Test. Although, I honestly wouldn't limit yourself to only schools that don't require the subject test...perhaps a mix of schools would be fine. Some schools who do demand the Subject Test really don't even take those scores seriously. Just my two cents.

I can see it might be easier to skim in the sciences, or in a rhetoric/composition course--as you are mainly reading theoretical texts--but I can say for Literature programs, that it is really impossible to skim literary texts. As for academic articles though, I am still on the fence about skimming.

And you don't see yourself as condescending and rude with your attempt to tell someone they aren't qualified to speak about a certain topic? And because you do not know me or follow me on this forum, I don't think you do have the right to label me as a poster who doesn't want to provide helpful advice to anyone. I am not the only poster on this forum that kind of finds it odd when someone with obviously great numbers seems to have a lack of confidence about how strong their numbers are. And again, although I am not in Art History, I can confidently say that the personal statement and writing sample count way more than one's grades and gre scores do.

hisarthopeful, yes I will delete my quote. I would just say that yes, you should ask your qualification questions differently.