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Alette

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Alette last won the day on October 3 2010

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    USA
  • Program
    English Lit PhD

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  1. Yes, for an MFA the writing is paramount - but that's the same for MA or PhDs. I simply think the original poster's score of 580V is acceptable, with that in mind. Granted, applications have become so competitive in the past few years that nothing is for sure, hence his/her worry. Bottles, I would recommend, once you get your MA, retaking the GRE if you choose to continue, but, once again, your scores seem fine for now.
  2. I'm going to say no. While adcomms definitely want to see such interaction with previous research and thought, they also expect to see your ability to formulate your own ideas on the matter, which would be lacking in a review. But maybe this review is a good launching point for your writing sample?
  3. When I applied to my MA program (successfully), I had two English professors and one Art History professor. It worked because all three knew me quite well and could speak to my academic ability, which it sounds like your Spanish professor will be able to do. It also worked because I expressed (and demonstrated, in my thesis) an interest in exploring intersections with art history in my literature research. I might suggest outlining a similar link between Spanish and English, though you're probably already on that track. However, for an MA program, you're probably OK either way.
  4. It probably includes MFA applicants. A friend told me it's easier to get into Cornell's MFA program than it is to get into U Wisconsin-Madison's, which I find hard to believe but I think it's clear that it's next to impossible to get in anywhere, for any degree!
  5. I'd scoot over to The Chronicle of Higher Education for a reality check. It's next to impossible even to secure community college jobs. And you would need an MA, not an MFA, to accomplish that goal. I'd also jump over to the section of this board dedicated to current grads; please note the amount of posters who struggle with depression, anxiety, and general malaise (and all of these people are in fields they love). Graduate school is not like undergrad. Maybe that's something one can only fully understand until one gets there (was for me), but it's something to think about when you consider if this is the field for you. There's just something that makes me recoil at that phrase - this isn't trying on a great coat to see if it's for you: it's a relinquishment of your entire mental and emotional state, to be melodramatic but truthful. (I don't mean to sound snippy or anything; it's just the reality of the situation.) As far as nonfiction writing classes go, your school's coursebook should answer that question. Inafuturelife: great minds
  6. I'm not applying to an MFA nor have solid ideas about what it takes to get into a program, but I wanted to note two things. First, your GPA is OK, but for English (at least the PhD) it's a little low. Or by low, I mean it's not that high - as in, not nearly at the top of the applicant pile. (Yes, I know. That's where we're at.) More importantly, you say you were a journalism/poli sci major. Or rather, you are. Are you still in college? Have you taken any creative writing classes? Or any related literature classes? If you're lacking there, and lacking a solid manuscript that has been given the stamp of approval from the head CW professor in your genre, then I'd be concerned. I would also hesitate to jump into applications for a program lasting 5-7 years if you don't have significant experience in that field. In any case, you've got to bring twice as much to the table as an English major to prove that you have the knowledge, experience, and developed sense of the field necessary to pursue graduate study. Good luck. Edited for clarification!
  7. I can't help it: moral? I'm confused (and wrong, I hope) - did you write your sister's personal essay? Yikes. I do want to interject that advice given to undergrads is not applicable to grad students, and advice given to one field of grad students isn't necessarily applicable to the next. So no, I would not find solace in the surfer story. Anyway, I'll offer (yet another) personal anecdote - take it with a grain of salt. When I applied three years ago, I believe I had the same scores as you. They were enough to get me a 1.5/2 that application season: I got into an MA program and was invited to the MA program of the PhD I had applied to. I retook the test this round, because those scores were much too low (especially since I have an MA, not a BA). But frankly, I wouldn't worry about it. When I look at the weak parts of my application from that round, it's glaringly obvious: the statement of purpose was rough. Good enough to get me where I wanted to go, but rough. My writing sample was OK but I would never submit that now. So that's where I'd focus my energy. Yes, some schools might reject you outright for your scores, but it's all a crapshoot anyway, so why not save the extra $200 (test fees + extra score reports)? There's no way of telling. Edited for typos!
  8. I hate to break it to you - but there is no such thing as a "safe bet" in English. Unfortunately, I don't think I can give you the advice I'd give to someone with an American degree (look for programs that are in the same tier as your undergrad, for one). I'd speak to your adviser, or someone else who has successfully either navigated students through the process or students who have been successful at your university. There were many well-qualified, very competitive applicants last year (some of whom are on these boards) who did not receive offers anywhere. Unfortunately that's the way it goes in our overly saturated field.
  9. Um, every PhD program? Not every program funds every accepted student, but every program offers fully funded positions. There's a helpful list of funded MA programs here on the boards (somewhere) and one on the Livejournal community "applyingtograd" but I don't have either link off hand. If you do a quick search, I'm sure you'll be able to find some programs. However, keep in mind that if you apply to a PhD program are offered a spot in the MA cohort (rather than in the PhD cohort), then that will not be funded.
  10. I really don't know. My gut feeling is that, if you did well (700+ verbal and 5.5+ AW with an acceptable Q score), then you don't need to take it again as long as your scores are less than 5 years old. But if you didn't, and/or you're too nervous about cutting it close at 4 1/2 years, then I'd take it in the spring or early summer, before they change the test in August. Really, you should contact potential schools and ask what they think. That's the only way to know for sure. I hope for your sake they say, "Nope, you're OK!"!
  11. Now, I'm not in library science, so I'm not sure what I have to say will be of worth to you. Several years ago, I talked with someone who works in a nationally renown archive about the MLS degree. She said she hated school - hated the classes (for the same reasons you're citing), didn't feel a connection with her classmates - I believe, although time may exaggerate, that she may have gone as far to say that it was an awful two years. However, she stuck it out and couldn't be happier with her job. That's not to say that the next two years will be wonderful! But at least there's a pretty amazing light at the end of the tunnel. See if you can't start doing independent studies or internships instead of traditional classes. Hopefully that's an accepted (and encouraged) aspect of your program.
  12. I wish I had read this thread before I took the test! I had an identified experimental section at the end of my test (which seems a much fairer placement). It was an essay (much, much better than multiple choice questions!) As much as I hate funding and preforming the ETS's research, in a fit of thankfulness and test-induced delirium, I wrote the essay.
  13. When I took the GRE three years ago, there was an unidentified Quant section - there was no knowing which section of multiple choice questions was the real deal. This time around, my experimental section was identified, and was actually a writing prompt. This resulted in a more relaxed testing session, to say the least But I have no idea what the new test will hold. Is there no note on this on the ETS website? In any case, it's not something you can really worry about, because you have no control anyway.
  14. Did you not read our responses to your previous thread Going from an MFA to a PhD is not uncommon, as we all discussed in that thread. If you want to teach creative writing, you need both. If you're a good PhD candidate, moving from an MFA to a PhD is a non-issue. EDIT: You may also be interested in
  15. My condolences to you all... I'm not taking it until November (they only offer it twice a year in my neck of the woods) so I haven't felt your pain (yet). How closely are the October and November exams related? Are questions or specific time periods/authors/genres repeated? Should I be looking forward to 18th century madness?
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