Alette

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.

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?

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.

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!

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

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!"!

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

You've sent a version of an email I'm sure we all [would] have written (in our heads!). Bravo. Others have covered damage control, so I just want to offer this anecdote. One of my parents, when applying for PhD programs back in the day, was waitlisted at school X but accepted at school Y, which was in a very notorious city. After hu had moved to Notorious City, and the semester had started, hu received notification from school X that someone had not shown up and therefore there was now a spot for hu at school X. Needless to say, hu hightailed it out of Notorious City for school X. Moral of my story is: Schools can wait until the last minute - or even later - and sometimes that's a good thing. However, your case is bull. Not even a waitlisted notice? I'd say someone's unorganized and unprofessional...

First: I LOVE your avatar! Too cute. Second: Down to business. I'd join the MLA (it's much cheaper to join if you're a student anyway). Later on in your career, you'll need to join it to attend the job interviews hosted at the conference. Publications - If you get a seminar paper that suggests publication, and/or a professor offers to help you revise it to be publishable. The professors at my MA were very generous with their offers, but were rarely taken up by the students. Don't let such an opportunity go! Publications, II - Beyond papers, see if you can't assist with a professor's book. Jumping into an editing project is relatively easy. TEACH. As many different classes as you can. Those are the major things. I believe the Purdue OWL has a sample C.V. that includes an English PhD grad, which might be helpful to look over.

I would cruise through some Chronicle of Higher Education articles before you invest any more time or money into what is an admittedly foolish enterprise (and I do realize I'm a hypocrite here). If the reason why you're applying is just for the heck of it, because you can't think of anything better to do, yet you can't think of a worthwhile project, reconsider. I think you are very naive to the level of competition in the application process and to what graduate school - "even" a two-year MA - is actually like. I wish grad school was like undergrad, but I figured out within a week that they are very, very different enterprises - as different, or more so, than high school and undergrad. Grad school is not fun. But I love my subfield, I love my project, and I love literature, and that makes the pain worth it. It's a little misguided to say, "well, I'm not going to choose because I love all literature - all of it!" Everyone here has a deep love for all literature! That's why we're pursuing graduate school! Good luck.

Of course they all ask for a SOP! How else are they going to know why you're a good fit for their program? Ask friends who have successfully navigated the application process to see theirs. That's a good start. Essentially, you need to state your focused interest, state your more general subfield, and argue why that program is a perfect fit for the interests you stated in the first part. It's common practice to recycle the first half of your SOP, changing only the last "fit" section. But this applies only to an MA/PhD application. I'm not sure about the MFA standard. Also, see this thread:

This will be the kiss of death. You must state some focused interest. Why do you want to go to graduate school? If you're looking for a continuation of your undergrad, you're not going to find it. If that's the only answer you can provide for that question, your SOP will flounder. My MA institution was attended by those who wanted to continue to PhDs and those who just wanted an MA. But we all had a reason for being there. Otherwise it's a waste of everyone's time. Keep in mind that whatever you state as your interest in your SOP does not have to stay the same. It's expected in fact that your interests will change. But if you present a wishy-washy approach in your application, it's unlikely you'll ever find out. Also, if you don't know what you want to study, how are you selecting schools to apply to? If you're just in it for the funding, they'll sniff it out real quick. There's a good subforum over in the "Applications" forum on SOPs - go check it out. Hope this helps! I don't meant to sound harsh, but the sooner you leave misconceptions behind the better.

Go to your DGS. Go to your department head. Keep going up the ladder until someone listens. Go to the Woman's Studies department (if your campus has one). They'll have information about how to handle harassment. Good luck.

Second this. Your registrar has done this before, and they know what to send out. Make sure, however, that your undergrad institution actually sends the final transcript once you've been granted your degree. Because for some reason mine thought my grad school wanted to see my mid-semester report (again) (sans BA) before I enrolled

I'm the same - two colleges for my undergrad (I transferred), and one for my master's. I'm planning on doing what I've always done on my resume - just listing the degree granting institutions. On my transcript from the BA-granting college, they list credits from the first college. Since I'll also be sending in a transcript from the first college, there should be no confusion. Though I can't say on authority, I would venture the opinion that this is a relatively minor issue. As long as you send in each transcript, no school would penalize you for not listing each institution on your C.V., which I gather is more of a platform for listing your other accomplishments.

And I wouldn't worry about the impossibility of reaching a perfect score - I know someone who did get a perfect score on the subject test, but s/he was rejected from every school applied to, save some unfunded MA programs. Unfortunately this reassuring story is told at her/his expense, but there it is. A perfect score is not a free pass through admissions.

Why not make a "Languages" section in your C.V.?