bfat

Well, there it is, isn't it? Balls. I swear it didn't specify spacing when I was making my Excel spreadsheet. I just opened mine up to see what I'd done, and I'd actually made it 1.5 spaced, because really that looks the best for SoPs, I think. So here's hoping they're not too strict about it. It came out at exactly 2.5 pages that way too...

Holy jeez... I posted the "Harvard for the LOLs" before talking to my profs. They said I could go ahead and apply, that I'd have as good a shot as anyone (when the acceptance rate is below 2%), but that they didn't think I'd be happy there (for reasons I've already listed). Obviously, I would have considered going if I thought it was a good fit, and I have family in Boston so that's another reason to consider it, but when I talked to my letter writers, they said the fit probably wasn't the best and that they knew people who'd gone through the program and weren't that happy with it. I thought about applying anyway because if I was accepted, how awesome would it feel to turn down Harvard? But then I realized that it wasn't worth it to throw away $150 (app fee & scores). When I said "for the LOLs," I was referring to the slim chances and the fact that I always wanted to apply to H/Y/P just to see if I could get in... but then I realized that I honestly don't give enough of a crap about the slim possibility of feeling mildly superior for 5 seconds with an acceptance, especially in the face of overwhelming odds against that and the generally immature nature of the sentiment. So there. Does that satisfy your inexplicably intense curiosity? Sheesh. Hey Swagato--I couldn't find ANYTHING on Pitt's website about the SOP. Where did you see that it said single-spaced? Since it said 2-3, I assumed that meant double (since that's roughly 800-1000 words, like most of the other schools). I thought about film briefly, when I was first thinking about a PhD (my BA is in film), but I'm focusing more on theory now, and their Crit & Culture program is supposed to be pretty awesome. Good luck!

Lol, yeah it's a pretty big deal. Tho I have to say that making the human was the easy part...

I don't feel like I accomplished very much this semester, but I did manage to keep up with my coursework (mostly), submit (most of) my apps, and get that godawful Lit GRE out of the way... oh yeah, all with an infant under 4 months old (born in August). Yeah, so there's that. I didn't go insane and jump off a bridge and my baby is still alive. Win?

Putting my two writing samples in the mail today for UVA... kinda feel like crying. My second sample is garbage and has nothing to do with my field, but I just could. not. write. another. sample. At least it's only 7 pages of garbage. The dominant, 18-page sample is much better and in my field. But still. Ugh.

Hey, I just found a missing the (the apparent antidote to my previous, extraneous the) in the SoP that I submitted to three schools! Hooraaaay! At least I caught it before apps 4-8.

ETA: this showed up later in the thread than I expected... moving fast tonight

UGH, okay, I'll bite. My advisors/professors actually said that I'd have a decent shot at H/Y/P (as much as anyone, when they receive 500 applications for 12 slots), but that it's not worth it because the programs are stodgy and boring and produce generalists. Therefore they don't justify the $100+ for the app fee. Of course, I am still applying to top 20 programs. Just not those. My advisor said, "Dont' go to Yale. New Haven is a shit-hole." ETA: ugh, I'm gonna get shit for the stodgy and boring comment, aren't I?

so not biting

The problem with this method is that I'll make an edit and be like, "Oh, this sounds so much better." Then I'll edit it again for the next school and be like, "Wait, what was I thinking, the first way was better!" ...and the infinite loop of editing doom continues... [ETA: NOW I'M DOING IT TO MY POSTS! SOMEONE HELP ME!]

I was talking with some of my professors/letter-writers about the fact that some of the elite (top ranked) programs focus more on "generalist" education, which actually makes it harder to get a job. I'm pretty close with the assistant chair of the English department, who runs the search committee for new profs, and she said they're always turning people down from Harvard and Yale because their work just isn't as compelling. Those programs are more conservative and can therefore be a little outdated in terms of the job market. Of course, there are people in those places doing amazing work and moving on to do great, innovative things--I don't want to put them down--but the name itself won't necessarily get you a job. I was strongly advised against applying to HYP for these reasons (and also the exorbitant app fees, slim chances, and, in the case of Harvard, terrible comprehensive exam requirements--think Lit GRE times 500).

Ditto. 22 seems to be kind of the perfect number for meeting most requirements, though I had a few schools that seemingly wanted exactly 20, so I edited out a few paragraphs. It's funny how particular some of the length requirements are... then there's Cornell with a range from 12-30. But then F-ing UVA wants TWO totalling 25, so I am just screwed there. They are gonna get two choppy, awkward samples.

Monkey wrench: 1.5 spacing!! I did this for one of mine, I forget which, because it looked nicer, and there was no specification.

Coffee. OMG so much coffee. Followed by periods of (caffeine poison? Is that a thing?) total panic, heart palpitations, feeling like I'm dying... then usually a nap. Then more coffee.

I'll take the whole bottle, Datatape. I just found an extraneous "the" in the second paragraph of my SoP for Pittsburgh. I think I might cry. I edited and read that stupid thing so many times that it became complete nonsense, and I didn't even see the extra word... I know someone else just brought up something like this... should I contact and attempt to fix? Ugh.

I just submitted Pittsburgh's app and felt that horrible heebiejeebie shudder when I clicked "submit." 1 down, 7 to go. Hoping to get Duke's app in tonight too. EEEEEEK! ETA: Duke's done too. Wow.

I think an MA sounds like a great idea, and an excellent way to clarify your desires. That's essentially what I did. I wasn't set on a PhD in English when I started my master's program--I was just toying with the idea--but the deeper I got into the MA, the more motivated I got. I found what I really wanted to study and became pretty passionate about it. I have a friend who went straight to Columbia's PhD program, but left after her MA for the opposite reason. If you can find a funded offer, that's great, but I don't think the "prestige" of the institution is terribly important, especially if you're using it as a way to sort out your interests/real desires. Good luck!

Okay, another writing sample question--this may be really dumb. I'm assuming we should include a title page (for Turabian formatted papers) and bibliography... right? Do these count toward the total pages? I would assume so, but then I keep thinking, "what if they mean 20 pages of text?" Ugh.

That expression. On the adcom's face? Yeah, that's kinda what I'm expecting. Now I'll spend some time surfing youtube instead of polishing and submitting my Pitt and Duke apps. Sounds reasonable, right?

Yup. It's probably a holdover from an earlier system or something? I dunno. It's evil.

UUUUUUGGH, that's horrible. Penn State does that too, but at least their application isn't due until Jan 15.

Another stupid Buffalo question: WTF is up with their HORRIBLE site interface and one loooooong application page? And how the hell are we supposed to submit the LORs (no link to request them)? Do they have to be mailed? What is this, the 15th century?

Yeah, it's a good idea to put your name (and page numbers!) at the top of EVERY page, even if your name is in the "title" (like in the SOP). I learned this working in an admissions office. That way, if things ever get mixed up, or a pile of papers dropped, they'll always get put back together again. I spent many many days in January one year writing names on the tops of papers before they were to be scanned. It was a pain in the ass.

Wingdings and PDF... the undecodable SOP. See, now we're all just giddy. The end must be near. (Oh wait, the horror is just beginning...)

I just want to grumble about the fact that I just spent $125 for my additional score reports yesterday. This brings the total to $625 that ETS has strangled out of me in the past year (general test twice, subject test, score reports), not including the roughly $450 for study books, notecards, and the Princeton Review class I took last year. That's over $1000 on a test that is universally acknowledged as meaningless in predicting success in graduate school. Awesome.