USTgrad

clairecate, You are spot on. I took the new GRE on Tuesday, and I agree completely. I also did not have any of the 'highlight' this sentence question, nor did I have any 'main' idea, 'topic' sentence, 'scope' questions. I also did surprisingly well on the verbal (610-710), so-so on the math (didn't study a bit), and we shall see on the Analytical. I read somewhere that people generally score lower when there is a new test. Anyone have any thoughts on this? My last GRE (last year) was atrocious. I took more precautions this time around & listened to vocab in the car--as opposed to flash cards--but I am curious as to how others fared on the verbal section. I read something in the Kaplan book this year that changed the way I thought about the GRE. This might seem a bit fluffy, but it said "Don't think about the GRE as a hurdle, but as a moment to show off your intelligence." I read that the morning of, and it helped a lot! Good luck to everyone!

Thanks for this bit of info! I am taking the revised general in 14 hours and 21 minutes... but who's counting?

I too am retaking the GRE in a few weeks. I have a slightly different approach! I absolutely hated the format of the former GRE--the inability to mark a question for later or move between questions, and those awful out-of-context-antonyms. So, I am actually quite excited because I know I will do better--after my last score, there is only one way to go! Up! Don't worry so much about the minimal score. You will do great. Prepare as best as you can with the time you have. I for one am listening to vocab builders during my commute to work. And practice, practice, practice! It will not make perfect, but it will definitely build your confidence.

Having applied to U of Chicago's Lit program last season, with subsequent rejection, that is one hell-of-a dream! But rather, let us ease our worried souls and think of it as a premonition.

So... the season of "freaking out" has begun. Just like retail stores' Christmas decorations and mall kiosks peddling Halloween costumes, the great-grad-freak-out seems to arrive earlier and earlier each season! Love it!

I will be on my second round of apps this year, and EKPhrase has some great advice. I would only add that each letter could/should be tailored to the specific school/department you are applying to and how you fit in that department. That request may be overwhelming for your letter writers, especially if you are applying to a double digit amount of schools, but it can't hurt to ask. Well... unless they punch you. But I am still going to ask.

Oh good... I'm not the only one who has found this place intimidating! The .pdf is 477 pages!! Luckily I am not that into vampires, so that cuts out about 15-20 panels. But zombies and reality TV I am ready to rock! I am considering going to the screening of the film "Walking Life" Wednesday night @ 6:30, let me know if you want to meet up.

That sounds great. I would love to meet up with folks from gradcafe. I haven't extensively checked the program .pdf, but any evening would be good. We can finalize a time a little late after we check out the scene! I'm still wondering how to navigate between the two hotels and find the rooms I want to, much more the room in which I am presenting!

That panel looks intense. I'll be there, man.

You are on a very interesting panel! I wish I could go to your presentation to cheer you on. I love critical film studies! I think a gradcafe get-together would be cool. It would be nice to have full conversations with the people who use this site. We will have to pm & see whoever wants to get together.

The PCA/ACA conference held in San Antonio, TX from April 19th - April 24th is on the horizon. I am personally very excited to get out of this state where it is a high of 75 degrees one day and 45 the next and snow predicted for the weekend (WTF?), and trade it in for some sun and some awesome presentations. So, a few questions to get us started: who is going? when are your presentations? what is your topic of interest? what is the title of your paper? etc. etc. I'll start: I am presenting on Friday morning, April 22nd at 9:45 am @ RC-Bd Rm 530; Arab Culture in the US Panel; Session Chair: Lufti Hussein. My presentation explores the composite of the terrorist figure in Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner," as a dehistoricized amalgamation of different ethnicities and races (as Jaspir K. Puar's "monster-terrorist-fag"), while exploring this text as a location for merging Asian American and Arab American Studies. Thanks everyone for replying, and I hope all of us get a chance to meet in person. Good luck!

Agreed! (Hint: that emoticon is what I look like when I pretend to not be anxious about my two pending applications...)

Why not? I am not being glib or fatuous. I am very sincere because I do not think that statement is true; and if it is, then it is very sad.

Very true!! English, or many of the humanities, it could be argued, have very little to do with rote memorization and recitation, e.g. elements of the GRE (yes, being able to quote Shakespeare's Henry V or Milton is awesome, but I would imagine a student's ability to interpret & contribute to said authors/texts is much more valuable). One the other hand, vocabulary is the cornerstone for establishing proper critical language, and that is probably their logic. BUT: If there needs to be a barrier to access an advanced degree, how does an under-funded, ill-equipped, understaffed institution gauge who receives funding? and make this information translatable to the board or committee who controls their funding? Numbers, percentiles, information that can be tracked, graphed and measured; what an odd system that is incongruous with the object of the humanities... Ok, now I am ranting... At this point, standardize testing is a monster. I took a free paper-based course through Kaplan, and I am amazed at the options they have available for purchase: online, one-on-one, classroom, and various combinations depending on your income level/access to a credit card/parent's finance. Left alone these testing systems will simply self-perpetuate, it's schools like the ones listed by the many posters here that are making the change needed to address these issues. Until then? Rant & rave, I guess...

tinycat, I think you articulated my frustration with these tests very well! And that is why many schools frown at someone repeatedly (4-5 times) taking the GRE until they get that perfect score. I was also told, while visiting schools in Chicago, that the adcom at Loyola considers applicants in descending order of GRE scores, i.e. you get considered first if your score is 700 (V), as opposed to 400 (V). This is completely fair, and understandable from their financial perspective. As long as they have to use numbers/standardized tests to prove to the state/board of trustees, etc. that a student is intelligent/worthy of funding, then the GRE is a fairly decent measurement of that proof. English departments must be in a constant struggle to prove themselves against the "hard sciences," but that is another rant... I imagine the conversation for funding from the admissions office isn't: "but this person uses Spivak in a totally new way!" It's probably more, "but this person is in the 80% percentile on verbal!" I guess this is me coming to terms with the GRE instead of fearing it, which is what lead to my crap scores my first time around. As for the subject exam, that is some very helpful advice osodulce. And addressing mattyd05: I am of the opinion that with the changing of the guard in English departments, the subject test may be reexamined or even dropped (U of Chi doesn't require it), but who knows! I am very interested in the test changes in August. It looks as though it is changing for the better, at least the verbal (I literally guessed on every single quantitative question, so a calculator is superfluous). But, no more vocab out of context!

Wow! Same here!! It's a small world. And I definitely agree that I am much more focused and prepared to express myself written/orally entering my MA program at the age I did. When I consider how much I thought I knew when I took my English coursework pre-MA, it's pretty intense. I had to enter the MA program to figure out I don't know anything!

Agreed (more chiming!). I'm 31. I didn't start my English coursework until 2007. My BA is from 2002 in Marketing (long story about opting for the more "practical" education, but only learning later that life is to short for an education that doesn't inspire you). My MA program has an age range of those just out of their BA's and some in their mid-30's just going on to PhD work. When there is constant discourse about raising the retirement age, it makes one think about doing what you want and what you need for the next 40 years...

Mine reads: "Complete ready for review"... I think I like the sound of "Manual Review Req" better...

HA! Perfect!! Somewhere between: I want to work exclusively with professor A & their research, and I like, but will try and connect (read: bullsh*t) my current interest with, Professors B, C & D.

I really hope I'm not stealing this person's thunder (as though they would ever sign on to gradcafe and participate amongst the anxious crowd of rabble ) but, a fellow student of mine just received an email from Notre Dame for an interview within the next few weeks. I am not at liberty to reveal the email this person forwarded, but it does say something to the effect that the admission committee has completed their review of applicants. There are no numbers or anything indicating size of accepted class. Hope that helps!