Starlajane

Yes, you should definitely mention it. There's a big diff between someone who's grades dipped b/c of a health condition, family problems, etc. (justifiable) and someone who's grades dipped b/c they had trouble with the classes or were partying a bit too much (unjustifiable). Mentioning that you struggled but were able to get through it, and can talk about it, will speak to your character.

You're right, it is; that's where I did my undergrad work. Surprisingly, Storrs is very rural but not very pet-friendly while Bloomington is pooch paradise!

You're absolutely right. Even worse, I also have a cat. If I were to get in to BC, I would probably live out in the boonies and take the T to class. Or I would try Jamaica Plain, which is supposedly very pet-friendly. But I feel for your friend--not-so-nice Boston is pretty scary. Hopefully, I will get into IU and my dog can play in the corn field behind my apartment

I'm going to dye my hair (or, at least, part of it) hot pink. Just because I will no longer have to keep up appearances for a 9-5 job.

0/10

Oh, I am so feeling this! I imagine that it's just as hard to rent with bunnies as it is a German Shepherd. If I am accepted to multiple programs, the deciding factor will be the pet friendliness of the city where the program is located; it's no use getting in if you can't find anywhere to live.

This is round two for me as well. I applied to very elite programs at private unis--albeit only two--last season and didn't get in. I dialed it down a notch this season and not only applied only to state schools but, also, only to MA programs at state schools. Moreover, I also applied to programs in a variety of fields that are related to my major versus just one, and I applied to twelve programs. This application season is definitely my last, whether or not I get in; I've compromised and worked as much as I can to get into a program.

I applied to the comp lit program; it seems that most programs begin notifying accepted applicants early, in January, sometimes February. So, if March rolls around and you haven't heard anything, then you can fairly assume that you will be receiving a generic rejection letter. However, the process does vary from year to year. I applied and did not get into Northwestern last year: they started notifying accepted students very early in January; I (and others) were officially rejected in February and early March.

This is so funny: Moby Dick s definitely on my short list; I love Melville but just haven't gotten around to that one. And I was just in B&N last week, and Paradise Lost was one of the two books that I bought; the other was T.S. Eliot's Wasteland. The only book that I am embarrassed about not having read is Ulysses: it has been in my bookshelf for twenty years and I have yet to read it.

I apologize if it's just me but, especially this application season, I have found the admissions associates (the ones who are in charge of files and all materials within) are unbelieveably helpful when it comes to applications and files. Not only have I always been able to get someone on the phone, but they have always given me a positive answer ("Yes, I can help you with that, no problem") when I expected a negative one, not to mention that they were really nice about it. Given all of the stress of the application process, it's comforting to know that there are people who actually care. THANK YOU!!! I know I sound like such a butt-kisser right now, but I really have been *astounded* at how nice the people have been at the unis to which I am applying; that certainly wasn't the case with the two that I applied to last season. This is also just to let other applicants know that, if there is a technical issue with your app and/or you submitted something with an error, it might be worth it to ring up the department, who just might be ready, willing and able to help you with the issue to ensure that your app is not only considered but that you're putting your best foot forward. At least, that has been my experience.

I have zero chance of being accepted. In fact, I applied last year and did not get in. And I'm unemployed. Even though I have very good grades, I have not been successful in the jobs that I have had and am applying late in life with only a BA. Oh, and I'm hoping to be funded. Given that there are so many applicants who are younger and so much more qualified, I know how slim my chances are. There is definitely a pecking order re: applicants: The ideal candidate is usually one with an MA/BA from a prestigious program, high GRE scores in both verbal and quant, a stellar academic record, a successful work record and study abroad and volunteer experience. I only offer a couple of the aformentioned characteristics to my prospective programs. If you have all of the aforementioned and are applying to a variety of realistic programs, you will get in. I am fairly certain that, even though I am only applying to MA programs at state schools, that I am still overshooting the mark, if only b/c of the state of the economy; at any other time, I would probably be a doctoral candidate enrolled in a solid program, b/c my profs have always made it clear that they think that I am well-suited for academia. I am sure that I could get into a grad program at Taco Bell University but, as we all know, that is a pointless endeavor. So, I'm just working under the assumption that I won't get in and proceeding with Plan B.

Part of the problem is that you can't really look for a job--unless it is a temp position--until you find out re: grad school. I interviewed for a teaching job in September but was, essentially, a non-candidate for the position b/c I was applying to grad schools; most jobs don't want to hire someone that is going to leave in 6 months or, even, a year. I would look into teaching high school as a back-up plan in case you don't get in.

I enrolled in some art courses that are unrelated to my area of study: stuff I won't be able to do whether I get in or not. All the same, my stomanch is in knots. I don't have a job (or the hope of getting one), so if I don't get in, I am really, really screwed. And I already applied last year and didn't get in.

The classics are my absolute favorites and a go-to when I am looking for something to read. I love that Kindle offers many classics for free. And, yes, pleasure reading is awesome. In fact, I am usually reading something in a foreign language for a class, and I find that it is very relaxing to have a book on hand that I am reading in my native lang simply for the joy of it.

Had a dream that I got an e-mail for an interview. Otherwise, just general depression and anxiety.

Modernism, poetry, art and lit and colonial/post-colonial studies.

Are we allowed to post here if we aren't English lit majors? Well, I apologize in advance if this is inappropriate: I finished 1984 a couple of weeks ago and needed something lighter over the holidays, so I picked up All Creatures Great and Small, which I just finished (my life's calling was to be a vet but I suck in math--142 quant on my GRE 0:). I'm now reading O Pioneers!; apparently, I am on a bit of a "country life" kick after the uber-urban 1984. Or maybe it just got me thinking about Animal Farm (which I've already read). I am going to read Paxton's Vichy France when I finish Cather.

I think it depends on the program/uni to which you are applying. My app status to one particular program had been listed as complete as soon as I had submitted all of my documents (on time). Apparently, the school is quite used to receiving late letters from scrambling profs. In fact, I had a deadline that was fast-approaching and a prof that had not yet sent in her rec and who was not responding to e-mails or phone calls. So, I called the department and a very nice woman told me that, as long as my materials were sent in on time, then my app would still be considered because they did not punish students for materials that were outside of their control; she also informed me that there was a grace period (1-2 weeks). My prof eventually submitted my rec a week late (and was so apologetic that I couldn't possibly be angry) and my app status stated that my app had been "forwarded to the review committee" as soon as they listed the rec as received. The best thing to do is to contact the department and DGS and, if possible, look for another recommender at the last minute. But I think that most programs do not fault students for materials over which they have very little or no control, although there are definitely some programs that are adament about on-time materials.

Did you call the department and DGS to which you are applying? That would be the first thing to do. This happened to me when my GRE scores did not "match up." ETS told me that my scores had been sent--they even gave me tracking and routing numbers for the paper and email copies that they had sent to the requested department. However, the name that I used on the GRE was different than the name that I used on my grad app (I included my middle name on my grad app but not on the GRE). My deadline was fast-approaching, so I called the department to which I was applying, and was told by the department secretary that, if names are not *exact,* then there is a "technical" issue. I immediately called the DGS and spoke with the nicest woman, who told me that it was a common problem but that it needed to be cleared by a supervisor, which can take a while. However, because I had called the DGS, she just confirmed some info and put my name at the top of the list, and the scores were listed as accepted (and my application was complete) within 24 hours.

Unlike a lot of other schools, they actually don't seem to want a reading from a text (I looked at a lot of other schools' apps and most require a textual reading). So, I think that PSU is really looking for ease of expression and fluency as well as accuracy--essentially, an indication that you will be able to participate in class (rather than sit there like a bump-on-a-log because you don't know how to say in French what you want to say) as well as evidence of your future potential as an instructor (no matter how good your writing sample, no one wants an applicant who cannot speak the lang, especially if you are applying for a TAship). They clearly state not to talk about things that you've already addressed in other parts of the app, so you really have a lot of opportunity to be creative. I am fairly certain that they will appreciate anything creative, insightful and interesting--something that will not only be entertaining but will also distinguish you from the many, many other applicants, as well as give them a better idea of who you are as a person (as opposed to all of the other info in the app that they have about you as a student).

Mine didn't. My estimate for verbal was 660-770 and I ended up with a 162 (~630); my quant estimate was also higher than my actual score. For the most part, I think that the estimates are either accurate or overestimated.

PSU, UVA, UConn and BC. I am only applying to MA programs because I don't think that I would get in to PhD programs. BTW, what do you all think of NRC ratings re: French grad programs? Do you think that they accurately measure (general) program strength?

You certainly can prepare for the AWA simply by doing several practice tests at home. Practice tests are available through ETS as well as any and all prep books (Princeton Review, Kaplan, Barron's). It helps to do at least a couple of practice essays beforehand so that you can get used to writing and thinking as quickly as possible on a variety of subjects in 30 minutes. When I prepped, I used a stopwatch and wrote out my essays in Word; I turned off spell check because you don't get to use anything like that on the actual test and I didn't look at the question beforehand because you won't be able to do that on the real test either. A lot of prep courses suggest brainstorming and then writing the essay. However, I've found that you really don't have time to do even that. It's best to just start writing a generic intro with thesis statement while you begin thinking of examples that you will use in the essay. Examples and fluency really are the key to a good score on the essay. The first time I wrote out a practice essay, it was terrible; I relied too much on the guidleines given by the prep course/books and I spent too much time prepping/brainstorming rather than writing. Suffice to say, I didn't budget my time well and ended up not being able to finish the essay, which really was not well written because it lacked fluency. But by the second and third practice, I was thinking and writing much more quickly and with much more fluency. I had internalized the structure (intro, three graphs with examples and conclusion) and just started writing it as soon as the clock started, which I think is a much better strategy; you really need to be able to think and write at the same time and with as few errors as possible. I ended up getting a 6.0 on my AWA and the only reason that I did was because I practiced beforehand. I can't imagine not practicing the essay beforehand because, for me, it was probably the most difficult and nerve-wracking part of the test.

I am in the same predicament. I applied to two programs with a December 15th deadline and my third (and strongest) recommender missed the deadline for both recs. I gave her early notice (November), stopped by her office, gave her a thank you gift, sent her numerous e-mails and requests/reminders but she still hasn't submitted those two recs. She submitted recs for other programs to which I applied--by the deadline--so I have no idea what is going on. I called one of the programs to which I am applying and, fortunately, they have a grace period. However, I am convinced that the recs just aren't going to be done by this particular prof at all. So, I am going to ask another prof to help me out after break; I have reconciled the fact that the matter is simply unresolveable over the holiday. The recs will be submitted late and probably won't be as strong but a late rec is better than no rec at all. I am fairly certain that the other program--which is one of the most competitive in the country for my field--simply isn't going to consider my application because of the late recs. Even if the first program does still consider my app, not having my recs in on time--even when it isn't my fault--might be just the excuse an adcom needs to toss my app or to choose another candidate over me. Fortunately, most programs tell you that they don't fault you for documents that are out of your control. However, I always wonder if that's true and if my apps will still be considered, or if this isn't my professor's subtle way of indicating that I am not a strong/suitable candidate for these particular programs. Regardless, this seems to happen a lot.

I definitely think that length matters, but only because scorers are looking mostly for fluency; people who are more fluent, verbose, etc. tend to write longer essays displaying fluency of thought as well as writing, which is key. I took the test in the beginning of November and got a 6.0 for AW. I didn't think that my essays were particularly good and I was very surprised at the score. My essays were not very long (3-5 paragraphs of about ten lines each--intro and conclusion were 5 lines each) but I had almost no typographical errors--I am in the habit of editing as I go along rather than going back. I also used examples in my essays, which was something that our review instructor advised us to do; not abstract examples but concrete examples and at least three relating to your argument, in each essay. I'm not sure how much the actual argument counts but I think mine were strong and nuanced, which was another thing that our instructor advised.