KRC

Oh my goodness, no one's getting worked up about anything. I'm not sitting around seething about how "jerky" they are because of absent information on a website. Just gave an agreement to someone who mentioned something about it. But what I said stands. Clear, explicit information on a website isn't a lot to ask, and keep in mind that I said doing so (having everything as explicit as possible) saves THEM (the overworked people) time answering emails that want information clarified.

And you say "not to sound jerky" but then proceed to say "but maybe you should re-think spending money on applications if this is all too much for you." You're being jerky. Snarky, at least. We're on a website; we're allowed to vent. It happens I'm a very organized person and don't, myself, have any trouble doing applications even for schools that are a bit of a challenge as far as providing info to applicants. I'd venture to say it's administratively easier for me than most. I can still complain about things, as a matter of principle, if I want to.

This is a common complaint among applicants every year. It's not productive to get all worked up about it, however. Just try to call or email the graduate coordinator to get the information you (think you) need.

In mild defense of departments who don't make "minimum scores" clear: as a previous poster suggested, most programs do not have minimums. They'll have a ballpark, but if your other application materials--especially the writing sample--are very strong, the ballpark won't even matter. Or in other cases, the graduate school might have a minimum score requirement, but the department won't, meaning that the department has to be willing and able to get the graduate school to make an exception if an applicant's scores fall below the minimum (this is why sometimes you'll see information on the graduate school website but not the department website). Sometimes the department can prevail, and sometimes not. But the department won't want to foreclose on the possibility of considering and recruiting great candidates who aren't great test takers.

Finally, most English departments in the US are in total and complete financial and existential crisis. Even the ones that are well off (like mine) have NO extra money lying around to do things like majorly overhaul the website to appease a few applicants who may or may not ever get in, let alone attend, the program. Our department administrators are shockingly overworked, and they, again, have better support, financial and otherwise, than many or most other programs out there. Not having you think they are "jerky" because a single piece of information is less than fully clear on the website is very, very low on the list of priorities.

I'm not trying to be jerky myself, though undoubtedly this next bit will sound that way: applying to grad school is terrible. Being in grad school is often terrible. You either suck it up because you love it despite the stupid shit you have to put up with, or you find another career. There is a lot of idiotic, opaque, bureaucratic crap you have to put up with in academia, and questions about GRE scores are the smallest, most insignificant of them all, so if this makes you completely freak out, you may want to rethink spending all that money on applications.

I feel reasonably certain of two things:

1. These departments "admit" him for PR and increased attention. And,
2. The numbers we see of him enrolling in OVR9000 credits a semester are drastically inflated.

EDIT: A third: many people that "don't deserve" to be in grad school are. Franco isn't exemplary here.

I've accepted one offer, but I'm still on the wait list at my top choice... Apparently, I should hear back by the end of next week... Is it ethical to stay on a WL after you've accepted another school's offer...

I'm surprised by the responses to another installment of I'm-cynical-so-you-should-be-too. Usually when posts like this make the interweb rounds they're applauded wildly. I really wonder how many of the people writing these posts have been in a position where their well-being depends on doing something they hate, for someone they hate, for a salary they hate; i.e. most entry-level non-academic, non-specialist jobs.
Statistics are statistics indeed, but a side-by-side comparison between academic work and a diverse selection of non-academic work would be more illuminating than another bitter PhD asked to work a little harder than usual.
Cheers to good-intentioned attempt at helping would-be grad students know what to expect, but boo-urns to another public podium for perhaps the worst kind of complaining, academic complaining.

Egads! Something tells me this may have more to do with your personal opinion than the picture of the academic climate you're painting, no?

I wouldn't go around forcing everyone to accept you for the unique butterfly you are by refusing to wear anything but tank tops at all times, but my thought is that if you go out of your way to make yourself feel awkward, this will transfer to those around you, and thus play it by ear. If you somehow "know" that tattoos will get you fired instantly, than you might want to think about covering up. It's not the end of the world. But I don't believe its anything like the above poster made it out to be, especially since he/she "luckily" has no tattoos.

Egads! Something tells me this may have more to do with your personal opinion than the picture of the academic climate you're painting, no?

I wouldn't go around forcing everyone to accept you for the unique butterfly you are by refusing to wear anything but tank tops at all times, but my thought is that if you go out of your way to make yourself feel awkward, this will transfer to those around you, and thus play it by ear. If you somehow "know" that tattoos will get you fired instantly, than you might want to think about covering up. It's not the end of the world. But I don't believe its anything like the above poster made it out to be, especially since he/she "luckily" has no tattoos.

Not just CUNY:




is the only way to respond to "rejecting university 'x'"

After reading this thread, I decided to call back the random number (from one of my potential schools' area codes) that called me Sunday night. No answer. So I... ahem... paid the 99 cents for reverse phone lookup info online! This is what this time of year does to people! I wouldn't have ever dreamed of doing such a thing previously...

Anyway it was money poorly spent--it was a marketing company, presumably calling for some survey. Why on Earth would I only NOW start to get spam phone calls after 3 years with this number? And from that particular city no less!

SERENITY NOW!!!

Egads! Something tells me this may have more to do with your personal opinion than the picture of the academic climate you're painting, no?

I wouldn't go around forcing everyone to accept you for the unique butterfly you are by refusing to wear anything but tank tops at all times, but my thought is that if you go out of your way to make yourself feel awkward, this will transfer to those around you, and thus play it by ear. If you somehow "know" that tattoos will get you fired instantly, than you might want to think about covering up. It's not the end of the world. But I don't believe its anything like the above poster made it out to be, especially since he/she "luckily" has no tattoos.

This is pretty much what you have to do.

When you apply for PhD level study, you have it hammered into your brain that you must "fit, fit, fit" with the department. This is NOT the case in business sectors, AT ALL. One of the biggest obstacles to getting a "real job" is you telling yourself that you wouldn't get it, or that you're not qualified. Well, if you have a Masters from an Ivy, you're most likely in the top 5% of ALL applicants for the large majority of private sector jobs.

Just keep on truckin'.

Egads! Something tells me this may have more to do with your personal opinion than the picture of the academic climate you're painting, no?

I wouldn't go around forcing everyone to accept you for the unique butterfly you are by refusing to wear anything but tank tops at all times, but my thought is that if you go out of your way to make yourself feel awkward, this will transfer to those around you, and thus play it by ear. If you somehow "know" that tattoos will get you fired instantly, than you might want to think about covering up. It's not the end of the world. But I don't believe its anything like the above poster made it out to be, especially since he/she "luckily" has no tattoos.

I gotta say all these interviews being given out by multiple departments at Emory besides CompLit and ILA is making me intensely nervous. Perhaps it's time to step away from the Results page...

I gotta say all these interviews being given out by multiple departments at Emory besides CompLit and ILA is making me intensely nervous. Perhaps it's time to step away from the Results page...

Egads! Something tells me this may have more to do with your personal opinion than the picture of the academic climate you're painting, no?

I wouldn't go around forcing everyone to accept you for the unique butterfly you are by refusing to wear anything but tank tops at all times, but my thought is that if you go out of your way to make yourself feel awkward, this will transfer to those around you, and thus play it by ear. If you somehow "know" that tattoos will get you fired instantly, than you might want to think about covering up. It's not the end of the world. But I don't believe its anything like the above poster made it out to be, especially since he/she "luckily" has no tattoos.