stillthisappeal

Thanks for the feedback. I think I'm going to go for it because the professor's research is genuinely interesting to me and, based on the terms we discussed, it seems like it will create a more consistent (and therefore more easily managed) workload. Moreover, I'll get to teach one section of comp in the fall and spring, so I don't have to worry about losing my teaching chops.

Has anyone ever worked as a research assistant for an English professor (or, more broadly, a professor in the humanities)? What did your work entail? Was it a worthwhile experience? Would you suggest it over teaching for someone who already has a fair amount of teaching experience?

This website helped a lot: http://www.duke.edu/~tmw15/ Reading the Norton Anthology cover to cover is probably a waste of time. You should focus on making note cards and familiarizing yourself with canonical poetry (as well as the test question format). I recommend this YouTube channel for learning important poems: http://www.youtube.com/user/SpokenVerse You might also find that it's helpful to watch adaptations of important Shakespearean plays you haven't seen before. For biblical questions, it's helpful to watch the Ten Commandments. In my experience, the theory questions you encounter won't extend beyond "What kind of theoretical approach is this?" If you have a working knowledge of Marxist theory, Deconstruction, New Criticism, etc. you should be fine. Finally, as a point of reference, it's a good idea to keep in mind that the highest scores on the subject test often come from test takers who have earned an MA. My own score went up 200 points (!) in the five years between earning a BA and applying for a PhD.

You should be able to use the results board on the Grad Cafe to get a sense for where you would have the best shot with those scores. The verbal section is tough, but it is possible to crack it with enough studying. I recommend studying for the newer test and taking it in a few months. Think about how you are studying and try to pinpoint where you have the most problems. One strategy that worked for me was using vocab words in written sentences. By the time I took the GRE, I had mountains of scrap paper, note cards, and a lengthy word file full of vocab words. I also feel like I benefited a lot from practice tests. Ultimately, you want to get to the point where test-taking is automatic. I found this forum incredibly helpful: http://www.urch.com/forums/gre/

Based on what you've said so far, I think it might make sense to apply to MA programs in the U.S. this year. As a point of comparison, I know that the University of Chicago offers an unfunded Masters of Liberal Arts program that some candidates enroll in based upon the school's reputation at the undergraduate and doctoral level. Some students go on to competitive PhD programs. Others don't. But with tuition in the tens of thousands of dollars per year, that's an expensive risk to take. In my opinion, you are much better off in a funded MA/PhD program. I think you will find that there are a number of MA programs that offer funding (and often look favorably upon international students). I would search previous threads on MA programs in this forum for a list of schools. A lot of the funded programs are at second-tier U.S. schools, but those schools can be a good stepping stone for an academic career. In addition, you might want to consider applying to programs in less ethnically diverse areas, such as the Midwest, on the assumption that your international candidacy would be more appealing there.

Congratulations on your acceptance. Was your offer from University College London an unfunded offer? Was it for a terminal MA or a PhD? Generally speaking, the standard advice for U.S. graduate students in the humanities is that you should only accept an offer with funding. I would be curious to learn more about how their system would work for an international student. You may also want to keep in mind that London is a very expensive city. But as far as reputation is concerned, unless I've misread, the Guardian ranks University College as the best program in the UK (see http://www.guardian....y-guide-english). My impression is that the school's graduates would be held in high esteem by most U.S. PhD programs, although you should keep in mind that American admission committees do tend to distinguish between whether an applicant went through a funded or unfunded degree programs. That's not to say that an unfunded degree program is worthless, but it may carry a negative stigma at some schools. Good luck.

Runonsentence is right that you should have time to inform a number of programs that you've received the fellowship, which could help boost you above the rest of the pack where you have borderline admissions status. But really, unless you are confident that you have a shot at programs ranked in the top twenty, you would probably be better off focusing on securing admission with a teaching fellowship.

Wreckofthehope is right. The Subject Test scores can include your score from the General Test (as well as any previous test scores, if applicable). The real challenge is committing to schools so early in the process. I had to send a few extra reports because my list changed after I took the test.

When I was at Miami University of Ohio a few years ago, it seemed like every other faculty member was working on something connected to trauma studies. I would check out the faculty profiles of Madelyn Detloff, Tim Melley, Stefanie Dunning, and Yu-Fang Cho. You might also want to take a look at graduate course offerings from the past five years.

I think your professor was correct in the spirit of her comments, but not in the specifics. She's right that you don't want to rattle off the names of every professor in the department that holds a distinguished chair, or claim that you are only interested in taking courses with Professor X. After all, it's possible that the admissions committee could be critical or jealous of those professors' reputations. At the same time, a central focus of your SOP is to articulate why you need to study at this particular university and not somewhere else. One way to explain how you see yourself fitting into the department is to express an interest in a specific professor's work. No one is going to penalize you for admiring research. Anyone who suggests otherwise has unrealistic (or misguided) expectations. Still, you should keep in mind that these references should be concise. A sentence or two is more than enough space to show that you understand what certain faculty members are working on. The SOP should ultimately be about your interests, not the department's. My background: I mentioned faculty members in every SOP and was accepted at over 50% of the schools I applied to. I don't think it makes a difference one way or another.

Have you thought about Notre Dame? I've heard that they have a strong medieval program and their funding is very competitive. I know less about Washington University in St. Louis, but their program might be worth a look as well.

A few passing thoughts: I got into the University of Illinois at Chicago and was unimpressed with the $14.5K TA stipend that they offered me. I would advise taking it off the list. It's a hard school to get into despite a mid-range U.S. News ranking (faculty members seem somewhat leery of the NRC ranking which placed it near the top). There are better schools you could put in its place. I would be wary of Kent State. I've heard bad things about their placement statistics. Look for solid numbers. I did my undergrad at Pitt from 2002-2006. I had a great experience in the English Department. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about specific faculty members.

That’s a fair point. Jbarks, if pedagogy is your thing, you might want to look at Missouri’s program. In addition to offering PhDs in literature and creative writing, their graduate school boasts a minor in college teaching: http://gradschool.missouri.edu/programs/minor-college-teaching/

I would advise you to keep "benchmarks" in mind. Generally speaking, anything above a 650 on the verbal section will put you in good standing at schools that are outside of US News and World Report's top twenty programs. Anything above a 550 on the quantitative section will place you in a similar position. You might even find that those scores are good enough for stronger programs. If they have a cut off, most schools set it at 1000 or 1200. And that's really all you need to know. As this forum reveals, there are plenty of instances where a program like Duke's rejects someone with a 1600 on the GRE and accepts another person with a 1200. The GRE is just one part (albeit a fairly important part) of the application. As far as studying, I would recommend that you use a variety of test prep materials (remember: every book not produced by ETS is flawed in some way) and take as many practice tests as possible. You should also join or lurk on urch.com's forums (http://www.urch.com/forums/forum.php). They have a very handy section on the GRE. Good luck.

As a general rule, private universities tend to require less teaching from graduate students than public universities. You'll likely find that many top-ranked public universities also require less teaching. That said, the standard aid package for most doctoral students in English includes some form of teaching. With a strong application and an MA from NYU, you might look at schools like Michigan, UNC, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois. A lot of schools in the University of California system might be a good fit too.