id quid

That's what I mean: page count or word count. I spent a long time making that paper exactly what it needed to be, and while I could write more, I think it wouldn't help. I haven't verified yet, but I think it's a moot point for me as the schools to which I'm applying are expecting about 15 pages anyway.

You sound like you could be me. Except you're doing better since you're actually already on your way to a degree. Hope it's going well! "Medieval" breaks down so much I generally talk to other medievalists about their specific interests, but in a sea of English majors it generally stands for pre-1500 literature. Every time I explain what I do to others -- that is, that I study pre-1500 British literature -- I have to add the caveat that about 75% of what I study isn't actually written in English. I get strange looks for that one, followed inevitably by, "Then how is it English?"

on top

My writing sample will be the seminar paper I wrote for a grad course I took with one of my recommendation writers during my senior year. I'm really proud of that paper, and so was the professor, and I really think it showcases my ability as a scholar. And, to top it all off, it's very closely related to my intended area of study. Jackpot! Only downside is that it's a bit short -- 15 pages, plus bibliography. I don't think I'm terribly worried about that, however, as it is a strong piece of writing that I'd probably break if I tried to stuff more paragraphs and pages into it. It's better to meet the requirement of content than the requirement of form, right?

house party

I mean it more to say that if you aren't finding your answers here, a new thread might be helpful: no one in this one is likely to respond, since they originally posted years ago. I may be talking Riverside down more than it deserves. I lived there a year, and had a fine enough time, but I was glad to go somewhere else. It definitely wouldn't be high on my list. Take my comments with a grain of salt! I don't like Los Angeles, either, though UCLA is a fantastic school and I'd be happy to study there. I think some of LA's culture leaks over into Riverside, which may be adding to my dislike. While there is certainly culture, Riverside felt much more like a party-city than others; that is to say that people were frequently amped up over the evening's clubbing plans rather than museum events or art walks or hikes or what have you. Also, desert. I prefer mountains and forests.

I've done undergrad courses at both types, and I honestly prefer the quarter system. It's much faster-paced, but I appreciate that it doesn't allow me the time to lose steam. The rough part is that you barely feel like you've gained speed by the time midterms roll around, and finals are very abrupt. It worked okay for an undergrad course, but I worry how it would work if you had to write and read hundreds of pages in a shorter time span. That said, I think the quarter system is better at breaking material up into 3 parts, so it doesn't always feel overwhelming. The only graduate courses I've taken were on a semester system, so it's a lot of supposition here. I'm having one hell of a time figuring out how to schedule meetings with my LoR writers, and I know I Need to do that ASAP. I just also don't want to do it without a strong statement of purpose. Except I also want to pick their brains about my potential list of schools. At least I already know which paper I'll be revising and submitting for my writing sample; not sure I could handle having to take both GREs, writing statements of purpose, working full-time+, taking an art class, AND writing a new paper for admissions.

The original post for this is very old. If you have many more questions on this subject, it is likely worth starting a new thread. That said: @BunnyWantsaPhD: Riverside is not a very rough place, but it is not especially nice, either. I wouldn't really compare it to Oakland or Richmond, but it is a bit run down, and very adjacent to high crime areas. Like most cities, it has its good and bad parts. UCR's campus is straddling the line on that. The campus should have crime statistics available somewhere, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they were slightly higher than some campuses but not the highest. As far as the area: it's the desert! It's hot and dusty a lot of the time, but it has some beautiful landscape not too far off (at least if you're into desert geography). If you're really desperate for a change in scenery, it's <90 minutes away from snow and from beaches. I lived there for a year, about 15 minutes from campus, though it wasn't for UCR. Riverside is a nice enough place if you're careful, and it's cheaper than living in LA while still being somewhat nearby! @mightyheidi: Berkeley does not have guaranteed funding, but it generally (at least the parts of the English department I'm familiar with) has good support from faculty for finding alternate sources. They do try not to admit without a funding package, but being a public school in a state with chronic budgeting problems means their ability to promise anything five years into the future is suspect; additionally, what counts as "funding" might not actually meet need.

location services

Using the Princeton book to prepare and schedule my study, along with my trusty Norton Anthology, Hapax Legomena and Vade Mecum. I've seen very few practice exams, unfortunately. Vade Mecum links to this one: http://people.duke.edu/~tmw15/gre%20lit%20test%202.pdf

I will ask my advisors and see what they recommend. The answer is probably, "Go get an MA, then they care less." The first school was a bad fit and a terrible year; I left after the first year was through. The second school was a community college near home. The third is where I got my degree. The others are either pre-college or weird courses I took in addition to the community college classes, mostly for fun. I'm really hoping the 2.5 years I took at the school at which I received my degree count more. Since it's 90% of my major, and the last years of instruction, I'm betting they will. Still, those overall GPA numbers are difficult to determine!

Fit is the most challenging thing for me, as a medievalist. There are a surprising number of campuses with departments hosting a number of specialists in my field, but finding the sub-specialty profs in any already small field is an incredible challenge. That's where, for me, following citations to their faculty and so on has been so helpful in identifying places. That, and finding the medieval centers which host the most programs, resources, etc. for students and young scholars. -- Lons: It's a relief to hear that being a transfer isn't a death knell, but it has left me with a troubling question: How do I calculate my GPA? I'm looking at my degree-granting institution's final transcript, and I have 5 other colleges contributing credit to my degree! Two are from high school, and one was a random set of enrichment credits that for some reason transferred, but the other two are legit. I have a major GPA (but do I calculate ALL English courses, or just the ones from my degree-granting uni?), a college GPA, a college-system GPA (one of my transfer schools and one of my high-school schools are in the same system as my final institution), a post-high school GPA, an all-in GPA... So many numbers. I figure the one that matters most is the one that appears on my degree-granting institution's final GPA, which is some combination of all, so my question more pertains to the major GPA. Who knew GPA would be so complicated.

Thank you all for your very valuable input on this no size fits all kind of question. There's a lot to think about here! The trouble I'm having is balancing program fit against what I feel are my "chances" of making a match. (And funding. Mustn't forget funding!) I would like to be competitive at the most competitive schools, but my GPA is probably not up to snuff (pending resolution of a transcript issue, I believe it's 3.4-3.6); plus, I was a transfer student. I've yet to take the GREs, but I estimate my subject score at 80th percentile at best, and my general at 80-90th percentile. Good, definitely! But not outstanding. Anyway. I've waited long enough. I've been out of school for four years, thinking every fall about applying. That's why you see both MA institutions and PhD institutions on my list. I do not feel so committed to this path that I need to go to any school at all costs, but I do so dearly want to go. I am comfortable with my current career, but it does not excite me nearly the way research and paper writing and teaching do. My alma mater is one of those schools where my record will not stand out. I know there are challenges there in terms of "academic inbreeding," but I truly believe it has the best department to support my research interests while still giving me the freedom to branch out. But with a general bias against a school taking on its own undergrads, my already slim chances seem slimmer still. That is definitely a conversation I will be having with my recommending professors, especially since I know at least one of them is regularly on the English grad admissions committee. -- Basically, nothing new here. Anxiety. This thread -- for me -- was about affirming my own decisions. But I also help the input helps anyone else come to some decisions on how to approach the question of where to apply.

curling rink

So artificially create some. It's a best practice to replicate the testing environment when you take practice exams, so you're not thrown off by the new factors, so see what you can do. Can you borrow a room in the library for a few hours so you can sit in silence in a strange place? Or maybe even take a practice exam on a public table, with the noise of other people moving around quietly to keep you on your toes. Definitely time yourself, though, and stick with it.

I imagine it depends on the school. If you're worried about it and can afford the extra send fee, I would recommend the peace of mind of sending scores individually. If you're worried about the cost, however, I would trust in the graduate school admissions process -- improvement is improvement. Incidentally, how much better is the second score? I can make a case for it either way -- if significantly, perhaps you just had some awful circumstances the first time around; if minorly, well, better is better! -- but I tend to be more forgiving than some.

serum sickness

I know there are several ways to approach this -- not all of them perfectly rational! -- but I thought I'd reach out to those of you from the Fall 2013 cycle and those of you preparing/polishing your lists for Fall 2014 and help those of us who aren't fully committed yet make some decisions. Some of the common ones I've heard: Talk to your advisor Follow the sources: if you've already written well-sourced articles or papers in your area of interest, find out who wrote your sources and where they teach Check the major publications for bylines of articles that interest you, and follow the authors to their university Scan university websites for faculty of interest Find junior faculty doing what you want to do and see where they achieved their PhD Check the US News & World Reports rankings and decide which school has the best faculty for your specialty So how did you decide?

grizzly truth

It's for Chrome, so the Chrome webstore has it: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pervasive-gre/oniippcgggpbkcdjekknhmoeambkohmn?hl=en

dancing bears

Absolutely agree. I took a similar approach to my undergraduate applications, and it worked out quite well for me. The concept of "reach," "target," and "safety" schools does not hold the same weight for graduate school, for which admissions rates are 50-90% lower and depend on a number of opaque factors that are challenging to predict, but it may still be a way for you to categorize your level of effort in placing an application. For example, "reach" could be those schools you think would be absolutely marvelous: they have POIs which match your interests, the location is perfect, the department is inclusive, the funding is outstanding, and it has or gives access to everything you need; but maybe its admissions standards seem higher than your record allows. "Target" would be those schools you would fit very well in, and have most of your requirements -- and definitely have those "no negotiation" must-haves for you to feel at home -- at which you think, based on fit, you have an even chance. "Safety" would be those schools that maybe have more misses than hits on your requirements, but would be preferable to not going anywhere at all. Ironically, with that system you're more likely to achieve your reach and targets than your safeties. You will hear it time and again, but "fit" adds strength to the other portions of your application in a way that is difficult to measure but readily apparent when you see an "unexpected" acceptance.

Second this recommendation. It makes some interesting choices -- for example, right now it's highlighting the "don" in "don't" to give me that definition -- but even if it doesn't quite make sense, it is at least prompting you with definitions. A great resource if you do go into reading articles online, for certain. In addition to focusing on your general reading comprehension, you can efficiently boost your vocabulary.

It's worth noting that the regular registration deadline for the October 19th test is September 13th. After that, you have 1 week -- until September 20th -- to register with an additional $25 fee. Whether the test fills up or not depends on the size of the test centers, but if you can scrape together the funds before the regular registration deadline you might like to save the $25!

I'm super excited about the things I work on (well, let's be honest: worked on), and I really can't wait to get back into it. Truly, I'm just fascinated with "all things medieval," and it wasn't until my senior year that I really trended toward Anglo-Saxon and moved away from post-Conquest historiography and Arthuriana. Codicology is another of my loves, but it has that first love shine that has started to wear thin. Philology is my one true love, and looking back it's only too obvious. Funny how we come around to these things! (Which is not to say that I don't feel absolute reverence when in the presence of manuscripts and old books. My favorite memory from a summer at Stanford was donning the requisite white cotton gloves and handling a beautifully illuminated, 15th-century book of hours.) I am positive I can do part-time work, though it likely won't be through my current company. In the short four years since I left school, I've picked up some very valuable marketing skills that are in high demand. I'm more wary about trying to balance school and work because I have an all-or-nothing habit that works well when I can focus on one thing, but falls apart if I try to do well in two. We'll see. To paraphrase the idiom, necessity is the mother of creative solutions!