lyonessrampant

Just seconding newms here. Definitely don't confuse PS with SOP. If they ask for TWO things and call one of them a PS, then they want the all about you and why you're special kind of statement; some programs call that a Diversity Statement. If they ask for only one statement, though, they want an SOP, whatever they call it.

Okay, while there are exceptions (your writing sample has the brilliance of Greenblatt, the eloquence of Joyce, and the perspicacity of Plato), your GPA is probably going to have an impact on applications at Ivy schools and top-10 programs. Maybe a really high GRE score would offset that? Not sure. Anyway, there are a few options. First, apply only to dream schools, see what happens, and then go from there (either you'll get in and go somewhere or won't and can reevaluate then). Second, apply to a wide range of Ph.D. programs (a few top 10/top 20, a few in the top 40/50 and a few in the top 100 or so), see what happens, and then either go if you get in or reevaluate if you don't. Third, do a combo of one and two AND apply to MA programs (funded and partially funded). If you get a Ph.D. offer, you can take that, but if you don't get a Ph.D. offer and do get an MA offer, you can go to school, get the MA, and apply as a stronger applicant with, notably, a higher GPA. I would recommend option three, but that's your decision. Your stated interests are VERY broad. That may just be because you're looking for initial feedback but actually have really narrow interests. If that's the case, I'd recommend sharing those specific interests to get more informed recommendations from people with similar interests. Most schools have American lit programs and lots of Southern schools in particular have good African American lit programs. However, without some specifics, we can't really help you, especially people like me who are early modernists specializing in poetry from about 1590-1620 and critical theory dealing with subjectivity, politics, and gender/sexuality. I would say that the best way to start researching programs on your own is go to the rankings to get an idea of what schools even have programs. Then, go to those programs webpages and read about the faculty in your subfields. If you find faculty you're interested in, read their work and see if there are overlaps in your interest areas. Pick programs for professors.

If you have a strong vocab, your score might be better on the new test anyway, especially if the analogies were areas where you might have lost points. The analogies go away and the vocab is in sentence context (more clues) and reading comp.

Aren't there a few more test dates before August 1? It doesn't sound like preparation was your problem, just nerves, so get back on the horse ASAP and get that score back where your pre-test scores were! If that's not possible, I probably wouldn't retake it but maybe address it in a few sentences in your SOP.

Totally. Your writing sample should be as polished as possible. Edit away. Get suggestions from other readers (especially academic folks) and edit some more! Good luck!

Okay, so I got into UTA and have a friend in the program there. Here's what I've noticed from their process, they'll overlook a low subject score, especially if you have really strong SOPs and writing samples. LORs matter a lot, especially if the recommender is someone known and respected in the field. If your letter writers are not well known, really encourage them to focus on highlighting your specific abilities and qualities. You absolutely need three LORs and it is a good idea to have a 4th to send for those programs who will let you. The more glowing praise the better the impression. What about undergrad profs? Did you have close relationships with any of them? They might be your third LOR. Did you take any classes outside the dept. during your MA? Those profs might be an option. Definitely put conference presentations on your CV. You should also list relevant organizations (like the MLA) you belong to. This shows activism in your field and, most importantly, that you're following the current conversations in your subject areas. Grades also do matter, especially grad school grades. If you've got a lot of B's (a rarity in most English MA programs unless work is really not meeting expectations), you need to say why. Perhaps the grading in your program is more rigorous than a lot of other MA programs. UTA is open to people who already have MAs (I did and so did my friend). Princeton prefers direct-from-BA applicants. Berkeley has more MA-in-hand acceptances, but the majority appear to be from BA (applied there to and didn't get in). You can find this info out by reading the grad student profiles. More directly, email the English dept. grad secretaries and ask them about it. Some programs, like UW-Madison and CU-Boulder (among others), are moving away from people with an MA to preferring BA applicants because they want to mold their methodologies. It really just depends on the school. As for the GRE test change, well, I don't think anyone really knows the answer here. From what I understand, though, the actual scores aren't changing, just how the scores are calculated. I think they're moving from a computer-adaptive test to one with set question types graduated in difficulty. This means how they calculate your score will be different, but a 700 Verbal will still be in the 98% or whatever and so on. In that case, it really is still the score that matters most, so if you think you can get higher either retaking the current version before Aug 1 or waiting for the new version, that's your call. You can use your current scores and do research to find out if the schools you are applying to have cutoffs, care that much about scores, etc. Anyway, I'd definitely recommend you apply to more than the three schools you listed, not because I don't think you're competitive (no idea about that) but because it is so COMPETITIVE getting in anywhere (and something of a crapshoot too) that you want to have a range of programs and, consequently, possible options. Good luck!

560 really is pretty low for a verbal score when you're applying to English programs. Like the previous poster said, spend a TON of time on your writing sample and personal statement. Also, if you've got a high Analytical score, that might help offset the Verbal. Further, if you haven't taken the subject test yet (or have) and get (got) a good score on that, it might help. Basically, I think you need to apply broadly. For most elite programs, there is a cutoff used to sort applications into the automatically rejected and to be considered more thoroughly piles. GRE scores also help with university-wide fellowships, so know that your funding might be affected. For all programs you're interested in, I would recommend contacting the grad secretary of the program and asking candidly if they have a GRE cutoff. Be sure to see if the cutoff is TOTAL score (in which case you might meet it if your Quantitative is high) or Verbal only. If they tell you they have a cutoff, I wouldn't waste the money applying there. A lot of schools, though, either won't have a cutoff or are more open to the other factors in your application. Contacting the programs will help you figure out which is which. Good luck!

Exactly, frame things positively and be concise. If you frame the experience as here's what I learned about X, then it spins the first year GPA much differently than sounding like "I'm sorry I had a bad year but I won't do it again!" Also, no more than a couple sentences, like the previous poster said. Good luck!

As long as you give credit it is totally fine to use the phrase, and if you're applying where he teaches, it could work in your favor. Be careful, though, about citing profs not at schools you're applying to; it might create the wrong impression.

As for submitting a CV, do you have relevant academic awards and honors? Departmental awards? Membership in organizations like Sigma Tau Delta or MLA or other literary organizations? You can put that kind of info on a CV as well. Did you tutor, guest lecture for any of your classes, or help a prof with grading/research/etc.? Lots of things can go on a CV, but you have to be a bit creative about how to frame them. These types of things are all relevant and show your involvement in the field and your ability to do academic work. Even if it is short, I think a CV is a good idea to submit. Lots of people applying don't have publications, conference presentations, or teaching experience, but you do have academic experience; showcase that. Best of luck!

I feel like all of us here try to be as helpful and supportive as possible, and I also know that when I was going through this application process, well, still now, I didn't have a lot of extra cash, but if you find anything helpful here and are so inclined, any animal activism group like ASPCA, Humane Society, or WWF would be great; don't feel obligated, though Overall, you look like a very strong candidate and competitive for Stanford and Berkeley as well as all the schools on your list. What matters most is that you have a killer personal statement. The objective factors of your application (GRE, GPA, CV) are all very strong, so what is really going to need to be good is the subjective factor (personal statement and writing sample). If you have been published, that speaks to your ability as a writer. However, if your publication is not in a research area that you want to go into, I would recommend using a different sample that shows your research interests more clearly. On your personal statement, work hard to be as specific as possible about your research interests and why each school is a good fit. If you are comfortable with it, emailing some POIs (people/professors of interest) to see what they're current work is might be helpful. You can get general idea about current work from professor profiles and class offerings as well. Make sure not to fall into the lure of sharing too much of the awesome anecdotal stuff in your PS. Share some but just to frame your research interests and fit for the school. The PS should be more about your work and less about you, if that makes sense. Anyway, if you nail the personal statement and have a strong writing sample, I think you'll be very competitive at top 10 programs. Best of luck!

If you really think you can do better, are already signed up, have already paid the money, and want to be more competitive for fellowships, sure, take it again. If you think your score might go down, don't. Schools take a total GRE, not the best you do on multiple tests, so if your verbal goes down and quant goes up, they take the total test with the lower verbal and higher quant, if that's the one you self-report on your apps.

Check the schools you're applying to. Some have word count limits. Some say 2 pages. The standard length in my field is 1000 words with a few schools being 500 words. This is about 2 pages single spaced (1000 words) or 4 pages double spaced. If it is a word length requirement, I used double space 12 point font Times New Roman 1 inch margins. If page length, I used single space 12 point font Times New Roman 1 inch margins.

I took a gap year between HS and college. This was for religious reasons and in retrospect since I unfound god later, it was a bit of a waste in that regard BUT I did work and saved a ton of money for college and also coached my high school speech and debate team. I was and still am really into that However, I don't remember hearing about programs for HS to college gap years. If you're affiliated with a church, you might look into international service type of stuff through that organization. Americorps may have something for younger people, so that could be an option. Otherwise, maybe she can stay home and so lots of volunteer stuff locally. Does she have a GED? It sounds like bombed out of junior year means no diploma. Obviously, if she doesn't have a GED, getting that out of the way will be important. I mainly posted to suggest that if your sister decides to go to college, she might want to look at liberal arts schools. They're more expensive, but the liberal arts environment can be good for people who really benefit from one-on-one attention. I went to Carroll College in Helena, MT. It's a tiny school and far from the East coast, but I think for bright people with potentially lots of interests who can get bored and might need individual attention to keep them motivated and focused, liberal arts schools are great. They're also great for driven type A people too Can you tell I'm on the SLAC bandwagon Anyway, best of luck to you and your sister!

Others in those programs can better speak to this than me, but those are really good scores. I wouldn't retake it if I were you. Good luck!

I did mention professors whom I hoped to work with, but I didn't do it in a name-dropping way. I talked about courses offered and specific books by faculty that I was familiar with and had used in my own research. I also framed it in such a way to say that while I was really excited about these courses/books/faculty, it was the overall department and everything they had to offer in my subfield that motivated my decision to apply (justification of fit). I know there is mixed feelings about this. I wanted to personalize and thought I could best demonstrate fit that way; I was pretty successful with my applications (UMn, UT-A, UUtah, UO, KU, Notre Dame and told I was very competitive and close in conversations with UChicago, Duke, and UW admissions/DGS folks). On the other hand, a friend who got into Brown, Cornell, and waitlisted at Princeton did not name drop or really do anything to show fit, but his research proposal was very detailed and reflected interests/recent work done by people at those institutions. So, yeah, I think you should do what you feel works best for you, and as long as you're careful about how you invoke specific faculty, I think you can avoid offending people.

You look live a very competitive applicant. Philosophy departments require higher GRE scores than a lot of other disciplines, and if you get what your practice scores are, you'll be competitive in that regard. If your writing sample is as strong as you think and you have a focused, well-written SOP, you seem like you'd be competitive for top 20 and maybe top 10 programs. Apply widely is the best advice I can give you; this is a very competitive process and it can be somewhat arbitrary so give yourself lots of options, picking 3-4 top 10, 3-4 top 20, and maybe 4 or 5 in the 20 to 50 range. I'd recommend applying to some PhD only programs; there aren't a ton, as far as I'm aware, joint PhD/JD programs; they're usually MA/JD. Maybe also apply to just a few MA programs for backup options and perhaps just a few law school only programs. If you get a 170 LSAT, you'll be very competitive for excellent law schools (lots of my friends went that route and got offers at NYU, Columbia, and other top programs with mid 160-170 scores and strong writing samples). I'd recommend asking yourself if you're committed to the joint degree or really want to go the academic route or professional route. Do you want to teach law? If so, the MA/JD with an LLM option might be better. Do you want to be a prof in a philosophy department who focuses on legal theory? Then the joint degree might be a good idea, but if you want to be housed in a philosophy department and do work on legal issues implicated by ethical theory (for instance), then I'd just do the Ph.D. route and take a few legal theory courses at the law school housed at your future university. That way, you get the courses you want but don't have to trudge through things like civil procedure, property, and criminal law. This way you also will be fully funded whereas the joing JD/MA(or PhD if you can find them) programs are unfunded or only partially funded. A PhD offer will likely include tuition, stipend, and health insurance. Law schools are providing a surfeit of lawyers, so unless you really, really want to go the law route, going 100K or more into debt for a law degree may not pay off. I'm not saying there will be a lot more job options in philosophy either, but if you don't accrue debt along the way, it gives you more flexibility later, and if you can get into a top 20 or so program, you'll probably leave with job offers. In short, think about what you really want and then apply specifically with those goals in mind. To cover all options, apply to only Ph.D., only JD, only phil MA, and joint JD/MA or Ph.D. programs and see what you get into. If you're already preparing for the LSAT and getting those kinds of practice scores on the GRE and LSAT, you might as well go for it. Best of luck!

In that case, I'd go with two letters from the Fed and 1 from an undergrad prof. You're applying to an academic program, so you need at least one traditional LOR. Many programs actually specify a minimum for the number of letters that must come from profs. Check your programs to see what they say. As Cunninlynguist noted, though, it's your application, so ultimately, you're the one who knows best about what to expect in the letters. I'd still recommend contacting your programs of interest and seeing if they have minimums and/or recommendations for what you should do. Good luck!

I wouldn't recommend having a TA write an LOR for you. I would recommend 1 LOR from the fed, 1 from the mathematics prof whom you worked with, and 1 from an undergrad prof. Ask the one you think will remember you the most, and give him/her your CV for reference and also send any research projects or papers you did for that professor, ideally with their comments, to help remind him/her about you and give him/her specific things to mention in the LOR.

I totally agree with Eigen. If you're uncomfortable, don't detail the reasons you're having to back out of the MA offer; just say personal reasons have come up that necessitate you making a decision different than you anticipated when you accepted their offer. Glad things worked out this way; what an awesome outcome!

If you meet admitted averages it means your app won't be booted aside in the first round of cuts. After that, how much objective factors matter depends on your program and school. However, the general rule of thumb is that objective factors matter more in sciences apps and less in humanities, but in all fields, the other parts of your application matter a lot more. If you meet admitted averages on the objective factors like GRE and GPA, I wouldn't worry about those numbers anymore and focus on the rest of your app. You hear stories every year of people with perfect GRE scores rejected across the board and people with dismal scores admitted into multiple top-10 programs. The things that distinguish you like research experience, SOP, CV, etc., are what really matter most, though GRE scores can help with fellowships and, like I said, making it through the first round of cuts. If your total is over 1200 or 1250, you're probably fine as far as that is concerned.

Mine too.

I'm not sure about putting it under a research heading in your CV; I'll leave that to people in your field. As for mentioning the class and project, yes, if it fits in with your research intersts for grad school and helps you articulate your research interests/questions, definitely mention it in your SOP, but if it is unrelated to your stated research interests, that's trickier and I think I wouldn't detail the research but maybe just mention you took the class to demonstrate ability to do graduate-level course work.

In my experience, the editors didn't closely check my references but instead made content suggestions. I think it is largely up to you to double check your references.

There is a huge demand for air traffic controllers (the actual people in the tower) because over 50% of the workforce consists of baby boomers who are retiring now and in massive numbers over the next few years. As far as the research positions go, I have no idea, but the training for research and actually working in the towers is pretty different. . .so I don't think you could go from a program like you're describing to working at, say, Dulles airport.