Timshel

I guess there is no way to agree on this because some of the people who advised me that publishing looked good were accepted to or sat in on adcomms of top 20 schools. So I don't think you can really make broad generalizations about all schools.

That is so funny that you say that because I met with one of my LORs Tuesday and one today to "officially" ask and talk to them about my plans, etc., so I feel like I'm making process.

Disabilities are an exception and not really what I was considering, especially since, by law, instructors MUST accommodate disabilities, so of course I would allow a student with a disability to use whatever they needed in the classroom, as I already have in the past.

I think it's one of those things, like many things in departments, where some schools like it and some don't. Just like some schools like it if you have a Master's already, and some don't. Or, some like that you have previous teaching experience and some don't. All I know is that I've been advised that my thesis, if edited down, is publishable, and I intend to listen to those advising me. Now, I'm not going to send it off to any crappy journal that will take it, but I'm not going to hold back on my work if what I have is publishable. I'm not doing it to "pad my CV." I don't need to do that. My CV looks great as it is.

Yeah, I mean, if it's not peer-reviewed, then forget it. But I have been encouraged my all of the people who are writing me letters to at least have something out when I apply, especially since I have something worthy of sending out. (They all want me to turn a part of my thesis into an article, so that's what I'm sending out, once I'm done working on it.)

Same here.

I've actually had a lot of professors tell me the opposite. They say that if you have an article published or under consideration, it shows your commitment to the field and your ability to write of publishable quality.

I'm still not sure and I've been too busy lately to actually call. Plus, calling ETS gives me an ulcer.

See, to me, it's more "nannying" to have to be like "if I catch you doing something else....." Instead, I just tell them they won't need it for the class so there is no point in bringing one. The end. It's never a problem.

See, I have been studying some vocab because I have a TERRIBLE vocabulary, and when I was running the actual practice tests, I was getting ones wrong because I didn't know the words. So, I'm trying to do both things.

Thanks! Do you feel like you did better on this kind of test? I'm hoping the revised will work better for me......

Are you applying with a BA or MA?

Sorry lolopoxie, if I had seen your question sooner I could have answered it for you.

I am just so nervous of this process, with two schools in particular whose deadlines are December 1st. When I signed up for the subject, I checked to have both the subject and the general sent since I will have already taken the general, so I am assuming that both will be sent when the subject scores are sent on the 25th of November. However, for those two schools whose deadlines are December 1st, if I'm wrong, I could totally be screwed. I'm just not sure if it's worth sending the scores to those schools twice to be on the safe side (I take the general next week and I'm deciding if I should pick the two December 1st deadlines schools again to have the scores sent to, just in case).

Also, Truckbasket, what ultimately has me confused is that when I signed up for the subject test the other night, it wanted me to go ahead (ahead of time, like you said) and list the four schools I want my scores sent to. Then, it gave me the option to either send just the subject scores or the subject scores AND the general scores to those 4 schools. Naturally, I clicked to have both sent. So, my question really is, does that mean I don't have to send my general scores to those 4 schools because my general scores will be mailed to them with my subject scores on November 25th? Also, for those of you who have gone through this process, do the applications notify you when they received certain documents, like certain requirements have been met, or do you have to actually call the graduate schools to find out if they receive scores, etc.?

While I agree with you in theory, I'm not doing it to be infantalizing. I used to let them use them for that exact reason: they are adults and are paying for the class. However, it became a problem because 1. It's disrespectful for me to spend my time prepping for a class if someone isn't going to pay attention 2. There isn't much note-taking happening in my composition class since it's a lot of in-class work 3. Finally, students kept complaining that they "didn't remember me going over that" or that I "didn't cover that" or all of the other excuses because they were too tempted. I honestly did it for myself because it cut down dramatically how many students complained. While they are adults, I also need my sanity and feel that it is easier to just not let them use it when they don't need it rather than have 25+ students confused about assignments, grades, lessons, etc.

Jbarks, I see that you are applying to GWU. Have you heard anything about their funding? I heard/read that they didn't have any funded positions last year, so I am a little hesitant to apply there.

Thanks, that's good advice. I was really surprised when one of the schools, who requires the subject test, stated that they would not take late GRE scores, and the earliest they are being mailed out is November 25th. That only gives 5 days for them to receive them. I don't like things getting that close.

See, this terrifies me, so I might just send them the general scores to be on the safe side. I've had ETS tell me something and it not happen already, so I don't really trust them, and a couple of my schools are December 1st deadlines who specifically state that they will not take late scores, so I don't want to chance it. I would rather them receive the scores twice.

Okay, so I know this topic has been discussed before, but due to the new reporting schedule this semester in particular, I'm not sure what I should do about sending scores. Okay, I am taking the general GRE Test on September 23, but those scores will not be mailed until November 10th. Now, I am also taking the subject test on October 15, and they plan to send those scores out on November 25th. When I registered for the exam, they asked me for the four schools I wanted to send it to, and it asked if I wanted to send just the subject or both the subject and general scores. I checked to send both the subject and general scores....So does that mean I shouldn't send just the general scores to those schools on November 10th because they will be sent with my subject scores on the 25th? For some reason this is confusing me a little bit, and I just don't want to spend like almost 100 dollars sending scores to those four schools on the 10th if they will get the same scores on the 25th when my subject scores are sent out, too. Does that make sense?

It was the one that ETS gives you on their website. I have also bought a book at Barnes and Noble that was put out by ETS that I will be using to study after I get this general out of the way, and it has all the major works and people and what you will need to know for it.

I would have to agree that what I am most concerned with are the GREs. I have terrible test anxiety, and no matter what I do, I always do way worse on tests than what I'm actually capable of. I am retaking the general in two weeks, so I am hoping this new test will maybe work more in my favor. As for the subject test that I am taking in October, I took a practice test without one second of studying just to see where I was and how much work I would have to do, and I got a 530, so that made me feel a little better since I have never taken a British lit class in my life (not counting Shakespeare, of course). I will only have 3 weeks between the general and the subject, so I am thinking that should be enough time to cram as much as I can to get a decent score on the subject, too. *Fingers crossed* As for keeping calm, I'm using valium. LOL. I have anxiety disorder, so it's legit (prescribed).

Well, I'm hoping that I'm doing all the right things. I have presented at 3 conferences and will be presenting at two more this year, I have an article out for consideration right now, I was the vice chair my first year and the co-chair my second year of our Graduate English Association, I was the English grad student liason for the university's Graduate Student Association, and I was the grad student representative on our graduate ad comm committee; my Master's GPA is a 4.0, and I received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award (awarded by the English department faculty for the student who contributed the most to the department and showed the most potential to contribute to the field) at our departmental graduation. And like I said, I was a TA those two years, and I now work there as adjunct (this is my second year), I've taught the intro to comp, intro to lit, and I've taught online sections. I also tutored at the writing center as an undergrad and graduate student, and I now work at the university's writing center as a Professional Writing Consultant where I tutor, train tutors, conduct tutor training workshops, and mentor and observe other tutors. I really hope that all of that is enough to demonstrate that I worked my butt off while getting my Master's. I would just hate to think that I did all of that only to still not get in anywhere this year. Now that I've written all of that out, I'm starting to feel maybe a little more hopeful, but still.....This whole process is enough to make you totally doubt yourself.

That's a good point. I am applying to UC Riverside, and I am currently working as my second year as a "part-time" (I actually teach 4 classes a semester, which is technically full time) after being a TA for two years working on my MA, so I definitely have the teaching experience.

Well, I have my MA in English. I have been told that some schools prefer to take applicants who have an MA and some prefer to take students who do not already have one. For example, I have been told by MANY at Buffalo that they prefer their students to already have an MA-most of whom they accept do. There are even some schools that require an MA already in hand. However, some schools rarely take students who have an MA, and from what I've been told, two of those are Penn State and Boston University. These are just statistics and preferences, and I was just hoping that others might be able to add if they know other schools who also have a tendency to not take a lot of students who already have an English MA.