Timshel

Okay, so I am retaking the GRE on the 11th, and I have some questions about sending the scores. In order to get the 4 free scores sent, you have to send them that day, correct? And if so, isn't July a little early? I mean, I haven't even started my applications yet. Is that going to be problematic/confusing?

After looking at some more programs, I am thinking of adding University of Oregon and WashU to that last. Anyone have any thoughts on those two places?

I'm just curious, how many of you were MLA members when you applied to PhD programs? I was a member when I was working on my Masters because it's cheap for grad students, but now that I'm adjunct, it's pretty expensive, and I'm not sure if it's worth it. Some of my professors say that it looks good on your CV to say that you are a member because it shows your commitment to the field, but will it really make enough of a difference when I apply this year to shell out the money to renew my membership? Thoughts?

I thought Cathy Caruth was the head of the comp lit program at Emory....... And yes, I'm VERY familiar with her. She has written the seminal texts for trauma studies. So going anywhere she is is a long shot.

So, I will be applying to PhD programs in the fall, and my area of interest is trauma studies. More specifically, I would like to do work with trauma studies in contemporary ethnic American literature. Therefore, I am looking to apply to programs that are strong in psychoanalysis and trauma studies. I have narrowed down my schools to 8, but it took a LOT of research since not that many schools emphasize trauma studies. So, I was hoping to list where I plan on applying in hopes that I could get some feedback about these programs and perhaps suggestions of other schools I may have overlooked. Here are the schools: 1. Buffalo 2. Emory 3. Brown 4. Stony Brook 5. Penn State 6. UMass Amherst 7. UC Riverside 8. U of Minnesota Twin Cities Any feedback or suggestions would be really appreciated!

Okay, I have a question about the SOP. I currently have my Master's degree in Lit, and I will be applying to PhD programs this fall. A professor at the university I go my Master's at had a workshop that gave us tips on applying to PhD programs. She got her PhD at Buffalo and sat in on the admissions board while she was there, so she gave us advice based on what Buffalo did when deciding on who to accept. She said one of the big no-nos was to mention specific professors that you want to work with in your statement of purpose. She claims that this could upset or alienate other instructors, and it could contribute to you not getting in. However, I have read conflicting thoughts here on the boards and elsewhere, where people have said that they listed specific people they wanted to work with. I'm just curious, what advice have you heard? If you were accepted somewhere, what did you do? I'm just trying to figure out what I should do.....I'm so conflicted.