Folly

Hi Ramus, thank you so much for your reply! Your friend's example is inspiring. To be honest, I was and still am a little bit disheartened. I talked with the admission officer at one of the Ivy League programs in the west coast to find out about what kind of students they are looking for, and he told me frankly that they have a strong preference for undergrads from first-tier universities and that unless my MA comes from a first-tier university, it's not gonna increase my chance of getting into the PhD program. Personally, I find this very off-putting, prideful, and disappointing, but this seems to be the cruel reality of the academic world. It's really encouraging to know that there are schools that do not label people according to the schools they go to but the effort they put in their work. I wonder how he approaches the POIs. I have tried that but to no avail. A lot of professors simply don't have extra time or energy to give you some pointers if you are not one of their students. Maybe they're just not that into my research... or maybe I wasn't doing it right!? Do you have any suggestions as to how to approach and keep in touch with the POIs? And thanks for these wise advices! I will definitely keep them in mind.

Hi everyone! So I applied for a couple of MA programs in English and have been anxiously waiting for the results. I am grateful to have at least one admission so far from one public school. It's overall ranking in English is very good - around top #10 to 15 according to US News. But when I looked into it's ranking in my field (Renaissance/early modern), it's not ranked at all... I wonder if this will be a problem down the road when I applied for the PhD in the future. Any thoughts? I've also been thinking about the length of the program. I feel like in a 2-year MA, I will have more time to take classes, do research, prepare for GREs, compensate for my undergraduate background, and become a stronger candidate in the future. But the strength of this 2-year MA is not the strength of my field. Also, the ranking of 2-year MAs are usually lower than 1-year MAs. Their placement is okay, but not great. This worries me most. The strength of the 1-year MAs I applied for, on the other hand, matches perfectly with mine. Their locations are great, the research of the faculty is on the cutting edge, etc. They are also constantly ranked around top #5 to 10 national-wise. But they only last one year. This means I will have to take a gap year after my MA to apply for PhD. This means I will be kicked out of school in just one year... It is so hard to focus on research without the support of your teachers and colleagues. I know I probably shouldn't rely too much on US News and I will definitely ask the programs about their placement.. Still, can anyone give me some suggestions?

Hello everyone, So I got my Gre Subject grade. It is pretty bad. I am an international student applying for an M.A. in English lit this fall. All the other elements in my application package is fine, maybe average or above average, except for this score. Obviously, it is a very difficult exam for me as a foreign student. I did my best to prepare for it in a short time while writing papers for classes, and I knew it won't be great. The problem is, it is not bad. It is terrible. I look like someone who is almost ignorant about the history of English and American literature, whereas in fact I know I am not. I just don't have enough time to prepare, plus English is not my native tongue, I am making up these gaps by personal study. Some schools I applied for do not need to the subject exam, but most do. Now I am really worried about my application this year. I wonder if anyone knows how important the subject exam is. I am sure they will take a look at it, but considering I am an international student and I am applying for an M.A... if my other elements are strong enough, can they offset a low gre subject grade? Also, anyone who score well on this exam, please share with me the ways you prepare for this exam, and please help me with it. I read most of the Norton Anthologies, but obviously it is really not enough to just read through them; I have Princeton review, but I don't really find it helpful, perhaps I need to practice it more; I searched online and some students make flashcards to help them memorize minutiae, I tried but I guess I need to try harder. Please help. Any experience/opinion is welcome. If you are too shy feel free to write mails to me. I know it is one of the biggest obstacle in my way, and I've got to overcome it. I am ready for a long-term fight/preparation: since I am not a native, it will probably take me up to 1 or 2 years to prepare for it. I am willing to try and keep trying, but I can't stick to my methods. They didn't work, and if they were wrong, they will never work. I want to adjust, fix myself and change my future. Maybe I won't get in this year, but if I start to overhaul myself earlier, maybe I will win a chance after 1 or 2 years... Many many thanks and I wish the best of luck for you (and myself!).

Hi Calmflare, Thanks for your rick reply! Let me reply point-by-point: 2) I want to focus on English literature for my Phd, so that's why I only applied for English Departments when I applied for my MAs this year. What happened was (at least from my perspective, no offense to anyone): some students applied for different MA that are not in English literature and got in. They also intended to do a PhD in English lit, but their theory is that, since international students are generally less competitive at an MA level when applying for English straight from college, it is easier to take a "detour" or "short cut" by applying for a less competitive MA degree in Oxbridge or Ivy League first, then transfer and apply for an English lit PhD, with the prestige of the MA schools. For example, asian studies, english teaching as second language, comp lit, gender studies.. This is what I didn't do. I agree with you that a consistent interest and focus is important. But I was looked down upon by my friend, who thinks that a non-English lit degree in a top university carries more weight than an English MA at a lesser school. I am scared and frustrated. I don't know if I could get in any of those other MAs, but I would have given it a try had I knew this is what people think... Somehow I can't totally agree with my friend. I can understand that international students have marginal advantage when competing with students in the UK and the US, but if everyone takes a detour then this is just bizarre. I can't believe that this strategic maneuver will work out..... Or am I wrong? 1) 3) Thanks for your help! You have good attitude and I should learn from you. I guess I can only work harder at my MA level! Although I don't know how the British system works. Are you also studying in the UK? From what I've heard and experienced UK values independent thinking... which means that profs don't give students enough supervision time and you are on your own. I don't know if I can survive. I've read some other topics in this forum and people talked about getting a distinction. Looks like I should set some goals and goad myself... Thanks! I will definitely come back again and read your reply. Any comments are welcome.

Hi Stillthisappeal, Thanks for your quick reply! My degree is a taught, unfunded MA. Almost all the MA in the UK are unfunded, and, for international students like us, everyone pays for their MA degree as a stepping stone for applying a funded PhD. This is what I'm aiming to do - do distinguish myself at MA level and win a funded PhD, since it is so expensive and so long to finish a PhD in Humanities..... No one I know of wins an MA with funding. Most schools treat international students like cash cows. They charge us for times more than a native. Your second paragraph points out an interesting question. I was actually planning to re-apply for a second MA in the US this year. My reasons are: 1) an MA in the UK lasts only a year, so there is a gap year between my UK MA and my US PhD; 2) I'm an international student, my BA isn't quite good enough (GPA 3.88, find, but I am in a non-English speaking country. I don't think my degree carries the same weight as a US BA degree does) Do you think this is a good idea? Does it carry a negative stigma? Thanks again!

Hello everyone, I am an international student with a BA in English Literature in Asia. I have applied for MA/PhD in the UK and the US this year, but my BA in an non-English speaking country doesn't help much. English lit is very competitive and I was rejected by all the universities (about 10) I've applied for in the US. Fortunately (or not), I got an offer from the English department at UCL (University College London), but I am still unsure if this is a good choice. My ultimate goal is to do a PhD in the US and if possible, with scholarship, right now I only have an offer from UCL. I have several questions: 1. If my ultimate goal is to do a Ph.D in the US, does a degree from UCL help? (Or, if I want to go back to the US system, does an MA in the UK system helps? ) UCL's English department seems to be prestigious and it is ranked top 1 (Cambridge 2, Oxford 3) by Guardian UK this year. I doubt the credibility of these evaluations, but it indicates that UCL is no worse than Oxbridge. 2. I'm also thinking about applying for less competitive subjects in better universities, such as theology (no offense), but I am not sure it is worth it. Some say that the general name/prestige of a university matters more than a good department in a less famous university, but some say that the subject matters more than the prestige of a school. My professor said "if you plan on further study after the MA the school doesn't matter as much as the subject, in my opinion." I assume that a "more" prestigious MA (say, in Oxbridge) will help me more than an MA in UCL when I apply for a PhD in English lit in the US - but I am not sure. Here is "Good University Guide" from Guardian: Subject ranking matters more than where you study http://www.timesonli...icle7137237.ece I wonder how you think? Please help! I am the one who champions the subject over the school, but most people don't seem to agree with me and I started to doubt if I made a wrong decision... Thanks a lot and any opinion will be appreciated!

Hello everyone, I am an international student with a BA in English Literature in Asia. I have applied for MA/PhD in the UK and the US this year, but my BA in an non-English speaking country doesn't help much. English lit is very competitive and I was rejected by all the universities (about 10) I've applied for in the US. Fortunately (or not), I got an offer from the English department at UCL (University College London), but I am still unsure if this is a good choice. My ultimate goal is to do a PhD in the US and if possible, with scholarship, but right now I only have an offer from UCL. I have several questions: 1. If my ultimate goal is to do a Ph.D in the US, does a degree from UCL help? 2. I'm also thinking about applying for less competitive subjects in better universities, such as theology, but I am not sure it is worth it. Some say that the general name/prestige of a university matters more than a good department in a less famous university, but some say that the subject matters more than the prestige of a school. Here is a quote from my professor: "if you plan on further study after the MA the school doesn't matter as much as the subject, in my opinion." Here is "Good University Guide" from Guardian: Subject ranking matters more than where you study http://www.timesonli...icle7137237.ece I wonder how you think? Please help! I am the one who champions the subject over the school, but most people don't seem to agree with me and I started to doubt if I made a wrong decision... Thanks a lot and any opinion will be appreciated!