bdon19

I'll join you, bespeckled. I'm just using my 2 p, single spaced SOP. I don't really care at this point about this length thing. If they want me, they want me. I'm too busy freaking out about the personal statement to bother with cutting stuff right now.

I DON'T KNOW BUT I'M GOING INSANE!!!!!!!!!

How long should my statement of purpose be? One to two pages long, single or double spaced. And then there's this: Clearly labeled academic & intellectual Statement of Purpose: up to two pages, double spaced, statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how Michigan's graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives. Disregard the 500 word limit as stated on the application. MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

Hahaha, no I love it! One of my letter writers recently got back to me with feedback on my sample, saying she thought it was "really, really good." I was like, "What is she talking about?" But then I remembered that I'm doing this, after all. It had better be pretty darn awesome. I'd wager that all of us border on awesome to some extent!

Mine is 16 pages, and I'm not too worried about that. My feeling is they'll probably be happy to get a couple of short papers in there, especially if they're "really awesome." Honestly, if I was on an adcomm, I'd surely rather read a really solid 15 pager than one that's pushing the limit, length-wise!

I haven't even started my personal statement yet. Cue the freaking out.

Thank you! Man, I think I'm getting delusional. Every little thing I start rethinking again and again. After submitting my Rutgers app (and yes, I did talk about him, by god), I spent all night revising my writing sample for UT-Austin, just to decide at the last minute that I was too scared to actually submit it.

My app also now says "Complete." This is definitely not true.

Haha, yeah, I did too. I'm just overly paranoid right now. Too many apps to keep track of!!!

Just because I'm paranoid: We are 100% sure that Cornell is not due until the 20th, correct? Gosh, I think I'm losing my mind...

I just submitted my application for Rutgers, only because it is dumb and won't let me send out my letter requests until I finish. I'm a bit peeved, though, that now I have to wait 24 to 72 hours or whatever it is to get my "RUID" so I can upload my other stuff. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Also, my mom has already planned out exactly where I'm going to live for half the schools I'm applying to. She's convinced that New Brunswick is unsafe (she printed out an article from the NYT from 2004 called "How Unsafe Is Rutgers, Really?"), so she's been looking for places in nearby towns. This will be a long few months for all of us, won't it?

Aww, thanks! Although, I guess it will have to be in hindsight, since I have to submit my app tonight in order to get my LOR requests out before tomorrow. Hmph. I think I'll just include him in there, and if he is leaving I'll look like a lowly, misinformed undergrad.

So...I'm working on my Rutgers SOP right now. I've been planning on talking fairly extensively about Michael McKeon in my SOP, since he's kind of a huge deal in novel studies. However, I realized on his faculty page the following statement: "At Rutgers this Fall McKeon is teaching his fourth and final dissertation seminar on "Problems in Historical Interpretation for Literary Scholars," supported by the Mellon Foundation." Does this mean McKeon is leaving? Should I take this to mean that? Should I, then, err on the side of caution and just not talk about him in my SOP? If he isn't leaving, that would seem like a HUGE oversight on my part. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!!!

Also, I was just looking at UT's requirements page, and now all it says for SOP is "a short essay." Did this change? Didn't it say 500 or less before? WHAT IS GOING ON UT???

My application now says it's "in review." But I haven't uploaded either my writing sample or SOP yet. lkajs;lkd;fkaj;slkjdf;lkjas;ldjf

THIS. I am so sick of revising, over and over again. It's one thing to revise a writing sample when it feels exciting, like a paper you're writing for fun. But once you get to the point where it's going to determine your future and you realize you are MISSING FREAKING QUOTATION MARKS, then you start to freak out. Blahhhhhhh.

What's up with this? Do you think it could possibly be they didn't have as many applicants as they anticipated this year? *Wishful thinking* But really, in past years have there been so many schools extending deadlines? First UT, then Cornell. I'm starting to feel pretty lucky, myself. Haha

Yep, yep. That "personal history statement" or whatever it is = kill me now.

Yep! Submitted my app last night. Of all the schools on my list, it was the farthest in terms of "fit," but I think I made it work...enough.

I feel you on this, and I have only applied to two of my eleven so far!! But by Thursday night, at least, I will be over halfway done. I am finding it impossible to even consider submitting apps prior to the deadline. Though, at the same time, I'm also deathly afraid of submitting them at the last minute, so I've been cutting myself off promptly two and a half hours or so before the deadlines. Just in case. I am a nervous wreck.

Blahhhh. I found like three typos in my writing sample for Duke. Now I've fixed those, but I'm sure I'll have more in the sample I just sent to Toronto. lkajsl;jdf;a;js;lkjdf;lkjas Thank god by the end of this week I'll at least be over halfway done.

What is going on here? Haha... I haven't seen a transcript form, but I did find the SOP template. Essentially, it's just a summary of what they want with a place for you to write your name and program...that's all, though.

Are we assuming we're okay until 11:59:59 Toronto time? I scoured the website and couldn't find a time, so I'm assuming that's fine... ?