ivyhopeful

I'm pretty sure the grad school compass only works for business programs.

advertising might also be interested in quant now that I think of it

I would imagine that journalism, international politics and advertising would all be most interested in your verbal score. Right now it isn't too hot. But an application is based on several factors. Try to give a bit more information. 1. Prestige of undergraduate institution? 2. Undergrad gpa? 3. Will you have good/great letters of rec? 4. Have you done anything spectacular? (Report in a war torn region/save a million babies/intern at the New York Times etc. Right now your gre's are very low. You need to think about other ways to make your app stand out. Also, if you want to have somebody "chance" your admission to top 50 grad programs, you should include more info about your total application. If you have crappy gre's and absolutely amazing everything else, you could still make it into a nice school. If you have crappy gre's and mediocre everything else, well, things aren't looking too hot.

Well, I'm happy for you. I probably shouldn't be completely stressed. I did score in the 95th percentile on my verbal (not outstanding, but not a deadly score either), and I do feel confident about most aspects of my application. Even if I only get into a decent state school, I will still survive. And hey, I might get lucky and wind up in a top notch program.

That's rough about your rejection. Have you been accepted anywhere?

Good advice. I'll think about the subject test.

To be honest, I am terrified to take the subject test in literature. I don't want to do poorly and have that screw everything up. I am only applying to programs that do not demand the subject test. I wish I could apply to programs that demand the subject test, but I just do not feel confident. Classic lit (19th century mainly) is my speciality -- derrida/zizek/butler/etc freak me out. I haven't studied it as much as I should (although I have taken a couple theory/crit courses). I do plan on reading more canonical theory works in the near future, so maybe I will tackle the subject test eventually. My major gpa is a 3.33. My cumulative is 3.34. My junior/senior year is probably around a 3.6 but I would have to check to be sure. Maybe a 3.5 but not lower than that. GRE verbal = 670 (both times) AW = 4 the first time and 5 the second time. M.A. gpa will be about 3.9. Probably 3.92 or 3.91. I know my figures are competitive for some programs. I just don't know about the very top tier. I think I have a shot. That is what I have essentially gleaned from this thread -- I have a shot dang it!.

I think the grad cafe probably represents two extremes more than it represents the actual pool of applicants in the real world. two types of people probably come here: the top students who obsess over minor things like "poor me I didn't get a perfect 1600 hundred on the gre" and low performing students who are terrified they won't get in anywhere.

Thanks for all the help! I appreciate everyone's input. If anyone wants to keep this thread alive I have one more question: What the heck do English PhD programs think of analytical writing scores? I have heard different opinions -- usually extremes, i.e., they don't care at all or you must at least have such and such score. My first gre I got a four (didn't really know what was expected of me/didn't practice at all) and my second gre I got a five after doing several practice essays. Is this AW score good/bad/mediocre/who cares, doesn't matter anyways?

Great link Jbarks -- thanks. I really don't think my GRE's (or GPA's) are solid. At best, I feel that they might be overlooked by an ad com wowed by some other portion of my application. (My undergrad gpa is waaay low/my grad gpa is simply expected by top programs/plus, I didn't graduate from prestigious programs) Columbia says -- flat out says -- that they hardly ever accept anyone with a GRE lower than 680 (you can find this on their site). Some programs, however, do seem fine with a GRE like mine -- Duke (average score is 670) / Northwestern (700ish with wiggle room) / UNC Chap (680 average score) / etc. My fear is with tip top programs (columbia/penn/chicago/etc) Whatever the case, both of your posts mentioned the importance of "fit." This term has always been a bit confusing. If you find three profs you share an interest with, does this mean you "fit." More importantly, how should an applicant best go about showing an ad com that they "fit." Strategies? (sorry about any typos -- I typed this quickly without much thought about grammar and spelling)

I have heard that the AW score doesn't count for much in Lit programs for a simple reason: the ad com already has an analytical writing sample sitting in front of them, the applicants essay and SOP.

I am in a similar situation. I read that Indiana University expects a 3.9 gpa in all previous graduate level work. So, be sure to keep your MA work top notch. (One has to wonder what a place like Harvard expects if Indiana has such high expectations). My advice: I would apply to a broad range of schools. Make a list of three types of schools based on your stats: Reach/Match/Safety. Pick three or four from each category, and close your eyes and hope for the best!

Hi all, I am trying to get into a top notch English PHD program. This is my first post on the Grad Cafe. I'm hoping for some constructive and honest advice. First, my stats: UG GPA: 3.34 (state university, mid level prestige) MA GPA: 3.92ish (small Jesuit university, mid-level prestige) 1st GRE attempt: 670 verbal, 450 quant, 4.0 AW 2nd GRE attempt: 670 verbal, 440 quant, 5.0 AW Assumptions: 1. I will publish in a scholarly journal before I graduate from my M.A. program. 2. I will present a paper at a conference. 3. I will get above a 3.9 overall gpa in my M.A. program. 4. Amazing letters of rec. 5. Amazing writing sample/Amazing SOP I am very worried about my application. I studied my butt off for the second gre and I was unable to boost my verbal at all. I was able to bump my writing score, but I don't think that counts for much. How will ad coms look at my application? Will the high M.A. gpa make up for my dismal UG gpa? What about my gre score? Can I still get in a top program? Advice would be very much appreciated. I am very stressed about the whole process. Just so you know, I am looking at some very tough schools: Top Choices: U Chicago, Columbia, Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, UPenn Mid Choices: Penn State, Emory, Rice, WUSTL, Duke, Northwestern Low Choices: Syracuse, Purdue, Arizona State, Ohio State Thanks for the help! P.S. Any advice on boosting my chances for admission into top programs would be much appreciated!