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Brown/Stanford/VA/Chicago or Anywherethatwillhaveme University

Also, I don't think the people who gravitate towards The Grad Cafe are necessarily representative of the entire applicant pool. Let's be honest, we tend to be the more obsessive and, perhaps, neurotic applicants. We come here to vent, to share, and to, probably, validate ourselves. Everyone is nervous; some people deal with it by posting about it in an online community, others do other things. Most of the people in my current grad program that I've spoken to have never heard of the grad cafe (top 60 english program). So trying to predict results from a self-selected subset of applicants (from ANOTHER year) is sort of like trying to fly a kite blindfolded. There's no reason why you can't, but it'll be harder than it looks.

I get annoyed when people cling to rules that aren't rules (or are no longer rules). It is totally acceptable to split infinitives or end a sentence with a preposition (in many cases). Following them (unnecessarily) often leads to awkward phrases. EDIT: Another pet peeve: people who use parentheses too often.

I'm one of those Luddites not in possession of a smart phone, so I don't know I have an email until I...ya know, check my email. I'm a little concerned that once Feb 5th or so comes around, I'm going to be checking it about as often as I breathe. Anyone have any advice on how not to lose your mind when you know that realistically ANY MOMENT NOW could bring doom (or sudden euphoria)? The idea of me ignorantly living my life, reading books, eating sandwiches, playing chess, sleeping, etc. while an email waits in my inbox gives me anxiety.

Well, it's all done. Feels pretty empty. Yep, nothing to do but study for comps and wait. Oh the weight.

Usually the vetting at the grad school level is based on scores alone--I doubt someone not in your discipline will care much to skim your statement. On the departmental level, the person on the adcomm closest to your field will likely read the application closely and then make a recommendation to the entire adcomm, which will then take into account the entire application pool, and make a decision.

We might actually be dumb. Trading 6-10 years for a 50/50 shot at a job is...not wise.

As no one's added to this heap of fear and misery all year, I will. I sent off Brown's today, really my top choice. And basically, I think it's hopeless. My scores are good, but my statement never quite---gels? clicks? comes alive?

Just a heads up: The Stanford website says that if you included a department code in the school code that you sent you used to send the GRE, it will not reach the English department. "Applicants need to make arrangements with ETS to send their scores to Stanford University using the University code 4704. Do not use a department code. If you enter a department code, your scores will not reach our office." What's another 23 dollars?

Again, I don't mean to be harsh or rude. This test sucks; the application system sucks. Qualified, intelligent, worthy people won't get to do this for a living because the decent schools only take so many candidates. A very young professor pulled me aside the first semester of my MA and said "You can do this, but only if you play the game. If you do follow the arbitrary and oppressive rules, and do well on the meaningless tests, then you will get to research your interests and write about literature for a living. But in the meantime you need to play their game." I think it was good advice.

I think some schools ask for the test just because they think they should and others ask for a score it's because they find it useful in disqualifying applicants. No one gets into a program based on their score, while some may be eliminated from consideration because of their score. This sucks and is a huge advantage to you: you generally don't need an amazing score, but just a good one--ideally north of 600. I don't know what you got, and I'll assume you're below that--but the good news is that you can and will get a good score. (If it turns out you need to retake). It's a test of attrition: get the Princeton book, memorize the poems they tell you to, read/skim/wikipedia as much of their list as possible, read the intro to the Norton chapters, read 3 or 4 famous poems by every major poet (it's totally do-able), and while you can't technically study for the reading comp/analysis questions, the biggest hurdle to answering them is general familiarity. If you've read a few stanzas of Milton, chances are when given another one you're going to be a decent reader of them. If you've read a Wordsworth poem, when presented with another one (even if you don't know it) you'll be able to answer questions about it. You are already smart and good at literary studies. Now you just need to artificially and systematically dump literary information into your head. I know it sucks. My first round of GREs went awfully and I didn't understand why. I'm sorry if any part of this sounded harsh, I didn't mean it to. And ideally you'll get into a school (or schools) that didn't require it in the first place. The websites that are around can be helpful. I used http://www.duke.edu/~tmw15/. I had NO IDEA who Christina Rosetti was!

To Contribute to this Thread's HOTNESS: I just spent the last 15 minutes perusing last year's Results Survey for the schools I've applied to. With each result I've tried to imagine that it was my voice grumbling about late rejections or trying to tell myself (and others) that "really, I expected it." Some sort of attempt to emotionally prepare myself? I guess not...I'm sure everyone's sensation of rejection is special to them.

It's all about balance. I had a teacher say that no PhD guaranteed a job, but that some made it nearly impossible. It's a matter of figuring out if the 5-9 years it takes to get is worth the odds you'll face afterwards. In some schools, the answer is yes. In others, the answer is no.

PROPOSAL: A system wherein we self-report GRE scores and once accepted, then we have to send the official scores. Like the transcript, who would dare lie knowing full well that if he/she got in because of that lie, you'd lose the offer when it became clear that there had been dishonesty? And that way we aren't dumping hundreds of dollars into a rather abusive system.

I think the whole "we'll call you back" is part of the racket because they know that we are on deadlines. We don't have time to wait. Also, I think the only way to find out what schools have actually received subject test scores is to call them and ask them. They gave me a list (which didn't include half the schools I expected it to). I am beyond frustration and trying to merely accept the abuse as part of a hazing process?

I basically had the exact same conversation with them this afternoon jywayne. It is absolutely a racket.

I transmitted my GRE scores before my GRE Subject score was available. For schools which required the subject score, I just clicked the box that indicated I wanted it sent and made the assumption that when the score became available, it would be sent. Apparently, that isn't so. My reports were sent on the 9th of Nov, the subject score became available on the 12th was never sent. Am I the only one who assumed that if I requested the score be sent, that they would send it when it became available? I now need to spend more money and hope that the schools will still accept the scores.

I found a dropped word that had gone to two schools (that made the sentence ungrammatical). I figure: First, they may not notice. There's a good chance they are skimming and tired. Second, if they do notice, they may shrug and not care too much. It probably will be cool.

I did have a little trouble with my fit SOP as well--I think because a good percentage of the faculty (at least in my field) is a little on the older side. Did anyone else find this problem?

For a top 20 school it doesn't get much love! Anyone else applying?

I'm going to assume that they want the hard copies postmarked by Dec 15. Is anyone else assuming that with me? Please...

So about half of the schools I'm applying to don't want/need GRE subject scores, however, if possible, I want my scores part of my application. Several--like Duke yesterday--say on their site that they don't require them but offer a place in the application to fill them in. Can it hurt? I know obviously not to Columbia, but otherwise?

I told myself I wouldn't do this, but I am: gonna wait til tonight to submit Duke. Everything is ready now but I want one more look after class.

I suspect that inafuturelife is right, they probably don't. And more importantly: I've heard that rockstars make awful advisers. When they stop being scholars and become public intellectuals of sorts then their focuses and priorities changes. I think it's better to have a solid (after all it's Columbia you're talking about--anyone with tenure is for real), working professor than a rock star. And realistically, the impact of Butler and Spivak is so broad that you can be influenced by them and use them at any school in the country. After all, who hasn't been influenced in some way by Butler and Spivak? Unless their most recent work--and less known work--is what is relevant to your work?

Anyone wanna put some money down? I've been betting against myself getting in anywhere. My thinking is that I'll at least be able to reimburse myself for the thousand+ dollars I spent on very expensive rejection emails.