rems

Wait, isn't poststructuralism dead?

I'm super interested in NOT editing my writing sample which means I'm too interested in this thread. That being said... Don't be mean. Secondly, yes, rank matters. Can you be a super star at a lower-ranked U and still get a baller job? Yes. Can you go to Harvard and still be an idiot (coughcoughgeorgewbushcoughcough)? Yes. Do we live in a world where nothing is black and white, and there's exceptions to every rule? Yes. Do we still live in a world with rules? Yes. PHD Y U NO EASY???

Yes. This exactly. I've had my boyfriend read, like, four different intros. This is what happens every time: Me: Does it make sense? Does it sound weird? Worse? Better? BF: Yah, it still makes sense. It's good. Me: Is it better than last time? BF: I don't really remember last time. Me: WHAT GOOD ARE YOU THEN??? (Please still love me when I get rejected.)

Yah, that's a good point. I haven't caught one yet while rereading, but I've reedited my intro to my writing sample and now it's much better than what I submitted to three schools. I debated contacting Wisconsin to switch it out, but decided against it for varying reasons.

I agree -- ranking does matter. The faulty logic behind thinking it's what you do with it only works if you assume that all those Ph.D. candidates at Berkeley and Harvard are just sitting on their asses not doing anything. Which, I assure you, ain't the case.

DON'T READ YOUR APPS AFTER YOU'VE SUBMITTED THEM. THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT NOW, YOU'LL JUST WANT TO HANG YOURSELF. LET IT BE. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE GIFS OR ELSE ID MAKE ONE OF JOHN LENNON. sorry for yelling. I'm going insane.

ps, does it piss anyone off that UB's website says a "substantial" sample. WHAT THE FUCK BUFFALO?

I would say ditto to both pissing people off and having a good point. All of mine are top thirty except Buffalo (but UB seems to be a weird exception to the rule), and Colorado. I'm honestly applying to Colorado because I want to live in Boulder, one, and they have a guy who does graphic novels. No joke -- I'm going for comic books. It's also kinda my "safety" school -- I know that you shouldn't really have safety schools for PhD or whatever, but I wanted one lower rank just to see if could get in somewhere. If I get full funding, even if I don't get a job afterwards teaching at a big R1, I think I'll still be cool with it (says I 20 years from now working at Starbucks).

Yesterday I was in the middle of adding a few paragraphs to my other writing samples that are 23 pages to make it about 27 for Buffalo, and, out of procrastination, checked the website. I'm really glad I did because I had only spent about 20 minutes on it so far, and I would have been pissed if I put a few hours into it only to find out they lowered the page number. I thought 20-30 was a little weird anyway because other schools usually ask for <20. Good news?

Wait one gosh darn second... Did Buffalo change their writing sample length from 20-30 pp to 15-25 pp???? I've always thought it was 20-30, and I have 20-30 written down, but I just know checked it and it says 15-25. I am going crazy or what???

God, I hope not. You're my new favorite person for saying that.

Excellent! Thank you!

I was just trying to be funny. And you already go to Stanford, and I do not. And I have horrible GRE scores, and a bad undergrad record. There are numerous reasons. I'm also a bad writer -- honestly, it takes me forever to write a good piece. My honest opinion? Apply.

I don't know how much this means, but I think your chances are better than mine.

I want to apologize -- I wasn't trying to come off as though you did something wrong. What I was trying to say was for people who haven't decided what to do about this yet should double check with the departments, and not take what a forum says as gospel. I definitely didn't mean to make you feel as though you chose the wrong answer or something. That is my bad. This thread more caught my attention because forums are used to provide "suggestions," and I felt as though this one moving more towards "facts." And none of us, myself included, know for a FACT what the hell to do about any of this. That was all I was trying to say, promise!

This thread is a little weird -- I wouldn't take anything on here as gospel. Page length and what is considered part of page length, varies from department to department and from adcom to adcom. I would double check before assuming. You could get profs who could care less that you went over on your adcom, but you could also get profs who are very strict about following the rules on your adcom -- you never know. I'm not trying to say that the people here who assumed they don't count were wrong, but I would be cautious with this advice -- contact the dept if you're nervous.

I just wouldn't assume. If the website states that they don't count towards the total, then I wouldn't count them. But unless you've directly had contact with the department and asked them this question, I would assume that they count. You never know.

I'm including my end notes in the page length -- they only equal a page because I only have a few suggesting further study so it looks like I'm aware that the scholarship exists even though I don't use it in the paper. I was going to cut it, but a prof suggested to keep it so it demonstrates my research is current. That being said, I would email each program individually and ask, or assume that they do count. I also assumed the Works Cited counted as well, and didn't even want to ask. I just paired down my paper so it was under 20 pp or under 25 depending on the program including everything.

Play Diablo 3, drink PBR.

I usually did 1.15 for my single spaced ones because it looks better. The only one where I kept it straight up single spaced was Colorado bc their's states it can only be 1-11/2 pages, and 1.15 made it closer to two. If it doesn't specify, assume single spaced. If it does, do whatever it says.

If you have Acrobat, you can hit "Print" and then print it as PDF. On that window, you'll see the option to make it "smallest size" format. That brought the file size WAY down. If you don't have Acrobat at home, most school computers will have it, like in the library. This is only for people who need to down PDF file sizes. My transcripts totaled four pages (3 UG, 1 G), PLUS the scan from the backside with the legend, PLUS two Word Documents explaining what each course was bc my UG was one of those schools who lists classes like: ENGL 321: British Literature. I also had to make three different PDF files, one for just graduate, one for just undergrad, and one for them combined. I now understand why everyone tells you to start early on these because if I hadn't done this a month ago, I'd be just about ready to off myself at this point. I've submitted two of six, and I'm about to submit my third. OHHHH and here's something else: I'm working from home today, and I have an EPSON printer. I'm out of fucking blue ink, so I can't print anything in black. NOW I have to edit off of my computer screen (which I hate doing), and I'm about to smash the printer into the floor. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I had to do that. Thanks for listening.

I actually had a vet student explain to me the other day that you can get all your degrees in a hard science from the same school, but it looks esp bad to have all your degrees in the humanities from the same school. The logic goes that people assume you only now have one "school of thought" and since the humanities are so subjective, it helps you have you multiple exposures. Her exact quote was, "The skeleton of a dog is the same no matter what your location is, but the metaphor of the dog's skeleton changes depending on who you're asking." Don't ask how this conversation got started.

I just had one of my letter writers drop by my office and tell me to "take a pill." So that about sums up how much I've been bothering them about making sure those letters are in on time.

I also put my graduate GPA on it even though they didn't ask for it. I would have put my GRE scores on there, but they aren't anything I want to bring extra attention to

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate it!