antecedent

Wow, this thread is still around. I've created a text of lasting importance. KNEEL BEFORE LITERARY ZOD. 
 

I have a Canadian BA and I got into a prestigious UK school which is a top 10 school in my field. Masters degrees (like M.Scs/MAs) in the UK are less selective than you might think for international applicants because they/we bring in the big bucks as far as fees are concerned. As long as you meet all of the requirements and surpass them in an area or two (which your GPA already does it seems) you should be fine. They definitely aren't more selective than American Master's degrees.

Have you guys done any philosophy of language/semantics? I don't know if it's math-y in the same way, but I've been working with it a lot this term and the formal logic is just about doing my head in. We did proofs today in my semantics class, and I thought to myself "this is some pretty math-y shit."
 
And I still have a headache

I have never liked tweed jackets.
 
I have always been okay with erudite rubbish.
 
Newsflash: The rest of the world works. I don't know why you thought that professors and grad students were somehow so exceptional that they could opt out  of capitalism. Moreover, I don't know anyone who goes to grad school thinking that they're going to opt out of hard work, low wages, and an unstable job market.
 
I think your expectations about grad school were almost as high as your opinion of yourself.

There are lots of legitimate problems with the modern University, but this yearning-for-the-days-of-yore sentimentalism is getting old. The University has NEVER been a beautiful haven of the mind that was open to all. 
 
Regardless, it can be rough, and you should know that before getting into it.

A lot of people come to grad school and don't finish. A lot of people end up not liking it or getting overwhelmed with it. I think the MA is a good idea so that you can get an idea of whether or not you are willing to give up your job for it. After the MA, you can consider applying to PhD programs if you're still interested, or you could begin to teach comp classes at your current institution. 
 
I've heard a lot of people say "Don't get your PhD in the humanities unless you cannot imagine yourself doing anything else." This has always struck me as a weirdly privileged sentiment: Of course I can imagine myself doing all kinds of things. But this is my first choice. You have to decide if a life of uncertainty is worth giving up a stable job for. 

I think the blog states true facts, but in a very pessimistic way, and from a perspective of bitterness and fatalism. I read through the whole thing the other day, and personally assured myself that nothing they said would deter me from my course.

Jesus H. Christ, you all. What has happened to this forum in the last few days?

A friendly piece of advice: faculty and grad students read this website. You all are a lot more identifiable than you think you are, especially when you post stats, personal details, and the other bits of information that are often included in "What are my chances?"-type posts. And we recognize you when you come to visit or interview with our programs. It's easy. So, when you are a jerk on this forum, or you throw up red flags that you might be a bad colleague (like you divulge that you may be on the verge of starting an affair with a married professor, or display general and inexplicable belligerence, or are quick to judge/pile on other people), we are less likely to want to be your colleague, and therefore your chances of becoming our colleague diminish significantly. So be careful.

This is not directed toward any one person. There have been a lot of folks being less than collegial around these parts in the last few days. Watch a movie, drink a beer, do some yoga. Whatever will calm you. Don't be a jerk on the internet, because we can see you.

Also, Marlowe, Fiona Thunderpaws, GuateAmFeminist, Ophelia, the girl that got into Harvard AND UT Austin, the really nice guy from Purdue, Timshel, of course TripWillis, the girl that went to Duke (and got Wagon Wheel stuck in my head forever) not to mention the many other people who got into programs I wasn't specifically monitoring. Last year was a very successful year for English Lit grad cafe folks.

I've stayed out of this thread because I have nothing to add to the stats/comp lit conversation, but I have to say it irks me when someone comes in and starts slagging off all of the hard work that people here put in. Being on grad cafe can in no way tangibly increases your likelihood of getting into a (good) PhD program, but it certainly doesn't identify you as unlikely to succeed.

Which I think just about sums up why we're talking at cross purposes.

My dream is not to be an academic superstar. I think that would be a fairly hideous life. My dream is to land a stable TT job at a university that's in a place I'd be happy to live for a long time (if it's a completely unknown regional college, I don't mind), where I can teach undergrads and pursue my own research at a pace that doesn't preclude me from being happy in my home life. That dream is not a mediocre approximation of my *hidden* desire to be a superstar, that's my actual dream. It would be so great if I got it; I'll probably have to compromise on some part of it, but that's OK with me too.

Ugh, I have to stop feeding you, dude.

Not becoming the next mega superstar does not mean being mediocre. Some people become professors because they care deeply about undergraduate advising and inspiring intellectual growth. Some people do it because they love their research and want a job that will give them the opportunity and resources to continue. Some want to be graduate advisors and create the next generation of amazing professors. And some want to be a combination of all of those and more. I went to a small school in the middle of nowhere and none of my teachers were superstars, but you know what? They were amazing anyway. To call all of those people's present and future careers mediocre is just rude and small-minded.

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???

I'm an American, but I did my undergrad in Canada and I'm now doing my Masters in Scotland. Through trial and error I've learned that most people don't care at all but a few people care very much about spelling variation. Consequently: stick as close as possible to the conventions of the country you're applying to, as it's their sympathies you're trying to win over anyway.

But yeah, as thestage said, above all: be consistant!

I know that this response will probably win me very few friends here, but if you feel like you can't (or can barely) cope with the anxiety of applying to doctoral programs, you should rethink whether or not academia is for you. Because the anxiety will only get worse, and the stakes will only get higher. I'm not just talking in the first year, or in your 5-10 years in grad school, but imagine this: the anxiety that you are feeling now, multiplied by 100 and with your actual livelihood hanging in the balance, from now until you---maybe, if you're very lucky and are much more productive than 95% of your peers---get tenure. Which means 5-10 years of school, maybe 2-5 years on the job market, 6-7 years on the tenure track. Envision it as twenty more years of what you're feeling now, only with five writing samples and ten SOPs to prepare at any given time (plus grading, advising, committee memberships, peer reviewing, and so on).

This is not to say that the OP can't cope with the situation, but IF that's the case, take a break, don't apply this year, and give yourself another twelve months to prepare and/or rethink whether you want to actually do this. If you feel this anxiety but can cope with it in a healthy and productive way, then congrats! You may be well on your way to becoming another neurotic but satisfied academic! Which is absolutely fabulous.

For all those who are applying to study at the CSU or UC system or to teach at the community college, CSU, or UC system... you can breathe a sigh of relief. Prop 30, which increases funding for public K-college education in California, passed by a considerable margin.

Today is a good day for higher education in California.

I don't disagree.

I'd also recommend applying to both. I wish I had applied to more things during my application year. I'm happy where I ended up, but more options would have been even better.

(If you speak any Spanish you could also look into being an English teacher in Spain for a year - it's paid and I've heard it's a great opportunity to learn Spanish, gain teaching experience, and experience small-town Spanish life http://www.educacion.gob.es/exterior/ca/es/menu_fijo/programas/auxi_canada.shtml ).

No, it's SOPs generally. Terrible. Shield yourself with SOP sunglasses --->

-http://www.ehlinelaw.com/pages/3226/How_to_Become_a_Lawyer_With_No_Law_School_-_Be_a_Lawyer_With_No_College.htm

Also - find practical applications for your projects and encourage everyone else you come into contact to do so also. And don't write papers with obnoxiously pretentious words if you don't want to. I've read really great papers without them. And really, they are great.

I used Enda Duffy in my MA thesis, but I spelled his name "Edna." It wasn't until my defense that I got corrected by a prof who said, "You do know this is a guy right? It's Enda NOT Edna." Woops.

Yes. Just re-read this entire thread. SO MUCH AWESOME NOSTALGIA: Fiona, Ophelia, aeplo, Guate -- even that asshole dokkeynot! GREATEST cohort ever. PARTY AT OPHELIA's TOMORROW NIGHT!!!




I feel that we have a significant responsibility to create the greatest future cohorts ever. Antecedent, you are next.

Weird! I was fairly certain andsoitgoes was a girl from the get go. Do I sense a research topic in the making?

"'I totally thought you were a dude': Linguistic Representations of the Digital Self and Gender Perception in an Online Graduate School Forum"

Yes, I am disillusioned with the humanities.

If only there was a space, somewhere in society, where I could talk about this disillusionment. If only there was somewhere I could analyze and write about that disillusionment and general disillusionment, and it would even be a part of my job to do so. Somewhere I could gather with others and talk about the types of cultural references to disillusionment, such as literature and film.

If anybody knows of such a space like this, please let me know, especially if it even holds the possibility that I could gather with others and have discussions and maybe even PROFESS my own questions or beliefs.

We could call this space, Peopleology, or Person-anities.

I just took the GRE a second time and got a 65% on the verbal, after months of studying. At first, this score made me want to quit this application season out of fear that I no longer have a chance of getting into any of my prospective programs.

After some reflection, I have decided to hang in the race. My school list is almost finalized, as is my writing sample and personal statement. So, I am just going to apply and hope that graduate programs can overlook what - in my opinion - is the least relevant indicator of future success in grad school.

Work.

Right?! Of the MAs I was accepted into, Edinburgh ended up being the least outrageous once I included living fees, length of program, etc. And I was accepted both in state and out of state for American schools!