screamingacrossthesky

@wordstew Would you be willing to elaborate on this? In which industry/ies did you feel that your PhD held you back? Did you receive feedback that you were overqualified? Or would require too high a salary? I'd appreciate any insight on this point that you'd be willing to share.

Fair point, sugilite. All I was trying to say was simply that I didn't do any of bpilgrim's excellent suggestions and I was still accepted off of waitlists. Based on my admittedly anecdotal evidence, I just wanted to reassure people that it wasn't absolutely necessary (though I'm sure it could be helpful!) to send updates and further expressions of interest in order to be accepted. Not to discourage any from following that strategy, but just to reassure those who might not feel comfortable reaching out directly (as I know I would not have been).

Hi waitlisters! First off, congrats! When I got waitlisted at a number of programs during my application season, I felt like I wasn't quite good enough. However, I now realize that is silly and if you are competitive enough to get on a waitlist, then you are competitive enough to be accepted. There are so many other factors that can define that fine line between acceptance and waitlist, so you shouldn't feel at all lesser. Second, while I commend bpilgrim89 on this effort and am happy to hear that it ended up working out so well, I just wanted to say that I indeed sat on my ass and waited and got off the waitlist at more than one top 10 program. This is not to denigrate that effort, especially if you know that your number one program is somewhere that you are waitlisted, but to assert that it is very possible to get off a waitlist without this type of follow up. Last, if you can, still go to the visit weekend(s). If you haven't been offered an invitation, ask if you can still attend or even visit another time (and definitely ask for funding for the visit, but if at all possible, I'd recommend trying to visit even if the money doesn't come through--though I totally recognize that this will often not be possible). A visit weekend is a great way to track down things like the rumors about hires/folks leaving/what it is like to work with a certain advisor/etc., assert your interest in the program and learn about the waitlist, and just get a feel for the positives and negatives of being a student in certain program and in a certain area. While this might not be true for everybody, I found the visits very helpful and ended up changing where I thought I wanted to go. Best of luck to all of you! While it obviously won't always work out, many schools--even top programs--end up drawing from their waitlists, so keep the hope alive!

Hi there! Just wanted to send along a word of encouragement that I applied successfully a few cycles ago although all of my letters of recommendation were late and one was really, really late . If they like your application and your letter is submitted by the time the committee meets, then you should still be considered. So I would follow up again when you feel like you can without upsetting your recommender, but not stress too much about letting a few days pass. The end of term is also always a busy time, so they may just not have gotten around to responding yet. I'd suggest trying their office phone (or the department office and ask to leave a note with your return number) or, if possible, stopping by in person since some profs are really bad on email. Good luck and I hope they submit their letter soon!

You seem to have received some great advice so far, but I just want to point out that, while most of your concerns are shared by many successful candidates, this one part of your message raised some red flags. I agree with all the others that not writing a thesis should not matter, but I wonder what the application process was for being allowed to write one. For example, if this required proposing a project, then this is the exact same skill required in a SoP, so you will want to work with your professors and anyone else who offers to help to develop this skill and/or make sure that your proposed research interests are original and viable. Also, if that application required LoR, then I would follow up with those letter writers and figure out why your application was unsuccessful--especially if you will be using any of the same letter writers for your future applications. A luke warm recommendation could hurt your PhD application. Again, I have no idea what the process was for your application to the Honor's Thesis course, and could have simply come down to the same considerations that keep qualified applicants out of PhD programs one application season, but not the next (field diversity, committee members' interests, etc.). However, if components of that application resemble a PhD application, then I would figure out why that application was unsuccessful so you can improve and apply successfully to MA and/or PhD programs. Best of luck!

I hear ya, but the interviews are on Skype and quite short (20-30 min), so hopefully it'll be relatively easy to sort out!

My guess is that Chicago tries to give a bit of lead time for candidates to prepare while they continue to narrow their list down to those they actually interview (short list to shorter list), but it does seem a bit harsh that people know they came close, but didn't make that cut. I decided it would be bad luck to prep, but then got an interview and had very little time to get ready because the interview times were literally the next couple days after the email.

I know this feels disastrous, but please don't be too stressed out! One of my recommendations was late to all of my schools (including some on your list) and my application was still considered. They understand that this part of your application is not entirely in your control; I'm sure it will work out as long as the letter is submitted before the committee meets. I hope that you hear back from your professor soon.

Not MA options (and not UK), but if you are also thinking about a PhD, you might look up Nadia Ellis at Berkeley--especially her work on the Jamaican dance hall and a recent piece in Genders on dance in New Orleans. You might also consider a program like Stanford's MTL, which would allow you access to their TAPS faculty as well as English. My only contribution for MAs might be to look for people doing disability studies (which I think is a growing field in rhet/comp?, which are more often funded MAs), since I think that could intersect with your interest in physicality and captivity in interesting ways. Good luck, hope you find a great fit!

Sure. We received an email to sign up for an interview. As I mentioned, mine was a Skype interview, although I think some schools still have interview weekends (Notre Dame?); mine was with two professors from the department--I have no idea if they were on the admission committee or not, they didn't mention it either way--although I heard about interviews with three professors and even a whole panel at another school. They would not have been my potential advisors, but were in tangential fields and were able to ask very knowledgable and informed (read: intimidatingly specific and thoughtful) questions about my area of interest and writing sample, so I do not think it is entirely random, but is instead dictated by some combination of field and schedule. The interview, as I wrote, was entirely questions about my writing sample and proposed project/field of interest more generally, except when I had the opportunity to pose questions to them--another part that you could prep in advance. I don't want to get into too many details on a public forum, and every interview is different based on who is interviewing, but mine, at least, was entirely substantive and quite challenging. For example, I was asked about specific authors/texts and theorists in my field that weren't expressly mentioned in my writing sample/SoP, but names that I should have known. Again, however, I really think that this is so dependent on your specific interviewers and potentially the specific school's format that making any generalizations from one anecdotal piece of evidence isn't very wise. Just brush up on what you already know, be honest about what you don't--you aren't expected to know everything, they know we are all just embarking on this crazy adventure--and do the best you can. Like I said, I'm pretty sure that I botched it and it all worked out okay anyway. Like all aspects of your application, this is just one part of the whole.

As I bet you all know, very few English programs interview (and Columbia is historically not one of them, Caien). Sometimes a professor will informally contact a student, but only a couple of programs interview their whole short list. Off the top of my head, Chicago and Duke Literature (but not English) have interviewed in the past few years, and I think but might be mistaken that Emory and Notre Dame do as well? It does change, though--Stanford used to and doesn't anymore, Chicago didn't and does now. I am not sure about Comp Lit, though, since I didn't apply--it is my general impression that interviews are more common in that field, in particular to test language skills. However, I did have one interview last season. Quite honestly: it was nerve-wracking; I don't think that it went very well; I was admitted anyway. The interview questions were entirely based on my writing sample and the substantive proposal in my SoP. If I were to give any advice, it would be to be extremely familiar with the material in these documents, as well as research beyond what was expressly mentioned but would inform your field of proposed interest. Although that probably sounds ridiculous now when it feels like you could never not know these intimately, in over a month, when you are maybe taking other classes and definitely focusing on other things, putting in the work to really refamiliarize yourself with those documents and the research that you did to generate them will pay off. The tip that I received (and did not do, but realized too late was a great idea) is to make a couple reminder notes to yourself on post-its and put them around your computer screen (since it will likely be a Skype interview with 2-3 profs). If you are stressed and start to panic, even one word that sets you off in the right direction can be helpful. If you are really worried and don't think it would be too much of an imposition, you might ask a recommender who is familiar with your application to compose a few relevant questions, or even try to do this yourself. Be as relaxed and as confident as you can, know that you can answer questions somewhat cagily to direct the conversation toward surer ground, and don't worry too much-- they are just trying to get to know you and what you want to study as well as they can in 20-30 minutes!

Just want to wish you all the best of luck in finishing up! And to those procrastinators out there freaking out while reading about all these people already submitting their apps, don't worry! I am not proud to admit that my apps went in at the very last minute (and recommendations even later), but everything still turned out fine. Not a recommended plan of action, of course, but still a potentially fruitful one!

First off, congrats on the great standardized test scores. They'll only help you. To address your question, however, I think it is important to emphasize that applications, from what I can tell, are evaluated as a package. In other words, I don't think that high GRE scores "cancel out" a low GPA, but I think that they make your application as a whole more appealing to adcomms. I would also emphasize that my other main take away from going through this process last year and speaking with professors both at my current institution and during visit weekends at other schools is that the most important part of the application by far is neither the GRE nor GPA, but the writing sample and statement of purpose. Put your time into these documents and not into worrying about those factors of your application that it is too late to change (easier said than done, I know!). Lastly, it doesn't sound like your GPAs are actually that low, especially your MA GPA and, as you importantly distinguish, not in lit seminars. I definitely wouldn't change the tier of school that you are applying to (as long as they are a fit otherwise) or not apply based on your GPA. It also doesn't sound like it is low enough to address with an explanatory note in your SoP (and give up precious space in such a brief document), which would otherwise be my advice.

Just a few thoughts. First, although a professional letter will be less helpful than an academic reference, you might still want to ask your boss just in case you aren't able to track down another professor to write your third letter in time. I know that programs will not consider an application at all without the required number of letters. Second, if you decide to reach out to undergrad professors, you might try to find your old papers (and especially any papers with their comments) to include with your request (along with your current SoP and writing sample). Then, even if they don't remember you at first, they would at least have something substantive on which to comment. Last, in reaching out to any of the other professors you are considering (and I agree with ExponentialDecay to stop pursuing the elusive third professor), you might want to mention that you thought that you had a third recommendation already lined up and it fell through, so they don't think that you just procrastinated and are now asking for a favor at the last minute. This might make them more inclined to help. Best of luck!

https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu

I agree that funding is a very important factor, but I think that MA programs also gain "prestige" through their PhD program placement. It is worth asking schools for that information if it is not available on their website (only, of course, if you are thinking about going onto a PhD, otherwise it might be worth asking what fields/positions that their MAs have entered post-graduation, if they know). Usually people are using the nomenclature "unranked" casually to refer to an MA at a school either without a PhD program or with one that is not ranked in the top-whatever number of USN&WR schools. Some schools, like Georgetown, do not have a PhD program and therefore their MAs may (arguably) receive more attention from the faculty, another "prestige" factor. If you are not hoping/planning to go onto a PhD program, however, then an MA from a big name school with a top ranked PhD program might be more helpful in whatever field you are thinking about entering than a funded MA from an "unranked" school (even if those MA programs have a mixed reputation within the academy). However, of course, just like for PhDs, it is also important to consider the professors in your field, both as potential advisors/mentors (will they help you to do your best work?) and, if you are going on, as recommenders (how much weight will their recommendation carry when/if you apply to PhD programs?). A school with a prestigious reputation (either as an MA or PhD program) might not be the best fit with your interests/goals. Figuring out what you want from your MA program might help you to prioritize these factors (and others!) and figure out a list of the best schools for you.

Sounds like a great plan, and I'm sure that you'll be able to pull that score up after earning your MA. Good luck!

Whether or not you decide not to retake the subject test, it might be worth thinking about retaking the GRE general (if you have the time and the money). An 80th percentile on the verbal section is, I think, rather low for applying for English PhDs, and (unlike the subject test) I have heard that some schools use the verbal score as a way to make the first cut of applicants.

As an additional thought, I have heard that it can prove more challenging for international students to be accepted at public US universities because they are ineligible to qualify for in-state tuition and are therefore more "expensive" for the department. I have no hard facts to back this up (and maybe some of the folks at those schools could speak to whether or not this is true), but it is something that I have heard before, so I just thought I would mention it. I know that there are, of course, international students at these schools, so this is not to discourage you, but as you are compiling your school list, it might also be worthwhile to include a number private schools where this would not be a factor.

American Literary History, American Literature, boundary 2, Contemporary Literature, Critical Inquiry, Criticism, Critique, JML, MFS, Narrative, Novel, PMLA, Post45, Qui Parle, Studies in the Novel, Twentieth-Century Literature... I'd also recommend looking at program websites and finding faculty whose work interests you and seeing where they are published. I think that it will prove challenging to prepare a writing sample for a PhD application independently without a literary studies background, although I think reading around in journals will be a great way to affirm your interest in pursuing studies in this field at that level and getting a sense of the topics/methodologies/theories that are hot right now. I think there have been some great suggestions in this thread for how to prep for a PhD round, especially looking into post-bac classes through extension/open enrollment programs and thinking seriously about applying for MAs instead (or, at least, as well).

Thanks again to everyone who has responded, especially those who have shared personal anecdotes. Your input has been very helpful in changing my frame of mind to get the most out of the visit. Busload of awkward here I come...

Thanks so much to all of you for sharing your advice! I've decided to go, but I know I'm going to feel like the unworthy runner-up cowering in the corner.

Just looking for a little advice... I've been waitlisted at one of my top choices and invited to attend their visit weekend. However, this seems so awkward, since I'm not really an admitted student. Any advice on whether or not to go? Thanks in advance!

Unfortunately, you have to choose. From the Duke English FAQs: 
2. What is the difference between the English Department and the Program in Literature at Duke? Which should I apply to? You may apply to English or to Literature, but not to both. In rare cases where we feel that a student has misdirected an application, we will contact the student to suggest transferring the application. But we cannot guarantee that there will be time for this, so we recommend that you read both the English and the Literature website carefully. The key criterion is again “fit”: though each program allows you to take courses in the other and to appoint faculty from either program to your committee, if you find that a majority of the faculty with whom you are interested in working are based in Literature, it would make sense to apply to that program. The Director of Graduate Studies and Assistant to the DGS in both English and Literature will be glad to answer your questions as you make your choice.

There is a practice test in the back of the Princeton Review book, but you can also find a few more (now quite old) ETS exams on the web. I'm not sure which exam is currently available on the ETS site, but if you just do a Google search for forms GR9564, GR0764, and/or GR9964, you should be able to find a few more in PDF form. ETA: I remembered an old post on here with a few of these tests: http://ge.tt/6hi9L7u?c