glasses

This is true. My first priority anywhere is academics (read: I am a freak), but even still, geography is so important--it's not just a random factor. I can't make it through a year without a good fierce winter, so I'm not sending applications to any place that doesn't get bitterly cold for part of the year, no matter how fabulous those schools are.

I did, but honestly, I don't think it did anything. I got a 6.0 by reading the other essays that got 6.0s and seeing what those writers did that others did not. I'd recommend saving your $13.

I got the same advice, and after a year and a half of mulling it over, I think I agree with it. And, turns out, I'm applying to 7, too!

Yes!

It's a cruel truth that it's harder for international applicants to gain admission into American schools than it is for an American to do so, which is saying something, considering how brutal it is for Americans. Granted, I know nothing about engineering, so take all of this with a grain of salt, but if folks in engineering suggest trying to boost your math score, I'd give it a go. As a reference point, I'm in English lit and am a complete mathematical doofus, but I somehow scored a 750 on the math section of the GRE. So, I have to wonder if they're expecting something even higher for someone going into a math-based discipline? This is highly anecdotal, I know, and quite possibly entirely irrelevant, but there you go.

Thanks!! I'm with ya. Hip, hip, hooray, and all of that noise. I've finally gotten my statement of purpose to a place that doesn't make me gag! It only took seven bloody drafts and three months. Christ, this experience is something else.

Anyone have any thoughts about the above question? Inquiring minds, etc.

Pie. (No, seriously. Don't ask why--couldn't tell ya.)

Theory's my shtick, so I'm always reading theory. Maybe we can start some kind of e-mail group thing? PM me if interested!

Hey y'all: can some other people post suggestions? I've got the Princeton Review book, and I've pulled out the Nortons. I also just registered for the November test, and I'm severely freaking out. "Literature in English": can it possibly get more vague or broad? (Well, yes, it can, but if I even entertain the thought of how much more vague and broad a test can be, my brain will explode.) I haven't taken a practice test in one sitting yet, but I've been working on the sample from the ETS website in small chunks: I'm continually stumped on the (albeit few) questions that feature a sample passage and then five possible interpretations as answer choices. How's a gal supposed to pick the best one? Sure, one or two typically seem like they have no connection to the passage, and they're easy to eliminate. But then it's down to the final three, and one seems like it could be sort of Harold Bloom-esque, and another seems like it could be a little Susan Stewart-y, and a third seems a tad bit Marjorie Perloff-like, and I know which one I'd probably like and which ones would make me cringe, but I can hardly tell which one's "right" without a full-fledged argument behind it. So what I'm essentially asking is: is the thing as brutal and bizarre as it seems from the very outset?

This, and also: you could consider waiting a year before applying, and coming up with a couple of things to do in that year to get more recommendations (such as taking a few graduate classes at a local college or university and developing relationships with those professors). Being a transfer student doesn't damn you at all; I wasn't one, but I've had many friends who've been transfer students and gone on to dazzling programs.

I've been told that the only two big rules regarding letters are: 1) make sure they'll be damn good, and 2) make sure they're about your academic work. Based on this, I think the second of the two professors you mention should be just fine, and even advantageous.

The thread "How did you prep for GREs?" started by RedPotato on April 11th might help.

From Cambridge, MA: you can wear whatever you want, as long as you show up clothed.

I got a 6.0, and really, it was one of the least imaginative essays on the face of the planet. I doubt it would have even gotten a B from my undergrad college. Even if you're nervous about essay writing under a time crunch, or essay writing in general, you can absolutely nail this thing. Three tips-- 1) It's going to be graded in about five minutes, probably less. Remember the little things that make your readers' lives easier--indent, indent, indent--and don't make any glaring grammatical errors. Use a straightforward essay structure: introduction with thesis, three body paragraphs, conclusion. Remember to use transitions. Do whatever you can to make your essay slide down smoothly. 2) Address the question. Don't let the time crunch distract you from the purpose. In the same vein, I do suggest outlining, and leaving about three minutes at the end to skim everything. 3) When in doubt, don't. Don't try to impress with complicated sentence structure or fancy-pants vocabulary. If you're not a billion percent sure how to use a word or an example, don't waste your time with it. The goal's to get in and get out. Noojens, you asked about sentence structure--I definitely used semicolons, and I imagine I used prepositional phrases, too . . . the main thing is, though, to make sure you use each grammatical feature correctly. The assignment is to write a thing in thirty minutes. They're not looking for something awesome, or even great--they're looking for a command of the language and the ability to write out an argument. Just do whatever it is that'll yield you the best result given the time that you have. And, to Certain_Entropy: it's definitely, definitely possible to increase your score to your target, especially with lots and lots of practice tests and practice problems. Good luck!

Well, again, it's not that statistics are irrelevant--I'd never say that--just not all that useful. And, to be blunt, from my albeit limited experience, we ain't gonna find transparency here.

I see the Cheshire Cat. Every. Single. Time.

This. The GRE mostly gauges how well you can take the GRE.

I think it might have to do with the sheer number of variables that can't be defined by numbers: sure, average incoming GPAs and GREs matter, but there are so many unquantifiable aspects of the process that those acceptance rates would be virtually worthless. How could you say what an average writing sample--or an average LOR, or an average SOP--is? For English, these are the most important parts of the app. If a school says they take 2% of their applicants, and of those 2% the average GPA was 3.6, that doesn't tell you all that much about how you'd fare. Not that any of this helps with the anxiety and the persistent bogeyman called the Can I Get In There Factor. To deal with that, I've been asking professors who know my work to tell me if they have any specific recommendations for schools I should take a look at; I've also been to a graduate school admissions counselor and asked the same, after rattling off stats, resume bullet points, and academic interests. This usually gives me a pretty decent idea of what I can reasonably expect.

I don't really advise leaving your UCF background out. Bear in mind that obviously I'm just an applicant like you, and have no idea what they can or can't know: whenever I hear the phrase "admissions committee," I think of a super dark, smoke-filled room tucked somewhere in the bowels of universities with tons of little desk lamps. But, personally, I'd be really uncomfortable doing anything that defies application rules, and when they say "transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities," I take that as "transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities." A better strategy might be to talk to your letter writers and see if they could somehow explain your experience at UCF. Perhaps you could even mention it in your statement of purpose, and instead of writing that your professor is brutal and the program is nuts, figure out a way to discuss it as a learning experience that makes you a better-prepared PhD candidate now.

1. Depends on how you study. I took tons--something like 12--because I knew from prior test-taking experience that for me, practice tests really help me get a solid score. I'd say to take at least three--one before you start studying, one in the middle of your study program, and one about a month before you take the test so you know what last areas you need to brush up on. Then again, even that depends on how much time you have. 2. Kaplan, PowerPrep, Princeton Review, Barron's. 3. Take them in as close to a simulated environment as you can--on the computer, in dead silence. This was my big problem: I think I could have done a bit better if I'd practiced like this, but since I don''t have a PC, I took my computerized test at a friend's house. 4. See #2.

So, I only have one thing to add to what teaganc wrote--s/he mentioned that some programs prefer that you not have an MA in English Lit, but it might be worth mentioning that some programs actually require you not to have one. Just keep that in mind in your search for a PhD program. I also second the suggestion for a gap year. It'll give you more time to make severely awesome applications, and, moreover, it'll give your possible LOR writers more time to get to know you.

Whoa, chill. I don't think those of us who were worried about bridge-burning felt remotely like someone's going to "cry" if a student rescinds: I certainly didn't intend to imply that I expected a department to be wringing its collective hands if I were in the original poster's situation. It's not remotely egotistical to sweat over whether a decision made now can bite you where the sun don't shine later, and it's perfectly natural to worry about potential ramifications . . . excuse me if I prefer to minimize the number of things I can possibly worry about!

This. The phrase "marathon, not sprint" comes to mind. Take all the time in the world to need to build a strong application (in addition to what stigMPA said, you're going to want to rock that statement of purpose and writing sample), and if you're really worried about how your undergrad career might look, take some non-degree graduate classes in whatever area you plan to apply to allay doubts about your ability to perform in school. Good luck!

This, above, isn't true. Comp lit departments are no less strict about English language proficiency than English departments are. On the other hand, your knowledge of other languages will weigh in far more heavily for Comp Lit admissions than they would for English admissions.