butalas

Hey this sounds super interesting! What are you looking at specifically in terms of social theory on antebellum culture?

I experienced similar misfortune with my lit GRE score, but still managed to get accepted to some really great programs. Another piece of advice: one of my recommendation writers, a professor of mine who I am really close with, specifically addressed this in her letter. That is, she told me she said something about how I simply cannot take these crazy tests. Of course, she truly believes in my ability to study literature/conduct research at a high level: she wouldn't have defended me so strongly if she didn't believe that to be true. But anyway, it might be worth mentioning to your letter writers that you scored poorly on the GREs, and hopefully they will write some nice words pardoning you. It's always better to address these things directly, rather than submitting some questionable numbers and hoping the committees either pass by them blindly, or by their own deftness, magically see that your strengths lie elsewhere.

Go for it! I have some friends who live over there and it's definitely a nice/safe area.

I would be glad to help. I also would be more than happy to send my SOP/WS/whatever-you-want if you think that it would help spark some new ideas. Disclaimer: I applied to 9 schools, was rejected from 4, waitlisted at 1 (I eventually turned them down) and accepted to 4.

Indeed. I ask about the languages because most comparative lit programs require 1 or 2 languages besides English upon entry (someone correct me if I'm wrong). This could be a huge plus for your studies if you are looking to study American AND a non-English literature.

oh, and good luck!

Hey there! From your list, I applied to UPenn, Boston University and UC Santa Cruz and was only accepted by Boston University. Also, I applied for the MA program at each. My focus is in 19th C American lit and critical theory. Also, my undergraduate GPA was certainly below yours (3.6 in lit). But, I do need to state that I had a very strong writing sample, SoP and letters of recommendation--I really think these components of the application are the most important. UPenn would have been a great fit for me, but maybe they were a bit too prestigious for me anyway. UCSC, on the other hand, wasn't such a great fit. I really felt that it made sense why I didn't get into certain schools--my interests and the school didn't match up so well. So maybe that's my advice--work on your writing sample A LOT and find those schools which REALLY fit your intended program of study. Hope this helps!

From what I remember, UC Santa Cruz seemed to be pretty focused on comparative, although I can't comment on whether that includes Scandinavian/Icelandic. Do you speak a Scandinavian language?

If you want to do this, there are a few things you should consider. While you will certainly need a car to live in Westchester, I would highly advise against using it to commute to school. Driving in New York isn't so bad, but parking is. And I mean REALLY bad. The best option is to then use commuter rail (Metro-North) which will take about 30 minutes-1 hour to get to Grand Central Station. From there you can take the 7 cross-town to Times Sq. and transfer to the 1, which will take you to Columbia. It's totally do-able, and thousands of people do it everyday, but be aware that you will really not have the feeling of living in New York. I think it would be much better to live in Queens close to a subway connection if you are looking for a "quieter" New York experience. The commute would be a bit shorter and cheaper (Metro-North tickets are about $15 for a round-trip, although I'm not sure how much a monthly pass is, but I think it's around the $200 range) and you would still be living in New York. Living outside of the city will create a strong barrier between you and the city and you will never really feel like a New Yorker. Hope this helps!

Readwritenap makes some really good points. If you plan on going for your PhD, then a two year MA program is really the best option. It will give you enough time to really develop as a graduate student (I'm speaking from assumption, not experience). Plus, if you decide to go to BC, then we will meet there!

I think most never even apply; hence her "other" life where she is applying to "Graduate School"--the general concept of it, not an actual university.

Although I don't think it true for most of the people on GC, she does sort of embody the current generation's view on graduate school. That is, the view that graduate school will save you from the hustle and bustle of everyday life; that it is a continuation of your undergraduate experience in which academia played a secondary, if not tertiary role next to partying, frat house gatherings, and the like. She is one of those people who talk about applying to grad school because they don't know what else to do with their lives. Those people really give me the jeebies.

The "mind-dump" idea is a great one--just let it all out. I'm sure you have a lot of thoughts and a lot to say...so say it! For me, I work best either in the early morning or just after dinner. They are both relaxing moments of the day that allow me to "let it flow." Small bits at a time; don't think about the quality of the writing; steady progress. Cramming produces incoherent work and muddled ideas. Just try to set aside a few hours each day (again I suggest early morning when there is just you, coffee, and the essay--nobody around to bother you) and you will steadily climb that mountain.

I don't purport to by any kind of wizard in this area, although it seems that *almost* all of my emails receive some sort of response. I just e-mailed the cuny grad center for feedback with the subject line "Recent Rejection." I received a response and was told that they would be happy to answer my questions after May 1st (also I directed the email to the wrong person).

Yeah it's great! Also, just be aware, it can be VERY addicting.

P.S. -- I just ordered Terry Eagleton's Criticism and Ideology: A Study in Marxist Literary Theory ​and I'm very excited about it. I've only read bits of it before for an undergraduate class. Has anyone ever read this one before? ***thriftbooks.com is great if you don't know about it. It only cost me $4!

It seems that most think it totally unethical to dissuade a student from pursuing graduate studies. Does the inverse also apply then? That is, is it wrong to encourage outstanding undergraduates to consider their graduate options? My undergraduate professors made it very clear that they thought I would do very well in graduate school, and that to continue my education would be a fantastic opportunity for me. Of course, I had considered the option before, but thought myself in some way unqualified. After some encouragement from my professors I decided to apply--although I probably wouldn't have done so without them. Although I've yet to start (starting this fall!), I was accepted to multiple schools. At the least, I can say that I'm very happy I was encouraged to apply. Conversely, I would think it a professor's duty to let a student know if they think the student is unqualified. Of course, it is impossible to tell this from just one class. But in such a case, the professor should inform the student that they may not be the best person to write a letter for them (to whatever use the letter may go).

I'm also really excited! The classes look fantastic. I don't yet know how registration works, but assuming I can just take all the classes I want to, I plan to enroll in "Contemporary Literary and Culture Theory," "American Nature Writing," and "Introduction to Advanced Research." I believe the last one is required of us. My area is 19th century American and critical theory. What classes are you thinking of taking/what's your area?

I can't think of any other valid reason to pursue graduate studies besides the desire to study.

I think "real world" experience, in whatever form, is far more beneficial than, say, internships, study abroad, or any other "cushioned" experience outside of academia. Real world experience, be it working at a terrible job or otherwise, has a harder edge, and requires you to become more serious. We are serious about what we are studying right? Cushioned experiences don't demand much of you, and you can sort of wiggle your way through. That being said, my current roommate comes from the typical privileged white American family. His parents payed for his college (at a private university) and now he is just for the first time working, paying bills etc. It's almost disgusting how ill-prepared he is for "real" life. I only make a little more than half of what he makes, but because he has no concept of how to save money, he always has to borrow money from me for rent or utilities--his parents are basically starting to refuse to give him anymore money. Meanwhile, after payday, he comes home and says "hey look at this new [insert clothes item here] I bought! Isn't it nice!?" Really...no concept of how things work. There is merit in the differences we face, and although they may be more prepared academically, we have a different kind of preparation.

This is some really good advice. I spent very little time studying for the GRE (realistically 2 weeks), and subsequently did pretty horrible on it. I spent LESS time studying for the subject test (read--NONE) and did worse. I was convinced that with those numbers, and my not bad, but average for a hopeful-graduate-schooler's GPA, I would get in nowhere. Conversely, I spent together about 5 months on my writing sample and my SOP. My writing sample was a 20 page condensation of my 100 page senior thesis (it was really difficult to do that). So I had assumed that the writing would have already been pristine. Of course it wasn't, as any essay could use more work. I worked through the entire summer with my undergraduate advisor to perfect (as much as possible) my writing sample and my SOP. She and many other professors told me not to worry about GRE scores and that my GPA would be good enough, but I didn't believe them. I thought they were just being nice, but in reality, they knew EXACTLY what they were talking about. And why should they not? If anyone knows anything about this entire process, it's professors who are on the exact other end of the application process. I think what really saved my application were these two elements (WS and SOP) on top of the whole "fit" thing. Pretty much, I was offered admission at every school that I applied to which could offer a course of study to match my interests. The ones I was rejected from had very little fit with my interests (besides one ivy which was a great fit, but oh well). And now I see that I wasted a lot of time and money on those applications--I doubt I would have gone there even if I had been accepted. Pretty fantastic stuff. Best of luck to all applying for 2013!

Hey are you teaching English language or English language literature? If the former, I can certainly give you specific tips. I've been teaching English (language) in total for about a year now, and I can certainly remember my first days and the anxiety associated with it. Although maybe I did not fear it as much as you, I would sweat through two shirts for each 45 minute class. Now I hardly need to prepare anything and am totally confident about the whole thing. Whatever the subject is exactly, just tell yourself how incredibly awesome you are for being in grad school and having such an opportunity. And some small advice for questions you are not so sure of--stop for a moment, make a "thinking face" (so that they know you are thinking) and answer indirectly (if you still are not sure). Otherwise, don't be afraid to not know the answer immediately! It's just teaching. One of my mentors always told me not to be nervous in front of the class--there are people right now shooting at each other with guns; we are just standing in front of some people. The world doesn't end if you have a bad class.

Will anyone here be going to BC this fall for sure? I accepted one of those "funded" MA spots last week and I'm pretty excited about it, although it seems that others were not so thrilled about the idea. What exactly turned you away from the funded MA?

This pretty much sums up my experience...especially "everything happens for a reason." Of course they don't understand AT ALL the research and process of applying, and finding out all these specifics about each school. I think with most people, it's a polite way of saying "I don't know anything about graduate school, nor do I care to talk about it." My current roommate described me as "masochistic" for wanting to study more.

It even has a drop seat...amazing