Augusta

sunshan, I believe registration for the 2012-13 season doesn't open until July. Give it a few more weeks, and you should be able to sign up. Good luck, by the way. I suffered through the exam this past April, and it was definitely challenging.

claire56, as I've been researching different programs, I've found that some schools actually state in their admissions requirements that the writing sample should reflect one's research interests. Of course, there are many other schools that don't say anything like this. I suggest you check with your programs' requirements and, if necessary, contact them directly to ask. Based on the advice I've received, I suspect you shouldn't worry about making sure your sample touches on every single one of your interests, especially if your paper could turn out a convoluted mish-mash of assorted ideas as a result. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I haven't read any of the other texts mentioned in this thread, although they're all on my Amazon wishlist, but I do own a copy of Culler's work. I read it just a few months ago in preparation for the GRE Literature Test. While it is very short, it's also a very good overview of the major literary theories. It introduces important names and terms, which the reader can then seek out more information about in a more comprehensive text.

That's some pretty high praise. Thanks for the recommendation and for the tip about checking my local library.

Yes, that number is your percentile score. So, for example, if there's a 70 there, that places you in the 70th percentile, which means you scored higher than 70% of everyone who took that Lit test in the past three years (I believe it's three).

I also loved Much Ado; I hope to catch it on TV again sometime soon. I'm curious as to what you found odd about the casting. Emma is my favorite of Austen's novels, though I've only seen the Gwyneth Paltrow version. I've read many positive reviews about the 2009 version but am still reluctant to fork out the money to see it. I just don't want to be disappointed.

Thanks for the reminder that Luhrman also directed Moulin Rouge--this explains a lot about the trailer.

Well, at this point in time, I'm thinking, "Let's just see if I get accepted anywhere first and then I'll worry about it." If I had known earlier that I'd be pursuing graduate studies, I might have taken more foreign language classes in college. I've been studying French on and off for about five years now. Ideally, once I submit applications, I'll have time to sit down and brush up on the language so that I'll be in good shape by the fall. As for that second language that some programs require, I don't even know how to determine what that should be. I'm under the impression that the languages are supposed to be relevant to your field of study, right?

Um, aren't trailers supposed to highlight the most appealing aspects of a film to get people all excited about seeing it? I just watched the trailer, and I'm not at all motivated to see this movie. I don't even like The Great Gatsby that much (although I've certainly come to appreciate it more and more upon re-readings), but I'm still a bit appalled at how many times I laughed at certain clips in the trailer. For example, the scenes in which Daisy and Gatsby have their little "nice to see you again" moment and then when Gatsby's throwing clothes over the railing had me cringing, chuckling, and raising my eyebrows in confusion all at once. It's disappointing considering how much I usually enjoy watching Leo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan. Based on the trailer, I'm concerned that movie-goers unfamiliar with the text will walk away thinking that Fitzgerald just wanted to write some tragic love story set during the 1920s, the most awesomely flashy time period ever. Gatsby deserves better.

Phil Sparrow, thanks for taking the time to offer your advice. Reading your response helped a lot. asleepawake, I'm sorry you were disappointed with your test results. It took a few days, but I got over it. We may not have done as well as we would have liked, but at least it's over, right? I'm just sorry I couldn't wait another two weeks to get the scores for free. Good luck with your thesis, by the way.

Thanks for responding. You made a good point as to why Brandeis set their maximum page number so high. I really hope you're right, because I'm pretty certain my sample will ultimately end up around 20 pages. I still wonder, though, if submitting a lengthier piece would put my application in a more favorable light. Obviously, the end goal is quality rather than quantity, but I'm concerned that as someone applying to their PhD program directly out of undergrad, I need to demonstrate that I can handle more than just the 10-15 page papers I wrote during college. I guess what's really wigging me out is how unusual Brandeis' specifications are in comparison to those of the other schools.

With regards to the writing sample length requirements, what if only one or two schools provide an unusually high maximum length? For example, I'm pretty certain I know exactly where I want to apply this fall. Most of the schools call for approximately 15 pages. However, Brandeis, as margarethale has already stated, has a 35 page maximum, and I think she made an excellent point that falling too short of that maximum would be risky. Brandeis does allow for two shorter essays, but I'd much rather submit something of a more substantial length, especially since I'm applying straight out of undergrad, where I normally didn't write papers more than 15 pages long. There was one paper in particular I wrote during undergrad that I really enjoyed writing, and it has a lot of relevance to where my scholarly interests lie. So my plan was to improve on it this summer, expanding it to 15-20 pages--but then there's Brandeis. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the best course of action to take would be? Would I be better off expanding the paper to ~35 pages for Brandeis and then creating a condensed version for the other schools? Should I focus on producing the sample for the schools with the shorter maximum requirements first and then focus on Brandeis? The best possible solution is probably right in front of me, but I'm struggling to see it.

I just remembered watching the Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) performed by the Reduced Shakespeare Company. If you're well-versed in Shakespeare and in need of a good laugh, check it out. I searched Netflix's website, and it is in their library.

transcendental, Thank you for your well wishes. It's kinda strange how reassuring a completely anonymous person on some message board can be. Thanks, also, for sharing your DGS' advice. I did major in English and performed well in my Lit courses, so I guess that's even more reason to let all my test-related anxiety go.

Yeah, you're most likely right--retaking it just for an eleven point percentile jump would be absurd given how little emphasis is placed on test scores anyway. As the day's gone on, I've been gradually nearing a place of acceptance. I made that earlier post within minutes of finding out my results, so the sting of my initial disappointment was still quite painful. Well, at least I can cross one thing off my to-do list. My next move is preparing for the general GRE while working on my writing sample and SOP, which actually do matter a lot.