1Q84

I think it's silly to avoid the use of first person pronouns. It's a freakin' personal statement! It's supposed to be about me (you!) Like you said, it'll just sound stilted and awkward and like you can't write if you try mixing it up too much. Although I did read somewhere that the overuse (or even use altogether) of "I" in emails or correspondence signified subservience and a lack of power. But of course when it comes to grad apps, we already know very clearly what position we all occupy...

Doi! So true... why did I not realise that? From what I can tell, some words like realize are much rarer as realise, even in the UK. Who knows. In my mind, it just defies logic. The "end" of the sentence is after the quotation mark since the quotation mark is part of the sentence, no? And I still think it looks better outside! Ohhh that's interesting to hear. I'll get some pushback about the punctuation then, eh? That's really bothersome as puncutation within quotation marks just looks soooo wrongggg in my eyes. And good to know about the different between ize and ise! I didn't know that even though I majored in Latin...

Urgh... so as an international applicant to US schools, I have to worry about nonsense like this. I tried searching but I didn't come up with many old posts. If anyone has been through this, I'd appreciate some guidance as school websites are (as per usual) not really forthcoming about information and I've found grad secretaries this time of year are less likely to reply because they're so bogged down. 1. I have to provide proof of funds after securing a letter of admission, right? Some of the affidavits I have downloaded seem to imply that I need to submit it as part of my overall application package. 2. Is it right for a school to say that they will sponsor me for an international student tuition waiver after I have accepted the offer to attend? That seems kind of wrong to me as the waiver is not guaranteed... I'm just going to be sponsored by someone in the department and I have the possibility of receiving it. 3. Is it possible to split part of the affidavit between different sources of funds? For example, I'll put down my partner as a means of paying for the huge sum that they estimate for housing and food but all the rest I would say that I have myself. I didn't see any affidavit that allowed for source splitting. Thanks in advance!

Murakami's "Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World" has some very good chilly winter scenes that made me happy I was inside all warm and cozy!

Traditional parroted wisdom was that it's easier to read serif fonts in print (for various reasons, but some suggest that it's merely to what people have been accustomed). Some say that it's easier now to read sans serif digitally. Apparently, the debate still rages: http://www.desktoppublishingforum.com/bb/archive/index.php/t-6656.html Since these adcomms will be sifting through thousands of pages of printed text, I'd suggest just playing it safe and going serif.

99% there they're just verifying my references and credentials....

At the very least, passport should be used at all "very-serious" events needing ID... that should just be a given. I'm a Canadian citizen and I brought my passport to my test... who the hell is gonna argue with a passport?

This made me giggle as that's how I feel about the Elements of Style sometimes....

I would very much advise not using a sans serif font.

While I generally agree with the tenor and sentiments of this thread thus far, I will say that I have had some very kind grad secretaries advise me to not waste my time or money applying with my grades. I appreciated the candour. I have, however, also been "encouraged" to apply to schools like USC that accept maybe 2 students a year into their English PhD program even though I have middling undergrad marks so... I guess it all depends.

Every single source I've read has attributed style guide conventions to "American style punctuation conventions", (or is that "American style punctuation conventions,"?) not the other way around, as you state. The APA website bears this out: Punctuation I'm not hugely concerned about but I do still write realise instead of realize, etc. and I think that can be jarring for some Americans (and even some Canadians!)

Thanks! I figured there'd be a few sticklers out there..... American it is!

On that note, if it's rolling admissions and you submit early, might one get an early offer of acceptance?

So I'm going to be applying exclusively to schools in America but my English is and always has been British (Canadian). Do you think I should perform the painful task of switching all my S's to Z's and taking out all my U's, etc. in my SOP and Writing Sample? I've come across so many Americans that think that "analyse", "colour", and "theatre" are a typo that I don't want to risk someone on the adcomm thinking that I can't spell. Additionally, even stuff like punctuation appearing only within quotation marks is an American tradition with which I don't particularly agree. Opinions? Suck it up and be American since I'm applying to America? Hold onto my "voice" and be fiercely "me"?

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I wasn't aware that people still used phrases like "gentleman and scholar" without bursting into laughter afterwards. Like others have said, I think the chances of you offending someone on the adcomm are much higher than you impressing someone with that line. Personally, I think it's pretty eye-rolly. I also think anyone on the adcomm with a modicum of gender studies knowledge or related experience under their belt would be inclined to vomit after reading that. Mad Men indeed.

Well yeah these gift cards and chocolates and alcohol ideas are news to me... I've never sent gifts to reference writers. I just thought maybe that's what I've been doing wrong all these years....

How much did y'all put on those gift cards out of curiosity....?

You and the back hair guy should have a nice, long talk.

Argh I just got my official scores... 5.5 AW! I can't imagine what I lost .5 on but I really feel like it's all subjective and what one grader thinks is 5.5 could very well be a 6.0. All luck of the draw when you're 5 and above, I think.

Maybe you should stop being a hypothesizer and be a realizer. Write both on your diversity statement. See what happens. Seize the day. Hug a kitten. Be the best that you can be.

Great thanks! That kinda leads to a side question: once you send one piece of the application, do the schools "start a file" for you and then wait for all the rest of your stuff to come in? I submitted my online one and transcripts a while ago but GRE scores and writing sample and SOP are coming in quite a bit later.

I liked the Princeton Review "Hit Parade" a lot better. It was 5 sets of 75 words. Not too strenuous.

I think I've been doing my SOP all wrong. I'm applying for an MA program but I have been reading advice from you all that I think apply to PhD SOPs. What I'm thinking is since Masters students still attend a lot of classes, there isn't as much need to specify professors that you want to "work with" in one's SOP right? A graduate secretary I emailed was confused as to why I was asking why certain professors would be a good "fit" for me, since I would basically just be taking their class, not working with them. I really don't know what the layout of the MA program is in the US. I'm assuming this whole namedropping profs is mostly reserved for PhD SOPs where you need to select an adviser, etc. Someone set me straight, please!

ETS' policy is that if the school requests your information to verify your identity, they are compelled to send it. So if for some reason the school thinks that you aren't who you say you are, they can request that horrible, grainy, webcam mugshot from ETS. I looked pretty awful in mine too and honestly the quality was so bad that you could barely make out my facial features. Shrugs.