alleviate

1. My first thought as well, was "damn this user is way out of my league" 2. Sometimes the most intelligent highest achievers need the most reassurance. Hang in there

University of Saskatchewan. Shakespeare

Like TakeruK, I have planned to have a "way out" - I did my MLIS (librarianship) degree so that I can do library work if humanities teaching jobs are hard to come by.

Western you can complete in a year and they offer a co-op option, which is unique and cool. Real life experience + money = awesome. But I didn't go there. I've heard mixed things about U of T, and great things about UBC. At the end of the day, go to the cheapest school. What you put into it is what you get out of it. Also work part time. I feel like real job experience is what sets you apart. Everyone has the MLIS - what you need is to be able to say that you worked in a library or archive.

I want to study Shakespeare. I am interested in the supernatural, and in liminality. I am also very interested in how to teach Shakespeare properly - there is some study on this! I'm kind of at a loss about how to write my SOP so I don't sound like an idiot.

Thank you thank you thank you! Slowly this is making more sense to me I would love to *need* to visit the Folger! I just finished a Master's in Library and Information Studies... I feel like if I present that in a way that doesn't scream "I'm an expert at research" - it could help my chances. Thanks again for the help, everyone!

My impression is that I will need to get pretty damn specific... Is it too narrow to say that I want to study the liminality within the plays? Is it too broad to say that I'm interested in the supernatural? Is there some secret wonderful place where I can find examples of SOPs relevant to my path? Apologies if they're on the gradcafe.com and I just haven't found them...

My problem is that I feel like I want to study EVERYTHING having to do with the works of Shakespeare. But I have a sneaking suspicion that I will need to be more specific than that in my application. Any suggestions or advice on how to narrow my focus? I also hear a lot about people changing their focus once they enter grad school, so I'm not putting a lot of stock in my initial direction. Would it make sense to tailor my interest to that of a potential supervisor's? Thanks in advance This forum greatly contributes to the maintenance of my sanity.

In looking at the academic histories of profs, it seems it might be possible to get a phd at a non-ivy league school, and then one could teach at a non-ivy league school. Is there something about that that would be a bad idea? I'm also wondering if it would be possible to study at a smaller school, but present at the largest of conferences in order to get some larger recognition. Thoughts?

You are addressing some of my concerns. I would agree that is not the norm for full professors to have a degree from a "random" or lesser-known institution. I did look at a few faculty lists to see if anyone had gone somewhere smaller. It is not the norm, but it's not impossible. So, good luck to us both, I suppose!! Let me know how it goes for you

Amazing and kind advice from everyone! Thank you!!

Why not check out some of the profs on ratemyprofessor.com? It might give you a feel for them as people, or teachers.

How do I choose a supervisor? Is it appropriate to contact professors directly, or to contact the department? What kind of funding should I apply for? I know I will be automatically considered for some options upon applying, but in terms of external scholarships are there any obvious ones (apart from the SSHRC) that I should look for? Is it acceptable to ask "random" professors to proof-read my writing sample? I know my questions reveal my horrible ignorance, but I'm anxious to learn more about the process. Any information you could give me would be much appreciated!

Me: I completed my English Lit BA at UBC, and did my Master's in Library and Information Studies (MLIS) at McGill. I am now living in Saskatchewan, and will be here for 3 years while my boyfriend completes his medical residency. Question: should I do my MA in English Lit at the University of Saskatchewan? Is it ok to go to a "less presitgious" school? Would this put me at a disadvantage when applying to phd programs? I would like to study Shakespeare, and am hoping that it's not where you go but what you make of it (present at conferences, publish articles, etc.) and who you're studying with. My plan is to attend the U of S from 2013-2015, and then with the flexibility of being able to move I would go to a higher ranked school for my phd. Or not go for my phd. I just want to do an MA in English Lit. Advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm very new to masters programs that require finding a supervisor. My MLIS application process was much less involved. Hope you're having a nice week!