UCI Comparative Literature

[TryingAgain]

This post is in response to the person who was asking about UCI on the results page. So, I did make some major changes in my application from last year to this year, and I am having some great results - I have been accepted into three schools with full funding (rejected from 5). Two of the schools that accepted me this year rejected me last year - there is hope for all of you who are going to try again!

So here is my background - my undergraduate degree is in journalism from a Cal State and my GPA from back then is terrible. My masters is in English from a small liberal arts college and my GPA from there is fine (3.91). When I was applying last year, I had finished my masters but was still taking language classes - I was in my second year of Spanish and my first year of French. My focus is Latin American literature and politics as well as West African lit. The first thing I did was contact my top choice schools and ask them if they could give me any advice on how to improve my application. Two of them responded - one saying she couldn't speak to my application specifically but giving me some general advice. The other was very specific, listing items from the committee notes about my application. The first major concern was, not surprisingly, my language level. Next, there was concern that my undergraduate GPA was so low. Lastly, she said my SOP and my writing sample didn't reflect a strong enough theoretical focus for their particular program. So, I went back to school full time to get a second BA in Spanish, which I will finish at the end of this year. I also will finish up second-year French this year. My second BA GPA is MUCH higher (although not perfect by any means - language classes are hard!). I can read and write fluently in Spanish now, which, as I should have realized during my first application season, is pretty important. In addition to the language stuff, I spent the summer researching for a new writing sample. I contacted a professor in the history department who I thought might be interested in my topic and took a class with him in the fall. He was extremely helpful in guiding me through writing a new paper. Also, after writing that paper, I was able to articulate more clearly in my SOP what my interests are and what I would like to focus on as a Ph.D student.

Also, I applied very widely this year. One thing I didn't do that I should have, if only to save money by narrowing down my application pool, is contact professors whom I wanted to work with. If the professor responded that he/she isn't taking new students in my area, I could have eliminated some of the schools I applied to right off the bat. In my SOP, I always mentioned a professor I wanted to work with, and often tried to mention two or three. I tried to be specific about that professor's work and why I find it interesting according to my own areas of focus. I think that was a good method because out of my three acceptances, I was notified for two of them directly from the person I mentioned in my SOP. My partner, who is applying to English programs, has three acceptances as well, and was also notified by his PO for two of them. Of course, the rejects could be due to my Person of Interest being not-so-interested in me! That's why I should have contacted them ahead of time.

Anyway, sorry to have given you my whole life story. Apparently I like to hear myself talk (or type). I hope this is helpful to you in some way, and GOOD LUCK next year!!!

[TryingAgain]

I got a negative! Poop. Sorry if my post is obnoxious.

[snorri]

No worries, supposedly-random-and-anonymous-grad-hopeful. Those of us who know you in real life know how hard you've worked and how much you deserve this success. Your experience has been both valuable for and encouraging to me. You do, however, need to tell me where your third acceptance came from.

[TryingAgain]

Ha ha snorri - I know who you are. My silly post above was just a response to someone who asked what I did differently this year from last year. See you tonight!