Year 3? On to 2011.

[bookchica]

I got my 7th and final rejection in the mail today. What to do next is the looming question.

On the negative: this is my 2nd year applying, so not feeling so good. Thought I would get in this year.

On the positive: have been in contact with a program I found after apps were due that might be good. Everything's a might-be in a post-rejection world.

What will you do? (I'm sad and bitter-- I hate the world, yet I will almost definitely do this again next year.)

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

I got my 7th and final rejection in the mail today. What to do next is the looming question.

On the negative: this is my 2nd year applying, so not feeling so good. Thought I would get in this year.

On the positive: have been in contact with a program I found after apps were due that might be good. Everything's a might-be in a post-rejection world.

What will you do? (I'm sad and bitter-- I hate the world, yet I will almost definitely do this again next year.)

as I've already declared 3 million times - I'm going for broke in the 2011 app round .

I've even found an online graduate seminar this summer in medieval lit for my writing sample!! (one better than the UG class I was planning on...)

[Medievalmaniac]

I'm sorry you had another rough application year. What's your background - UGPA, GREs, interests, etc. etc.? Are there any particular restrictions in terms of where you are applying (i.e. a mortgage, family, etc. etc.)? Maybe others can give you some ideas of programs you might not have considered these past two go-rounds. Are there any courses you can take and/or activities you can do in or around the area where you live to enhance your application?

I'm with Branwen...this summer and fall, I am retaking the GRE, taking the subject test, revising hell out of the SOP, and I have already swapped out a LOR writer for a better and more closely aligned to what I do LOR. I'm also scheduled to go to a conference this weekend in my field, and am presenting a paper at the international conference in my field in May, where I am going to meet and talk to EVERYONE I can meet and talk to from prospective departments (I've already staked out the program for which sessions they're presenting at! lol) - whatever it takes to push myself into the "accept with funding" pile.

[muffinlit]

Ugh I'm in the same boat. While I still have 5 schools to hear from, I'm not holding my breath. I thought I learned so much from last year. I applied to all programs that I would be happy at and that *fit* me. I raised my GRE scores... I had another year of teaching under my belt. I even applied to some interdisciplinary programs (I have a graduate certificate in WMST), and I'm still striking out. I mean, not to sound obnoxious, but I applied to some not so competitive programs, just as safe schools. I fell in LOVE with some programs, and now these rejections hurt even worse than last year. I just don't know if it's worth it to try again. The economy is going to get worse, I don't see much change to my application and I'm starting to think maybe I'm just a BAD writer or something.

So, needless to say, I'm battling with reapplying. I'm not trying to teach at a R1 university. I just want to teach literature, have a full time job with benefits, and have some stability. Adjuncting for comp classes (which I don't even like teaching all that much) at three different campuses is not going to work for me forever. I'd be fine at a community college, but it's so hard to get a full time job with just a masters. So, this is where I'm at... I'm thinking there might be a career change needed. And that's sad and scary. I'm glad that someone else is feeling the twinge of perhaps third try is a charm in the pit of their stomach.

[Medievalmaniac]

Ugh I'm in the same boat. While I still have 5 schools to hear from, I'm not holding my breath. I thought I learned so much from last year. I applied to all programs that I would be happy at and that *fit* me. I raised my GRE scores... I had another year of teaching under my belt. I even applied to some interdisciplinary programs (I have a graduate certificate in WMST), and I'm still striking out. I mean, not to sound obnoxious, but I applied to some not so competitive programs, just as safe schools. I fell in LOVE with some programs, and now these rejections hurt even worse than last year. I just don't know if it's worth it to try again. The economy is going to get worse, I don't see much change to my application and I'm starting to think maybe I'm just a BAD writer or something.

So, needless to say, I'm battling with reapplying. I'm not trying to teach at a R1 university. I just want to teach literature, have a full time job with benefits, and have some stability. Adjuncting for comp classes (which I don't even like teaching all that much) at three different campuses is not going to work for me forever. I'd be fine at a community college, but it's so hard to get a full time job with just a masters. So, this is where I'm at... I'm thinking there might be a career change needed. And that's sad and scary. I'm glad that someone else is feeling the twinge of perhaps third try is a charm in the pit of their stomach.

Muffinlit, what is your specialty area? Maybe you can tweak that some to appeal to programs? If you want to send me your SOP, I would have a look at it for you...I've learned some good points about what experienced teachers tend to do that can land us on the reject pile even though we think it makes us sound experienced and confident. Glad to share what I know with you. Good luck!!

[muffinlit]

Muffinlit, what is your specialty area? Maybe you can tweak that some to appeal to programs? If you want to send me your SOP, I would have a look at it for you...I've learned some good points about what experienced teachers tend to do that can land us on the reject pile even though we think it makes us sound experienced and confident. Glad to share what I know with you. Good luck!!

Mocha I will take you up on that offer once I know for sure what the deal is with these last 6 schools. I would appreciate it. I think that it really is my area of interest... theory and 20th cent. african american lit. Why couldn't I have been interested in colonial literature?! I mean no one does that!

[EAL2010]

Mocha I will take you up on that offer once I know for sure what the deal is with these last 6 schools. I would appreciate it. I think that it really is my area of interest... theory and 20th cent. african american lit. Why couldn't I have been interested in colonial literature?! I mean no one does that!

Um...I do that. And trust me, spots are still pretty hard to come by.

[muffinlit]

Um...I do that. And trust me, spots are still pretty hard to come by.

I didn't mean anything by my comment, I just was thinking of something really specialized and not so popular.

I'm overly sensitive these days and I don't want to offend anyone.

[bookchica]

I'm glad to know I'm not alone (I guess?) Although I wouldn't wish rejections on anyone in this process.

My new plan is to get practical: I need a real job; not to take the LSATs or some other test which fosters an application process, more debt, etc.

I will still apply next year, but as Muffinlit suggests-- perhaps a career change is necessary in the meantime. I want to eat and live without using my credit card to do so.

Thus, a two-pronged attack: working towards practicality and a dream.

The dream (get into grad school) plan:

Take another grad English class: Although I already have a master's in English from an unranked program, I intend to take a graduate course at a top university this summer to prove I can hack it. (I've already taken 2 graduate English courses at a top university that I've been rejected from twice now.)-- Let's try somewhere else-- why not run up transcript costs in the next app go-round?

GREs: Medievalmaniac, I got 660 Verbal and 680 Math on the GRE. Although my math score dropped 80 points from the second time I took the GRE, I don't believe that's the problem. I won't retake either the subject or general GRE. I don't think that's where my focus should be-- I don't think adcomms care too much about the GRE-- some more than others. But SOP and writing sample are key.

SOP & Writing Sample: Well, time is on our side I suppose. Like Muffinlit, I'm starting to think I'm not a good writer (or at least not a stellar writer) I believe my ideas are solid, but perhaps they're couched in language that isn't. I'm going to work hard on writing in the 6-8 months before I do this again.

Undergraduate GPA: It's bad. 2.75 in English classes. Definitely one of the reasons I am getting rejected. But my master's GPA in English is 3.84, so it's not that I can't do it. I just wasn't focused on English during undergrad. I had another major, music, and that's where all of my attention went. (Music major GPA: 3.7)

My field: 19th and 20th century American and Canadian literature (probably the most common, eh?)

Restrictions of Geography: NONE, here's where I applied this year:

Rejected for English PhD: Brandeis, Buffalo, LSU "waitlisted"- but I count it as a rejection because they waitlist all non-accepted candidates, Purdue, Syracuse, UC-Riverside, UWashington

Any suggestions are, of course, welcome, as are others' plans, frustrations, vents, etc.

Edited March 27, 2010 by bookchica

[Medievalmaniac]

I'm glad to know I'm not alone (I guess?) Although I wouldn't wish rejections on anyone in this process.

My new plan is to get practical: I need a real job; not to take the LSATs or some other test which fosters an application process, more debt, etc.

I will still apply next year, but as Muffinlit suggests-- perhaps a career change is necessary in the meantime. I want to eat and live without using my credit card to do so.

Thus, a two-pronged attack: working towards practicality and a dream.

The dream (get into grad school) plan:

Take another grad English class: Although I already have a master's in English from an unranked program, I intend to take a graduate course at a top university this summer to prove I can hack it. (I've already taken 2 graduate English courses at a top university that I've been rejected from twice now.)-- Let's try somewhere else-- why not run up transcript costs in the next app go-round?

GREs: Medievalmaniac, I got 660 Verbal and 680 Math on the GRE. Although my math score dropped 80 points from the second time I took the GRE, I don't believe that's the problem. I won't retake either the subject or general GRE. I don't think that's where my focus should be-- I don't think adcomms care too much about the GRE-- some more than others. But SOP and writing sample are key.

SOP & Writing Sample: Well, time is on our side I suppose. Like Muffinlit, I'm starting to think I'm not a good writer (or at least not a stellar writer) I believe my ideas are solid, but perhaps they're couched in language that isn't. I'm going to work hard on writing in the 6-8 months before I do this again.

Undergraduate GPA: It's bad. 2.75 in English classes. Definitely one of the reasons I am getting rejected. But my master's GPA in English is 3.84, so it's not that I can't do it. I just wasn't focused on English during undergrad. I had another major, music, and that's where all of my attention went. (Music major GPA: 3.7)

My field: 19th and 20th century American and Canadian literature (probably the most common, eh?)

Restrictions of Geography: NONE, here's where I applied this year:

Rejected for English PhD: Brandeis, Buffalo, LSU "waitlisted"- but I count it as a rejection because they waitlist all non-accepted candidates, Purdue, Syracuse, UC-Riverside, UWashington

Any suggestions are, of course, welcome, as are others' plans, frustrations, vents, etc.

I wouldn't take any more master-level courses at this point. If you already have two on top of the degree, you're just flushing money down the drain, no program is going to take those credits, and if you've already taken two more and gotten As in both, then there's nothing else you can prove doing that.

Your application seems fairly solid (I haven't seen the SOP or the writing sample, obviously) but your scores certainly meet all cut-offs - although it is interesting that your Math score is higher than your verbal. So in application years like this one, the UGPA and the SOP are probably your biggest issues.

Do you have any professors from your graduate program, or the director of graduate studies at the school you graduated from, who could vet your application for you and give you some ideas? I've been speaking with my old director of grad studies and she was floored by some of the things I did and didn't do (granted, I figured them out) but her response was "Why didn't you ask me to look it over before you sent it off"? (answer: it was an online application! lol) BUT, certainly, she could have alerted me to some of the problems I needed to address in my SOP and didn't, etc. etc.

Also - research other schools. Twentieth century is (according to the professors I talk to) by FAR the most popular area of interest (even though it seems like the world is overrun by medievalists, lolol). So 20th century spots are hard to come by. You need to really narrow your focus to a few specific interests and tailor your SOP to address why you would work so well with professor a,b, or c.

After that, it's all a game of blind luck, as far as I'm concerned.

[wordslinger]

Well, my vantage point is somewhat different, so I thought I'd share. I applied for grad school the first time right out of undergrad, and, of course, was universally rejected, despite an excellent GPA, papers, etc. So I shrugged and stepped away from it for a while. I have spent the last ten years teaching high school English; I began that endeavor out of practicality, but I have stayed because I love it. It's a different game than teaching college comp or lit, but it is often just as interesting in terms of the intellectual work I do. High school kids are eager to learn if you frame it in the proper manner, and they are less jaded than undergrads. Now, after ten years really teaching and thinking, I'm no longer speculating about my research interests. I know what I am interested in and why. Plus, I have an actual pedagogical philosophy, not a series of buzz words or theory without practice.

In the fall I'm back to full-time working on my PhD, and I'm really excited to have this opportunity. So I guess I'm trying to say a couple of different things. One, life is not a race to see how quickly you can fulfill your dreams (IMHO). And two, there is a world out there where you can teach all the literature you like to people who are in desperate need of smart, engaging, passionate teachers.

Good luck to you all!

[fromeurope]

SOP & Writing Sample: Well, time is on our side I suppose. Like Muffinlit, I'm starting to think I'm not a good writer (or at least not a stellar writer) I believe my ideas are solid, but perhaps they're couched in language that isn't. I'm going to work hard on writing in the 6-8 months before I do this again.

This is so hard! The other parts of the application are sort of quantifiable, but the WS and SOP are inscrutable across the field of candidates. Since you have no idea what kind of writing samples other people have produced, it is hard to really gauge the competetiveness of your own. As a result, you come to doubt it. How could you not?

Edited March 27, 2010 by p7389

[diehtc0ke]

Do you have any professors from your graduate program, or the director of graduate studies at the school you graduated from, who could vet your application for you and give you some ideas? I've been speaking with my old director of grad studies and she was floored by some of the things I did and didn't do (granted, I figured them out) but her response was "Why didn't you ask me to look it over before you sent it off"? (answer: it was an online application! lol) BUT, certainly, she could have alerted me to some of the problems I needed to address in my SOP and didn't, etc. etc.

This, this, this. I don't think I've ever met anyone who has been really successful at this without having a solid person (preferably, group of people) who were willing to sit down with an applicant and go over these crucial parts of the application. Many professors have been on adcomms at least once in their professional careers and they know what theyre looking for and can help you tailor your SOP to fit what many academics are looking for in a graduate student's application. I'm willing to bet it's not your stats that are a concern but your SOP and writing sample, which, though they may be solid pieces of writing, haven't been presented according to the (tediously) specific "Successful Graduate School Application" rubric.

Also - research other schools. Twentieth century is (according to the professors I talk to) by FAR the most popular area of interest (even though it seems like the world is overrun by medievalists, lolol). So 20th century spots are hard to come by. You need to really narrow your focus to a few specific interests and tailor your SOP to address why you would work so well with professor a,b, or c.

This, too. No matter what field you're in, you need to show that you're interested in something VERY specific about it. Perhaps for this exercise that focus didn't come out but if you don't think it's there, you have to find it. The SOP isn't a written contract, every program I've visited has told me that no one's going to hold me to the project I outlined in my statement and many of the students I've spoken with have at least switched to a different century to focus on if they haven't moved on to the literature of a different continent. But, again, for the purposes of the rubric, you have to present yourself as a confident scholar who's already done research on something esoteric and particular.

Edited for typos. My mother just woke me up by yelling in my ear to ask why her computer (which just got upgraded to Windows 7) doesn't have Microsoft Word.

Edited March 27, 2010 by diehtc0ke

[onequietnight]

it will be only my first time applying for ph.d applications, but i will be here with you in 2011!

[muffinlit]

Another thing that helped me out, sort of, because I mean where am I really at now, is to ask schools that rejected you what you could strengthen. I know I did that and got some good feedback as to what I need to work on. Granted, some schools have a don't bother asking, but if in the letter it says feel free to contact us with questions, by all means do it.

[EKPhrase]

All, I wanted to just chime in and say that this year, for me, was the third round of PhD applications. It finally panned out for me. I think my letters of reference and my writing samples helped a lot in terms of improving my app over the years. If it is what you want, be sure to make a tiered app strategy - I pretty much struck out on the top tier, but I got a few good admissions that I am excited about. But again. Third year - before - all rejections.

[muffinlit]

All, I wanted to just chime in and say that this year, for me, was the third round of PhD applications. It finally panned out for me. I think my letters of reference and my writing samples helped a lot in terms of improving my app over the years. If it is what you want, be sure to make a tiered app strategy - I pretty much struck out on the top tier, but I got a few good admissions that I am excited about. But again. Third year - before - all rejections.

I'm wondering how exactly you got *better* letters? I've been thinking that maybe changing it up a bit would be a good idea, but I already have my masters, I'm not taking any classes... what could possibly change?

[EKPhrase]

Muffinlit,

I finished my masters while in this process of trying to get into a Phd I actually asked new letter writers and with the old ones took a new approach. I reminded them of particular projects I completed in their class and re-sent papers, etc. I asked them to highlight my potential as a future scholar instead of my total academic record. I asked them if they would mention some of my specific work in their classes because the competition was getting tougher. I also made a particular effort to stay involved with them through random other things (attending the reading here and there, offering help, etc.)

In your case, you might as a faculty member to mentor you on your personal statement or writing sample. That would give them more info and experience with you that you could ask them to mention in their letters. Another tactic, go visit them - let them know you are trying to improve your application and ask for their advice. Faculty love being able to help their students and to feel needed in that way. Also, be very clear with your letter writers about what you want to study and why - I think it helps if they can share your commitment to the discipline with the AdComms.

There is no magic one thing, but I think being as strong as possible in all areas is probably needed in this environment...

GOOD LUCK to everyone. It was tough on me getting rounds of rejections. I love it how proactive and energized everyone here is.

[PaperChaser]

I can practically hear the screams of "BUT IT'S NOT WHAT I WANT TO DO!" preparing to leap out, but....

It seems like MOST of the very frustrated applicants on this forum are mainly trying to get into Literature PhD programs. (I tried that once. Didn't work out. But I'm not you.) In the grand scheme of things, the economy is bad, and...just trying to be realistic, not negative...people who would've retired now (or in a couple of years) are now clinging to their jobs since their 401ks became 91ks. Because the Baby Boomers-many of whom hold the coveted Lit positions-ain't budging, the job market for Lit PhDs is super-tight, more people are applying to programs, and it's just REALLY competitive. At the end of the "race," you may be battling it out with other Ivy League grads for a non-tenure track lectureship in Piedmont, ND. Ok, that's the worst case scenario, but it happens to way too many people.

There IS another way to get a PhD in English AND have a better chance at finding a job that will lead to the job you want. (I'd like to take credit for this, but it's just reality.) More and more schools are offering programs in Rhetoric and Writing, Cultural Studies, and other less "rigidly defined" disciplines that still fall under the umbrella of "English" when you get your degree. From my experience, most of these programs have high placement rates, less competition for admission (say, 100 applicants for 6 spots instead of 500 for 6 spots), more flexibility as to what you teach, etc. If you're a literature person, going a less traditional route doesn't make you LESS of a lit person. If there's something in particular about a Lit PhD that you think you might be able to still get out of a Rhet/Comp, Cultural Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Women's Studies, New Media, etc...then maybe that's something to CONSIDER. Look at programs, look at their course offerings, look at recent grads' dissertations, and see if maybe that's something that would work for you.

It's just a suggestion. If you're hell-bent on getting in somewhere, it might be worth reconsidering the less obvious options.

[irelandatheart]

I got my 7th and final rejection in the mail today. What to do next is the looming question.

On the negative: this is my 2nd year applying, so not feeling so good. Thought I would get in this year.

On the positive: have been in contact with a program I found after apps were due that might be good. Everything's a might-be in a post-rejection world.

What will you do? (I'm sad and bitter-- I hate the world, yet I will almost definitely do this again next year.)

Stay strong, love. I've been waitlisted at one, accepted to another but waitlisted for funding, and I have two more to hear from, the rest are rejections. Last year I was only waitlisted at one and rejected everywhere else. Nada happened. You're not alone, and it's frustrating. I've shed tears. I almost hate being stuck on the waiting list. It feels like they're saying, "hey, we like you, just not enough to let you in!"

I feel your pain.

[woolfie]

I can practically hear the screams of "BUT IT'S NOT WHAT I WANT TO DO!" preparing to leap out, but....

It seems like MOST of the very frustrated applicants on this forum are mainly trying to get into Literature PhD programs. (I tried that once. Didn't work out. But I'm not you.) In the grand scheme of things, the economy is bad, and...just trying to be realistic, not negative...people who would've retired now (or in a couple of years) are now clinging to their jobs since their 401ks became 91ks. Because the Baby Boomers-many of whom hold the coveted Lit positions-ain't budging, the job market for Lit PhDs is super-tight, more people are applying to programs, and it's just REALLY competitive. At the end of the "race," you may be battling it out with other Ivy League grads for a non-tenure track lectureship in Piedmont, ND. Ok, that's the worst case scenario, but it happens to way too many people.

There IS another way to get a PhD in English AND have a better chance at finding a job that will lead to the job you want. (I'd like to take credit for this, but it's just reality.) More and more schools are offering programs in Rhetoric and Writing, Cultural Studies, and other less "rigidly defined" disciplines that still fall under the umbrella of "English" when you get your degree. From my experience, most of these programs have high placement rates, less competition for admission (say, 100 applicants for 6 spots instead of 500 for 6 spots), more flexibility as to what you teach, etc. If you're a literature person, going a less traditional route doesn't make you LESS of a lit person. If there's something in particular about a Lit PhD that you think you might be able to still get out of a Rhet/Comp, Cultural Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Women's Studies, New Media, etc...then maybe that's something to CONSIDER. Look at programs, look at their course offerings, look at recent grads' dissertations, and see if maybe that's something that would work for you.

It's just a suggestion. If you're hell-bent on getting in somewhere, it might be worth reconsidering the less obvious options.

I think that is a very good suggestion, especially for a person like me. I'm interested in Cultural Studies and New Media and have been pondering this suggestion for a long time. The problem is, interdisciplinary programs, while getting fewer applicants, also have less spots and way less funding (usually the TAships are in other departments are sparse and with low pay). Granted I haven't done nearly as much research as with English programs, but that has been my impression. I think that I've decided to do a mix; because the CS programs are still less competitive, while English departments have more spots and funding. Yet, another problem for me, is that CS or CL programs have a much bigger emphasis on languages. I have one proficiency in a language, and CL programs usually are expecting two. I might try and audit a course this summer, but I don't know if that's enough.

I, too, have been rejected this round, and am preparing for next years apps. I only applied to three programs so I am not surprised, and next round I'm going to do about 15, maybe three or four of those being CS/Interdisciplinary studies.

The main things I'm planning on doing to improve my application is 1.) I sent my writing sample to a professor (a recommender too) and asked him to give me an honest critique and his opinion on whether the sample is competitive. If the consensus is yes, I will furiously editing the paper until it is perfect, if not, that leads me to 2.) I am lucky to be near a top-ish tier school that I work for. I'm currently enrolled to audit two graduate courses. Hopefully I can get a new writing sample out of one of them, and maybe even a new recommender that has an in on the program. 3.) I think that for some people with good scores, retaking the GRE general might be a waste of time, but I had a 200 on the math (long story) so I'm studying furiously to retake that and then take the subject test too (haven't taken that, my programs didn't require it). 4.) I am doing much better research this year- I'm leaving no school unresearched (before I would have discounted, say, University of Nebraska) as I am discovering good, well funded programs that I hadn't known about before and making sure they are a the best fit in order to up my chances for acceptance. Also, for the lower tiered schools, I am making sure I am applying to schools that have funded terminal MAs, in case I want out and to reapply.

So far, I think that's a good start. If anyone else has any other advice on what to work on, please tell!

[PaperChaser]

I think that is a very good suggestion, especially for a person like me. I'm interested in Cultural Studies and New Media and have been pondering this suggestion for a long time. The problem is, interdisciplinary programs, while getting fewer applicants, also have less spots and way less funding (usually the TAships are in other departments are sparse and with low pay). Granted I haven't done nearly as much research as with English programs, but that has been my impression. I think that I've decided to do a mix; because the CS programs are still less competitive, while English departments have more spots and funding. Yet, another problem for me, is that CS or CL programs have a much bigger emphasis on languages. I have one proficiency in a language, and CL programs usually are expecting two. I might try and audit a course this summer, but I don't know if that's enough.

I, too, have been rejected this round, and am preparing for next years apps. I only applied to three programs so I am not surprised, and next round I'm going to do about 15, maybe three or four of those being CS/Interdisciplinary studies.

The main things I'm planning on doing to improve my application is 1.) I sent my writing sample to a professor (a recommender too) and asked him to give me an honest critique and his opinion on whether the sample is competitive. If the consensus is yes, I will furiously editing the paper until it is perfect, if not, that leads me to 2.) I am lucky to be near a top-ish tier school that I work for. I'm currently enrolled to audit two graduate courses. Hopefully I can get a new writing sample out of one of them, and maybe even a new recommender that has an in on the program. 3.) I think that for some people with good scores, retaking the GRE general might be a waste of time, but I had a 200 on the math (long story) so I'm studying furiously to retake that and then take the subject test too (haven't taken that, my programs didn't require it). 4.) I am doing much better research this year- I'm leaving no school unresearched (before I would have discounted, say, University of Nebraska) as I am discovering good, well funded programs that I hadn't known about before and making sure they are a the best fit in order to up my chances for acceptance. Also, for the lower tiered schools, I am making sure I am applying to schools that have funded terminal MAs, in case I want out and to reapply.

So far, I think that's a good start. If anyone else has any other advice on what to work on, please tell!

If you're willing to take a chance on a "new" program (albeit, not at all a new school), I was very impressed with VA Tech's English DGS. Their program is only about 3 years old, and it's Rhetoric and Writing rather than Rhet/Comp. It appears to be very interdisciplinary--the DGS said I could teach pre-law courses, etc--and the DGS was SOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOO nice and helpful. They have iffy funding----he said one year they could fund ten, the next two, who knows?----but I DO think they fund MA students as well as PhDs. (It's only the PhD that's new.) I was really impressed with the DGS and the school would've been my first choice if it had offered me funding OR were about an hour closer to where I live. Because it's so interdisciplinary, they evaluate each transcript individually (as opposed to every other school I applied to, where my work from 2005-2006 was "too old") AND....<this should get your attention!>....THERE IS NO LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT. I nearly shat.

[!anonscribe!]

Lots of good suggestions on here.

I'm currently beginning the dissertation phase at a lit program at a UC, and I remembered visiting this site when I applied many years ago. I was waitlisted at a UC and UFlorida. I thought all hope was lost. Then, I was published in a graduate journal, notified the departments where I was waitlisted, and wammo, I got pulled off both and offered full funding.

So, my advice to people entering a second or third year of apps: seek out publication in a graduate journal. Nothing will move your application to the top of the pile faster than a publication. consult: cfp.upenn.english.edu for opportunities.

[strokeofmidnight]

I applied 3 times as well. I just accepted an offer from my top choice program (ranked within the top 5, if we place any weight in those things). My trajectory is pretty unusual in that I was a strong applicant from the very first round (top ten, ivy league PhD offers each time), but there's a nevertheless a noticeable difference in the results between my first and final rounds...and I think I've learned a lot from the process.

Following my professors' advice, I didn't pursue what seems like common methods for re-applicants this last round. I did not submit to conferences (I would have, but didn't have the time to invest in this), didn't contact professors, and didn't publish. The last point is controversial, but at least worth putting out there. My sense is that attitude in "top programs" towards publication privileges quality over quantity. My professors made it very clear that they would rather see me publish one or two very strong articles (during the course of my grad career, not in preparation for applications), placed at top journals than have a slew of essays of lower caliber. The overwhelming advice is that if my work isn't accepted by the top journals, I should take the criticism to heart and improve until I actually get to "that point." Part of the logic behind this advice that is once it's out there, a publication will follow you around for the rest of your life, even if your work has mature well past that point. You want to make sure what's out there represents your best work, though it's obviously a balancing act since we are (hopefully) improving and growing constantly. Looking at the CV's of newly hired professors who recently acquired what I'd consider "dream jobs," I'm inclined to agree with this approach. It's worth noting, though, that this approach does entail a lot of assumptions--which are largely true for me, and most of my peers at the program that I will be attending--but which nevertheless would not make it suitable for everyone.

Consequently, I turned down a few publication opportunities (graduate journals, conference proceedings, etc)--the relatively "easier" line in my CV--in order to submit only to top journals. I haven't put in a submission yet, so I can't say how well this will turn out (though my adviser, who edits peer journals, is quite hopeful). I'm also sure that I will receive a few refusals before anyone picks up on this--but I'm hoping that the feedback will be useful in improving both the specific piece and my scholarship at large. I've been turned down by top journals in the past (with a different article), and while I finally decided to shelf that article, the sharp, even harsh feedback that I received was absolutely instrumental in shaping how I approached my work...and indirectly, at least partially responsible for my success this round. What I'm suggesting, I suppose, is to make sure that your focus is directed towards strengthening your scholarship (which is never wasted effort for an academic!) rather than strengthening your CV. The two are obviously not mutually exclusive, but thinking in terms of the former rather than the latter might cause you to adjust how to approach parts of the application.

My CV looks pretty paltry. I knew that going into this process, but didn't necessarily consider this to be a handicap (and I'm fairly sure that it wasn't viewed as such by my programs). My transcripts are solid, although the school name isn't impressive. But my writing improved monumentally, and that--undoubtedly--is what got me in. I'm told that I was accepted over students with numerous publications, conference, networking experience...but while those details do help to catch the eye of the ad-comms, they're paying far more attention to quality (and fit) over everything else.

Edited April 5, 2010 by strokeofmidnight

[strokeofmidnight]

I think that is a very good suggestion, especially for a person like me. I'm interested in Cultural Studies and New Media and have been pondering this suggestion for a long time. The problem is, interdisciplinary programs, while getting fewer applicants, also have less spots and way less funding (usually the TAships are in other departments are sparse and with low pay). Granted I haven't done nearly as much research as with English programs, but that has been my impression. I think that I've decided to do a mix; because the CS programs are still less competitive, while English departments have more spots and funding. Yet, another problem for me, is that CS or CL programs have a much bigger emphasis on languages. I have one proficiency in a language, and CL programs usually are expecting two. I might try and audit a course this summer, but I don't know if that's enough.

I, too, have been rejected this round, and am preparing for next years apps. I only applied to three programs so I am not surprised, and next round I'm going to do about 15, maybe three or four of those being CS/Interdisciplinary studies.

The main things I'm planning on doing to improve my application is 1.) I sent my writing sample to a professor (a recommender too) and asked him to give me an honest critique and his opinion on whether the sample is competitive. If the consensus is yes, I will furiously editing the paper until it is perfect, if not, that leads me to 2.) I am lucky to be near a top-ish tier school that I work for. I'm currently enrolled to audit two graduate courses. Hopefully I can get a new writing sample out of one of them, and maybe even a new recommender that has an in on the program. 3.) I think that for some people with good scores, retaking the GRE general might be a waste of time, but I had a 200 on the math (long story) so I'm studying furiously to retake that and then take the subject test too (haven't taken that, my programs didn't require it). 4.) I am doing much better research this year- I'm leaving no school unresearched (before I would have discounted, say, University of Nebraska) as I am discovering good, well funded programs that I hadn't known about before and making sure they are a the best fit in order to up my chances for acceptance. Also, for the lower tiered schools, I am making sure I am applying to schools that have funded terminal MAs, in case I want out and to reapply.

So far, I think that's a good start. If anyone else has any other advice on what to work on, please tell!

I think you're making all the right moves. However, you might want to consider spending even *more* time on your writing sample (and SoP), and soliciting peer critique in addition to speaking with faculty members--especially if you're taking courses at a strong program. (I find that the easiest way to do so is to offer to my help with *their* work first--and the resulting dialogue has been an unexpected source of ideas and support).

I followed a near-identical path this last round, though I didn't plan it that way. I edited the *heck* out of a paper over the summer, only to finally set it aside when I discovered that I was falling in love with one of my classes. I ended up using the (new) seminar paper as a writing sample, and also soliciting LoR's from that professor (and another from the same program). The only *real* difficulty is timing: I knew that I would need to ask for LoR's before Thanksgiving, and that I would need to have submitted both a draft of my final paper for both classes, as well as a pretty polished version of my WS and SoP before I can ask. I also had to re-write my SoP completely, since I shifted fields between when I first wrote it over the summer, and when I finally submitted my application. It meant that September and October were absolutely hellish...but at least, I survived, so I assume that it's possible. If you're pursuing this route, just make sure to front-load your work for that class (or whatever classes you're planning to acquire LoR's from) and clear off your plate for that semester.

I'm not sure that my cautionary note is at all relevant, but I will put it out there just in case. I'm absolutely glad that I asked for LoR's from my top choice (say, program A), and even more grateful that I took classes there in the first place. And in some respects, that did help during my applications, certainly at program A, but also elsewhere. But it also hurt my odds at other programs--where the DGS's told me, point blank, that I would have been accepted were they not certain that I would end up attending program A anyway. It still worked out very well for me because program A was indeed a top choice (and every other school was, in some ways, a back-up though I applied only to the top), but had I been more ambivalent about program A, I might have placed myself in a difficult position. To some degree, the circular logic of this dilemma sort of works itself out: other schools assumed that I would go to program A because it pretty obvious that it was the best fit for me. I'm pretty sure that if this wasn't the case, the other programs would be less inclined to make that assumption and might have extended an offer. So again, I'm not all sure that this merits a warning, but considering that you may be in a similar circumstance (I can't quite tell from the details given), I figured that it's at least worth taking into consideration.