clueless British undergrad seeking advice ...

[Juno]

So I'm in my penultimate year of an English degree at a UK university, and I'm confused, confused, confused. I think I want to do my PhD in the USA. I am almost certain it will be in Mediaeval/Renaissance literature. I'm doing well here and I think I can apply to good places ... however the admissions stats I've seen so far have been horrible - 2-3% success rates for some places - aargh. How good do you have to be?!! I've been looking at Chicago, Duke, Penn, UCLA etc ... insanely good programs which are monstrously competitive ...

What are US graduate programs looking for? What makes a really outstanding applicant? The academic culture seems rather different over there from what I can gather ... do they expect, on the whole, more well-rounded people? Or is it really all about academic achievement/fit once you get to graduate school?

I know the MA is incorporated into the PhD program in the US but do many people start a PhD with an MA already? In the UK, of course, you do an MA before enrolling on a PhD program ... is it advantageous to have an MA already when applying, even though it's incorporated into the US program?

People talk about getting 'waitlisted' a lot. I'm not sure what this means. Is it like pooling at Cambridge?

Is it harder to get in if you're an international student? I've heard that this is the case with eg. Berkeley because it's a public university and obviously I wouldn't be able to get state residency. What about private universities? Funding confuses me a little ...

I'm going to draw this to a close now as it is long and incoherent - sorry - I have so many questions about this as it's a big decision and I'm confused ..!! Thanks

Jx

[Phedre]

Best thing to do would to order or look for the books:

"Getting What You Came For" and

"Graduate Study for the 21st Century"

These two books will offer a realistic view of phd study in the US... read GWYCF first bc "graduate study" is super depressing (thus far)

You don't need an MA to enroll in a pHD program... I only have a BA and it's fine. Yes, the admissions stats are scary, but it doesn't mean that no one gets in. Make sure your Statement of Purpose (your essay explaining why you want to go) and your writing sample are top notch. OH! and read "Gradaute Admissions Essays" by donald asher to see what admissions essays are like.

I think having unique ideas that you want to pursue in graduate school as well as fit are the two top concerns. if you go online and research professors in the respective depts, you should be able ot make a case why only professor x is the ONLY person in the whole world who could illuminate your threads of inquiry, etc. etc.

good luck! reading the books will help 150% i promise!!

[Minnesotan]

To utterly simplify, the waitlist is like a queue. Most people apply to a bunch of different programs, so some people get multiple good offers and have to reject the rest (you can only attend one school, no matter how many offers you get). When someone who was offered admission rejects the offer, the next person in line gets a shot. You just have to hope that the people ahead of you in line have better offers.

[indigo_black]

Also, the programs you're applying to are really competitive, which isn't to say you won't get into them but it's worth looking at all your options. Take your time to look around online and see where else interests you. For those programs, you'd need a solid to high First (73+ I would think) with Honours plus fantastic recs from your profs. Get schmoozing with them now! I had my undergrad dissertation and MA thesis supervisor write one, my other MA thesis supervisor, and a prof I took a class with who was also my MA viva examiner.

Also, you'll have to take the GRE, a standardised test that measures your knowledge of vocab and mathematical reasoning as well as timed-essay writing skills. We aren't used to standardised tests like that in the UK at all and, having never taken them before, we're sort of at a disadvantage compared to American applicants who do the SATs first. Start studying for that well in advance. The test centre is in London. You can buy study guides for it at Blackwells. That's a very short explanation of the GRE but I don't know if you already know about it. Ask me more if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

[Minnesotan]

Indigo has a good point. English programs in general are very competitive. The programs you are interested likely have 1-5% acceptance rates, so it would be helpful to scout out a few more schools to which you could apply. I know quite a few people who applied to 12-15 PhD programs this year, and they are not as abnormal as one might suspect. It's better to have too many acceptance letters than none at all.

[Juno]

Thank you so much, everyone, for your thoughtful responses.

Phedre, thanks for the book recommendations, I'll try to have a look at them. The writing sample/statement of purpose are aspects of the application that I feel pretty confident about - though I expect anyone contemplating a lit PhD will feel this way so I'll work extra hard to make them really, really, obscenely good ...

Minnesotan, yes, I thought the waitlist was something like that ... admissions must be a nightmare for the people on the other end, as well ... so complicated!!

indigo_black - wow, so nice to hear from someone who was in my position and took the path I am considering (BA/MA in the UK, PhD in the US ...) I will almost certainly have more questions for you in due course!!

So does extra-curricular make an impact on graduate applications, then? I'm doing several things - lots of music stuff, I have scholarships and direct things ... I also write for and edit a student-run academic journal ... and a few other things. I'm applying for a research internship right now and obviously will write a dissertation as part of my degree, so by the end of the summer, all going well, I'll hopefully have some good research experience.

So you'd recommend a research MA, then? I need to think more about MAs now, and AHRC funding (which seems like an utter minefield!) How about funding in the US? Are there any problems I should be aware of? Did you apply for a lot of scholarships?

I'm fairly confident of getting a high first ... I was top in my year last year and on track to do similarly well now. I'm worried about recommendations because I don't feel like my professors know me very well, so I should definitely try to engage with them a little more.

I've read a bit about the GRE, it's a little scary - how far in advance would you recommend beginning studying?

thanks again for the responses, everyone

[indigo_black]

Hey Juno,

I was also lucky in that I had a friend go through this whole process the year before I did so she was a great source of advice and encouragement for me!

Let me try to answer some of your questions...

I can't say for sure but my feeling is that my extra-curricular stuff made my application more appealing. The journal sounds great! I would definitely mention that in my application if I was in your position, and your other stuff will make you appear a more dynamic, hard-working and well-rounded applicant.

As for money, I didn't apply for any scholarships for studying in the US. You'll find that many external funding opportunities are for US applicants/citizens only. However, I made sure I applied to programs that offered tuition waivers and generous stipends as part of their admissions offer. This info is usually on departmental homepages, and when I couldn't find it online, I emailed grad program coordinators for the info. MAs in the US are sometimes funded but rarely are they funded enough to cover your international tuition plus living. Also, they're way more expensive than over here so you're probably better off doing an MA here. Can you live at home while you do your MA to save money? If so, take a gap year after undergrad to work full time, and just save up the tuition. During your MA, you can take out a small graduate loan or work a few hours on weekends/in evenings to earn pocket money for going out. The AHRC application was rough but nowhere near as bad as US grad school forms so go ahead and give it a try. You'll need two strong references (another reason to get your profs on board now!) and a detailed research proposal.

Recommenders: your dissertation supervisor will be your first choice as they'll get to know you well over the course of your research. How about seminar tutors? They will know you well. Make a point of speaking up in seminars so they remember you. Try to take at least 2 classes with the same professor in your third year, or take another class with someone who's already taught you so you build up a bit more of a relationship with them and they'll have more to say in a recommendation.

The GRE is a pain. I bought a book way in advance to familiarise myself with the kinds of questions. I devoted a month to studying, doing 1-2 hours per night, 5 nights a week. I didn't do as well as I'd hoped but I think a month tends to be the average. Maybe give yourself 6-7 weeks?

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.