Berkeley admissions' decision timing; chances of getting in

[Storyteller]

Hey there Grad Cafe,

I'm sitting here doing my morning freak-out before the mail comes, wondering how long it will take Berkeley to make a decision on my MA/PhD application to Comp Lit. Anyone heard back from them yet? This is my first round of applications and I poured everything into my application for Berkeley.

To pass the time while I wait - any opinions on my chances of getting in? Here are my stats: 3.9 GPA in my major (English and World Lit), 3.6 cumulative, graduation with honors from a top-ranking liberal arts college. All of this was 12 years ago - in the interim, I served in the Peace Corps, and then got a Master in Science from Columbia. I have worked as a psychotherapist and clinical social worker for the past 8 years. My langauges are: fluent Spanish, fluent Latvian, intermediate Russian. In my SOP I link my current work to my interests in literature (essentially, storytelling and literature-making as both therapeutic modality and as tools for economic justice and social transformation). I think my SOP is strong, and my personal statement (Berkeley makes you write both) is especially strong. My writing sample is good but not as strong as the others. I'll have good LORs from professors in undergrad, one from Columbia, and one from my work world (another psychotherapist who supervised my clinical work before I became licensed). Main interests were Lat-Am literature, Soviet lit, and folk poetry and songs.

So, with my first post on here, do any of you have any opinions and/or advice? I'm expecting to do a second round next year because of my sample (I submitted several excerpts from my thesis instead of just submitting one chapter).

Thanks and good luck to everyone!

[grifter]

This level of obsession isn't very healthy, but it would be hypocritical for me to seem like I don't share this impulse. I guess if it helps you in the interim to assess your chances, then I have to say that you seem reasonably qualified. However, this is a Berkeley application, and they will have to choose from plenty of applications, all with compelling claims for acceptance. Your extracurricular work seems (from my thinking) to play well for you, and I wish you the best. This is a rough time--hold on, and something good will drop.

[Storyteller]

This level of obsession isn't very healthy, but it would be hypocritical for me to seem like I don't share this impulse. I guess if it helps you in the interim to assess your chances, then I have to say that you seem reasonably qualified. However, this is a Berkeley application, and they will have to choose from plenty of applications, all with compelling claims for acceptance. Your extracurricular work seems (from my thinking) to play well for you, and I wish you the best. This is a rough time--hold on, and something good will drop.

Good points, grifter. I realize I need to lessen my unhealthy obsession with my Berkeley application - but that (as you know) is much easier said than done. Thanks for the good wishes and the positive feedback - every little bit of additional analysis helps soothe my already extensive obsessive tendencies. Best wishes for you and your own application process.

[bonesbines]

Good points, grifter. I realize I need to lessen my unhealthy obsession with my Berkeley application - but that (as you know) is much easier said than done. Thanks for the good wishes and the positive feedback - every little bit of additional analysis helps soothe my already extensive obsessive tendencies. Best wishes for you and your own application process.

i know some people currently doing PhDs in Comp Lit at Berkeley. they're pretty cool, but you seem just as cool, if not cooler, AND more directed. unless you come off as a dick or something in your written material, i'd say you have a great chance.

best of luck

[Storyteller]

i know some people currently doing PhDs in Comp Lit at Berkeley. they're pretty cool, but you seem just as cool, if not cooler, AND more directed. unless you come off as a dick or something in your written material, i'd say you have a great chance.

best of luck

Ha ha thanks for that. My written stuff should be fine, if not pretty strong, except for the sample (which I persist in thinking that I screwed up by submmitting it in excerpts). Thanks for making me laugh and for relieving me of some of my anxiety.

[Kursteilnehmer]

let me know when you find out. i'm emotionally invested now

Edited January 19, 2011 by Kursteilnehmer

[Alyanumbers]

My langauges are: fluent Spanish, fluent Latvian, intermediate Russian. In my SOP I link my current work to my interests in literature (essentially, storytelling and literature-making as both therapeutic modality and as tools for economic justice and social transformation).

Your interests are quite close to mine (although in different languages)! But I want to focus more on the social/political aspect, and also links with other arts (mostly cinema). Where else have you applied?

[Storyteller]

This year I only applied to Berkeley, Stanford, and UC Irvine. Next year (I'm already preparing for round 2, which is fine since I have a good job and a nice career in community mental health) I'm broadening the field and applying to Yale (comp lit), Stanford (Spanish), Berkeley (comp lit), UCLA (comp lit), and a few others. And you, Alyanumbers?

[Storyteller]

this is not related at all, but i noticed you speak latvian and i just wanted to say how much i loved latvia. i ended up there randomly when i went to norway and even though i only spent a day there wandering about in riga, i absolutely cannot wait to go back.

You should! I spent a year in Riga and two years in a smaller coastal city - Latvia is an amazing place, even better if you can learn the language since they have some fascinating folk poetry traditions.

[Alyanumbers]

This year I only applied to Berkeley, Stanford, and UC Irvine. Next year (I'm already preparing for round 2, which is fine since I have a good job and a nice career in community mental health) I'm broadening the field and applying to Yale (comp lit), Stanford (Spanish), Berkeley (comp lit), UCLA (comp lit), and a few others. And you, Alyanumbers?

I hope there'll be no round 2 for you! But I'm doing the same thing--preparing to widen the field next year. This round, I've only applied to north-eastern schools (NYU and Columbia for Middle Eastern Studies; Cornell and Yale for comp lit). I'd have loved to apply to CA schools, but I need full funding. :/