Michigan Ann Arbor, Anyone?

[cread]

Is anyone else finishing up an application for Michigan's Dec. 15th deadline?

[bdon19]

Yep, yep. That "personal history statement" or whatever it is = kill me now.

[marlowe]

Yep, yep. That "personal history statement" or whatever it is = kill me now.

I've been working on this all night. It is terrible.

[xfgdfrmgpo332]

Submitted mine earlier today. Hoping my last LOR submits by tomorrow!

[cread]

Yep, yep. That "personal history statement" or whatever it is = kill me now.

In the words of my freshman comp students, "just tell me what you want!"

[marlowe]

In the words of my freshman comp students, "just tell me what you want!"

Ugh, that reminds me; I have ten more essays to grade before class tomorrow.

[wintergirl]

Here! I've been grading papers for the last 24 hours, so I've yet to slay the 500 word monster.

So later tonight/tomorrow I'll be cutting down my 1000-word SOP and coming up with some b.s. personal statement that's radically different from the 400-word piece of shit I turned in for Michigan's AmStud app (Dec. 1st).

KILL ME NOW.

[marlowe]

Just submitted Michigan's application. Now on to Virginia's app.

[xfgdfrmgpo332]

Bespeckled: Are you talking about Michigan's personal statment for English? It can be up to two pages, acc. to the site:

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/english/grad/howtoapply/lang.asp

"Clearly labeled biographical Personal Statement: up to two pages, double spaced, statement about how your personal background and life experiences....."

"...Disregard the 500 word limit as stated on the application."

[rainy_day]

Ugh, the personal statement. Honestly, mine is not very good, but at least it is done! I've reached this point where I am super ready to be done with everything, so I'm just hitting "submit" like a mo'fo'. I've yet to decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but at least I'm getting things out the door.

UMichigan and UC Irvine are my final Dec 15th applications to submit. (I had 7! And 2 from with early Dec dates.) I'm going to try and finish them both tonight, because I have some serious paper writing to do tomorrow.

[bdon19]

I've reached this point where I am super ready to be done with everything, so I'm just hitting "submit" like a mo'fo'.

THIS. I am so sick of revising, over and over again. It's one thing to revise a writing sample when it feels exciting, like a paper you're writing for fun. But once you get to the point where it's going to determine your future and you realize you are MISSING FREAKING QUOTATION MARKS, then you start to freak out. Blahhhhhhh.

[wintergirl]

Bespeckled: Are you talking about Michigan's personal statment for English? It can be up to two pages, acc. to the site:

http://www.lsa.umich...oapply/lang.asp

"Clearly labeled biographical Personal Statement: up to two pages, double spaced, statement about how your personal background and life experiences....."

"...Disregard the 500 word limit as stated on the application."

Yes, thank you! I meant cut down to 2pp, since mine's 3.5 right now. Grrrrrr.

(The b.s. personal statement still stands though. Maybe I'll just split my "real" SOP straight in half and tell them to put it together like a puzzle...)

Edited December 15, 2011 by bespeckled

[cread]

I thought I had a decent draft of my Personal Statement, but I don't. Everything I write sounds completely contrived, and the deadline is mere hours away. AAAAAAH!!!

I'm happy to talk to you about my academic interests, but my "personal journey" is really none of your business.

[bdon19]

I haven't even started my personal statement yet. Cue the freaking out.

[rainy_day]

I'm happy to talk to you about my academic interests, but my "personal journey" is really none of your business.

Exactly!!!!! I seriously considered writing a theoretical essay on the many ways a *required* diversity is inherently messed up and reifies the very operating logic it is supposedly attempting to trouble. (If you perform your diversity well enough, we'll accept you and give you money! We will be the judge of your personal experience! Nothing hegemonic to see here!) But I'm not quite that bad ass, and I just wrote something that is moderate at best.

[wintergirl]

I am seriously GGGRRRRRRRRRing at the Michigan app right now.

I had a perfectly decent 3.5pp SOP which covered my intellectual/work history since college (10+ years), all leading nicely into my scholarly interests and goals. But noooooo, that won't do. Instead I have to give them two semi-crappy separate statements, with some additional "here's how I'm a strong person" b.s. thrown in the personal statement. Seriously, so over it.

Y'all think it's okay if they're at 11pt font, right? That's not too off base. Still double spaced, 2pp, so...

[rainy_day]

11 pt font sounds perfect to me! You know it can be single spaced, too, right?

Question for y'all about the writing sample:

When they say "most are about 25 pgs," do you think it's okay to turn in a 15 pg writing sample? I have a really awesome 15 pg sample. I have another paper, that is 25 pgs, and it's also good, but not quite as strong. What do you think is more important: length or strength? (Oh, god, I did not mean to rhyme. Seriously time for me to be done with this stuff. haha.)

[bdon19]

11 pt font sounds perfect to me! You know it can be single spaced, too, right?

Question for y'all about the writing sample:

When they say "most are about 25 pgs," do you think it's okay to turn in a 15 pg writing sample? I have a really awesome 15 pg sample. I have another paper, that is 25 pgs, and it's also good, but not quite as strong. What do you think is more important: length or strength? (Oh, god, I did not mean to rhyme. Seriously time for me to be done with this stuff. haha.)

Mine is 16 pages, and I'm not too worried about that. My feeling is they'll probably be happy to get a couple of short papers in there, especially if they're "really awesome." Honestly, if I was on an adcomm, I'd surely rather read a really solid 15 pager than one that's pushing the limit, length-wise!

[rainy_day]

Thanks for this vote of confidence! That is just what I'll do. Also, sorry about that self-congratulatory "really awesome" bit. Let's just say, comparative to my other essays it earns that title.

[wintergirl]

11 pt font sounds perfect to me! You know it can be single spaced, too, right?

Wait, what??? I thought their instructions specified double spaced? -- checking website -- Yes, it does require double spacing.

And my writing sample is 19pages (with 2pg works cited). Hopefully that'll do. I think stronger is better than longer, personally.

[bdon19]

Hahaha, no I love it! One of my letter writers recently got back to me with feedback on my sample, saying she thought it was "really, really good." I was like, "What is she talking about?" But then I remembered that I'm doing this, after all. It had better be pretty darn awesome. I'd wager that all of us border on awesome to some extent!

[bdon19]

How long should my statement of purpose be?

One to two pages long, single or double spaced.

And then there's this:

Clearly labeled academic & intellectual Statement of Purpose: up to two pages, double spaced, statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how Michigan's graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives. Disregard the 500 word limit as stated on the application.

MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

Edited December 16, 2011 by bdon19

[wintergirl]

How long should my statement of purpose be?

One to two pages long, single or double spaced.

MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

Where are you seeing that option? Have I finally gone blind from staring at this computer screen?

ETA: I see it. In the FAQ. What is this fuckery??? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????

Edited December 16, 2011 by bespeckled

[rainy_day]

Bah, more conflicting information!

This website says "How long should my statement of purpose be? One to two pages long, single or double spaced." http://www.lsa.umich.edu/english/grad/prospective/admissionsFAQ.asp

[bdon19]

I DON'T KNOW BUT I'M GOING INSANE!!!!!!!!!