Fall 2013 English Lit Applicants

[Dux]

I haven't seen much information about the importance of undergraduate record (ie. where you went to school and how you did). Plenty of the top 20 release information like the average GPA of the incoming candidates, but that doesn't really tell me all that much, like how much higher that average is than the average GPA of applicants. Insight? Does where one went mean a lot?

[Fiona Thunderpaws]

I'm with Stately Plump on this. You guys are doing to kick some ass next year, or whenever people decide to apply! We all know everyone these boards is an academic BAMF, and I really think luck is the deciding factor. If anyone wants to look at my SOP as an example or is looking for an editor this summer, feel free to PM me or something. I only got through this process because people here kept me sane, and I want to return the favour if I can!

[eriksmegs]

I haven't seen much information about the importance of undergraduate record (ie. where you went to school and how you did). Plenty of the top 20 release information like the average GPA of the incoming candidates, but that doesn't really tell me all that much, like how much higher that average is than the average GPA of applicants. Insight? Does where one went mean a lot?

I can only speak from my own experience--I went to a small, not particularly well-known liberal arts college, and I received two funded BA to PhD offers and a couple of MA offers. However, I know that professors at some of the schools I got my offers from are friends or have worked with my adviser (and lor writer) from my undergrad, and I'm pretty sure that helped me out as far as helping my application jump out at them. So I would suggest talking to your professors about where they recommend you apply, and adding one or two of those schools to your list--networking is, unfortunately (or, I suppose, fortunately when it works in your favor), all part of process. This is in no way meant to imply that you can't get into a school without having connections there, but just to say it may not be a bad idea to include a school or two where connections may help you. And, of course, as Stately Plump and Fiona Thunderpaws have stated, luck is a huge factor as well, and I wish you all oodles of good luck in the coming app season. Acceptance fairy dust coming your way!! (and please feel free to PM me as well if you want another SOP for reference--I had a horrible time finding samples until I stumbled across this wonderful place--or if I can help in any other way)

[ComeBackZinc]

I can only speak from my own experience--I went to a small, not particularly well-known liberal arts college, and I received two funded BA to PhD offers and a couple of MA offers. However, I know that professors at some of the schools I got my offers from are friends or have worked with my adviser (and lor writer) from my undergrad, and I'm pretty sure that helped me out as far as helping my application jump out at them. So I would suggest talking to your professors about where they recommend you apply, and adding one or two of those schools to your list--networking is, unfortunately (or, I suppose, fortunately when it works in your favor), all part of process.

I wouldn't even call it fortunate or unfortunate; it's just life. There's no human endeavor where patronage doesn't play some role. Part of the reason for that is that this stuff isn't nefarious, or thought of in that way. Nobody ever says "ah, this PhD applicant is totally unqualified, but my buddy wants us to take him/her on." The reality is that, with the crazy numbers in this process, people are both entirely qualified and helped immeasurably by their connections. If you're looking at hundreds of applications of eminently qualified candidates, all with perfect grades, great writing samples, and SOPs that seem to fit, how do you whittle the pile down? Well, if you know another professor, and that professor says "this kid is brilliant," it's going to make a difference. And that's not even necessarily wrong. But in a context where a top school might have a cohort size of, say, 6, when you have only a handful of people taking advantage of those kinds of connections, you're still talking about a significant difference in who gets in and who gets let out.

Prestige of BA/MA institutions matters, too. I think it is so rarely discussed in large part because it's immutable by the time you are applying, and people in forums like these want to accentuate the positive. But, sure. Prestige matters. Professors are susceptible to the glamour of prestigious U's too.

There are a lot of exceptions to this stuff, of course. My BA is from an open enrollment public U, for instance, and I'm sure many others here have similar stories. It's an arcane, alchemical process. But those things do matter and you can't afford to just ignore them when considering this process.

[antecedent]

I'm with Stately Plump on this. You guys are doing to kick some ass next year, or whenever people decide to apply! We all know everyone these boards is an academic BAMF, and I really think luck is the deciding factor. If anyone wants to look at my SOP as an example or is looking for an editor this summer, feel free to PM me or something. I only got through this process because people here kept me sane, and I want to return the favour if I can!

Thanks for the vote of confidence, from you and Stately Plump! I will most definitely be soliciting example SOPs next year - I think part of my problem is I drastically misunderstood the point of the SOP at the time. I plan on reading a bunch (hopefully some successful ones!) to get an idea of what I'm aiming for.

[jelkost]

Looks like I'm joining this thread as a second-round applicant. This season resulted in an unfunded MA offer and a slew of rejections; it hurts. Here's to a better year and internet hugs to those of you in the same situation.

[butalas]

I'll second this. I scored incredibly high on the GRE, and i've yet to be accepted to a program. I wish I could go back and spend the time on my writing sample.

Studying for the GRE is easy; you just follow what a book tells you to do. Write a statement of purpose and and editing a writing sample is much, much scarier and much harder to do, so studying for the GRE becomes, I think, a distraction that we convince ourselves is "productive." It's not, spend the time on your SOP and WS.

This is some really good advice. I spent very little time studying for the GRE (realistically 2 weeks), and subsequently did pretty horrible on it. I spent LESS time studying for the subject test (read--NONE) and did worse. I was convinced that with those numbers, and my not bad, but average for a hopeful-graduate-schooler's GPA, I would get in nowhere. Conversely, I spent together about 5 months on my writing sample and my SOP. My writing sample was a 20 page condensation of my 100 page senior thesis (it was really difficult to do that). So I had assumed that the writing would have already been pristine. Of course it wasn't, as any essay could use more work. I worked through the entire summer with my undergraduate advisor to perfect (as much as possible) my writing sample and my SOP. She and many other professors told me not to worry about GRE scores and that my GPA would be good enough, but I didn't believe them. I thought they were just being nice, but in reality, they knew EXACTLY what they were talking about. And why should they not? If anyone knows anything about this entire process, it's professors who are on the exact other end of the application process.

I think what really saved my application were these two elements (WS and SOP) on top of the whole "fit" thing. Pretty much, I was offered admission at every school that I applied to which could offer a course of study to match my interests. The ones I was rejected from had very little fit with my interests (besides one ivy which was a great fit, but oh well). And now I see that I wasted a lot of time and money on those applications--I doubt I would have gone there even if I had been accepted. Pretty fantastic stuff. Best of luck to all applying for 2013!

[Dux]

Thanks for all the above replies! And thanks for the good luck wishes and the good luck dust. Kind of a followup, does anyone have a sense of what schools like to admit their undergrads into doctoral programs, or, on the contrary, which schools prefer NOT to admit their undergrads?

[ecritdansleau]

Take this with a grain of salt, because it's only my guess - but considering that any school only accepts 5-20 students any given year, there will only be some measly, single-digit number of acceptees in any given field. Also, as Thunderpaws notes, I think it would be tough to glean from the information available, anyway. I would assume that if a school is particularly known for a given area, they might accept more with that concentration - which might be easier to figure out.

I was told that during this application cycle, Columbia admitted three applicants in my field, twentieth-century British. Last year they only admitted two for that field. Such numbers aren't exactly useful, except in understanding how and why there are so many excellent applicants who can't be offered admission. On the bright side, they admit somewhere between 20-30 in total for a cohort of 15 or so.

Edited April 18, 2012 by ecritdansleau

[id quid]

Been AWOL while dealing with time crunches in both my professional and personal lives. Good news is both projects went off wonderfully, so it was totally worth it! But now I'm back to being utterly distracted by grad school questions.

Well, that and my trip to England in three weeks.

I'm leaning toward culling my list based on the ability to pick up a Master's or specialization in medieval studies alongside my English degree. For the UK schools and Toronto, this is easy: they're all either Medieval Lit or flat out Medieval Studies degrees. The US schools are a little trickier. In some cases, there are two separate departments. Notre Dame, for example, has English AND Medieval Studies - and from what I can see, the two degree programs don't overlap in any way that would allow me to get the Master's in Medieval Studies and the PhD in English.

Getting a PhD in Medieval Studies isn't really my goal, but I think I'd take it over an English degree in which I couldn't officially specialize/concentrate in medieval. The "official" part is important because my if-I-can't-be-a-professor Plan B for my PhD is to work with manuscripts directly, and the job postings specifically ask for these types of degrees. I could probably get away with explaining my coursework, showing the papers I've written/published, etc, but I don't want any artificial barriers in my job applications.

Yale has my absolute dream program, but it's also a total shot in the dark given my undergrad record.

I'm trying to keep my final list under 8 schools. I am quite likely to get completely shut out, but I also don't want to apply for the sake of applying. I have plenty of alternate plans for my life, so I don't feel the need to be "grad school or bust." Even so, it's nerve-wracking.

Edited April 18, 2012 by saecla vincere

[Fiona Thunderpaws]

Yale has my absolute dream program, but it's also a total shot in the dark given my undergrad record.

I'm trying to keep my final list under 8 schools. I am quite likely to get completely shut out, but I also don't want to apply for the sake of applying. I have plenty of alternate plans for my life, so I don't feel the need to be "grad school or bust." Even so, it's nerve-wracking.

I wouldn't count yourself out. If the program is a really good match for you, they're not going to count you out based on grades/GPA alone. And at the risk of sounding like some sort of Disney fairy godmother, dreams can come true during the application season! I was either going to get into my top choice off the waitlist or be shut out this year, and the former prevailed. It's not over until it's over.

[ProfLorax]

Who else has started a massive spreadsheets of all things application-related? I just uploaded mine to Google Docs, so I can obsess over it during slow moments in the writing center.

[TripWillis]

Who else has started a massive spreadsheets of all things application-related? I just uploaded mine to Google Docs, so I can obsess over it during slow moments in the writing center.

I definitely had one of these and it was hugely helpful to me all the way through the application process, but particularly in the beginning when I was trying to narrow my list of potential schools to apply to. Highly recommend this to all of you. Also, print it out and pin it to the wall in front of your desk. It will haunt you and keep you motivated.

[dazedandbemused]

Who else has started a massive spreadsheets of all things application-related? I just uploaded mine to Google Docs, so I can obsess over it during slow moments in the writing center.

I did this, too. I carried it around with me and freaked out over the littlest details, but it definitely got me to properly consider whether I really wanted to apply to some schools and I ended up editing it significantly. I'm sure the same will be happening for the fall 2014 cycle when I start my quest to the PhD again. In fact, I've already started a tentative list even though I've got at least a year and a half of a master's degree between me and then. Obsessions!

[ecritdansleau]

I definitely had one of these and it was hugely helpful to me all the way through the application process, but particularly in the beginning when I was trying to narrow my list of potential schools to apply to. Highly recommend this to all of you. Also, print it out and pin it to the wall in front of your desk. It will haunt you and keep you motivated.

Yes!!! Is it absolutely lame for me to admit, I actually had a collage over my desk with, among other images, pictures of libraries at the schools I wanted to go to....When you have discouraging moments and tedious hoops to jump through, it's nice to look up and think "why am I doing this?" it can be reassuring.

[ecritdansleau]

I would advise applicants to get the tests out of the way as soon as possible, ideally taking the general GRE no later than the summer before applications. Why? The tests can become huge timesinks/overwhelming burdens, and the application cycle deadlines and Lit GRE test dates can set you up to spend the most time on these tests precisely when you should be focusing on your WS/SOP drafts.

If you are anything like I was last year, you're waiting for the willpower to start intensively preparing for the GREs, and you may feel like putting the test off until say, for instance, you've finished reading those novels you've been meaning to pick up or that course full of LIT GRE-ish poems. OR, in the case of the General GRE, I kept thinking "I'll take it around the same time I'm fulfilling my math requirement so quantitative problem-solving will be fresh in my head"--in retrospect, I was just thinking about it way too much when I didn't really even know what it was. You just have to mark the date, sit down, take REAL practice tests, and prioritize your weaknesses. Don't wait to get motivated; just register ASAP (although don't just randomly sign up to take it next week without feeling like you're satisfied with your preparation and practice test scores). In my case, there was nothing like putting down the money and having the date set (about three months in advance) to spark my motivation into making the preparation a regular/weekly/daily part of my lifestyle up till the test date.

Also--the seats can fill up months in advance. For instance, where I live, the nearest October test date LIT GRE was full by July (luckily I live by a major metropolitan area, so I was able to go to a different test center, but in some locales there is only one test center for 150 miles). Also, not all test centers offer subject test GREs on each subject testing day, which makes it all the more confusing. If nothing else, make an account on ETS's website and click on "register" to get a sense of how the seats are filling up in your area (you can only view the seat availability if you click "register for a test" but you don't actually have to register to view the availability).

[Two Espressos]

Who else has started a massive spreadsheets of all things application-related? I just uploaded mine to Google Docs, so I can obsess over it during slow moments in the writing center.

Yep, I have one of these. Top 75 schools with location information, writing sample/SOP/Lit GRE requirements, professors of interest, cost of living, average financial aid, teaching requirements, foreign language requirements, average time to degree, etc. Mine is still in progress. It's kinda tedious filling it out, but it's pretty fun and exciting as well!

Also--the seats can fill up months in advance.

This. I registered like two weeks ago, wanting to take the General GRE towards the end of May. At my preferred testing location, the only days available were May 1-3...and then July 19th. So yeah, definitely register as soon as possible. I'm taking mine the 3rd, two weeks away, blah! I haven't started studying yet. Just waiting until this semester ends...

[Ategenos]

Ah well, a clean sweep of rejections this time round - so I'm joining all of you for the next round. :> At least I have good enough GRE and Subject Test scores. I can concentrate on just pounding out an even better writing sample, and more targeted SoP (I think my SoP was the weakest part of my application this time round, although very few departments have been willing to give me anything but cursory feedback). So, good luck to all!

[ProfLorax]

I would advise applicants to get the tests out of the way as soon as possible, ideally taking the general GRE no later than the summer before applications.

But I don't wanna! *stomps feet, sticks out tongue* Something about standardized tests makes me revert back to my whiny toddler years. Still, that's really good advice, so I'm going to have to push past my thumb-sucking inner child and register for the stupid test. (Seriously though, thanks for the advice!)

[Ategenos]

Oh, and for the Lit Subject Test, the Princeton book is pretty awesome in the way it lays out not only what to study, but also how to study and answer questions. I found it a very worthwhile purchase... I didn't have enough time to prepare (as I was still finishing off my masters dissertation and preparing for the general test), but I managed to get 630 - and I think that is almost certainly, in part, thanks to that little tome.

[bfat]

Also--the seats can fill up months in advance. For instance, where I live, the nearest October test date LIT GRE was full by July (luckily I live by a major metropolitan area, so I was able to go to a different test center, but in some locales there is only one test center for 150 miles).

I'm still waiting for my "disability" paperwork to go through before I can register, since I'll be 8 months pregnant while taking the general and 6 weeks postpartum when taking the Lit GRE, and I'll be goddamned if I'll take those tests without extra pee breaks.

Who's got two thumbs and is awesome at timing major life events?

....

Wheeeeee!

[rawera]

Vade Mecum: all day, every day.

[ktlynnjoy]

Okay, so I know we could go back and forth all day on the importance of the Lit GRE, but...

Here's the deal: I'm a creative writing major who didn't really figure out until senior year that I'd rather do a lit PhD after undergrad. I'll be abroad for a gap year with Fulbright for 2012-2013, so I'm looking to apply for grad school this fall.

I'm taking the Lit GRE on Saturday - I signed up a few weeks ago and decided to take it in April just in case it's not possible for me to take it while I'm abroad (there's a testing center in my host country but I've no idea where my placement is and if it'll be possible for me to get to the testing center/take time off from teaching to do so, etc). I've been studying when I can, but it admittedly hasn't been much.

I took the practice exam and, well, let's just say I bombed it. Like well-below-50th-percentile bombed it. Mostly because I left a lot of questions blank (I got almost all of the questions that I answered correct).

My professors have been urging me to apply to the top schools, but with the prospect of seriously failing the lit GRE looming, I'm starting to feel anxious. Thoughts?

[ecritdansleau]

This. I registered like two weeks ago, wanting to take the General GRE towards the end of May. At my preferred testing location, the only days available were May 1-3...and then July 19th. So yeah, definitely register as soon as possible. I'm taking mine the 3rd, two weeks away, blah! I haven't started studying yet. Just waiting until this semester ends...

I really wouldn't recommend taking it this way (without studying), unless you have taken the PowerPrep and scored really high without a hitch. I have friends who nonchalantly took it after graduating as a "test sitting" and they regretted it afterward: they didn't realize that once you take it, those scores will show up on your score report for the next five years, so even if you retake it and improve, schools will still see your bomb/mediocre scores on the report. I recommend simulating your own practice test rather than spending 100+ on the test because if you're interested in improving your projected scores, two weeks is just not enough time to do it. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't confuse "get the test out of the way" with "don't bother preparing." If the possibility of having less than tippy-top scores on your report doesn't bother you though, then I guess it's alright.

Edited April 20, 2012 by ecritdansleau

[ecritdansleau]

Okay, so I know we could go back and forth all day on the importance of the Lit GRE, but...

Here's the deal: I'm a creative writing major who didn't really figure out until senior year that I'd rather do a lit PhD after undergrad. I'll be abroad for a gap year with Fulbright for 2012-2013, so I'm looking to apply for grad school this fall.

I'm taking the Lit GRE on Saturday - I signed up a few weeks ago and decided to take it in April just in case it's not possible for me to take it while I'm abroad (there's a testing center in my host country but I've no idea where my placement is and if it'll be possible for me to get to the testing center/take time off from teaching to do so, etc). I've been studying when I can, but it admittedly hasn't been much.

I took the practice exam and, well, let's just say I bombed it. Like well-below-50th-percentile bombed it. Mostly because I left a lot of questions blank (I got almost all of the questions that I answered correct).

My professors have been urging me to apply to the top schools, but with the prospect of seriously failing the lit GRE looming, I'm starting to feel anxious. Thoughts?

Remember though, that everyone who takes the Lit GRE is a literature student, so your percentile isn't expected to be as high as your percentile for the GRE verbal score. As far as I know, a Lit GRE score over 650 (really even 600) seems to be good enough for top programs, but considering how competitive things are, you have to ask yourself if that is a risk you are willing to take.

How important is this aspect of the application to you? How competitive do you want to be? If you're wondering whether one can improve their score over time, then my answer is an emphatic yes. I also struggled with the time limit of the test (leaving answers blank) on my initial practice test. I improved my first practice test score in the 40%ile to a consistent 85%ile on my final practice tests and the actual test. But it all depends upon whether you think those extra sacrifices are worth your trouble.

Another grain of salt: if you weren't officially an English/Literature major, your subject test score may be more scrutinized by admissions committees, because the Lit GRE can function as a confirmation of topical knowledge/making up for a deficiency of courses in literature study.

Admittedly, you don't really have time to prepare before this Saturday. If I were you, I would go into the test, and if I felt like I'd bombed it, mark the cancel score option when turning it in. Because it's too late for you to get a refund, you might as well make the most out of it. Canceling is the only way to get a feel for the actual test without it showing up on your record. And, if you feel like the test was easier than expected, you might end up keeping it (best case scenario)!!

If you do cancel your scores/want to retake it abroad in October, this is what I recommend for preparation, in order of importance:

1. Princeton Review Cracking the Lit GRE

2. Vade Mecum (I didn't use this, but everyone who did seems to have gotten a higher score than me!)

3. Norton Anthology of English Literature: For the purposes of Lit GRE preparation, there's no need to read them from cover to cover, just read the introductions and author biographies in the areas/authors in which you have knowledge gaps. Admittedly, though, one of the counterintuitive aspects of the test for me was that my assumed weak areas were not actually my biggest weak areas according to practice test corrections. For instance, by scrutinizing practice tests, I discovered that I was consistently losing points on questions about Modern American poetry. So in the few days before the test, I went to the library and looked through the Norton Anthology of American Literature, and lo and behold, all the writers I was losing points on were authors prominently featured in the anthology. I wouldn't have expected that time period to be a "weak"/gap area for me, though, so it was definitely helpful to reassess directly where I was losing points with practice test corrections.

Edited April 20, 2012 by ecritdansleau