Fall 2013 English Lit Applicants

[pinkrobot]

To offer another method: I had better results from writing something original to match the page limit (give or take--obviously some nipping and tucking were ultimately required for some schools) rather than excerpting my senior honors thesis. I found that my thesis constantly referred to one thing or another from a previous chapter: when I tried to excerpt it for my previous round of applications, I am pretty sure that I accidentally spayed it.

Another reason why I wrote something new was that my research interests had evolved and my honors thesis no longer perfectly fit the bill. The following is totally spot on:

- Advice that a professor gave me: If possible, try to have your writing sample reflect the academic interests that you express in your SOP. If your SOP paints you as a post-modernist, then try not to use a writing sample about Romanticism. This will make your application seem stronger and more cohesive.

So, since I had a few ideas for something new that would fit my statement of purpose like a glove, I went ahead and gave it a go, with happy results.

That said, YMMV. There are downsides to writing something new:

• I spent a lot of time on this because, of course, it takes a lot longer to research, draft, write, and revise something from scratch than it does to work off of something that already exists.
  
• Since I have graduated and my former profs are busy people, I did not get--nor did I expect to get--anywhere near the amount of feedback on this paper as I previously had on my thesis.
  
• Related to the above: the task of getting your hands on JStor and out-of-print academic titles when unenrolled should be categorized as an Olympic sport.
  

Edited May 21, 2012 by pinkrobot

[Gauche]

I got below the 50th percentile and am going to a top 20 school this fall. Just celebrate you were wise and got one annoying requirement out of the way long before you have to get applications in!

I'm just curious, but did you send your scores to the schools that you got accepted to? I just want to know because if I get abysmally low scores on the lit section, I wonder if I should submit them to schools that just recommend the test just to show that I took it.

[Fiona Thunderpaws]

I'm just curious, but did you send your scores to the schools that you got accepted to? I just want to know because if I get abysmally low scores on the lit section, I wonder if I should submit them to schools that just recommend the test just to show that I took it.

I submitted my scores to the schools that required it, and those were the only schools that got it. I don't think I applied to any that recommended it. For me, all either did or did not want it. Also, the $20 extra it took me to send the scores times 5 or so just seemed like too much money--even if I had done better on it, I probably wouldn't have sent my scores for that reason. The school I'm going to (UT Austin) did require the scores.

[Gauche]

I submitted my scores to the schools that required it, and those were the only schools that got it. I don't think I applied to any that recommended it. For me, all either did or did not want it. Also, the $20 extra it took me to send the scores times 5 or so just seemed like too much money--even if I had done better on it, I probably wouldn't have sent my scores for that reason. The school I'm going to (UT Austin) did require the scores.

Thanks for your feedback!

[Fiona Thunderpaws]

Thanks for your feedback!

Anytime!

[BionicKris]

Hello everyone! I'm also gearing up to apply to grad school in the fall. I'm not looking forward to either of my GREs but reading the advice posted here has given me a bit of hope.

[Augusta]

With regards to the writing sample length requirements, what if only one or two schools provide an unusually high maximum length? For example, I'm pretty certain I know exactly where I want to apply this fall. Most of the schools call for approximately 15 pages. However, Brandeis, as margarethale has already stated, has a 35 page maximum, and I think she made an excellent point that falling too short of that maximum would be risky. Brandeis does allow for two shorter essays, but I'd much rather submit something of a more substantial length, especially since I'm applying straight out of undergrad, where I normally didn't write papers more than 15 pages long. There was one paper in particular I wrote during undergrad that I really enjoyed writing, and it has a lot of relevance to where my scholarly interests lie. So my plan was to improve on it this summer, expanding it to 15-20 pages--but then there's Brandeis. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the best course of action to take would be? Would I be better off expanding the paper to ~35 pages for Brandeis and then creating a condensed version for the other schools? Should I focus on producing the sample for the schools with the shorter maximum requirements first and then focus on Brandeis? The best possible solution is probably right in front of me, but I'm struggling to see it.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Augusta

[athousandlemmings]

With regards to the writing sample length requirements, what if only one or two schools provide an unusually high maximum length? For example, I'm pretty certain I know exactly where I want to apply this fall. Most of the schools call for approximately 15 pages. However, Brandeis, as margarethale has already stated, has a 35 page maximum, and I think she made an excellent point that falling too short of that maximum would be risky. Brandeis does allow for two shorter essays, but I'd much rather submit something of a more substantial length, especially since I'm applying straight out of undergrad, where I normally didn't write papers more than 15 pages long. There was one paper in particular I wrote during undergrad that I really enjoyed writing, and it has a lot of relevance to where my scholarly interests lie. So my plan was to improve on it this summer, expanding it to 15-20 pages--but then there's Brandeis. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the best course of action to take would be? Would I be better off expanding the paper to ~35 pages for Brandeis and then creating a condensed version for the other schools? Should I focus on producing the sample for the schools with the shorter maximum requirements first and then focus on Brandeis? The best possible solution is probably right in front of me, but I'm struggling to see it.

I was accepted into Brandeis with an 18-page paper. I think that the high limit is mostly so that students wanting to use a thesis or senior project for a writing sample can do so without the awkwardness of massive trimming or excerpting. I think anything close to ~20 pages would be fine.

Also, good luck with the app! It was a very difficult decision turning them down.

[Augusta]

I was accepted into Brandeis with an 18-page paper. I think that the high limit is mostly so that students wanting to use a thesis or senior project for a writing sample can do so without the awkwardness of massive trimming or excerpting. I think anything close to ~20 pages would be fine.

Also, good luck with the app! It was a very difficult decision turning them down.

Thanks for responding. You made a good point as to why Brandeis set their maximum page number so high. I really hope you're right, because I'm pretty certain my sample will ultimately end up around 20 pages. I still wonder, though, if submitting a lengthier piece would put my application in a more favorable light. Obviously, the end goal is quality rather than quantity, but I'm concerned that as someone applying to their PhD program directly out of undergrad, I need to demonstrate that I can handle more than just the 10-15 page papers I wrote during college. I guess what's really wigging me out is how unusual Brandeis' specifications are in comparison to those of the other schools.

[Phil Sparrow]

Trust me: adcom members will not be unhappy if they have to read fewer than 35 pages. Show you can sustain a sophisticated, scholarly argument and stop when you get to the end. Don't pad--for any reason. These people are professional readers, and they intensely overworked even without sitting on the admissions committee. They'll sniff out fluffy filler like gangbusters, and they won't appreciate having to slog through it. 15-20 solid pages is far, far better than 15 good pages and 20 pages of fakery, even if it's excellent fakery.

With regards to the writing sample length requirements, what if only one or two schools provide an unusually high maximum length? For example, I'm pretty certain I know exactly where I want to apply this fall. Most of the schools call for approximately 15 pages. However, Brandeis, as margarethale has already stated, has a 35 page maximum, and I think she made an excellent point that falling too short of that maximum would be risky. Brandeis does allow for two shorter essays, but I'd much rather submit something of a more substantial length, especially since I'm applying straight out of undergrad, where I normally didn't write papers more than 15 pages long. There was one paper in particular I wrote during undergrad that I really enjoyed writing, and it has a lot of relevance to where my scholarly interests lie. So my plan was to improve on it this summer, expanding it to 15-20 pages--but then there's Brandeis. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the best course of action to take would be? Would I be better off expanding the paper to ~35 pages for Brandeis and then creating a condensed version for the other schools? Should I focus on producing the sample for the schools with the shorter maximum requirements first and then focus on Brandeis? The best possible solution is probably right in front of me, but I'm struggling to see it.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Phil Sparrow

[asleepawake]

I haven't even begun to work out my writing sample details yet. I'm working through my first full draft of my thesis right now. I expect to use parts of it for my writing sample(s). I don't expect to have any problems with schools that ask for 15-30 pages, but the occasional schools that ask for "about 10" are driving me crazy!

PS April GRE scores are out! Let's just say I did as poorly as I'd thought I would, but not as poorly as I feared I might. I'm only applying to 2 or 3 schools that require the test, so I have no plans to retake it. I hope you are all happier with your scores than I am with mine!

Edited May 24, 2012 by asleepawake

[Augusta]

Phil Sparrow, thanks for taking the time to offer your advice. Reading your response helped a lot.

asleepawake, I'm sorry you were disappointed with your test results. It took a few days, but I got over it. We may not have done as well as we would have liked, but at least it's over, right? I'm just sorry I couldn't wait another two weeks to get the scores for free. Good luck with your thesis, by the way.

[asleepawake]

asleepawake, I'm sorry you were disappointed with your test results. It took a few days, but I got over it. We may not have done as well as we would have liked, but at least it's over, right? I'm just sorry I couldn't wait another two weeks to get the scores for free. Good luck with your thesis, by the way.

Thanks! It's coming along!

That's $12 we'll never see again, but I agree that it's good to have the test behind us! I doubt I'd do much better in October if I'd waited, and it would just be one more worry for the fall.

I hope your current projects are going well, too!

[masack118]

Hi everyone! I'm another Fall 2013 applicant for English MA/PhD. This is my second time applying. I tried for Fall 2010 before, and got into 3/6 schools, but didn't end up going for various reasons.

For this round I'm going to retake my GREs (I had some sort of anxiety attack the first time around, so I'm hoping to score better), and I want to take the Lit GRE (which I'm nervous about, like most of us).

My areas of interest are medieval lit, postmodernism, and contemporary lit (especially transgressive fiction). The first time I applied it was for pretty straight-forward medieval, but my research interests have changed/developed now that I've had time to think about them.

My main concern right now (other than the tests, which I can't stop thinking about) is my writing sample. I think it's okay, but it's completely medieval in focus (The Canterbury Tales, specifically). I don't have any papers with a postmodern/transgressive focus, or related to what I actually want to study, and I'm not sure if that'll hurt me in the admission process. If anyone has thoughts or opinions on that, I'd love to hear them.

Anyway, I wish everyone luck in this round!

[TripWillis]

Want to second what others said and say this about the GRE Lit test: I got a 43rd percentile score and I got into 1 top 50, 1 top 25 and got waitlisted at a top 20. So do not stress about it. I wasted a lot of time with those flashcards and never improved my score.

[asleepawake]

Want to second what others said and say this about the GRE Lit test: I got a 43rd percentile score and I got into 1 top 50, 1 top 25 and got waitlisted at a top 20. So do not stress about it. I wasted a lot of time with those flashcards and never improved my score.

I'm really glad to hear this. I fared a bit worse than you did with a percentile of 30-something. It's much more assuring to see a concrete example of it. Congratulations on your success!

[butalas]

I'm really glad to hear this. I fared a bit worse than you did with a percentile of 30-something. It's much more assuring to see a concrete example of it. Congratulations on your success!

I experienced similar misfortune with my lit GRE score, but still managed to get accepted to some really great programs. Another piece of advice: one of my recommendation writers, a professor of mine who I am really close with, specifically addressed this in her letter. That is, she told me she said something about how I simply cannot take these crazy tests. Of course, she truly believes in my ability to study literature/conduct research at a high level: she wouldn't have defended me so strongly if she didn't believe that to be true. But anyway, it might be worth mentioning to your letter writers that you scored poorly on the GREs, and hopefully they will write some nice words pardoning you. It's always better to address these things directly, rather than submitting some questionable numbers and hoping the committees either pass by them blindly, or by their own deftness, magically see that your strengths lie elsewhere.

[Casserine]

Hi all,

Just got my GRE lit scores and I'm a little confused (I'm very new to standardised testing!). On my GRE page it gives me a scaled score and then a "% below". Is the number under the latter my percentile? I'm getting confused because of the "below"...

[Augusta]

Hi all,

Just got my GRE lit scores and I'm a little confused (I'm very new to standardised testing!). On my GRE page it gives me a scaled score and then a "% below". Is the number under the latter my percentile? I'm getting confused because of the "below"...

Yes, that number is your percentile score. So, for example, if there's a 70 there, that places you in the 70th percentile, which means you scored higher than 70% of everyone who took that Lit test in the past three years (I believe it's three).

[pinkrobot]

My main concern right now (other than the tests, which I can't stop thinking about) is my writing sample. I think it's okay, but it's completely medieval in focus (The Canterbury Tales, specifically). I don't have any papers with a postmodern/transgressive focus, or related to what I actually want to study, and I'm not sure if that'll hurt me in the admission process. If anyone has thoughts or opinions on that, I'd love to hear them.

Would it be possible for you to write something new? That's what I did, and while it's not without it's challenges, I do think it's pretty important to have a sample that relates to whatever you pitch in your statement of purpose. I think the close relation between my two documents helped me a lot, and most people I spoke to about the issue seemed to feel similarly. Maybe you could take a class that relates to your interest and get a paper out of that?

[Imogene]

I agree with pinkrobot on this: consider writing a new paper that more closely aligns with the area you're proposing your PhD focus to be in. Even though you may find many programs that don't specify this as important when applying, you will find some programs that do mention some preference/recommendation around this, and you can assume that many programs prefer/expect this without stating so. I think the main reason this is important is that not everyone reads your sample, so if you state that you want to study X, with Professor Q, even, then I think that they'll get faculty with X focus, or at least the closest to that topic on the committee (and maybe Professor Q) to read it -- and, clearly, it's harder to make that subjective judgement call between several strong papers, when one of those papers is pretty far afield from the reader's interests and the writer's proposed focus area for their program.

There are a couple of options I'd suggest in this situation:

- write a new paper on something closer to what you're hoping to focus on -- if you're confident in this other area of focus, then I imagine you've done *some* work, and definitely some thinking, that you could base this on. And, I think you'd be ok writing a 15-18 page paper, as opposed to a 20-25 one, as there are some schools who want shorter papers (Yale) or even two short papers (Virginia, I think?) anyway.

- anyway to update your Canterbury paper with a postmodern/transgressive approach? That might sound crazy, but it's not impossible, I'm sure, and could be really interesting.

Also, my iPad's auto correct thought, surely, "pinkrobot" must be "pinky obit," because that makes so much more sense

[pinkrobot]

Would it be possible for you to write something new? That's what I did, and while it's not without it's challenges, I do think it's pretty important to have a sample that relates to whatever you pitch in your statement of purpose. I think the close relation between my two documents helped me a lot, and most people I spoke to about the issue seemed to feel similarly. Maybe you could take a class that relates to your interest and get a paper out of that?

Also, my iPad's auto correct thought, surely, "pinkrobot" must be "pinky obit," because that makes so much more sense

1) Imogene's idea of updating the Canterbury paper with a postmodern or transgressive approach sounds super cool. I'm too ignorant about all three of those subjects to be able to conceptualize how that would go, but I would totally be curious to read that.

2) I feel like a doof for for writing "it's" instead of "its" in one spot in my previous post.

3) "pinky obit" would be 5000x more inspired than my actual username.

[masack118]

Thanks for the comments pinkrobot and imogene!

My original plan was actually to take a class or two last spring (as in, the one that just passed) to facilitate writing a new sample, but a change-up at work meant I was doing 2 jobs for a few months, and then training someone new, so that never worked out. My next thought was to write a paper on my own, but I was worried that there isn't enough time to do the sort of research necessary while getting everything else prepared, while working (my current job requires a lot of work outside of the office and can be unexpectedly time consuming depending on the week).

But the idea of updating/revising the old writing sample to give it a postmodern angle...I hadn't really considered that before. It'd definitely be easier than starting from scratch and while I might not be able to do extra research on the medieval side (I don't know how I'd get my hands on some of the texts I used without going back to my undergrad's library), reinterpretation of passages, etc. wouldn't require extra research, just extra writing.

And now I'm thinking about other medieval-based papers I wrote in undergrad that could possibly be expanded with a postmodern focus...

I think my workload just increased, but probably for the better! Thanks to both of you!

[claire56]

Hi all,

I'll be applying for a PhD in English Literature this winter to hopefully begin in Fall 2013. I have a question about the SOP, which I've already started working on. Is an applicant supposed to focus on only ONE area of interest? (That is, one research idea). I have no idea about this. I have two areas of interest/research ideas, and thought I'd outline both of them in my SOP. I assume that it's better to show you're not fixated on one thing (also gives you a better chance of an idea of yours being of interest to a faculty member). But does it do just the opposite -- that is, make it seem like you don't know what you want to do?

When I applied for my M.A. program, I expressed two areas of interest. But I don't know if it's different for PhD programs. I should note, of course, that my having two general areas of interest (and wanting to relay both of them) does not mean I'd not ultimately be willing to choose one over the other once in the actual program and doing research/writing.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[ProfLorax]

First, a disclaimer: I am by no means an expert; these are just my observations from researching several programs in lit and rhet/comp.

Claire56, I have noticed that most faculty members and PhD candidates have multiple academic interests listed on the department website. It seems like most Lit folks focus on a specific time period and a theoretical perspective within that time period. That being said, I think the most important thing is how you present your interests. If you simply list a bunch of genres, I imagine you'll come off as scattered and not prepared for a PhD program. But if you spend time in your SoP discussing how your interests have evolved and how they overlap, you might really excite the admissions committee with fresh thinking.