Confidence and doing your best (and a poll!)

[ridgey]

The big black mark against three of my applications (for one "safety" and two top choices, one of which was a reach anyway) is going to be my writing sample. It's pretty good for something thrown together at the last minute, and even has a couple of quite good sections, but, upon rereading a couple of weeks after the fact, it's weak overall.

This lead to the question of whether I really have given myself the best possible chance with my applications. And questions, naturally, lead to polls! I know a lot of us are super anxious, but if at all possible I'd like the poll to reflect a little objectivity. It's probably pretty common to be obsessing over every detail, but it is unlikely the committees are going to reject you on the basis of the font you wrote your SoP in. Unless it was Wingdings...

[socialpsych]

Hindsight is 20/20. I have gotten in to my top choice schools, so naturally I don't regret anything. This would probably have been different if I hadn't been so successful, even given the same app materials/preparation process.

[Dinali]

My entire SoP would be completely different if I could write it now. I didn't focus on the correct things at all. I also think I would have put my writing sample and some other info on a website and referred reviewers to it in my application, just so I could track traffic to it and see who's looking at what when. (It would also allow me to continue to edit/modify said sample until they actually looked at it.)

[hornedfrogmeg]

It's amazing how much better my applications are now than for my Dec deadline applications. So I wish that my life was not as stressful as it was when I was applying then. There is a long list of things that I wish I could have changed. Not much I can do about that now. :-(

[Yellow#5]

My entire SoP would be completely different if I could write it now. I didn't focus on the correct things at all. I also think I would have put my writing sample and some other info on a website and referred reviewers to it in my application, just so I could track traffic to it and see who's looking at what when. (It would also allow me to continue to edit/modify said sample until they actually looked at it.)

Word.

I followed alot of bad advice from old professors who think they're in the know but aren't.

At least I got that out of the way and next year my SoP will be strong.

[t_ruth]

I chose the second option, but the one thing I wish I could change is starting the process of looking at programs a lot earlier. Because I have no current advisor (out of school), I had to do all my own legwork and obtain copies of articles, etc. to read. Just finding people studying what I want to study took a long time - months of slogging through every website I could, lol. I wish I had made contact w/a few more professors ahead of time, because that seemed to help (at least judging by where I got in).

[anthcat]

I would also have contacted more people during the application process.

[mentalyoga]

I still feel quite good about my application, though not so chipper about the decisions made thus far about it. I have a great GPA and transcripts, awesome letters, a strong SOP (though it could probably have been a bit better), and what I think was an awesome writing sample. The only thing I'd really work on, and may have to if I don't get in anywhere, are my GREs. They weren't awful (actually, the general were pretty good), but my Lit Subject was middling. I also found the test to be impossible, and a really bad reflection of my specializations (modern/contemp women's lit, which I found sorely underrepresented on the exam).

What I was unaware of, and no one I was working under told me, was that I should have contacted people in the programs. I assumed it was presumptive and/or inappropriate, but it seems everyone *but* me did that--if I had known to chat up people at this programs, I might be in a different boat about now. If I end up having to reapply next year, though, I know my app will be far stronger. I'll get my GREs in order, and will have both my degree and my honors thesis completed, as well as an entire semester of TA-ing under my belt. I could probably use a chapter of my thesis for my sample, and I'd actually know to start rubbing elbows with some people. But nothing I can do for the time being but wait and hope.

[ewurgler]

I was pleased with my SOP, GPA, and letters, but I probably would study more for the GRE, contact more people and do more research about the programs. There are at least 2 schools I would have nixed and 2 I would have added.

Oh well. I'm in at one of my 2 top choices so far, so I won't be doing this again.

[psycholinguist]

I feel good about my applications; I put as much time into them as I could amidst a really crazy semester (too many classes + too many extracurricular activities + starting a thesis). My GRE scores could have been a little better, but I did just fine considering how little time I had to study for the test and how far I had to go to actually write it (an hour and a half away, with an overnight).

What I was unaware of, and no one I was working under told me, was that I should have contacted people in the programs. I assumed it was presumptive and/or inappropriate, but it seems everyone *but* me did that--if I had known to chat up people at this programs, I might be in a different boat about now.

I know, eh? I thought exactly the same, and then when one of my professors recommended doing this, it was too late and I thought my applications would go right into the recycling-bin. And yet, if it's any consolation, it seems that the mere references to potential advisors that some applications ask for are enough to make the faculty-members in question think, 'Oh, okay, this student wants to work with me!'

[ohheygradschool]

I did my best and it paid off. Yay!

[DEClarke85]

I study South Asian Literature, but my best paper was on using Linguistics to interpret literature. Unfortunately, my writing sample and my SOP were not the best matches.

[ravinraven718]

I had a tussle with one of my LOR writers who taught my senior colloquium class. He was more than willing to write my letter and even helped me hash out a basic CV. My GPA in undergrad has been good (dipped down to a record low of 3.72 after nearly failing a math course, though) and I had some super qualifications. My SOP could have used some outside attention. The real thing that I didn't really have was a super GRE scores. They weren't anything to write home about (520Q/530V/4 Analytical) and I never really studied for it, but standardized tests have never been among my strong points (I was accepted to Ohio State with a 1080 SAT, but I had a lot going for me). My prof. was after me to re-take my GRE, which I explained to him that I had neither the time or money to do so and they met the average for acceptance for my top-choice school. He basically told me average wasn't good enough (which is true) and that if I brought my scores up to the low 600s I would have guarenteed acceptance to any graduate program I wanted. He has this strange effect of making me feel inadequate and awesome in the same sentence. Maybe it's because he's British.

Meh. If by some chance I don't get accepted, I might retake it and reapply next year.

[riseandfall]

GRE scores. I'm simply not a test person. Even on fun quiz games my head just goes blank. I said that was the one black spot I'd like to change, but I'm not sure that it fits there or if it would be better under the there's nothing I can do about it category. Oh well. Writing is more important for what I'm doing so I hope the admin people see that too.

[vern23]

I really wish I would have studied more for the physics gre. I also would have changed some of the schools i applied to. My sop at the end, ie for the last schools was good, but for the first few apps it could have been better.

[willtherebestars]

The big black mark against three of my applications (for one "safety" and two top choices, one of which was a reach anyway) is going to be my writing sample. It's pretty good for something thrown together at the last minute, and even has a couple of quite good sections, but, upon rereading a couple of weeks after the fact, it's weak overall.

This lead to the question of whether I really have given myself the best possible chance with my applications. And questions, naturally, lead to polls! I know a lot of us are super anxious, but if at all possible I'd like the poll to reflect a little objectivity. It's probably pretty common to be obsessing over every detail, but it is unlikely the committees are going to reject you on the basis of the font you wrote your SoP in. Unless it was Wingdings...

DITTO

[Jo_tigerlily]

I was feeling fairly confident about my applications. The only weakness might possibly be my GRE math and subject test (English Lit.) score. But, I've just gotten my third rejection, so my confidence has taken a tumble. I've only just discovered this forum, so I feel so much better knowing that other people are going through this too. But I can honestly say, I don't think I'll put myself through this again. I don't really know what I could have done differently.

[fenderpete]

Not sure how to vote on this, as I know I made mistakes and could have done better, but given the constraints I was under (undergrad workload, and lack of good advice) I'm not sure I could have done any better this year.

Biggest things that I need to work on... I think I possibly applied to the wrong programs - I wish I'd applied to DC schools now and also really regret not being able to apply to Harvard (I got messed up due to a scholarship application, which was for an MA, and by the time I didn't get the scholarship it was too late to apply for the PhD program). So that'll change and a lot more research will be done for next year...

My SOP... I think it's a bit too 'undergrad'. I didn't focus enough on research interests and making the statement all about 'fit' for a given school. I just crammed in some token references to professors I'd like to work with in what fields - I get the impression more is needed there too.

LORs - all from great people but one I would definitely change now, as it was more of a character reference than an academic reference, and there are now people I know who'll do a far better job. I'm also going to go in and talk over my options with them so they can maybe write a more targeted LOR.

GRE - this is the one I am most eager to improve. 690V is great (I'd like to break 700 next time though) but by 610Q just doesn't cut it against other international applicants who've been doing calculus instead of sudoku for kicks. I'm going to absolutely hammer that over the summer and will be very disappointed if I don't see a big quantitative improvement.

Overall I think I've learned a lot from this year's app cycle (the main one being that you can't really do it properly while still studying unless you're uber-prepared, which I thought I was). Hopefully with the improvements above and some good work experience (I've already got invited to a thing in April that would make my app really pop) over the next year I'll be in good shape and maybe get in at one of my top choices next year.

[miratrix]

I answered "no regrets," but now that I've had a couple days to think about it I have a few:

One is that I didn't study harder for the verbal section of the GRE - "ho ho, I've studied Latin and Greek and rock at standardized testing!" - because my score was decent, but I'm not in a field where my math score should be 80 points higher than verbal.

Another is that I went to meet with a professor at a nearby school and the meeting was so bad that I expect to get rejected, but it was my third meeting and based on the first two I really had no way of imagining it would be so disastrous. Also wish I'd gotten in touch with more professors from that school.

And the last is that I didn't apply to any schools in Alaska. I figured I didn't have the nerve to move to Alaska on a whim, and I'm not that positive I want to specialize in the arctic anyway, but now I find myself daydreaming about it ALL THE TIME. No way I'm getting there now, unless I do an MA and then somehow link whatever I end up researching to the arctic and apply there for PhD.

[Phoenix Rising]

My GRE scores could have definitely been better, but I don't test well on standardized tests. I also really hated that test being on a computer. I'm the type who marks up my test booklet during tests. But oh well.

[illinoisellie]

My GRE could have been better as well.

I should have made sure every school had all my application materials!! None of them emailed me back and told me my app was complete - I assumed that they did that.

but I think any other weak points will become obvious to me as the weeks go on....

for example - if I don't get in anywhere - maybe I didn't apply to enough backup schools??