Fall 2014 applicants??

[aGiRlCalLeDApPlE]

Hi, thought to share this with you:

[antigone56]

In you all's experience, do people often get into just one program when they apply to 12-15 or so?  I've noticed that people seem to get into either none or a few.  The other day I was bugging my boyfriend about whether he thought I'd get into a PhD program or not, and he said that if he had to predict, he thought I'd get into one (he was sure to say this had nothing to do with me, but just about it being competitive).  But I don't know.  I just don't see that "just one" thing often, from lurking on these boards.  

 

Not to say I wouldn't be thrilled to get into just one.  I'd take it, easily.  Just wondering if you all agree that if, out of 15 schools, you're "good enough" for one, you tend to be "good enough" for at least two others, besides.  

Edited August 16, 2013 by antigone56

[ProfLorax]

Hi antigone. It's really a crapshoot. Some of us got into one, some of us were wait listed before we were accepted, some of us got into several, and some got into none. It's such a strange process, really difficult to predict. I know of a few folks who "only" got into UNC Chapel Hill, which is, you know, an AMAZING program. Just remember, no one's worth as a scholar is determined by how many programs s/he gets into. If you look into the threads for the 2013 Acceptance Freakout, Wait list, and No Confidence threads, you'll see a variety of different experiences.

 

Hope this helps!

[Lycidas]

Took the GRE on Wednesday: 170V/148Q. So here's an age-old gradcafe question that I'm going to shamelessly dredge up again and hope for replies:

 

Is my quantitative score too low? I think it'll come out around 45th percentile. Is this worth retaking for? I should mention that this score is after considerable studying for the Q section (yes, I'm that dreadful at math. My initial practice tests had me around the 15th percentile, which i'm pretty sure I could've equaled by choosing random answers). With more studying I think I could score in the low 150s. Is this worth doing?

[Datatape]

Short answer: no.

 

Slightly longer answer: hell no.

 

As long as you didn't score in, say, the 8th percentile, your quant score is not going to matter a whit.  It's certainly not worth re-studying and re-taking the GRE for.  A 148 quant is not going to raise any eyebrows and nobody's going to hold you to a higher standard than that.  Focus your energy instead on your SOP and Writing Sample.

[antigone56]

Took the GRE on Wednesday: 170V/148Q. So here's an age-old gradcafe question that I'm going to shamelessly dredge up again and hope for replies:

 

Is my quantitative score too low? I think it'll come out around 45th percentile. Is this worth retaking for? I should mention that this score is after considerable studying for the Q section (yes, I'm that dreadful at math. My initial practice tests had me around the 15th percentile, which i'm pretty sure I could've equaled by choosing random answers). With more studying I think I could score in the low 150s. Is this worth doing?

 

I wouldn't re-take with those scores, especially not for an English program.

[antigone56]

Hi antigone. It's really a crapshoot. Some of us got into one, some of us were wait listed before we were accepted, some of us got into several, and some got into none. It's such a strange process, really difficult to predict. I know of a few folks who "only" got into UNC Chapel Hill, which is, you know, an AMAZING program. Just remember, no one's worth as a scholar is determined by how many programs s/he gets into. If you look into the threads for the 2013 Acceptance Freakout, Wait list, and No Confidence threads, you'll see a variety of different experiences.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks!  (I should probably just stop trying to predict the future...)  But I'll also check out that thread; should be interesting.

[BunnyWantsaPhD]

Took the GRE on Wednesday: 170V/148Q. So here's an age-old gradcafe question that I'm going to shamelessly dredge up again and hope for replies:

 

Is my quantitative score too low? I think it'll come out around 45th percentile. Is this worth retaking for? I should mention that this score is after considerable studying for the Q section (yes, I'm that dreadful at math. My initial practice tests had me around the 15th percentile, which i'm pretty sure I could've equaled by choosing random answers). With more studying I think I could score in the low 150s. Is this worth doing?

 

I agree with everyone else that you shouldn't retake it. But, more importantly--mind, sharing how you scored a 170?! I'm currently studying right now and I'm a horrible test taker. Any advice would be great. (though, I have a feeling there's no secret to cracking this thing). 

[Lycidas]

Short answer: no.

 

Slightly longer answer: hell no.

 

As long as you didn't score in, say, the 8th percentile, your quant score is not going to matter a whit.  It's certainly not worth re-studying and re-taking the GRE for.  A 148 quant is not going to raise any eyebrows and nobody's going to hold you to a higher standard than that.  Focus your energy instead on your SOP and Writing Sample.

 

Thank you; this is what I needed to hear. I've read enough gradcafe to know this is the case, but when it's my own score and not someone else's on a message board, insecurity creeps in a little harder

 

I agree with everyone else that you shouldn't retake it. But, more importantly--mind, sharing how you scored a 170?! I'm currently studying right now and I'm a horrible test taker. Any advice would be great. (though, I have a feeling there's no secret to cracking this thing). 

 

I never scored a 170 on any of my practice tests (although 2 169s) so the 170 was a bit of a surprise. I don't have any major studying tips, but the one thing I did was keep a notebook full of vocabulary words. It was a little moleskine in which I jotted down every new vocabulary word I learned. I carried this around with me and pulled it out at random times and looked over everything. For me, this proved more effective than flashcards. 

 

Other than that I just took endless amounts of computer-based practice tests to get the best feel possible for the actual test. This helped me get comfortable so I was less nervous on test day. I wish I had better or more detailed advice, but aside from "learn all the vocab you can" the test is difficult to study for. I wish you the absolute best of luck.

[aGiRlCalLeDApPlE]

Hello everyone,

Does anyone here know how to search for comp. lit programs? Is there a list that I can use, instead of checking program lists in each and every school? thx

[jazzyd]

Took the GRE on Wednesday: 170V/148Q. So here's an age-old gradcafe question that I'm going to shamelessly dredge up again and hope for replies:

 

Is my quantitative score too low? I think it'll come out around 45th percentile. Is this worth retaking for? I should mention that this score is after considerable studying for the Q section (yes, I'm that dreadful at math. My initial practice tests had me around the 15th percentile, which i'm pretty sure I could've equaled by choosing random answers). With more studying I think I could score in the low 150s. Is this worth doing?

 

Um, congrats! Wow. I would certainly not take the test again, that'd be a waste of money for sure. Like Datatape said, as long as your score isn't eyebrow-raising-ly (yes, I just did that) low - which might leave schools to believe you blew it off - definitely no reason to worry.

 

 

In you all's experience, do people often get into just one program when they apply to 12-15 or so?  I've noticed that people seem to get into either none or a few.  The other day I was bugging my boyfriend about whether he thought I'd get into a PhD program or not, and he said that if he had to predict, he thought I'd get into one (he was sure to say this had nothing to do with me, but just about it being competitive).  But I don't know.  I just don't see that "just one" thing often, from lurking on these boards.  

 

Not to say I wouldn't be thrilled to get into just one.  I'd take it, easily.  Just wondering if you all agree that if, out of 15 schools, you're "good enough" for one, you tend to be "good enough" for at least two others, besides.  

 

proflorax is correct, it is sort of a crapshoot (not sure if this alleviates or exacerbates your worries!). There's people who applied to a variety of schools who "only" got accepted to one - but that one school was say, Columbia or Stanford. And then there's some people who seem to hit the jackpot, others who get a few to choose from, and many who have to give it another go. It's very much unlike undergrad where if you sort of fit the attractive student profile (good grades, high test scores, dedicated extracurriculars), you have a decent shot at virtually any university excluding the crazy selective ones.

[antigone56]

Another question:  in one's Statement of Purpose, it is somewhat 'mandatory' that one reference one's writing sample and to a degree, explain it, particularly if it's very related to one's research interest(s) in general?  I haven't completed my SOP yet, so I don't know if referencing and talking about my writing sample will be organic to it or not.  I can say that my writing sample is, in fact, related to what I'm going to be describing as a research interest, but I don't think I absolutely have to reference it.  That is, unless you all say it's supposed to be mentioned.

[egwynn]

I wouldn't bother to mention it at all.  Showing, not telling, and all that.

[ProfLorax]

I referenced it, but mostly because it represents one of my chief interests and one of my major research projects from my MA program. It also gave me the opportunity to mention that I presented said paper at MLA, which I did less to show off and more to indicate that I take research very seriously. However, I referred to the paper by the title, not as "my writing sample." I think if the paper illustrates your commitment to and research experience in your specialty area, then it's easier to mention organically. 

[somethinbruin]

I also did what Proflorax did, with good results. In fact, my program director (who helped me revise my SOP) encouraged the incorporation of strong connections between my SOP and my writing samples. If your writing sample is supposed to be an example of your best scholarship and writing then it should be (relatively) easy to connect to who you are as a student and what makes you an attractive candidate.  

[practical cat]

I spoke about my writing sample a little bit, mostly to contextualize it within a larger project. However, I wouldn't waste words describing the writing sample or doing anything else that is unnecessary (basically: don't turn the SOP into an abstract for your writing sample) given that they actually have that paper in front of them.

[guinevere29]

Took the GRE on Wednesday: 170V/148Q. So here's an age-old gradcafe question that I'm going to shamelessly dredge up again and hope for replies:

 

Is my quantitative score too low? I think it'll come out around 45th percentile. Is this worth retaking for? I should mention that this score is after considerable studying for the Q section (yes, I'm that dreadful at math. My initial practice tests had me around the 15th percentile, which i'm pretty sure I could've equaled by choosing random answers). With more studying I think I could score in the low 150s. Is this worth doing?

One of my professors at my school who has been around for a while and is currently a department head told me he got a 25th percentile score on the quant and a 99th percentile verbal. Granted, this must have been from a while ago, but the story was meant to convey a certain point: the AdCom really doesn't care about your quant score for English.

[guinevere29]

I referenced it, but mostly because it represents one of my chief interests and one of my major research projects from my MA program. It also gave me the opportunity to mention that I presented said paper at MLA, which I did less to show off and more to indicate that I take research very seriously. However, I referred to the paper by the title, not as "my writing sample." I think if the paper illustrates your commitment to and research experience in your specialty area, then it's easier to mention organically. 

 

I completely agree. However, I will warn that in hindsight, I felt that I focused too narrowly on the research I did for my writing sample in my SoP. In my last couple of years of undergrad, I did a lot of research that focused on ancient languages and translation, and I discussed this at length in my SoP.  Not coincidentally, the one PhD program I got into has a very strong medieval language department. Although I'm happy with my program, I didn't realize how narrow my focus actually was and that might have prevented me from getting into other programs. It would have been better to mention some of my research interests, but not tie myself down to the research I did for my writing sample.

[Swagato]

Reviewing my SOP, I find that I spent 219 (out of 960) words on summarising not only the genealogy of my proposed doctoral interests, but also the paper I used as my writing sample and its implications for future work, as well as how it deviated from existing scholarship on the topic. I didn't aim for this, but I feel (in retrospect) that my SOP did include my writing sample in a very organic fashion, showing clearly the evolution of my interests and work, as well as how a PhD program could help develop it further. 

[aGiRlCalLeDApPlE]

Guys, what's "early action deadline"? Does it have any benefits?

[jazzyd]

^ I don't know if I've ever heard of that for graduate admissions, just undergrad.

Edited August 22, 2013 by jazzy dubois

[toasterazzi]

I've seen a couple early action/admission/decision listings in my scouring of grad school websites, but I didn't pay much attention to them. I know that back when I was applying to undergrad in 2004, it meant that you could get in and commit before everybody else. I don't know if it works the same way for grad school though.

[aGiRlCalLeDApPlE]

Thanks for replying.

[antigone56]

Question: I have to take the subject test in Literature.  There are two dates in my city (fortunately, I'm in a big city).  One's September 28th, the other October 19th.  I probably need to do the Oct.19th because I won't have enough money to register until 9/15.  In your experience, do these things fill up so fast that waiting til the 15th of Sept. to register put me at risk of not getting a spot to take the test on 10/19?  Or does there tend to be plenty of availability right up til test date?  Thanks.  

[somethinbruin]

I think availability depends largely on the testing center. One testing center where I used to live was in a smaller town and had maybe 50 chairs (and remember all subject exams test together, so there will be chemistry, biology, math, etc in there as well, so it filled up quick). The room in my last city, where I took the lit subject test, had more than 300 seats in the large lecture hall and it was maybe half full.  

 

However, you might want to consider your timetable. Unlike the general exam, the subject test is paper-based, so you don't get your results immediately like you do on the computerized test. The results take at least six weeks, and they do not come early. Ever. So if you're applying to schools with Dec. 1 or even Dec. 15 deadlines, you'll want to take the test in September if you can. It eliminates concern about schools getting your scores on time. If you take the test on Oct. 19, your scores will not get to Dec. 1 schools on time, that's for sure. Dec. 15 would be shaky as well.