The Path to Grad School...

[Pavelboca]

Hey all,

 

I posted on the forum a few months ago that I was stuck making a decision between Law and a future in the humanities. A disappointing (read: very disappointing) September LSAT score made me really question my motives for going to Law School. It felt like, in retrospect, the path of least resistance given my relatively high GPA. Anyway, I'm now back where I started- but this time I really do feel like Grad School would be an excellent option for me. I plan on taking a year and applying next Fall- maybe landing a job along the way and deciding from there. Regardless, i've already spoken to my professors and I want to spend this semester and next (I graduate in the Spring) building both a writing sample and personal statement that reflect my ability.

 

That being said, I've perused the forums a bit and I have some questions / concerns that I'm hoping some of you could answer. 

 

• Regarding the GRE. It is something I'm concerned about given my poor performance on the LSAT relative to my practice test scores. I'm assuming anxiety is a huge factor for me. I also tried some practice Verbal problems and found it difficult. How many times can you take this test to try and improve your score? What are the best books (or study resources) available? This goes for the subject test as well. 
   
• I am planning on applying on primarily schools in PA and NY. Might also look at schools in MD and FL. With a strong writing sample and personal statement, but somewhat weak test scores, is it even worth it to apply to Ivy League type schools? Or would an acceptance anywhere be a good thing? 
   
• I'm looking primarily at Funded PHD programs. My expected area is Cultural Studies with an emphasis on Film Studies. Should I also be looking at MA programs?

 

 

[oldmangandhi]

1. If you practice a lot, you can get a good GRE score. Getting a good score will help your application manifold. That being said, a very poor score can hurt. But if you are spectacular in all other regards, and are able to outshine the scores of applicants who got better scores through your CV, Personal Statement, and Writing Sample, then your GRE might not matter. Emphasis on the might. Scores are important, thats why these programs are not test optional. So practice hard and get a score. I believe you can retake the GRE a few times. So if you don't get a high score in your first try, its not the end of the world.

 

2. Getting into a funded Cultural Studies/Film Studies program is probably more difficult than getting into law school because humanities PhD programs generally accepted much less people than law school. So don't think about grad school as a fall back option. These programs are a serious deal. Around 200-300 people apply and maybe 10 get in. Some accept even lesser people (Johns Hopkins for example). So don't pin all your hopes on getting into a PhD humanities program. There are many people on this forum (myself included) who turned in over ten applications without getting a single acceptance. So my own piece of advice would be to send in applications, and work hard at making them completely perfect. But also keep your eyes and ears open for other opportunities of career growth and development. 

 

3. It is best not to be too hung up on location. Programs can vary a lot and you should apply somewhere where your interests match the focus of the graduate program. Do some thinking, analyze your interests, and find a program that matches up will with them. Your ideal film studies program might be at Washington University in St. Louis or at Ohio State; who knows? The issue of "fit" is more important than you think. If your goals and interests align with those advanced by the program, then you have a better chance at getting an acceptance. Besides, most humanities PhDs end up teaching at a college or university. And given the bleak job market, there is no saying where you could be employed after you get your degree. So I would reiterate, don't be too hung up on applying to schools in four states that you outlined - find programs that you would see yourself in, and apply to those places. 

 

4. Best of luck. 

[Dr. Old Bill]

Yes, Oldmangandhi's advice is spot on.

 

I also want to emphasize the comment about location. When I read the first post, the location comment was the first red flag. Don't get me wrong -- there are some fantastic schools in NY, MD, and PA. I've applied to a few myself. But unless there is a very important reason for staying in that reason (and there may well be), it's important to consider all of your options...and many of the best options will probably be outside those three states. The process is quite limiting as it is; don't limit yourself even more, if it can be helped.

[queennight]

 

Hey all,

 

I posted on the forum a few months ago that I was stuck making a decision between Law and a future in the humanities. A disappointing (read: very disappointing) September LSAT score made me really question my motives for going to Law School. It felt like, in retrospect, the path of least resistance given my relatively high GPA. Anyway, I'm now back where I started- but this time I really do feel like Grad School would be an excellent option for me. I plan on taking a year and applying next Fall- maybe landing a job along the way and deciding from there. Regardless, i've already spoken to my professors and I want to spend this semester and next (I graduate in the Spring) building both a writing sample and personal statement that reflect my ability.

 

That being said, I've perused the forums a bit and I have some questions / concerns that I'm hoping some of you could answer. 

 

• Regarding the GRE. It is something I'm concerned about given my poor performance on the LSAT relative to my practice test scores. I'm assuming anxiety is a huge factor for me. I also tried some practice Verbal problems and found it difficult. How many times can you take this test to try and improve your score? What are the best books (or study resources) available? This goes for the subject test as well. 

   

• I am planning on applying on primarily schools in PA and NY. Might also look at schools in MD and FL. With a strong writing sample and personal statement, but somewhat weak test scores, is it even worth it to apply to Ivy League type schools? Or would an acceptance anywhere be a good thing? 

   

• I'm looking primarily at Funded PHD programs. My expected area is Cultural Studies with an emphasis on Film Studies. Should I also be looking at MA programs?

 

I'm in a really similar position to you! I always considered law schools (and never even remotely thought about graduate school) until about a year or two ago, when I realized that I loved this stuff too much for a regular English major.

 

The GRE and LSAT ARE NOTHING EVEN REMOTELY SIMILAR. I'm applying to law schools (in Canada) this semester as a Plan B, but I can happily tell you that the two tests are very, very different. Also - on the LSAT, all sections contribute to your score, whereas with the GRE, your aptitude is kind of divided up, for lack of a better word. Which means that you can focus clearly on just the Verbal section if you like (and the Quantitative/Analytical really aren't as important).

 

Don't take it that because you did poorly on the LSAT, you're going to do poorly on the GRE. They both use completely different testing strategies. And after all - the GRE doesn't tell you if you'll do well in grad school, and neither does the LSAT for law (despite what many presumptuous idiots say online). Your success is completely determined by yourself. The two tests aren't linked in any way to a supreme truth; they tell you how good you are at being tested.

 

One thing that is relatively important: there is a very, very big difference between applying to law schools and graduate school. Law school attracts people who are looking primarily for a business-type profession; graduate students are, on the other hand, aware of the job market and still pursuing their studies because of their passion for English lit (Wyatt - and every adcomm ever - might punch me in the head for using that phrase but it is true!). Having applied to law schools, I'd warn you that the process is much easier than applying to graduate school - make sure that you know your idea or what it is that you're hoping to study is something that you quite literally cannot live without, because it's difficult to justify this amount of time and effort if you're hazy on why you're doing a PhD. There's always the risk that we'll all end up working at McDonalds after a PhD; the risk is definitely still there with law school (especially with the so-called law bubble of acceptances), but arguably less.

 

(But please don't even remotely consider that you won't do well on the GRE vs. the LSAT. I found the GRE experience to be completely different - and it took a totally different set of skills to do well. The tests aren't similar in any way.) There's no reason why you won't do well on the GRE; anxiety is a big issue with me as well for standardized tests and I didn't find the GRE stressful in the same way as the LSAT.

 

 

 

-- oops, just realized you say that you're already taking time off to figure stuff out and improve your apps! My mistake. Took that section out.

Edited October 30, 2014 by queennight

[Pavelboca]

Thanks a lot everybody.

 

Location is important for personal reasons. My significant other of four years attends Penn Law as of this year. Assuming all works out between us she is willing to search for jobs where I will be getting a degree. But it is a major part of my life. 

 

I understand that the selection process is different. 10 admittances is pretty crazy though. That was one of my reasons for doing Law. If I get a good LSAT score, numbers land me in a good program somewhere. I know it will be a lot of work. Am I one hundred percent certain of my passion for English? Yes. Am I one hundred percent certain of my passion for teaching? This is the question that really worries me- public speaking makes me a bit nervous, although I'm certainly not incapable. It's just something I need to improve on. 

 

Espresso: glad to hear it is a different skill set. Is it learnable? Like, are there vocab words I can memorize that will almost for sure show up, or is there just an infinite database of vocab? I assume its the latter. Some of the words I saw on the practice test I looked at appeared to be pretty difficult and somewhat obscure.

 

Edit: also would like to say this forum blows me away. Particularly after spending months on toplawschools. That place is actually the worst.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Pavelboca

[Dr. Old Bill]

Thanks a lot everybody.

 

Location is important for personal reasons. My significant other of four years attends Penn Law as of this year. Assuming all works out between us she is willing to search for jobs where I will be getting a degree. But it is a major part of my life.

 

Ah, I hear you there. I'm in a similar boat, really, as my wife has a good job in her field up in D.C., so pretty much wherever I get in (unless it's UMD) will make for a major upheaval in our lives. She is willing to move, but only if she can find a job in her field wherever we go. This is, incidentally, why Penn State would be the worst of the options of the schools I've applied to, even though they have a strong, complementary program for my own interests. It's also why I only applied to one place in California -- my wife has no interest in California for various reasons. So I totally understand the personal concerns.

 

Having said that, I talked with my wife a lot -- one might even say ad nauseum -- before I started the application process. We've lived apart before, but I wanted to make sure that she was 100% on board with all of my plans. And she is. We're both realistic about the possibility of having to live apart for a year (or years) until she finds a job in her field, but we both figure it's the cliched-but-true "short term pain for long term gain." But the significant other factor is not inconsiderable, so you certainly have every right to limit your selection for those reasons. If she's at Penn State, you can probably safely add Ohio, West Virginia, and even Virginia to the list of possibilities though.

[ProfLorax]

1. GRE scores: You have plenty of time to prep! Search the GRE themed threads (both here and in the GRE forum) for suggestions on study materials and habits. I used the Princeton Review and some vocabulary apps for the general, and I'm happy with my not-amazing-but-higher-than-average score.

 

2. Apply anywhere that's a good fit. Yes, "fit" is an elusive term, but you can also find lots of threads in this forum about what "fit" means for grad school applicants. Basically, apply to schools that have faculty you'd want to work with, funding, and good job placement rates. Apply anywhere you think would work well with your interests. There's no reason to reject yourself from Ivy League schools because you really have no idea how strong you are as an applicant until after you apply.

 

3. If you aren't sure about your interests within cultural and film studies, then yes, I would suggest an MA first.

 

Good luck, and welcome to the happy chaos!