Request for everyone who has been accepted or is a student

[BillyPilgrim]

If possible, could those who have been accepted in a PhD program let those of us who are applying soon know what schools you got into, what school you received your BA from, your GPA, and GRE scores?

Being on the opposite end of the process causes such anxiety. I don't know if this will help alleviate it in giving us a rough picture of "what it takes."

[rainy_day]

If you go to the department website, many schools have posted median and mean GPA and GRE scores of accepted students. If you are interested in that data, it is worth looking at. I think that would be more helpful information than a random person's success story, because it will be an average for the program vs. a one-off story.

Some schools do not post this information. I could be wrong in my interpretation, but I think that those schools put less stock in the GPA/GRE and more in the writing sample/LoR/SoP. Of course, at the end of the day it is always the latter that will make the difference.

This process is so damn stressful. I'm on the same side of the fence as you are. We'll make it through.

Where are you interested in? Where are you thinking of applying?

[BillyPilgrim]

I've spent countless hours on different department websites and most of them do not have as much information as I would like. I feel confident in my app except for my average, underwhelming GRE Verbal score of 620 (I will probably retake it in a few months).

I just graduated UC Berkeley with a BA in CompLit and I'm now looking at PhD programs. I'm still trying to narrow down my list of schools. Right now I'm seriously considering Berkeley, Stanford, NYU, Johns Hopkins, UConn, Penn State, U of Mich, U of Chicago and the list doesn't really seem to end.... I'm trying to find the best ones to match with my areas of interest, which seems to be difficult as I have (I think) somewhat of an unusual emphasis.

Here is a little snippet from my SOP:

"If accepted into graduate school, I would continue my studies in the vein of my thesis, looking at the history of Biblical interpretation and its effect on contemporaneous fiction. This would include the significance of the King James Bible on the English speaking world and its literature, and America

[fromeurope]

That sounds pretty good. Find a school interested in your particular niche and I'm sure you'll be fine! (I'm on the same side of the fence as you too though, so I like you, I mostly don't know stuff!).

[harrylime]

When I was applying to programs three years ago, this is the data I wanted most and had the most difficulty finding. In hope of encouraging other lurkers to follow suit, here's my application experience, quantified. I applied exclusively to Ph.D. programs.

B.A. in English

GPA: 3.93

V: 720

A: 780

S: 760

Field: American modernism (I switched during my second year of grad school to antebellum American)

Rejected from: Harvard, Washington University in St. Louis,  Columbia, Chicago (made unfunded MAPH offer), NYU (made unfunded MA offer)

Waitlisted at: Stanford, Penn, Vanderbilt, Rutgers (which later accepted me).

Accepted: Penn State, SUNY-Buffalo, Rutgers.

Now at: Rutgers (in my third year and loving it).

[elephantwhat]

Just know that at the graduate level competition is fierce. Sometimes they can only accept a certain number of students. You could get rejected and be on the same level as another person who got accepted.

Don't stress over it. And know that the "better" the school, the more competitive it will be.

[kch04003]

On 9/21/2009 at 2:18 PM, BillyPilgrim said:

If possible, could those who have been accepted in a PhD program let those of us who are applying soon know what schools you got into, what school you received your BA from, your GPA, and GRE scores?

Being on the opposite end of the process causes such anxiety. I don't know if this will help alleviate it in giving us a rough picture of "what it takes."

I was accepted last year to Carnegie Mellon's Literary and Cultural Studies PhD program straight from undergrad....it can be done!

I was an English major with minors in Econ and Polisci, I think my English GPA was around 3.95. I was also in the Honors Program, which helped.

The GRE's are such bs. I got an 1140 on the general test, and the subject test in Literature went horribly. I think I got a 560 or something. From my understanding though, the grad admissions committee doesn't put too much emphasis on the subject test....for crying out loud, it's on 1000 years of Western literature!

The fact that I did an overseas research project in London the summer of my junior year, and studied abroad in London, definitely made me stand out (my field is 18th century British lit). Also, I knew exactly what faculty I wanted to work with at CMU, and our research interests are practically identical. She's now my advisor, and kicks major ass.

Believe me, I understand your anxiety....senior year of college was so stressful. All my friends were out at the bar while I was in the library writing my thesis, applying to grad schools, and generally freaking out. Honestly, I think grad schools are a crapshoot, but I would advise you to apply to programs that fit *your* interests. CMU was the last school I applied to, and I remember I just got a really good vibe from their website and the program itself. If anything, you'll have a better chance of getting accepted to schools where you can envision yourself being.

Basically, I didn't do that great on the GRE's and still got into a good program. Focus on your writing sample and your personal statement....these are probably the most important things schools look at, and they are the things you have the most control over. Hope this answers your question, and good luck! You'll be fine

[mudlark]

The stats really won't tell you much. As I understand it, most schools use certain thresholds to cut the really statistically weak apps, and then make their decisions based on SOPs and LORs. Adcoms are made up of intelligent people. They know as well (probably better) than we do that oftentimes scores don't tell the whole story.

I had a 4.0 GPA in my major in an undergraduate English honours program from one of the "big five" Canadian schools, and a 3.96 from a smaller MA program (no GREs required). I think my GPA helped, but I absolutely don't think it was what got me into any of the programs that accepted me. I had a focused, feasible SOP that showed I was up on current criticism, and very, very strong LORs. I won some external funding in my MA, as well as a few small awards, and worked a lot as a TA and a college marker. I think those things helped as much as the GPA, since they showed that I was engaged and ambitious. I had a few minor presentations at grad conferences. Wish I had more, but at least it shows I'm working towards bigger things.

There's a whole package that they look at. Stressing about scores will only drive you crazy. Along with my good English grades, I have some seriously embarrassing Cs in third and fourth year in history and philosophy. I had 100% admits. If you have a good research program and strong supporters, committees will overlook some flaws. They're human, and they know that we are, too.

[piccgeek]

I'm a current MA, not PhD, and I agree with a lot of what the previous posters have said--it's about the whole package, not just the hard stats. Seems to me like the adcoms are most interested in your WRITING, both the writing samples and your SOP. But, for what it's worth (because I remember being where you are and wanting to know ALL the stats):

BA from Purdue.

University Honors, liberal arts honors, and highest distinction (which we have instead of suma cum laude for some reason or another...)

gpa: 3.98 overall, 4.00 English

GRE: 650 V, 660 Q, 5.5 A, 75th percentile in lit GRE

I had very strong LORs, but I got rejected from the PhD programs I applied to. I know now that it wasn't because of the stats (which I think are pretty good, actually) or the LORs, but because my SOP wasn't focused. I don't think this was so much bad writing as the fact that, as a scholar, I just wasn't ready to settle into a specific research area. The (funded!) MA transition is really helping me find that focus. After being so bummed out about not getting straight into a PhD last round, I'm now grateful for it. Things happen for a reason!

Good luck!!!

[Mondo]

I'm a current MA, not PhD, and I agree with a lot of what the previous posters have said--it's about the whole package, not just the hard stats. Seems to me like the adcoms are most interested in your WRITING, both the writing samples and your SOP. But, for what it's worth (because I remember being where you are and wanting to know ALL the stats):

BA from Purdue

University Honors, liberal arts honors, and highest distinction (which we have instead of suma cum laude for some reason or another...)

gpa: 3.98 overall, 4.00 English

GRE: 650 V, 660 Q, 5.5 A, 75th percentile in lit GRE

I had very strong LORs, but I got rejected from the PhD programs I applied to. I know now that it wasn't because of the stats (which I think are pretty good, actually) or the LORs, but because my SOP wasn't focused. I don't think this was so much bad writing as the fact that, as a scholar, I just wasn't ready to settle into a specific research area. The (funded!) MA transition is really helping me find that focus. After being so bummed out about not getting straight into a PhD last round, I'm now grateful for it. Things happen for a reason!

Good luck!!!

Purdue is not known for its lit program. I think it has a decent Rhetoric & Comp program. Good luck with MIT, which might be more interested in you than English Ph.D. programs.