For The Next Round

[RavenClawMyHeart]

Hi everyone,

I was hoping to get some advice from those of you who have been accepted or are currently enrolled in a Literature PhD program with an MA about how you traversed through the application process during your Masters.

This year I applied to 2 PhD programs and 5 MA programs, and my top choice for the MA has already accepted me. Though I really would like to go into these PhD programs, I'm not too confident about getting accepted to those programs due to average but not astronomically magnificent GRE scores. If do I get rejected from these programs I do plan to work on my MA and then apply to a PhD program. So here are my questions for you MA students who are now PhD candidates:

1. When did you start preparing for the GRE Literature Subject Score? Did you study with a friend or professor?

2. If you needed to retake the GRE to make your scores competitive, did you prep during the summer?

3. How did you manage to work on your applications (i.e. writing samples and SOP) during a busy schedule? Or did you submit  your applications after finishing your MA?

4. Is it okay to ask a professor you work closely with to look at your writing samples, maybe even do a mock interview?

Thanks for your advice!

[solomonski]

Heya. I'm not exactly the kind of respondent you were asking for (no MA), but I have gotten a few Ph.D acceptances so far, and I did the application process during my last semesters of undergrad, in a program where I'm writing a lengthy independent thesis, so there are some similarities. In any case, hopefully this might be helpful:

1.) In my case, only about a month or two in advance of the Subject Test, but I've known people that start up to a year in advance. The trick is having had sufficient breadth of coursework already; if you've taken in-depth classes that hit all the major historical periods of English literature, you're going to have a big advantage. It probably helps to have had a course or two that focused on theory as well. In my case, I just studied on my own, using some of the commonly recommended study aids. I found two online sources to be of more use than reading the Norton cover to cover:  (http://lasr.cs.ucla.edu/alison/hapaxlegomena/TheList.html is good but I found it better to re-order the flash cards chronologically, and https://vademecumgre.wordpress.com/ was tremendously helpful). 

2.) No experience here.

3.) I submitted my applications at the same time as multiple seminar papers and exams were due, so I know it can be pretty rough (although, again, I'm referring to an undergrad honors program (with thesis), not an MA). The SOP is just something I had to cobble together in my spare time, but when it came to a writing sample, I was fortunate enough to be able to overlap my efforts with a seminar paper for one of my courses. In other words, I had a paper due at the end of the semester in one of my seminars, and asked the prof if I could tailor it towards a certain topic that was relevant to what I talked about studying in my SOP with the intention of using it as a writing sample. She was very supportive of this, and even met with me twice to give me feedback on it not just as the major paper for her course, but *as a writing sample* as well. This let me take down a major part of the application process without it seeming like "extra work."

4.) I absolutely asked multiple professors to read my sample, including two beyond the prof of the class I wrote it in. They were, however, both professors with whom I have a very good relationship and kept in regular contact after my classes with them, with whom I'd previously been forthcoming about my plans to apply to graduate school, and for whom I had demonstrated a willingness to "put in the work." Because of this, I think they must have felt slightly more invested in my efforts than they would have if I just approached them out of nowhere. Still and all, it never hurts to ask. Just be polite in your request, make it plain you know that they're not obligated and would be doing you a big favor, and the worst that can happen is they say no!

Anyway, I hope that information is helpful!

Edited January 31, 2016 by solomonski

[RavenClawMyHeart]

@solomonski

Thanks for the reply! I do aappreciate learning about your experience. This application process was a bit difficult since I took a year off and am working as a grant writer for my hometown's symphony. So trying to study for both exams were difficult. I really appreciate the links for the Literature Subject exam

Rexebtly, I figured I would apply to PhD programs after the MA after hearing nothing from those PhD programs since I submitted my application. But it is good to know what to do the next time I try for the PhD programs. 

Thanks again, and I hope you have a great day! Congratulations on your PhD offers

[solomonski]

Don't lose hope on hearing back from those Ph.D programs if that's what you want; it's still early! But that said, if you do end up going into an MA, I think you'll have an even easier time folding stuff like the writing sample into your MA work than I did my BA work. I think a majority of people coming from an MA use part of their thesis as the sample? 

[Little Earthquakes]

@RavenClawMyHeart I'm going to try to answer all of your questions, but the answers are specific to my experiences. Hope this is still helpful! I received my MA last June, and I finished applying for PhD programs four weeks ago.

I applied to 11 programs this year, and decided not to apply to any that required the Lit Subject. Because the Lit Subject predominantly covers ground that I have no interest in and am not familiar with (pre-19th century British), I decided that it was an extra time/money commitment that I would rather spend elsewhere. If I don't get into a PhD program next year, I will most likely take the Lit Subject and re-strategize my list of schools accordingly. For the Subject, I would definitely recommend studying with a friend, or having a study group. I find that the General is a lot more manageable on your own because it really comes down to strategizing. 

Because I was writing/finishing a Thesis and teaching a survey of fiction course during the second year of my Master's, I decided to wait to apply for a PhD until after I graduated. I'm glad I didn't do everything at once, because I don't think that I could have written as strong of a Thesis or had as good of an experience teaching. I was just completely drained the last couple of terms. But it sounds like you already have a good set of materials to revise/rework for another round of applications if you wind up getting your MA first!

My Thesis readers looked at a couple of variations of my statement of purpose, and their feedback was really helpful. I think that you should reach out to your adviser(s) for whatever you think will help you succeed, as long as you feel comfortable with them! What I really recommend is peer review/workshopping. I have one friend from my MA program, and I could not have gotten through app season without having her commenting on drafts of my work!

[toasterazzi]

So I did my MA from 2012-2014, and I started my PhD program in the fall of 2014.

1. When did you start preparing for the GRE Literature Subject Score? Did you study with a friend or professor?

I didn't take it. Like everything I read about that test made me pretty sure that I wanted nothing to do with it. And most of the programs I was interested in didn't require it, so I skipped that one.

2. If you needed to retake the GRE to make your scores competitive, did you prep during the summer?

I didn't take the GRE to apply to my MA program (wasn't required), so I attacked it for the first time when I was preparing for PhD apps. I gathered as many free resources as I could and did some intermittent studying here and there. But I would say most of my "serious" prep happened in the week leading up to the test.

3. How did you manage to work on your applications (i.e. writing samples and SOP) during a busy schedule? Or did you submit  your applications after finishing your MA?

I'm honestly not really sure how I made this work. I was taking three classes and teaching two classes that semester, so there was definitely a lot going on. I imagine a fair amount of whiskey was involved lol. I did keep an excel sheet with all of the important info (due dates, program reqs, etc.) and I tried to get things going as early as possible. I also made sure to give my profs as much time as possible to get the letters in.

4. Is it okay to ask a professor you work closely with to look at your writing samples, maybe even do a mock interview?

I didn't do this, but I imagine it'd be totally fine.

[RavenClawMyHeart]

Thanks everyone! I'm glad there's support here when one feels pretty stressed during the acceptance/rejection period. It is also great to know that applying for a PhD while working on an MA is do-able. I really didn't enjoy the Subject Test but one of the PhD programs I applied to (University of Texas- Austin) required it. But good to know what to expect the next time if I have to take it!

@Little Earthquakes thanks so much for sharing your experience. A workshop sounds great! Wish I had thought to look for one before, but I will certainly find one!

@toasterazzi haha, not a big whisky person but will keep that in mind when the time comes. 

[Dr. Old Bill]

I can't really comment, as I'm working on an M.A. now and will be (re)applying to Ph.D. programs later this year...but thanks for starting this thread!

[RavenClawMyHeart]

@Wyatt's Terps yeah, no problem! I know these questions have been asked before in past threads but it's good to refresh it. Good luck with your studies! 

[CarolineNC]

1. When did you start preparing for the GRE Literature Subject Score? Did you study with a friend or professor?

I didn't study for it and I took it, I dunno, about six months before I applied to MA programs. Then when applying for PhD programs, I decided not to retake it because I don't think it weighs particularly heavily. (My score sucked, btw. I am currently in the PhD program at UNC Chapel Hill.) 

2. If you needed to retake the GRE to make your scores competitive, did you prep during the summer?

Again, my GRE scores were nothing to write home about. 

3. How did you manage to work on your applications (i.e. writing samples and SOP) during a busy schedule? Or did you submit  your applications after finishing your MA?

I submitted during my MA. I worked on my writing sample for a year before applying. I can't imagine leaving that till the last minute. I wrote my SOP during the fall of my last year of my MA and I didn't feel particularly rushed. Granted, I had an easy semester. 

4. Is it okay to ask a professor you work closely with to look at your writing samples, maybe even do a mock interview?

Absolutely for the writing sample. I don't know about the interview. No schools I was accepted to asked for an interview. 

[ExponentialDecay]

jsyk unless your GRE scores are abysmal, it's probably not your GRE scores

[SilasWegg]

I applied to doctoral programs during MA coursework. It was brutal, distracting, nerve-wracking, and incredibly time-consuming. When you are already stretched pretty thin with your time commitments, it is important to allocate your resources wisely. If you can, assemble a little squad of supportive professors who can walk you through the process, lend a supportive ear, and hopefully write amazing reference letters. Without the support of these good people, application outcomes are dubious at best. 

1. When did you start preparing for the GRE Literature Subject Score? Did you study with a friend or professor?

I think you should aim to get a score that breaks 600. Some may disagree but I imagine some adcomms use the subject test as a cut off. My background is in American lit so I really had to beef up on English poetry, especially before 1900. Getting a grasp on major trends in 20th century literary theory helps too. Make flash cards, take practice tests, but don't over commit your time to this aspect of your application. A lot of schools don't require it and, for those that do, it appears to be mostly a formality.

2. If you needed to retake the GRE to make your scores competitive, did you prep during the summer?

I took it twice. My score only bumped 10 points on the retake despite countless hours of preparation. I might have had a bad test day but, in retrospect, I truly wish I had applied the law of diminishing returns here. Certainly, my time would have been better spent doing almost anything else. 

3. How did you manage to work on your applications (i.e. writing samples and SOP) during a busy schedule? Or did you submit  your applications after finishing your MA?

I reworked a chapter from the MA thesis as the writing sample. This was a really good two birds/one stone scenario. Profs were already giving me tons of support in composing the thesis project so retooling for the writing sample didn't tax those relationships. SOP is a different story. Though it is a short document, it has to be air tight. Make sure to be forward looking: outline a research project, explain how the degree will aid you in developing professionally and intellectually, maybe describe how working with a particular faculty member at the program will be beneficial to you. Strangely, none of this is as easy as it sounds.

4. Is it okay to ask a professor you work closely with to look at your writing samples

Get as many people to look at your writing sample as you can. More importantly, get help with the SOP. The statement of purpose is a genre unto itself, one which applicants rarely have had practice in writing. Also, you want to get a nice conversation going between the SOP and the writing sample. The support of faculty will certainly help in conceptualizing the broader connections between these documents.

[TomJones678]

On 2/1/2016 at 9:00 PM, CarolineKS said:

I am currently in the PhD program at UNC Chapel Hill.) 

 

Hi, CarolineKS--would you happen to have any info on PhD apps this year for UNC-CH? When we could expect to hear back, whether they're doing interviews, etc. Thanks!

[Mattie Roh]

For what it's worth, I've applied three rounds with my MA and have just gotten into a place this year (and wait listed at another, woo-hoo!).  166V/149Q/5.5AW and 600 in the subject. So respectable, but nothing amazing (and dismal in the quantitative, haha). I didn't study for the subject test, really -- I just looked over all of the materials from my graduate classes to refresh my memory and I thought that was sufficient. What I really feel made the difference this time around was that I spent the summer reading a lot of theory. I had meant to work up a new writing sample but I got distracted and ended up reading stuff I never had a chance to before and just following my interests in a roundabout way. I was worried that I was being unfocused ("I can't believe I've never read Judith Butler! I'm going to read some Judith Butler!") but at some point I realized that everything was linking together. In the end I had a much more solid idea of my research project and an easier time articulating my interests. So I guess my advice would be: spend a summer reading some theory that really interests you, regardless of whether or not it seems to be directly connected with what you hope to study.