Columbia English

[KhiCompLit]

12 hours ago, sarabethke said:

I seriously doubt it's the GRE. More likely writing sample, statement of purpose, cv stuff, but I don't know.

Also, being a good match for any given program in a given year according to the faculty.

[KhiCompLit]

11 hours ago, lousyconnection said:

Hi all, I'm the 0/7 Columbia person. I went in for English, so I don't know how much I can address Comp Lit stuff.

But so I took the GREs for the last application cycle. I studied my ass off, and didn't retake it for this year—too much money, too much stress. But I changed basically everything about my application besides the technical stuff relating to undergrad/scores/GPA. I kept 2 of the same letter-writers in my field, changed one to be more in line with my research interests (I'm going in for early modernism: I had a 19th Century Americanist, this year I asked a Medievalist). I re-conceived my whole project from the ground up—basically rewrote my statement so that it proposed a project at a conceptual level above what last year's had been at (asking questions that motivated last year's questions). I wrote a writing sample from scratch, which took from June until December, and was a substantial portion of my free time for those months. Last year I submitted a sample on The Canterbury Tales. It was a class paper, and none of my early modern work was good or long enough to be a sample. But that paper was a huge mistake, out of my field, not to mention I referenced Key & Peele in the opening paragraph. So I wrote the new one, and then used that to see where my mind was going so I could see what project to propose better.

That's it, as far as I can remember. I'd be happy to answer any questions, though.

But yeah, last year was devastating, one of the worst of my life (I was also going through a bad breakup right as rejections were rolling in; brutal). So I know exactly how it feels, and it can get really really bad. And it's a lot of work. But rejection means very little about you—it's not the end of the world, and it might not even be the end of anything at all.

Thank you.

[sarabethke]

6 hours ago, KhiCompLit said:

Also, being a good match for any given program in a given year according to the faculty.

Yes, I know, I just see that as something out of my control and something they'd decide based on all my application materials. The things you can change about your actual application are what I'm concerned with once You've researched schools and found what you think is a good fit, and  lousyconnection already addressed those things.

[lostillusions12]

Is it safe to assume that having no idea Columbia was interviewing is an implied rejection? Congratulations to those who have been accepted! Seems like a great program with awesome faculty!

Edited February 22, 2016 by lostillusions12

[KhiCompLit]

16 hours ago, sarabethke said:

Yes, I know, I just see that as something out of my control and something they'd decide based on all my application materials. The things you can change about your actual application are what I'm concerned with once You've researched schools and found what you think is a good fit, and  lousyconnection already addressed those things.

What are your research interests sarabethke

[Villain Elle]

Columbia English is breaking hearts today. No e-mail, just caught my rejection from a random website check. 

[battermyheart]

Hi. First time poster here! Would love to hear from some more Columbia admits. Congratulations! 

I'm also in the dark about NYU, hoping they'll let us all know this coming week. This waiting is .

[battermyheart]

So...NYU hollad back with an offer for a partially funded Masters...It's better than a reject but not exactly what I was going for. Oh well 

[DJS]

@battermyheart

Congrats! I am still waiting to hear from them, likely for a Masters. Any idea if it seems like it is alphabetical?

[battermyheart]

@DJS

Thanks! Was really hoping for the PhD but the MA nod offers an option at least. I'm not at the top of the alphabet, so not sure what what their method is. Hope you hear some good news soon. This waiting's been driving me cray and I still have more waitin' to do.