Fall 2017 Applicants

[AnimeChic101!]

18 minutes ago, engphiledu said:

Applying to seventeen schools. Almost finished.

Didn't think I'd be back at Grad Cafe so soon, but good to see all of you again (and welcome to those who are entering the fray for the first time).

 

Are we secretly the same person? Why are we applying to similar programs and the same number of programs? haha

I've only finished two apps. I'm really trying to personalize each one and it's taking so long.

[engphiledu]

3 hours ago, BlackRosePhD said:

Are we secretly the same person? Why are we applying to similar programs and the same number of programs? haha

I've only finished two apps. I'm really trying to personalize each one and it's taking so long.

Funny! I'm not sure. . . I don't think I have a doppelgänger - what is your intended focus?  I selected many of the programs because of POI, but also because of their solid programs in general.

Personalizing each application is the most difficult, though hopefully the most rewarding. Due to the structure of my MA and because I've taken a year to be an instructor, I've luckily had a bit more time to prepare than most. Even with all the extra time, I still feel woefully unprepared. 

On an unrelated note, the .hack series is the shiz. It's been a long time, but I still remember staying up until midnight/1:00 a.m. watching it on Toonami and playing the games on PS2. 

[angel_kaye13]

On 11/25/2016 at 8:13 AM, Wyatt's Terps said:

The feeling immediately after submitting the last of your thirteen (!) applications:

The feeling from approximately thirty seconds later for the next three months:

 

Stay strong, friends. It's a long and emotional ride.

Congrats, Wyatt! Without [hopefully] sounded TOO terribly weird, I THINK you and I were in the same application cycle last time I was on here (I haven't been on since master's apps, 2 cycles ago!). I like seeing familiar faces, AND I just finished up my own apps for this cycle. So good luck, all around? I'll definitely be cheering everyone on, but wanted to congratulate for the success of the past years!

[Dr. Old Bill]

11 minutes ago, angel_kaye13 said:

Congrats, Wyatt! Without [hopefully] sounded TOO terribly weird, I THINK you and I were in the same application cycle last time I was on here (I haven't been on since master's apps, 2 cycles ago!). I like seeing familiar faces, AND I just finished up my own apps for this cycle. So good luck, all around? I'll definitely be cheering everyone on, but wanted to congratulate for the success of the past years!

Thanks! You are correct -- we're both return customers!

Good luck to you as well!

[engphiledu]

On 8/9/2016 at 11:33 AM, Wyatt's Terps said:

I just retook it, and scored a bit WORSE than the last time. My scores were already fine, and a strong argument could be made that I didn't need to retake it at all, but I thought that perhaps a couple of years of additional academic immersion might bump up my verbal to the loftier heights of the high-160s, rather than the more pedestrian low-mid 160s. Alas, it was not to be. So another $200 and multiple hours of studying down the drain. It's annoying, because I truly have an excellent vocabulary, but I suppose standardized testing just isn't my cup of 

A.) Coffee
B.) Warm water
C.) Tea
D.) Ovaltine
E.) Hot cocoa

I just did the same thing. I retook the Subject (only did slightly better), then retook the General, in the hopes I might raise it, and scored worse on everything except Analytical Writing. Made a perfect 6 on that, though, so that made my feelings of inadequacy subside just a bit.
I understand the necessity, especially with schools which have 200+ applications, but being in graduate school and still being forced to take standardized tests rubs me the wrong way.

Edited November 27, 2016 by engphiledu

[bhr]

As someone is is answering emails sent to our program, please do not send last minute form letters asking about information that is available on the department website. Also, make sure to get the name of the school and program correct. I will pass this information on to the DGS.

[Dr. Old Bill]

6 hours ago, bhr said:

As someone is is answering emails sent to our program, please do not send last minute form letters asking about information that is available on the department website. Also, make sure to get the name of the school and program correct. I will pass this information on to the DGS.

Yeah, I imagine that must be a major pain, and it's something that is easily avoidable.

I had a master folder set up for the main version of all of my documents (CV, longer and shorter WS and SoP etc.) and folders set up for each one of the programs I applied to. For every application, the first thing I would do is take my WS and SoP and save them with a program-specific name in a program-specific folder...and changed the heading information immediately. Only after everything was safely saved in its program-specific folder with a program-specific heading would I make changes to length, fit paragraph and other program-related variations. I think it's a pretty good (if rather intuitive) method.

[Caien]

13 hours ago, bhr said:

As someone is is answering emails sent to our program, please do not send last minute form letters asking about information that is available on the department website. Also, make sure to get the name of the school and program correct.

Good god.

My first deadlines are this week, and while I have some minor adjustments to make for length and to fit paragraphs in my SoP, I'm disconcertingly well prepared. This is contrary to all my life experience thus far (I'm the student who submits essays 5 mins before the deadline), and is making me nervous. I have TWO AND AND HALF weeks until the deadline for my No. 1 preference, there must be a curve ball waiting for me somewhere...

[slightlymoreanonymous]

Back for round 2! Still slightly scarred from the last time in this process, and it's only been two years. Nice to see some of you folks again:)  

Query: So I'm not as prepared as most of y'all, and will be submitting my applications a few days before they're due. I had been planning on using my thesis prospectus [trimmed from its current monstrous 35 page sprawl], but now I'm not so sure. What types of writing samples are you submitting? Conference papers? Seminar essays? Article projects? 

 

[Dr. Old Bill]

13 minutes ago, Ashley828 said:

Back for round 2! Still slightly scarred from the last time in this process, and it's only been two years. Nice to see some of you folks again:)  

Query: So I'm not as prepared as most of y'all, and will be submitting my applications a few days before they're due. I had been planning on using my thesis prospectus [trimmed from its current monstrous 35 page sprawl], but now I'm not so sure. What types of writing samples are you submitting? Conference papers? Seminar essays? Article projects? 

 

Good to see you again, Ashley! And don't worry about the scars...I hear they add character.

I had some pretty major flip-flopping on which WS to use, as I've mentioned elsewhere in recent days, but what I ultimately wound up using was a piece that started as a 12-page term paper, and became a 19-page writing sample that probably could have been much longer. In other words, I took an existing paper and revised it extensively with my prospective line of study in mind. In other words, I made sure that all of the programs I was applying to had at least two POIs who would be interested in the content of the paper and its methodologies. I further ensured that my SOP worked hand-in-glove with the paper. It feels a bit like I have pigeonholed myself, but so long as I've applied to the right coops, I'm hoping that won't be a problem.

I'm not saying my way is the right way, but I do think it's important to demonstrate consistency across your materials and with the POIs you would like to work with...though conventional wisdom also suggests that you should use your "best" writing sample regardless. If you can find a way to easily reconcile those two, then you should be set. If not, it may be in your best interest to match your SOP and program choices to your strongest WS, rather than vice versa. I'm no expert, of course -- just another loony in Bedlam, as they say -- but it's advice nonetheless. Good luck!

[RydraWong]

Hope everyone's break is going well! I'm currently freaking out just a tad and wondering why I thought it was a good idea to apply to programs while finishing up my senior year of undergrad....

Which brings me to an SOP question that I've been going back and forth on - in one of my programs that allows a longer SOP (2 pages, single spaced), I have a few lines about how much I enjoyed the collaborative atmosphere of my honors thesis seminar. Basically I talk about how we were all working on distinctly different, interdisciplinary projects but how giving reading/giving feedback on other people's projects allowed me to reflect more on my own work and I want that kind of vibe in a grad program. But I had someone look at my statement recently and they said it seemed too obvious and not worth mentioning. Thoughts? Should I take it out to talk about something else or does it actually show something about the type of person/scholar I am? 

[echo449]

@RydraWong I don't think the line particularly helps or hurts you. If you feel that it doesn't add anything, take it out. If you can tie it to fit in some way--e.g., you love that the program you are applying to offers dissertation and article workshops that would encourage the same sort of collegiality--it may be worth keeping in. More importantly, though, it crucial to remember that everyone who got in on this board did something wrong at some stage of the application process, and we were still allowed to go to grad school. It's not worth killing yourself over small details, as easy to obsess over as they may be. 

[Caien]

4 hours ago, Ashley828 said:

Back for round 2! Still slightly scarred from the last time in this process, and it's only been two years. Nice to see some of you folks again:)  

Query: So I'm not as prepared as most of y'all, and will be submitting my applications a few days before they're due. I had been planning on using my thesis prospectus [trimmed from its current monstrous 35 page sprawl], but now I'm not so sure. What types of writing samples are you submitting? Conference papers? Seminar essays? Article projects? 

 

Abridged version of my undergrad dissertation, down from 40 to 20 pages.

[AnimeChic101!]

Tip #1million

Don't read your application materials once you've sent them off. You're bound to find an error or something that, in retrospect, you wish you had changed. Boohoo. You can't lol. Just shake it off . Don't freak out like I just did lol.

Edited November 28, 2016 by BlackRosePhD

[screamingacrossthesky]

Just want to wish you all the best of luck in finishing up!

And to those procrastinators out there freaking out while reading about all these people already submitting their apps, don't worry!  I am not proud to admit that my apps went in at the very last minute (and recommendations even later), but everything still turned out fine.  Not a recommended plan of action, of course, but still a potentially fruitful one!

[kirbs005]

18 hours ago, Ashley828 said:

Query: So I'm not as prepared as most of y'all, and will be submitting my applications a few days before they're due. I had been planning on using my thesis prospectus [trimmed from its current monstrous 35 page sprawl], but now I'm not so sure. What types of writing samples are you submitting? Conference papers? Seminar essays? Article projects? 

 

I used a mix. For programs with longer requirements I submitted a shortened version of my thesis, but some of my programs actually asked for seminar papers/something shorter than 15 pages so I submitted a seminar paper. I also tailored it a little depending on the professors I was looking to work with at the school.

[AnimeChic101!]

On 11/26/2016 at 0:49 PM, engphiledu said:

Funny! I'm not sure. . . I don't think I have a doppelgänger - what is your intended focus?  I selected many of the programs because of POI, but also because of their solid programs in general.

Personalizing each application is the most difficult, though hopefully the most rewarding. Due to the structure of my MA and because I've taken a year to be an instructor, I've luckily had a bit more time to prepare than most. Even with all the extra time, I still feel woefully unprepared. 

On an unrelated note, the .hack series is the shiz. It's been a long time, but I still remember staying up until midnight/1:00 a.m. watching it on Toonami and playing the games on PS2. 

I'm so glad that you figured out the reference! BlackRose from .hack was my favorite. 

I'm an Africanist/ afro-modernist, so we're not twins I guess. lol.

Good luck with this season  !!

[Neist]

14 hours ago, BlackRosePhD said:

Tip #1million

Don't read your application materials once you've sent them off. You're bound to find an error or something that, in retrospect, you wish you had changed. Boohoo. You can't lol. Just shake it off . Don't freak out like I just did lol.

 

You're brave doing that.

I don't even re-read papers/writing unless I need to use it later. I have enough anxiety. I don't need more.  Ignorance is bliss!

[erosanddust]

Does anyone know what we're meant to include for the "Do you have any research experience?" question that many applications ask? I've focused on the different research projects I've worked with faculty (through assistantships, etc.), but I don't know if I should be including my own conference papers, publications, etc.

[LouPlease]

Congrats to everyone who already submitted their applications!! I remain in the last minute camp.  On the topic of Writing Samples... what kind of format did you guys go with for the first page?  I've edited a seminar paper and it seems odd to leave the course and instructor but is it also odd to format it like an article submission?  

[Dr. Old Bill]

3 hours ago, LouisePlease said:

Congrats to everyone who already submitted their applications!! I remain in the last minute camp.  On the topic of Writing Samples... what kind of format did you guys go with for the first page?  I've edited a seminar paper and it seems odd to leave the course and instructor but is it also odd to format it like an article submission?  

I mentioned this in another thread a few days ago, but mine looked like:

 

My Name

Writing Sample

University of __________

2017 Ph.D. Application

 

MLA format etc., so kept last name and page number in the top right corner.

[othersamantha]

On 11/27/2016 at 2:33 PM, Ashley828 said:

So I'm not as prepared as most of y'all, and will be submitting my applications a few days before they're due. I had been planning on using my thesis prospectus [trimmed from its current monstrous 35 page sprawl], but now I'm not so sure. What types of writing samples are you submitting? Conference papers? Seminar essays? Article projects? 

 

I'm planning to submit roughly one section of my undergrad honors thesis. All together it's 50 pages, and since most apps are looking for 15-25, I'm essentially choosing one of the three sections. The issue I'm running into is editing. Some schools state that it's okay to submit an excerpt with a page or so to contextualize it, but others strictly ask for something "no longer that X pages." I guess for those schools, I will edit the section a bit to make it more standalone, but that in itself is tricky. Anyone have any tips on cutting down/submitting only part of a longer project?

[Caien]

1 hour ago, othersamantha said:

I'm planning to submit roughly one section of my undergrad honors thesis. All together it's 50 pages, and since most apps are looking for 15-25, I'm essentially choosing one of the three sections. The issue I'm running into is editing. Some schools state that it's okay to submit an excerpt with a page or so to contextualize it, but others strictly ask for something "no longer that X pages." I guess for those schools, I will edit the section a bit to make it more standalone, but that in itself is tricky. Anyone have any tips on cutting down/submitting only part of a longer project?

I'd say that even programs that just give a max page count allow for excerpts, as long as you don't submit the whole thesis with instructions to just read pages 10-18, for example.

[othersamantha]

35 minutes ago, Caien said:

I'd say that even programs that just give a max page count allow for excerpts, as long as you don't submit the whole thesis with instructions to just read pages 10-18, for example.

Thanks! So in other words, do you think it would be okay to submit an excerpt with perhaps a one page addendum to add context, even if not specifically prompted to do that in the application?

[LouPlease]

23 hours ago, erosanddust said:

Does anyone know what we're meant to include for the "Do you have any research experience?" question that many applications ask? I've focused on the different research projects I've worked with faculty (through assistantships, etc.), but I don't know if I should be including my own conference papers, publications, etc.

I've only seen that question on 1 or 2 applications. On NYU's application it follows up with this question: "If yes, please include a description of the work (title, where the work was done, name of supervisor, date and title of any publication, patents, etc.)". I took this to mean they only want to know about research positions you have held, not works you have published. There are not any sections on NYU's application to list publications so I assume they go on the CV.  I know (maddeningly) every application is different but that's my take on it.