A "What are my chances" Question

[danielyamahoto]

Hello, I am applying to mostly top PhD comparative literature programs, but I am almost certain I will be rejected by every single one, and am quickly becoming discouraged as I am working on my applications. I have a bit of a unique situation:

I graduated from a bottom-tier school, CSULA. I have a 3.745 overall GPA and my English Major GPA is 3.85. I do not have ANY publications or any research projects I worked on. My two outstanding qualities are that I already have my Bachelor's Degree at the age of 18, and also that I am an accomplished pianist. (I am focusing on the intersections between music and literature, so it is relevant). However, I'm just not sure how far being 18 will get me. How much will a complete lack of experience impede me, in addition to going to a school of "laughable quality," as other people frequently say?

My GRE verbal score was 710.

Quantitative was 560 (does it matter?)

Analytical: 5.5

I was on debate team, the honors club, in phi kappa phi, am tutoring english at my university's writing center and even taught English 100 at my university. I also teach piano privately, won several scholarships and competitions (but only in piano), and did administrative work at a law firm.

My personal statement is very strong, I think, but I don't know about my writing sample. (I don't know anyone who can give me feedback, sadly...).

As for language skills, I speak Russian fluently, and have completed the first quarter of Advanced French, so I can read/write at a moderate level.

What are my chances? I am applying to 18 schools, all of them top schools like U of Chicago, Brown, WUSTL, U of Wisconsin-Madison, Nc Chapel Hill, Yale, Cornell, Duke, Indiana, UCLA,.

[melusine]

at the risk of sounding mean... why do u keep reposting what is essentially the same question?

this is at least the second time i read a description of your scores, grades, background and age, and from what i recall you were given some very encouraging/supportive feedback last time.

also (wounded pride talking), it's rather strange that you keep coming back to a forum for support but don't follow up on your pm conversations on, essentially, the same topic.

it just seems a little bit "attention-seeking" to me, that's all.

as for your (reiterated) question, I will answer, once again, that all your records sound very impressive. Age might play against you (i.e. you might be perceived as a tad immature) as much as it might work in your favor (precocious genius), so I really think those two unknowns cancel each other out enough for you to be just as confident (or panic-stricken) as the rest of us twenty-something applicants.

[callmelilyb]

I'm going to second the comments made by the previous poster regarding your "chances" -- in general your application looks very solid and I think you've got a good chance of getting in. And as far as age goes, I think it could go either way. While it's certainly impressive that you've done all of these things by the age of eighteen (and now I'm going to be a crusty old person) I also think there is a certain maturity that comes with age that is nearly impossible to grasp until you've had a few more years of life experience -- and I think adcoms might feel the same way too. Gosh, I'm 25 years old and I wonder if I'll seem "mature" enough to adcoms. That doesn't mean you shouldn't apply, or that you don't stand a very good chance of getting in, but rather that if you don't get in this round I'd say it has more to do with that than anything else and I'd suggest you perhaps apply to a masters program or two that you could get started on just in case to prove to adcoms the next time around that you really can hold your own in high level academia.

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

[Liesje]

yeah your situation sounds ideally suited to a master's program. i'm finishing one this year and i think it was a really good decision, not just in terms of preparation for phd programs but also getting acquainted with what the profession entails and getting a sense of how teaching works and how to do it effectively.