Hi everyone!

I'm applying to Comparative Literature programs and my SoP is driving me absolutely crazy. After lurking here for quite a while I would be highly appreciative if anyone gave me some guidance.

I am fortunate enough to have a wealth of experience and qualifications to include but I feel rather unnatural and spastic when I discuss them.

( Statement of Purpose )

What I mean by that, is I posted a SoP on here recently and got some good feedback, but one of the responses has been plaguing me. I'm applying to mostly MAs in Spanish (one PhD - but it's the kind where you complete the MA in the process, yadda yadda), and in my SoP I list interests from Spain, and both Central and Southern America. In truth, I don't think I could say which region I prefer, although I know through my graduate study I'll end up focusing on one particular area.

With that, the question is - is it *really* that harmful to have multiple areas of interests for future study put down, or should I "lie" and say I'm soooooo interested in this one area, even if I'm not sure that's what I want my longterm goal to be.

I've seen opinions both way, but I just feel this kind of "lie" could restrict me when I show up, especially if it's that they accept me based on that "lie" and then I pull a 180. I'm not talking switching interests within a region (picking one peninsular topic over another, even in the same time period), I'm talking switching from a peninsular interest to a South American one. That right there would be a switch in the professors that are interested in me too.

Thanks in advance for any response.

In asking for my third LoR my adviser said I should mention to the professor I ask "Professor Important and Professor Impressive are writing me letters so it would be great if you are able to complete the trifecta and write me one too" Is this a good strategy especially, if the person I am asking is probably the most important of the three in their field?

So, I'm a wannabe archaeologist applying to 5 programs. 4 MA, 1 PhD. The thing is, I have a lot of interests. And two of the programs (the PhD and one of the MAs) are great for topics that I've focused on already, done significant coursework on and worked on with my field school.

The other three are great to me for other reasons, specific research topics that I've not yet had any opportunity to work on, but that I'd really like to study. For example, one is great for zooarchaeology. I've not had the opportunity to study zooarchaeology yet, and I really don't have any zoology background, but I really want to.

These are MA programs, so I like to hope that's ok. It's not even as dramatic as a shift in subfield; it's all archaeology and while I don't have any research in this particular subject area, I do have research experience in archaeology (I did what was available to me in my region).

So is the discrepancy between what I have worked on so far and what I want to work on something that can be bridged in my SoP? Especially since they're MA programs? Or am I crazy?

I posted a sort of ish-start to my statement a while back. Before, all I posted was the beginning; ironically, it's the intro I no longer have, and only the body of the statement. I'm afraid it's too long and cumbersome, and I'm also afraid it's not very clear. Also, I have a paragraph in here explaining why my GPA is under a 3.5. This was recommended by my professor. I know it's generally accepted that I SHOULDN'T do this, but I did because she specifically suggested it.

Please, destroy. I will probably end up rewriting it again anyway...

Anyhow, ( down the rabbit hole )

Sorry it's so long. I really do appreciate all of the help this community has given me over the past few months. Seriously, I might have lost my mind by now if not for you guys!

GPA worry and Calculus Problem


Hi Friends,

I'm really interested in going to graduate school for public health. My GPA hovers around a 3.0-3.2, and I'm currently a first semester Junior trying desperately to pass Calculus, which I am only taking because the majority of programs I've looked at require it. If I scrape through with a D/D+ or below, I'm of course retaking it, but will this look dreadful to have taken it twice? I'm planning on taking Statistics, which also seems to be required, but since I have no interested in Biostats, I'm hoping my low math abilities don't kill my chances?

Basically, if I want to get a MPH in Environmental Health and have to retake Calc, will all of my chances/hopes/dreams be shot?

Thanks. Sorry, but I'm sort of freaking out.

I was wondering if two or three of yous guys would be interested in taking a look at my writing sample for any errors, general opinions, etc. I'm including a short story and the first chapter of a novella I wrote for my senior project, total of about 20-25 pages (have to reformat it to check). The short story is a surrealist style piece (though it has a plot, just some wacky things), and the novella chapter has some sex-related moments. Please let me know, and I will screen comments so people who want to volunteer and post their e-mails won't have their privacy invaded. Also please let me know if you would like it in the body of the e-mail or as attachments. Thanks everyone! Really appreciate it.

Hi,
I am applying into clinical psychology
Pediatrician from India, passionate bout this

GRE-1420 V 640 Q 780
research interest in developmental delay ( autism etc )
im an international applicant so i know state schools have issues with funding sometimes ( esp california, I was told by a prof himself that I shud apply in Private schools only.
Applying to -
UC davis
Emory
Yale
Cornell
NYU
Auburn

Am super stressed as IVY leagues r so hard to get in
Any suggestions??

Hi, I am applying into clinical psychology PhD program at uc davis. Struggling with the word limit. What can i omit???

In the final clinical exam that stood between me and the title of pediatrician I was asked to present a child with global developmental delay. When John (name changed) came to our hospital from rural Karanataka he was biologically five years old, but presented with the clinical development of a six to nine month old. He was unable to walk, his speech was restricted to mono-syllables and he did not even recognize his mother. To my great surprise, his parents truly believed that their son would “outgrow” his disabilities. Academically, that case discussion went really well for me as it contributed to me being awarded the best outgoing student from our residency program. We diagnosed John with Cerebral Palsy and referred him to Chethana, one of the few not-for-profit schools for special needs children in southern India. After the exam as I awaited my results, I volunteered at Chethana to follow-up on how John was doing.
My experiences at Chethana made me realize that the practice of working with special-needs children in a developing country like India presented challenges that were very different from what I had read in my pediatric text books. The center was brimming with special-needs children and the few well-intentioned volunteers there, including myself, had very little idea of how to treat them. All the children there, were classified under the blanket diagnosis of mental retardation and were treated as per a generalized protocol for the same. There was lack of accurate functional behavior assessment. What I witnessed at Chethana had a great bearing on my decision to pursue a specialization in developmental disabilities.
I joined my husband in Atlanta after we got married in 2007 and volunteered at the Marcus Autism Center. At Marcus I spent most of my time in the Language and Learning Clinic working on intensive one-on-one behavior therapy for children with autism and related disorders. These therapies were based on the fundamentals of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and used positive reinforcement in a repetitive manner to target learning of communication and social skills. In my time there I observed significant improvements in language and adaptive skills for these children, more so than I had expected based on the pediatric literature I was exposed to, in medical school. At Marcus, I was also a co-investigator in a research study on comparative analysis of social stories with and without a reinforcement component with children with pervasive development disorders Since then I have also had the opportunity to volunteer at Emory Autism Center. This has been an enlightening experience for me because Marcus and Emory follow somewhat contrasting protocols of behavioral therapy. At Emory the focus is primarily on family support and community assistance in a naturalistic setting besides early intervention.I have observed that both these therapeutic approaches are successful and I am interested in developmental psychopathology research to better understand the case selection procedures for such treatment methodologies. In particular, I am interested in learning more about early identification of developmental disorders (Rogers, Guralnick, Stone, Wetherby and Dawson) and my research interests align well with Dr. Sally Rogers’ incredible work in autism and the Autism Phenome Project.
I strongly believe that with my background in clinical pediatrics I will be a unique addition to the interdisciplinary nature of U.C.Davis’ Ph.D. program. Having seen the suffering of special-needs children and their parents first hand in the hospital setting I will raise real-world questions in my group discussions. I also understand the limitations of pediatric literature in this space and will focus on bridging the gap between child development and clinical pediatrics as I narrow down my research agenda. The time I have spent at the Autism Centers in Atlanta has helped me understand the presence and absence of these synapses and I can greatly benefit from the program’s connections with the faculty of Pediatrics at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, Center for Mind and Brain and the Center for Child and Family Studies.

I'm quoting a well known author in my SoP. I'm pretty certain any professor reading my SoP will be familiar with the reference. Is it necessary to use a citation?
If so, how? Footnote? Thanks!

I recently overhauled my SoP and really want to get some feedback from as many sources as possible, so I'm hoping anyone here can provide whatever kind of criticism. Pretty much and basically, go nuts! (oh yeah, it may be for Spanish, but don't worry, it's written in English) Oh, and one particular question is should I get more specific about my career aspirations? As in, mention where I see myself being a professor (size of university, etc)?

( Spanish SoP )

I'm applying to PhD programs in Slavic Languages and Literatures. This might be a dumb question, but I have a paper that's 29 pages (with a lot of footnotes...maybe 3 pages worth). I am in the process of paring in down as much as I can, but my professor/mentor really wants me to submit another paper as well (this one is about 6 pages). 20 is the limit for most programs that specify one. My question is: say I got the first one down to 19 or 20, would it be okay to exceed the page limit and submit both? I am really struggling with this monster.

Last year, I thought I was going to apply for an M.Arch program, so I stated the application process and got two professors to write letters. Those letters were supposed to be kept on file, whether or not I finished the process. However, they got lost somehow. I found this out maybe 2 weeks ago. I had already got my 3rd letter, so to have all three I'd have to contact those professors again and see if they'd rewrite their letters. One did, the other, I have no way of getting in contact with.

Long story short...I need 1 more letter. Who should I ask write it? A professor, who've I've taken 2 classes will, did well, but don't know him personally and he requires a complete portfolio, which I haven't put together yet, I've started it, but its going to take awhile to complete. But he's an architecture professor and that's the field I want to study. Or my boss, who I've worked for the past 5 years at a grocery store. While isn't in the field I hope to end up in, I think a reference from my boss will showcase my several strengths...commitment, ability to grow and learn(I've learned several jobs: utility clerk, cashiering, customer service clerk, salad bar clerk and pricing coordinator), stability, etc. Keep in mind, that my other two recommendations are from a design art history professor and an architectural art history professor.

I get different advice from people I know, so I wanted to get you're opinions. Thanks.

I received an "achievement scholarship" from my undergrad institution each semester I attended and would like to include that on my CV. Should I just write, "Recipient of Achievement Scholarship, [School]", or should I include the actual amount of the scholarship? If I do put the amount, what is the best way to phrase it?

This CV will be included in a MA in gender studies application packet.

Thank you!

Everything is done on my application except for my SOP. I wrote it, and re-wrote it, and rewrote it and somewhere along the way I ended up with a behemoth of an SOP that needs to be cut pretty much in half (1500 words??!!) and a bad case of brain freeze. I can't see the fat on this SOP anymore but I know it's there and it's got to go.

Are there any kind people who would be happy to be ruthless and suggest what to cut? I'm applying to a Masters program in Communication and hope to do my PhD at this school as well.

Thanks in advance!

( My Big,Fat Communications SOP )

Hi everyone!

I'm currently working on my SOP for a masters program in Counseling Psychology (to the University of North Texas) and I ran into a big problem. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be applying to a professor. Most of the example SOPs I have and the advice I have gotten for writing them are from PhD psychology students. These students were all applying to a specific instructor that they wished to study under. While I do have a professor whose research I am interested in, I'm not sure if the same rules apply to MA programs since I'll only be there for 2-3 years.

I'd really like to get some advice from another master-in-Psych person to get some perspective on this as soon as possible. Should I just address my SOP to the program in general or should I say that I want to work in this professor's lab?

Hi,

Does anyone know what the difference is between UPenn English and UPenn Comp Lit is? I know that Comp lit department emphasizes that it has a more theoritical focus than the Eng one. But the comp lit department also implies knowledge of two more languages for research.

My research is going to center around anglophone lit production but also I am looking to ground it mainly in postcolonial theory. Do you think my app will be ranked lower down if i apply to the comp lit dept because of my lack of knowledge of lingustic knowledge?

Thoughts much appreciated from fellow Eng UPenn applicants

Hi, everyone. I've been reading this comm for a while, but this is my first time posting. You guys are awesome. I was hoping you might be able to channel some of this awesomeness into helping me with my SOP.

I'm applying to four M.A. programs in Medieval History. I showed my draft to my brother, who's currently getting his M.A. in Classics, and to one of my profs, and both said it was good but needed to be "polished." But I suppose I've been looking at it for so long that I have no idea how to make it better. Also, I know my opening line sucks, but I don't know what else to write.

All the schools I'm applying to have asked for my SOP to contain: why I want to do this program specifically, what my interests are, and what experience I have in the field. None of them are interested in my personal life history or any of that.

Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

( Read more... )

Hi All,

I am currently enrolled in a MA/PhD program and for many reasons I am looking to change programs. I will have completed my MA by the end of this year and am applying elsewhere. This community was really helpful last time and I am hoping that you all might be willing to provide some guidance and constructive feedback this time around. Anyone want to take a shot at my SOP?

Many thanks!


( Read more... )

I posted my Theater MA SOP here a while ago and felt pretty good about it, and then a former teacher of mine told me that it was all wrong in approach. I'm frustrated by this, because what I had done was very specific, my rationale being that specific is better than general, "I should do this because I'm this..." statements. So now, with deadlines a little more than a month away, I'm starting over. And freaking out.

Here's what is mostly word vomit. I know it's not there, but before I devote any more time to it, I need a little feedback. Just if what I've got here as a skeleton is anywhere close to being "right." Academic theater is such a tricky deal, especially here, because not that many people know what to say about it or how to approach this. I'm just... ugh.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

I looked in the archives and didn't see this question so I wanted to throw this out to the group.

In doing research for the program I'm applying to, I read up on the type of work the faculty was doing in order to determine if my academic interests were compatible with program. In doing my research, I read a few papers written the faculty in that department.

My question? Is it pretentious to cite one or two of the professors and their work when talking about my own academic interests? I haven't noticed this in any of the other SOPs I've read here and while *I* think it would be a good thing but I'm also afraid of looking a bit like a brown noser.

What do you all think?

Hello, I am at the beginning of my grad school search. For me it is a high priority to have good living conditions at grad school. are there any quality of life grad school rankings?

I am looking for coleges that provide accomodation for postgrads that is really nice. I dont want to have a roommate. I would like to live somewhere with character, maybe old buildings and such. Problem is I want to live in a big city. Plus it has to be affordable( or with great funding for most students) . prolly sounds like a lot to ask for, but i thought i'd ask. any leads?

also does anyone have opinions on quality of life at oxbridge vs. top US places for grad students?

Thanks in advance

Hi everybody,

I want to once again thank everyone who commented on my previous draft. Your suggestions were thoughtful and constructive. As always, I am happy to return the favor if anyone needs an extra set of eyes. Thanks in advance!

( English SOP )

I have indeed searched previous postings for answers to my question but...are forms absolutely required in accompanying letters? I have some sense that it is dependent on individual departments but do you get some general sense of their gravity?

hey hey,

i have a draft statement of purpose for 4 competitive anthropology programs. i recently showed it to an old professor, and, while encouraging me, he essentially said: "trash the chronological order (undergrad, grad, dissertation, X university, career). instead, begin with idea X, which is your most important point. link everything else to it."

his advice is appreciated, and i intend to follow it. but how? hahaa. it is very challenging for me to link my substantive interests with X, a vast area of discourse that, by prioritizing, indicates a particular theoretical posture. (i'm not trying to be cryptic or anything - sorry if the writing isn't clear. anonymity is hard:)) X does not commend a particular organization, and i don't know when to mention biographical information, theoretical and practical interests, etc.

seriously, how do i organize this thing? what do i say, where? are there outline templates out there? how did you do yours? what was helpful for you in outlining, drafting, figuring out what to say?

anything at all is appreciated.

THANKS!

I'm jumping on the bandwagon here. You English majors are obsessive (jay kay).

I have a few programs I'm applying to which "recommend, but don't require" the Psych subject test. So, as a precautionary measure, I took it, scored a 670, and told myself I'd only send the score if it was "good enough". The problem is, I don't know what a "good enough" score is for some of these programs. Part of me wants to just not send it, but I will if for some reason 70th %ile is awesome or something (and I don't even know about the subscores--there's about a 30% difference between my experimental and social subscores, eep).

Anyway, tl;dr version: Is a 670 a good score? Should I send it to these pretty competitive (top 20) programs if they only "recommend" it?

So when they ask to send "transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended", what exactly does that include?

I took one year of college classes part time in high school (the PSEO option, if you are familiar) and have 6-7 classes from that. Should I include this transcript?

The other place I have credit from is when I took a one-week course when I was 15. It's 2 credits of marine biology. Should I include this? I never really was a student there... it was one week!

I was thinking yes to the first and no to the second. Other opinions?

Both are listed on my official transcript of the university I have been attending the past four years.

So, I am not sure what to consider a "good" Lit. GRE score. If I have a Verbal score of 650 (93%) and a Quant. of 700 (72%), then what kind of a score do I need on the Lit. GRE to remain competitive? UCLA publishes that they suggest a 650 and UC-Irvine suggests a similar score. However, UC-Davis, which ranks only a couple places lower than UCI on the US News and World Report list, suggests a 550. I already have taken the test once and got a 570, which puts me in the 59th percentile. I don't expect that score to make me pop, but is it a liability? If I am looking at programs like Rutgers, NYU and many of the UC schools, should I take it again?

Also, I am looking at a couple of schools that list the subject test as optional (Northwestern, Duke). Does that mean "optional, but if you don't then we keep your application fee and laugh at you," or does it actually mean optional?

Thanks for the advice! I would love to hear about success stories with similar circumstances (if there are any).

This may be a really, really dumb question, but I honestly have no idea how to proceed.

There's a professor at one of the schools that I'm looking at that I would seriously give my left arm to work with. She's the ONLY person I've found who's doing research so similar to what I hope to look into.

When I've asked the professors I'm getting LORs from, they've all said not to bother reaching out to faculty that I might want to work with. However, do you think it'd be OK if I DID reach out to her and shoot her an email? I was a little surprised when my professors said to "not bother," but I'm having a hard time figuring out if this means: "I wouldn't, because it's no big deal in the long run," or "Don't email this professor; they may be busy/not be comfortable, etc. etc." I know in some fields it's considered pretty standard, but do you think there's any reason to NOT email a prof you'd like to work with?

On another note, if I DO email this professor, how do I start that email? What should I say? Should I talk a little about my interests, or just introduce myself? Should I ask questions about her research, or would this seem presumptuous?

Thanks, everyone.

PS: Also, I took the GREs on Thursday. I got a 560 in the math and a 620 in the verbal. Not great scores, but they should make me competitive in my field with my other qualifications. I just wanted to thank everyone for all of the encouragement/suggestions in my last post. It was incredibly, incredibly useful.

ETA: Carry on. I'll bet there are *gobs* of tags on this subject. Thanks freddie. :-)

Before I get started, I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays, and I hope your application process is going well.
This is my first time posting, and I'd like to say thanks to everyone who contributes, this community is a great resource!



I did check through old posts, but my apologies if I missed one that already answered my question.

Edit: P.S., I'm applying for MA programs in Art History.

I am applying to Creative Writing MFA programs, where traditionally "grades don't matter," but I still have an issue.

My overall GPA is 3.0 with a 3.3 in my last sixty hours. During my sophomore work (3rd, 4th, and 5th semesters) I withdrew from 3 courses and got 2 Fs, both for lack of attendance. None were English courses. Both classes in which I got the Fs have been repeated with an A and an A-. My lack of commitment to school was mostly caused by my [blahblahb heath issues]

I attended community college for one semester as a non-degree seeking student, and I am submitting this information only to schools that are very specific about the requirement of transcripts of ALL college work. During this semester, I took four courses, withdrew from 2, got an A in one, and a C in a creative writing course (Yeah, I know.) However, this bring my W total up to 5, which is terrible. NONE of the credits from my time at CC were transfered back to my home institution, and therefore do not count towards my degree at all. I then took a semester off, did some volunteer work abroad, and returned to school in Spring of 08, and have since done much better in class with no Ws and a 3.3 for courses earned in that time period.

I realize that grades aren't terribly important for MFA applications, especially since I have the minimum 3.0, but since my application has to go through the English department as well as the creative writing department, can all my Ws destroy me before I get a chance?

Would an addendum regarding grades be a good idea, or can I assume they will see the change in my performance? Should I submit it only to schools that will receive all 5 Ws?

If I should do one, how does ( this sound? )

how many schools are you applying to? i am applying to three PhD programs and one MA. the three PhDs are all top 40 schools, one is top 6 and the other two are top 20. all are top ten for my interests.

frankly, i am poor. i can't afford to pay $75 a pop just to apply to these places, not when i have to pay the heat bill and the rent and daycare and all the rest of the bs! the main reason i applied to the MA program is because they waived the application fee because i attended their open house. thats not the only reason i am applying, its location is perfect for me, and theres one guy there i could work with... but mainly, its the money!

so, lets slack off from revising that writing sample this friday night. how many schools are you applying to?

I posted an older draft of this a couple of months ago-- time to crack down! A lot of these edits are based on feedback from you guys; some are my own.

I'm applying to PhD programs in ancient history.


( xxx )


Thanks!

Hello everyone. So, UPenn does not list average GRE scores, and though they recommend that applicants submit GRE Lit scores, they don't require it. I scored 600 (70th %ile), which is way better than I expected, but I'm not sure whether or not to submit it. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!

I applied and was accepted to a Masters program back in 2006. About half way through the first semester I realized that I was very over extended. I moved, began a new F/T job and began school all within 1 week. Couple that with a messy, protracted divorce and the death of a close loved one you get the picture.

I withdrew from the program.

Fast forward to 2009. My life is back on track and I'm reapplying to the same program I withdrew from. I'm planning on making an appointment with new head of the program to discuss how it's changed over the past couple of years (the great part is that it's an even better fit for what I want to study now then it was 3 years ago). I have a couple of questions though.

(a) Should I mention that I withdrew from the program in my SOP. I would rather focus on my academic interests and what I've done professionally then my having to withdraw.

(b) Just how much, if any, of my original SOP should I use in writing my new SOP. While I feel that it would be just plain lazy to recycle it, a lot of it is still applicable and I would hate to love that information from my SOP.

Thanks in advance for your help!

My applications are due in a few days and I am not nearly as content about my SOP as I wish I was. Any comments or critique is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

( Read more... )

For those of you who are/have been/will be creative writers applying to MFA programs, Mark Wallace has a discussion of the value and purpose of the MFA and its application process here at Thinking Again, as well as a round-up of links to other creative writers and their perspectives on the process.

Shorter version of his post: MFAs are kinda exploitative, and while you do need a degree from there in order to teach at the university level these days, they don't necessarily enhance your ability to get a job afterwards. They might be useful as long as you are very clear about what you will and won't get out of them.

Hope this link helps someone!

- Sisyphus
Sisyphus at Academic Cog

What qualifies as an okay score on the GRE Literature in English?

I am applying to PhD in English. I have a 3.9 GPA, both cumulative and w/in my major. I have three very strong LoRs. I did NOT do well on the GRE. I got a V540 and Q610. I also got a 4.0 in writing (which just makes me MAD, but that's another post).

Anyway, I'm trying to decide if I should re-take. I'm not quite sure what to do to improve my score, and I'm afraid of retaking it and getting the same score.

I'd love any advice on whether I should retake the GRE, and if so how to improve my score quickly. (I am quite good at sentence completion and reading comprehension, but I always bomb the analogies and antonyms.)

Thank you. Thank you!

(For what is worth, I am applying to a wide variety of program re: ranking.)

I took the GRE on October 31st and scored a 640 verbal (92%), 5.5 writing. I am not sure if I should retake the GRE, as I am going after top PhD programs.

I graduated third in my class with honors in English Literature, with a major GPA of 3.98 and a cumulative of 3.7 (magna cum laude). I also received an award for best thesis. I have 5 extremely strong LORs and I feel my writing sample and personal statement are also strong. However, I read that funding is often determined by GRE score, which really worries me as I am a terrible test taker.

Thoughts? I am registered to retake the GRE this Saturday, but I really don't know if I should. I haven't had a chance to even study since my last one.

I took the GRE today and got a 670 verbal, 490 math... My gpa is 3.3 overall, 3.5 t in the last two year. I am applying to funded MA programs as my advisors do not think I will make it into a phd program.

Should I retake the GRE to break 700 because I know that I can

Also, the test is exactly as it is depicted in the books. I erroneously thought the real version would be much more difficult.

thanks

Hi all. I'm a first time poster and I need some help with SoP. My deadlines are not till mid-December, so I'm not yet stressing out, but it's getting close, I know. I'll take any suggestions. My places ask for 500-700 words, but I'm definitely way under that. Would that be a problem? Thanks in advance!

( here it is )

Hello,

I know it's kinda late for this (so no lectures on that, heh) but I just finished my first draft of the SOP for my earliest-deadline program and I think it needs some serious help.

I feel like I just wrote a lot without actually saying anything, so all advice would be appreciated. A note on the opening: I feel like it's a little bold to start off that way, but it's interesting and it says a lot about me and my understanding of the nature of the work I want to do. I'm just wondering if there's any way to keep the metaphor going or maybe close out by tying it all together.

Anyway. Thanks in advance!

( It all comes back to farming really... )

I decided to go back to school, and am starting as a second degree student in the spring semester. I have a BA in English, with a minor in Anthro. I didn't think to apply to grad school, since I only had a minor in Anthro, and I didn't really think I had the background.

In talking with the department head, he thinks I would do better to apply as a Master's student and go from there. He's probably right. The deadline is mid-January, which is about a week before I'll start up as an undergrad again.

I am a little overwhelmed with completing the whole process, GREs and all, in two months. I have only a very very vague idea of where to start.

So... How and when do I need to approach people for LOR? It's been six years since I've been in school, and most of the professors I developed really close relationships with were in the English department. Both departments were very small. At least one professor I'd consider asking is now teaching at a different university. Another one is emeritus. Another one has recently passed on. I've been a stay at home mom for several years, and I don't have an employer to ask. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed about asking people that I haven't seen in the better half of a decade. What protocol do I need to follow in asking, and what information do they need?

Basically I'm looking for general advice, resources to guide me in this process. Thanks for the help!

Anyone ever have issues with having enough people to get letters of recommendations from? I (please, please) cannot be the only one. I wasn't super close with any of my UG professors and I think my advisor is not the loveliest person to ever walk upon the earth (I did ask her for a rec though). I have the possibility of getting letters of recommendation from the people that I worked with which was at the college but not in my department.

I would just love some reassurance that I am not the only person like this!

For anyone applying/thinking of applying and agonizing over the whole asking for recommendations part, especially from faculty whom you haven't seen in a long time I would just like to ease your minds a little bit.

I work as an archivist processing the papers of my school's faculty when I'm not doing amazing historical work and in sifting through the papers I have found that faculty tend to keep things. The prof in question had a student from 1978 ask for recommendation in 1999 (which she got and got the grant she applied form I have the follow up thank you card). He still had notes about student performance adn grades from the 1960s and kept copies of all the recommendations he wrote, and the letters of appreciation from students who received them. He's pretty damned organized, which is unusual for faculty, but I just wanted to pass this along in case anyone felt weird asking for letters after graduation has receded into the background.

And they really like letters of appreciation. He had folders of them.

Hi math grads and grad applicants,

I'm a BA/MA math student at CUNY-- Hunter planning on applying to top-20 school for grad in a year. I am taking all grad classes right now and have a reasonably full schedule. Should I spend time taking French/Russian/German right now, to prove my preparatory devotion or whatever, or just focus on actual math?

Thanks,
Stephanie

The first deadlines for my letters are coming up on December 1st, 3rd, and 8th. Two of these are for schools and one is for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. My other deadlines aren't until January.

Unfortunately, one of my letter writers has come down with the H1N1 virus! I first spoke to him back in September about writing letters, and he told me he would write them a couple of weeks before the first deadline. "A couple of weeks before the first deadline" would be now, so I doubt he wrote the letter before he got sick. I have emailed him to see how he is doing and if he thinks he will be able to get the letters in on time, but I haven't heard back (completely understandable - I wouldn't be checking my email if I had come down with H1N1).

I have another prof who would write me a good letter, but she doesn't agree with my school choices (because of the ideological slant/academic focus of the schools I'm applying to, not because she thinks I'm not qualified.). She doesn't like the slant of either two schools whose deadlines are in December or the school where I proposed to do my NSF.

What do I do? Do I ask the NSF if the sick prof can get my letter in late? Should I ask the prof who doesn't like my school choices for a letter? I would be worried that her letter wouldn't be as strong as the sick professor's under the best circumstances, but even more so now that I would be asking her TWO WEEKS before the deadline!

Does anyone here have experience asking for extensions for letters? I'm especially worried about the letter for the NSF, who I think might be less flexible.

UPDATE: The non-sick prof got back to me and said that if I let her know by Nov. 29th, she would get the letter in by Dec. 1. So all is well! If the other prof doesn't get better in time, I can ask her with no problems! Excellent.

Is it bad form to e-mail a program to ask their acceptance rates? Neither their website nor their listing on Petersons has one.