Introductions from the new wave?

[vainamoinen]

my anxiety level is rising expnentially each passing hour. my gpa is average (3.5), my gre not as bad (730v)-- taking the subject nov4. my main interests are old english and old norse, so im applying to schools that do well in such things--the only two of which that exceed my gpa being cornell and duke--- though it could certainly be said (by me especially, given said anxiety) that my gpa is too low for most any school. my top two choices (other than cornell) are purdue and notre dame (both of which happen to have excellent medieval programs). other than that, it's the usual laundry list of "second tier" schools: illinois, oregon, etc. what i can say is that ill be happy getting into any of the schools that i will be applying to, even those considered third or fourth tier. i began studying for the gre subject at the beginning of june, looking at the usual sites (including this one):
the best: http://lasr.cs.ucla.edu/alison/hapaxlegomena/index.html
the second best (which i didn't find until early september): http://www.duke.edu/%7Etmw15/index.html
and others, including reed's site.
i've bought the rea and princeton books and have done not-so-well on the rea tests--- will take the princeton test soon (the real test being ohso close now).
needless to say, i'm beyond nervous-- yet i am determined. my professors respect me. my paper is well-honed. my statement of purpose is burgeoning.
i hope i get in somewhere!

[phinlit]

Beware of using the REA Best, Princeton Review and other tests to measure progress. These are not tested against the same population of test-takers as are the ETS offical practice tests. Measure ETS against ETS. The other tests are great for practicing the testing style and environment. You can take one of the REA Best tests, for example, at a library under timed conditions. Get a feel for the pacing. Don't use the score, though, to rate your performance. Hope this helps.

I took the GRE Subject Exam--Literature in English in December 2005. I've listed where I've found three version of ETS tests at....
http://quiz.agencyinfo.org/grelit/
I've heard there is a 1982 version available in old "ETS Practicing the GRE Subject Exam" but I have not come across the test myself.

Good luck.

Mike

[Scraggle18]

Does anyone know whether publication in university-based magazines and/or literary journals "counts" as publication worth listing?

Please let me know! I've agonized over this question for a long time.

What are you all doing with essays or poems/stories that were published in your undergraduate journals? Do you list them?

Is this a terribly naive question? *trembles*

vainamoinen, I'm getting super nervous too. I haven't worked on my statement of purpose or writing sample, yet. And I haven't taken the regular GRE. Heh. So you seem very ready and ahead, compared to me!!

[OedipusRex]

Hi,

It is wonderful to see this forum. Congratulations to those of you who made it and all the best to those who are applying soon.

I am currently doing a brief editorial stint and after much deliberation have decided to apply for a PhD. One of the things that kept me back was the dismal academic job market and, to be honest, some things that I encountered in graduate school. Moreover, as an international student, coming from an education system with little emphasis on writing, it was an enormous struggle to adjust to writing for a graduate audience.

However, at the end of the day I am not too disappointed with the way things turned out. In my second year MA, I changed my advisor (no run-in with my previous advisor ) -a faculty member who had been just hired and he is supremely confident in my abilities. Besides, I loved teaching freshman composition, and cultivated a wonderful rapport with some of my students. My present job affords a comfortable lifestyle, but I don't feel sufficiently challenged. I'll probably hang on for a year more, but I know I have to get back to grad. school. And for those of us wondering what to do in the present academic job market, rest assured that there is a lot out there for English majors. I am not kidding!

In my second year of MA, I gravitated towards postcolonial fiction and narrative theory. I retook my general GRE's last summer and did quite well. I plan to take the subject test in April 2007. Norton here I come! I hope I'll be able to pull off a good writing sample. Good luck and feel free to vent!

[bluewhisky]

it's so good to know there's others 'out there'...i havent published anything, i cant seem to get in touch with a proofessor who promised me a reco & i have BOTH my GRE tests to study for. *wilts*
the task seems daunting to say the least! Im also worried because I'm keen to do a Phd on a British poet nobody else seems to be talking about these days! altho i did get in touch with various professors from univs on my tentative application list...and they seemed sweet & encouraging. BUT who knows!!!
*wilts even further*