A Long Time Ago, We Used to be Friends.

[vaguelyalive]

Ten Rules (Or Less) For Writing Fiction by various authors including Neil Gaiman, Phillip Pullman, Zadie Smith, Joyce Carol Oates, PD James etc., etc.I like how all of them were all, "WRITE, DIPSHIT. Don't just imagine being a writer, actually sit down and write." It's the hardest bit, really. Woe

Comments

[bipin]

I'm not going to advise you like I'm the Duke of Admissionsburrough, because (a) I'm only going to regurgitate the spiel that's there out on the internets already; and (b) I'm not even certain what program you're going to be applying to.

I will, however, give you one piece of advice I'd hoped I gotten earlier in my admission process: Tailor your application to a professor in the University, not the University itself. I always wrote "Oh take me in 'cos your university is teh rockzzz!". Don't be me. Pick a professor (or two) from the University, and prepare your application as if you're writing to them. In the end, most universities will try and match you to a professor. So if even if you've got a topped your underwater basket-weaving class, and the professors are only doing underwater smelting, then it'll be a no-go.

This means that you'll have to do some groundwork on what the professors in the universities are doing. You could look at their web pages. You might even write to them and fake being interested in their work, if you have that kind of social-aptitude. Professors (and misguided PhD students) are gullible to that kind of attention, and surprisingly, will often reply.

Do that, and add your superb writing skills, and you'll be in very safe hands, Sushmita. I wouldn't worry about it at all :)

Finally, please send your love to Unlce and Bunty in the SOP at least. They're terribly hurt.