Comments | applyingtograd: English Undergrad w/ Questions!

sazeracs in applyingtograd

English Undergrad w/ Questions!

Jun 19, 2011 20:31

Hi. I'm about to start my senior year as an undergraduate English major at a small liberal arts college known for its lack of grade inflation ( Read more... )

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Comments 28

tisiphone June 20 2011, 03:52:27 UTC

I think I know which school you're at, but it's best not to name names - you never know who's reading, right ( ... )

sazeracs June 20 2011, 04:36:06 UTC

Thanks for the pointers!

brittdreams June 20 2011, 04:03:15 UTC

Honestly, it's not that bad to write a thesis while also applying to grad school. The reason is this: the bulk of a senior thesis is usually written in the spring, not in the fall. The consequence is that if you don't take a gap year, you may not have much of a writing sample. I used a revised class paper as my writing sample, because that 15 page paper was better than the rough outline and sections of chapters I'd written for of my senior thesis by December/January.

sazeracs June 20 2011, 04:35:18 UTC

The writing vs. research comment is a very good point.

brittdreams June 20 2011, 20:23:04 UTC

Also, why are you planning to take the GRE twice?

seasontoseason June 20 2011, 04:22:09 UTC

i definitely know what school you're at ( ... )

sazeracs June 20 2011, 04:34:24 UTC

Thanks for the advice, esp. re: 4.

(The comment has been removed)

sazeracs June 20 2011, 04:29:51 UTC

And gosh darn is I will, as soon as I figure out what the fuck to thesis on and who the fuck to thesis with.

Your icon is familiar ;)

(The comment has been removed)

roseofjuly June 21 2011, 05:13:19 UTC

Honestly, that'd be my advice too. Being in the social sciences and not being intimately familiar with the humanities crisis, mine would be modified to "don't go right away," with the explanation that I'm a STRONG advocate of taking some time off. And I don't mean a year - I mean like 2-5 years. PhD programs are not going anywhere, but in the meantime you may find something else that you love (or that you want to do that makes you content/happy) that won't take as long and isn't as arduous and time-consuming.

I won't go so far as to say I regret taking this program, but at just 22 I really couldn't imagine doing anything else besides school. Now that I'm almost 25, although I've been in a PhD program for the last 3 years I can imagine a lot - some things I might have rather done than be stuck here, especially given the job prospects.

Thread 7

agentdanger June 20 2011, 07:29:02 UTC

My two cents ( ... )

sazeracs June 21 2011, 05:16:47 UTC

thanks for the advice!