CU English

APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL
(Current as of 2003)

Though such specific information as the location for the Credentials Office is particular to the University of Colorado, this guide is useful for anyone applying to graduate school in English.

Appendix 1: Bibliography of Aids for Graduate School
Appendix 2: Online Resources for Graduate School
Appendix 3: List of Graduate Programs, with Special Strengths
Appendix 4: Chronological Graduate School Application Checklist

First, be absolutely certain that you want to go to graduate school in literary studies. In many respects the academic life is a good one, providing you with the opportunity to lead the life of the mind, read more books in a field you love, work with students and occasionally members of the public at large, and communicate with like-minded scholars.

But it is important to be aware of some of the less pleasant realities of an academic career. Funding for higher education is always vulnerable to economic downturns and decisions by state and federal governments. The job market for university professors is never great. The Association of Departments of English found in its most recent survey (2005) that only 49% of newly-minted PhDs get tenure track jobs in their first year out of graduate school, which means that a significant number of graduates will teach for multiple years on the non-tenure track while searching for a tenure-stream position. The institution of tenure itself is under siege. Though there are many important non-financial rewards for scholars and teachers of literature, an English Professor’s pay is not competitive with that received by graduates of medical, business, or law school. The average time to complete a PhD is around 8 years. For the 2006-2007 academic year, the national average starting salary for an Assistant Professor in English at 4-year institutions was $47,357 per year; the average salary for an Instructor at these institutions was $37,573.

If you want to try out teaching, a one-year teaching certificate program gets you into high school classrooms to help you figure out whether that life is for you.

However, if you wish to apply to graduate school, the following description of the process (a chronological checklist of which appears in appendix 4) should help.

Open a file with the Credentials Office.

Begin a file of letters of recommendation at the Credentials Office in Career Services (Willard Hall, Room 26). Free now, your file will cost $35.00 after graduation. Your contact person, Judy Hlawatsch (492-4128) will give you info and forms (also at www.colorado.edu/careerservices/students/recomm.html), some of which go back to the Credentials Office. Give a waiver form, along with an envelope, to each recommender. (Typically, applicants check “I waive my access to this letter of recommendation” on these forms.) Your recommenders will finish filling out the forms and send them back to the Credentials Office with the recommendations. TYPE all of these forms because copies go to the universities to which you are applying.

Take the GREs.

The two GRE exams to consider are the General and the Subject. The General Test is a sort of “cumulative” test of the wisdom you have imbibed in college. You must take this exam. The Subject Test asks questions particular to literature studies. Some graduate programs do not insist on this exam; check your particular graduate programs to be sure one way or another. Try to remember that these exams are not the only way universities determine your value: your application, writing sample, letters of recommendation, and GPA are also weighed. Study for the exams beforehand. At the very least, study the website explanations of the GRE exams (http://www.gre.com/ttindex.html). You may take computer based General GRE Tests in Willard Hall, Room 84. You can sample GRE prep software at the Career Resource Center (Willard Hall, Room 5) at no cost. GRE Subject Tests are only given in November, December and April (still paper-based tests); you must register well in advance for the Subject Test.

Choose your schools.

To some great degree, acceptance to graduate school is a crap shoot. Nevertheless, you have to think about what schools you would like to attend, if only to cut down on the number of applications you write and the amount of money you spend on those applications (about $50 a pop). Most students apply to about six or eight schools, but your own strategy may differ. The CU faculty are your best resource for figuring out what programs are good for you. You can also go to your potential department’s website, and even email the contact person for more information. Be polite and make sure your prose is clean.

Do you want to attend an M.A., an M.F.A., an M.Ed. (Masters of Education), a teaching certification, or a Ph.D. program? In other words, do you want to go to school for two years (Masters) or six (doctorate)? Do you want a creative writing (MA or MFA) degree? Do you want to teach K-12 (kindergarten through twelfth grade), in which case you might apply for teaching certification? If you want to research and teach at the university level, you have to apply to a Ph.D. or MFA program. If you are sure you want to remain in school but are not sure what purpose this extra education serves, you probably want to apply for an M.A. program.
If you have a 4.0 GPA you can apply to any school you want. By all means apply to the top five schools listed in the US News and World Report. 3.6 GPA? Sure, apply to those schools if you slam the GREs and have a killer writing sample. 3.4? You might give the name-brand schools a shot, but you should probably concentrate on “safety” schools: good schools not at the top of the list. (In fact, no matter what your GPA, make sure you’ve applied to safety schools, just in case.) If your GPA is lower than 3.4, you aren’t absolutely out of the running, but try to construct a strategy to make yourself a little more attractive to a good Ph.D. program. For example, you might think about going through a Master’s program first. Some schools have an absolute GPA bottom line; you should check for these.
OK: you know you want to be in a grad program. (God help you.) What do you want to focus on? Queer theory? Historical criticism? Medieval studies? Different schools have different strengths. Harvard is a Renaissance powerhouse. Brandeis has a strong Judaic Studies program. This pamphlet contains a list of some schools with some specialties. But you should also ask those professors whose specialty you wish to study about good schools.
Is there a particular professor with whom you want to work, a luminary whose writing has mightily impressed you? You might want to figure out where s/he teaches. Some application forms may ask whether the graduate school employs any faculty with whom you wish to work.
How much does the school cost? How much debt are you willing to incur? What schools offer the best financial aid package? Some programs do not offer financial aid during your first two years. Some state schools are significantly less expensive if you are a resident of that state. In the same way, those schools are less expensive after one or two years if you establish residency.

Get letters of recommendation.

This step—a continuation of step I—should be approached with some diplomacy. Remember that, though you are asking your recommenders to do something that is part of their job description, they don’t have to do this for you. Choose recommenders who know your work well, who like you, who gave you good marks, and who command your respect. In short, pick recommenders who will probably give you good recommendations. It doesn’t hurt to pick recommenders who have very good national reputations. You will need three or four recommendations, depending on the requirements of the schools you choose. Remember, give one waiver form to each recommender. (See step I.)

Prepare writing sample.

What was the best work you did, the paper of which you were the proudest? Your honors thesis? Your favorite term paper? Take that work; rewrite it until it’s really clean. Remember, you are competing against other applicants whose professors aren’t quite so forgiving of all those sentence-level errors. The page limit for samples varies from program to program, but is generally somewhere between ten and twenty pages. Keep to that page limit.

Prepare “statement of purpose” essay.

A statement of purpose is a straightforward, two-page discussion of “your specific areas of interest and professional goals” (U.Texas application). Describe how you got interested in the topics you hoped to pursue in grad school, and how you wish to develop those interests. Include special skills—languages, teaching or tutoring experience, etc.—and explain why that school’s program is a good fit for your interests. Try to avoid sentences that begin, “I love literature because….” Again, make sure your writing is clean.

Prepare transcripts.

Order transcripts from the Registrar’s Office in time to send in with the rest of your application, though some schools will want the transcript sent directly from the Registrar’s Office.

Finish applications on time.

While this step should be self-evident, students have occasionally been known to turn work in late. Even if you have gotten away with late papers your entire school career, get your applications in on time, if just this once. Though applications may now be submitted quickly online, you still need to do the prep work—letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.—well ahead of time.

Appendix 1
Bibliography of Aids for Graduate School
Book descriptions are abbreviated. Full descriptions at Info.GradSchools.com.
(Current as of 2003)

            10 Minute Guide to Applying to Grad School (10 Minute Guides)
            Ellen Lichtenstein, Sharon McDonnell
            Arco Pub, January, 1997

            The 100 Best Colleges for African-American Students
            Erlene B. Wilson
            Paperback
            Up-to-date college guide for African-American students, including first-hand student reports on campus social and cultural environments.

            The Chicago Guide to Your Academic Career: A Portable Mentor for Scholars from Graduate School through Tenure
            John A. Goldsmith, John Komlos, and Penny Schine Gold
            The University of Chicago Press, Spring 2001
            Information about finding a mentor, avoiding pitfalls when writing a dissertation, negotiating the job listings, and so on.

            Dan Cassidy’s Worldwide Graduate Scholarship Directory (Dan Cassidy’s Worldwide Graduate Scholarship Directory, 5th Ed)
            Career Press, March 2000

            Financing Graduate School: How to Get the Money for Your Master’s or Ph.D., revised
            Patricia McWade
            Petersons Guides, September 1996
            Provides sources to aid students in their search for graduate financial aid, especially for women, minorities, veterans, and international students.

            Free Money for Graduate School, 4th Ed.
            Laurie Blum
            Checkmark Books, July, 2000
            “Arranged generally by college curricula . . . this guide cites each grant-giver’s address, phone number, restrictions, deadlines, and amounts. Blum shows where some of the money to fund the grad-school venture can be found, with focus on private grants as well as some lesser-explored resources.”

            The Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Students’ Guide to Colleges, Universities, and Graduate Schools
            Jan-Mitchell Sherrill, Craig A. Hardesty
            New York University Press, March 1994

            Getting What You Came for: the Smart Student’s Guide to Earning a Master’s or a Ph.D., revised.
            Robert L. Peters
            Noonday Press, April 1997

            The Grad School Handbook: An Insider’s Guide to Getting in and Succeeding
Richard Jerrard, Margot Jerrard
            Putnam/Perigee, July 1998

            Graduate Admissions Essays: What Works, What Doesn’t and Why
            Donald Asher
            Ten Speed Press, August, 1991

            Graduate School and You: A Guide for Prospective Graduate Students
            A publication of the Council of Graduate Schools

            Graduate School: Winning Strategies for Getting in With or Without Excellent Grades
            Dave G. Mumby, Ph.D.
            Proto Press, October 1997

            The Graduate Student’s Complete Scholarship Book
            Sourcebooks, November 1998
            This resource features extensive listings of many of the most lucrative financial aid scholarships.

            Guide to American Graduate Schools, 8th Ed.
            Harold R. Doughty
            Penguin USA, November 1997
            Reference guide. All aspects of graduate study, including enrollments, housing situations for more than 1,200 institutions, fields of study offered by each institution, admissions and degree requirements, financial aid and grants, and details on scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, and internships.

            The Ultimate Grad School Survival Guide: Getting In, Getting Money, Exams and Classes, the Profs, the Thesis/Dissertation
            Lesli Mitchell
            Petersons Guides, August, 1996
            Based on an extensive survey of graduate students from a wide range of disciplines and universities, contains tips on grad school life, including finding the right school, studying for the GRE, and preparing applications.

Appendix 2
Online Resources for Graduate School
(Current as of 2003)

Educational Testing Service:
http://www.ets.org/

Gradschools.com Graduate Schools Index:
http://www.gradschools.com/noformsearch.html

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions:
http://www.kaptest.com/

Peterson’s Graduate School Site:
http://www.petersons.com/gradchannel/

The Princeton Review:
http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/default.asp

The Test Prep Center:
http://www.testprepcenter.com/

U.C. Santa Cruz Career Center:
http://www2.ucsc.edu/careers/student/gradapply.html

U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools, at usnews.com:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/phdhum/brief/eglrank_brief.php

Appendix 3
Some Recommended PhD Programs
(compiled by Dr. Katherine Eggert. Current as of 2003)

An informal, highly partial, and highly unscientific survey was taken of some CU-Boulder English Department faculty in Fall 2002, asking them for recommendations for doctoral (and MFA) programs in their fields of study. Note that this list does not mean you should apply only to these programs, just that these are programs the faculty think ought to be considered. Also note that it is often best to apply to programs that are good in areas beyond a single field — it’s possible that you might change your mind about what you want to study. Finally, note that academia is a relatively mobile profession, especially for “star” faculty. When you apply for doctoral work, don’t make it sound as if you wish to study with only one person — who might, by the time you get around to writing your dissertation, have died, retired, or moved elsewhere.

These ratings omit consideration of financial support, which might be a huge factor in where you apply. You may wish to write to the Director of Graduate Studies in a department you are considering, and ask him/her what is the typical support package for their doctoral students.

Out of modesty, our faculty declined to rate our own doctoral program among these. If you want to know, ask.

FIELD	PROGRAMS
Medieval	Best: Berkeley (especially for Langland Studies), Brown (especially for paleography with a theory twist), Cambridge, Columbia, Duke, Harvard (if they make a senior hire this year), Indiana, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oxford, Penn, Princeton, UCLA, Virginia, Yale Also good: Cornell, Rochester, Stanford, Texas
Renaissance	Best: Berkeley, Brown, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Hopkins (theory-oriented), Michigan, NYU, Northwestern, Penn, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Yale Also good: Alabama (Hudson-Strode Program), Chicago, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, UCLA, UC Santa Cruz (esp. for English-French connections), Wisconsin
18th century	Berkeley, Cornell, Duke, Princeton, Rutgers, Stanford, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, Virginia
Romantics	Berkeley, Michigan, Chicago, Penn, UC Santa Barbara, Vanderbilt, Virginia
Victorian	Best: CUNY Graduate Center, Indiana, USC, Virginia Also good: Berkeley, Brown, Duke, NYU, UCLA, University of London, NYU, Princeton, Rutgers
Modernism	Berkeley, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Michigan, Penn, Texas, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, Washington, Wisconsin, Virginia, Yale
Contemporary / postmodern lit	All the ones listed for modernism, plus Illinois-Chicago, Maine-Orono (for contemporary poetry) Rutgers, Stanford (esp. for contemporary poetry), SUNY-Buffalo (esp. in poetics), UCLA, UC Santa Cruz (History of Consciousness)
Film/media studies (criticism, not filmmaking)	American Film Institute, Berkeley, Boston U (Dept. of Film and Television), U of Denver, Emory (Film Studies), Florida State (Film School), NYU (Tisch School of the Arts), Ohio University (MA in Film -- no PhD), San Francisco State (MA in Cinema Studies -- no PhD), Texas, UCLA (School of Theater, Film, and Television), USC
American lit	Best: Berkeley, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Yale Also good: Brandeis, Michigan, NYU, Washington, Wisconsin, and pretty much all the other generally top-rated programs
Ethnic Amer. / Postcolonial	Berkeley (Ethnic Studies, not English), Columbia, Cornell, Duke (Comp Lit), Harvard (for African-American), Illinois, Indiana (for African-American), Michigan (American Civ), NYU, Rutgers, Stanford (Modern Critical Thought), Texas (Ethnic/Third World in English), UCLA (esp. for Asian American), UC San Diego (two depts.: Literature and Ethnic Studies), UC Santa Barbara
Creative Writing	Best: Art Institute of Chicago, Bard, Brown, Columbia, Denver U., Hopkins, Houston, Iowa, Notre Dame, SUNY Buffalo, UC Irvine Also good: Art Institute of San Francisco, Bennington, Cal Arts, Emerson College, Florida State, Hollins College, Michigan, Mills College, San Francisco State, SUNY Albany, SUNY Binghamton, USC

Appendix 4
Grad School Application Checklist and Calendar

( ) Open file with Credentials Office by October 1.

( ) Take General and, if warranted, Literature GREs by October 15.

( ) Choose schools by November 1.

( ) Get letters of recommendation in your Credentials Office file by December 1.
Ask those recommenders early.

( ) Prepare writing sample by December 1.

( ) Prepare “Statement of Purpose” essay by December 1.

( ) Prepare transcripts by December 1.

( ) Fill out forms for Graduate School applications by December 1.