Ok so here's the deal. I'm a sophomore in college right now double majoring in English and Philosophy with a minor in Spanish. I have a 4.0 gpa, 100 hours of coursework, one year as a resident assistant, and am starting a research project and an undergraduate teaching position this fall.

I want to be a professor more than anything, and you only get hired at top-level institutions if you do your grad work at a top-level institution, amirite? So I'm looking at Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, Princeton, and UVA right now for their english programs. Oh dear Christ. I think I can get into UVA, but shit, Stanford and Berkeley require reading proficiency in two foreign languages to graduate. And GRE scores and oh gawd.

So I'm freaking right now.

Also, what's the difference between doing an M.A. and going straight into a Ph.D program?

you're a senior then?

Sophomore.

I worry a lot though, and I was just looking at some requirements.

graduate school for ... ?

ah, what are the requirements bothering you? since i'm probably planning on going, i might as well know now

with the economic downturn, target private schools. funding is not nearly as tenuous and isn't subject to political volleyballing.

relax cuz

I actually thought about this, in light of how our English program is getting fucked right now.



English


-UVA, my proposed safety, requires at least a B average. Ok but..
-Stanford and Berkeley want proficiency in two foreign languages
-The GRE in general.

the GRE isn't a big deal, mick. don't let that scare you.

It wasn't that bad for you?

don't underestimate the verbal, especially if you're doing english. it's much harder than the quant. word lists and flashcards. the reading comprehension section is a bitch.

you only need to know up to geometry/algebra 2 for the quant. as long as you put in at least a bit of time on it, you should be fine. i can't imagine english programs care that much about your quant score.

the writing portion should be fine. just find a list of common topics and practice.

WL, you're just a sophmore, so you've got TONS of time to ace the GRE. with a focused study plan you'll KILL it.

- buy a used copy of the GRE big book. it's full of actual old GREs and is published by the ETS, the test administrator. it's only been published once (in 2002), and the format of the test has since been modified. but it's still the closest thing you'll get to the type of questions that'll be asked. it's an excellent resource, especially for reading comprehension questions.

- buy the most recent edition of barron's GRE. it has the most comprehensive word list of any of the study guides and plenty of worthwhile verbal questions. it'll probably also be all you need to review for the quant. don't bother with kaplan, princeton, etc review books.

- play lots of freerice.com.

- make lots of flashcards from the barron's verbal list.

- don't fucking panic.

i haven't taken it yet, just studied for it because i want to take it to get into another graduate program (my current one didn't require it), but when comparing it to four years of tough undergrad work, it shouldn't be much a source of worry, right?

thodoks has good advice.

That sounds like money stuff, which we've established Mickey does want to think about.

sometimes schools will bend on requirements such as this.

i had never thought of this. i'm debating a few different paths and will have to keep this in mind.

Actually, the other issue is that I want a fellowship, so that I don't have to think about money.

I looked into it a little more, and Berkeley requires ability to write in one foreign language, and to translate a 300 word passage with a dictionary in 90 minutes in another.