Anyone applying for grad school?

I went through the graduate applications process four years ago ... wasn't doing NaNo yet (hadn't heard of it yet!), but I'm pretty familiar with the time crunch that is involved with trying to squeeze applications in with the rest of life, school, social life, and everything else.

I went for various programs in biology, so the personal statement's probably quite different, but I found that the only way to do it was to just sit down, free of all distractions, and slog through it ... and do it all over again with the next draft. Getting your prof(s) to read and critique it for you is invaluable!

Best of luck with the application process!

I'm applying for Masters/PhD programs in musicology. I'm going to tryyyyy to get my personal statement done before November, but I doubt it will happen. I'm no good at writing nice things about myself, so I know it's going to be hard. Agh. And yeah, I'm also having visions of rejection letters dancing in my head.

"The first requirement of a composer is to be dead." -Arthur Honegger

I'm applying. I'm on draft... six? seven? of my personal statement, and I'm letting it sit awhile before trying to revise it again. But other than that, I think I'm in fairly good shape. I want to have everything done by Oct. 31, so that the only deadline I have in November is NaNo, so I started my applications as early as I could :D

October 31st is my deadline for everything too -- although I suspect I'll still be wrangling transcripts and recommendations in the early weeks of November. :(

I'm applying to grad school, but the farthest I've gotten is printing out information about the programs I'm interested in and making a chart with deadlines for each application. Fortunately, most of the deadlines are a ways away (the earliest is December 5). Of course, that's only five days after NaNo ends...maybe I should get on that. >__> Eeeeep.

I'm not bugging out over the personal statement. Something will come to me, I'm sure. I try not to force things like that. I'm more worried about letters of recommendation. I always feel uber-weird going up to a professor and saying, "Hey! I know you think I'm SUPER GREAT so why don't you write a letter all about how SUPER GREAT I am!!" Meeehh.

I'm also terrified I won't get in anywhere. There are only so many schools that offer a M.A. in Forensic Psychology, so if I don't get into one of these six, I don't know where else to look. Unless I start branching out of the country. Which would be scary. o__o

I'm applying for my M.S. in School Counseling. My deadlines aren't until February, but I just want to get things done. I've already got my recommenders on board and have just handed off the info on the letters. I need to order my transcripts. And of course I have to write that blasted personal statement too!

I wish I had some advice for you, but since this is my first time all I can say good luck! I know I'm going to just try the sit down and bang something out method. Then I'll have a kind, but critical person or two look it over before I revise.

Yes. History MA.

My due date (what is this, a baby?) is Dec. 15. I have one, ONE, letter of rec, no personal statement, the writing sample is still in the research stage, the application is mostly complete... but I DO have the GRE out of the way.

*...cries*

Anyone applying out of state/far away, too? 'Cause that's another bundle of fun right there.

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I'm a first year grad student, so I went through all of that last year while writing nano. I am now in one of the top programs in my field (and I won last year) - so it's definitely possible to do both.

A lot of the application depends on what field you're going into, but I'll share my experiences in a scientific background:
- Don't worry too much about the writing portion. This isn't like undergrad where there are hundreds of thousands of applicants and you have to be the most witty, sparkling, and interesting person. Summarize the highlights and don't try to jazz it up with lots of anecdotes (yes, I know we're all writers and it's hard).
- The most important thing to focus on are what you've accomplished so far in your field/what your research interests are. Graduate school is more about courting a professor than the school itself. If you can find someone who wants to work with you, who shares your interests, they will do whatever it takes to get you to come to that school regardless of what the graduate school itself thinks.
- Definitely make the effort to personally contact whatever department you're applying to - get your name out there so the admissions people already know you. Speak to professors, the department head, prepare a list of intelligent questions so that when you get your interview you will know what to ask.

If anyone wants to ask any specific questions, feel free to Nanomail me - I don't really want to put too much details of my personal experiences on the open internet, but I'll be happy to give advice and what worked for me and what didn't over messaging.

EDIT: Oh, and applying far away is definitely part of the fun actually. Because if you DO make it to the interview stage, they will fly you out for free. And its a great way to travel to places you might not otherwise go. Definitely my favorite part of the application process.

I'm applying to Vermont College's MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. It's the only program I'm applying to because it's the only one I actually want to go to, and I figure why waste the money on a grad program I'm not that interested in? But I'll be pretty royally screwed if I don't get in. :P

Lucky for me, I've already got the personal statement out of the way, b/c my undergrad requires me to take a class where I write a grad school essay (among many other things, of course). Otherwise, I'd never have started getting the application together so early. :P

I really want to apply right now and get it over with before NaNo, but my grades last semester weren't great. Anyone have any suggestions on that? The school's website says their decision is based primarily on the quality of the writing sample I submit. Do you think I should risk submitting my application now, in spite of the less than wonderful grades of last semester? Or should I wait until this semester to bring them up? I don't think the application has one of those options where you can explain special circumstances or whatever.

GAH! I don't know what to do. :P

Austin, TX Co-ML
You can call me Becs, Brex, Chewbecca, or just, yanno, Rebecca. :)
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I would wait. I was looking into MFA programs last year (though I changed my mind about applying), and one thing is for certain: they are competitive. So while yes, if you had the most amazing writing sample of all the applicants it probably wouldn't matter what your grades were, it is probably better to show them your best side in everything just in case your amazing self ends up competing for the last spot with someone whose grades are just a little bit higher than yours.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

I am applying for an MFA in Animation. I recently attending Portfolio Day just to get serious critiques on my artwork as I prepare a portfolio for admissions. As an undergrad in English/Linguistics I really have to spin my storytelling skills as well as present a cohesive and professional portfolio that shows potential. Obviously, I'm looking at schools that accept people from different fields that have a vision for animation.

Writing my "vision" has been challenging. Thank goodness for Teach for America's reflection process. I had to make a classroom "vision" early on in that program so I feel a little more confident about this process. It certainly is intimidating, especially since I have to justify my change in career track.

2005: Conkle's Hallowed
2007: Brierspell
2008: ???

I'm in the very early stages of grad school application... namely, I am perusing websites and getting a feel for what is out there. I'm majoring in English / Information and Communications Studies, but I'm sticking to the latter in my applications (Media, Pop Culture and Communications programs, mainly.) I'm a Canadian so I'm sticking to schools north of the border (and maybe an Australian school or two). I have been told that the world of American academia is a cut-throat one, populated with ruthless, pen-slinging people for whom the red ink runs like blood into the parched soil of freedom. At least, I imagine it that way, because that sounds pretty awesome.

wordwhacker.livejournal.com
"Out, damn plot! Out I say!"

Hi, I'm applying for PhD programs in both Literature and American Studies. I too am trying to get everything done asap—not necessarily because of Nano, but having one less thing on my mind will make writing a lot easier, I imagine.

I'm elbows-deep in studying for my Literature GRE (which is next weekend). I have not yet begun my personal statement, but a wise professor of mine told me to first do a straight-from-the-heart rough draft: why are you interested in X? What do you want to do with it? Where do you see yourself headed? Don't worry about it sounding professional—that will come later. When you feel you've adequately represented yourself on paper, and it is genuine and earnest, then begin the process of revision, perhaps tweaking the tone so that it sounds academic and not casual.

Good luck =) This process is stressful but will (hopefully, eek!) be worth it!

I'm going to be applying for my MBA--it's not the personal statement that scares me, it's the GMAT! I swear, I never learned this math in school.

Top it off with finding out my school of choice cut my chosen concentration due to budget concerns and I can't afford most schools in my area...I'm just doing a couple math problems a week and hoping to come up with something.

I'm so relieved that so many people have responded on the thread! I'm glad others are sweating about standardized tests & asking for recommendations...

Here's a dilemma I'm running into right now: I have been feverishly networking with all of the current graduate students I know, asking them about the application process, their schools, etc. Most of them have encouraged me to contact graduate advisors and professors at the programs I'm interested in.

What sort of things do you put in an e-mail to a professor you've never met. "Hi, this is who I am, I want to come study at your university, can you tell me a little bit about your work? What is the program like @ X?" seems a little bit annoying and presumptuous.

Has anybody done it already? If so, what, generally, did you write, and what kind of a response did you get??

If anyone else has questions or issues in the app process they want to vent about, feel free!!

Oh my gosh, sending those emails was the most awkward thing ever. I slaved over it forever.

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What am I doing still awake?

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And, um, the rest of my post was cut off. BLARG.

From UGA's FAQ on contacting professors:
"This is definitely a good idea and is strongly encouraged. The more the professors you hope to work under know about you, the better they can assess their suitability to your needs and your suitability to our program.
Email is a very good way to start this process. Introduce yourself and explain your interests. Explain why you would be interested in working with them. Be thorough, but also be brief; the goal of this first contact is to open the door for further communication, not to tell your life story! Offer to send copies of your CV, papers you have written, or other materials they might like to see, but do not send any such materials unless they ask you to. Remember that you’re dealing with very busy people, and that there’s a fine line between demonstrating enthusiasm and being a pest!"

As for responses, most suggested I contact a professor they thought I would be more suited to work under, and the one they suggested (I had emailed him too) basically said good luck, glad to answer any questions, he liked my concentration. He also left a few letters out of my last name, but it's all good. *laughs*

Best of luck to you and everyone else!

(here's hoping this goes through all the way)

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What am I doing still awake?

...Oh wait.

I'm looking into going back for my teaching credentials. The deadlines aren't until February/April, depending on the school, but I need to sign up for the GREs and the WA state WEST-B exams...which run at over $100 each. Where do they think aspiring teachers get this sort of money?

I'm not worried about the personal statements. I've always been lucky in that I'm good at BSing, and I'm good at making myself look good. I hate bragging, but isn't a personal statement all about selling yourself? I think of it as a game...I dunno if that's the best mindset to take, but what the hey. It's worked for me so far.

I'm mostly worried about those stupid deadlines. I don't want to take these dumb standardized tests that test my knowledge in areas I'll never need to use! Why would a high school ESL/ELL teacher need to know anything other than basic math??

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Despite my username, I really am female.

NaNo08 : Dog Fight - 54,228
NaNo08 : Dog Run - 50,584

Applying for my JD/MPP (Law/Public Policy) this year, and taking the GRE Nov. 8th and the LSAT Dec. 6th.

And yet, doing Nano again anyway. We can be screwed together, it'll be fun. XD

I'm pretty heinous at personal statements, too. Writing about other, fictional people is so much easier than writing about myself, which is why you'll never catch me near an autobiography forum. I try not to be too gloomy when writing it, though, because it winds up popping through in the tone of the essay, and that's a huge bad. Good luck~!!!

If we're all fools, there's no loss in dancing.

Most of my responses were pretty positive - some people outright said they had no room/money to hire. But with most we arranged for a time to talk either over the phone or in person when I went to visit the schools. And from there all went well.

The above email is actually almost an exact copy to the one I sent to my now-principal professor.

I am! I've actually been out of school for two years now, so it'll be a full time job, plus Nano, plus whatever I haven't already completed application-wise. Although I think my earliest deadline is December. Even so, I want to be done as early as possible. The personal statement is what is getting to me. I think I'm worrying about it too much, but it's actually more difficult for me because it's in a scientific field (Ph.D. in biochemistry/biological chemistry, depending on the school). If it were in a more creative field, I feel like I could explain myself better and more creatively. But whenever I try to write my personal statement for biochemistry, it comes out sounding dry and contrived. I studied [this] in college and I conducted two research projects in [this] and [this]. Since earning my bachelor's I have been employed by a lab doing [this] and although I have learned a lot about this specific field my research interests lie more in [this] which is why I'm interested in your program.

ContraMundi, is this what science grad school programs are looking for? How then do I stand out? How do I explain why I want to study in their program if I sound generic rather than enthusiastic? Also, in terms of corresponding with possible research advisors ... most of the programs I'm applying to specifically have a rotation program that forces you to work in at least four different labs at the university. Is it still very important to pinpoint specific professors you'd like to work with and email them? I was planning to do this for my top choice schools, but if it's very important I'll try to email someone at every one I'm applying to.

Thanks for any help!

Sarahli,

I have a Teach for America grad school toolkit and they DO suggest being creative. Instead of starting with the X wants to study Y at Z because of N, try starting with a short story that illustrates what got you interested in biochemistry. From there, it should lead into your vision and professional goals more organically and not sound like a formula. You could tell about a moment in undergrad or even a moment in high school that put you on that track. Maybe it was an experiement. You can try writing it like you are just talking to a stranger about why you want to do this and then go back and make it more professional. :) Point being, by telling a story about your motivation/interest you immediately allow the admissions officer to connect to you as a person.

Hope that helps.

2005: Conkle's Hallowed
2007: Brierspell
2008: ???

I'm apply to six different veterinary schools, and four different masters programs in animal reproduction. And of course, the token PhD program. Most of my applications are due Dec 1-- shoot me now!

Nano 05: Without A Past- ! 52K
Nano 06: So Much More Than Gold and Finding Alaska- ! 115K!
Nano 07: Made To Be Broken and Jersey Heart - 93K!
Nano 08: Untitled
i may be crazy
but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for

In the same boat. I haven't got the foggiest clue how to properly apply to grad schools. I am stressed out mainly because I don't know what I'm doing!

Also, I managed to procrastinate taking my GRE until the absolute last date possible: Nov. 21. I'm tired of reviewing math concepts. I really have no clue how math works, and it's so unrelated to my field that I can't imagine why it would even matter. But that's standardized tests for you. The thing I am most worried about are my references. And I have questions for anyone who might know:

1) Do you ask your professors to create references for every school/program you are applying for, or do they usually send a generic one to all schools or what?
2) If you don't get in to any of your schools (likely, in my case) the first time, do you go ask those professors AGAIN the next year, or how does that work? I'm nervous about asking once, but really nervous about asking twice. My plan is that when/if I don't get in, I will take a couple classes next fall to upgrade my GPA, and also teach a tutorial (I have that opportunity pretty much lined up for next year, so that will be easy) and then re-apply.

*gulp* It's going to be a hectic November. But as stressful as it's going to be, I couldn't possibly drop NaNo. If I dropped NaNo I'd just be depressed as well as harried. So...good luck to all of you!

~Lomelindi~

I'll be applying for the masters program in museum studies/museology next year. I recently finished my BA a little less than a year ago and right now I would like to take a break and participate in the "real world" -- which is a lot like going to school except.. for.. not going to school. :p

I hate writing personal statements! I never know what to write and I'm afraid that either I'm boasting too much or not promoting myself enough. I won't start writing for a few more months but right now I'm trying to get my letters of recommendation. The process is going harder than it should be!

After a few years (some how four years got to be a few... ahem) decided to go back to school so I'm in the middle of applying for Uni (College for all you americans :D)

Applying for physics PhD programs here. ohgod. =(

I have no idea how I'm going to do this AND nano AND schoolwork. Oh and have a social life and keep up with my other hobbies. Going to go cry now...

Last year I actually took off NaNoWriMo for the first time since I'd learned about it to do my grad school applications. I was pretty glad of it at the time, though in retrospect I suspect having something else to concentrate on would've helped with the stress levels! In general, I think the thing that got me through was having a really thoroughly planned schedule beforehand: I knew when which schools had their applications due before I even finished narrowing down my list, and even though I was pretty awful at sticking to the plan, it gave me something I could use to prioritize with. (I also super-plan my NaNo; YMMV on that strategy.) I'm actually more worried about this year--fitting the writing in around being a first-year grad student can only get very interesting.

Sending out query letters to professors is intensely awkward and horrible, but it's so important. I actually applied to a few programs that wouldn't even look over your application without a faculty sponsor; on the other hand, if you have a professor who really wants you as a student, your chances of getting in skyrocket, because they can put leverage on the admissions committee. One of the cool things that happens sometimes is that, even if you send your original query letter to a professor who isn't taking students at the moment, or isn't interested for one reason or another, often they'll pass applicant letters on to other professors in their department who they think might be interested. So it's worth being honest about your research interests, instead of necessarily tailoring them to specifically fit with the particular professor you're talking to.