Applying for English PhD after working

Graduate School
1

<p>I've been out of school for almost 2 years, working, and still want to get a PhD in English.</p>

<p>Here are my stats:
Degree: B.A. English Literature from UCLA
Overall GPA: 3.56
Major GPA: 3.85</p>

<p>I have not taken the GRE (quite nervous because I've always been terrible at math) and only have one very strong academic recommender.</p>

<p>Here are my questions:
1. In lieu of academic letters of rec, could I submit 1 letter from a professor and 2 from work? Is there some way to find work as a research assistant for an English professor? There are few if at all such positions in the humanities it seems. Perhaps I could audit classes at a nearby university? Suggestions? If you were in a similar situation, how did you do it?
2. Did you take a year off to prepare your application or did you continue working? My job is very demanding (50-70 hours/week) which leaves little time for anything else.</p>

<p>Any advice would be great. I'm shooting for top 10 strong contemporary literature program.</p>

2

<ol>
<li>No, you shouldn’t. Your three recommendation letters should at the very least come from three people with PhDs in a humanities or humanistic field (preferably in English), who can comment on your potential to complete a PhD in English. Sometimes people have supervisors who have PhDs because they work in labs or research groups or libraries or something, but if your supervisor doesn’t have one and hasn’t supervised you in any graduate-school like activities, they are not the best person to write one.</li>
</ol>

<p>You can ask some professors you had in college to write you a recommendation, or you can audit classes or take some as a non-degree student. You’ll want to take graduate classes in English, though, if you can.</p>