Brutal honesty (but please, be tasteful) needed.

Graduate School
1

<p>Before I start this: If you are someone who has little to no experience with graduate school programs, admissions, and are going to freak out and say "OMG U HAVE LESS THAN 3.5 NO WAY UR DONE SORRY DEWD :/", please, just refrain from replying.</p>

<p>In any case, there's been a lot of good, diverse knowledge I've read on this board so let me get to it. I've been working full time to complete my Undergrad degree. The more time I've spent in corporate america (I work in finance), the more I realize what I truly love, and what I want to do, is pursue a graduate degree (PhD) in English.</p>

<p>Now, I've read the Chronicle articles. I've read the doomsayers. I know it won't be as lucrative, but for me, I'd prefer to not make as much money and view it more as a vocation that I enjoy than continue to be trapped in the corporate grind. I do understand a PhD is hard work, but I am one of those freakish nerds who enjoys writing, research, etc.</p>

<p>The problem is this. I've had such a litany of 'issues' due to my rather naive choice to 'pay for school myself!' that my transcript is utter you know what. I have a 3.5 GPA in all my english courses, and my upper level classes (3000/4000 level) are at a 3.2. I'm certain I can score very well (700+) on the GRE verbal, and I'm pretty confident in my abilities as a writer.</p>

<p>So. The catch is that my UGPA is 2.7 cumulative. And it's spotty. My dad got diagnosed with a terminal disease. Countless times, after the market crashed, my employer kept me late at work for a 'project' that ended up with me failing the final exam (and yes, I tried emailing the professor, and no, he didn't care... big state uni.) Suffered a bit of depression when my dad got sick, so that was a crummy semester... then one semester I was (proudly but perhaps not the best time to enroll in courses) on the steering committee for a presidential candidate as the youngest member.</p>

<p>Thought about doing an extra year in undergrad, but honestly it won't raise my GPA that much after 120 hours, and it's an added expense, not to mention time. I'd like to start grad school before I'm 30 : )</p>

<p>I know they don't want to hear a lot about "wah, my personal problems, blah blah" because then in the back of their minds, the admit committee may think it could happen again. Some of the issues weren't my fault, but just as many were, and I know that. And my transcript looks totally schizo - dean's list one semester, then a D and an F in another. Not to mention I've been pulling all of this part time while working full time at a finance firm for years. Honestly, I hear so much about how it wont be 'lucrative' for me to leave finance and go to grad school, and maybe not, but at this point I can't imagine anything I'd find more luxurious and rewarding than being able to just go to school and learn. And I can do the work...anyone who got a look at my workload in the office would know I am worth my weight in gold for underpaid corporate labor!</p>

<p>I can't take back the poor decisions that I made, and I am truly embarrassed of my transcript. Am I completely delusional to hope that with an excellent SoP, out of the water GRE's/Subject Test, letter's of rec, and the high grades in my english classes I might stand a chance at a decent PhD program?</p>

<p>I'm hardly thinking Harvard or Yale. But maybe UC Davis, UC Irvine, or a program that takes into account the 'whole package' as opposed to tossing out my app when they see the cumulative UGPA?</p>

<p>Any help appreciated. I know some people go get an M.A. first, too, but since I really want the PhD thought I'd start there. </p>

<p>PS - I know once I graduate with a doctorate I'll make probably less than what I make now. I'll live. It's a sacrifice, but one I'm quite certain will be worth it for me in the long run. </p>

<p>And... thank you! : )</p>

2

<p>1) It’s possible that you could be admitted into an MA program, but I do not see PhD admissions for you at this time.</p>

<p>2) You simply CANNOT be certain that you will gain employment in academia after earning the PhD. The PhD is not a job ticket. It is the minimum qualification for university-level employment. Yes, you will likely make less than you make now after earning the PhD. But statistics also demonstrate that this lower-paid job is unlikely to be in academia.</p>

3

<p>Jobs in academia, especially tenure track professorships are so few and far between these days that most people end up running around making themselves miserable as adjuncts. I would never try to go down that road because unless you are the best of the best it’s basically a ticket to unemployment. You say you’re going for English and that is the most common hope for English PhDs because I don’t know if there is a whole let else you can do with that degree and still make a decent living, but that is the most competitive field out there. You really need a plan B, even if you get in and are able to get your PhD, the jobs just aren’t out there.</p>

4

<p>Can I help you be realistic about PhD? Look at the big picture. Well-regarded English departments get over 400 applications for less than 10 spots. UNC Chapel Hill, this year, received about 600 applications for only 3 spots.</p>

<p>So, I would say, do the MA first just to be sure that THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT.</p>

5

<p>i would echo what has already been said.</p>

<p>your best bet, if you decide to pursue this, is going for an MA which, unfortunately, you will have to finance yourself. yes, some terminal MA programs offer funding, but those are rare in any english department. further, they go to the “outstanding” candidates, based on numbers, and you would not be able to get one of those. so, right off the bat, you’re looking at best case scenario paying for your own masters of english. that’s a pretty poor investment unless you continue onto the PhD.</p>

<p>would it be worth it to you to partially finance your PhD and, in 6-8 years’ time, not be able to find a job as a professor, even at a community college? while you can certainly get into a strong PhD program if you do well in a terminal MA program, there is the very real possibility that you will be out of the field again in 10 years.</p>

<p>my suggestion would be to change careers. work at a publishing house or as a researcher at a literary magazine. i completely sympathize with not wanting to be a corporate cog, but paying out of pocket for a masters in english is just going to put you into debt. there are other ways to make a living doing the same sort of work you would do as a professor/researcher.</p>

6

<p>I’ll add a view of your PhD plan that is more positive. If you can find a way to responsibly finance your MA/PhD, it would be worth it because you’ll enjoy the program and will get a lot of satisfaction out of having done it. Plus, though it’s true that university jobs are hard to find, you could teach high school (at an elite private school, for example). That could be a lot of fun, if you enjoy young people.</p>

7

<p>Many grad schools (let alone individual programs) automatically toss out any applications with less than 3.0 GPA. As others have said, your best bet is likely an MA program, but those are very unlikely to be funded and are likely not worth the debt you would incur. And, like many have said, the university job market in English really, really, really sucks at this time and is likely to get worse.</p>

8

<p>Yeah yeah yeah, a phd in literature isn’t worth much, is it possible that an MA in literature could be worth even less? I would try to distill what it is that I liked about literature and find a more applicable field that would allow you to apply your efforts to something you are passionate about yet still provide you with a reasonable shot at a job afterwards. Otherwise, you may well end up back in finance in the corporate grind that so offends you after an expensive masters degree.</p>

9

<p>The above poster is correct that many masters programs have a 3.0 minimum, even a CSU is likely to have that. One way to overcome it is to pick a prof near your home, some one who is an expert in the area you wish to pursue. Go meet with and talk to that person and find out if your can volunteer to help with their research. Become a part of their team for 6-8 months and find out if you like the work you are hoping to pursue and at the same time prove yourself to a prof. There would be no room for oooops; no room for emergencies, just be your best self and show what you can do. Perhaps that prof will tip you into a masters at their school- with an RA/TA &/or tuition reminssion you can fund a great deal of your masters. Then you can have the letters and research work you need to move on to a PhD if that becomes your passion.</p>

10

<p>An M.A. in English literature could land you an adjunct or even a full-time position at a community college – at least, in better economic times. You could use it to teach English at a private high school. Public schools often require a degree in education and a certificate in teaching, although certain states, like NJ, have an alternate route if you have substantial life experience; that alternate route often requires at least a 3.0 in your last degree program. </p>

<p>But the OP said he/she didn’t care about the job market, so let’s take that out of the equation. First, OP, do you have the requisite language experience to get into a PhD program in English? Most PhD programs require reading knowledge of two languages; at the very least, they require one. Next, the reason Professor X and others recommended a master’s has nothing to do with employment. This is one way to get your GPA up to snuff, with enough background in the field to show that you’re able to handle the academics. It will help if you can identify now which area of literature interests you. Are you passionate about the Romantic poets? Medieval literature? Existentialism? Queer theory? Once you target that and gain entry into a master’s program strong in your interest, then you’ll be better prepared to choose a possible PhD program later on. Certainly you can try to apply to programs in the fall, and then take it from there if you don’t get in. Without some kind of whiz-bang scholarly research or the enthusiastic endorsement of three faculty members, I don’t see how you can overcome that GPA given how competitive even lower tier programs are.</p>

<p>Taking an extra year of undergraduate courses would not be to raise your GPA, but rather to show your prowess in your chosen field. A full year of English seminars and foreign language classes, with some history (applicable to your area) thrown in, all with excellent grades, would show a PhD program that you are serious about this path. It still wouldn’t be enough for a top program, but it might be enough to sway a lesser one.</p>

11

<p>Wow. So glad I asked. Sigh. No further replies needed. Crushing dreams #1! But let’s call it…being realistic.</p>