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School me in Grad School
Dalboz
Resident Puppy EaterRight behind you...Registered User regular
Resident Puppy EaterRight behind you...Registered User regular
Now that it looks like a few things in my life may be working their way out in the next six months (hopefully), I'm looking at starting to apply to grad schools. It's something I've been look to do for the last two years, but some problems arose that forced me to delay. Now, I'm going to start on this within the next few months.
I want to get my MFA in Creative Writing, so I know that my options are probably somewhat limited. Different schools may have different requirements.
But I don't know the basics. What do I need to know right away? What do I need to do right away or get started on doing (GRE, letters of recommendation, etc.)? I figure that people here have been through this process so I can get first-hand knowledge of what I'm facing.
I want to get my MFA in Creative Writing, so I know that my options are probably somewhat limited. Different schools may have different requirements.
But I don't know the basics. What do I need to know right away? What do I need to do right away or get started on doing (GRE, letters of recommendation, etc.)? I figure that people here have been through this process so I can get first-hand knowledge of what I'm facing.
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Most programs list what they want, and depending on their staff will be happy to answer your questions.
a) Grad school is not like undergrad. You will work much more closely with your professors and its good to know if that person is someone you would like working with and if their interests work well with yours.
b) When you write your application essay you can be specific about why that program is interesting to you. Specific is good, it shows that you're really interested and you did your homework.
c) When they look at your application, you will at least be recognizable to the professor, not just a random name. If he/she likes you, he can push harder for you, or even give you tips before hand on applying. Things are very competitive in many programs right now because of the bad economy and lack of funding facing many schools, every little bit helps.
While it may seem a little intimidating to contact professors you don't know, I really recommend it. I have an MA, and after striking out for PhD programs a year ago, I've kept in touch with the professors at those universities and they've given me advice and mentoring on what to do to make myself a more attractive candidate for 2011. Because of their advice, I'm currently in Japan doing research and prepping myself for re-application. They've been so helpful, I wish I had contacted them earlier!
First, figure out where you're going to apply. I don't know much about Creative Writing programs, but I'm sure there are some resources on the internet to help you choose among programs. Most graduate programs will require some sort of letter of intent; the more specific this is, the better. "I want to get an MFA, so I applied to your program," is a bad letter. "I'm interested in the work of faculty member X, and I was hoping that I might work under her on my prospective project Y" is a much better letter.
For Creative Writing, I'm sure you'll need to submit a writing sample. Pick the best thing you've ever produced. Now tear it apart and make it better. See if you can get a couple professors to give you critical feedback on it.
You'll want to give some thought to funding. Do the schools you're looking at typically grant fellowships/TA-ships to their MFA candidates? If not, you may want to see if you can find some sort of external fellowships.
Then, you'll want to make sure you contact some professors about writing letters of recommendation. Faculty members have a tendency to procrastinate on those sorts of things (especially as the end of the semester nears), so you'll want to contact them within the next 6-8 weeks.
Finally, you'll need to take the GRE. It's tougher than the SAT/ACT, but all in all it's not too terrible. Spend some time flipping through a test-prep book so you know what to expect, but unless you're applying to elite programs, don't worry too much. As long as you get a passable score (1200+), you should be just fine. (On the other hand, if you're the type of person who is naturally good at standardized tests, you should spend a lot of time studying for the GRE to try to maximize your score. Since GPA and GRE scores are really the only means to compare graduate students in different disciplines, university-wide fellowships are typically allocated primarily on the basis of GRE scores. Getting a high GRE score (1500+) can be worth many thousands of dollars.)
If you need to take the GRE you have to take it this fall (September-November) for the scores to get mailed in time. If you're just taking the general that's not too much studying. If you're taking any sort of subject one then you needed to be studying at least 2 months ago.
If you are applying for outside scholarship (which most schools require) those deadlines are usually September-October through your undergrad university or November if you've been out for more than 3 years.
Find universities that offer the program you want and look at the professors in the program. Email any whose interests seem to coincide with yours. Tell them that you're super awesome and you think their work would suit your interests because _________ and are they taking on grad students in the Fall?
Contact your old university and/or anyone you are getting references from (at least one should be a professor) to give them a heads up that you'll be requiring them and if they could give you information on scholarships and deadlines and such.
The most important piece of advice: Apply to several schools. Yes it's an expensive and time consuming process, but do it. I don't care if you've talked to a professor and they've all but guaranteed that you will be accepted. A lot of shit can happen and you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket. A lot of people, including your old professors, will tell you this and this is ABSOLUTELY the piece of advice you should follow no matter what.
the only person i know who has one did it because their trust fund require they get post-graduate education before they hit 30.
Teaching. It might get your novel in a literary agent's inbox rather than in the trash.
I finished my EE degree in Mexico, with what would be a GPA of 3.6/4.0, I just graduated and currently doing an internship at UNAM (the national university) in a research related field, and it's coming along nicely.
I did an overseas at SDSU with a 3.33 GPA on the courses I took, which I actually found pretty on par with what I learned back home.
And now I am interested in going back to get a Masters in my field of work (Telescopes, CCD/MOSFET's and Image processing) but I don't have a clue where to start. Some people have recommended UCSD, but I've done my research and it seems it's one of the top schools in the country, so entrance must be very competitive.
- Should I just look around for the programs for what I look for? email the professors?
- Master's vs. Ph.D.??
- My honest standing vs. other candidates, do I really stand a chance?
- Recommendations by my US professors vs. Current (foreign) Employers (UNAM space center)
- GRE general or GRE general+subject
- What other schools have decent programs?
- Funding?
IDK I think I am just nervous, and need some guidance
Any help?
You would need to tailor it to a specific industry - as each industry has various facets to learn. Most people just go into "creative writing" though, but if you want to do, say, script writing, writing for cartoons, video games, etc (especially games) there are various processes that go into making one of them.
It's great for teaching yes, also good for making you snobby and full if angst because everyone around you is "doing it wrong". It also should teach you how to work within your chosen field of study i.e. how to sell your work
You should always look at a variety of programs and email the professors. Just to give them a heads up if nothing else. I don't know anything about your degree, but if it's research oriented then try to give a general idea of why you would work well with them. Read some things they've written and comment on them. Have something interesting to say.
Master's or PhD, the type of GRE to take, and Funding will all be available on the university website.
You'll probably need several references. You can use employers for one of them, but remember that they want to look at you academically, so you'll need a reference who can talk about your academic potential rather than your work potential. If you need two references, get one from each.
It's hard to say whether you have a chance. Your GPA could be better, but it shouldn't stop you from being disqualified outright. They look at a variety of factors: GPA, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, experience in the field, and your personal letter of interest.
Look around government websites to see if there are government grants you can apply for. Getting a grant will help immensely. The institutions want government money at their school. For the cash and the prestige of it. Also while most grad schools provide some funding, I know the ones here in Canada won't give you any funding unless you applied to external scholarships. If you want their money, you have to try for your own first.
Now, I do have a question regarding the letters of rec., and in case this would affect things otherwise, I graduated about seven years ago, and haven't really kept in touch with my professors (only one of them recently, who I got back in contact with recently). I did go to the local community college recently and took a creative writing class there, and the professor is himself a published author (of one book, at this point) and blogger, and I have kept some contact with him. What would be the best course of action as far as the letters of rec.? Would the community college professor be worth it? Should I get in contact with old professors who may or may not remember me and who I last had a working relationship with more than half a decade ago? Should I try to contact some known writers out of the blue and see if they would be willing to write a letter of rec. (strange question, but it was something suggested to me by the cc professor)?
Contact your old professors from university and flat out ask them if they could give a reference and if they remember enough about you to make it a strong one. If they don't, they'll say so. They're used to this kind of thing. Also do get a reference from your cc professor. You're probably going to need more than one.
I was working for one company the whole time. Unfortunately, I parted ways with them a year ago after a ten year relationship with the company and it wasn't under the best of circumstances as my supervisor and I were pretty much at each others' throats by that point over a number of issues. So it may not be the best things go to them for a letter of rec.
With the uncertainty of placement that behooves from the current economic situation I've come to the decision to apply for local Master's programs back home. The decision was certainly exacerbated by many fellow applicant's anxiety in face of the GRE general/subject.
In a curious state of fear mixed with apprehensiveness, I downloaded the appropriate GRE practice tests and was pleasantly surprised. After some quick reads through the material, I realized it's JUST THE SAME as the majority of tests I've taken even here outside of the US, e.g. the antonym, analogies and complete the phrase sections are exactly the same.
Still with a remnant of misgiving, I went headlong into the GRE physics subject test only to find another merry situation. You see, as a student finalizes higher level education here, all accredited universities try to reassure their alumni qualification by applying a mandatory evaluation. This evaluation is a timely affair, 12 hour long divided in 3 sessions. Both very general and specific in scope, the test is more taxing than hard but I certainly did a good job, much to my surprise.
GRE physics is EXACTLY the same test, but shorter.
Granted, competition is fierce and what would usually be an easy test turns into a matter of test perfection under the light of a economic crisis and application flooding. Nonetheless I feel more reassured and calm after knowing that I am not throwing myself into some draconian test rules or impossible high expectations.
(I am practicing my fancy writing LOL o_O, this should my weakest part >_<)