Copyright 2004 Professor Michael West
Department of English CL 526
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
mikewest@pitt.edu
Drawing on my past seventeen years experience counseling undergraduates at the University of Pittsburgh who are applying to graduate programs in English, I've composed a 32,000 word document summarizing my usual advice to applicants under the following headings.
1. What is this document?
2. When should I start thinking about graduate school?
3. What preparation are graduate programs generally looking for?
4. Must I major in English if I plan to do graduate work in English?
5. What are career prospects for holders of graduate degrees in English?
6. How can graduate school be financed?
7. To which graduate programs should I consider applying?
8. How should I handle the application writing sample?
9. How should I handle the GRE exams?
10. How should I handle the application's personal statement?
11. How should I handle soliciting letters of recommendation?
12. How should I respond to multiple offers of admission? to unanimous rejection?
13. Once in graduate school how can I maximize my career prospects?
14. What different approaches do graduate degrees in writing demand?
15. What different approaches do graduate degrees in film demand?
16. What different approaches do graduate degrees in education demand?
17. Case Histories of Graduate Applicants 2004-2005
18. Case Histories of Graduate Applicants 2005-2006
19. Case Histories of Graduate Applicants 2006-2007
20. Case Histories of Graduate Applicants 2007-2008
21. Case Histories of Students Who Left Graduate English Studies for Various Reasons
Composed for the most part in 2004, then substantially revised and expanded in 2006 and 2008, it may be scanned but not printed. With the lapse of time it may gradually become outdated, though not very rapidly, I trust, for I hope to update it as new data become available. Questionnaires that about fifty Pitt students (and a few student from other schools) filled out at my request after going through the application process constitute a useful data bank, allowing future applicants to fine-tune their aspirations through comparison with the fates of past applicants with comparable credentials (fellowship awards are not quoted in constant dollars and so must be adjusted for inflation when comparing them to present or other years). In my document I often quote from these case histories. If any Pitt students contemplating graduate work in English would like a print-out for convenience, I’d be happy to give them one and discuss more specifically the results of applications comparable to theirs. If faculty or students from other schools would like a printed copy, upon receipt of $5.00 to cover departmental printing and mailing costs I'll be happy to send them one.
While I hope my advice reflects substantial departmental and professional consensus on many issues, doubtless others will disagree on particular points. I welcome corrections and debate. While I cannot guarantee to answer all correspondence that I receive, I would certainly like to. And I do guarantee that any thoughtful comments I receive will be carefully weighed in any revision of my advice that I undertake in the future. If response warrants, I may consider proposing a Special Session on this topic for a future MLA Convention.