advice desperately sought!

[bluelikethis]

Hi there...

I could really do with some advice. I'm an international student (British) submitting applications for a PhD in English in the States. I have a BA from the University of Southern Mississippi, where I graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA (major in English; minor in French). I have just completed a Master's degree in English from the University of Exeter in the UK, which is a highly rated program. We don't receive GPAs, but I have a distinction, which should be equivilant to a 4.0, since I received all A's. I expect very positive letters of recommendation and I hope (!) to whittle down my 90-page master's dissertation to a presentable 10-20 page writing sample.

My problem is my GRE scores. I got 520 quantitative and 660 verbal, with a 6.0 analytical score. I studied for the test for ages, but just couldn't get a good score. I have virtually no experience with standardized, multiple-choice tests, since in the UK almost everything we do is essay-based. My verbal is pretty poor, which is incredibly frustrating. I took math until I was 16, as required in the UK, and then managed to get a 4.0 in the algebra class requirement as an undergrad by taking an "algebra for the humanities" course.

I'm trying to figure out whether I stand a chance at the top universities with these GRE scores. I'm looking at Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Duke, UVa, Cornell, UPenn, and University of Florida, with the possibilities of Brandeis and Emory (I'm not great with decisions and haven't narrowed the choices yet!)

I took the GRE last year before my MA. I could try the it again and could probably pull up my Verbal score a little, but I'm afraid of getting a lower analytical and even a lower math score. Plus, I don't have a huge amount of money, and the admission fees alone are going to be a stretch without having to pay for another GRE test. Also, I need to put all my energy into studying for the GRE subject test, which I'm due to take Dec 5.

Any advice would be so greatly appreciated...

Thanks!

Anna

[dsp]

Actually, your scores are very good. For a humanities-based grad program, they don't care about your math score, especially if it is at least in the 500s. For verbal, look at the percentiles. The verbal section is much tougher than the quant section, so a 660 is about 93%, so it's very good and well within admission range. With grad experience, a good academic record, and good letters, you should have no problem getting into a grad program. May I ask which of your programs require the subject test? If they don't, don't bother. And don't worry about "paring down" your master's thesis - just turn in a chapter or two and a brief abstract explaining your thesis.

That having been said, some programs are tough for anyone. Several of the programs you listed are on that list, so be sure you have a few programs that would still appeal to you but are easier to get into. I would apply to all that interest you and take it from there.

BTW, I believe a 2.1 overseas may be higher than a 3.67. Double check with the British Council - they may be able to give you a better idea. After double checking, I would definitely put the US equivalent on apps, so adcoms get a clearer idea of your GPA.