Admission criteria
We consider a number of factors when considering your MA or PhD application for admission. These include:
- Your undergraduate (or graduate) GPA
- Your GPA in English courses
- GRE scores
- Your reasons for graduate study
- Academic writing sample of 8-10 pages (or creative writing sample, if applying for an MFA)
- Letters of recommendation
- Quality of undergraduate and graduate institutions
- Breadth of courses in English
- Foreign language training
- Academic honors
- Diversity of interests and backgrounds among candidates for admission
Please note that the admissions statistics available from the Graduate School are inaccurate. Their figures represent aggregate numbers for all programs, and do not reflect the very competitive nature of admissions in English programs.
The Graduate English department does not have any required minimum GRE test scores for admission to our Graduate Program in Literary Studies. Although we would prefer that the Verbal and Subject test scores were at or above approximately the 85th percentile, we consider so many factors when evaluating applications that modest GRE scores can be overshadowed by other information in your file that may impress the members of our Admissions Committee more.
You are encouraged to send additional information that might enhance or clarify your application. A resume that includes a list of your academic honors, information about your participation in the university community (committee service, work on departmental publications, volunteer work, etc.), teaching experience and other work experience would be particularly helpful. Awards, publications, attendance at workshops and symposiums are also good items to list.
MFA admissions requirements differ in that:
- GRE scores are not required or considered
- The writing sample weighs more heavily than academic transcripts
For more information about MFA admission criteria, please see the Creative Writing website.
(rev. 12/2007)
