Non-competitive graduate degrees at top-universities? How hard to get in?

Question

I went back to college exactly 10 years after I was supposed to (I was 27 instead of 18). After two good years at a community college, I got into a bunch of good schools (although I didn't aim at the TOP ones) and settled at a private research university in Massachusetts which still appears in US News' top 100. Now that I'm fairly close to graduation, I'm wandering what does it take to get into, let's say, Yale's film studies PhD program or another strictly academic, not money-making, PhD program.

Does the same rules that apply for undergrads apply here? I'm not talking about law or economics, I'm thinking about rhetoric / American studies or film studies. What do they look for? I've been doing all sorts of things related to cinema and subcultures in general. What should I be sure to have before applying?

Answer 1

Graduate school admissions is indeed different from undergraduate admissions.

Here's what you'll need:
- Excellent GRE scores
- Three very strong letters of recommendation from current professors
- A solid academic record (transcript) with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA (some programs require a 3.5) and a VERY strong GPA in your area of focus
- A writing sample (usually between 15-25 pages) that demonstrates both how well you write, and your facility with current theory in your area of specialization. A paper you wrote in your specific area of interest is the usual choice.
- A personal statement in which you write about your background in the area of study, your strengths in that area, and your career goals. Students choose grad programs by identifying the faculty with whom they'd like to work. So in your personal statement, be sure to mention WHY you are applying to that program in particular.

Bottom line: Know your area of intended focus. Be specific. Know what theories/methods you prefer to employ, and upon what data you wish to focus. (Example: feminist postmodern theory in the interpretation of 20th century Chinese film. I made that up, but you know what I mean.) And know WHY you want to pursue graduate study, and WHERE you want to do it.

Final note: Your GREs will weigh heavily when it comes to admission to top-tier programs, and also when it comes to determining your eligibility for fellowships and assistantships. Do as well as you possibly can on those, because ultimately, students choose grad schools by weighing the level of support offered by each program in balance with the reputation of that program. Generally, the rule of thumb is to follow the money.

Best wishes to you!

Answer 2

To become a pilot in the military you need to be an officer. So no you can't become a pilot in the military right out of highschool. The only way that is possible is if you are the validvictorian of your class and the Army has a program to go in as a warrant officer but besides that you are going to need to go to college first. My advice to you is don't worry about joining the military right now. If you bust your butt in all of your classes and graduate in the top 10% of your class and don't get in any trouble you could be eligible to get into one of the military academies and then you will be able to become a pilot a lot easier than just going to a regular college in ROTC. If you could become a pilot right out of HS everyone would join the military. The pilots in the military are some of the top notch people in the military you have to be very smart and have near perfect vision. So if you haven't been taking school really seriously and you really want to become a pilot in the military my advice to you is to STUDY STUDY STUDY. If you also start doing volunteer work around your community that will also help you when and if you decide to go to the Naval Academy or another school like that. And by going to one of those schools you get one of the best educations in the world for free.

Answer 3

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