Suggestions for the Graduate Application Process
Every complete application submitted by the deadline receives careful attention from an Admissions Committee made up of the Director of Graduate Studies, members of the faculty and graduate students. As we are a writing-intensive program, known nationally for the teaching of college composition and written reasoning, a prospective candidate must display exceptional writing skills. The clearest indication of these skills is provided by the personal statement and the sample of academic writing, which the committee reads and discusses thoroughly and rigorously. The personal statement should describe your intellectual and curricular interests as well as your educational background and your proposed course of study. Additionally, the committee carefully considers letters of recommendation, grades and GRE scores.
Applicants who are not United States citizens or immigrants are considered for admission to the university as international students. Proficiency in English is vital to the academic success of international students. Students whose native language is not English are required to supply results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Spoken English, Academic Version (TSE-A), as part of the application process. (The TOEFL and TSE-A are given worldwide. For more information, write to TOEFL, PO Box 899, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA, or visit the Educational Testing Service's TOEFL web page at http://www.ets.org/toefl).
To ensure that your application is seriously and fairly considered, we offer the following suggestions:
- Submit all materials well before the deadline. Because we receive a large number of M.A. and Ph.D. applications each year and because our evaluation procedures are thorough, the Admissions Committee is unable to consider late applications. While a one-week grace period is given for late recommendations, transcripts, and GREs, the rest of the applicant's materials must be received by the January 15th deadline for M.A. and Ph.D. applications. Only those applications received by the January deadline can be considered for departmental financial aid.
- Submit materials to the appropriate offices. The following should be sent to the Admissions office:
- One set of transcripts
- International students must also send TOEFL scores and the'Supplementary Application and Financial Statement for International Students' form. A PDF version of the latter form is available online at http://gradweb.uoregon.edu/online_app/application/FinancialStatement.pdf
All other materials should be sent directly to the English office:
- One set of transcripts
- Three confidential letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic background and intellectual abilities. The required letter of recommendation form is available online at:
http://www.uoregon.edu/~engl/pdf/GradRecommendLtr.pdf - A personal statement (two to three pages, double spaced and single sided)
- A sample of academic writing (not exceeding 20 pages, double spaced and single sided) demonstrating your ability in literary study
- GRE scores taken within the last five years (for Ph.D. students the Verbal and Subject Tests are required; for M.A. applicants, only the Verbal score is required)
- Take time in preparing your application. In particular, the personal statement and sample of academic writing should be articulate, intelligent, and polished; in short, they should display the qualities of lively scholarship we seek to produce in our department. Letters of recommendation should be from professors who are very familiar with your work and who are able to distinguish you from other candidates. We encourage you to speak with them about your career interests and your reasons for graduate study before you apply.
- Do not hesitate to contact us. We are excited about the recent additions to our program and the congenial atmosphere of intellectual exchange among faculty and graduate students and happy to answer any questions you have about our program. For questions about the graduate program, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Elizabeth Bohls, by phone (541-346-5484) or email at ebohls@uoregon.edu. For questions specifically concerning the application process or the status of your file, please contact the Graduate Secretary, Michael Stamm, by phone (541-346-1501) , 8:00-12:00, 1:00-4:30 p.m., or at mstamm@uoregon.edu.