Personal Statement for English Lit?

[kelby_lake]

I'm sort of stuck. My area of interest is 20th century American literature but does that look too unscholarly? It's the one I know most about but I fear I'm treading too much into talking about plays.

:( What sort of things should I put?

[oblivion252]

Wow you're starting early!

First thing: it's not unscholarly, if you like it, and you can talk about it in depth and insightfully at interviews or in your Personal Statement, then you're fine. As for plays, it makes no difference.
Secondly, talk about the lit you like, the contexts of literature, why you like it, and so on.
Thirdly, make it eye-catching - maybe open with a quote you like? Risky but fun.
Finally, talk about extra curricular stuff - dont go over a 1/3 for this though - and always link it to why it fits in with English. For example, I am going to Auschwitz soon and am going to say it helps to understand the context of literature at the time. You could even argue Kerouac was influenced by the Holocaust!!

[mayneverhave]

I'm sort of stuck. My area of interest is 20th century American literature but does that look too unscholarly? It's the one I know most about but I fear I'm treading too much into talking about plays.

:( What sort of things should I put?

As my area of emphasis (20th century modernism) overlaps with yours, I wouldn't deem yours unscholarly. And why specifically plays? You have Wallace Stevens, half of T.S. Eliot, Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, a sliver of Ezra Pound - and that's just the first half of the century, and these are primarily poets and novelists.

[mono]

As my area of emphasis (20th century modernism) overlaps with yours, I wouldn't deem yours unscholarly. And why specifically plays? You have Wallace Stevens, half of T.S. Eliot, Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, a sliver of Ezra Pound - and that's just the first half of the century, and these are primarily poets and novelists.
No joke, kelby, mayneverhave's emphasis on 20th century modernism demonstrates the complexities of American literature within 100 years - multiple trends, movements, seemingly infinite numbers of authors (stretching from the Lost Generation [as mayneverhave mentioned] to Sylvia Plath to Robert Anton Wilson), and a wide range of topics and philosophies (or lack thereof). In terms of only talking about plays, I think it safe to say that one could perform some in-depth studies on playwrights like Arthur Miller alone - the myths of The Crucible, the introspective psychology of Death of a Salesman, but it really depends on how far you want to carry this emphasis of study, such as to graduate school or for a doctorate - undoubtedly some serious work.
Good luck! ;)

[kelby_lake]

As my area of emphasis (20th century modernism) overlaps with yours, I wouldn't deem yours unscholarly. And why specifically plays? You have Wallace Stevens, half of T.S. Eliot, Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, a sliver of Ezra Pound - and that's just the first half of the century, and these are primarily poets and novelists.

Not that interested in American poetry (currently into Romantic era and a bit of French in its original, though I am translating using GCSE knowledge :lol:) but I do like, and have mentioned in my draft, Fitzgerald and I think I mentioned Of Mice and Men. Appreciate Hemingway's style but can't connect to his writing- I find it too masculine. I'm going to have to try some though, I think.
I lapse into plays because I want to be a playwright/theatre director or maybe journalist. My English Lit teachers are very dismissive of plays (the only play they could come up with to compare Handmaid's Tale with is A Doll's House and that's too often cited as feminist) and maybe it might show my analytical skills as I have analysed them alone?

I want to aim for the top unis in UK for English Lit and am worried that there'll be a surge of people who claim an interest in earlier periods or that my choices are too obvious.

I do like Eliot but too complex for me to understand. I am attempting to read the literature he alludes to in a bid to understand The Waste Land. :D

How much do I talk about my thoughts on American lit? For example, I've noticed that Greek Tragedy has had a big impact on American drama and a bit on American Lit.

Any recommendations for 20th century American lit that goes beyond the obvious? (Mockingbird, which I dislike greatly/Fitzgerald/Steinbeck/Hemingway/Faulkner)

Oh, no, some Faulkner recommendations might be good. I read Soldier's Pay, which I liked, but it's not indicative of his style as much.

[Mr Endon]

This is interesting... I was going through my personal statement for an MA in English Lit in a very good UK university, and it turns out I hardly mentioned literature at all.

Wait, I mean, yes, of course you should at least mention your area of interest (which I forgot to do :)), but I don't think you're meant to show your analytical skills, for instance - that's for them to infer from the piece of writing you submit, right?

Well, basically what I did was to say how lucky they would be if they got me ;), because I could contribute with my first-hand knowledge of foreign cultures and languages and such. I guess that's my advice to you: you should tell them why they must choose you and not someone else. You could use your knowledge of theatre and plays in your advantage, for example.

[JBI]

You'll want to know stuff about every genre, including essays. Generally, if you are going into scholarship, you'll focus either on one genre over a large span of time and place, or one time-period/geographical location, in every genre. Thereby you'll probably want to start thinking, if Drama is your interest, about how the drama fits in with the literature, and culture of the time. It's not unscholarly, but generally you'll need a bit more rounding.

[kelby_lake]

I have a basic knowledge about most literary periods, i.e. I could reel you off some names of metaphysical poets and give a vague definition but am toast beyond that.

I have to stop myself from giving an essay as I am wont to do. My predicted grades are ABB (the A being English, Drama and History being B) so I might have to make up for that by a good personal statement.

I've read the Theatre of Cruelty Manifesto which I doubt most of the applicants will have read. It's quite a read (not that long but hey). Am also trekking through French poetry, starting with Verlaine.

Mr Endon, which uni was it?

[Mr Endon]

Queen Mary, University of London.

[Dark Lady]

Kelby, I just graduated from The University of Glasgow, which I would say is considered one of the top UK universities. Obviously I applied over four years ago now so I can't remember exactly what I wrote in my personal statement but I hope I can help anyway.

When I was applying for unis I still wanted to be an actress so I was applying to Acting courses as well as English Lit ones. This meant I couldn't be too specific on my personal statement as the same one gets sent to every place you apply to through UCAS. As far as I remember, past saying I enjoyed reading, I didn't write an awful lot about literature. I certainly didn't go into a huge amount of detail as to what genre and time period I was most interested in.

[kelby_lake]

Kelby, I just graduated from The University of Glasgow, which I would say is considered one of the top UK universities. Obviously I applied over four years ago now so I can't remember exactly what I wrote in my personal statement but I hope I can help anyway.

When I was applying for unis I still wanted to be an actress so I was applying to Acting courses as well as English Lit ones. This meant I couldn't be too specific on my personal statement as the same one gets sent to every place you apply to through UCAS. As far as I remember, past saying I enjoyed reading, I didn't write an awful lot about literature. I certainly didn't go into a huge amount of detail as to what genre and time period I was most interested in.

Do you reckon I should cut out saying what time periods I'm interested in? I was just hoping that they'd start asking me questions about my PS that wouldn't be too hard to answer :/

[Dark Lady]

Do you reckon I should cut out saying what time periods I'm interested in? I was just hoping that they'd start asking me questions about my PS that wouldn't be too hard to answer :/

It's really up to you. I think the important thing to remember about your personal statement is that they will be reading so many of them. You want to say something that sets you apart from other people. Whether you want this to be your interest in modern plays or whether it's through the way you write or the hobbies you have is your choice. Just don't worry too much about 'seeming academic'.

[Whifflingpin]

"My English Lit teachers are very dismissive of plays (the only play they could come up with to compare Handmaid's Tale with is A Doll's House and that's too often cited as feminist)"

Aargh! English Lit teachers who think that Handmaid's Tale should be the measure of anything!

I can't speak for American drama, but I think it likely that British drama in the last 50 years has flourished at its best since the late sixteenth century.

[meh!]

I'll tell you what my dad, who has to read hundreds of personal statements and is part of choosing who to invite to interviews for his course, told me when I was writing my personal statement:

Don't focus too much on academia. Obviously mention the things your interested in and make them understand that's why you're there, but what they're really looking for from your personal statement is for you to show that you're a well-rounded person.

Put bluntly, they want to know you're a person who can handle all aspects of university life and that you're not going to DROP OUT. So by all means make sure that they know you're interested in English and specifically 20th century 'mercin stuff but remember all the other stuff, because everyone who applies is going to say they're 'interested' in English. You're itnerested in drama? That's good, put inw hat drama stuff you've done. any bands you've been in... clubs... that kind of stuff.


You'll want to know stuff about every genre, including essays. Generally, if you are going into scholarship, you'll focus either on one genre over a large span of time and place, or one time-period/geographical location, in every genre. Thereby you'll probably want to start thinking, if Drama is your interest, about how the drama fits in with the literature, and culture of the time. It's not unscholarly, but generally you'll need a bit more rounding.

I think you might have a the wrong end of the stick about what a personal statement is here. Unless i've missed what you were replying to. Your personal statement isn't really the place for telling them all the things you know.

[Mr Endon]

I'll tell you what my dad, who has to read hundreds of personal statements and is part of choosing who to invite to interviews for his course, told me when I was writing my personal statement:

Don't focus too much on academia. Obviously mention the things your interested in and make them understand that's why you're there, but what they're really looking for from your personal statement is for you to show that you're a well-rounded person.

Put bluntly, they want to know you're a person who can handle all aspects of university life and that you're not going to DROP OUT. So by all means make sure that they know you're interested in English and specifically 20th century 'mercin stuff but remember all the other stuff, because everyone who applies is going to say they're 'interested' in English. You're itnerested in drama? That's good, put inw hat drama stuff you've done. any bands you've been in... clubs... that kind of stuff.

That's what I'm talking about! And this is advice from an authority on the matter, too. A personal statement really isn't the seven-headed demon people sometimes think it is.

[mayneverhave]

I'll tell you what my dad, who has to read hundreds of personal statements and is part of choosing who to invite to interviews for his course, told me when I was writing my personal statement:

Don't focus too much on academia. Obviously mention the things your interested in and make them understand that's why you're there, but what they're really looking for from your personal statement is for you to show that you're a well-rounded person.

Put bluntly, they want to know you're a person who can handle all aspects of university life and that you're not going to DROP OUT. So by all means make sure that they know you're interested in English and specifically 20th century 'mercin stuff but remember all the other stuff, because everyone who applies is going to say they're 'interested' in English. You're itnerested in drama? That's good, put inw hat drama stuff you've done. any bands you've been in... clubs... that kind of stuff.



I think you might have a the wrong end of the stick about what a personal statement is here. Unless i've missed what you were replying to. Your personal statement isn't really the place for telling them all the things you know.

No doubt you are correct, but the fact that universities even desire "personal statements" or attempts at describing yourself, an avoidance of academia, etc. seems completely besides the point to me.

I don't care if your a hideously deformed, shut-in that has never been to a baseball game or a prom, as long as you can produce interesting and compelling scholarship.

As for declaring or choosing an area of focus - from what I gather, its largely about whats available, what is needed, and how many are already working in the field. It would be unwise, for example, to decide to pursue a career in Shakespeare scholarship and expect to stand out, unless you're fantastic.

[kelby_lake]

I can never find anything interesting to say about myself- I can't play music or sports. I intend to big up my theatre love to, well not gloss over it, but to look not entirely useless.

Grr :( Everything I write sounds like I'm lecturing to them.


"My English Lit teachers are very dismissive of plays (the only play they could come up with to compare Handmaid's Tale with is A Doll's House and that's too often cited as feminist)"

Aargh! English Lit teachers who think that Handmaid's Tale should be the measure of anything!

I can't speak for American drama, but I think it likely that British drama in the last 50 years has flourished at its best since the late sixteenth century.

Britain was very behind America when it came to the theatre. There was censorship until about 1967. The American working class featured in plays as early as 1922, but kitchen sink drama, British equivalent, started in 1958. We've had to play catch up quite a bit.

[Dark Lady]

I can never find anything interesting to say about myself- I can't play music or sports. I intend to big up my theatre love to, well not gloss over it, but to look not entirely useless.

Stretch the truth a bit! I always say I play the 'cello in these sorts of things, even though I haven't really touched my 'cello in about five years. I have also said I enjoy wall-climbing and I've only been about ten times.

[kelby_lake]

Can I say I was part of debating club if I went one time and totally messed it up?

[Dark Lady]

Can I say I was part of debating club if I went one time and totally messed it up?

I don't see why not!

[meh!]

you can lie your arse off, it's not like they are going to check. don't be silly though.

[kelby_lake]

Argh! I keep ending up lecturing in my statement!