Graduate Progam Information:
Marnie Leonard (970) 491-2403 Marnie.Leonard@colostate.edu
Graduate Study
Applying To Graduate School
Many English majors go on to Graduate School, which normally requires a 3.0 GPA. Most graduate programs also require you to submit your scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The paper-based exam is offered twice annually and the computer-based exam is offered monthly. For information about fees and taking this examination, stop at the reception area of the Graduate School office, 208 Administration Annex. If you plan to enroll in graduate school in the fall semester, you must normally take the GRE no later than the preceding December, especially if you are applying for financial aid or for teaching/grading assistantships.
Before you apply to graduate school, you should meet with your advisor or other members of the Department to discuss appropriate schools matching your interests. Morgan Library also has resources for selecting appropriate schools. No later than Thanksgiving or shortly thereafter (if you plan to begin in the fall), you should write or call the universities that interest you, asking for information about courses of study in your field, application information, and application forms. Ordinarily, you will apply to no fewer than three to five graduate programs of varying quality, especially if you need an assistantship to begin graduate school. Pick at least one university from your top range and one from your bottom range so that you increase the chances of finding assistance at the best school you can. Applying to more than five graduate schools is not too many, but application fees can go as high as $50, so unselective applications can be expensive. In support of your applications, you will need to arrange for mailing of transcripts (call the Registrar's Office) and three (sometimes four are required) letters of recommendation from appropriate faculty. NOTE: If you expect to enter graduate school at some later date, it is wise to meet with faculty to arrange for recommendations before leaving campus.
Be sure to meet with and discuss your plans with those faculty members you ask for recommendations. Include a resume if your activities or interests would strengthen your application, and be sure to ask your recommenders whether they can write a strong recommendation to the schools you have chosen. A faculty member may well be able to write a strong recommendation to a particular state university, for example, but might hesitate if you're applying to one of the leading programs in the country. Be sure, too, to give your recommenders names and addresses required for the return of letters of recommendation and include a stamped, addressed envelope for convenience. In addition, if you are applying for a Teaching Assistantship, make sure your recommenders speak to the subject of your promise as a teacher. If something about your record is unusual--say failing grades in the first year--and straight A's in the last two years, be sure that one or more of your recommenders point out this anomaly so that your record is properly reviewed.
Please give adequate time (at least two weeks) for your recommenders to write letters. It is polite to thank your recommenders as well as to inform them about whether you have been accepted at the institutions where you applied.
Application deadlines for graduate school range from mid-December to mid-February. Plan to have all arrangements made before winter break, and be sure faculty recommenders know the deadlines for each of your applications.
For information about course offerings and registration procedures for the upcoming semester or summer session, please view the Rambler, the Department's student newsletter.
This information is not intended to replace your advisor or the information in the CSU General Catalog, the Class Schedule, or the Department Checksheets.
Contact us: Attn: Marnie Leonard – Through the mail at 1773 Campus Delivery Eddy Hall, Ft. Collins, CO 80523-1773. On the phone at (970) 491-2403. By e-mail at Marnie.Leonard@colostate.edu.
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