Boz

Thanks for the congratulations and advice, guys! Again, I'm really thankful to have this acceptance and would certainly never let awkwardness--especially the kind generated by people who don't understand--detract from my happiness and pride. But now I'll feel more at ease when I meet the professors at my school, so that's good. As I said before, I'm rooting for those of you still waiting to hear! All you need is one! Best of luck, especially to you, hadunc!

After months of anxiety and frustration over my prospects, I am happy to announce that things took a turn for the better and I was accepted to an excellent PhD program that's just right for me! Yaaay! But as much as I'm so, so, so happy (thankful, relieved, etc.) about this, the awkwardness of having a single acceptance to my name has already begun to manifest itself in my daily life, and I was wondering if any of you in my situation are having a similar experience. Ok, for example, friends and relatives: after they're finished oohing and aahing over the name of my school, they want to know "Where else?" Um, nowhere, that's it. What, didn't you apply to like 20 schools? Actually, 12 schools, but most of them have like 2% acceptance rates. "Oh." Yeah. I haven't gone to the visitation yet, but I'm already slightly nervous about responding to professors' inquiries regarding the those "other programs." Will they likely ask? What will they think of my answer? Not that it matters, but I just wanted to prepare myself for embarrassment, if that's what's in store. Finally, I wanted to thank you guys for being so kind and supportive during this whole awful process! Best of luck to those still waiting and to those who have some difficult decisions to make!

It's definitely a huge commitment, but whenever I find myself wondering if it's too difficult, too time-consuming, too stressful, etc., I remember that I still wouldn't be nearly as happy or fulfilled doing anything else. One of my TAs from college who had worked for a company before starting grad school said that he never regretted choosing an academic existence over the lucrative job: as a grad student, he was always reading, studying, and teaching, but he was always engaged in something that he loved; out in the world of business, although he only worked 9-5, he just found himself living for the weekends all of the time, which he eventually recognized as a kind of depressing lifestyle (for him--obviously, many people do find happiness in this kind of work). So, if you're wondering if you'll have to "give up the next 5 years," as if it were a sacrifice, then I would definitely think hard about what kind of an occupation would be most satisfying (not necessarily either prestigious or well-paid) and the best investment of your time and energy. In my TA anecdote, I wasn't suggesting that either kind of "work" was better than the other--only that, on a personal level, one will feel right and the other not so much. What constitutes a "waste of time" is relative and depends entirely on you and what you want out of life. Feeling nervous about grad school is completely normal. In fact, it demonstrates that you probably have a realistic view of how challenging it will be and, yes, at times, "painful"--at least you're not naive about it. At this point, I think that you should look back on what inspired you to apply in the first place, and I hope that all of your old enthusiasm and sense of purpose will come back. If not, then maybe you'd better start looking elsewhere. Best of luck!

lyonessrampant-- Wow, thanks so much for taking the time to offer all this great advice! If accepted to the program, I'll very carefully consider all the pros and cons before making a decision. I just emailed one of the directors, so hopefully I'm in the running, at least. Thanks again!

I assume by now that I've been rejected by UChicago, and I'm gradually coming to terms with the fact that I could face rejections from all of my other PhD programs. I cried. I moped. I ate lots of chocolate. But now, I'm starting to think of what I could do in the following year to make myself a better (re)applicant, including the possibility of an MA program. I've read a little bit about the UChicago MAPH, which sounds intriguing, but I'm waiting to see if they offer it to me. I have a friend who was rejected from the English PhD program last year but had the option of the MAPH, although she didn't choose to pursue it, and I'm hoping that I'll have this option as well. Do you guys think that I should email someone at the UChicago English department and express my strong interest in the MAPH? I assume that they consider PhD rejects anyway, but I thought that it might be to my advantage to let them know that I would very seriously consider accepting the offer. Thoughts, please?

Thanks, vecrhite, for the words of...encouragement? Haha. But really, I'm in a better mood now.

14 applications. Right now, 4 official rejections. I don't even want to think about how many implicit rejections (still hoping). No acceptances or waitlists. I applied to very competitive schools, but honestly, I still don't think that I was unrealistic when I selected them. Excellent scholars are rejected across the board all the time, and I guess this just doesn't seem to be my year (please, one of my schools, prove me wrong!). I'm always pleased to hear about all of your successes, however, and I hope that you'll send some good vibes my way!

Ditto, my page still says "no decision." Boo. I hate waiting for rejections--Duke still hasn't sent mine.

Ugh, I really, really hope that they're not through with acceptances--but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Thanks! Good luck to you, too!

NO! I was just sounding the "Yale is calling" alert and freaking out. Ugh, I'm so stupid (obviously), I should have clarified. Sorry!

*Sigh* Princeton was one of my top choices... :cry:

Congrats, kfed!

No, no, they're calling other people.

Yale is calling, as we speak. Freak out post.