Optimistic

I've heard it can take as long as the middle of the summer to find out depending on the number on the wait list, the size of the program, and the amount of funding they have available. It really sucks, but I guess that's just the way it is. If you're really interested in the school, you could try contacting them to find out your position on the waitlist, maybe some reasons why you've been waitlisted, or at least to get a general idea of when you may have a definite answer. Good luck!

I know this is an old thread, but is anyone going to UConn starting Fall 2007?

So if it's April 23 and you still haven't heard anything, that's probably not a good sign. I wonder how much that even happens. I've already accepted somewhere, but there were 2 schools that I never heard anything from. I'm just really shocked that they wouldn't even bother to send me a piece of paper telling me anything, especially after those $70 application fees. My opinion of those schools has now significantly lowered.

What are people's opinions on this scenario? I found out I got accepted at a school that will offer me a tuition waiver, teaching assistantship, and an $18K stipend for both years of the Master's program. At my other options, I was looking at going between $40,000-$50,000 in debt within two years. The only thing is, the school that offered me funding is still in the rankings and is a pretty decent school, but is not ranked as highly or with as good of a reputation as the other two schools. Since I won't be writing a dissertation there, having faculty that match my interests is not quite as vital as if I were going for a PhD, but I think there are enough faculty who share my interests to make it worthwhile. My big concern is, by going to a school with a mid-level reuptation for a Master's, will that hurt my chances of getting into a top 20 PhD program later? Even if I work very hard and really stand out in the program? Does reputation matter that much in these circumstances? I really want to do what is best for a future in academics, but at the same time, it is hard to turn down $18,000 for -$50,000.

Well at least they'll make nice paperweights!

Well, if you go to Ohio, get ready for 80 degree weather one day and then 20 degree weather with snow on the ground the next. Literally. In April.

All of my letters, acceptances, waitlists, and rejections, have come in a small envelope, usually a single sheet of paper. So much for that myth!

Yeah, the whole application process seems to be full of flaws and pretty much sucks. I had a couple of schools lose some of my application materials too. Just for my own venting benefit, I'm still waiting to hear from Boston University, Northeastern University, and the University of South Carolina. I can't say that any of those schools are my top choice at this point, unless they give me money. That seems kind of doubtful at this stage in the game, but I suppose there's always a chance! Regardless, I'd really like to hear something from them, even if it is bad news! 2 1/2-3 months is definitely long enough to decide whether or not you want to let someone in your program, I don't think they have an excuse anymore. :wink:

Even though everyone warns against going in debt, especially in humanities programs, if it's what you really want to do, then do it. I am in a similar situation because I didn't get any funding from either program that accepted me. One of them only gives funding to about 10 students and the other doesn't fund MA students at all. Still, all I want to do is go to graduate school and after all the hard work I put into the applications then the stress from waiting, I can't imagine not going at all next year. I'll probably be taking about that much out in loans (plus $27,000 from undergrad) for an MA in English, a pretty worthless degree, but I can't imagine anything else I'd rather do. So if your options are either taking out loans or not going to grad school at all, which seems like the worse scenario to you?

Are you applying to MA or PhD programs? If its an MA program, I think its pretty normal to not get funding, but if its a PhD, then that does seem odd. Good luck, I hope everything works out for you!

I would say take them over if you definitely think you can do better. However, if you do worse, it may look bad to admissions committees and your scores are already really high. Even though the GRE people say you usually don't significantly increase your scores by taking the GRE again, from personal experience, I can say they are wrong. The first time I took the GRE, I was a nervous wreck and completely bombed it. I took the test again four months later and increased by verbal score by 180 points, quantitative by 50, and analytical writing by .5. So, if you think you can do better, take it again. But, I agree with daseinplushie that your scores are already high, so maybe you could focus on other things, plus the test is so expensive!

I know this is kind of random, but what foreign language is the best for an English major to study? How do you determine what you should study? Does it differ according to your area of interest, or does it really not matter much? I don't have much experience with foreign languages, but I have to study one for grad school and I don't know what the best would be.

Yes, waitlists are frustrating. Especially the letters that say "the admissions committee reviewed your application favorably and you are a strong, qualified candidate" but then they don't give you any reason why they didn't just accept you.

Thanks! I've been thinking about it a lot and you (and my advisor) are right. It would be dumb to pay more ($12,000 + housing costs more to be exact) to go to a lower ranked school just to live in an overpriced city. I suppose I can always visit...Boston is about 1 1/2 away from Amherst...at least that's what I keep telling myself! Good luck to you! I hope you get off the waitlist!

I agree, snail mail is frustrating. I received a rejection letter from U Illinois-Chicago dated March 15, and it didn't arrive in the mail until today! Luckily, I had already seen my status online, so it was no shock. Still, I don't understand why they insist on prolonging our agony. Maybe its because letters are personal enough to be polite, but distant, while emails are much more personal? I think I would just rather know my status than have to deal with the "polite" "we received more qualified applicants than we expected" response. It's like a band-aid...the sooner you pull it off and get it over with, the less it stings.