The Whistler

Basically, from everything you say, it seems everything comes down to luck. If your application is not abysmal, anything can happen. It just depends on who you get in the admissions committee. For both of our cases, let's pray that we get someone who likes dumbed down ideas, since that's what I do as well. This. I mean, I get that they might accept me even though I come from the middle of nowhere, and even if I attended a small, extremely unknown university. But my WS has to be excellent for that to happen, and I have no idea how good it is. Half of the time I think they use my application as a coffee coaster. I actually dreamt that one of my NYU POIs e-mailed me and said that maybe I should come to the US, and work in a deli, since PhD is not for everyone. Thank you. The publications thing was just a huge surprise. Makes me feel like I'm five, and I want to play with the big kids. Well, I guess I'll just have to sit tight, wait, and hope for the best.

Wow, Stephanie, that sounds really impressive. That said, why do I even hope? We had four literature professors at my university. The only one who got his PhD in the US was my MA thesis advisor, and he is the only one who ever reviewed my WS, which is an excerpt from the said thesis. Sure, it was an A, but the real question is was it an A compared to the majority of students there who didn't even like to read, and therefore wrote crappy papers because they hated it, or was it an A because it was actually good, compared to papers people at US universities write? And, as I said on the other thread, publications? People who are not professors actually have those in the real world? Oh, lord, I'm screwed. In about a month or so, I'll be starting a thread called "Charity work - help reduce the amount of The Whistler's suckyness for Fall 2014 applications" Is suckyness even a word?

Well, to be fair, my family has five cats, I'm not the sole owner. But that box is kind of what my kitchen looks like while we're cooking. Come to think of it, who needs a PhD? I'll just collect cats until neighbors start paying me to stop. Especially those neighbors who wish to have a flower garden.

Wow, thank you! This is pretty awesome. I guess It's going to pay off too, in case I don't get in this year. If nothing else, one of the papers I might write for any of these calls (regardless of whether I actually submit them or not) could end up as my next WS for the next application season. I already have five cats, do I qualify, or do I need more?

I hear you. A year and a half spent teaching English as a second language in a primary school. I have nothing against small kids, but I'm really not the type of person who can sing "Itsy bitsy spider" with 10 year olds, and sincerely enjoy it. The older kids and puberty are also nothing to look forward to. If I don't get in, I'll just continue to work my ass off at my current job, which is pretty cool, actually (the problem is that I work 15 hours a day, no weekends, and no life), I'll read more published papers in my intended field of study, write a better WS, and reapply, reapply, reapply. And then reapply some more. I kid of envy you people for all these possibilities to get published. Over here, zero chance. I don't even know where I'd start or who I'd contact. How do you do it?

Well, I guess you're right. I just tend to be more of a "glass is half empty" kind of person. I'll just apply everywhere until I'm forty, maybe they'll finally accept me. That, or I'll get a restraining order.

Congratulations! Just now, as in today? Congrats! Even though I'm insanely jealous.

Oh god, thanks, people. The thing is that UPenn is, besides Northwestern (which has dumped me already), the awesomest fit for me in the universe of awesome graduate school fits. My POI is super nice, and if it wasn't for his work, which I've read years ago, I don't know what my MA thesis would have looked like. Granted, if they reject me, it will be because my WS is crap, but I just keep worrying about these stupid and unrelated things. EDIT: What happened at Yale? Do tell.

Guys, I need someone to tell me I'm overreacting. I'm aware of it, but I need a virtual slap in the face. I've applied to UPenn. They're currently reading applications. However, my country is kind of being really negatively portrayed in the media everywhere, because a large heap of misinformed people is bashing the Children's Hospital in PHILADELPHIA over a medical bill for a five year old leukemia patient from my country. Let's just assume for one second the incredible and impossible fact that someone in the UPenn admissions committee thinks my application is acceptable (even though the chances are slim). They wouldn't say "considering where she's from, she's probably a maniac, and we won't accept her," rigt? Right? Just reading this makes me realize how crazy this sounds, but I'm so nervous I can't help it.

Congratulations to people who got in! Oh, thanks for sharing that. I'm kind of not nervous about Columbia, though. Probably because I'm 100% sure I won't get it, but I guess I'd regret not even trying to apply.

Yeah, I can only imagine how it is when you're writing a thesis, and can't think about it for two seconds straight. We're in a similar position regarding implicit rejections, then. I'm waiting for rejections from NYU and Chicago too. As for hope, the NW rejection kinda destroyed any hope I might have had.

Well, the thing is that I'm basically waiting for a rejection from NYU, and I just wanted to know, because, at this point, my nerves are uncontrollable. It's affecting my work speed, and I have deadlines every day, so I can't really afford that. I contacted him just asking whether he can tell me anything, and I probably did sound desperate. Because I am. However, he was super nice. And this is what I did with Northwestern, and I just got an e-mail with a rejection. Crappity crap. I better go post it on the board, then.

I have three implicit rejections as well, and I've lost all hope. I contacted people at UPenn and Minnesota, they still haven't started deciding. Apparently, UPenn got about 600 applications this year. I am not very hopeful. Also, one of my implicit rejections is NYU. Contacted my POI there, he said that the committee is still working. I have no idea whether they're working on a few more acceptances, or on sending out rejections, and I'm too afraid to ask, I don't want it to feel like I'm nagging or pressuring anyone.

Oh, dear. I'm sorry to hear that. Fingers crossed for a better week then, for both of us.

pet shop

Oh god, this. I didn't get a rejection yet, but one of my two top choices notified about the acceptances yesterday. And, yeah, I didn't get a phonecall. <drama> Everything is over, and my life is ruined forever. </drama>

I think they did last year, according to the boards. But doesn't everyone wait list? I mean, they'd have to admit someone if everyone they admitted in the first batch declined the offer (highly unlikely for NW, but let's say it could happen).

No news for you either? I mean, according to their web-page, they admit about 22 students every year, and there are only four acceptances on the results page, but I feel like I just shouldn't get my hopes up. I mean, what are the odds that all admitted people read the boards? I feel so crappy now. Such an amazing university. My only hope is the waitlist now, but I doubt it.

So, I guess I should abandon all hope for Northwestern. I didn't get any news, but I guess they would have called me already if they wanted me, right? I see on the results page that they notify about rejections the day after they phone about acceptances, so I should get my rejection letter today. Or maybe monday, since it's the weekend. This sucks. Two awesome POI-s concentrated on Victorian literature, and one awesome POI that deals specifically with Victorian Gothic, all now out of reach for me. I'll reapply next year, after I get rejected from everywhere in the world.

I'm waiting for both NW and NYU as well, I feel like I'm going to die. Oh dear, I'm so not going to get these two, what was I thinking?

I'm working full-time too, but I'm still nervous as hell when I have time to think about the fact that I applied. I guess it's a good thing that I'm knee deep in work and deadlines.

Oh wow, I thought I was the only one who hated her writing sample, turns out there's more of us. I submitted an excerpt from my M.A. thesis, which probably doesn't even come close to samples that people who were educated in the US submitted, as far as quality is concerned. Sure, I presented it, my professors checked it (before I graduated), I read it a few million times, but I have no idea how bad it is compared to stuff native speakers write at American universities. Also, my GRE verbal is definitely not good enough. I work full time (about 10-12 hours a day), and there were some other (unfortunately, tragic) occurences last summer in my family, so I basically had a month to prepare for the test, and no money to retake it. Plus, my quantitative section is abysmal. The only part I don't hate about my application is the SoP. But I have no idea what to think of it either. All things concerned, my application is a mess.

Oh, wow! Congrats, people! I can only imagine how great it must feel.

It's pretty awesome. I found a nice, old, used version this Summer. It has that great old book smell. It even has coffee stains. I love old books.

H. G. Wells - The Time Machine. Never read it before, it's pretty lovely, actually. Too bad my concentration is currently crappy.