m_pru

Yeah, I was surprised by both the offer and my reaction to the school on my visit. I'm starting to feel really calm about it, so I think it might be The One. And I love your profile pic, by the way!

I agree! I got a waitlist right on the heels of a string of rejections; it really helped my state of mind. Good luck, and I wish you the best!

Yeah, I was surprised by both the offer and my reaction to the school on my visit. I'm starting to feel really calm about it, so I think it might be The One. And I love your profile pic, by the way!

For any waitlisted Medievalists: I have decided to reject my offer tomorrow. I hope it goes to someone who really wants to be at UT! I know it's a wonderful program, but it was love at first sight when I visited SMU last week (which was a surprise), so just this once, I'm going to indulge myself and go with a gut reaction (I'm one of those type A, list makers). Good luck to you all!

Werk!

it's also because the Grumpy Cat herself is gonna be in town for sxsw, so a lot of people are heading to austin and clogging the highways just to see the celebrity!

Tired of getting e-mails about picking out your lunch?  Just you wait:  UT Austin's recruitment efforts will consist entirely of serving us the best sandwiches ever, resulting in 100% yield.  No one can compete with damned good sandwiches.  No one.

I'm definitely looking forward to Recruitment Weekend.  I've been jonesing to find out more about UT:  my other acceptances have been very forthcoming with info about their programs, while Austin hasn't really been in touch with me.  As it stands, I don't know enough to lean toward or away from the school, and I think that visiting in person will let me know if it feels right.
 
I also look forward to visiting the city itself and meeting other program recruits 

I received an email with the subject line: "This seat is yours."

It was from Barack Obama.

::

bdon - As a CompLit major I didn't interact with many in the English department, but my favorite of the ones I did meet would be John McGowan. He's a prolific researcher/writer, but his passion for teaching was amazing. He'd return papers just a couple of days later, not only with copious notes throughout, but often he'd have so much to say that he would actually type up a full page response, print it out, sign it, and paper clip it to the back. Paying that much attention to undergrads was kind of flattering, you know? He also helped me out a ton in the early research stages of my senior thesis. Another of my faves was Rebecka Fisher. She's a comparatist working in French, but she mostly teaches Af-Am lit.

Oh, and McGowan is also a dead ringer for Skinner from The X Files. Nerd much?

Bummed out at the moment because my last choice school is the one offering me a really nice, guaranteed funding package for five years. My other acceptance (which I prefer much more) will only provide a 50% scholarship. The choice seems clear, but blergh! I like the other program better #EnglishPhdApplicantProblems

But let me end this on a positive note: the fact that we're all posting in this thread means we have at least one acceptance, and that is awesome! I am truly proud of us <3

This is exactly my train of thought; I feel that if someone can get into Rutgers, with how competitive it is, there is a good chance that at least some of them are also getting offers from Columbia, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, etc. The question seems to be simply numbers; how far up the waitlist am I? Will any af-am people decline? The guy said "close to the top." He also said he'd be calling throughout the month to keep me informed. I mean... that all sounds... promising. At the same time, I really don't want to get my hopes up.

Thanks, ComeBack, for a great post. And Trip, for starting this thread.

We're all here because, well, I mean, look at us. We're pretty awesome. Look at how far we've come in just a few short months. Yes, the application process may be hell, but you know what, it's taught me more about myself than I usually learn in years. Just applying has made me realize that, yes, this is exactly what I want to do. Because of that, I think rejection hurts all the more. Like I've said elsewhere the past few days, I have a feeling the rest of the season may be pretty much over for me (I'm looking at two Ivies and Toronto left, minus the M.A. I'll surely turn down because of Ph.D. acceptances), and I'll continue to neurotically check the boards and my e-mail until it's completely over (and until Michigan and Rutgers finally just fucking reject me, already!). But taking a moment to be like, "Holy shit. I did this. This thing that sucked my entire life away for a good nine months or so (hmmmm, weird analogies happening there) has actually worked out and there are programs that want me, me over 98-fucking-percent of people." I mean, that's a pretty amazing feeling. So, go us. We rock.

Let's keep thinking positively, like our good friend and role model Trip Willis, but make sure that the positive thinking goes across the board. I'm sure I won't be successful (especially when those last rejections roll in), but I can try. Let's use this thread for stress-relieving but also positive thinking. WE ROCK. GO US.