It's (Not) About Me

YEAH TWO ESPRESSOS!! I came here just to congratulate you AGAIN, haha! I am so psyched to be cohort mates! Aaaaahhh I am SO delighted to hear this! Yes yes yes! :D

Sorry I've taken soooo long to respond to this, because I am actually REALLY interested in discussing the Open House/freaking out/being clueless together. Haha. PMing you right now!

I received my final unceremonious rejection a few days ago, making this decision... a non-decision! UNC Chapel Hill, here I come! I haven't officially accepted the offer yet because I want to visit first (just in case?), but it's about 99% likely that I will be enrolling there. It's so exciting and scary to be looking my future right in the eye! It's great that I know this now, because I'm having a "thanks for putting up with me while I applied to grad school, and yay, I got in somewhere!" party tomorrow night. Now I can stock up on Hpnotiq, Blue Curacao, UV Blue, etc etc in order to stain everyone's insides a nice Carolina blue. Ope, I was wondering why there was so little variance in the last column. I've been weirdly shy about sharing my interests, though I realize that no one really cares, haha. Haha, I was thinking that too. Although I didn't recognize everyone's avatars right off the bat... I've done a Google image search on some of them because it was driving me nuts.

YES! I really, really hope that you get accepted. Let's launch an elaborate plan to sabotage everyone else at the Open House! ...Well, OK, that would be really shitty of us (and you don't need to fight dirty anyway), but I'm pulling for you. Waitlisterz 4 lyfe!

GUYS GUYS GUYS. Indiana finally rejected me yesterday, so... This means I am definitely going to accept UNC's offer! Decision made--I can't believe it. I pretty much knew this was coming, but there's something so dramatic (to me, at least) about knowing for SURE. Eeee!

This is how I feel! I'm only waiting for ONE LAST official rejection from Indiana. They sent out acceptances and waitlists a while back, so I'm totally reconciled to the fact that I didn't get in. And even if (by some strange turn of events) I did get in at this point, I would almost definitely choose UNC. But it feels weird to make any official decisions before everything is all neatly squared away. Come on, Indiana! Just do it already!

This thread is CHOCK FULL of amazing advice. Thanks, everyone! I feel much better about approaching this task now. I think I will email each of them when I officially accept an offer, and follow up with a small gift and a handwritten note soon after. I love the idea of getting them each a mug--so cute! Until then I'll keep reassuring myself that my recommenders are going be just as happy about this news as I am.

Not a giant change or anything, but UNC Chapel Hill has been bumped up to #15 (from #16), tied with Brown! I have to admit that this news makes me happy. I can't really share this with anyone unless I want to sound hella arrogant, but I'll do a little dance in my head.

This has been on my mind a lot lately: how to tell your LOR writers about the results of your applications. Is anyone else struggling with this? I feel that one of my recommenders, in particular, requires a special message. He was my professor (twice), BA thesis advisor, and let me be his RA for two years. He also gave me a ton of advice on my SOP and met with me regularly in October and November. Basically, he's invested a lot of time and effort in me, and I am unspeakably grateful for his support. For that reason, I'm a little worried about disappointing him. I am so excited and proud to be accepted to UNC, and I don't care that it was off of the waitlist or that it's almost surely my only acceptance. Still, I wonder if these things will matter to him. I would be so ashamed if he felt like he wasted time on me. Do you think you're obligated to tell your recommenders the exact results of your apps, or is it better just to say which offer (if any) you've accepted? If you're 1 and 10 like me, should you acknowledge the inconsistency/attempt to account for it, or focus 100% on the positive? I'm at a bit of a loss, and I would really appreciate someone's opinion!

And BOOM! go the Michigan rejections.

Seriously. I like fashion, but I have next to no budget for purchasing clothes, therefore I live for thrift stores. Both the skirt and sweater I'm wearing today came from a thrift store. Lolz.

You are severely underestimating the extent to which I can care about both without neglecting either.

Hah, I am in the exact same boat! Those two are the only thing keeping me from officially accepting my UNC offer. I assume that it will be only one and I am already mentally committing to it, but it feels wrong to accept an offer before my other applications are neatly squared away. I can't imagine what I'd do if one of those schools came through this late in the game--especially Michigan. But that's OK, because it's definitely not going to happen (for me). Here's hoping we hear soon!

Hahahah, wait, but I mentioned Toni Morrison in my SOP and I do have this Song of Solomon t-shirt: http://shop.outofprintclothing.com/Song_of_Solomon_book_cover_t_shirt_p/l-1021.htm. The other day I was discussing with my boyfriend what I should wear to the Open House and we lol'd at the idea of me rolling in wearing that shirt. "Guys, I REALLY love literature!" Another option: wear the t-shirt of the school you are visiting. That won't come across as overeager at all, will it?

Thank you for starting this topic! I was just thinking about this! I hadn't planned on dressing any differently from my usual style, which is somewhat dressy in that I always wear dresses and skirts, but can also go pretty casual with regards to fabric, color, hem/neckline, etc. It occurred to me that some people might be dressed very formally. My plan is to pack things on the slightly more professional side of what I would wear on a regular day. I still want to be comfortable and have my personality come through, neither of which will happen if I wear neutral pinstriped biz cas. Oooooh, I hadn't even though about whether the ~soirée~ would require something a little nicer. Hmm! I'll have to give that some extra thought! But what if I am a foppish dandy?

Oh, yeah, I guess we could self-identify too. But that ruins the mystery! It's not like I'd be able to hide who I am, anyway. I wear a rainbow scarf and unicorn hat everywhere I go. Do you look like Samuel Beckett? Ps. bdon19, I did PM you!

Hmm, I didn't get one of these--I wonder if that means that Indiana is a "no" for me. I still haven't heard anything from them. At this point I'm fairly attached to UNC, but I liked Indiana for so many reasons, too. Still waiting to hear from Michigan, too. I get the impression that they haven't sent out most of their rejections yet. Perhaps the ones listed on the results board are some kind of mistake or fluke. I reeeeeeeeeally don't think I was accepted, but it would be nice to receive an official rejection.

Nice! I will PM you, thank you. So funny to think that we will probably meet and not know it. OoOooOoooOoo0oo! Haha. I'm crazy excited. I just RSVP'd to Elisa even though I made my arrangements a while ago. I've been sitting on it because I felt like I should have more questions, but nothing was coming to me. Anyway, the itinerary looks great. The snow-loathing Chicagoan in me just about cried at the thought of planning an outdoor picnic in March. I am nervous about being thrown into a sea of people I don't know, but it seems like we'll be too busy to feel lonely. Still, I wonder if I'll have a crazed "PLZ BE MY FWEND" look on my face the whole time. I just hope I'll be able to speak well about myself and my interests--I'm normally very outgoing, but the thought of meeting so many intelligent, passionate people all at once is a little overwhelming.

Reviving this thread! I will definitely be visiting for the Prospective Student Open House, and I'm really excited! Right now, UNC is my only acceptance, and I think it's very likely that things will stay that way. Consequently, I feel like a lot is riding on this visit. What if I hate the city? What if the faculty doesn't like me? Can I commit to living in Chapel Hill for six or more years after living in (and loving) Chicago for nearly six years? GAH. I'd love to chat with other people who are weighing the pros/cons of UNC and who might be attending the Open House.

Noooooo! I'm really sorry that your weekend has been ruined. There is still some reason for hope! It looks like you're still waiting to hear back from a few schools, and you have some awesome waitlist prospects. I suspect that the waitlist at UW-Madison is VERY small. I am so rooting for you to get good news soon. Either way, I hope you go out and get schwasted (if you're a person who enjoys doing so) and eat lots of cake/pie and ice cream on your birthday. Huh, good to know! I am already assuming a rejection from Rutgers at this point, but maybe I will wait until the end of the day? I'll be away from my computer almost all day, but I will have my phone! I guess now I'll be that much more anxious all day. By the way, I just noticed--you got accepted at IU-Bloomington?! In English? When? Based on the results search, I thought only one person on here had heard from them! Maybe it was you. I will be so confused and disappointed if they already sent out acceptances and I just didn't know it. I was still soooorta holding out hope for them. Same question as above, assuming that you mean IU-Bloomington. When did you hear this news? Are you applying in English? Sorry to overwhelm you both with questions, but I can't believe I totally missed that happening. I would be really grateful for your response. Not at all! I'll echo what planesandtrains said. If you know you definitely won't be going to a school, don't string them--and more importantly, the people on their waitlist--along! You won't hurt their feelings.

Same here! I got distracted actually doing work (because I'm at work) and I come back to the results board to see that both Stanford and Rutgers have started. Oy vey. I'm not expecting anything from Stanford, but I had wondered about Rutgers. I guess now I have an answer? Lolol.

Yes! I hate it! Universally unflattering. Noted. I did get a slightly weird vibe from the website. The pictures have that "we shot this in extremely flattering light with pretty, rail-thin models because this is the only way our clothing will look good" kind of look to them. Lolz. This is most frequently seen on eBay listings that ship from random places in Japan. But I wanted it to be true! Thanks for crushing my dreams! Booo! Booooo!! Agreed 100%. I wouldn't say that I'm interested in "fashion" per se because I don't read many magazines, follow collections/trends, etc--but I only wear very silly, colorful things because it makes me happy (right now I'm wearing a royal blue zebra print dress). It is such a small and easy way for me to brighten my days. I don't have any taste, but I have lots of style, hah. Anyway, searching for items you like and putting them together in interesting ways is just another creative outlet, and I don't see how people think it somehow makes you less intellectual. If I am ever extraordinarily lucky enough to be a professor and give regular lectures/presentations, I am positive that I will dress the same way.

DAMMIT, I love it so much, but why does it have to be all weird and droopy on the sides? Do not want. But otherwise: want.

I mean, I would, but I'm not anxious to hear from them because I know I don't have a chance. Perhaps I should be the one to call because I DGAF about bothering them/I feel like I have nothing to lose. Lol.

But... but... EVERYONE, QUIET! I got something to say!