VoltaideCleyre

It sounds like, all things being equal, you should probably go to Kentucky. Place matters a lot, especially during a PhD. You're continuing to grow during this time, and you need to make sure you're in a supportive environment to do that, and that looks different for everyone. Just because you go to a "lower rank" program doesn't mean you won't end up with a good job. A lot of it has to do with what you do while you're there (like getting teaching experience, publishing, conferences, etc.). BUT the most important thing is finishing. There's a reason why 50% of grad students don't finish PhDs--it's because it's really tough. So, do your future self a favor and go where your heart tells you and where you will be able to live your best life. And, to me, that sounds like Kentucky. Just make the decision--and soon--so that whoever is on the waiting list below you gets a chance to consider the program you decline. Not as many people are lucky enough to be able to choose between two great programs, and by making your decision, you'll be able to give someone else a long-hoped-for admission.

Me, too. I don't understand how my scholarship doesn't meet minimum requirements when I have pretty much everything they could want (4.0 MA GPA, 2 scholarly publications, 2 years teaching experience, a thesis, 7 conference presentations, a number of currently active leadership positions, etc.). Having six bullet points for rejection reasons makes me a sad panda.

Good idea! Distraction. What do you mean in terms of background? Qualifications, interests, areas of research, all of the above? I did get accepted to MSU's PhD in English today, but I'm still waiting it out for UC Davis and Purdue to see what happens!

And we wait...still

On the Results Search there is one person who apparently has been denied via email (today) from this program.

I applied to the cultural studies program at UC Davis and heard nothing except for a missing transcript a while ago. The website says everything is in, but my application status is "incomplete." We'll see. I have an MA in Literature with a 4.0, a finished interdisciplinary thesis, 2 publications, 5 conference presentations, 2 years of teaching composition at a University as instructor of record, and a shit ton of leadership/extracurricular stuff, including being on the board of a non-profit for 2 years and a VP and President of a graduate employee labor union. But, I did my undergrad and MA at a low-ranked state school. I've also applied to Purdue's Philosophy and Literature PhD and Michigan State's Literature PhD (for a gender studies/cultural studies bent). I have no idea of my chances here, but I haven't heard from any of them, and it's slowly eating away at my soul. Thoughts?