Pamphilia

Here's the thing: a strong and well-known reputation *does* matter. It won't account for everything but can make things easier for you as a scholar in many ways. THAT SAID, it is important that you attend the best place for *you*, which may or may not be a "top" school. Research fit is important, and so is personal fit (grad school is stressful enough; you want to be somewhere that won't add too much to that stress). As far as the original question goes, of course it's "worth it" to apply. Your numbers (which are perfectly good, by the way) won't make too too much of a difference (they might if they were lower, but I reckon yours should be just fine). Take it from someone with stellar numbers who was rejected from a few "top" programs: numbers ain't everything. Furthermore, a "top" program can sometimes be less competitive than a lower-ranked one. I might be wrong, but I'm fairly certain that Princeton's and UCLA's admit rates tend to hover around 10%, which is much higher than some other so-called lower ranked programs. Other posters have advised this and I will echo them: work the bejesus out of your SOP and writing sample. I will add that, for admissions and not just your own personal fulfillment, fit truly cannot be underestimated. The programs to which I applied that didn't fit me as well saw RIGHT through my application. Some of them, like UCLA, were programs that, on paper/website, seemed like stellar fits. Only after contacting faculty to find out what was really going on over there research-wise did I discover that it wasn't a good fit. So, I would recommend contacting faculty early not to establish a connection or network, but to find out what profs ate currently working/teaching on and how well they NOW fit with your interests. You can also talk about department atmosphere, teaching/advising philosophy, and so forth, in order to see how the program fits for you personality-wise. My two cents! I advise to take with salt.

I feel you! I should have been clearer that my second post wasn't directed at you, I just thought that my first post needed clarifying.

For the record, upon reflection I don't think it was the visit itself that helped, and I don't mean that all ye waitlisters should descend upon your desired programs thinking that it will get you in. (This is one of the reasons I modified my original post, but I guess the cat's out of the bag, er, again.) The visit helped *me* more than it helped the program decide on me, I think. What did help, was being able to speak to them to establish my strong interest, which I could have done over the phone. What I think was really key here is that I had established a dialogue with the faculty at this program prior even to applying. So, I was able to draw on that dialogue when showing my enthusiasm.

Haha that is so adorable! Thanks for the well wishes! I'm very psyched.

I'm inclined to disagree here, respectfully. Obviously you don't want to annoy anyone, but I think it would be a good thing to show your enthusiasm. My mentors told me to email and make clear my enthusiasm for the programs where I was waitlisted--and to explain *why* I was enthusiastic to give my correspondence credibilty. I did that and then some. I originally posted more details about this here, but have removed them after giving it some thought. Suffice it to say, I feel fairly confident that my enthusiasm and gentle persistence helped me get in off one of on of my waitlists. Even if I were slated to get in anyway, I'm positive that I am being accepted off the waitlist so early (well before most of their initial admits have accepted or declined their offers) because of the efforts I made. I also made special care not to piss anyone off when showing said persistent enthusiasm.

It's tied for my first choice. I need to visit to decide.

That was me!!! I'm PUMPED, dude. What kind of info are you looking for?

Hey, Va people represent! Wahoowa, All Hail Our Lord and Savior Thomas Jefferson and all that jazz. Ha!

Daaaammmmmn girl.

I'm sorry, that really, really sucks. For what it's worth, I doubt that it was the admissions committee who couldn't get past the UGPA. UNC's grad school has a reputation for emphasizing numbers very strongly, and as I understand it they will refuse to rubber stamp or at least fund applicants who don't fit into their neat numbers boxes. Especially if you received such a nice personal email from the DEGS, I'd imagine that the English faculty really liked you, but the whole thing was just tangled up in the bureaucracy of the GS. I don't know if this helps or not, but I hope it does. Sorry, man. I'm sending you positive vibes.

As has been pointed out, sex is not the same as gender. But beyond that, the alleged "dichotomous nature" of sex is indeed up for debate, and more so all the time.

I can't go into too much detail, but just sit tight. Things are a bit behind schedule this year. Don't panic yet, the silence in this case is not necessarily bad.

Right on. I'm working on Midnight's Children now (and have been for a while; I keep getting interrupted with other things). I'm on sort of a magic realism kick now--before the Rushdie was Allende (with her own set of issues...lordy), and next up is Marquez. P.S. Consider me an evangelist in the Church of Faulkner.

I wrote an honors thesis, not least because I wanted to test how well doing serious research agreed with me. I don't think I could have made an informed decision about applying to grad school without having done it.

Yes, exactly. That's the problem I have with "him/him" or "hir."

Well said, Jacib. "His" has always bothered me, because it is decidedly not gender neutral. It has often and long been used as a determiner for all people, but instead of signifying both masculine and feminine, it amounts to erasure of anything not masculine. "Their" used to bother me, as well, until I researched it and learned that it has been used (and considered proper usage) for a very long time. When it still bothered me, I often used "his/her" or "s/he." However, this is also not inclusive as it reinforces a problematic gender binary and erases other genders. "Hir" is frequently used, though I'm also not a big fan of it because it just seems to me to be a mushing together of "him" and "her." "Zir" is also sometimes used. Personally, I think I prefer "their" and use it commonly in conversation. For formal writing, however, I generally still stick to singulars and almost always use "her" and "she" as my pronouns. It applies more directly to myself and, I think, makes a certain point.

Yes, I suppose it would have been nice to know before applying. I for one didn't hear until a few weeks after I'd submitted my application.

Same. I've heard this from two sources other than GradCafe, one within Penn and one with serious connections.

Why you would be ambiguous at all? You've already been accepted. What could happen other than that they might "be more aggressive" about recruiting you, as Genomic Repairman says? For what it's worth, my advisor also told me to disclose my acceptances to the schools where I've been waitlisted because they might make me seem like a more desirable candidate. CONGRATS on your results!

Yes, I believe you're correct.

Yes, this. Unfortunately, a "true love of literature" does not an academic professional (or good student or teacher of literature) make. I have a true love of basketball, but it's not going to get me into the NBA. Having a true love of anything isn't enough. Deep appreciation for one's work goes a long way but in and of itself won't provide the skills necessary to pursue that work as a career. It may help you become an excellent amateur, but alone doesn't qualify one as a professional.

Wow, you're my new favorite.

There are a couple of Stanford acceptances up on the results search! Congratulations! That is AMAZING. I was really hoping for Stanford--it's my top choice--but I wasn't expecting much. It's a huuuuuge reach. I suppose things are not looking so hot for me now, but really, WELL DONE to those of you accepted!

Oh, hiiiii! I didn't recognize you (teehee). Thanks very much! I really hope I get in, too...I didn't really realize just HOW much I wanted to be there until I got so incredibly bummed when I didn't get an acceptance call. But this is a nice consolation! I'm not holding out too much hope for the wait list on this one, but it's something!! There is hope yet. By the way, that is SO awesome about your Princeton acceptance, and at Rutgers! I know you wanted that one. You are just knocking them out of the park this season! CONGRATULATIONS to those accepted! Amazing. And thanks to the rest of you for the kind words. They are very much appreciated

First of all CONGRATULATIONS on Berkeley! That is freaking amazing. You're a rock star. Berkeley English has a reputation for doing this. It's normal, and from what I hear (and I think Strokeofmidnight also said) fellowship and non-fellowship students aren't really treated differently by professors. It's still a bummer, though. The Bay area is expensiiiivvvve...