ArthChauc

Hello, group. I've been waitlisted at my DREAM school (New Mexico) and would so appreciate if people who have been accepted and don't plan on attending could let the department know. I'm so surprised and excited and now am a bundle of nerves. I'm waiting on five more after this, but this is certainly my first choice. Ahhhh! 
 
Also, if you have been accepted, can you let me know your speciality? Apparently there's only two people on the waitlist for what I study and I'm one of them!
 
/endrant. 
 
I now need ice cream. 

I chose not to. However, my MA background has certainly helped me a lot in adjusting to the PhD program!

In seven or eight months, you'll be at a program you love, and it will all be worth it.

Hang in there!  It's the weekend--very easy to think they'll spread it over a few days. *hugs and crosses fingers*

Despite getting three (!!!) rejections this week, the school that accepted me called me out of the blue today to ask when I wanted to come and visit and then mentioned, by name, professors who wanted to meet me. Despite feeling nervous about the last six schools I have to hear from, that totally made my day. 

Despite getting three (!!!) rejections this week, the school that accepted me called me out of the blue today to ask when I wanted to come and visit and then mentioned, by name, professors who wanted to meet me. Despite feeling nervous about the last six schools I have to hear from, that totally made my day. 

Despite getting three (!!!) rejections this week, the school that accepted me called me out of the blue today to ask when I wanted to come and visit and then mentioned, by name, professors who wanted to meet me. Despite feeling nervous about the last six schools I have to hear from, that totally made my day. 

Despite getting three (!!!) rejections this week, the school that accepted me called me out of the blue today to ask when I wanted to come and visit and then mentioned, by name, professors who wanted to meet me. Despite feeling nervous about the last six schools I have to hear from, that totally made my day. 

Despite getting three (!!!) rejections this week, the school that accepted me called me out of the blue today to ask when I wanted to come and visit and then mentioned, by name, professors who wanted to meet me. Despite feeling nervous about the last six schools I have to hear from, that totally made my day. 

Despite getting three (!!!) rejections this week, the school that accepted me called me out of the blue today to ask when I wanted to come and visit and then mentioned, by name, professors who wanted to meet me. Despite feeling nervous about the last six schools I have to hear from, that totally made my day. 

All these rejections on the board...

I just want to say - "His name is Robert Paulson" 

You guys! I've been accepted by the University of Eat All The Food In My House! 
 
It's unfunded, but they have calorie reimbursement. 

Mumford, Mountain Goats, Bon Iver, Shouting Matches, Kanye, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Tegan and Sara, Haim, Trampled by Turtles, Walk the Moon, Youth Lagoon, Meatloaf, Elvis, anything '50s and '60s.

I'm reading this thread and seeing your stories and concerns, and they transport me back six years ago, when I first applied to graduate school. I applied to graduate school right out of my undergrad. All the PhD programs rejected me. This was after I had received such encouragement from my professors, a high major GPA, and several awards for both my academics and extracurricular activities. I was kinda a big deal in college and had told everyone about my pursuits. The rejection letters completely rocked my sense of self. I taped them to my bedroom door as punishment, because I wanted to feel them mocking me, putting me in my place everyday. Friends and coworkers were asking all the time about my plans, and each time I had to answer, I felt my inside shrivel up a bit. 
 
I was not in a good place. 
 
I don't know if I would have felt better if I could have seen in the future, but if I could have, I would have known that I had an awesome life ahead of me, regardless of those rejection letters. I ended up doing an MA program, where I met the best of people, produced some fun work, and presented at fancy conferences. I ran into an old friend during my first year of my MA program, and now we are married and have one adorable dog. In the past five years, we've traveled around the country and the world. I taught for three years at a community college, three years of the best years of my life, where I met the most tenacious, witty, and creative students. I am now in a great PhD program in a different field, one I didn't even know existed when I first applied out of my undergrad.
 
It's impossible to know what next year holds for us. But I am hoping that my story demonstrates how little those rejection letters reflect who we are. For me, my letters did not signify that I was worthless or a loser, which is 100% what I felt six years ago; rather, the letters signified that I wasn't ready for grad school and I wasn't applying to the right field. So trust me when I say this: your rejection letters do not define you. 

You guys! I've been accepted by the University of Eat All The Food In My House! 
 
It's unfunded, but they have calorie reimbursement. 

You guys! I've been accepted by the University of Eat All The Food In My House! 
 
It's unfunded, but they have calorie reimbursement. 

"I had sat down at a bar to read when Indiana called." 
 
I cannot think of a more beautiful way to have been accepted anywhere. Have a beer, pretend I bought it for you*. 
 
*Note: I only buy people craft beers. Extra points if it's an IPA. 

You guys! I've been accepted by the University of Eat All The Food In My House! 
 
It's unfunded, but they have calorie reimbursement. 

You guys! I've been accepted by the University of Eat All The Food In My House! 
 
It's unfunded, but they have calorie reimbursement. 

You guys! I've been accepted by the University of Eat All The Food In My House! 
 
It's unfunded, but they have calorie reimbursement. 

You guys! I've been accepted by the University of Eat All The Food In My House! 
 
It's unfunded, but they have calorie reimbursement. 

You guys! I've been accepted by the University of Eat All The Food In My House! 
 
It's unfunded, but they have calorie reimbursement. 

You guys! I've been accepted by the University of Eat All The Food In My House! 
 
It's unfunded, but they have calorie reimbursement. 

Pointless but exciting (to me) post: 
 
I just won two tickets to the red carpet premiere of Divergent. Feeling pretty awesome right now. 

When I applied to MA programs, I was rejected once in May. I don't remember what the letter actually said, but in my memory it was something like this. 
 
"we don't want u lol sry it took so long to tell u"