caputmundi

This SUCKS. Sorry I can't be more helpful. This just really, really sucks. They can't really fault you for this... it is completely out of your control.

Congrats to everyone! Happy to hear the acceptances are starting to arrive. Has anyone heard ANYTHING from UMich or Yale???? Any info would be much appreciated!

Hey, kemet. Sorry to press for info, but do you know if those mid-Feb decisions for Yale are interview invitations? Or do they make offers solely based on apps?

Hi Cynthia. This is second-hand information, but from a source I trust. Perhaps they are still deliberating about a second wave of notifications? Not sure what to make of your phone contact.

Okay, to clarify... Penn has made offers, both waitlists (based on the info above) and acceptances. HOWEVER, they have separate Classics and Ancient History and Archaeology (AAMW) programs. My info only comes from Classics, can't speak to the rest. Princeton and Chicago have extended interview invitations. Don't know about any of the other schools mentioned! Though I'm also interested in knowing... Can anyone help?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Penn has already made offers. Congrats on your acceptances!

Okay, who's the Berkeley admit? Show yourself! and a BIG congratulations!

The waiting is killing me. I was REALLY hoping to hear something this week, but so far... nothing. Trying not to read too much into things, but I know a lot of programs I applied to typically notify early so it's hard not to. Ughhh just had to vent.

Honestly, I think they'd appreciate your honesty. They are trying to recruit/extend offers to people who are likely to attend. You are articulate and tactful enough to send a polite email to decline. You're in an enviable spot! Congrats.

Now I will be tempted to supplement all of my rejection postings with "THEIR LOSS!!!!", just to make things interesting...

Figure out which schools notify earliest in your field. Apply only to those.

Oh... I am bummed to hear that. Wisconsin is a competitive program, I'm sure good news will come your way soon. Glad to see you are still using happy emoticons in this situation... You are a better man/woman than me.

Maybe I do have a strange definition of bragging. I admit that my comments about the baby example were not so articulate (it was 1:30 am after a few beers, a little slack would be nice). The point that I was trying to make is that a parent's updates about baby's first steps would never strike me as conceit, merely excitement. Similarly, while a status update regarding one's success in graduate admissions might purely reflect that individual's excitement over justifiably exciting news, it seems like it also opens the door for other interpretations... including bragging. Then again, I do not at all want a baby at this point in my life, but I do desperately want to get into graduate school. So perhaps my distinction in this regard reflects my own priorities (and what might arouse a pang of jealousy in me!) more than anything else. RE: I'm only FB friends with friends and family that I'm close with - it's a great way for me to let people know. I already acknowledged the merit of this tactic in my above post. Facebook is less of a close-knit network for me, personally. If you are close with your entire facebook community of friends, sharing this news via facebook "makes complete sense" (I am quoting myself here). Regarding sharing news on GradCafe, I think this is an entirely different matter. I'm more of a private person, so I probably won't divulge specifics (unless people ask privately), but I love hearing people's success stories here! That's because this site is DEVOTED to this topic, so it is of course entirely appropriate for such results to be posted. So, go modernity! I hope you get in everywhere and I will be excited to hear when you do! Coya, I was honestly thrilled to learn of your Emory interview! And waylance, I hope your success posts are every bit as entertaining as your pseudo-status updates! I'll try to reiterate my biggest point here: All of what I have written regards only ME, and my fears of being misconstrued as a conceited a-hole by my online "friends".

Eeeek. Based on people's reactions I seem to have offended some of you with my response. I'm sorry if that was the case as that was not my intention at all. I was just posting my own personal reaction to the original question posed. That's why I ended my response with "to each his/her own". The first amendment is awesome! Do as you please. A few other thoughts: I referred to it as "bragging" seeing as other posters before had openly referred to it as such. Maybe it isn't bragging. Whether it's fair or not, it certainly can be perceived as such. That's enough for me to abstain. It seems some of you only facebook friends with people with whom you are very close, and it has been suggested that this might be the most effective way too let these people in on this life changing news. That makes complete sense! I'm facebook friends with 900+ people (And no, for the record, I am not one of those creeps who fb friends every random individual I meet/have seen once in my life). I am actually close with maybe 50 of these facebook friends. So for me, personally, posting on facebook as a means to let these people know doesn't exactly make the most sense... The people I am close with will appreciate hearing directly from me. People will ask. Once I know where I am attending (or not), I will tell. Be that via the internet, a phone call, or a real live conversation. Sometimes I facebook stalk and it's incredible fodder when people post things like this, so go right ahead! Maybe it's unfair of me to have an opinion. I know damn well my mother will do all the facebook brag- er, announcing for me. And lastly, let's be friends? I mean, not necessarily facebook friends (looks like I have too many of those already)... but don't hate me for being the voice of dissent!

Hmm... I guess I just think bragging is ALWAYS obnoxious no matter how innocuously phrased. And it seems different than excitement over baby's first steps or whatever... because those kinds of statements aren't really boasting... all babies "get borned" (name that movie)/drool/walk eventually. So, while I certainly understand that this is extremely important, exciting news and I sympathize with the impulse to shout it from the rooftops, I'm not into proclaiming one's successes (or failures for that matter) via facebook. To each his/her own.

That's great! As far as back-up plans go, yours is tops. Here's to continued success.

Slightly off-topic... but an acceptance is an acceptance, so congrats to LateAntique on Teach for America! Do you know where they placed you/what grade level? It must be nice to have gotten some good news in the midst of all this waiting!

I find it fitting and hilarious that this post was edited.

Hi guys! I feel behind the ball. I still have two (mid-Jan. deadlines) left to submit. I thought staggering would be wise but I'm starting to regret it. I feel myself getting sloppier with these later applications! I'm just ready for it to be OVER. LateAntique--That's fabulous news about Duke! As you know, I applied there too. Did someone from the program let you know they would have your decision by then? Not to jinx you, but hearing early is probably very good news. It seems admits and rejects go out early, with all of the other in betweeners not getting word until later in the season.

Go ahead... tell me I'm an idiot. Misspelled a prof's NAME on my SoP. Realized I had forgotten to double check the spelling while I was in the shower a few minutes later. Added an extra letter where it didn't belong. Ew. This prof is not in the department to which I am applying... I was mentioning some interdisciplinary work I would like to pursue. Still, I'm screwed... right? I wish I had never realized what a dumbie I am. Then this would be cataloged in my brain as just another rejection instead of "rejection due to typo: no hope as soon as I clicked submit".

Easy for your Harvard friend to say...

My sense is that graduate study in England is much more independent, research based. Less formalized classroom setting and more writing, writing, writing. I assume this means one applies with a very well thought out research agenda. It also means one has command over languages so that he/she is able to focus on research rather than nuts and bolts of improving Latin & Greek (I only assume). Something to keep in mind between now and the time you apply. I think this is a really great route, though. It seems like something American Phd programs would really dig. Good luck!

Yeah, Joe, I applied with the same strategy in mind. So I guess I can rationalize this way... I would rather not go at all and have to figure out another option than go to a program that will either provide a second rate education (probably less of a problem actually) OR make landing a university job even more of an uphill battle. So, if I am so destined, bring on the rejection letters! At least I will know I tried.

Hey guys. Thanks, everyone, for chiming in. A few things: 1. It makes complete sense about public schools having a harder time than private schools. And yes, we all know about the difficulties in CA. What worries me is that my friend, whom I mentioned above, is at a private school. Hence (in part) my paranoia. 2. You all have the right attitude of "done what I can do, no sense freaking out now." I wish I was more level-headed about this whole process, but I guess it's just not in my nature. Plus, I cringe over the amount of money I'm spending if it is all for naught. 3. I certainly, in no way, feel entitled to be admitted to graduate school. If I did, I wouldn't be so nervous. I'm just feeling "uncomfortable" right now because this is really what I want to do! I will have an extremely hard time saying, "oh well... time for plan B." And I really don't want to have to do that; this is the career I want. Hence my uncomfortableness.