iwontbelyeveit

With respect to the "Plan B" discussion, I'd like to throw in my own experience. I finished a funded MA in 2011 and had applied to six PhD programs for that fall. I was rejected by 5, waitlisted at 1, and at the 11th hour rejected, as no one turned down a spot. I was devastated. I spent a tearful week in bed snuggling with my cat and got a tattoo (thankfully, not one I regret). After I picked myself up, I took a couple of days to reexamine my life, my work, and what I wanted to do.
 
Through this reflection, I realized I needed to "get out of the cave" for a little while, so I joined Peace Corps. I ended up, quite serendipitously, being assigned to a region that I had done graduate work on. I learned a language, taught at a university there, developed some projects, and had lots of the best kinds of struggles. It was so good for me, and it was something I hadn't even imagined for myself before all of the rejections. I wouldn't have done it had I been accepted that year. That may have been an okay route for me, who knows, but I'm so deeply grateful for the experience I had through my "Plan B". 
 
Now I'm applying again. No acceptances yet, but with 14 more to go, I'm still hopeful. I still want the PhD so much, and I will do it, but the slight detour I took enriched my life, my research, and my CV so much. And I couldn't have planned it.
 
So—this is to say—rejections are awful. They feel like a pile of crap on your heart and your work. But I encourage you to try and embrace the possibility that other different and amazing doors can open up. Be actively aware of the places you can engage with and contribute to. There are no regrets in that. 

With respect to the "Plan B" discussion, I'd like to throw in my own experience. I finished a funded MA in 2011 and had applied to six PhD programs for that fall. I was rejected by 5, waitlisted at 1, and at the 11th hour rejected, as no one turned down a spot. I was devastated. I spent a tearful week in bed snuggling with my cat and got a tattoo (thankfully, not one I regret). After I picked myself up, I took a couple of days to reexamine my life, my work, and what I wanted to do.
 
Through this reflection, I realized I needed to "get out of the cave" for a little while, so I joined Peace Corps. I ended up, quite serendipitously, being assigned to a region that I had done graduate work on. I learned a language, taught at a university there, developed some projects, and had lots of the best kinds of struggles. It was so good for me, and it was something I hadn't even imagined for myself before all of the rejections. I wouldn't have done it had I been accepted that year. That may have been an okay route for me, who knows, but I'm so deeply grateful for the experience I had through my "Plan B". 
 
Now I'm applying again. No acceptances yet, but with 14 more to go, I'm still hopeful. I still want the PhD so much, and I will do it, but the slight detour I took enriched my life, my research, and my CV so much. And I couldn't have planned it.
 
So—this is to say—rejections are awful. They feel like a pile of crap on your heart and your work. But I encourage you to try and embrace the possibility that other different and amazing doors can open up. Be actively aware of the places you can engage with and contribute to. There are no regrets in that. 

Not that I think anybody should be despairing yet, but I want to drop a recommendation for the funded M.A. at Kansas State University.
 
Back when I was finishing my B.A., with a low-ish GPA & not much professionalization or idea about what I wanted to do other than "write," I missed lots of grad school deadlines by taking the GRE too late. I ended up applying to M.A. programs with late app deadlines: Creighton, K-State, and my first college (Univ. of St. Thomas in Minnesota). Got into K-State with funding & teaching opportunities on the "strength" of my creative writing sample (which, looking back, is pretty embarrassing).
 
K-State is a radical, feminist, queer, Marxist English Dept. in an otherwise pretty conservative place and institution. I loved my time there, was given so much opportunity, and I feel that they provide amazing preparation for folks hoping to go for the PhD afterwards. There are five tracks--Lit, Comp/Rhet, Children's Lit, Cultural Studies, & Creative Writing--and everybody works together across these disciplinary lines. While there's intellectual diversity there, it always felt to me like we were always working on different parts of the same general project.
 
One of my friends from the M.A. there is doing her PhD at Fordham now, and feels she was very well prepared by her time at K-State. I was able to attend a top-20 MFA program afterwards, did well, and now have at least one PhD acceptance under my belt.
 
Anyway, I can't praise K-State highly enough. I know the M.A. is not an ideal choice for many of us, but it gave me the time and support I needed to adjust to the habits and work of academia, and the teaching training & experience is invaluable in our tough job market.
 
They have rolling admission deadlines, and a few weeks ago the Chair told me they still have some funded spots available. Here's a link: http://www.k-state.edu/english/programs/graduatestudies/
If anybody has any questions about it, please feel free to message me!
 

And HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY, EVERYONE!
 
 

Me thinking back on my sop/ws etc.:
 

 
Me staring at my inbox:
 

Hugs!

Oh god. What have I conjured up... Guys, I just got the official Berkeley rejection.
 
Not even that sad though... Somehow I feel relieved. I still have 3 to go! (well, technically, 2 and a half...
 
Best of luck to you all!

I work long hours too, but the moment I come home.... well I'm reading tolstoy. but it's sleeping that's difficult, because I need to put everything I'm doing away........

Scotch.

And HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY, EVERYONE!
 
 

Good call! And so far I have.... nothing! 
 
However, and appropriately so, the not hearing back makes my daily life feel a little...Groundhog Day-esque.
 
HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY!
 
 

I'm about willing to bathe in fresh goat's blood and sacrifice a few chickens if it will bring me some good news soon...

When you realize next Monday is the official beginning of notification season:
 

When it dawns on you that, if you get an acceptance, it'll probably occur on Apr 14 after all the first choices decline and solidify their choices and schools turn to their waitlists:
 

Rona you should send an email to the Director of Graduate Studies at both places. Explain your situation and your relevant work experience (because in your field work experience counts for a lot), and ask them if a case like yours would be considered. They should be honest with you. If they say no, you can always take some community college courses relevant to the field and make sure to get As in them and then try again.

Hey everyone, hopping on this thread right now. Comp Lit applicant and haven't heard from a single school yet. The wait is unbearable.

Tell me about it, I'm in desperate need of a more calming and productive hobby

^ Upvote for Fox!
 
When people tell me "Oh you'll get in somewhere. You're so smart!":
 

 
When I get an unwarranted burst of confidence about my chances of acceptance but then reality returns:
 

 
When I look at my application status page and see "under review:"
 

lol I'm afraid I'll gain ten pounds.

Cookies and body pillows from target

First, congrats to all the early admits! That's so exciting!
 
To those of you freaking out about the amazing stats of those admitted: Not all of the acceptance stats so far have been amazing (no offense to the accepted) whether in English or other humanities or even social science fields. Some were amazing, but others were not amazing. If anything the results board shows that it's just as much about fit and potential so long as your numbers are in the ballpark.

Commiseration time from a fellow likely-reject of OSU (seriously tied as my top choice). It seems like I'm in a pretty similar situation (not great ug and first grad degree GPA, fantastic current grad GPA, just okay GREs, and over thirty). Don't give up hope just yet, though! This is my second app cycle in three years. I was fully shut out last time and have at least one acceptance at the moment, so there's definitely still time/hope. Good luck, and happy thoughts!

Hey, I realize that this is a tempting emotion to feel, and is the most natural reaction you could have to this situation, but, to be sure, English admissions are not easy to gauge nor are they easy to predict. There was someone on these forums last year who got into Duke and Uconn. I very much doubt that that person predicted that their situation would cash out in that way. Moreover, you have a very well-rounded list. So OSU didn't take you--this doesn't mean that UPenn, or WUSTL or A&M, will reject you in the future. This in no way reflects on your abilities as a scholar, or the achievements you have managed in grad school. You are, it seems obvious to me and I figure many people on this forum, a dedicated and smart candidate. 

Every day when I check my email: 
 

 
Followed by:

Every day when I check my email: 
 

 
Followed by: