WendyWonderland

Not an acceptance but I was wait listed at UMD today. I was surprised they notified this early! 

Hiya!
Congrats to all you
Composition and Rhetoric and Languaging and Writing kinda person here.

I've been quiet lately. But I've got a few acceptances now.

I can claim:
a Louisville acceptance / a Nebraska acceptance / a Madison waitlist / a UMD waitlist.
 

Received acceptance from Michigan State couple of weeks ago. Another acceptance from UMass Amherst today. Funding info forthcoming for both. 

They do interviews for comp lit. They already invited some folks according to the results board. As both a former and current applicant I can tell you that Stanford is decent enough to send you an email around late January to tell you that "all interviews have been sent out" and that "all other short listed candidates have been contacted, thank you for your interest" blah blah. This year, however, I haven't got any emails yet. Good luck to you! Hope it helps!

I cannot. stop. watching this. 
With tears and laughter out of fear!

I finally got my first acceptance today form UCSB! Super thrilled it's my top choice! Good luck to us all!

I finally got my first acceptance today form UCSB! Super thrilled it's my top choice! Good luck to us all!

I finally got my first acceptance today form UCSB! Super thrilled it's my top choice! Good luck to us all!

Oh I am preparing myself for my Stanford rejection. I didn't get the interview email. The result board scares me everyday. Pain?

Also, after rereading your post, I want to say that you should also consider East Asian Studies maybe.
I don't know Japanese nor Korean, otherwise I would apply to EAS. I have the feeling that CL is sometimes more English based. Living in California is def. comfortable because of the GREAT weather, but also things are very expensive and you NEED a car. I visited New York this winter break, and I think I will mostly apply for NYC, simply because they have great subways. I used to live in Beijing for 5 years, so I love the subway. Another thing to put into consideration is to study the personality of the people from the place you want to apply. I have the feeling that I am more likely to have an east coast character. So my point is, while thinking about schools, it is also good to do research on the cities. As a Chinese international student, I know how hard financial burden could be, especially if you are not a native speaker, fellowships and jobs can be hard to get.

Hey! I feel u guys! I quit my job but has to work for another month! I want to go to the US and start my new life sooooooonnnn~~~~~ I won't it won't be easy but it would be so exciting! A new chapter of my life!

Thanks for your reply! Yes, money, urghhh, it's killing me. I worked for 2 years in Beijing, the salary just made me be able to be independent, and believe me , my salary is pretty high since I graduated from a very pretentious school with a literature MA. Housing in Beijing is as expensive as in the US but the salary is maybe 1/3 or 1/4. I wanted to do a funded phd but I did not succeed this year, so I am doing a second MA in English in order to get familiar with the US teaching system and to improve my language. My parents are paying for my tuition, BUT, I am almost 28, it is a shame if I can't be self dependent. So I would work myself for my living cost. My parents would help me through the first year, I am paying for my second and for the phd plan. About finding a job on campus, I am pretty sure that in Loyola it would be very easy. The school has so many work study programs plus my Chinese friend studies there, she said she could help me out at the beginning to get into the Chinese community. Plus it's a catholic school, which means ppl are more helpful....And it is true, the DGS asked for my resume and I am waiting for possible opportunities.
In NYC, well, I am pretty much on my own then. The city is so expensive, but the tuition of CCNY is cheaper than Loyola, so it makes no difference for the first year. For the second I would live one semester in Germany for exchange. I hope that I could find something like teaching or tutoring on campus or a paid internship. It is true that with a F visa u can only work on campus, 20 hours per week, 40 hours during summer vacation. Off compus jobs are only allowed if the work is related to your research. I am thinking of oral translation or Chinese tutoring. My BA is Chinese literature and I have lots of tutoring experience. Do u think it is possible?
To be honest, all of my friends and colleagues I know who have been study abroad have experiences in working in a restaurant. Washing dishes and waitressing. I won't do that during the semester, but maybe during summer vacation. I am still comparing my 2 offers because one of my concern is if the living gets too stressful, it may affect my academic study. At the end, my goal is a phd, earning money is just for survival.

Hallo, awesome community ppl!
The last week was quite a great plus torturing time for me.
I got officially accepted to a MA program in English at Loyola Marymount University in LA, and an unofficial acceptance from CCNY in NYC, English and American Studies.
 
I know for unfunded MA programs we are told to follow the money, but after doing the math it was quite the same since CCNY ‘s tuition is so much cheaper but the living cost in New York is EXTREMELY pricy.
 
So I checked the program, for CCNY, it offers an exchange semester in Europe, it is a Joint Degree.
Loyola’s courses seem really awesome, and the professors are really nice, the school is very helpful at helping students to find part time jobs on campus to survive. There is still a possibility that I could get a scholarship for the second year, and the weather is great of course.
 
My ultimate goal is a funded PHD program in a very good school, so my question is, do you guys know at which school I would get more chances?
I only applied to Ivy Leagues last fall, and they all rejected me, it was so depressing…anyway, I gathered myself together and I want to do a MA first to improve my English and academic skills and try again in 2 years.
It is a big commitment of time and money, so I would really prefer some help!
You guys here are so smart and much more familiar with the US education than me, can anybody help to give out some ideas or experiences?
Does it matter if you attend a public school or a private school?
 
I would appreciate the help a lot!
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Wendy

Applied to 2 MAs. And another one this weekend.
Then I would join maybe.
Anybody knows when I would possibly hear back?
 
I am trying to go out everyday recently and drink with friends...in order to overcome the rejection pain...

Applied to 2 MAs. And another one this weekend.
Then I would join maybe.
Anybody knows when I would possibly hear back?
 
I am trying to go out everyday recently and drink with friends...in order to overcome the rejection pain...

Rejected from Princeton while Skyping with my German friend. Well, I decided I would apply to Berlin instead. Not the end of the world, Germany has cute guys. I am surprised I take it so well..... Maybe because it had last too long.

Oh, I am sorry to hear that! Too bad that you re so far away! But don't give up hope, I am sure that you can figure something out, maybe moving into a cheaper apartment or get a part time job etc. I started tutoring again, because I need money to apply for MA. Phd was an tragedy for me this season. I was somehow surprised that a lot of schools require that international students have to evaluate their degrees by some certain American agency! This alone would cost me 300 US dollars! I have to save money if the MA also did not work out so I have to retake GRE and apply again..... I have a full time job, but application makes me so poor that I consider to move to a cheaper place. Can u try to explain it to your landlord that u would pay a little bit later? I wish you good luck! Everything would work out eventually somehow , just don't drop your dream:)

Looking for an automatic good mood boost during stressful rejection times? My tip: when you go to Starbucks, randomly pay for the drink of the car behind you.
 
Who doesn’t love a random act of kindness? It really will make you smile. 

I agree with this, which is why I want to be happy about where I got accepted (my last choice school, a 63 rank, in a smallish college town that I wasn't relishing but would take in a heartbeat).  And I would be, if only I could get funding.   
 
At this point, I no longer even expect to get into my five remaining schools.  Three are safely "in my league," but I think the fact that they are in very popular cities means the applicant pool is huge, and I have little chance of standing out among that many people.   I just want the funding at the last choice school.
 
But yes, I agree with the concept of being appreciative of where one gets accepted!

Congrats!!!

The music is damn loud, guys are pretty hot.
Sitting in a corner, graduate school is all what I can think about!

Ppl, anybody knows something about Yale com.lit?
Shared information would be very appreciated,buy u a drink if I can make it to the US~ ( please don't report me to the madhouse)

Happy valentines day~~~
Thanks!

The music is damn loud, guys are pretty hot.
Sitting in a corner, graduate school is all what I can think about!

Ppl, anybody knows something about Yale com.lit?
Shared information would be very appreciated,buy u a drink if I can make it to the US~ ( please don't report me to the madhouse)

Happy valentines day~~~
Thanks!

So u think we still have hope???
I also think I might be rejected from Stanford .....stressing out!

Haha, I saw ppl write poems about it and I loved it! Btw. I just saw Yale on the board! God if they made their decisions already just tell us!!!

I think I am gonna leave gradcafe for a while. I consistently browse the posts, can't focus on work and I think the waiting out is driving me crazy!
Two of my programs already indirectly rejeted me since ppl have posted offers on the board and I heard nothing....I start to ask professors what he thinks is a good fot for them in order to evaluate myself (this should be done before application not after!!!!!!)
I really hang on here all day long and keep check my mails 10 minutes a day....even in bed I check with my smart phone...In order to stay healthy and not to be fired from my boss I guess I have to break the pain and try to live a normal life. I am not sure if contacting schools at this point would change something, I believe not. So there is nothing left than waiting, and the weird cycle of hope and desperation plus self doubt.
Anybody in the same boat? You're not alone in the madhouse....
 
Good luck to everybody here, and I hope they would contact us soon. No bigger torture than the unknown.