Dr. Old Bill

I'd put the odds at about 95% that it's a rejection, sorry to say. I know for a fact that acceptances and waitlists have gone out, which typically means one thing... Sorry. If it's any consolation (it's not), I'm in the same almost-certainly-rejected-at-UMD boat, with the slight awkwardness of it being my current institution...

Hypervodka did indeed go 8 for 8! I believe she ended up choosing Emory, but all of her schools were top schools. It really was a question of fit for her too -- she had very unique research interests, but ones that meshed well with a lot of top scholars and programs. Honestly, if you have some time to waste, it might be worth it to go back looking through some of her posts from a couple of years ago. There were some other fantastic people in that cohort who did very well as well (at least two of whom still visit and/or post here from time to time), but I remember there being quite a cheering squad for Hypervodka once she was at 4/4 or so...then 5/5...6/6...etc. We'll see if you wind up being this year's Hypervodka! As for your chili pepper...wear it with pride! I think I mentioned here last week that I got one on a student review. I was very flattered, as I'm not typically what someone would consider "hot"...but then I realized that I would be literally twice that student's age, so the flattery turned quickly to slightly uncomfortable bemusement...

I was thinking the same thing! Channeling @hypervodka it seems! In a situation like that, it's almost a shame that you have to pick just one...though at least it means that you'll make a lot of waitlisted folks very happy!

Congratulations to you both!!

This is some fantastic advice. The one thing I will add (speaking a bit more to the original post) is that it's more important in grad school to focus on what you do know than on what you don't. If you keep in mind that it's virtually impossible to know everything pertinent to any given subject, you can then focus on both the general knowledge of a subject, and specific nuances that appeal to you. It's really about the blend of general understanding and specialization. For instance, I'm very much an early modernist and more of a Shakespearean than anything else. My writing sample when I got into UMD was based on the Sonnets, and my writing sample for Ph.D. programs was also on the Sonnets (albeit a completely different sample and approach). One of my courses this semester started with a class on the Sonnets, and given the amount of time I've spent researching them over the past three or so years, you might think I'd know almost everything there is to know. That is most assuredly not the case, and in the course of the readings and discussion in class, I learned a great deal more than I contributed. This is because I have a thorough general knowledge of the Sonnets, and also have extensive knowledge about their textual scholarship...but there are myriad perspectives and lines of research that I had never encountered before, and surely some that I never will in the years to come. The bottom line is this: never be ashamed of what you don't know -- only be ashamed of what you don't learn when that knowledge is presented to you. (There's even some wiggle room in that notion, but it's a good soundbyte to end a post on, soooo...)

Yep! That's my take exactly so far. For my rejections and implied rejections, I took a final close look at the programs (and my SOPs) and realized that they weren't great fits...one of them was possibly a good fit, and another had one POI I'd love to work with, but none of them were institutionally strong in the subfield of my proposed interest. The place I got in, however, very much is... This is also why I have a bit of optimism over some of the decisions that are still to come. Four of what I consider to be my closest fit schools have yet to notify. Someone asked me the other day what I meant by "fit," and I kind of mumbled and stuttered my way through a long, vague, and amorphous non-answer. It's certainly hard to define, even though you know it when you feel it...

Way to go, Sunsy!

No, actually. This has nothing to do with the OP's question, but as a metric, I think major GPA is a strong indicator of one's academic potential. It's possible that I'm biased, given my own strength in that area, but on the most basic level, major GPA is based on how well you've fared over several semesters of studying what you'll need to be familiar with in grad school. There's a bit of arbitrariness involved, given that some professors (and some programs) will be more strict or more lenient about grading than others, but it usually shakes out -- since there are usually at least half a dozen separate numbers involved, there's simply more data to give an adcom a sense of the student's potential. Contrast that with the GRE, which is a 3.5 hour test -- one hour of which is focused on an abstract knowledge of vocabulary, one hour is focused on generating as many big words as possible to trick the computer into giving you a good AW score (and yes, the writing portion is analyzed by a computer as well...), while another hour and a half is focused on that necessary graduate English skill of twelfth grade mathematics. In completely practical terms, a graduate student with a sub 3.0 GPA (major or no) is likely not a student who can excel in the academic environment, even if he/she is capable of doing some things well. It might reflect intellectual laziness, but even if not, it reflects an inability to perform the necessary academic functions on a high level. This is partially my opinion, of course, but I hold it because despite the frustrations we all have over the vagueness of the process, I appreciate the major GPA as a part of the determining factor as it demonstrates sustained ability in one's field. Exceptions can be explained away (poor performance in a semester due to a death in the family etc.), but in general, I certainly wouldn't applaud an adcom's decision to admit someone with a sub-3.0 GPA in almost any situation.

No info for me yet. But the real reason I'm posting is to say this again: don't reach out to a program just to check on your application status. Seriously. Just don't do it. They won't forget about you, and it's rare for any program to let you hang in uncertainty for too long (unless it's Penn State from two and three years ago), and if they DO it's usually an implied rejection. The last thing DGS's and other admissions folks want right now are more emails from panicky applicants. This isn't a knock on you personally, @therealyoko -- more of a PSA / gentle reminder to all.

If I lived in Bellingham, every waking second would be spent in Henderson Books! One of my favorite places on earth, and that's not hyperbole...

"Do the above with a cat and pretend it's reciprocal" can become a pretty interesting answer in this context... Drink -> Do the above with a cat and pretend it's reciprocal Go dancing, as there is a good chance you have not done a lot of that, being a nerd and all -> Do the above with a cat and pretend it's reciprocal Start imagining worst case scenarios -> Do the above with a cat and pretend it's reciprocal

To hell with my acceptance... THIS may be the best thing that has happened to my words this year!!

Wow! Major congratulations to you on all three of these!

Waitlisted at U. of Alabama's Strode program. I'm really intrigued by the program, and would love a visit...so fingers crossed for some movement!

I highly doubt it. They're a small program to begin with, and having multiple GCers receive offers is a pretty good sign that that's that for that. Didn't you already get a couple of acceptances last week? Why so impatient?

Great! Even though I almost certainly won't be remaining at UMD, I can't say enough great things about the program...and indeed, DH is one of the major strengths of the program, thanks to the presence of MITH, and Matt Kirschenbaum and Neal Fraistat in particular. As mentioned, M.A. funding isn't guaranteed...but GAship opportunities are abundant. I never really had to worry about funding at any point, and even managed to make an extra $5000 one semester as a teaching overload. It takes a bit more effort to get all your funding ducks in a row than in a funding-guaranteed M.A. program like Villanova etc., but I'm living proof that it's very possible.

This is an invaluable point. UMD has a ton of excellent funding options for M.A. students -- funding isn't guaranteed, and is mildly "competitive" in that you generally have to apply for GAships -- but in my sizeable cohort of 25 (way more people accepted M.A. offers than expected), only four of us, to my knowledge, applied for Ph.D. programs. I know a couple others who intended to but thought better of it for various reasons...but four out of 25 is surprisingly slim. I'd be remiss to not point out that all four of us have received at least one offer of admittance so far... *gives the UMD horn one last toot*

Yes. It's not as common, but it still happens regularly. In past years, it looks like a lot of the POI phone call acceptances take place on the weekend, which makes sense -- they're usually too busy with day-to-day stuff during the week. For what it's worth, the DGS at OSU just called me after 5:00 tonight (a Saturday) to talk about the program etc. In other words, weekends aren't really boundaries in this process...

Just booked my flight / hotel / rental car for OSU's day for admitted students. Things are getting real!

I received an email from ND yesterday titled "Update to your Application" and directing me to the portal. So I'm not sure what your not receiving anything means. I would assume a rejection, since you didn't receive an interview offer (I personally crossed them out two weeks ago), but I'm sorry that they haven't officially let you know anything yet. Way to go! Both fantastic programs!

Way to go! It's a small program, but full of rock stars. Sharon Achinstein in particular is a delight -- I attended a great talk of hers on Milton last spring. And Baltimore is a lovely city. Congrats!!

Sorry, JW. But remember that it's still early! And on the subject of M.A. programs, UMD is known for offering quite a few to people who didn't quite make the Ph.D. cut (including yours truly). With the TA / RA options on campus, the M.A. can essentially be fully funded with a significant stipend. Since you're an applicant with a B.A., this is a significant possibility for you... --- In other news, congrats to the person who got accepted to Bowling Green! It's amazing that they were able to keep operating in the wake of the massacre...

Yeah, I'm in my last semester at UMD right now. I never really ranked my list, to be honest. When I applied, I figured that I'd be happy at any of the thirteen programs I applied to. There are some that I prize more than others, of course (and perhaps I'll talk more about that after April 15th), but none are "well, I guess this is alright" situations. That being said, I applied to UMD more because of the comfort and convenience, combined with knowing most of the people in my field and their strengths etc. There are no great fits for what I'm hoping to continue studying, even though two professors at UMD got me going down that path in the first place (both are medievalists, however, which is rather telling). For many reasons I'm looking forward to getting a fresh start in a new location; that being said, had UMD been an acceptance, I would have been extremely grateful and would have considered it in the same way I would any other program. I recognize that this sounds like a slightly political answer, but it's true nonetheless. I wouldn't have applied to UMD if I wasn't completely keen on the program. Incidentally, UMD used to promote from within quite a bit until three or four years ago when they changed policies. It still happens from time to time (there was an M.A. student accepted to the Ph.D. program last year), but once upon a time it was apparently closer to being a "sure thing" than being in the same boat as applicants from all institutions.

So FYI -- to those waiting for UMD results, I suspect anyone who didn't get an interview is probably out of the running. An email just went out from the department chair to the whole department including the following blurb: Given that they'll probably wind up admitting 15 or so with an ideal yield of 7 or 8, 21 interviews is a lot. For my own part, I'm considering it an implied rejection.

This almost deserves its own topic: How to Talk to Non-academics about the Application Process. Neither of my parents went to college. My father put together a solid blue collar career, and was reasonably successful, but trying to explain anything remotely academic to him is like talking to a toddler. When I was telling him about my OSU acceptance, he was happy and proud, of course, but the follow-up dialogue went something like this: Him: So...you still have to finish your master's, right? Me: Yes... Him: So, what would happen if you failed your last semester? Me: Um, that would never happen Him: Okay, but what would happen? Would they still let you in? Me: Dad, I don't think you understand...that just wouldn't happen Him: But say you got like a C- in your last courses...would they take away the offer? Me: Probably, but you have to understand that when you've worked this hard for this long, that just doesn't happen Him: But what if you just decided you wanted to party for your last semester and didn't work hard...what then? Me: ##$&@ @#*@*( #*#(!!