Dr. Old Bill

I'm still waitlisted at UA, and with my other options on the table (and a dwindling chance of visiting the campus), I'm doubting that I'll be able to seriously consider them at this point...but still, I'd be very interested in hearing your impressions! Feel free to PM me if you'd like. (Sorry, no vent from me!)

^ Post of the week, right there. Well put, @Bumblebea.

Exactly. I still feel like ranting at length about the rankings, but just to further your point... If most of the students and faculty surveyed about other institutions are in the realm of literature, there's almost no chance that they'll have any clue about the strength of comp-lit in other programs. There's also very little chance that they'll know about the strength of rhet-comp in other programs (otherwise University of Kentucky-Louisville, for instance, would be a lot higher). How about queer studies? Does the average grad student or faculty member have an immediate sense of, say, twenty great programs for that subfield? Not likely.Does the average grad student or faculty member have an immediate sense of strong programs in other eras, let alone other subfields? Doubtful. And when you factor in that only 14% of people surveyed actually responded at all, the picture is so much less accurate as to be useless. Literally useless. It's appalling that these numbers are going to be used by thousands of highly intelligent people -- either to determine the "best" programs (on the applicant end), or to determine the "best" job candidates (on the hiring end).

That's annoying! For what it's worth, that hasn't been my experience at UMD at all. Some of the Ph.D. students are tired and stressed, to be sure, but virtually all seem amiable and happy otherwise. Stress and tiredness comes with almost every job (and I can say that with a lot of confidence -- I had a lot of different jobs throughout my teens and twenties), and it makes a lot of sense to simply think of the Ph.D. pursuit as a job. Because it is, really, in all the ways that matter. The wheat and the chaff get separated pretty early in these programs. Often there's a mandatory graduate research course and/or literary theory course that needs to be taken in the first or second semester, and they're usually quite demanding...sometimes called "weed-out" courses. And weed out they do! But once you get through a semester or two, you can almost always get through the rest. In other words, don't listen to people like the one you mention.

Anyone else annoyed / repulsed by the pictorial clickbait ads that now pop up on the results page? No, I do not need to see one "odd" trick to cure erectile dysfunction, nor would I be "shocked" by Barron Trump's IQ... Maybe they've been there all along, and they've just recently found a way to circumvent my ad-blocker, but I'm seriously looking at the results page far less because of them.

That sounds like an "implied waitlist" -- not sure I've seen those words used together yet this cycle, but there's a first time for everything!

Huzzah! Will you be coming to the open house in a couple of weeks? The 18th century is like a black hole to me, but I'm intrigued by your research interests -- if I accept my offer at OSU, I look forward to hearing more about the overlap between 18th century lit and neuroscience!

That's not quite what @Bumblebea is saying. It may be a case of "Ivy or bust" for prestigious SLACs and R1s (and it certainly looks that way), but unless you absolutely don't want to be in academia if you can't proceed on a laurel-strewn path, there's a wide range of institutions that aren't Ivies, R1s, or SLACs...and they all need professors too. It's hard to deny that an Ivy is going to help your chances almost no matter what, just as it's hard (nay, impossible) to deny that TT positions are dwindling across the board...but if you're open to institutions outside of the R1 / pSLAC parameters, you may still be competitive if you get a degree from somewhere in the back half of the spurious, so-called top-50. For my own part, I enjoy teaching as much as I enjoy research, so if I wind up somewhere with a 3/3 or 4/4 load, it's probably not going to bother me overly much.

Yes, I think this is big. Honestly, this is one of the reasons why I'm giving some very serious thought to one of the programs I'm waitlisted at (even though I was accepted to one of my top choices). One of their Ph.D. candidates in my field has a whopping five peer-reviewed articles published, and has a whopping two books in the pipeline (not monographs, but still) with publication dates in 2019 and 2020. That suggests a great deal of professionalization and significant academic support from the department. Indeed, I don't know if I've heard of a grad student being that far ahead. Now, this may just indicate that that one student has everything going for her, and has simply powered her way through the program on the basis of her innate brilliance etc...but I don't know if that would even be possible without close engagement with mentors etc. A large part of me wants to accept the top-choice program that accepted me outright, but the above situation (and what it implies) is the bulk of what compels me to attend the program's visit day and hope for waitlist movement.

Amen. In the interest of finding something positive in all of this, I wonder what we as grad students / potential grad students / current faculty would be able to come up with as legitimate criteria for better rankings. I know that it would take too much time and effort to actually undertake a ranking process, but what sort of components would such a process require? I'm thinking that some of the following might be more helpful than vetting students and faculty about their opinions on other programs... -Placement rates, with additional weight given to tenure track placements -Publications of professors (era/specialization-based), additional weight given to monographs etc. -Faculty and student teaching load -Stipend relative to area cost of living -Average time to degree completion -Number of student groups / area interest groups (sounds minor, but demonstrates the extracurricular engagement of students etc.) These are just a few basic criteria that come to mind, but surely there are many other legitimate (and largely quantifiable) items that could lead to more legitimate rankings...

After my last post, I've been thinking more and more about this, and it makes me a little cranky, to be honest. This methodology is ridiculous. How could respondents truly know the strength of other programs? Most simply cannot, meaning that their answers are based purely on specious speculation and casual hearsay. Is that really what you want to base your rating system on? Sheesh.

All three of my potential programs fell. In other words, these rankings are awful!! I kid, of course. But while the methodology looks transparent on the surface, it's rather useless without knowing what questions were asked of those surveyed. As with the last rankings, these still feel rather arbitrary. That being said, extra kudos to those of you who got in to University of Chicago. Welcome to number one...(?)

I had the Prunester ready, just in case...

Ack! I think you might have the wrong OSU. When I created the thread I didn't realize that Oklahoma State University uses the same acronym as Ohio State.

Not sure! Last I heard she was still waiting on GWU, though they sent out some acceptances, so it's hard to say... Congrats, Courtney! That's huge news!

[insert pithy age comment here]

I'm not quite in the same position, so take my words with a grain of salt, but... I really think you have to make your own decision here, and not worry too much about other perspectives. You should consider all perspectives, of course, but this is almost literally the one time that you will be able to make a major decision about the future shape of your academic life. Once you finally commit to a program, you'll be back in the grind for the next several years, fulfilling requirements and going through the motions of getting your degree. Those motions are usually somewhat enjoyable, of course, but they're also burdensome. I've heard some recent stories from other GCers who have received some rather bad (in my personal opinion) advice from their advisors, pulling them one way or another for unknown reasons. I'm almost positive that that advice is never intended in a negative way, but in this particular instance, you have to put yourself first -- make your own criteria of things that matter to you, and run with it. It is you, after all, who has to go through the program for 4-6 years, not your professors, mentors, or advisors. It's natural and often necessary to want to please people...especially those whose opinions you respect. But the best way to please them in the long run is to decide on the program that works best for you, and excel to the best of your ability. You're not doing anyone a favor by committing to a program that doesn't sit as well with you, and being less than happy for the duration. Just my two cents, but I've certainly come across this sentiment among a few people recently, and I feel quite strongly that you have to largely put aside other opinions at this point. Go with that rare blend of heart, mind, and gut -- one can steer you wrong, but rarely all three!

It's almost impossible to say, really. Those who have been accepted to several programs might find it more prudent to cut their list to two or three top choices early...which will open up some spots rather quickly. I know that this is the case for at least three GCers I've been in contact with via PM. For those who have only two or three programs to choose from, a lot might be dictated by visit days...many of which have already happened, and many are happening soon. I suspect that some significant movement will start in a week or so, and will indeed continue right up to April 15th. From an applicant standpoint, it's rather unfortunate that the waitlist deadline and the acceptance deadline are the same. It's just not tenable for me to visit one of the programs I'm waitlisted at without being granted the funding to do so (I mean, I could, but don't want to fork out $500 or so for a place that A.) I might not get into, and B.) I might not actually choose anyhow if I do). The other's only a 300-mile drive, and a $60 hotel bill away, so it's a little more worthwhile. Ultimately, there are just so many factors involved that it's impossible to predict. I'm glad I have an acceptance to one of the programs that was in my original "top 5," because it makes the waiting for waitlist movement a lot easier. Otherwise, it really is just a case of waiting and hoping for others to be able to make quick decisions on their programs. That being said, you have to respect that those with multiple admittances have every right to vet their program selections until the last minute, so it's certainly frustrating...but more a byproduct of the system than the fault of any applicants!

Thanks for this! I'm in constant awe of how inexpensive housing is in the area.* I plan on driving around a bit when I get into town on the 26th, and will definitely make a point of checking out Hilliard. As I mentioned above, I like a bit of a commute, so it's nice to know that the cost of living is cheaper a few miles out of town... *ETA: I'm coming from the greater D.C. area, after all, where you can't find a one-bedroom in the outskirts for less than $800/m, and even that is a rarity...

Be sure to go back to the original post and give @lyonessrampant some upvote love as well -- she's been a helpful presence on this board for several years, and undeniably deserves it!

Technically it sounds like they want a decision on the TA-ship, which is a slightly different kettle of fish that isn't governed by the April 15th agreement. Still unfortunate, and ever-so-slightly insidious from a student perspective, but unlike @FeetInTheSky's situation, I think they'll be able to justify this one... As to the OP, it might not hurt to contact your top choice institution and let them know. If they know that you're being pressured, they may be more frank about your waitlist chances.

I would venture to guess that there aren't 10700 English Ph.D. applicants to all programs combined, let alone just Yale...

As a fellow Vancouverite, I can only imagine that the most difficult adjustment will be finding yourself surrounded by people that actually like, if not love the Maple Leafs. I'm not sure that's a world I'd be ready to live in, personally.

Thanks for this notification! Yale was the last one I hadn't heard from, so I'm now greatly relieved to be able to focus on the birds I have in hand as opposed to all of the ones that are in the bush...or, pecked my hand and flew away, rather.