Dr. Old Bill
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Days Won
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Posts posted by Dr. Old Bill
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2 hours ago, Hartley said:
So are we all under the same assumption that Yale is done, and has been for a while, but just hasn't sent out mass rejections?
That's my going assumption! Then again, that was also my going assumption about UNC for several days...and then I got waitlisted. So I'm considering Yale an implied rejection for anyone who hasn't yet heard, but I suppose you never know until you know.
For what it's worth, while I mentally cross "implied rejections" off my master brain list, I don't cross things off the physical list that sits pinned to the wall behind my computer until I get a definitive answer either way. I suppose that makes me a mental pessimist and a physical optimist? Hmm...- brontebitch and Yanaka
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9 minutes ago, ThePomoHipster said:
Ok so has anyone else been noticing that someone has been spamming the results page with questions and comments about the U of T English PhD program? I don't think they've figured out the forum option of this website and I therefore doubt they'll see this but it has to stop. I would tell them on the results page but I don't want to contribute to the spam by replying constantly. I'm not sure if this really qualifies as venting but it just keeps popping up when I check the results page and it's been increasingly getting on my nerves.
Yeah, it has been happening for this whole cycle for a whole host of programs. I've just been reporting them as spam every time I see them, and they're usually cleaned up pretty quickly. Still annoying though, I agree.
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5 minutes ago, positivitize said:
I just received word that I've been accepted at the University of Indiana Bloomington's PhD program! This was my reach school--every other program that I applied to was just a MA.
I am shell-shocked. I need to sit down. I AM SITTING DOWN. What is happening!
Oh wow! Congratulations!!! What fantastic news...and such a fantastic program to boot!
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2 minutes ago, jungThug said:
Any idea on when waitlists start moving? Have people out there in the real world already started snagging waitlist spots? Is it still too early? I have a feeling that waitlist offers will go out after programs are through with their prospie visit days, which will give them a better idea about who is accepting offers, etc. My own dgs said she got into her phd program on April 15, after being rejected/waitlisted everywhere. There might be hope yet.
While it probably varies by program, it's usually the case that waitlist movement depends primarily on the rejection of offers. Some folks on GC have already gotten in off of waitlists...one of whom was notified a few hours after another admitted student said he rejected an offer from the same program. In other words, after someone rejects an offer, the next person on the waitlist (depending how the waitlist is structured) is typically notified shortly thereafter.
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4 minutes ago, englishgrad2017 said:
I am now waitlisted at UNC and Rutgers. I had thought that Rutgers was my last hope this cycle, but it turns out UNC's acceptances are much, much later than I thought. I'm a little frustrated that I have only received waitlists this cycle, but they are both wonderful programs and strong fits for me. Hopefully one of them pans outs...
For what it's worth, I'm guessing (and be assured that it is JUST a guess) that UNC's waitlist is era / specialization-based. That's what I'm inferring from how the waitlist notification is worded...specifically the fact that it's an "unranked" waitlist. I might be wrong, but I can't think of how an unranked waitlist would work were it not governed by specific factors like era etc. Not sure this speculation is at all helpful, but...maybe it is? Good luck to you either way!
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So I just got waitlisted at UNC...
I really thought that I was "done" for this application cycle, but having two waitlist options in play might make things interesting... -
38 minutes ago, engphiledu said:
I'm not sure if someone already asked you this, but how is Nebraska asking you for a decision that early?
26 minutes ago, eatthatbee said:I don't think UN-L can ask for a decision prior to April 15 according to the CGS Resolution. You can find the document here: < http://cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/CGSResolution_Jan2017.pdf >
13 minutes ago, anxiousgrad said:So, I would guess that you could accept your UNL offer by their deadline and then withdraw your acceptance if you get into UMASS any time before April 15th.
All of this.
You'll want to be careful with how you word your email to UNL (and you should indeed contact them). Be very polite, of course, but you'll want to ascertain why they are requesting a decision prior to April 15th. You may want to mention that you feel that you need more time to make an informed decision, and that while you are extremely interested in UNL's program, there are other options that you would like to explore.
They should be understanding. This is a huge decision, of course. Bear in mind that they have their own agenda as well (I mean "agenda" in the most innocent sense of the word). They want to have the best idea of their numbers as possible as soon as they can, so creating their own deadline will help with that, even if it might not be "binding," per se. I'd be curious to read exactly how they worded their "decision by March 15th" request. I'm willing to bet that it's more of a formal request than a requirement.- anxiousphd and DogMan
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7 minutes ago, orphic_mel528 said:
(in bad German accent) Perhaps ve venture eine guess unt say that those persons feel angry unt disappointed in themselfs unt need a place to put zees feelings, yes, unt lacking the ability unt ze inclination, cannot vent zere emotions on the ad coms directly...hence, der subject transfers ze emotions onto ze only available figure: der rejektion letter. (chews cigar)
(in perfect Canadian accent) Oh yah. No doot aboot it. (eats a Timbit)
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And so it begins...
Seriously, good luck to everyone applying in the next cycle! It's great to start thinking about this stuff now.- lyonessrampant and Daenerys
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Anyone got the skinny on that UNC acceptance? Nothing like a Sunday post-midnight email to say "we want you," eh?
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2 minutes ago, Vorian Atreides said:
2. You were wait listed by the Strode program this year? As a PhD applicant? I didn't think that they were admitting any PhDs this year, but I could be wrong. I visited along with 2 other students who were accepted for the MA and I didn't hear anything about new PhDs, but there may be 1 or 2. With the awesome sense of community in the Strode program though and the 238973 current Strode students we hung out with, I am surprised it never came up.
I was / am indeed! I'm not sure how their waitlist process works there (I was told it is a "small waiting list"), but I've been in contact with the DGS, and we've mutually agreed to let each other know if there's movement either way. I'm inclined to accept an offer from OSU, but there's a lot that I like about the Strode program, so I'm going to hold off as long as I reasonably can in the hopes that a slot opens at U of A and I have the opportunity to visit before April 15th. It sounds as though a visit in my situation would be arranged individually. Hard to say if the timing would work out, but here's hoping. And it's great to hear yet another person attest to the strong sense of community in the program.
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18 minutes ago, biyutefulphlower said:
I was accepted to the University of Florida today!!! I got the call while on the way to the airport and had to pull over/let my fiancé drive. I may cry on the plane...
Also may have audibly squealed while talking with the DGS. (Super professional, I know.) Once I have more info, I'll be sure to share!
Ahhhh so happy!!!
Oh! I am SO SO happy for you!! I know how worried you were about being shutout, so getting an acceptance at this late stage is absolutely huge for you!
I received some very disappointing news earlier today, and was feeling rather miserable, but hearing this makes me feel a lot better. Many congratulations to you -- very much deserved!! -
This is a very petty vent, and not one intended to offend anyone here, but I'm always a little flummoxed when I see people on the results board express resentment or disappointment at a form rejection letter! I'm sure we'd all love to have deeply personalized, highly analytical accounts of the moment-by-moment transit of our application materials, but that's just not tenable when some of these programs are dealing with nearly 600 applications. I've personally been quite impressed by the wording of all of my form rejections so far -- they seem to acknowledge that rejection is not a reflection on the applicant so much as it is a necessary byproduct of a difficult process.
While rejection is always tough to take, I can't help but think it's more prudent to (if I may channel Ice-T) hate the game, not the player.- DogMan, brontebitch and Ramus
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2 hours ago, Bumblebea said:
I would recommend checking out the Short North/Victorian Village/Harrison West, if you have the time. And Clintonville is also a good place for grad students to live.
4 minutes ago, unræd said:Let me toss in a shoutout for the Brewery District/German Village! Great neighborhoods, had a lot of cool things stating to happen when I left Columbus a couple of years ago, and far enough from campus to give you a clear work/life split.
Thanks to you both! Do either of you have opinions on Dublin and other areas in the Northwest? That's the area I seem to be circling when looking at properties etc. Call me crazy, but I actually like a bit of a commute (a twenty-minute drive is ideal), and want to be near the city, but not exactly in the city, if you know what I mean.
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39 minutes ago, biyutefulphlower said:
For those of us on the wait-list, could you share your thoughts upon your return?
25 minutes ago, Avalanched said:I won't be able to go for logistical reasons, but I'd love to hear what you all think as well!
Will do!
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2 minutes ago, Bumblebea said:
s is correct--but I think what many people don't realize is that fit doesn't just pertain to your research but also to things outside of your control. These things might include where you went to undergrad, who's writing your letters of recommendations, and other non-academic "markers." This is the ugly side of academia, and the side that no one likes to admit because everyone wants to believe that this is a meritocratic endeavor. But it's not, sadly, and the same business continues to matter on the job market in ways that are often more prevalent and more insidious.
Yes!
I actually had another paragraph about "luck" that I decided to delete before I posted (since, as you say, it's out of the applicant's control...).
Going back to the original question of this thread, one thing I wish I had done was contact POIs. I'm not convinced that it helps a great deal, and it always has the potential to annoy, but if I'd had more time, I certainly would have touched base with more professors. One of my friends in the Ph.D. program here swears by it, and it worked out well for her -- she'd established a rapport with her eventual mentor long before she was actually admitted. If the questions you ask are well-formed and on point, you can potentially stick out in a POI's mind, and that might help you when an adcom is convening. There's a lot of "might" here, of course, but it's one of my minor regrets regardless.- TeaOverCoffee, jetleigh and claritus
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"Fit" is almost everything.
No matter how often I've read this on GC over the years, I never fully internalized it until around halfway through this cycle. There's still a part of me that thinks that GRE scores are prized more highly than we'd like to admit, but by that same token, there's little question in my mind that having your interests mesh well with a program (specifically POIs) is the biggest factor in application success.
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6 minutes ago, orphic_mel528 said:
This guy's a trilby, spray tan, and a My Little Pony doll from full cringefest. Yikes.
VM's not a guy.
I think that if the mods are reluctant to actually close this thread, we should at least use it for topic-appropriate gifs and other images.
Incidentally, typing "absurd Ponzi scheme" into Google images brings up the following gem. I don't know why, and I don't want to know why...but it feels oddly appropriate here...
- lyonessrampant, Sunsy, jackdacjson and 1 other
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2 hours ago, Captain Cabinets said:
Holy shit, I just got into Oxford!
Rejections from both Columbia and NYU, so yay this! Going to be biting my fingernails until I hear about funding (nominated by the English department for scholarship funding, but I'll have to wait for the Humanities division to make their final calls).
Congratulations!
May the funding be enough for you to not only afford to live there, but to be able to purchase a top hat, monocle, and ornate pipe! -
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12 minutes ago, natalielouise said:
What do you guys think? Should I take the MA and apply for PhD programs once I finish? I think I would be crazy to turn it down because I know it's very hard to get in anywhere, but I think if I tried again I might have better luck, and I would prefer to enter an MA/PhD program. This is premature because I haven't even received funding yet, but I am just curious what other people think. I have received mixed responses from my professors and advisors.
4 minutes ago, eatthatbee said:My gut, and this is what I did, is take the MA offer (if it's funded). You'll have time to work with some wonderful faculty, use their resources, and get paid to go to school. It also gives you time to shore up your test scores and materials.
Likewise, it wouldn't hurt to show adcomms that you can succeed in a graduate environment at the MA level.
I 100% agree with @eatthatbee. Getting the M.A. will make you a better candidate, guaranteed. Getting some graduate experience under your belt will help you develop as a scholar, and will add demonstrable success in the pressure-cooker that is grad school to your application. There's really no situation I can think of in which a funded M.A. wouldn't be a boon if your long-term objective is to get a Ph.D. It certainly happens that applicants with B.A.s get into Ph.D. programs (we have plenty of proof of that here on GC), but it's also quite clear that there is a general preference among many, if not most programs to accept applicants with an M.A.
- brontebitch and DogMan
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1 minute ago, allywally said:
I got into LSU! My first acceptance.
I may be dancing in my office right now.
Huzzah! Way to go!!
Venting Thread
in Literature, and Rhetoric and Composition
Posted
Congratulations! Are you venting about this?