hreaðemus

Welp, first rejection! I'm surprised at how easy it is to be cranky - like a little selfish kid. "I didn't want you ANYWAY," my inner child is sneering at Cornell. But of course that's silly. I'm excited for everyone who got in - and honestly grateful for my own acceptances, as I feel the sting of rejection setting in. To those of you still waiting for good news, you're super tough, and I'm impressed and rooting for you!

Yay, I'm so excited for all the Cornell admits!!! Good job, you amazing people you!

Get the U of Toronto edition of A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary - it's the white one with a blue cut-out on the front. It's more expensive than the sketchy versions, but also WAY easier to read, and comes recommended by my mentor here at Berkeley. You can get it here: http://www.utppublishing.com/A-Concise-Anglo-Saxon-dictionary.html

Pish, I second unræd! If you want to specialize in Anglo-Saxon lit, I'd say you're in exactly the same category as us - or as me, anyway! How exciting to have another early medievalist around! I, personally, have only been a budding Anglo-Saxonist for about a year, so I was in much the same boat as you six months ago. The Latin class I took used Keller and Russell's Learn To Read Latin, and I can affirm that it's a good choice - very thorough and precise, while still acting as an instruction rather than a reference manual. That said, I would get into a class as quick as you can - while you may, like some people I can think of ( ), be naturally brilliant at Latin, I personally find the advanced grammar to be confusing, and having a real human being to clarify the text can be invaluable. You might ask your prospective Ph.D. programs what support they offer in terms of learning languages; I know some places fund summer study and things like that. As for OE, Baker is a good choice, particularly if you sign up for the online practice material (which are free with the book) at oldenglishaerobics.net; his style is very conversational, though, and IMHO doesn't offer a whole lot of structure for navigating individual syntactic features of the language. I'm honestly not sure that there's a GREAT textbook out there at the moment - but I have it on good authority that that there will be in a few years, so by the time we're teaching OE the options may have improved. In any case, I'm so happy you've joined us on the dark side!

It was for English - I specifically mentioned Roberta Frank and Jessica Brantley, I think.

Aw, thanks you guys! I dunno how it happened, but I'm feeling pretty lucky at the moment - for good friends AND great options!

Congrats Lycidas!! I, too, just got a really nice phone call from the DGS at Yale - I'm in! Visit weekend is in early March.

OMG WT! Flattery will get you... well, actually a lot, heh. I'm kind of a sucker. But you're so sweet! Honestly, I'm not all that - today in my grad seminar I bumbled through my mini presentation like a total fool. I was so nervous, knowing I'm actually going to be working with these people for the next five-ish years!!! I think the written bits were ok, but ugh... this is a whole new set of skills to learn. Public speaking, young-person-teaching, networking - ack! It's a scary prospect.

OMG this exchange made me burst out laughing in the library... More seriously, I send those of you still stuck in limbo ALL the hugs. I would send you cookies if I had an address. Academia hurts because it is a vocation as well as a profession: we're in the business of using our heads, but our hearts are what got us here. (I mean, really - no head would be so idealistic on its own!) Just remember that your heads AND your hearts are more than who is willing to pay for them - and be good to yourselves as the wait drags on. I'm really rooting for you!

Ooooh, ooh, I have an answer for this! *raises hand* It's so rare that I'm able to offer any advice on this process, but! Based on feedback I have gotten from my professors since my Berkeley acceptance, it definitely IS acceptable - and even desirable - to casually acknowledge that you've received other offers. My mentor calls it "being catlike" - and the idea is that schools will often throw in a bit more money, extra perks, etc, if they think it may draw you away from another program. I know people who have gotten extra language classes paid for, a few extra $1000 added to their package, etc, just by very gently mentioning their other options.

How perfect though! Now you can celebrate! Also - congratulations to all the acceptees in this thread!!! I'm afraid school is sucking up all of my time these days, and never lets me post on GradCafe, but I'm genuinely happy for you all!

Hey guys! I don't know if this is useful, but Berkeley's grad system seems to have updated - I don't know if rejections and waitlists were entered along with acceptances, but it might be worth checking if you're still in limbo. Good luck to all! I know it's unrealistic, but in my heart of hearts I wish we could all attend our top choices.

unræd is correct - each department will have its own DGS, so don't worry. But also - you will most likely get a letter before you see any system-wide status changes. My submission page for Berkeley still says "Submitted," and the acceptance letters were sent out Friday! I'd say - if you can avoid obsessively refreshing anything, that's best, but if you can't, email is the place to be.

Director of Graduate Studies - or, sometimes, the Department of Graduate Studies.

Have you guys seen this post? It's for history, but I'd assume many similar patterns apply; most notably, it appears that notifications increase in number later in the week, reaching a Friday peak, before falling on Saturday and Sunday. So look towards Friday for that good news! In this case "check your email" would be a better imperative, but can you believe there is no "look to the east" .gif??? The internet disappointed me today.

It'll be ok guys! You have us - and also these snuggle beasts.

I think funding probably depends on the program - if a program guarantees funding, then anyone admitted off the waitlist will get the same basic package as other accepted students (but probably not university-wide fellowships, which are decided early in the season). It won't matter who turns them down, and who accepts - the amount offered will remain relatively stable. If a program does NOT guarantee funding, then what they can offer will probably depend on what they have left... so, a cascade, as you say. Edit: Yale, for example, funds all admitted students with pretty much the same (very generous) package. Cornell seems to be similar, but offers a smaller stipend. Berkeley also funds all admitted students, but offers more to those who are awarded university-wide fellowships... so it depends a lot on the school.

Yeah... I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I agree with hypervodka on this one. I read through GC last year and the forums started to get meaner as people who hadn't heard back and were tense and cranky began to pick on people who had already gotten in - saying they were selfish to ask for help choosing BETWEEN acceptances when some people hadn't gotten any yet, stuff like that. While I understand that it can be off-putting to hear someone describe their accomplishments, we did all recently agree that more rather than less information would be nice on the results board. Maybe this person was trying to be helpful! And even if not, the people who post results are still human... If they were to read over this thread they'd find themselves being called a pompous, unintelligible troll. How could they be part of our community after that? Ultimately the forum should support us all - in winning and losing. Public mockery of any person, whatever they've said, is not support.

I, too, am out of upvotes, but I agree - y'all are amazingly sweet and genuine, and I so appreciate the support! Also, unræd: I believe in academia the word is "colleague," not "stalker." And if we work together it will be amazing!!! I'm super excited about the prospect. How many Anglo-Saxonists get to be part of the same cohort?! Like, two. You and me.

For what it's worth, my application page still says "Submitted," so I'd expect that y'all will hear via email before you see any system-wide application updates. That said, I hope you hear soon!!! My email also said "Berkeley English Admission" right in the title, so they - very compassionately, I think - don't beat around the bush.

Eep, it's true!! I'm so freaking grateful!

I got into Berkeley too. *total shock* With a "prestigious fellowship nomination," and basically the same (quite warm, but form) letter that unræd got. I can't even believe it.

Oh gosh, guys, I didn't mean to freak you out!! This is all I know: a professor of mine at UC Berkeley told me (in relationship to my own application to the English department) that Classics and Comp Lit had already "sent out decisions," and that he was surprised the English department was so slow. I do NOT know if this means applicants have been notified, or if it simply means he sat on the adcomm and all that's left is the administration stuff. In short, don't despair yet! But on the bright side, you should know VERY soon.

Well, you might be right! I only applied for English programs, so I didn't ask him for loads of details... perhaps he meant decisions have been made? And that would make sense if they're sending out acceptances early next week. Maybe he sat on the adcomm and knows they're done, but isn't in charge of the administrative aspects.

Not to add fuel to anyone's fire, but I do know a professor in Berkeley's Classics and Comp Lit departments told me today that both those disciplines had already sent out acceptances... I can't imagine Rhetoric will be far behind. Edit: I'll admit, though, that I don't see evidence of his comments on the results board. Maybe he meant the decisions had been made? He was surprised the English department hadn't notified yet, so I don't know...