windrainfireandbooks

I have just been accepted to my top choice, University of Kent in Canterbury, UK. So incredibly excited!

Best of luck and many congratulations in advance! I am sure this space will be bursting with lots of wonderful news soon!

During last year's application cycle, I made a point of mentioning how wonderful the admin personnel at Washington University in St. Louis were to deal with. Sarah Hennessey in particular, who is/was the academic coordinator, was very friendly, efficient and quick to respond.
 
The reason for this post, however, is that I just received an email from their DGS, kindly talking about the strengths of my application, and a couple of things I could do to improve it for the next cycle, if I didn't wind up getting in to any programs this time around. I'm very impressed. Perhaps it's just a quirk of my temperament, but motions like that -- personalized emails that didn't have to be sent -- are major selling points for me. It's one of the reasons why I'm very happy at UMD (they stress a congenial collegiate atmosphere), and is one of the reasons why, when I reapply to Ph.D. programs next year, I will include WashU in my plans once again.
 
 

Also, this:
I'd urge you to worry about the statement of interest. Ok, not worry, but put lots of time and effort into. As someone who can write lots of BS on the fly, I can tell you that the SoP (statement of purpose, another name for the statement of interest) is not something you can just crap out. It's a very specific genre that requires lots of thought and revision. I spent months writing mine. 

This all sounds very typical.  I, and most people I know, manage to live frugally off a graduate stipend.  (Also, none of us receive any aid from our parents -- I think it's very unusual that you know people whose parents help at all.)  In fact, I haven't even taken out any loans.  You might not be able to maintain the lifestyle to which you are accustomed, but that's one of many sacrifices you make in pursuing higher education.
 
I won the NSF GRFP this year which will give me a federal stipend next year.  I had an internal fellowship from my university that covered my tuition and stipend.  I won't be getting paid double, though -- my external funding replaces my internal funding.  That's just how it works.

Will be attending the University of Iowa for the English PhD (MA along the way), full-funded all six years! Grateful for the support and helpful insight on this forum. I hope everyone has found good news themselves.   

WOO HOO! Congrats to you!
 
I'd never heard of that program specifically, but it sounds like a blast. I've seen a LOT of professors with "history of the book" as a specialized interest, and have always been intrigued by it.

May I extend or re-start the party? Because I've been accepted to the Book History & Print Culture collaborative program at Toronto and I really think I am going to accept!

May I extend or re-start the party? Because I've been accepted to the Book History & Print Culture collaborative program at Toronto and I really think I am going to accept!

May I extend or re-start the party? Because I've been accepted to the Book History & Print Culture collaborative program at Toronto and I really think I am going to accept!

May I extend or re-start the party? Because I've been accepted to the Book History & Print Culture collaborative program at Toronto and I really think I am going to accept!

RESTART THE PARTY!
 

 
Congrats

Squee! From one BH person to another, congrats!

May I extend or re-start the party? Because I've been accepted to the Book History & Print Culture collaborative program at Toronto and I really think I am going to accept!

May I extend or re-start the party? Because I've been accepted to the Book History & Print Culture collaborative program at Toronto and I really think I am going to accept!

May I extend or re-start the party? Because I've been accepted to the Book History & Print Culture collaborative program at Toronto and I really think I am going to accept!

Will be attending the University of Iowa for the English PhD (MA along the way), full-funded all six years! Grateful for the support and helpful insight on this forum. I hope everyone has found good news themselves.    ​ 

Oh my goodness! Fantastic, fantastic news!

Oh my goodness! Fantastic, fantastic news!

So I just found out today that I have been accepted from the wait list to Ohio University for the MA program!! I accepted the offer, and I'm officially a Bobcat! 

Friendly reminder via @rundavidrun on Twitter.

Oh dear, I am having a serious case of imposter syndrome and I haven't even started my program yet. I know I am not alone though, and that many people experience this. Glad to have found a positive support network on GC. 

I'm thrilled that I'll be attending Purdue's MA composition and rhetoric program this fall. So incredibly excited to be teaching too! 

And, as requested, here is a photo of the new sweatshirt.
 

Congrats, congrats, congrats to all of you who have received good news recently and accepted some pretty stellar offers!

And, as requested, here is a photo of the new sweatshirt.