lady_coffee

This thread is hysterical. You guys just made my day. Have you heard the latest? "Yale Official Denies Franco's Request to Teach at School." (http://www.contactmu...-school_1155465) I sort of hope he goes rogue and hosts dramatic lectures on the lawn.

This is also a concern of mine. I'm debating whether or not to reapply -- had across-the-board rejections last year with one offer for a Masters (turned down). So, to share my failed experience! *smiles On the whole, it seems wise to go with your gut, but sometimes, the subject matter can push an ad comm's boundaries. (This is more speaking to the general question of matching the sample to the SOP rather than the initial poster's Renaissance/18th cen question.) I know there are people who have successfully submitted crazy, out of the ballpark writing samples (and my hat is off to you!), but the feedback I received after rejection was that professors like to see a solid foundation in the existing literature in your proposed area, or at least in an identifiably Canon area. My honors thesis falls under the "fairy tale" heading; suffice to say that it didn't engage with canonical English Lit texts or lit-specific theorists (lots of theory, but not the ones you typically go to for a lit paper). In many ways, it accomplished the "writing sample must-haves": show where your thinking fits with current scholarship, address gaps and propose new directions. But the subject matter was a risk; I was told that it would be by the very profs who recommended that I send it. And it sure didn't match my 19th cen interests! *chuckle (Unless we start talking about George MacDonald...) I'm aware that there are a variety of reasons for rejection and that the topic in itself may not have been off-putting, but from the feedback I received, I can tell you that it didn't help. Unless the thesis is executed to perfection (and every prof will have a different definition of perfection), some papers just are not worth the risk. Again, this is anecdotal, so take it for what it's worth, and best of luck to you. **As a note, I know this touches on that can of worms that is the Definition of Literature, and that is not my intention. Ad comms are (probably) composed of professors whose definitions of literature vary wildly... one personalized rejection detailed that he and several others had advocated for my app, but there weren't enough of them. Lesson Learned from Round One: It's a total crapshoot. Total crapshoot.

I was rejected when I emailed to ask but today received a letter stating that I'd been accepted to the MA program. Will look into it, but I doubt I can afford it.

I heard back today and got the impressed-but-rejected email. And that's a wrap for me - 0/12 this season. But I'm in a really good place about it. It's pretty freeing, actually - I'm finishing my senior year and I can do anything right now. Grad school will still be there next year. :-)

I emailed on Friday and have yet to hear back. Frustrated...

I caved and emailed the department only to receive notice that Professor Hunter is out of town. They said that I should hopefully have a response by the middle of next week... so it may be a while yet.

While it seems that the math score doesn't particularly matter for admission, it can matter - at some schools - for funding. Funding comes down through the Graduate School, and the only base of comparison that they have for students across disciplines is the GRE. Please correct me if I'm wrong (as I'm someone with a terrible math score who would very much like to be accepted with good funding), but it seems that the GS at least takes the score into account when considering finances. That, however, is from sources who were in graduate school up to 8-10 years ago. So you can take it for what it's worth, and if anyone has more current information, please contribute! :-)

Thanks! I'm up to 8 rejections, so I'm getting rather used to it. Best of luck to those of you who are still waiting!

Question: Has anyone been wait-listed yet? It looks like there are only acceptances and some rejections (in response to email queries) in the results search... I'm wondering if the wait-list is still a possibility or if those of us who haven't heard are sitting on implicit rejections...

That was me. I'm currently in Iowa so chances are that I'm one of the first to get something in the mail; it was postmarked March 9. Also, it looks like Iowa has traditionally done a decent amount of postal service notification in years past.

I'm a college senior who got the "We'd advise most people to wait a year or two, but you're ready" talk from my professors and also from one of my bosses who left his Ph.D. program. However, in light of all the rejections I've received (with implicit rejections on the way), I'm anticipating taking a year off. It's funny, because initially it sounded like the worst thing in the world considering that I know what I want to do, but now it's sounding more like what other people in this thread have mentioned - an opportunity to mature, to let things "percolate," as it were. I know I'll be a more focused applicant next year. In the meantime, we'll see what sort of work I can find, and even if it's not "academic," it's still life experience. One of my professors worked in a hippie bar for 10 years before going to graduate school (this was way back in the day) and she advised that I find something like that... (I'm not the right type to work in such an establishment, but still...)

Is there a location where this support group is congregating? :-)

My Apply Yourself page status simply reads: "Graduate School Final Review." Which is deliciously vague. Hopefully they'll be updating the website soon...

I think that Iowa (like Michigan) does not update the profiles very much. Case in point: I was contacted over a month ago about missing transcripts. The transcripts were sent, the department confirmed that they got 'em, and ISIS still says that they don't have my transcripts. *sigh* If you've received email from them since you submitted the application, don't worry about it. It doesn't hurt to check, but rest easy this weekend - plenty of these profiles are incomplete even when the applications are complete.

February was rough. One minute was great, the next was - as previously mentioned - in the "depths of despair." The UCLA rejection had me crying on my bed like a baby. But somehow, this month is better. I feel like my perspective has adjusted. I'm expecting across the board rejections (currently 0/7 with 5 more to go, several of which are implicit rejections), but I've begun to approach this - and my time on the gradcafe - as an opportunity to learn, improve, and remember why I really want this. I want to do this, so I will. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I know that even though it'd be great to get into a program this year, I will be an even better applicant next year - older, hopefully wiser, and more focused. Really, all I've lost this round is my pride, and that is something that I can stand to lose.

Second that. There are not enough good things that can be said of people like Bev. She is, far and above, the best grad dept. assistant I have worked with. Patient and kind - even when you choke up with tears. (My application was "lost" for a while, so we had some interesting phone conversations.)

So far I am 0/7 - waiting to hear from UC-Davis (pretty sure that's an implicit rejection - anyone know what's up with them?), Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, and Virginia. I'm trying to keep perspective, though - if I get rejected across the board, then I'll apply next year with (hopefully!) a stronger application. I don't participate on this board very much, but I'm grateful to those who are willing to share their knowledge and outlook on the application process... it's all a learning experience. And if we risk nothing (with applications), we gain nothing.

That is a wonderful book - heart-wrenching, informative, terrifying, and, in the end, hopeful. I hope you enjoy it! I'm currently reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I've never read Atwood before, and it's always a treat when the book lives up to the hype. I don't know if anyone here reads Jhumpa Lahiri, but I'd highly recommend her most recent collection of short stories, Unaccustomed Earth. Really beautiful and intriguing work.

I'm actually interested in looking at 19th century British & American literature together - transatlantic in the sense of examining cross-the-pond discourse (though the term "transatlantic" is more traditionally associated with literature coming out of/relating to the Triangle Trade). I have a special interest in gender & sexuality studies as well as political theory. My favorite period to work with is late 18th/early 19th cen. - the writings on civil rights, women's rights, and revolution are so rich. Burke, Wollstonecraft, Paine... *tries to contain inner nerd* (On that note, the UCLA rejection hit a bit hard - Anne Mellor is the person to work with if anyone is interested in women's political writings in the late 18th/early 19th centuries.) Even though there are a lot of Victorianists, it seems that there's a really rich range of interests on this board. Very interesting to read!

I received a rejection letter from Michigan's English/Women's Studies program today. It was a relatively kind letter - a pleasant surprise! They said they were looking to enroll 2 out of 50+ applicants. Good luck, everyone!

Thanks all! Some of my materials were missing when I called (had been misplaced, etc.) but Bev Hankins was an absolute gem and everything was recovered. Whew!

Hi all - Did anyone receive a confirmation email that their application had been received/completed at Indiana-Bloomington? My online status reads "submitted" but I haven't received any official word from them...