Nighthob

You're welcome. Made me feel much better too! And thanks! I'm super excited. I found out yesterday when I got an email saying I'm being nominated for a Graduate Fellowship there! It's funny -- I only applied to U of South Carolina because my mom asked me to; it's close to home.

This may seem trite, but I have to always remind myself that the outcome is going to be the same whether I panic or not. The apps are out of my hands, and it's normal to feel anxious, but letting my nerves shatter isn't going to help me. Like others, this is my second time applying. The wonderful thing about applying for graduate study is that it means I'm opening myself to the possibilities of a different kind of life. And that realization turned the "what-if" game into a positive. What if you don't get into graduate school? It won't be the end of the world, and it doesn't have to be a miserable year while you reapply. Try to do something you love. If you can't do that, try to do something you don't hate. Learn a new language. Submit papers for conferences. Make contacts. Join the FBI. Join the French Foreign Legion. Join a rock band. Travel; volunteer; eat cake for breakfast. Make your journey interesting, and you'll become an even more interesting candidate next time.

I think it sounds very exciting! It's awesome that the department is willing to spend so much time with their prospective students. I also think it's pretty impressive that they plan a personalized schedule for each individual. As stressful as the interviews might be, it's a great opportunity to make a good impression and develop contacts. Plus, I'd always rather have the option to talk more about my interests rather than leaving up to the crap-shoot of mass reviews so many adcoms have to do.

UNC was one of the schools that claimed to be missing my GREs. (Turns out, they were just misfiled.) Anyway, I mentioned in my correspondence with the grad secretary that I hoped the delay wouldn't affect my review because I knew a couple of folks had already received offers. The grad sec sent me a really nice email confirming that the scores were found and that only a VERY* few applicants had been notified and that the committee was still reviewing applications. (*emphasis: hers)

Whoa! That's gotta be stressful to see the "Incomplete." Because of my recent GRE fiasco (they either didn't arrive or have been misfiled at three schools), I've been in touch with a few schools this week. Most have mentioned that they are only beginning their review process. I'm not expecting to see any changes or hear anything for another week or two -- though that doesn't keep me from checking email and online application sites every day.

Well, I'm glad you're not on an admissions committee for any of the schools I'm applying to. Honesty and asshattery are not the same thing.

Venetia, Yeah, probably best to avoid courses claiming to teach you to speak Latin like a native! LOL! The SAT Latin exam test is a great idea! I think I'll also look at the local public schools and see if I can find a Latin teacher who might be able to point me towards additional resources. Thanks for sharing!

Minnares, The possibilities for interdisciplinary study is one of the draws of Bloomington to me as well. Their Folklore resources are outstanding, and since my focus is on myth in medieval lit, Bloomington would be a terrific place for me. I'm sorry you didn't find Purdue welcoming. I haven't had the opportunity to visit. Anybody else have personal experience with Purdue?

Also applying to Purdue and IU for medieval. People! Stop applying to the schools I'm trying to get into! You're all so fabulous, it's making me worry about my chances!

I started with eight applications. I withdrew one because I realized the program was not going to be a good fit after I talked with the director. About a week ago, I found out that UNC had misplaced my GRE scores, but they got that straightened out, and I'm still in the running. Since then, I've been following up with my schools to make sure everything is in place. Turns out, Boston College also claims not to have my GRE scores. Their email response was so terse as to be discourteous, and I'm still steaming. The whole email was two sentences: "We have not received your GREs. Have a nice day." What kind of response is that?! I mean, now the application deadline has pass, and ETS says they sent the scores on December 1, so am I able to resubmit them? Is it too late? So, assuming BC is a no-go (and hoping just a little bit that the email writer dies in a fire), I've now got 6 applications in. I'm not applying to the tippy-top schools because I didn't have the confidence to think I'd get in, and I'm not sure I'd want to go someplace as cut-throat as Columbia or one of the other uber-competitive schools out there. Anyway, I just hope I get in somewhere.

I didn't apply to Duke, but I live in the area and had a history prof who got his PhD there. He said that for the History Department interview, they wanted to make sure the applicant was a good fit. Some of it is finding out if you're a loony bird or a stable and mature person, and some of it is finding out more about your interests and how they'll fit with the profs and other students. Duke is a tight-knit community, you'll be heavily involved with these people for a goodly number of years, and everyone wants to make sure it's the right choice for you and them. So, his advice was to be yourself, be clear about your interests and abilities, and make sure they believe Duke is your first choice. Don't forget that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. And you'll want to check out the area if you aren't local and see if you could imagine living in Durham for half a decade. Personally, I love it here; Durham is the young, "artsy" part of the triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill).

And does your Plan B include a Mrs. Joro? My English background from a Seven Sisters school makes me qualified to marry well and live a life of luxury (and under-qualified for almost everything else). Just in case you needed to know that.

Finding the Results page has actually helped to lessen my anxiety. I did a search for my schools and found that in the past few years almost all have not notified until the end of February or beginning of March. So, maybe I can stop checking quite so obsessively on everything for another couple of weeks.

Sparky, great advice about learning Latin. I never had the opportunity to learn Latin while I was an undergrad, and my graduate degree was in English Education, so I didn't need it. I'm teaching myself Latin using Wheelock currently because I couldn't find a course at any of the local colleges that fit into my work schedule. Shaky, I can't call myself an Anglo-Saxonist, but I am deeply interested in the modern resurgence of interest in Beowulf and how it has recently been used in mass media. If that interests you at all and you want to connect, shoot me a line. In reading this discussion thread, I have a lot of similar interests as you guys - Arthuriana, the Mabinogi, the Lebor Gabala. Ultimately, however, I'm not sure that I'm a medievalist so much as a mythologist (but not in a cheesy Dan Brown kind of way) with a focus on medieval mythological tropes. I have no idea what to expect as far as my applications are concerned. My background is vast and varied, and I think I'd be a great catch, but who knows? It IS all a gamble. In the meantime, like Branwen, I'm trying to continue to make myself a better candidate in case I don't make the cut this year. I suppose the good news is that I've gotten application confirmations and in-review notices for most of the schools I've applied to. I haven't received any interview offers or acceptances yet. Then again, I haven't been axed from any programs yet either.

Anybody else out there applying to SMU? I just got a "your application is in review" email, and I'm still shaking. I swear the subject line of any email from a school that isn't a decision should be "Don't Freak Out."

I'm also interested in Medieval lit -- primarily how medieval tropes are reiterated and reconstructed in modern mass media. Because my research cuts across time periods, it's been a bit difficult to find appropriate PhD programs, but I'm excited about the possibilities. For example, one of my interests is the evolution of Beowulf from the original poem to Heaney's translation, Gareth Hind's acclaimed graphic novel, the recent Zemekis movie, and the upcoming computer game.

Ditto on the confirmation email from Bev Hankins. And bless them and Purdue for sending confirmations! I wish every school would send a quick email confirming the application status.