sandy bubbles

Hey, as someone who narrowly scraped in, just wanted to weigh in on this. I'd been contemplating the same thing, as far as Plan B and whether I'd reapply in a future year. The biggest thing I noticed in the schools that replied positively to my application, was that my specific writing sample clearly had something in common, aesthetically, with the program's aesthetics. I wish I'd paid more attention to that when applying. In reality, the programs that I thought beforehand might understand my work, were the ones that did. I thought about things like the program's reputation, and their alumni, but I didn't pay enough attention to faculty works themselves. I mean, it's a human game, and faculty want to mentor people whose visions they understand, right? And you'd want to work with people who really get what you're going for, right? So I dunno--I think I overlooked how important that element of applications was, more than whether my work was "good enough." Then again, I also think it's hard to get a sense of a program's personality, from a distance. But as far as re-applying, the work is already mostly done, so if it's the right path for you, then you might as well give it another go. Good luck, regardless!

I just wanted to stop by and say thank you to everyone on the boards!! I had no idea how taxing this process would be, and being able to talk with so many others going through the same thing has been a gift. Even with the commiseration, I've already driven the non-writers in my life crazy :-). As for my update, I got an offer off a wait list, and I'm very excited about it. I know how easily I could've been rejected everywhere; it's such a crapshoot. Anyway, good luck to those waiting, and happy prepping to those heading somewhere in the fall! P.S. If you haven't already tried, I would email the program director rather than admin for news. At this point, it seems fair to expect a decision.

Almost there! Only fifteen-ish days of waiting left! Can't believe how long this process has dragged on....can't believe how difficult it has been to do anything productive in the meantime. I'll be so glad when April 15 hits, for closure's sake. Sorry to those who got bad news. Those are pretty huge mistakes for schools like Montana to be making. I'd be angry! You guys seem to be handling it with class. Oh, and congrats on U of I, lagoon91!!

My advice would be to feel out the program's personality and take cues from there, as far as how much to be in contact, etc. I think some of my WL programs have been thrown off by my requests for info, where others have welcomed it with open arms. Probably also depends on if you have offers to other programs in hand, in terms of the dialogue/urgency. What's your dream school, btw? Have been commiserating w/ other WLers over PM, if you feel like sharing.

Congrats, lagoon91! That's amazing news! And good luck on getting in. I found samson36's advice in the other thread really helpful. I think I flailed a little bit before that. But it's been interesting even seeing how different programs respond, or don't respond, to requests for general information. For those lucky enough to be choosing between programs, or for those on wait lists, is anyone struggling to prioritize aspects of different programs? Finding it hard to compare meshing w/ the faculty, or w/ the students, the program length, location, etc, to figure out best fit. i guess we all have to figure out our own priorities...not sure what mine is. More time to work, or working in the place I'd feel most comfortable/creative, or the program with the best post-grad job record, etc? Dunno.

Thank you for the updates, SarahWakes. And sorry for the bad news on WUSTL :-(. Or implied news, or whatever. This app process is killer.

Ha, what kind of email is that? Esp. from a writing program? That sounds like good news, though, although very badly worded. I guess you could follow up to see what determines whether you get in w/ a GTA or not, or what the chances are, but doesn't like the writer of that email knows anything solid. Good luck! Thank goodness we only have about a month left before programs have to decide. Separately, has anyone heard anything from Alabama? My status has changed to "your app has been reviewed by the dept," but apparently they don't feel like sharing the decision of the dept. I'm assuming acceptances went out long ago, and they're dragging their feet on everything else, but who knows.

Congrats and good luck!

Congrats, emburst! And to the BU question, I think they notify around April 1. You could probably call them and explain your situation, though, esp. if you applied a long time ago. But most programs are on that list, aren't they, of schools that observe the April 15 deadline? So maybe you could get wiggle room from them.

Really glad for the advice--going to do as you suggest, in next few days. Thank you!!

Thank you, Sarahwakes--good to know I'm not alone in looking up apartment costs/etc. for places! Hard to resist. At least Oregon notifies by mid-March, so you should know relatively soon. And thank you for the advice and hope, samson36, since you're at a great program now! I think I'll do that. Thought maybe I should wait before bothering the schools, but now I'm realizing that if a spot does open up, there might not be a lot of time to deliberate after that.

Congrats on the New School, Octoberstormxx!! Their faculty seems great. lagoon91, I think if Brown had started sending rejections, they would've shown up en masse in the results section already. Maybe whoever posted that comment was in a hurry and typed "rejections" instead of "acceptances"? Dunno.

Thought I'd open up this board, to see how others are faring. For those of you who are on wait-lists, how are you using your time? Are you researching the program(s) in the meantime, or are you trying to put the subject out of mind? I'm finding it surprisingly difficult not to obsess. I've spent more time than I probably should comparing different programs for which I'm wait-listed, so that I'm fully versed in the pros and cons of each. In reality, I might not get an offer from any one of them. I guess a better use of time might be planning what I'll do if I DON'T go to school this fall, but that's not as enjoyable :-)

Yea that's pretty awesome, quentinc. At least we know that people who get into Vandy do exist!

Yea, I dunno how much I believe in the rankings, or how they were compiled, for that matter. I heard a writer who I really admired speak recently, Patricia Engel, and she came out of FIU. I kinda feel like fit matters more than anything, in helping a writer produce quality work. And if you can find the place that works for you, more power to you. Then again, I did apply to a lot of places that were in the top 50, mainly because I was already familiar with their reputations and the writers coming out of them. Plus the funding, of course. But if I'd know about them, I would've applied to more places outside of the top 50 with decent funding. Those take a lot more work to find, I think, and I was already crunched on time.