Katia_chan

It looks like they notified a week or so ago last year for acceptances, and sent out rejections on Valentine's day or the day after--I got mine on V day. Haven't heard anything about this year yet, which doesn't mean anything good or bad at this point--either they're behind, or every acceptance is someone not on GC. No clue. I'm thinking things have been delayed--I know some schools have been closed for snow.

The place I did my MA takes applications all the way through April. We are one of the satellite schools of the U of Minnesota. And that is for the fall semester. For funding, if you put it in soon you'd probably have a shot at a Grad teaching position (though obviously I can't promise anything). They also do some decent paid TA-ships. There are some cons--it's a small school, not exactly nationally recognized. And the program is small--I think we sit anywhere between 9-11 English faculty at a time. And, the major one....it's in northern Minnesota. But the faculty are wonderful. I got excellent support, and made a lot of very close relationships with them. The class sizes are small, and even if our library isn't fantastic, we have access to everything from Minneapolis and beyond. It's as good a program as you want to make it, and there's also access to other departments for secondary areas of study. And our department head is a paperwork wizard. And despite what you might hear, the city is actually really great. I love being here. If you want specifics, feel free to PM me. It's an option.

I'm so sorry. But try to keep hoping--you still have 5/6ths of your schools left to hear from. All is nowhere near lost. (...for some reason looking at it in fractions always helped. At least until it was a number where I didn't know how to figure out the fractions. And then *that* reminded me why I was getting an English degree). But double-rejections days suck massively. Do something nice for yourself today. (I ate cake and fed my rejection letters to my roommate's rabbit).

...I mean this as a very friendly suggestion, because I get the point of this thread, but... Perhaps everyone should consider writing up their responses for here, but not posting them until after decisions are made? It's just... there is so much insecurity flying around from every angle right now, I don't think comparing stats is the greatest idea until everybody knows how the chips fell. This is a great idea, comparing notes and all. But from what I've seen so far, it's mostly making people scared. Feel totally free to ignore me--it's just a random thought.

I, honestly can't say I have a concrete way to determine "fit". Mine was more "...everyone in this department does contemporary work on poetry/American/post colonial lit. I don't." So maybe sometimes it's better to determine absence of fit? I guess that's what I do. There's no way to determine which "not my topic" professors you will bond with, and it's possible that if you end up in a department where no one gets even close to your research, you may not be able to find the guidance you desire. I'm not saying it always happens, but, coming from the experience of studying medieval Welsh at a department with one medievalist, who most certainly did not study Welsh, it can present a bit of a challenge if you are totally off in left field. And sometimes fit is not faculty. Sometimes fit is resources. Where I was accepted, I'm not a stunning "fit" with any professor. But I could work with some, and the resources available for my specific field were amazing. So "fit" can be archives, libraries, lecture series... and what is important to you might not be as important to others. As for applying to 28 schools... it puts up red flags for me, but can't pinpoint why. I guess I would just feel that, in 28 schools, there would be a decent-sized handful that you didn't really like that much. And then even if those turn into acceptances, you've sold yourself short. What if you'd stuck to all schools you *loved*, waited just one more year, and gotten into a school you liked a lot more. ...If you're in love with 28 schools, then I am proven wrong and I'll stop. But where you get in, you're (mostly) stuck. So. Make sure it counts. And maybe, though I do not think this is true for all or even most, maybe there was a flaw in your application. Maybe your scores, or your SOP, or your writing sample weren't great. If there is just something that needs more work in your application, you could apply to 28 schools, all perfect, and get shut out of every one. So I at least personally would hesitate to throw eggs and money at that many baskets unless I was utterly confident that it was the prettiest app ever. Which...maybe some of you are. I never felt like that. But I live and breathe insecurity.

I'm on my second year of teaching at one of our local universities, which I started after my inforced gap 2-years. It definitely had its ups and downs, but I found it really great, over all. It adds to your resume, gives you experience, and helps you feel, at least a little, like you still have your foot in the door. Also a great chance to get a rec from someone who sees you teach, especially if you lose touch with one or two professors. Check community colleges, and also 4-year schools; a lot of times they will use adjuncts for freshman comp or other such classes. Definitely something I recommend if you have the opportunity. But I have to start grading now, so I might change my tune in the next hour.

I'm going to say something that I feel I have the right to say after getting kicked to the curb on my ass 3 and a half times. Do. Not. Base. Your. Self-worth. on. grad admissions. Or you will want to throw yourself in front of a bus. You want to, and it's easy to do, and I did it, and I didn't listen to other people when they told me not to do it, but I'm going to try to tell you now. If you get in, you're awesome. If you don't, you're still awesome. And you're also not out forever if you don't get in this round. This is my third season, with an all-but-my-undergrad-institution fail for my MA. And I did it again, and I adjuncted for a while, and I reapplied, And this time, I did get a very nice acceptance. So if it's what you want, and it doesn't happen right away, keep going. And if you do keep applying, or choose not to, remember that this process does not assign your value as a person, or even as an academic. Just my two cents--you are all so freaking amazing, and I'd like to try to stem the tide of sadness and anxiety I've seen today. <3 to all of you.

Here to join the slightly-better torment that is the waitlist pile. got on the list for Texas Tech last night. Probably the friendliest letter I have ever received. Very nice and encouraging, and, most impressive, very honest and forthcoming about their process and their struggles. But, because I'm kinda a moron sometimes, I didn't even think to ask a few questions in the thank-you Email. I just thanked them and said that I was still thrilled to be in consideration. But their letter said funding was pretty short, so I'm kind of figuring they don't know much more than I do at this point about how many they're likely to take off the list. ...still wish I'd asked, though. This is why I shouldn't Email people before 9 A.M.

The GC forums are a lovely place full of answered questions and support. The results board is the shadowy land of death. I would have been so lost and alone without the forums, but the board probably took decades off my life. And noooooo please do not leave us here! We need you! As for implied rejections (yes I'm topic-jumping), if you don't hear in the big batch, yes it might be time to brace yourself. But don't count out the uncertain hell that is the waitlist. Sometimes, and not uncommonly, that can turn into something. So if you have heard about acceptances, but no waitlists yet, then hope is still there. Tons of people got in that way last year.

I haven't heard anything either. Anyone remember if they do all their calling in one day? On the subject of scores, my verbal was decent at 93 ((though apparently yall are GRE wizards), but my math was...unbelievably bad at 13. I'd like to blame it on the fact that my calculator was broken (had to use an accessible one that didn't work), but I can't because I realized that I got the same percentile when I took the test last. AW went pretty well though. Subject was fairly middle of the road. So I was willing to take the decent verbal, and refused to retake it for a bad math score that wouldn't change anyway--I had to fight and claw to get anything above a D in high school. Math is *not* my calling. lol

I feel the same way. Editing something old took everything out of me--I don't think I could have withstood putting something new together. Not to mention that my WS, from start to finish, went through about a year and a half of drafting. I could not have survived that again--I'm getting tired just thinking about it.

As a side note, I'm feeling an overwhelming urge to poke schools. Several notified last year at the equivalent of last week. Where are they this year... come on, people. Grad students wanna know. As for the scores, I think you're alright if your application is solid. As much as you can, try not to worry. I know it's ridiculously hard, but at this point, you can't change them. So fretting only makes the anxiety worse.

On the topic of most of us wanting to be professors, but not many of us getting the chance, I do want to add that a similar thing can be said about getting into graduate school. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people apply every year, and hundreds don't get in on the first or even second round. (I am so not trying to be a buzz-kill during decisions season, just being *very* general). But, with persistence, it happens for many of us. So we can be as gloomy about the job market as we want, but the fact still stands that if you're willing to work, to wait, to move wherever for a while, whether that while be short or long, then I'd like to put forward the idea that the job market isn't quite as hopeless as we are led to believe. I'm not naive, and *so so* not looking to get into a fight with anyone. I just wanted to throw out the idea that, with a great lump of patience, it's not the black hole we might think. Now, granted, the more particular you are about where you want to work, the harder it gets. But if you don't mind teaching at middle-of-nowhere university for a while, or adjuncting for a while, etc, it's still good and possible you will find a job. It may not be Harvard or Yale, and it may not be in the city of your dreams, but a job is not an impossibility. Again, just my own thoughts.

Yeah, especially if you haven't signed with them, you are fine. They know what app season is like, and they know you have to do what is best for you. They know how many different offers some people get; they probably did much the same thing. Now, if you break an admission, then it might get a bit hairier. Not to say that you shouldn't do what is best for you there, but consider that you would be essentially walking out on them, and just keep that in mind. It's like previous poster said, you have to weigh the merits of cutting out on a school, and consider the fact that some faculty could carry a grudge if you were applying for a job later. Starts to look like you don't take contracts seriously. I know you were more looking for insight on the former, when you hadn't already signed any contracts, so take the second paragraph as just my ramblings. For the situation you *actually* seem to be curious about, you are fine and dandy. Just as the schools made no promise to admit you, you made no promise to take their offer.

I want to open a tea shop/bookstore. The world needs more tea. *still might do this someday*. Either that, or I'll just become a backpacking bum in England. I could be happy there...

I got the call... Besides making a mistake and thinking that I was still waiting for my MA degree...I'm in. And yeah, I jabbered on about the weather (hey I'm in northern MN--our weather is actually conversation-worthy lately), and thanked him a thousand times. I mostly got out of the "any questions?" thing because I was already running five minutes late for the class I was, you know, supposed to be teaching. But I have an invite to call back/Email with any questions I think of. Someone please pinch me. I feel bad freaking out with excitement while most everyone is still in radio silence--I've been there, and it SUCKS! But I hope everyone else gets good news soon. I'm going to go cry in a corner now.

It's in very poor form to go back on an acceptance. So you're better off waiting to accept an offer until you've heard about your wait lists. On a rare occasion this gets messy, like if the list doesn't get picked from until after the 15th, but in that case you need to be in communication with the various departments. You're better off, though, to wait a longer while to accept an acceptance, rather than going back on one. No one will imprison you for it, but it's pretty tacky, and a situation to be avoided if at all possible.

Sadly, for sanity's sake, all schools are different. It is *usual* for a lot to happen in February. But as PurplePerson said, some schools do notify in March. If I'm remembering right, U Missouri Columbia does sometimes, but I'd have to double-check that. If you haven't heard for sure by that point, then maybe brace yourself. But, seriously, don't count anything as a rejection unless you have the paper in your hand/inbox. Weird shit happens. As for wait-listing, I don't know if all schools do it, but it seems a lot of them do. If you're wondering about any of the places you applied, it can be helpful to look at past years in the results search, see if people posted WL notifications, or "in off WaitList!" acceptances. There's also an old thread on here that will revive soon, where all us WaitListers hung out last year. That can be a good place to do research. And, to predict how a school will let you know...results board, again. It's not a guaranteed help, because there's always a random weirdo or two in there who got a phone call instead of an Email, or something strange. But It can paint a general picture for you. And of course, you can always ask questions around here. I wish you the absolute best of luck, in the results, and in the sanity-struggle. Hopefully, we will be seeing giddy postings from you soon. Also, your username makes me think we have stuff in common. Where did you apply?

Alright, so I know I'm going to look neurotic, but does anyone know, generally of course, once the department has recommended you, how long it usually takes for the grad school to make it "official"? The DGS sent me information about assistantships, and a handbook, and a few other things. But I still don't have an "official" notice. I've been careful about screaming the news, because I'm terrified of a last-minute fluke, but I'd really like to get properly excited. I just don't know if the documents he sent are supposed to imply the official notice, or if I'm going to need to wait another week or something. He said the grad school's decision was basically just checking everything's in, so... I know, I'm doing the crazy questions-loop. One more...after he sent me the documents, is it appropriate to send my thanks? Or does effusive thanking just come off as annoying. (yes, in my paranoia I obsess over the little things).

Thanks!!! Yeah, from what he said in his Email, they're just dotting the I's and crossing the T's--he didn't seem to be worried. Seems it's just a formality.. Though I'd rather everything just went yesses all round, without a middle "egg sucking" step...at this stage, I'm still having trouble believing anybody would fight to keep me. I'm still waiting to wake up.

Yeah, I know in my brain that it's not common, but I'm heartily planted in the disbelief stage. ...is this something I can Email the DGS to ask, or is that tacky?

I just got an Email from the DGS at St. Louis University, telling me they are recommending me for admission. I made the mistake of reading it while teaching, and had to leave the room; my hands were shaking too hard and I thought I was going to cry. And...someone please tell me because I've gone mad and can't remember, if they're "recommending" me, does that mean that I could still get rejected by the grad school? Do I still need to be scared? Should I be drowning my hopes and bracing myself? I'm freaking out. 3 cycles...almost 4...

This is exactly right. It's so early in the process. A lot of people who have offers from OSU still have no idea if they're going to get offers from anyone else, so they won't be making any sort of decisions unless it's the only place they applied to/their dream-of-heaven school. I love to panic early, but even I wouldn't be advising freaking out yet. I'm not applying there, so this is so very easy for me to say. But either way, lots of luck to all of you, and don't give up hope.

I could be freakishly wrong, but it seems like we have a lot of first time applicants this round. There are a couple people around who have done this before *raises hand resignedly*, but it seems like a lot of applicants I've seen are first-timers. Now, that doesn't make much of a difference, but it's less time they've spent hearing the GC "NO SAFETY" mantra. It's going to sound like I'm mocking new people, but I'm totally not. Just that you learn from haunting this place season after season. And who knows. I might be wrong about the ratios completely. ...Or, alternatively, this year's applicants have a hell of a lot more confidence than I ever have.

Normally I'm all "this state is awesome really people the winters are fine and you will love it." But now, as a PSA to GC...RUN AWAY! If this is our new winter, run now and run fast. And please take me with you... ...okay, sorry, done being goofy. This is why I should not have days off work during decision time. I get loopy.