Katia_chan

I actually just finished doing one, and I agree with all of this.
 
The part that's been addressed here, and that I hadn't really expected, was how...interested they were in asking me about what I did.  It wasn't so much about "so, how will you benefit us," as it was "I see you study this, and I love it/am interested in it/would like to learn more/haven't seen anyone study that before."  My experience was that they wanted to geek out with me.  It was surprising and nice.
 
Also, if you're teaching, find out if it's a pre-prepared course, if you will be designing your own, etc.  Also find out about summer funding/job opportunities.
 
...and if you're an introvert like me, sleep for a week beforehand, because you will literally be talking to people for 12 hours straight.  Amazing, but utterly draining.  We got stuck in traffic with only 3 of us in the car, and I was so relieved to just be able to sit and listen...

I dunno maybe it's because I'm worried I'll get rejected from everywhere but for whatever reason every time I glance at the title of this thread I can't help but think  it says " Mcdonaldists, assemble!"

Perhaps its a deep statement about the job market...

perhaps I need some fresh air.

GradCafe dinner party?
 
I created a “Literary Lifestyle Blog” this week and one thing I’m going to do weekly on it is gourmet eating on a grad student budget. I discovered a love for cooking this last year, signed up for the Top Chef University online lessons for $59 bucks (yes, I know, I’m a sucker....it’s been great, though), and cooking is what has kept me sane through my thesis and this application season. 
 
I say we should all go to the same PhD program and just have fancy dinners every night. 

Oh my god. You two.

I'll take Watson, thanks!

“It’s amazing how many super villains have advanced degrees. Graduate schools should do a better job of screening those people out.” -Sheldon Cooper

The only thing I want more than a PhD is to be the “Star in the Reasonably Priced Car” on BBC’s Top Gear. Well, that and to know (preferably in the biblical sense) Benedict Cumberbatch. If this whole “PhD” thing doesn’t work out, I’m chasing those dreams. 

Okay, it was always one of my fantasies that if I checked my spam folder, there would be an awesome acceptance in there.  But I never thought that actually happened.  Yall are living the dream--it's like finding a thousand dollars in a pants pocket.

Accepted at U Oregon! Woo!

I'll hazard an experience-based answer here. I've been fortunate to receive an offer from a top ranked program. I am not fluent in French, but nearly fluent, and I have not published a paper. But these questions get to a more fundamental point to all of this: 
 
The stats aren't the deciding factors. 
 
I know we compare GREs (I never took the subject test) and GPAs and if big name profs write our letters and how many papers etc, but after watching a number of application seasons during my MFA at Maryland, and after speaking with a professor about one of my current options, it's become so clear to me that what matters is fit and your project. A writing sample and a personal statement that speaks to a/a few professor(s) is far more useful than worrying over the intangibles. French is a nice extra for me, but the professor who said he pushed for my acceptance only spoke about the relevance of my sample to his own work and how he feels there would be productive overlap. 
 
I find this is a good thing: we are all, stats-wise, exceptional. But programs seem to care far more about how an individual might fit in a department than they do about the 5 point difference in a GRE score or the "proficient" speaker vs the "beginner" speaker. After a season of rejections when I first applied to PhDs five years ago, before I traveled and then decided in favor of the MFA, I feel at least a bit confident saying that this makes rejections better as well. A rejection is not an attack at skills or qualities or futures - it simply says your application is a square piece, and the department is a circle slot. During that application cycle, at least. 

Whoo! Just got wait listed at CUNY. At least I haven't been rejected from everywhere! Hoping I get in!

First off, AC, I am having a crappy day and your Avengers reference made it so much better.  You win the interwebs today.
 
And I have to take another second to geek out at MM's Welsh love, because that's also part of what I do, and I never find other Welsh folks, and I'm super super excited right now (possibly in an over-caffeinated under-slept way).
 
I guess I should probably introduce myself too.  I'm a mid-to-late period person, mostly, and have two focus areas that I'm still working on connecting, though I've come to terms that they might never do so.  My first area of interest is medieval codicology.  I love lit, but I also love the study of the actual manuscript construction.  The book as an object, and how it fits into material culture, and what happens to the idea of a "book" when we hit the digital age, and not only are we not hand-crafting them anymore, we're not even holding them.  But first and foremost, I love studying how they were made, what decisions went into their crafting, and what that reflected about the society where they were created.
 
My other interest is in the development of identity, from the medieval period up through the end of the eighteenth century, centering on Wales.  I started the process by looking at Geoffrey of Monmouth, and his manipulation of Welsh lore and culture, and have moved on from there to try and pinpoint the origins of Welsh identity, assuming that it wasn't naturally occurring.  So, a combination of Welsh folklore, culture, and literary nationalism.  When I'm not buried in the medieval period, I spend a lot of time exploring this through Iolo Morganwg, infamous forger and magnificent bastard.
 
I wish I was going to school with all of you, because I want to geek out with everyone who's listed interests so far.  And I apologize for the scattered nature of this post.  As I said, I didn't really sleep last night, and I'm not fully with it today.
 
Lastly--MM, did you ever look at U of Rochester?  Sara Higley does a lot of work on the very areas of Welsh you mentioned (though I haven't read much of her stuff, so I'm going off her faculty profile mostly).

...This is totally up to you, and you know what's best for you.  But as a multiple-time reapplicant...
 
Don't decide to pass on a program without visiting/talking to the faculty/...whatever just because you think you could improve your application.
 
Please please please don't let dissatisfaction with your application make you throw away acceptances.  You seem pretty focussed and driven; I have a hard time imagining you applying to six schools you couldn't see yourself attending.  Count up your acceptances, check each one out, and evaluate.  Once you're in somewhere, the application *does not* matter one flying fig.  You can blow everyone out of the water with your scholarship and research; no one cares about your app after you get in.
 
...I'm sorry, this isn't any of my business.  But I'm just begging you to take a long and hard look at wherever you get accepted, and *know* that you couldn't be happy there before turning it down.  Because, even with a better app, this thing is still a crapshoot.  You might end up in the same boat next year.  Sometimes you end up at a program you could have never predicted, and it wasn't where you wanted to end up, but it was where you needed to end up.
 
Anyway, I'm done now.  I hope I haven't offended you or anything.  Not my intention at all.  I just know how things start to look around the middle of February.

...This is totally up to you, and you know what's best for you.  But as a multiple-time reapplicant...
 
Don't decide to pass on a program without visiting/talking to the faculty/...whatever just because you think you could improve your application.
 
Please please please don't let dissatisfaction with your application make you throw away acceptances.  You seem pretty focussed and driven; I have a hard time imagining you applying to six schools you couldn't see yourself attending.  Count up your acceptances, check each one out, and evaluate.  Once you're in somewhere, the application *does not* matter one flying fig.  You can blow everyone out of the water with your scholarship and research; no one cares about your app after you get in.
 
...I'm sorry, this isn't any of my business.  But I'm just begging you to take a long and hard look at wherever you get accepted, and *know* that you couldn't be happy there before turning it down.  Because, even with a better app, this thing is still a crapshoot.  You might end up in the same boat next year.  Sometimes you end up at a program you could have never predicted, and it wasn't where you wanted to end up, but it was where you needed to end up.
 
Anyway, I'm done now.  I hope I haven't offended you or anything.  Not my intention at all.  I just know how things start to look around the middle of February.

...This is totally up to you, and you know what's best for you.  But as a multiple-time reapplicant...
 
Don't decide to pass on a program without visiting/talking to the faculty/...whatever just because you think you could improve your application.
 
Please please please don't let dissatisfaction with your application make you throw away acceptances.  You seem pretty focussed and driven; I have a hard time imagining you applying to six schools you couldn't see yourself attending.  Count up your acceptances, check each one out, and evaluate.  Once you're in somewhere, the application *does not* matter one flying fig.  You can blow everyone out of the water with your scholarship and research; no one cares about your app after you get in.
 
...I'm sorry, this isn't any of my business.  But I'm just begging you to take a long and hard look at wherever you get accepted, and *know* that you couldn't be happy there before turning it down.  Because, even with a better app, this thing is still a crapshoot.  You might end up in the same boat next year.  Sometimes you end up at a program you could have never predicted, and it wasn't where you wanted to end up, but it was where you needed to end up.
 
Anyway, I'm done now.  I hope I haven't offended you or anything.  Not my intention at all.  I just know how things start to look around the middle of February.

...This is totally up to you, and you know what's best for you.  But as a multiple-time reapplicant...
 
Don't decide to pass on a program without visiting/talking to the faculty/...whatever just because you think you could improve your application.
 
Please please please don't let dissatisfaction with your application make you throw away acceptances.  You seem pretty focussed and driven; I have a hard time imagining you applying to six schools you couldn't see yourself attending.  Count up your acceptances, check each one out, and evaluate.  Once you're in somewhere, the application *does not* matter one flying fig.  You can blow everyone out of the water with your scholarship and research; no one cares about your app after you get in.
 
...I'm sorry, this isn't any of my business.  But I'm just begging you to take a long and hard look at wherever you get accepted, and *know* that you couldn't be happy there before turning it down.  Because, even with a better app, this thing is still a crapshoot.  You might end up in the same boat next year.  Sometimes you end up at a program you could have never predicted, and it wasn't where you wanted to end up, but it was where you needed to end up.
 
Anyway, I'm done now.  I hope I haven't offended you or anything.  Not my intention at all.  I just know how things start to look around the middle of February.

...This is totally up to you, and you know what's best for you.  But as a multiple-time reapplicant...
 
Don't decide to pass on a program without visiting/talking to the faculty/...whatever just because you think you could improve your application.
 
Please please please don't let dissatisfaction with your application make you throw away acceptances.  You seem pretty focussed and driven; I have a hard time imagining you applying to six schools you couldn't see yourself attending.  Count up your acceptances, check each one out, and evaluate.  Once you're in somewhere, the application *does not* matter one flying fig.  You can blow everyone out of the water with your scholarship and research; no one cares about your app after you get in.
 
...I'm sorry, this isn't any of my business.  But I'm just begging you to take a long and hard look at wherever you get accepted, and *know* that you couldn't be happy there before turning it down.  Because, even with a better app, this thing is still a crapshoot.  You might end up in the same boat next year.  Sometimes you end up at a program you could have never predicted, and it wasn't where you wanted to end up, but it was where you needed to end up.
 
Anyway, I'm done now.  I hope I haven't offended you or anything.  Not my intention at all.  I just know how things start to look around the middle of February.

...This is totally up to you, and you know what's best for you.  But as a multiple-time reapplicant...
 
Don't decide to pass on a program without visiting/talking to the faculty/...whatever just because you think you could improve your application.
 
Please please please don't let dissatisfaction with your application make you throw away acceptances.  You seem pretty focussed and driven; I have a hard time imagining you applying to six schools you couldn't see yourself attending.  Count up your acceptances, check each one out, and evaluate.  Once you're in somewhere, the application *does not* matter one flying fig.  You can blow everyone out of the water with your scholarship and research; no one cares about your app after you get in.
 
...I'm sorry, this isn't any of my business.  But I'm just begging you to take a long and hard look at wherever you get accepted, and *know* that you couldn't be happy there before turning it down.  Because, even with a better app, this thing is still a crapshoot.  You might end up in the same boat next year.  Sometimes you end up at a program you could have never predicted, and it wasn't where you wanted to end up, but it was where you needed to end up.
 
Anyway, I'm done now.  I hope I haven't offended you or anything.  Not my intention at all.  I just know how things start to look around the middle of February.

...This is totally up to you, and you know what's best for you.  But as a multiple-time reapplicant...
 
Don't decide to pass on a program without visiting/talking to the faculty/...whatever just because you think you could improve your application.
 
Please please please don't let dissatisfaction with your application make you throw away acceptances.  You seem pretty focussed and driven; I have a hard time imagining you applying to six schools you couldn't see yourself attending.  Count up your acceptances, check each one out, and evaluate.  Once you're in somewhere, the application *does not* matter one flying fig.  You can blow everyone out of the water with your scholarship and research; no one cares about your app after you get in.
 
...I'm sorry, this isn't any of my business.  But I'm just begging you to take a long and hard look at wherever you get accepted, and *know* that you couldn't be happy there before turning it down.  Because, even with a better app, this thing is still a crapshoot.  You might end up in the same boat next year.  Sometimes you end up at a program you could have never predicted, and it wasn't where you wanted to end up, but it was where you needed to end up.
 
Anyway, I'm done now.  I hope I haven't offended you or anything.  Not my intention at all.  I just know how things start to look around the middle of February.

Screw 'em!
 
They don't know what they're missing.
 
Anyone else get two rejection Emails?
 
Also I think this calls for a long-distance but mutual have a drink/eat a cookie/buy something for yourself moment..

First off, AC, I am having a crappy day and your Avengers reference made it so much better.  You win the interwebs today.
 
And I have to take another second to geek out at MM's Welsh love, because that's also part of what I do, and I never find other Welsh folks, and I'm super super excited right now (possibly in an over-caffeinated under-slept way).
 
I guess I should probably introduce myself too.  I'm a mid-to-late period person, mostly, and have two focus areas that I'm still working on connecting, though I've come to terms that they might never do so.  My first area of interest is medieval codicology.  I love lit, but I also love the study of the actual manuscript construction.  The book as an object, and how it fits into material culture, and what happens to the idea of a "book" when we hit the digital age, and not only are we not hand-crafting them anymore, we're not even holding them.  But first and foremost, I love studying how they were made, what decisions went into their crafting, and what that reflected about the society where they were created.
 
My other interest is in the development of identity, from the medieval period up through the end of the eighteenth century, centering on Wales.  I started the process by looking at Geoffrey of Monmouth, and his manipulation of Welsh lore and culture, and have moved on from there to try and pinpoint the origins of Welsh identity, assuming that it wasn't naturally occurring.  So, a combination of Welsh folklore, culture, and literary nationalism.  When I'm not buried in the medieval period, I spend a lot of time exploring this through Iolo Morganwg, infamous forger and magnificent bastard.
 
I wish I was going to school with all of you, because I want to geek out with everyone who's listed interests so far.  And I apologize for the scattered nature of this post.  As I said, I didn't really sleep last night, and I'm not fully with it today.
 
Lastly--MM, did you ever look at U of Rochester?  Sara Higley does a lot of work on the very areas of Welsh you mentioned (though I haven't read much of her stuff, so I'm going off her faculty profile mostly).

I loved the food in England. What was wrong with it? (I think I'm just meant to live there though...)

Hi all!
 
I'm from the U.S., but I'm currently working on a one-year master's in the U.K., and my interests are pretty wide-ranging. My master's thesis is a semantic-field study on the Old English notion of "comfort" in an extra-religious context. My intent is to write my Ph.D. thesis on narrative devices in Old English and Old Norse poetry, and most of my academic experience thus far has been focused on Old English literature. In the realm of literature, I'm also very interested in Chaucer (especially Troilus and Criseyde), as well as a lot of non-medieval stuff that I won't bother you all with. 
 
I also do a lot of work with linguistics, and especially Germanic historical phonology--I actually wrote my undergraduate honors thesis about the semantics of a certain verbal prefix in the Gothic language.
 
So, as you can imagine, I'm a big hit at parties.
 
Great to meet you all! Many thanks to AC for starting this thread!

(Please ignore my Avengers reference. Or, if you like Marvel comics, don't! :]) 
 
I thought it would be fun to have our own thread to discuss a few things such as Ph.D results (lament, triumph, whatever), what we're currently writing about, and maybe mention some of our interests (scholars, texts, etc.)? I know there are a few of us floating around here and it might be fun. Or it might not. Feel free to ignore me. 
 
Anyway, I'll introduce myself (needlessly, if nobody decides to join in). I'm AC, I'm an MA student in literature and I work with Old English/Middle English texts that relate to materiality, technics, and posthumanism. At present, this is a new interest of mine but it comprises much of my current research. I've been accepted to one Ph.D program (rejected by two, waiting on nine) and my aim is to work with narratives about saints and talk about the role of sainthood in Medieval texts as well as the temporality of the saint narratives and how they become reinvigorated during contemporary times (i.e.: Catholic saints and the Irish rebellion). 
 
Anyway, that's a super vague way of saying that I love reading Medieval riddles, writing about St. Aethelthryth, and I need a break from thesis writing. 

Another week, another chance for acceptances! Let's see how long that optimism lasts.

Do you dislike the places you still have left to hear from?
 
If you reapply, simply because you think you could put together a better application, then yes, you might be a little nuts.
 
If you get in somewhere and you *really* hate it, there's nothing wrong with reapplying, but just don't assume you won't like it because it wasn't a top choice.  Plenty of people on here have had their minds changed by an amazing visit weekend, or communication with the faculty.
 
And to be honest, with the way apps go, totally revamping your application doesn't guarantee any better results.  Not to say it couldn't happen, but you could re-do everything, and still not get into the places that you want most.
 
Just saying...unless you think you'd be miserable wherever you land, it is an *acceptance*.  In a less formal wording...take that and run like hell. .  Your application just gets you in--what you do once it gets you there is a totally separate bag.