Warelin

English Admissions Committee is meeting tomorrow to finalize their selection. I'm not sure if that means they'll be notifying tomorrow or if they'll wait until next week.

I think figuring out fit is very tricky despite how hard we try. Programs with large faculty might make it seem like most people are a fit. But some big names might not be taking on new students. Programs with a smaller faculty might make it seem like the fit isn't there even if it is. We also rarely ever know who's being hired at what time for any upcoming position which may also showcase what a university might be interested in.

Congrats to both of you!

Congrats! You also get the honor of starting the Acceptance Thread. The first English PHD acceptance has had that honor for a long time.

I would try not to worry about it. Programs are here to make you a better scholar and writer. If your SOP was perfect, you wouldn't need their training. I think most universities are interested in the ideas you have and your thought process behind the ideas. It might be a different story if there were a lot of typos or if there was a bad fit. However, I think an extra word or two won't be used against you.

I think it's also a good idea to consider how or if stipends increase on a yearly basis to account for cost of living adjustments. Some departments do adjust for these; others might not have revised stipends in a while. Some cities (Nashville and Austin come to mind) used to be cheap to live in but in recent years have faced increased demand and decreased vacancy rates which have caused prices to skyrocket. Depending on when you move might also be the difference of several hundred dollars of what rent will be. I'm currently on a stipend which pays ~$26,000 over 11 months. The University provides free transportation passes which gives you unlimited use of the buses and city trains which also give you access to other parts of the county. The University also pays for about 90 percent of health insurance and dental insurance costs. The overall cost of living here is very affordable. Due to some city initiatives, there are a lot of startups here. There are also a lot of nonprofits that call this home. My current stipend is enough to afford me to live in a ~1700 sqft house with my partner and a pet. We live about 1.5 miles away from the university. My stipend changes every year to adjust for cost of living which in the past has generally meant an increase of 3 percent or so per year. It was also enough to support us to pay all our expenses while my partner job searched. ( If I were living alone, I would still be able to afford the house here and be able to afford going out with my cohort twice a month or so. I do hangout with my cohort twice a month currently as our schedule allows; often we take turns between hosting and going out to eat elsewhere. I think everyone has had the cohort and their partners over at their house at least once. Most people live by themselves; some people in cohorts above us have chosen to live with each other by choice.I don't know anybody here who is struggling for money; but there are additional opportunities to teach both in other departments and at other colleges during the summer or school year if one wanted to. The first two years here require no teaching and the last year also doesn't require any service. Otherwise, the teaching load is 1-1 which means you either help with a course or teach a course per semester. Additional teaching opportunities also become available after year 3/4. Some people have taught at different departments; others have taught at nearby universities or have worked as tutors after they have completed their coursework.

Professors are often allowed to submit letters beyond the deadline. Schools understand that you don't have control of when professors submit letters. They also understand that professors have many things which demand their attention. I would try not to stress over this.

From your list: OSU, WashU and Duke have traditionally notified in late Jan/early feb. Schools tend to notify acceptances prior to rejection. Some schools might have hidden waitlists. An approximation list of notifications can be found here:

Here's to good news! Congrats on being done. Over the years, people have been surprised by being accepted at places, being rejected by places and rejecting offers that they thought they'd accept. The atmosphere on the other side is very different when it comes to choosing when people are presented with multiple choices.

Unfortunately, this depends on the program and may depend on policies set by either the program or the Graduate School. There are several that I'm aware of that would e-mail you about missing materials. Others only update via their portal and won't notify if materials are missing. I imagine most would be happy to answer any questions if you're concerned about missing materials though. Additional delays may or may not occur if it has to be processed by the Graduate School prior to being forwarded to the department or Admissions Committee.

Everyone could use a reminder.

The following might help!

I don't think a POI being on leave this school year would make any difference. In Literature, you're admitted to the department rather than to work as a member of a certain faculty's lab. As such, the admissions committee makes decisions on behalf of the department. Most members of the department will not be on the admissions committee. In most cases, you wouldn't select who you're interested in serving on your committee until after the second semester of your second year. As such, I wouldn't worry about it as long as they've recently as the faculty member has taught grad-level courses. There are some faculty members which often have never taught at the grad-school level and might not be available to serve as your dissertation chair.

Professors understand that interests change and wouldn't hold it against you if you decided against a school. The application process is ultimately about your future and interests. Professors also won't know if you decided to not apply to a school unless they're on the committee for that school. Those records are kept confidential. I think applying to schools which you feel are your preferred schools is the most important thing you can do. Your preferences might change again during grad school; schools know that. If you think there are schools with a better fit that fit your interests, apply to those instead. Is it possible to submit an application to the university where the professor you were interested in moved to? Does that school interest you?

@grace2137 and @EM51413: https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/86295-projected-acceptance-dates-for-english-phd-programs/