Yanaka

I thought it was the other wait around? Apart from one school, they all wanted me to take the TOEFL because I didn’t go to a US school for undergrad... It was so frustrating to have to pass that test since I am a US citizen. Such a waste of money.

Exactly, and exactly.

@renea exactly! And while I accept that they want me to take the time, I am wasting their time! If everybody is going to email or call for more info every year, why not put up more actual info on the website??

I want out of the GRE general as well, not just the subject. I had to learn how the f standardized tests worked, I was not familiar at all with how I should write US essays, and I hadn't done math since mid-high school. There is NO reason to ask for any of those tests from prospective Lit. students. None whatsoever. The fact that I'm anxious around numbers and can't understand how their sh*t works does not make me a dumb person who can't study literature at the graduate level. And speaking of the GRE subject: there is no way I could get even an average score at the GRE subject, and I'm fairly certain I would not be able to study for it because I grew up in France and missed out on 20 years of an anglophone literary and cultural education. Even the normal general stuff is usually too sophisticated for me, unless it's some of the big classics. If you want to see how I reason and write, use the writing samples and talk to me. Also, the SOP's. There are guidelines here and there on how to write them, but we all know that there are so many tacit requirements behind that document. They want to see/know specific stuff, and they should just provide a little more clarity and help. Getting into a program is very far from what their websites say. It's all a matter of behind-the-scenes biz biz that we can only figure out thanks to these forums! Angry rant. Frustrated rant! I feel like the process is extremely discriminatory to foreign students (and I don't even need a visa thank goodness for that), and they're probably missing out on a lot of valuable diversity. Also I had to pay like an extra three hundred dollars to translate my transcripts with a specific service, although I had a legit translator (whom I had already paid a hundred bucks) in Paris who had already worked on them.

PREACH!

But you’re happy. /says the person who’s not even applying to English programs this year! Argh

Nice. I read a similar (read: weird, new) usage of exister in Le Deuxième Sexe, could have thought of the dude.

You got into a program—you’re banned from the topic! Bahaha

A friend of mine scared a dude off because she was texting him passages of Emily Dickinson—she was actually hinting at his flakiness. He told everyone she was crazy, and although she is a little he still certainly did not deserve her.

SUE!

Exited? I’m sorry if that’s the case—the season isn’t over yet! We’re all your schools supposed to respond by now?

I’m an English/literature major, but I still feel extremely uncomfortable when people just say names, like philosophers (lol FreakyFoucault—oh wait it’s even in your pseudonym!! Haha) and authors and stuff. Even if it makes sense in the conversation to throw names, I just shot off right away. Makes me feel so stupid. Other than that, I like when my fellow English grad students and I talk about brainy stuff on the train back home, or just wherever with a few pints in us. Makes me smile every time!

The log/brick xD Hahahaha

He did! But if FreakyFoucault wants and accepts OSU’s offer, he can investigate and look for him within the program. That’s why I’d do hahaha

Awwww, congratulations We have a Grad Café alumni who got into OSU last here, please get in touch with him whomever accepts their offer because that person (Old Bill on the forum) is just great. Super helpful and positive.

My source tells me that the committee doesn’t meet before two or three weeks... I knew they were experiencing a delay this year, but I was still hoping for answers this week or the next haha

Yeah... I saw those. I was hoping someone would have more info I was told beginning of Feb., but I just don't want to wait that long haha. Thanks!! I'm crossing my fingers for you as well!

Does anyone know how Rutgers sends out responses? Does it change on the status thing first, do they send an email? Phone?

I am SO THANKFUL THAT I GOT INTO AN MA before a (possible) Ph.D. I would have been SO SCARED if I had started a five/six-year program completely unaware of the amount of work. Shit. I want to cry just imagining poor Yanaka thinking she made the worst mistake of her life getting into a Ph.D. without an MA!

No jinxing, no jinxing.... Congra.... No jinxing....

I like your spirit, fellow inmate.

@Daenerys are your children who I think they are, Khaleesi?

Haha no that was alright. They’re modern! And no lines for this, thankfully. In the end it was all okay, not as easy as it was to ask for a letter here, but whatever happened when I asked for letters was pretty normal when I look back on it. It was stressful for everyone and I’m happy I got great letters. Ugh. Fingers crossed so hard for all of us!!

Ugh. You have to ask well in advance because you need to anticipate explaining what the heck you’re doing, reminding them 10 times that you’re waiting for the letter, try to help them understand how to submit the rec, possibly imagine scenarios in which there are administrative discomfort and glitches (like for me), certainly re-send the link to submit several times... haha

Also I just learned a new word thanks to this topic. Never mind I say it "shellackelled" in my mind!