JessicaLange

Let's be real, we'd all be the Anthony Michael Hall nerd character.

I agree with @Wyatt's Terps because I don't have the best GPA and I've done much better with MA programs than PhD this season. However, you can explain in your application that you switched majors and why your GPA isn't great. They'll take your major GPA into account so make sure you are doing well in all of your English classes. If I could go back, I would still apply to some PhD programs, but I would focus more upon MA programs.

I think the idea is that you would just be working in the same environment with the same professors for too long, but honestly I think this is a bigger consideration for PhD programs. A lot of people get joint BA/MA degrees, and I definitely don't think that's looked down upon so I would say you're fine. I just wouldn't try to do your PhD at the same institution if you do continue onto that.

This was already kind of said but having a place to work that is seperate from your personal life is so important. I work my best when I don't go home. I get out of class around 5 most days and if I head straight home, I'm done for the night. Even if I want to start my homework I'll get distracted by Netflix or tidying up or napping. I like going to libraries and starbucks. People are always working there so I feel pressure to be productive. I'll also say to myself like "you have to finish four paragraphs before you can check your phone" or something which kind of works as a reward system.

Wondering the same thing. My application portal hasn't changed.

I'm so sorry! This is awful, but yeah some application portals are really messed up. One of my recommenders submitted four times to a program and I finally asked her to just email it to the program. So, I'm sure it's not their fault, I wouldn't take it out on them.

I tried to post this like six times yesterday, but it wasn't working. I was accepted into Fordham's MA program. I applied for the PhD so that's kind of a bummer but....I received full funding and a stipend for two years! Which is way better than my last MA acceptance which gave no guaranteed funding.

On a side note, I'm super jealous of the user name @VirginiaWoolf. Yeah, it's just awkward because all of my friends and family know that I've applied and they keep asking if I've heard anything and ehck. I got accepted to an MA program, so that's good. But there's almost no funding so I really don't want to end up there.

I finally got my rejection from UChicago! I feel so much better having been officially notified. I can't take this 'implied rejection' nonsense.

I used my senior thesis that I'm currently working on (like right at this moment). Is it terrible that I don't want to put my topic on here? I just remember talking to grad students about how some people can get really competitive and steal ideas and stuff. I trust all of you, but I'm not sure I trust the lurkers out there who might steal my ideas. Or maybe I'm just paranoid and have a crazy high opinion of my idea. Anyway, at the risk of sounding vague, mine was a queer reading of 19th century British monster novels.

No I think this is the perfect way to describe it. I'm especially annoyed at programs that I know I didn't get into, but I haven't gotten a rejection from. It's like, to use your metaphor, they didn't even come to the door to tell me there's no room in their inn. So, I'm just going to have to walk away but keep looking over my shoulder in the vain hope that they'll fling the door open and invite me in for a nice meal (eg. stipend)

I looove this topic. This was a huge fear of mine, especially because I was applying with only my grades up until the second semester of my Junior year and my GPA went up during my first semester of my Senior year. This semester? I don't want to talk about it...but I have some stories about the cutoff topic. I was lucky enough to spend 10 days over the summer with my friend in NYC. I visited Columbia, NYU and CUNY (also Fordham, but I didn't get the chance to meet with a representative so I won't count that one). I asked them all if there was a cutoff for GPAs and GREs. I was really candid and told them that I was worried my application would just be thrown in the trash and I didn't want to spend the application money if that was the case. The woman from NYU told me there was no cutoff. I told her that I knew that was the officially policy, but asked her if there was a secret one. She said no, and actually for that program LORs and the Writing Sample are the most important components. I asked the woman from Columbia and she said that absolutely every application gets looked at and that a lot of them get dismissed because of their SOPs, though that wasn't the only reason, of course. I told her my GPA wasn't very high and she assured me that they will take the major GPA into account. The man from CUNY was super helpful. I think he was more of a school representative than an English Department representative, but he told me the lowest GPAs and GRE scores for everyone that had received an acceptance from the previous year. I forget the GPA, but the GRE was a 157 Verbal. I remember because that was my score and that's when I decided to retake the test. So, I'm taking all of this time to tell you that you're fine. You might not get accepted somewhere, but it isn't because they just threw your application out.

Congrats! IU is a great school and it's such a beautiful campus. I've really loved my time here. The faculty is really excellent and they're devoted to their students. Even as an undergrad, I have a great working relationship with a lot of my professors.

I believe NYU is now waiving up to 50% of the MA tuition cost. A representative I spoke to told me this, so I assume it's true, but I'm not sure if it's listed on their site or if there are TA or RA requirements or other types of stipulations.

Well, you have to consider the cost and the strain on your social life. An MA will take 1 to 3 years and if you don't have the money to travel back home, you may miss weddings, births, deaths, and other important events. This is ultimately what made me decide to stick to the US. I have heard (and I can't list a source so I can't really speak to the validity of this statement) that US schools don't always take foreign graduate degrees as seriously as US degrees. However, I think that had more to do with PhDs. I don't know Edinburgh very well, but I think it's reputable enough that it would not be detrimental to get an MA from there. I personally would ask people from my undergraduate department (especially if I went to a top 10 institution). If you know anyone on the adcom or can get in touch with them, ask them if you would be shooting yourself in the foot by studying abroad.

I meant that's what I figured. I was just hoping someone else had done the dirty work for me lol

Has anyone actually contacted schools that they have implied rejections from? I assume that UChicago is a no, because they were giving out interviews and I didn't get one. But I don't really know the etiquette here. I don't want to pester them with an email, but I also feel weird about the lack of contact.

I just want to say that I'm feeling very lucky to have the internet right now. Grad school applications would have been a nightmare without it. I don't think I would have applied to so many schools if I had had to type all of my SOPs and Writing samples on a typewriter. And it's so nice to have gradcafe. It kind of sucks when people get acceptances and you're still waiting, but it's nice to not be left in the dark and to have people to celebrate and commiserate with.

This is so true. And the ones I really like are taking up a lot of brain space, but then I also realize that some of those were my worst applications, and it's like this weird rejection cycle before I even get a decision one way or the other.

@Mazinha88 haha congrats! I applied to UC Davis as well. Haven't heard anything back so I'm not sure if that's a rejection or a waitlist, but I'm glad I know they've started making decisions. Honestly, getting into just one program has made me much less anxious about possible rejections. I'm sure you'll feel that too.

If you really want to, then you should absolutely apply. No program is a sure thing, so I don't really see any harm in trying to get into the programs you really like.

No

Hi, so I received an Acceptance email on Tuesday. I actually didn't want to open it, because the email just said Admission Decision. Very ominous. But I figured I would open it and then go to whateber online portal later and, to my surprise, it said Congratulations! It's DePaul University. It's the only MA program I applied to so it's kind of Plan B, but I really like the program, so as far as backup plans go, it's definitely one I'm happy about. And it's so much pressure off of me to know that I can get 8 rejections and still be going somewhere in the fall. Feel free to post your acceptances here. And maybe Rejections and Waitlists as well if you feel comfortable with that (unless you want to start a separate thread).

Ah, I was not aware of this tradition. I will get right on that.

Wo. I posted almost the exact same question at almost the exact same time. Freaky.