Kilos

Yeah, I'm with you. I think most of us are in the same state of mind. I'm a nontraditional student and I feel like I've developed some thick skin during my time in the work force--but nothing I've been through could have prepared me for this kind of stress. In another thread I likened it to condensing your life's achievements into a tiny packet only to ship it off to a bunch of strangers whose job is to accept or reject you without ever meeting you. It's taxing to put yourself out there like that. On a side note, I really wouldn't stress about your GPA. I have a 4.0 and I'm petrified that it's too high. I read an article and some forums somewhere a long time ago that stated that it looks bad to have a 4.0 because it looks like you spend too much time studying and not enough time reading and researching. I know how absurd it sounds but it's haunted me ever since. I tried to go above and beyond with every other part of my application to show that I wasn't just a good student but a dedicated scholar. My point is: everybody will find something to stress about.

I'll echo what everybody else has said, while adding that if you spend some time combing through the results boards you'll see a ton of 4.0 GPAs with a nice pretty [REJECTED] stamp next to them. No single piece is all-important. I'm no expert, and I constantly wring my hands over this stuff, but I'd say that for almost any program it's going to go: SoP > Writing Samples > LoRs > GPA > CV > GRE Keep in mind, though, that this is not a steadfast science; some schools have GPA/GRE cutoffs so you're only competitive if you make the first cut. Some schools place more emphasis on the writing samples, some schools look closely at LoRs, and others are looking for specific things. Above all else, remember that it's almost always a holistic approach. They want somebody who's got it all. They want a decent, competitive GPA, GRE, with good letters, good CV, good writing skills, and a solid statement of where they want to go and what they want to do. If you're looking for something to assuage your fears, don't stare at your GPA. Print all of your documents out and look at it as a holistic whole. Or... realize it's completely out of your hands and get some friggin' rest. haha. Good luck!

That's hilarious--same here! Henderson and Powell's (in Portland) are my favorite bookstores. I miss the PNW. Edit: Elliott Bay and Mercer Street in Seattle are nice too!

Yeah, waiting game for sure. It's like the perfect volatile mixture of uncertainty, helplessness, and potential euphoria. Gonna lose my damn mind.

Can also confirm. Both calls I've received have come on Saturdays. One was at 2pm, another at 5pm.

Hey Sleam, welcome! I think most people in this thread have English literature/comp/rhet applications out. I think people applying for MFAs are discussing apps over in the literary arts forums: http://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/80-literary/ I've got one MFA application out as well, among my English lit/rhet apps, so I check over there every once in a while to see what people are talking about.

Congratulations! Such great news!

I unequivocally agree, and that's at the core of why I only applied to a (relative) handful of schools. It doesn't change the fact that it's really going to sting when I don't get into any of the Ph.D. programs I really wanted to get into. If anything, it might make it a bit harder on a personal level, because these weren't just throw-away schools, they're the schools and programs that I felt would most impact my future or change my life. Still, I'm in complete agreement--I'm not about to start haphazardly throwing out applications just for the hell of it, I was just joking that any acceptance would feel good at this point.

HA. I work as a technical writer and I spent about 20 minutes in Photoshop this morning whipping up an "I STAND WITH BOWLING GREEN" Facebook profile picture. I try not to be too political online, so I ended up not using it, but it kept me giggling for a few hours.

Feeling the same way. I haven't received any rejections yet (most of my schools are still a few weeks away from announcing), but I'm getting this heavy vibe that I shot too high and didn't throw out a wide enough net. I wouldn't have been happy with a wider net, as I applied only to schools I was really excited about, but at this point I'd almost be willing to pay $60 just to decline a Ph.D. acceptance. ha. I FEED ON YOUR VALIDATION. mwahah.

Thanks for the detailed answer! I know what you mean about not ranking your list; I only applied to schools that I'd be happy to attend--I never understood the concept of paying an application fee to possibly join a school/program that I wasn't particularly keen on. The plan is, certainly, to get the Ph.D. someday, but I'm not going to spend five years somewhere I don't want to be to get it. Interesting about the UMD program's interest in internal promotion. I wonder what may have sparked their change in policy. I get that some programs feel like they get more perspective when they bring in people from outside the institution, but I'm not so sure I agree with intentionally slanting admissions one way or another. I'd prefer to focus on who the qualified, passionate, driven candidates are... rather than where they came from. Then again, who am I? I'm sure the people running these schools know far better.

You got your M.A. at UMD right? I'm just curious how far up your list the UMD Ph.D. was? I had a professor once tell me that (while some schools do) many schools don't like promoting from within for their Ph.D. cohorts. Wondering what your feelings are in general?

I couldn't agree more. At the risk of sounding sappy or silly, this community has been an unbelievable source of comfort and support over the last few years. I can't believe it took me so long to make an account and start posting. I don't really know any of you, yet I feel a kinship with all of you, because we're all going through (or have gone through) the same trials. I'm still anxious and confused about this whole process (who isn't?) but I can only imagine what it would have been like applying or waiting it out without any insight or perspective. Anyway, yeah, thanks.

ha, yes, I've thought the same thing on several occasions: "Surely, good sir/madam, if you feel my credentials do not merit a place in this incoming cohort, it would be well worth your time to employ me to update your tragically outdated admissions portal! This way you can attract far better candidates than yours truly, and I can save all the time and hard work I'd end up spending getting an advanced degree while simultaneously entering into a lucrative career. Kindest regards, --A smarmy prick who just blew any chance he ever had of joining your fine institution."

Yeah, that's a very real possibility too. I've noticed a lot of these portals are quite outdated in some form or another.

Thanks very much! I applied for the Ph.D. program but they only take like 3 doctoral students every year (rarely without a graduate degree), so they accepted me into the M.A. program. That's why I was questioning the accuracy of the "early in March" statement--it could still be accurate if they're referring only to Ph.D. acceptances. Best of luck to you--hoping you get in!

Interesting! Same here! It's been locked down with a generic "Application window is closed" message for over a month, but I can get on today. I wouldn't read too much into the "Last Modified" stuff; I got an acceptance phone call from Carnegie Mellon's English department (Rhetoric program) and all of my "Last Modified" dates are from late November when I submitted my app. Your date change might mean something, but might not. At the bottom of the page it says: " When the admissions committee has completed their review, you will be notified of their decision by email early in March," but I haven't a clue how accurate that will end up being.

I don't want to yak your ear off, but since you asked I'll try to be detailed: When my POI called from Carnegie Mellon we talked for about 30 minutes on a Saturday afternoon. I was excited to talk to her, because I've been following her work for years and years, and I was amazed that she's the one that called me, because I didn't even name-drop in my SoP. Throughout the conversation I was really cautious, because I wanted to make sure I wasn't keeping her on the line (knowing how busy professors get). She was the one that kept the conversation going. She talked the program up for a few minutes, noting its exclusivity, its success rate with Ph.D. placements, its faculty, interdisciplinary resources, writing center, etc. She explained my funding offer and my other avenues for income (RA/TA/Tutoring/etc.) Then she spent about five minutes recommending very specific courses that she thought I should take based on my SoP (even giving me course numbers), and even professors I should try to talk to about their work. Then she spent about five minutes talking about different professors I could RA for, and what the work would look like under each of them. She told me about the upcoming open house and recommended I come, should I be able to swing it. We spent the last 10-15 minutes having a discussion on our shared interests, public policy, and institutional anxiety/metacognition/self-efficacy (which is where my research background lies). It was really laid-back, she was an absolute delight to talk to, and it didn't feel very stressful. I'm probably just as awkward as you are on the phone, and I didn't feel too out of place. After all, they're the ones calling us. For what it's worth, this call might have been a bit out of the ordinary. I've heard horror stories from friends about insanely awkward calls. My advice: Be polite, be humble, thank them for their time and their call (even if you're not super excited for whatever reason), and have a question or two to ask in advance so you sound interested. If they're calling to tell you you've been accepted, you're already over the hump and there's no reason to be nervous. You won--they're calling you to say congratulations. Edit: OH, and she said another professor (who I'd already been in touch with) would be calling me sometime in the coming week to confirm some things. She also said the official offer email would follow.

Thanks, @Ashley828! Yes, CMU's M.A. is still one year, and yeah, I too have heard it's really intense and fast-paced. They do allow part-time study, which could theoretically allow you to drag it out to two or three years, though I'd personally do anything I could to avoid that. I've also seen the same results you mention--very few R/C or Rhetoric programs take B.A. applicants; they almost always want applicants with graduate degrees and experience. I'm applying to a handful of other schools, but because of my (apparently unconventional) field of research interest (environmental rhetoric/science rhetoric/environmental literature/ecocriticism/education and social policy), those schools are spread out across a few disciplines. I targeted a small number of schools that perfectly fit my interests, even though it may ultimately result in my getting shut out this season. CMU is the only Rhetoric program I applied to. Among the others I sent apps to were the University of Oregon's English Ph.D. program (concentrations in Environmental Literature and R/C) and Harvard GSE's Ph.D. in Human Development, Learning, and Teaching. I even threw a MFA application into the mix because there's a professor whose work meshes so well with my creative honors thesis. The others are English Ph.D. programs that have an environmental/scientific/rhetoric bent.

Good to know about UMD; perhaps I'll ask them more directly about what kind of options I may have to close the tuition gap. I LOVE Vancouver. I grew up way down the Cascades, near Eugene, Oregon, and spent a lot of time in Portland and Seattle. Vancouver and Victoria are two of my favorite places--heck, I still have a handful of friends that live in Vancouver. I have fond memories of visiting Nanaimo as a child. I too miss the ocean, and the mountains, and pine trees, and whitewater, and basically anything that isn't flat and boring. Ha. At the end of the day, you're right, the fresh start is always nice.

Thanks, @Wyatt's Terps! That's more or less what my wife said (about the acceptance being an acceptance), and I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to have my first result be a semi-positive one. Helps with the impostor syndrome/stress levels a bit, knowing that all of my applications aren't in trash cans across the country. I definitely do plan on moving forward with the Ph.D., and the one-year M.A. program is a big draw, but I can't help feel like it's a huge gamble with that kind of price-tag. It's comforting to know it's an option, though. Congratulations to you about Ohio State, by the way! I've been watching the season unfold and I was really excited for you when I saw your great news. It's a wonderful program, and the city ain't that bad either. I currently live in Akron, Ohio (about 1:45 from Columbus), and I think Columbus is a really nice city; I'm from the Pacific NW, so I'm a bit spoiled, but if you have to be stuck in Ohio, Columbus is a great place to be stuck. OSU's sports fans can be insanely obnoxious though. ha.

Got a phone call from one of my academic/professional heroes Saturday afternoon; she was letting me know that Carnegie Mellon was excited to offer me a spot in their Rhetoric M.A. program. I'd applied for the Ph.D., but she very kindly explained that they only take 2-3 people into their Ph.D. program per year, and that those admitted almost always have graduate degrees (typically from CMU's own M.A. program). I knew this was the case before I applied, but the huge difference is that the Ph.D. program comes with a full tuition waiver. We had a really nice conversation (almost half an hour) and she got me really excited about an amazing program that I know I ultimately can't afford. If anybody's curious, I think CMU's tuition is around 42k a year. They offered me a very significant scholarship and an RA-ship, but it would still leave me on the hook for a chunk of money (over 10 grand). Before I'd even started this application process I promised myself that I wouldn't pay for graduate school; if I can get a full-ride I'll take it, but I'm not paying for relocation, housing, tuition, etc. I told her I'd be considering it (which I genuinely will, as it's just about my top choice); she told me that another POI would be calling me this week, and that they'd be in touch with further info and an official offer letter, and that was that!

I'm curious to know this as well, even though i didn't select the EdM referral. I have to believe that there are tons of applicants that didn't make the Ph.D. cut who would very likely make the EdM cut. If I had to guess, I'd say they put everybody in the same pool after the Ph.D. choices are made. It's the only thing that really makes sense.

Same, not a peep. I was really bummed last week, but I knew from the start that I didn't really have a chance. I'll wait for the official rejection to put the bow on it, but I'm considering this application closed.

Excited for everybody currently reporting acceptances/waitlists! Such awesome news. I'm still in limbo (none of my schools typically report until mid-late February) and I'm living vicariously!