anon4now

@amstu nay

If you're still completing your BA, it's very possible that your department will pay for your travel expenses to attend the conference. Wouldn't hurt to ask the department chair or, if that's too intimidating, a professor you're close with who would then talk with the chair. I really hope you're able to attend.

As someone who got 158V/149Q/4.5W on the GRE and accepted into a couple of Ivy Leagues AND a top 10 program AND waitlisted by another top 10, I think it's safe to say that the GRE does not matter. Fit, SOP, and writing sample are key. Channel all of your energy into those components of your application, especially if you're poor like me and can't afford to retake the GRE. Why stress over the GRE when you can be utilizing that time to perfect parts of the application that a) you have the most control over and b-represent you best? One last thing: Don't be afraid to be creative in the work you present to these universities; be poetic and speculative and a bit unsure. Ask unanswerable questions. Good luck to all current and future applicants! Edit: I also got an incredibly embarrassing score of 430 on the subject test. I only share all of this to give hope to people who, like me, suck at tests. Don't waste your time, your money, or your sanity on them. Just do *your* best.

Hope this helps people out: I've been accepted into Columbia's Ph.D. program in English and Comparative Literature. Received an email from the DGS this morning, and my acceptance letter appears on the application website. I was not interviewed, so this was totally unexpected. The email says over 540 people applied and they hope to admit on average 16 students. Not sure how that translates into number of people accepted. Best of luck to the rest of you still waiting!

Dear Columbia, WYA?! -My Anxiety

@shoestofollow You the real MVP.

@Yanaka It's so great that you're getting help! I've been very lucky in that I had the opportunity to write a senior thesis and my letter writers read through several drafts of my SoP. Feedback is key. Still: I wouldn't be discouraged yet, if I were you. You still have several schools to hear back from.

I'm so sorry I assumed otherwise! You seem to be a very unique candidate. It might just be fit? Or you might need to revise your writing sample? Or this process is just too esoteric and arbitrary to ever really know what the hell is happening? *nervous laughter*

@Yanaka Oh okay. I checked the results page for comp lit and see what you mean. Strange that they're taking this long to send out rejections (assuming its rejections from here on out). If it's any consolation, I was pretty disheartened by my Northwestern rejection for about 5 minutes until I realized what a weird fit it would have been for me. I honestly don't expect any other offers than the one I received from UCLA (except maybe Yale) strictly due to fit. (Yale is a perfect fit, but it's like shooting for the moon with amateur equipment (I have mediocre GRE scores and I'm a first-time applicant)). I'm certain you are completely capable of doing graduate work, and it might be possible that the programs you've received rejections from just aren't a great fit. On top of which, you're an international student! From what I understand, your competition is even steeper than current U.S. citizens. I really, really hope you are admitted into a program this year. Don't give up hope! (Sidenote: I'm a bit obsessed with parentheticals. My apologies.)

So hi, I'm one of the people who posted an acceptance from UCLA (yay!). The acceptance came as a letter from the DGS. I've been a bit hesitant to post about it on this forum, though, because I'm still technically waiting for UCLA's Graduate Division to approve funding. I'm assuming the department wouldn't recommend me for admission if they weren't certain I'd be guaranteed funding by the university?...Right??...help! Anyway, to answer your question more directly: I've checked the decision portal and it still says, "to date, no decision has been made on your application." The decision portal is *NOT* the same portal through which you submitted your application. Confusing, I know. Here's the link to save you some time: https://appstatus.grad.ucla.edu/ In my opinion, no news is better news than bad news. If anything, look out for an email from the DGS. That might be the surest sign of an acceptance (for UCLA, at least). But Yanaka, I know you've mostly applied to comparative lit programs. Is this true for UCLA as well? I applied to their English Ph.D. Program, so the process/timeline might be slightly different. In any case, congrats to those who got into programs! To everyone else, I wish you the best of luck! Just remember to remain hopeful. Everyone here clearly has a passion for graduate studies and deserves to be in a program.

I am also super anxious!!! Glad I'm not alone.

@piers_plowman Congrats on your Northwestern acceptance!!! Wondering if anyone has any information regarding Northwestern's English program sending out more acceptances or just rejections from here?...

lol you're right. Agh!

Wondering if the people who posted interview invites from Columbia on the results page are both comp lit? One says 'English' and it's freaking me out.. congrats to you both, regardless!

I'm out of likes rn but congrats to both of you!!! Participating in these forums now has me super emotionally invested in everyone here getting into a program lol

Congrats to the person who received an acceptance to the University of Wisconsin-Madison!

Northwestern's African-American Studies program may have sent out decisions(?)-- There are only a couple on the results board. Good luck to those who applied! Hoping English isn't too far behind..

I feel like the next seven days or so are going to be absolutely unbearable. Def. expecting decisions from 2 of my top choices this week (assume similar situation for others?) With that said: Remember to breathe. Our potential as future scholars is not predicated on our immediate admission into an M.A. or Ph.D. program. Success often demands patience, perseverance, and lots and lots of revisions. *sigh*

GC is being a bit dramatic with that red highlight. Yellow or purple or anything other than red would suffice imo

I've been placed on a waitlist for Duke's Ph.D. in English program. Let the waiting continue... 5 more to go! Good luck to everyone out there!

“Below, experts shared healthy ways to cope with anxiety right here, right now.” 1. Take a deep breath. *My body: ‘Not that deep.'* 2. Accept that you’re anxious. *Ha, like I have a choice.* 3. Realize that your brain is playing tricks on you. *Brain: You have no chance. Your SOP was weak. WEAK, I SAY. Me: Fuck you, Brain!* 4. Question your thoughts. *Thoughts: You should have applied to more schools. Me: Why didn’t I apply to more schools?* 5. Use a calming visualization. *Ooh, look! Another person posted an acceptance on the results page. Proceeds to bite nails in the calmest manner possible.* 6. Be an observer–– without judgment. *Wow, look at all these people posting acceptances on the results page. Wish I were one of them (No judgment against myself or anything).* 7. Use positive self-talk. *There’s always next year.* 8. Focus on right now. *Right now I have 0a/0r/0w. Things are looking up.* 9. Focus on meaningful activities. *Meaningfully refreshes email every 30 seconds. Has a meaningful heart attack every time phone rings. Makes meaningful revisions on all submitted application materials.* Feel free to share how you’ve been coping with your anxiety.

Glad to hear there are other 19th century people! I'd like to revisit really classic 19th-century texts by Frederick Douglass, Herman Melville, Harriet Jacobs, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mary Prince, Harriet Wilson, and several others but those are the main authors. Clearly I'm mostly literature-based. What I really like about AMST programs though–– and I'm sort of just now figuring this out–– is how undisciplined the discipline actually is. It's really hard to define AMST programs and the kinds of projects they support. Wish I had applied to more of these programs–– Maybe next year! (well, hopefully it works out this year lol)

Okay, so you and I have opposite concerns haha. I have a 'pet project' I suppose, but it's mostly grounded in the terminology I'm attempting to theorize. From there, it spans from early to 19th-century American lit with AfAm lit being my main focus. With that said, I feel my sop might be pitching too narrow a project. I've also looked at some of the grad student profiles on Yale's website and other places and, like you said, many of these students have diverse, complex projects. BUT part of the reason I went the pet project route was my fear of submitting an sop that was too list-y, ya kno? It's really impossible to tell what they're looking for though :/ TBH it sounds like your interests are more focused than you think. Your current project is also very contemporary (US sports and popular culture). Now, I'm also curious if anyone applying to AMST programs is interested in 19th-century American literary and cultural studies? Or anything before the 20th century in general? I've applied to UCLA (English Ph.D.), Northwestern (English Ph.D. w/Critical Studies in Theater and Performance interdisciplinary cluster program), Duke (English Ph.D.), Columbia (English Ph.D.), Yale (AMST Ph.D.), Georgetown (English M.A.), and NYU (Performance Studies M.A.). I am interested in how concepts like 'freedom,' 'fugitivity,' and 'resistance' are unsettled by feminine performances of sorrow, grief, and joy. I've sort of termed these performances- weeping, mourning, nonsense, and silence- by describing them as a 'feminine counter-praxis.' Sort of a broad description, but hopefully you get the gist.

First: Everyone's projects sound *fantastic,* which makes me feel really nervous, excited, and privileged to be a part of this year's application season. Second: I am also applying to Yale's American Studies Program (it's actually the only AMST program I'm applying to) and was wondering where people's doubts lie in not being accepted? This is my first year applying and I'm not sure if I am being naive about the (non)-importance of GRE scores... or if I am just missing how out-of-the-box our projects must be...? Although my apps are already submitted (lol @my life), I am still kind of caught on what makes an exciting interdisciplinary project stand out, esp. to the eyes and hearts of Yale (or other "top-tier" program) adcomms. Any advice? Similar concerns? In response to previous posts: McKittrick is incredible, and I would just add that I highly, highly recommend Sylvia Wynter's work for anyone thinking about geography, the African diaspora, colonialism, post-colonialism, the category of the Human, etc. Wynter is phenomenal. (A little bit abt me: I am interested in 19th century American Literature, AfAm studies, queer/feminist studies, performance studies, and affect studies.)