CrunchyMamademic

To echo @imogenshakes, the culture in my MA program and the University I currently work at full time, jeans are absolutely acceptable. We have a wide range of styles, though, and it boils down to personal preference. I typically start a little more dressed up and end up in jeans by midterms or so, sometimes sooner if I have a really good class. In my experience, starting more professional can set the tone in the right way, particularly if you are a woman or look young.
I'm planning on asking about dress code specifically on my campus visit, since as @Wyatt's Terps noted some Universities tend toward more business casual attire. When in doubt, I think it's always better to lean more toward overdressed.

I have heard this advice from others in my field as well, but never from my own advisor. In my opinion -- which may not be appropriate for your situation, so take it with a grain of salt -- you should try working on publications. It sounds like doing so will keep you in line with others at your same level, which is obviously important for marketability. The PhD program I am beginning in the fall recommends submitting something for publication about once a year at the minimum. I also published during my MA.
Because the advice is coming from your advisor, this may be a touchy situation. However, the decisions you make in your program will ultimately shape your career later on. Does your department have some sort of placement coordinator or someone you can talk to about marketability based on your specific career interests?

After a great visit with students and faculty yesterday, and a funding offer last week, I've officially accepted an MA/PhD spot at UMass Amherst! I'm so excited -- the rhet/comp community is just the kind of thing that I'm looking for, the faculty are really nice, and they just moved out of a crappy old building into a snazzy new one. Now to actually be a graduate student!

Thanks so much, everyone, for your help through this whole hulabaloo. It's been a long, strange trip, but the reassurance and the advice I found here was invaluable. 

ENFIN ENFIN ENFIN!!! 
Indiana University baby!! Finally got an offer of financial support after many long months of waiting!

It seems like this earlier deadline is becoming more common. My Comp/Rhet program also had an earlier deadline, and here's why: Association of Writers and Writing Programs Recommendations on the Timeframe for Admissions
At least, my acceptance letter cited this recommendation as the reason why.
I know that doesn't exactly help your situation! But like @FeetInTheSky said, it never hurts to ask for an extension. Just be careful about how you word that email.

I have heard this advice from others in my field as well, but never from my own advisor. In my opinion -- which may not be appropriate for your situation, so take it with a grain of salt -- you should try working on publications. It sounds like doing so will keep you in line with others at your same level, which is obviously important for marketability. The PhD program I am beginning in the fall recommends submitting something for publication about once a year at the minimum. I also published during my MA.
Because the advice is coming from your advisor, this may be a touchy situation. However, the decisions you make in your program will ultimately shape your career later on. Does your department have some sort of placement coordinator or someone you can talk to about marketability based on your specific career interests?

I would probably accept by the 27st, but I'm not sure what the actual guidelines are.
That's such an early deadline!

I got offered a spot in the UMD MA program yesterday
Funding is questionable and I don't know if I'll take the offer given that I have guaranteed funding in Nebraska, but it still feels good! I'm sure lots of people get the "ok not the PhD but try out MA program" email (or consolation prize, as I've heard it called) but I'm still counting it as a win. 

Ouch. That sounds like it could be a real ego bruiser. And yet I wish my rejection came with one!

That is both a relief and an instant panic attack!

GOT MY FIRST ACCEPTANCE from the MA program at UBC. I'm so happy, it's a great fit. I don't feel like I can accept immediately before I know if I've been admitted to any funded PhDs (since I'm American and a Canadian MA may be financially challenging) but this is such good news. It's such a load off to know that no matter what else happens I have at least one option for next year.

While I was waiting to hear from schools, I started a massive goal list. I began with the goals I want to achieve in 10 years, then broke it down to what I will need to have accomplished in 5 years to be on track for those big goals. I broke it down even further into what I need to accomplish yearly in order to meet those 5 year goals, and finally what I should do each month. It was really helpful for giving me a visual path to my goals, but also--and this is so important!--did not hinge on my being accepted to a program this year. Getting into a program would certainly help, but I had to stick to goals that were attainable (albeit challenging) through hard work alone NOT something dependent on others. 

I think it's also important to note that the admissions committee also has responsibilities: In addition to being on the committee, other responsibilities may include: preparing lectures for class(es), grading essays, meeting with students outside class for help, develop new classes, supervise and evaluate graduate student teaching, evaluating teaching by colleagues up for tenure, attend department colloquia, write letters of recommendation for students on jobs, graduate schools, scholarships, and other programs, supervise graduate student research, read and evaluate Ph.D oral examinations, write grant proposals, monitor spending from grants, write papers for publication, read scholarly journals to stay current, edit academic journals,  participate in faculty meetings and committees, respond to information requests from college administrators, give public lectures, participate in or host faculty searches, give presentations to promote university, supervise independent studies or master's theses, guide student research. This is not an exhaustive list and they may be raising a family or have other family obligations in addition to this.

Out of upvotes, but I concur. I've been blessed to have acceptances this early this admission season, but for MA programs, I know I waited until at least late February to have received any good news at all. My husband waited until late March to hear anything for his MA applications.
I think someone else mentioned that there are many times we are asked to wait, especially in academia. I just waited six months to receive a rejection from a publication. Others have to wait even longer, and imagine if you are trying to get tenure.
By no means am I or @Wyatt's Terps trying to invalidate anyone's feelings or shut people down. It's frustrating and horrible to be left in this kind of purgatory. But, admissions committees are composed of the same type of people you admire - professors who have too many responsibilities as it is, but who take an investment in the future of their department. 
It's only been since December for many of us that the first deadline was due (or late November). I promise, the majority of our programs will notify by late February or early March. But, if they receive calls and emails from applicants, it will just slow the process down.
Again, not trying to ruffle feathers, and I know some of you are just joking about making calls, but please just wait for the process to take the time it needs.
Much love --

A way to find your interest is to ask yourself this question: What about it?
I loved history. It's my field now. But I once struggled to find a specific interest in it. Then I asked myself what I loved about history. The answer? American history. Well that was good but not good enough. What about American history? The early republic, that is, Washington's presidency to Madison's. What about the early republic? The political culture. What about the political culture? Constitutionalism. What about constitutionalism? Constitutional dialogue. What about constitutional dialogue? Memory. What about memory? The memory of the Articles of Confederation. And what about it? Conflicting narratives of why the Articles failed. DING DING DING! AND WE HAVE A DISSERTATION!
Do you see what I did? I used the Socratic method on myself. Stop at a place broad enough for extensive research but narrow enough to ask a specific question within a specific context. (This is the most difficult part.) Ask yourself what interests you about the influences of classical rhetoric on modern practices.
Your love is what keeps you up at night. You'll know it when you find it. Best of luck.

Yay!!! I'm so excited to meet another potential Husker.
Congratulations. I hope the TA-ship comes through, too.

I second this wholeheartedly. My inspiration came in a 20th century British Literature course, when I noticed a strikingly similar situation in Virginia Woolf's novel Jacob's Room and E. M. Forster's Maurice. It ended up being my thesis and sparked my interest in Queer Theory and homosexuality in the Bloomsbury Group. I never thought of these things being my niche until that class.

I was accepted to the PhD program in comp/rhet on Friday via phone. I don't know how far along they are, but an email I received sounded like they might have finished.
Are you Comp or Lit?

I second this wholeheartedly. My inspiration came in a 20th century British Literature course, when I noticed a strikingly similar situation in Virginia Woolf's novel Jacob's Room and E. M. Forster's Maurice. It ended up being my thesis and sparked my interest in Queer Theory and homosexuality in the Bloomsbury Group. I never thought of these things being my niche until that class.

Lurker finally coming out. I was accepted to University of Nebraska Lincoln on Friday (PhD in Composition and Rhetoric)! From the email I received today, it looks like they're finished. Anyone else considering UNL?
I only applied to two programs, so this is super exciting. Still waiting on Miami University.

Lurker finally coming out. I was accepted to University of Nebraska Lincoln on Friday (PhD in Composition and Rhetoric)! From the email I received today, it looks like they're finished. Anyone else considering UNL?
I only applied to two programs, so this is super exciting. Still waiting on Miami University.

Lurker finally coming out. I was accepted to University of Nebraska Lincoln on Friday (PhD in Composition and Rhetoric)! From the email I received today, it looks like they're finished. Anyone else considering UNL?
I only applied to two programs, so this is super exciting. Still waiting on Miami University.