la_mod

Nope! Been checking results for the past few years for all the schools I applied to, and it's all over the place. Zero consistency from one year to the next, ha.

This is really nice to hear, thank you. I’m definitely rooting for you. I’m also very glad I reapplied this year, but am unsure I can do a third round if I need to, for a lot of reasons. Are you only applying to PhD programs? wait, never mind. I just saw you were admitted to Pittsburgh! Congratulations!

I wonder if they have fewer applicants? Also, I envy your full days.

I wish I would have looked into more funded MA options, tbh. However, I’m also curious about what y’all think about school prestige. I had professors from my (not very well-ranked) undergrad institution tell me that I pretty much needed to distance myself from the name of my school by way of an MA. There are a few people who got their MAs at my univeristy last year who were accepted into UCR, OSU, and Wisconsin, so maybe times are changing, but I’m really wondering what options we *do* have. I don’t want to pay for an MA. It’s expensive and risky and I’m not sure it’s worth it. BUT. Is the best option then to just already be a great student at a great undergrad institution? I guess what I’m trying to get at is this: I feel like academia really benefits those with the means to “make connections” at expensive schools, and I’m not sure how any of us can break that cycle. EDIT to add: also. I don’t want this to come across like I’m defending MAPH, because I’m not. I think it seems fishy. Not because it’s nine months is too short (as I stated before, I’m all for short terminal MAs in Canada when the cohort is small etc etc), but because it’s so expensive. More so, I’m wondering: what can I / we do besides getting an MA to make ourselves “more competitive” applicants? I know this is turning into a rant and is partially fueled by a comment implying that there’s no shame in giving up if I don’t get in this round, but like. Idk. I’m annoyed with this process and feel like it’s rigged against a lot of the people I’ve met who also want to go into academia.

It’s 4-5 per semester plus a thesis I believe. It depends. And yes, it is intensive, but there’s no guaranteed PhD with any other MA either.

I dunno, that’s how long most Canadian MAs are, and they have pretty solid placements in PhD programs. UBC / Toronto is FAR less expensive though...

congratulations!

true, but two would be weird. it's probably an error in the drop-down menu

thank you for this update!

Some people do it just to be mean. Last year there were a few of us who were holding out on Columbia as our last school, and someone posted that they had been accepted, then admitted a few hours later that they did it to mess with us / make us feel like we didn't get in. People suck.

I dreamt that UCLA admissions came out. I've a feeling it will be tomorrow, though I know I said something similar about Cal last week, ha. Ready to have my dreams crushed, I guess! Ready to start crafting my back-up plans.

really can't tell... i want to say no?

Try not to beat yourself up about it too much! There's no shame in aiming high and reapplying, though you definitely have a few weeks before you start considering that. Hopefully the UCs will all be next week, based on last year's timeline

Also fishy with the other GRE numbers being in percentile and not raw? Idk maybe I’m being a jerk. A genuine congrats to whoever it is though; Cal is rad

Spoke too soon.... Eek, sorry to hear :/

English or Comp Lit? If English, UPenn hasn’t come out yet and likely won’t until the end of the month.

I still live with my parents! PM me and we can commiserate.

Nope! I got an interview last year and was ultimately rejected; I know others didn’t get an interview and were accepted. It’s always done by subfield, so maybe just medieval Lit is interviewing this year?

Sorry to butt in, but not all prospective candidates are interviewed.

Of course! But I wonder if there’s a limit to it? When does struggle cease to be noble etc etc

Oof. I've been reading a lot of Nietzsche the past few days and this fits right into that. Having one "virtue" is good? Ugh. Doesn't make it easier.

Oh cool! And bizarre in the questions asked, I guess. When I interviewed last year they mainly made me ask them questions about the department and I wasn't expecting this at all and was thus totally under-prepared.

Hello! If you don't mind me asking, what's your emphasis in English? Also Columbia's interviews are so bizarre; I'm sure you did better than you think!

Very true! I took a forced "gap year" and it has been very good for me. I'm now facing a lot of rejection again and am wondering what I'll do this time if I don't get in, but.... I don't know, we gotta believe that things work out right.

I'm a firm believer that knowing is always better than waiting! And hey, it's not over till it's over!