zombiekeats

Dusting off my GradCafe account to offer perspectives/hellos to any prospective folks with questions about the program. I'm a second year studying 19th c. women's writing, poetics, and disability theory (just about to wrap up coursework!) Otherwise--congrats, and see you in March!!

Really excellent points, @Bumblebea and @orphic_mel528. I hope there is a time in which a more comprehensive rating system is created, not least because almost all of my advisors steered me away from totally relying on Ivy League, partially (probably) to help preserve my sanity, but also because in their opinion the more cutting edge research gets done in the prestigious research universities, where you're getting the rising stars of your field just as they're beginning their ascent, rather than at their peak or plateau. Speculation on mine and my advisors' parts, of course, but I wish there were a better way of actually seeing who's doing the best research, who's placing the most people, etc.

Yeah, I noticed that too--if you have AdBlock, click on the icon on your toolbar, and there should be something that says "Block an Ad" (or something similar) in the dropdown list. If you click that, you can highlight the ad you're seeing and it'll generate new code to block it.

Yikes, is it really just Ivy or bust? This is definitely something that worries me.

After some thought the past week, I just accepted UT Austin's offer and I couldn't be happier!

Meh, even with UT Austin falling in the rankings I wouldn't have made a different decision. Did UC Irvine jump up several spots, or were they always in the top 20?

Yayy same! Congrats! I'm not sure if I'll stay on the list or not yet, myself. Just relieved to be almost done with decisions.

Yeah, same--I've already started talking to my advisors about leveraging offers (in fact, they volunteered information). It feels a little weird, but--I do want to make sure I'm able to live on the stipend, etc., wherever I end up, especially since my partner won't be moving with me immediately. I think the strategy is to only do this if you have intentions to accept the offer from the school you're negotiating with, though. Otherwise you're just sort of stringing them along. What I've been told so far is to keep asserting your interest, and make it relatively clear you'd accept if they provide you a competitive offer--but also make it clear that you are entertaining equally competitive offers. What this translates into in real time I'm personally still sussing out. I've been emailing professors pre-visiting days and making it clear I'm interested, excited, etc., though that's really the easy part (because I am happy and excited!)

Thanks for the update! I figured it'd be between the two schools I got into early this season. Now to choose!

Me too I'm sorry

Ugh, I feel it. I'd bet we'll hear something today or tomorrow, though--March 1st is fast approaching.

Still waiting on official word from Michigan, Boston, and Columbia. Ugh, I just want to rip the band aid off and have done with it!

Not yet--I'm waiting for the waitlist stuff to come out. Good luck!!!!!!

Congrats @PoeticsofPossibility! Time for me to continually refresh my inbox. I've pretty much assumed that I've gotten all my positive decisions for the season, but I'm pleased with how things have gone.

Any UT Austin folks on here and going to the visiting days? I'm going to have an ocean of time on Thursday, and I'm debating on what I should do. I'm hoping to sit in on a class, if possible, but open to suggestions on interesting things on/nearby UT's campus! Also would love to meet a GCer in general.