clinamen

I just got accepted to the University of Minnesota!!!!!! I AM SO HAPPY!!! I was completely shut out last year so this is just unreal. I'm so thrilled!!

My UMN portal changed to "Decision Made" ...... what does it mean !? SO totally freaking out...

Not sure what any of this means, but thank you for sharing! Good luck!

I hope it's a positive decision and not just an early rejection! I may have self-"shellacked" by reading into it...

Thank you so much! Congrats again and OMG YES PLEASE! crossing my fingers so hard!!

I did some research on the results page and in the forums and it looks like this is without a doubt an acceptance, so no need to doubt it or worry about jinxing it. You're definitely in!! I'll keep my fingers crossed, and thank you in advance for any info :), and CONGRATS!!!

Hi everyone, not sure what this means but my application status has switched to "Final Review" for University of Minnesota.. Anyone else apply to UMN with a similar situation? Not sure if it's a good or bad sign! Freaking out either way!!

I feel like this has to be an acceptance because I applied to Temple as well but my application status says "Complete Ready for Review" -- So, congratulations!! So exciting! I wonder if I should take this as an implied rejection or hang on to hope..

I want to say that I aimed "lower" this year, but it's only half true. I still applied to some top-ranked programs but mostly because I felt like I couldn't not apply to them--the fit was great and there were many professors in these programs whose work aligned very closely with my own. I did make my list a bit longer and added some schools that were ranked a bit lower, I wanted to aim for a bunch of programs ranked in the 50-60 realm, but quickly threw that idea out as any school without a great fit is a waste of an application. So, as a rule, I only applied to schools with an excellent fit this year. I switched up my focus. Having finished my MA I have a much clearer idea of what I want to study and how to articulate those interests. Desperate to get in somewhere, I tried to tailor last year's application materials to what was "hot" in the humanities at the time, or what I thought programs would be looking for. This year I just went with what I am actually genuinely interested in and I'm hoping that will play out well for me. I also reached out to professors (POIs) this year around and was met with really positive responses from almost everyone I contacted. I don't know if that will end up working in my favor or making any difference, but it made me feel more confident about the programs. It was also a way to filter out programs without a great fit e.g. if I couldn't find someone on the faculty to reach out to because of similar interests then I shouldn't be applying. My expectations are certainly lowered, but I won't be any less devastated if I am shut out a second time.

It is my second time applying for P.hD. programs. My first time was when I was finishing the last year of my MA and I was shut out. I put absolutely all of my effort into those application materials, so it was certainly soul-crushing to receive ten rejections. I reapplied this year and it was never a question of whether or not I would try again. I have sort of a P.hD-or-bust mentality--I'm super dedicated and I just keep telling myself that it will work out because it has to work out. I don't know that I can stomach another year of categorical rejection though, so I am desperately hoping I get good news this season. I would love to hear some success stories from anyone who has been in a similar situation!

I'm still holding onto a shred of hope -- Congrats to those who have gotten interview requests already! I would love to hear more about the email/request/entire situation to maybe shed light on some of our theories!

I was totally prepared to hear news about Chicago this week. In fact, I thought today would surely be the day they'd send out interview requests, but I figure since it's almost 7 pm in Chicago at this point we won't be hearing from them after all. That being said I can't believe all of the news we have gotten today--e.g. Harvard. I didn't apply but am definitely surprised that they have sent out decisions this early. I'm wondering if my projections based on last year are going to prove totally useless and all bets are off!

I just came across a posting on the results page that mentioned UPenn only accepts one applicant with an MA to their PhD program each year. Can anyone confirm this information? If so, as someone with an MA, I'm wondering if there is any point in applying when the program is already extremely competitive--these odds just seem impossible. Are there any other programs that have similar tendencies that I should know about?

Hello everyone! I am trying to keep on schedule with completing all aspects of my applications in a timely manner. The major thing that seems to precede everything else is finalizing my list of schools, as from there I can begin working on SOPs, and taking/not taking the GRE Lit (which, I will never, ever do well on considering I specialize in 20/21st c American lit and my education has been predominantly noncanonical). I am working through a long list of programs right now and have only eliminated about four so far. I am interested in urban space/place studies--much of my research has been interested in Los Angeles and its literature but I'm not wanting to limit myself to LA, so I'm planning to send a paper I've written on urban architecture in American modernism for my WS. Anyone have an idea of what programs would be a choice fit for me? Despite my hesitance over applying to top-ranked programs, I will be applying to U Chicago and Princeton for their fit in this area. I just want to make sure I don't miss a perfect program for my interests, so any advice is much appreciated! Also, I know this was posted a while back, but I'd love to join any accountability-oriented group chats!

Hi thanks for all of the information! I applied this year, and maybe this was my downfall, but I was lucky to find one or two professors at each program with research interests that overlapped significantly with mine. How specific should our research interests match? For instance, I am (speaking generally) interested in urban space, cities, time/space in American lit (20/21 c). The writing sample I will be sending is interested in architecture in American modernism. I fear that I will be hard pressed to find people doing exactly that. Should I just be looking for professors who are interested in space/place and American lit? Because that feels too generic! I am prepared to really get into doing intensive research to find active professors that match what I'm doing (I've only got one so far) but I did this type of research last year, and I still only found about one or two in any given department. There were no places with three or more. Do these departments exist?! What am I missing here? Thanks again

Literally just received my rejection. blegh.

Thank you for this advice, I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner!

I saw a few rejections go up on the results page for UW on Friday but I haven't heard anything yet.. They're probably just sending out rejections in groups, but of course, I'm fantasizing it's a secret waitlist spot :/ .. ahh the desperation is real.

Yes, All of this. Plus teaching. I have already applied for a full time position and will be sending in another app at a different university by the end of the month. I am also planning to do more conferencing and publish this paper that is in the publication process already. It makes me want to die a little bit thinking about having to repeat this application process again this coming year. It took so much out of me this time around, but I'm not giving up! 20/21 c. Americanist here as well, although my interests are much more theory-oriented.

Yes, I really feel like this may have been a problem with my SOP as well. I situated my work within a very specific critical conversation and a specific type of critical theory. While I'm typically in the broad sense 20th C. American, and I mentioned this, I certainly did not emphasize this as a subfield and I don't think this made my application easy to categorize.

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate the response. I will hold onto a small amount of hope -- fingers crossed!! An acceptance at UW would make my life!

Thank you sooo much! I really, really hope you're right! An acceptance would make my life! But seriously, congratulations!! That's amazing that you were awarded a fellowship and funding!!

I am starting to worry that UW is an implied rejection for me I will have my MA by the end of this year so I applied straight into the PhD program and it looks like they've already sent out some acceptances.. Do they usually do them all at once?

Congrats on your acceptance!! Was the email notification personalized? Just trying to feel out if maybe UW is done sending acceptances at this point. It feels like my last shot at an admission this year so I'm pretty much starving for information!

Do you mind if I ask your sub-field?