M(allthevowels)H

Congrats @E. Coronaria, @hopeleslie and @Zooks! Good luck to you all!

Leaving California is a whole thing. Not only will the people you leave behind not understand, but the people in the new place won't either. You'll get a lot of "Why would you leave LA (because all of So Cal is LA when you go far enough east) to come here?" For me it was totally worth it, 100%, no regrets. Upsides include: actually feeling seasons, understanding a totally different set of cultures and behaviors (Philadelphia is uniquely rude but ultimately kind? Like their kindness is just not at all tied to politeness in any way?) and being in a place where the average building is older than your state carries so much interesting history. The ghost tours are A+. Downsides: It's whiter than you can imagine. If you're used to a strong Mexican/El Salvadorian presence in your vicinity, there is a noticeable vacuum. Also, related, the tacos suck. As far as leaving people behind, it does suck. But the good ones follow you. They stay in touch, they write and call, or they show up after your first semester just to sleep three wide on an air mattress. You'll meet new people who can be there for you in every day life, but the people you have will still be there for you in all the ways they still can.

Holy cow I missed a lot of good news!! Congratulations @Mandasplaining, @hopeleslie @klader @Isocrates2.o @bigfluffybearcat !!! @la_mod Look at you go!! @chellyfish_ I did my undergrad at Riverside and I will never shut up about how it is the absolute best. Orange trees? On Campus? That you can just pick on your way to class? Feel free to ask questions. @JustPoesieAlong Congratulations on getting into your top choice!!! This is huge @bpilgrim89 Freaking CUNY!! Congrats!!

Yesss! I knew good news was coming your way! Congrats!! Yay! I can't imagine what North Carolina will look like through Canadian eyes. It's a fascinating place. They totally want to admit you. They're just playing hard to get. Congratulations!! I guess that 48 hour wait was worth it haha

Oh wow. Belated congrats :-)

Yes! And it's such a gorgeous area! Congrats!!

Congrats!!

That...is...hilarious. On the upside, three acceptances means they're into it

Yes! Congrats!!

This post might have been better put on the Venting thread. I am sorry for your experience thus far, and I agree that it is always good to keep perspective when a rejection comes in if you do have other offers or waitlists. That being said, people, even people who have acceptances, are allowed to feel disappointed when they are rejected and express that disappointment. It might be a school they thought they would fit in best at, or the school that would enable them to stay close to loved ones. It's a matter of being human, not being ungrateful. I personally plan to wail like an infant when Columbia rejects me, because I really see myself in that program and many of the people I love most in the world have moved to Manhattan or Brooklyn. (Though I will likely limit my wailing to the real world with only chihuahuas as audience.) I really do hope you have an acceptance on the horizon, and that things turn around for you this season.

Ahhh! Congrats @Crow T. Robot !!

I always worry that academia is waaaay too small for self-aggrandizing fits to stay truly anonymous. I'm also petty enough to hope that they lost their spot to someone from an itsy-bitsy state school with no pubs and no conferences.

Don't take this the wrong way, but thank you for expressing this. I have been really dealing with it, but I assumed that it's because I come from an entirely creative writing background (BA and MFA) whereas most of you guys are English or philosophy, and am just hounded by the constant "I don't know as much as everyone else. I've tricked these schools into thinking I'm a *real* scholar but the real scholars will sniff me out." But if you (read: real scholar) are also dealing with it I can chalk it up to brain tricks. (I also like to shift from insecurity to arrogance when thinking about my remaining schools. "I'm not good enough...but seriously Rochester how dare you ghost me?" all in the same breath.)

Congrats and welcome! OH MY GOD! I can almost forgive them for the 48 hours of free anxiety they prescribed beforehand. Congratulations!!

I don't mean to laugh, but this made me laugh out loud. I'm just picturing my partner - who is in finance and knows only the basics about anything literary - answering the phone to questions about post-humanism or something and it's hilarious.

Congrats on Tulsa and good luck!

Congrats! And also, I feel this so hard. It doesn't help knowing that their inability to spell the name never bodes well for their ability to pronounce it later. Yay!! We are all pulling for you!!

Just got an acceptance to Texas Tech even though I was sure they were done notifying!! I'm beginning to think my alphabetically late last name might have something to do with this pattern...

Yes!!! I've heard such good things about their rhet program!! (information wasted on me; I'm Lit)

Saaaaaammmeee. I'm giving it until the end of today before counting them as In The Abyss. If you're not going to accept me, all I ask is a proper rejection. You know, for closure.

Yesss! I hope this first acceptance takes a load of stress off :-) Congrats to you both! A totally acceptable reaction. Congrats!! May someone accepted into USC find their nonacademic calling and bow out. Or go somewhere else. Fingers crossed!

Oof. This is just cruel. It's too long a window!

*sips tea* and what have we learned about self doubt? Sometimes our brains are liars. (Congrats again!)

@colin_cloute @maengret @HopefulRhetorician @turtleducks Congratulations everyone! Way to start the week with some good energy!

I commiserate with this so much. My family doesn't believe in higher education for religious reasons, (I hesitate to use the word "cult"...but only just), and so I am constantly going through this cycle of "Just don't tell them your plans" but then eventually telling them because I'm too excited at my first offer, or because we're having a phone call in which my family seems particularly open, and only to end up getting utterly shit on. I've finally landed on a decision to just absolutely, resolutely not mention academia at all, despite how tempting it is to share my life with people who, I know for a fact, love me. It's not worth the stress it puts on either participant of the conversation. Sometimes it is easiest to accept that they will never be proud of the things that make me proud, because we have different standards for what makes a successful life. I am fortunate enough to have the most supportive partner in the world and one sister who remains fully supportive, so I have somewhere else I can espouse hopes and frustrations with the process.