toxicmoss

Just scoured the boards for a solid 15 minutes looking for that one long list of sample questions to ask--can someone help me out and re-post it here?
EDIT: Nvm, found it! And if anyone else is looking for it, it's here.

I personally think visiting if you’re able to is so, SO key. I visited all the MA programs i was accepted to a few years ago and so far, this year, have visited 5 PhD programs (I’m including the interview/recruitment hybrids). There were places where I got an instant feeling I wouldn’t fit there, despite being a good fit on paper, and the longer I spent there the stronger the feeling became OR something happened to turn that feeling around. There were other programs where I didn’t think the fit as strong as others, but when I went there, found there had been resources and profs I had overlooked and wound up loving it. There were other places where I clicked so well with professors and easily spoke to them for an hour + and other places where conversations were forced and awkward and ended quickly. There is also the city fit to consider as well! It’s a long commitment and I think the city you live in is a big factor to consider too! 
I have been accepted to several programs and waitlisted at a few and will by all means decline places I’ve ruled out within the next week or so, but for the top two or three, while i am planning to make a decision before April 15 to give others time, I am not going to make a decision without all the facts and conversations I need. I think accepting a little before April 15 is both helpful to others but also gives you time to make a thorough decision. But I don’t think you must push it far earlier than a *little* before the 15, especially with visiting days so late. I definitely and strongly encourage visiting both, if you can, before making a call! 

@toxicmoss If both programs are genuinely interesting to you, then there's really nothing you can do but wait to make a decision until after visits. you really get an enormous amount of information out of them that i don't think you can get any other way. 

LOL, I like how I can tell which post is yours on the results board. Good riddance, UVA! 
@toxicmoss - I'll post my general tips to interpreting offers just so it's public knowledge and anyone can weigh in with their tips, too. Basically, sometimes offer letters are a little confusing at first glance. Depending on the institution, sometimes they state the amount of money they are  covering in tuition, student fees, health insurance, which is all included in part of your package. However, the only amount of money that you'll ever see (i.e. be able to use to pay rent/buy food) is the stipend--which is much, much less. Be sure you're using the stipend only when you're trying to check out the cost of living in an area! 
 

I checked. I am in inferno now..... ?

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I will say on the bright side I haven't seen many others post about it in results or here yet, so maybe it's a good sign? Even a waitlist would be amazing as so far I've been shutout

I got a similar email from UCI and checked it on my laptop. Nothing's changed on my app. I'm hoping for the best! I emailed the DGS to ask about the update....

Okay also whoever called out those posts on the results forum, haha, I kinda love you.

Well, given that I haven't heard anything from UCSB or Davis, I'm considering myself down and out for this cycle. See you all next year ✌️

To any lurking English professors: please make yourself known so we can pepper you with very annoying questions like what GRE score would make our applications failure-proof and also make not-so-subtle appeals to you to wield your power for good on our current, clearly not failure-proof applications.  Thanks.

This is my second cycle around and at this point if I don't hear from a school within 3-5 days of the first result being posted on the board I take it as an implied rejection 
That way if it isn't I can be pleasantly surprised, lol
(Your mileage may vary)

This is my second cycle around and at this point if I don't hear from a school within 3-5 days of the first result being posted on the board I take it as an implied rejection 
That way if it isn't I can be pleasantly surprised, lol
(Your mileage may vary)

Is anyone else starting to lose their minds slightly? I just saw the UC Davis acceptance (congrats!!!) and I momentarily panicked before I realized that I had not applied to UC Davis ?

I’m one of the UCLA acceptances! Still in total disbelief. I received an email from the DGS outlining my admissions details.

I'm not sure if they offer any more tests this year, but I wanted to chip in for future test takers. I took the test twice, the first one I bombed, and the second I am waiting for the scores but I think I did pretty well (fingers crossed). There were some significant differences in how I approached the two tests. But, as always, finding your own strategy is the best
1. Wrong questions are no longer penalized. I did not know this when I took the test the first time around (relied too heavily on the Princeton Review book written years ago). I wasted time on questions I should have guessed and moved on. I hate myself for not knowing this beforehand
2. Read the questions first -- mark the lines when they ask "in line # . . ."  On the first test, despite Princeton Review's tips, I didn't do this. Turns out reading the questions first (not the answer options) really does help with understanding the reading passage as a whole. It's like having a guide to direct the comprehension of the passage. A SUPER cursory glance over the answer options in questions that ask for "what is this about" can at times help.
3. On the first run, go through the texts you are absolutely familiar with. But make sure to guess aggressively on questions you don't know. Never consider coming back for them. You won't have time. On the second run, I read texts that were short. I spent way too much time reading long texts on the first test and ended up not having enough time to go over the short text questions. On the third run, go over the longer texts and guess the questions you don't know (even when you can't cross out an option). On this third run, you have to keep the time in mind. Be aware that it may take you around 5 - 10 minutes to fill out any of the circles that are left blank. And when all hell breaks loose and you KNOW you won't be able to read the final 2-3 passages to answer questions, and you have only 5 minutes left, look for questions that ask for grammar, figural language, and etc (ex. "is this an example of,,, litotes? simile? metaphor?). I personally think it's important not to dwell on the idea that you may able to miraculously figure out the gist of the passage and answer all questions. When the time is almost up, it's better to have any blank circles filled and those simple knowledge out on to the paper).
----- some miscellaneous advice for anyone interested
1. grind out your pencils so circling is more time efficient. I held the pencil in a particular position at all times
2. have a firm grasp on literary and grammatical terms. knowing the difference between a synecdoche and metonym, metaphor and simile, monologue and soliloquy, personification and anthropomorphism.... It saves a lot of time when you don't have to try to squeeze it out during the test.
3. practice reading skills. I'm not sure how to explain this, but find out what the passage is about, and how they develop that idea. Keep in mind the structure of the passage as you read (in addition to the content, of course).

B-B-B-B-Berkeley Rhetoric rejection (air horns).
And with that, all the decisions are in.

Dang, another week of radio silence from UCSB.  What the hay?? Have we been utterly ghosted? 

I haven't seen anymore acceptances to UCR going out but there are now to wait lists on the board, both for American lit it seems. I'm super confused. 

Actually, information like this would be extremely helpful for applicants. @Warelin has put together amazing resources, but imagine how helpful it would be to know that a certain department was looking for people interested in [insert subfield here]. If people have this kind of information before a cycle (maybe next year?) and were willing to offer it I think it would be worth a thread.  

So, word from my friend from UCR matches what's been said here: UCR is looking for a pre-1900s literature cohort since their last cohort was mainly post-1900s literature. That's the only word we've gotten. They were meeting all day yesterday and Wednesday, apparently. I haven't heard anything else either way.

Interesting. I kind of wish schools were transparent about factors like this. 

Maybe there isn't one for you! 
On separate note, I'm waiting on UC Riverside too!

Those UC Davis rejections are brutal. My heart hurts for those who received those letters. Totally unnecessary! Y'all are better off at a school with a little more tact, and someone else will value you research and academic achievements <3

So maybe I am not crazy and it WAS checked. I thought it looked weird, but I couldn't place why