merry night wanderer

^ Maybe just apply to more places next time. It's not like the admissions process is completely subjective, but it sounds like you did absolutely everything you could, and speculating past doing more than everything you could will just make you crazy when a lot of these decisions might be somewhat random anyway. I'm very, very glad I applied to a lot of places - and while I can't help but wish things went better for me, and wonder how I could have improved, there is also no way I could have known, from the schools' perspective, whether I was a good fit or not for the more subjective/circumstantial aspects of the app. At this point, as much as I can be before actually attending the school, I'm quite satisfied with where I ended up. A lot of candidates get placed excellently after the MA. I suspect you'll be fine - it sounds like admissions will get even more competitive, but it also sounds like, having done this a couple of times and benefited from even more time to work on your materials, you'll have a leg up.

Well, that was a hell of a read. If he's right, I feel absolutely sick for the 2021 applicants, on top of lots of general dread about the incoming recession/depression, given that 2008 was what really screwed the humanities up in a lot of ways...

I would chose the better location - no question - especially if it meant my partner was happier. No question whatsoever. Money is important, of course, and if it's critical for your mental health, that's worth thinking about, but particularly adding the program vibe on top of that? That's what I would choose. Tbh I would pick the program I liked better, in the location I liked better, with the time constraints of a side hustle, than go to a place with more money.

I don't know... location is a huge deal to me. This is your whole life for at least 5 years: where you'll make friends, develop attachments to places, have adventures. IS the difference in location very stark?

You should certainly make and weigh your own choices. However, is that debt going to accrue interest in Ph.D world, when it will be hard to pay it down? And then need to be paid off when you're in a likely-terrible job market? It's just worth thinking about. At 22, you really have so much time to go back to school, and there are a lot of things you can do outside the academy (psychologically, financially, just having-an-interesting-life-wise) to supplement your career in it. Just my two cents.

I definitely felt this with my schools, lol.

Well, Bumblebea said the same thing (and was on the job market for a long time).

For one of my visit days, the dept administration sent an email that everything was still on thirty minutes before the sent another, announcing that the university was having them cancel. The depts definitely aren't always in the loop, and I'd guess the university proper would just give you a really vague, conservative answer if asked...

I'm just going to be so disappointed if the fall semester is online. I love the atmosphere of a live literature classroom... perceptive people with their different perspectives, personality, and life experiences, all sharing thoughts over someone's life's work. I just get so much out of it - seriously, it feels like how religious folks describe church - and I've been looking forward to it so, so much.

I feel this so much.

[insert obsessively thinking about the political climate and general state of the academy and the impact on climate change policy and basically the entire state of hte world for the next 5 years here] 😰😰😰😰😰

I too retract this (and a small portion of my general dislike for Twitter news) lol Hope you're holding up scotty2, and getting the info you need to make a good decision.

I would just like to state, as someone in corporate world, it's also a dumpster fire and a hot mess. It turns out most humans (beyond, like, the Dutch or Korea and such I guess) don't actually organize that well?? Despite being capable of making the Internet. A constant marvel to behold.

I mean, a lot of us have already chosen at this point. Even if BU came by with any sort of offer I'd have to immediately respond with "taken, sorry." I'm sure a lot happens behind the scenes to complicate any admissions process, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're left scrambling to fill their cohort.

Letting go of my Rice offer + a fellowship, so the waitlist should see some movement! It's a generous, broadminded, worthy department with a lot of interdisciplinary support; I'm sure I could have done very well there. I am also *very* familiar with Houston; it can be a wonderful place once you find your niche there, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about living in the city or Rice in general. Honestly, I think that standard of living wise, Rice has one of the very best packages out there; you're unlikely another offer in a big city that's as cushy, and Houston can be way cooler than you'd think! Also turning down UCSB (ugh, similar agonized feels) and removing myself from the UMD waitlist.