CatBowl

GradCafe measures out its life with coffee spoons

Sorry but “Columbia was my safety school” ???? Some people are really out to get that anonymous internet hate today.

Anyone else just waiting around for schools to get back to them so they can get on with making a decision? So looking forward to being out of this limbo and planning the future. At least I had a snow day from work today and could take Ursula on a nice hike: 

I'm bumping this thread because I think the current cohort could find it helpful when they make their decisions.

As a current student, and someone who has a lot of friends in many different kinds/feels of programs, let me try to answer as best as I can, re: what to think about when visiting:
You MIGHT click immediately with the campus/faculty/students. Or you might not. Neither one is (necessarily) an indicator of anything. You might not click immediately because you're nervous, or the students you'll get along with best weren't around when you were visiting, or because some people take a while to get to know. Or you may click, and then it turns out that that faculty member is actually fairly hands-off when it comes to advising, or that student goes on leave, or the one conversation you had turns out not to be indicative of any further connection. 
I have a friend who is super close with their cohort and faculty members. I have a friend who gets along with some of the people in their program, but not all of them, and isn't close with any of them. They're both very happy in their situations. I'm somewhere in the middle, and also happy. 
Remember, this is a professional situation: as long as you feel like you can get along with people, and won't mind shooting the shit for a few minutes before talks/class/etc... that's the main thing! The friend who isn't close with anyone in her program has a huge friend circle totally outside of the school, and thinks of being in her program as going to work (note: this is, of course, easier to do in a big city. If you're in a small college town, maybe care much more about potential friends). While I know not all of you are coming right out of undergrad, if you are, remember that grad school isn't necessarily an all-encompassing social situation like college is. 
A few things I'd recommend thinking about, during visits:
1. Do you think the conditions here will allow you to work as best as you can? Will the stipend REALLY work, or might you have to get some loans/work an evening job? Does there seem to be a lot of structure? Is there a grad student union? What's expected of you over summers? Ask current students about one thing that they wish they could change about the program. 
2. Rates of burnout and depression are really, really high among grad students. Maybe you're the sort of person who likes to put your head down and do nothing but work... but if not, what other resources are available to you, to help you avoid that? CAN you find friends outside of the university if you want to? Is going to live music important? Do you like being able to go hiking? Are you really into, say, yoga-- and is there a yoga studio around that you think you'd like? Don't forget that you have to be a person, too! 
3. What's the insurance like? Do you have any specialized medical issues that might be affected? For instance, I know two students in my program who had to switch off of the school insurance plan because medications they needed weren't covered/weren't covered well enough.
4. Think about not just "can I survive?" on the stipend, but what it will get you. What I mean by that is: will you have to live with roommates? Are you REALLY ok with not living by yourself for the next six years? Will you have money to go out to eat every now and then? Do you like flying to see your family often? Yes-- you're probably going to have to live tightly and compromise no matter what, but genuinely examine what things in your life that cost money add significantly to your happiness, and decide if they can stay there on the stipend you're being offered. 
5. If you're a woman (and this probably applies to PoC and queer folk, too!), ask other female (PoC/queer/etc) students about their experiences there. Is there some institutional sexism? Are there other students (or faculty) that they complain about? 
 
 
Anyways, just a few things to consider! Good luck to all of you in visits!

I know we are in the thick of admissions results here on the literature forum. I feel like when I was here at this time last year, I was working hard to imagine and plan out what life could be like in the coming year, and trying to get as much information as I could out of these forums and other sources. I also think that sometimes it can feel a bit isolating in graduate school, and perhaps the struggles can be somewhat hard  to discuss. For that reason, I wanted to open up a discussion with the current students who still visit the forum to see how graduate school is going for you, and give a space for applicants/prospective students to ask any questions that may be lingering. Here are some initial prompting questions, but anyone else, feel free to chime in!
Has your PhD so far been what you expected it to be?
What are you impressions of your program?
Has anything about your program surprised you?
How are you feeling in general about your experience?
Have you found your research interests changing?
Are there any hardships you've faced that you want to share?
How about any successes you'd like to celebrate?

I got into UConn PhD (not on the board yet). I received the email about 6-7 hours ago. I don’t even know what I’m feeling. I’d completely accepted another shut-out and was talking myself into alternative plans that now it doesn’t seem real and I don’t think it has even hit me yet. 
For future reference, it is a 5 year offer to TA from Y1. Specific duties will be sent in the future. I’m an African-Americanist. If anyone wants info PM me. Also if anyone has info on UConn (like CoL, campus, etc.), please PM me, too.
Thank you to everyone who was supportive through this process. Other than my wife you’re the first people I’ve told.

This is your reminder that you're all wonderful!

Accepted to UVA! I am in shock and ecstatic. 

I'm sorry but FUUUUCCCCCKKKKKKK, you guys,  I am invited to SMU's PhD visit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am sobbing and screaming and SO THRILLED!
Happy birthday to me!!!!!!!

I'm the director of grad admissions in English at an R1 university. I'm not lurking to find any information on applicants! (By the time we've read your applications multiple times, we have more information than we can even process!) Rather, I'm trying to figure out what information might have been shared about particular/additional fellowships awarded--specifically, whether other admittees are aware that they were not awarded these funds. FWIW, GRE scores are really bad predictors of who will succeed in graduate school, and we try not to rely on them almost at all. 

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.

i got into Michigan!!!!! my first offer!!! i cried at work!!!!!!

I hope I make it off Vanderbilt's wait list. I've always wanted to attend a school named after an evil millionaire. 

Hello! This is the Ghost of Waitlists Past! As someone who was waitlisted and ultimately admitted, I wanted to share a few reflections from my experience. Being waitlisted is the worst. Your application cycle has been dragged out even further. You feel a weird mix of joy and defeat. My inner saboteur kept telling me, "I was good, but not good enough." At the end of the day, you may not get admitted despite all this added anxiety. These steps, though, made me feel like I had done everything I could do. 
1. If you want to be on the waitlist, re-affirm your interest. I do not just mean replying to the DGS's waitlist email saying, "Yes! Keep me on it!" (Though you should do that ASAP.) A week or two later, I also sent a formal letter to the DGS, i.e. 2 short paragraphs in an email with a Dear XXX and Sincerely XXX, re-affirming that the program was one of my top choices. Keep it concise and do not repeat anything from your SOP. This might only be one short paragraph. However, here are a few other things you might want to mention:
1a. If this program is your first choice, say it. When I submitted my PhD applications, I was fairly confident this program was my first choice, but after having a few more months to reflect, I was now certain. In my letter, I said that and stated that I could confirm my attendance if admitted before the April 15th national deadline. This is a big commitment, so only say this if you are going to commit to that. When April 15th barrels down on the adcom, they want to offer admission to students on the waitlist that will accept their offer. Some adcoms will have a ranked list of waitlisted students, and this gesture may not do much. However, if your program's adcom does not have a ranked list, this may help.
1b. Tell them about any admissions you have received. Some DGSs will ask for this, but either way, be sure to mention which programs admitted you! This makes you a more attractive candidate, and if those acceptances are from impressive programs, it could spur them to review your file to see what they might have missed. Plus, it also alerts them that you will need to know before April 15th since you have an offer on the table.
1c. Any updates to your CV since you applied? After submitting my application, I had a few CV additions. I had a paper accepted for a conference, I was awarded a competitive grant, and I had another line of employment to add. I included those in my letter since those, like admissions to other programs, could spur some review of my application. Even if you do not have updates like that, you can still tell them about other things. Still in school and finished your fall semester with a 4.0? Tell them. Was that conference paper or publication listed as "forthcoming" on your last CV now given/published? Tell them. Did you finish a project at your job that seems relevant to the program? Tell them. The point here is not to brag, but to affirm that you are a hardworking candidate that could bring something special to the cohort.
2. Ask the DGS what the waitlist procedure is. Some will tell you up front and in detail how they select students and how frequently they will update you about your progress. Some will be more opaque. Either way, you have the right to ask questions like, "How does the committee select students for admission from the waitlist?" and "Are waitlisted students able to visit the department, either at the open house or individually?"
3. After you send the letter of interest, keep in contact with the DGS, but do not overwhelm them. This is where it is hard to be prescriptive. You will have to judge what is too much or too little contact. My suggestion is to err on the side of too little contact since you do not want to overstep. I would especially refrain from asking for updates. Instead, restrict yourself to major CV additions, i.e. other admissions, publications, professional conference presentations, or awards. I received my waitlist notice in late February/early March, and after I sent my letter of interest, I sent a total of two other emails: the first informing the DGS about two awards I had won, and the second – two weeks before that big April 15th deadline – asking for an update/re-affirming my interest.
4. Update your LOR writers about your waitlist status. You should be keeping them in the loop about your application cycle anyway, but if not, tell them about your waitlist status. When I told them, one of my letter writers was very generous and offered to write to a faculty member on my behalf. Not everyone is going to have that reaction, nor should you ask it or even expect it. (I didn't!) However, informing them gives them the opportunity to take more action if they can. You can also ask them if there are any steps they think you should take. During the application cycle, I ran the suggestions in this list by my letter writers, and they approved of them, giving me more confidence to do them.
5. If you have been admitted to other programs, evaluate those offers. Go ahead and start narrowing down any admittances you have. For now, treat the waitlist as an admittance. As you evaluate your options, you might decide the waitlisted program is not your first choice. If, however, you feel like the waitlisted program is your first choice, then hold on to it and decide which of your current offers is your first choice. Once you have selected your top admitted program, decline your other offers. Then inform the DGS at the top admitted program that you have been waitlisted at another, especially if you plan to wait until the April 15th deadline. When contacting the DGS, I affirmed that I was impressed by their program and would be excited to attend, but that I was waitlisted for a program that was a better fit for me and intended to wait. The DGS appreciated my transparency and that she could prepare for potentially notifying people on their waitlist. Remember, you are not the only one on a waitlist!
6. Be patient. The hardest thing to do on this list! In order to offer admission to students on the waitlist, the program has to wait for enough admitted students to decline their offers. Programs often admit more students than they expect to take, so even if one or two students decline their offers, the program may already have a fully realized cohort. Programs usually see major movement in late March/early April when students admitted to multiple programs have attended their open houses and have reflected on their experiences. Then, the DGS will begin sending out other acceptances. You could receive an offer of admission before then! You could also receive your acceptance after April 15th. I did not receive my acceptance until the day before the April 15th deadline. In the moment, it was nerve-wracking. However, because I had not officially accepted another offer, things went more smoothly for me and the two DGSs. If push comes to shove on April 15th and you still have not heard from the waitlisted program, you have to make a choice. It is your choice, but if you are seeking advice, I would strongly recommend taking the admission you already have. You truly do not know if you will be admitted until you get an official letter.
7. In short, always be passionate, courteous, and brief. Each email you send matters and reflects what it would be like to work with you. Now that I am on the other side, I know at least one reason I was admitted was because I was determined and respectful. Proofread everything you send. Keep your emails short. Sound enthusiastic and professional.
Good luck, my fellow waitlist survivors!

I didn't answer a single question on the quant section, and I was just accepted to an English PhD with full fellowship. I hope this helps someone out there feel a little bit better. Haha.

Really feeling this bullshit today lol

Don’t know if anyone else applied to UOregon but my friend just called there and was told no offers have been made as decisions and funding haven’t even been finalized and likely won’t until the end of the month.
Anyway I’m super relieved to know this and I thought someone else here might be too!

I feel you on the small size thing—that’s definitely nice. Good luck to you too!! I’ll definitely keep you posted!

Bumping this back up as a reminder.

I noticed someone asking about UNC Greensboro's program on the Results page so figured I would go ahead and post. I was accepted to their English PhD program on Fri. 2/1 via an email from the DGS. The email included info about funding, and I've since had a follow-up call with the DGS. I'm focusing on 20th and 21st century American lit and ecocriticism/environmental lit. 
This is my first (and I'm going to assume only) acceptance, and it came after 4 rejections and several more implied rejections. I am very excited! 
Has anyone else gotten an offer from UNC Greensboro? Would love to chat if so. 

I have! I’m focusing on 20th century American lit with an emphasis in southern studies and African American literature. Was very excited about the acceptance as well!

After the sudden CU Boulder results yesterday (which were projected for mid-Feb) I'm now frantically refreshing all of my portals multiple times a day. This is getting a little embarrassing tbh. They should really issue acceptances based on who refreshes their portal more- clearly that's a sign of who truly wants to be admitted, right?