placeinspace

Results page has been way too quiet today.

PHOTOS PLEASE

I'm not in school anymore but at this point I am officially checked out at work so I feel your pain.

I go for a run!

For anyone looking for a way to make the weekend pass faster, the 24 in 48 Readathon is taking place again this weekend! I've done it before and it's super fun to prioritize reading and challenge yourself to read as much as you can over the weekend (even if you don't make it to 24 hours!).

I should note this thread is like 6 months old and I know way more about how PhD admissions work now than I did then. It's all a hot mess of luck and who knows what really matters in the end!

I'm now obsessively checking all my application portals for updates even more than I was earlier this week. This waiting is killing me!!

@pdh12 Skype interviews are literally the worst. I've hated every single Skype job interview I've ever had and always seem to mess it up. I do fine with in person ones though!

@jonnyboy Thank you for your super useful insight! Though I don't know if I can handle this extremely high level of delusional hope so early in the morning...

@effietheant Yes, at least according to the results page for the past couple of years!

University of Toronto does this but it just means I'm waiting for a sad rejection letter to surprise me in my mailbox one day ?

This echoes what I've been told by advisors, etc., even in the U.S. system. The SOP is, in some ways, a sales pitch- why is this research important, what void is it filling, and why are you the most qualified person to perform it? I'm glad to see someone confirming this perspective!

This is out of nowhere, but I just realized I haven't heard anyone else on here talk about WSU- did anyone else apply there this year? I know last year's board seemed to have at least a couple applicants there.

I've never related to a post more in my life.

UC Davis English, PhD (F18) Rejected via E-mail on 23 Feb 2018 A 23 Feb 2018 report spam Rejected but I got into a higher ranked university so actually I guess my application was competitive. If only rank wasn't an arbitrary concept that has little to no impact on grad admissions standards for English!

For those of you applying again next cycle, maybe prioritize your programs based on how early they notify so you find out in early January. ? This waiting is the worst part!

Just jumping in to say I 100% agree with @Matthew3957 about the merits of taking some time off. It really puts things in perspective and opens your eyes to things outside the academy. For me, it did affirm I wanted to give academia one last shot, but also lets me pursue hobbies like reading for pleasure, travel, etc. that would be limited if I had gone straight into a program and never had an outside job. If you do end up shut out, just know there are so many options for non-ac jobs with an English degree, and a few years off might really benefit you!

Me too! I’m already planning my move and future travel with no regard for budgeting for living on a stipend next year anymore. Honestly, kind of liberating haha.

To appreciate the job and opportunities I've had outside of academia.

I feel this so hard right now.

Gotcha, thank you!

Yes someone was having trouble with it earlier today, apparently they’re trying to fix a bug. I haven’t had any issues with it.

Thank you so much everyone. I wasn’t expecting such lovely and supportive replies and I really appreciate it.

Is everyone who received a Chicago email an international student? From the results page it seems like both posts are from international students.

I’m still ruminating on this whole thing and I’m pretty bummed. Last week I reached the conclusion that if I don’t get into Chicago, I’m not going to go to school, regardless of other acceptances, so this is kind of a very sudden and definitive thing for me (I’m an older applicant and Chicago had just the right balance of everything I would need, both academically and in terms of lifestyle). I’m sort of relieved to not be stressing about it anymore but also am sad about what might’ve been. Anyway, that’s all I got. And congrats to all of you who received an email!! That sounds like I just tacked it on at the end but it’s very genuine. You have a shot at an amazing program and it is very well deserved!