havemybloodchild

Everything is still so up in the air for me...I'm just hoping I have a choice to make. Every program I'm waitlisted to/interviewing at have their real pros and cons. Honestly I just hope I get to go somewhere. Ireland is seriously the best! I've got my fingers crossed for you, of course. I'm going to send you my 2019 poetry doc! I really loved getting your feedback last time. @warelin I fully plan on remaining active here whether I get in this time or not. But I doubt I'll ever be the wealth of info and encouragement you have been! I'll try my best, though.

Heart warmed also!!! Please keep us (me) updated on your plans for the next year. Especially if you go to Ireland (have you been before??? I’ve been a few times and it’s legit the best place in the world imo). Also if you want to keep swapping creative work and edits, I’m super down!

@Bopie5 and @jadeisokay can I just say I missed you both and I’m really happy to see you both back here.

Got into the ma and waitlisted at the PhD as well. Coming from Cali so not sure yet if I can make it work but I’m going to try to be there! Would love to meet you both!

You’re a freaking gem and impressive as hell and you and your boots have nothing to worry about.

YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

That’s just weird. Is your app status still pending? It was just an email to check the portal this am so I assumed they would have sent it to everyone.

Finally got that UConn rejection. Just waiting on you now, UO and Berkeley. Gimme your politely-worded yet utter lack of interest!

Either way, my answer is c a t s

Lol are you recommending cats as an alternative to dogs or as interactive toys for dogs?

I would have applied to more lit and culture hybrid programs. I would’ve talked less about my desire to teach and more about where I’d like to take my research in the future. I would have tried to reach out to grad students and POI at some of the schools I applied to. I would have looked more at publications of recent graduates to see if there might really be an interest in and a place for me at all of my programs. I would have applied to more funded MAs. I would have gotten involved in these forums way sooner!

That kind of stuff makes me so mad, it’s straight up rude and also has undercurrents of racism, ableism, and classism. We should all be better than that. Boo to those people.

Really enjoyed waking up to a second notification of my rejection at JH ?

I prepared my materials for my first cycle while taking 18 credits and working 3 jobs. If it’s where your heart is, you find time! Good luck! I think you will find that your heartbreak this year, and probably even your work experience over the next, will help your application and your confidence going into a program. I know that accruing new skills and managing new relationships always makes me more confident about going into another new situation.

As someone who worked in student government and mainly on issues of funding and affordability, and access for marginalized students, within the state of Oregon (which MASSIVELY underfunds all its pubic education) I have so much to say about this...but I’ll refrain. It’s so frustrating. Long story short: YEP

Yes. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this process it’s that it needs to be standardized. As a humanities person I know saying that is basically heresy, but it’s true.

I left my app open to Irish lit by mentioning some work I did on Irish identity as Other but it's not my focus. Honestly I can't recommend enough looking at the work published by recent graduates of the program. Pretty sure I totally lucked out applying to SMU this year because their one student who seemed to be doing what I do graduated last spring. I read her work and we have a ton of overlapping interests. But who knows, like you said, there may have been a ton of other applicants with similar interests. Here's hoping something works out for you in the end this cycle! I'm getting kind of irritated about not getting my rejections from UofO and UConn. The latter already sent out waitlist notifications so I know it's a reject...but I need them to pop the last, aged, sad balloon of hope I'm dragging around by a string. I really wish all the programs would send out all notifications on the same day, well before April.

Same. I’ve been thinking about the reputation of folks with doctorates being pretentious and having no compassion and, after being through two cycles filled with rejection, I’m wondering how that’s possible if it’s not all just a cover up for the lasting insecurity caused by a million schools saying thank you, next to your dreams, haha.

Looking at last year Berkeley didn’t bother to send rejections out until like late March, I think.

@emprof thank you for this response! I’m thinking a lot of this would also apply to my interview at SMU

How many hours a week do y’all (current phd students) spend on your work/program? How has that fluctuated over the years?

I’d also look more at finding a program that is an excellent match with your interests and has multiple faculty members you’d love to work with over anything else. Reading recently published scholarly articles in your subfield is a good start and also looking at what has been published by folks recently graduated by particular programs. Good luck!

THIS Thank you for posting!

Honesty felt good to let those sweet, sweet UPenn and JH rejections wash over me this morning. I’m ready for April.