Brown_Bear

Good vibes this week, no matter what outcome arrives. I am trying to finish up a few not-so-last-minute MA applications before March comes, in order to give myself a couple other streams of possibility. Best of luck though. 

Sooo much solidarity with you! I don’t think I would’ve applied to NYU re: mediocre fit if I weren’t from/trying to stay in New York, but it sucks not having an acceptance for peace of mind right now. 

I’m in at NYU!

Everyone ready for hell week?
Get your wines, ice-creams and tissues ready.

Oregon is notifying! I just got in. (I'm also super stoked about this because I am a huge fan of Forest Pyle's work!) 

Rutgers will apparently make their decisions on the 21st: https://english.rutgers.edu/news-events/events-98/icalrepeat.detail/2020/02/21/1167/-/admissions-final-meeting.html 

Thank you!
Does anyone else have an idea of English MA programs that have deadlines that have not passed, that also offer funding or the chance for a graduate assistantship? I am trying to find as many as possible to evaluate. I have Villanova, UNC Wilmington, and VCU so far. 

From everything I felt going in and all of the replies I've had so far, what set me apart was my writing sample. It was a revised combination of my undergraduate dissertation and a masters seminar paper, both on the same (contemporary American) poet. It ranged back to 19th century, had original archival work, careful close readings, and chewed on broader issues of genre, criticism, reading and the ethics of handling a writer's work and papers.I reaaaaally worked my ass off on it. I usually hate everything I write, but every time I opened that pdf file in between submitting and now, I didn't think 'oh god this actually sucks', I thought 'yeah that's really about the best I could humanly do and I think they'll like it.' Once the cycle is over, I'll have more thoughts—feel a bit weird being so specific in such a public forum without having made a decision yet, knowing that a few places I have left to hear from are probably still deliberating. And again, I really don't think it's helpful in the sense that certain interests = a secret sauce; that kind of logic just isn't correct. 
Edit: I will just say that even though I worked my ass off on it, it had typos. And I think I'm the first person ever to get into Chicago with a statement of purpose that referred to the fiction of—I kid you not—'David Foster Fallace'. Do not edit your statement at 3:30 AM before the 5 AM deadline (I'm in the UK). It will not "get better". Point being, my app had flaws, and I don't present as a "smart" person, and in many ways I really am not lol. My best friend was over for dinner when the Yale email came in and in the course of screaming and celebrating she said, "It's actually really encouraging that someone who is as much of a mess as you are could get into these places" and reader, she is RIGHT.

Got in at Buffalo with a pretty nice stipend considering the living cost in that area, congrats to all the other admits from today and especially to anyone who got their first acceptance! Good luck to everyone going into the next week of February.

Holy sh*t, I'm in at Yale!

Got into UT Austin!! 

In at Yale with the kindest email I've ever read from the DGS oh my god 

Just accepted to Duquesne! First admit of the cycle. Crying with joy!

To all my fellow Chicago rejections, I reached out to one of the professors at UChi today and he told me that there is an unusually high number of applicants this year and the department simply cannot take them all. He even wrote me a note (with details about my statement of purpose) and mentioned how strong my application is. 
From the tone of his email, it looks like getting into a program now is just a matter of luck. A student from my cohort here got her MA at UChi and she also said the same thing. It's just pure luck to get into a PhD program now. I'm sure we all deserve a spot somewhere! 
On the other hand, I'm waiting desperately to hear back from other schools and every day that passes by makes me die a little inside. 

Just received a voicemail from the DGS at Penn State extending an offer of admission—totally unexpected, man oh man.
(Life has been busier than usual for me over the past few weeks, and I’ve been remiss in keeping up with everyone’s good news, but congratulations to all who’ve been accepted and waitlisted—and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for all those who are still waiting to hear back!)

GerShun Avilez is the Director of Graduate Studies at UMD! I think all of these update emails are coming from him.

It really is still very early in the cycle! Plenty of amazing schools have not notified - I personally am still waiting for 6 of mine. Last year, I was working on my MA thesis and applying to 5 top-ranked programs at the same time, and ended up with distinction on my thesis and a total shutout. The nerves are doubly crazy for me this year because of that shutout experience, in which I didn't hear anything throughout the process except for the rejection letters, but having support from people around me and this forum has been very helpful. Best of luck to all of us!

I'm interested in theories of history, social aesthetics, and theories of identity formation and find myself drawing a lot on scholarship in queer theory. Thematically, I focus on African American and ChicanX literature. 

Love spending all day refreshing my email and then dreaming all night about refreshing my email... I am slowly but surely losing my mind. 

Acceptance from Duke's Literature program! ?

Oh my goodness....I got into Berkeley??? Funding for five years!!! WHAT

Got a very nice phone call from the Penn State DGS!  

Just received confirmation that I am on the waitlist at UMD - after receiving outright rejections from UT-Austin and Northwestern, it was nice to have somewhat of a vote of confidence from a program! 

Maryland rhetoric on the board.......... literary studies decisions, where you at?

Speaking as someone in their second quarter at Chicago, I can say that I would have been happier at another program if it meant my partner could come. This is to say nothing about the program at Chicago. It's great. But once you're here and settled, it all becomes normalized and you realize that great people and programs are everywhere. A committed, supportive partner is less common. 
Edit because ambiguity: My partner was able to come with me, and it has made everything much easier.