Brown_Bear

I'm really sorry about this. And I know how much it might hurt, especially when one is constantly trying to hope and hold out for good news. And amid everyone receiving different decisions every day it's difficult to remember the impact this can have on your mental health and sense of self and to keep yourself afloat. I went into a horrible downward spiral because of this a couple of weeks ago especially at a time when my mental health wasn't at its best. And the only thing to remember is that the admissions process is not a reaction to you as a person nor to you as a scholar. It feels more like a game of chess than anything else, and filling out the applications is like walking on numerous tight lines at the same time so as to hit all the notes that the committee might be looking for. Just keep your head up, and if you ever need to talk please feel free to message me (this offer is open to anyone who is having trouble through this application cycle, no matter what your decisions might have been, it's okay to feel hurt). 

Found out this afternoon that I've been accepted to the University of South Carolina! I'm so excited! 

Just learned that I have put the "in" in Indiana. ?

Small note on SoPs (not sure if I've said this before): one of the people in my cohort and I read each other's SoPs one day to see if we could spot trends (especially since we both came off the waitlist). They were completely different. One of them was less specific about the work of the POIs here and broad about what the project would be, but more detailed about how previous work had led them to that point. The other barely discussed previous work, presented a fairly specific project, and cited specific POI articles. In other words, they were as different as they could be but we both made it to the same place. It sucks, but there's just no way to know what works until after the fact, and even then, you don't really know why. The only thing that seems true across the board is that what you write is not a binding contract.

I just want to give everyone encouragement in these times.
If you don't have a specific project or a definitive method, that is okay. While yes, strategic specificity is key in things like the SoP, nobody here is expected to produce a dissertation prospectus. It can be incredibly helpful to have a project, but the projects in an SoP are going to be tentative and indicative of a direction than the play-by-play that programs will expect from you after qualifying exams. I came into grad school with some ill-defined notion of a queer archive that, while I have it in the backburner, is a project I'm not currently writing on nor do I plan on writing about queer poetic archives for my MA paper. If you don't feel that your proposal is specific enough, remember that right now, it's not supposed to be a hyper-specific document. What is more key is a strategic specificity that outlines a potential direction that your program can support and shows you're in conversation with current issues in your field, but one that does not foreclose the possibility of you growing within the program.
This process is notoriously tough. If anyone's expressing worries, I'm right there with you. I have heard whispers that this particular cycle is a touch more competitive than last year's due to the fact that there's an increase in applications for some programs. Of course, it must be taken with a grain of salt, but the general point I want to make is that this is a hypercompetitive process with almost no feedback except in most cases a decision. Fit is an elusive beast, and you could have an extremely polished SoP and WS, but there may have been circumstances in the department that meant that your app, as strong as it may have been, simply would not have meshed well with the program. If you find yourself staring at a sea of rejections/implied rejections, remember that it's the very likely case that it's not about you nor is it a final judgment on your skills. Fit, to priorities in the department (too many/too little grad students per cohort, too many in one field), funding structures/decisions dictated by admin, etc. and so many factors out of your control can go a very long way into determining the decisions you can get.

I can relate to this anxiety. Such (seemingly) capricious, subjective, and opaque processes are engineered to engender existential dread, I think. But the wonderful part of this entire self-worth-through-a-cheesegrater game is that rejection results are never permanent. The no of today is a gilded yes of tomorrow. Like harsh peer review, it helps us hone our rough edges. I certainly learned a lot in my last decade of rejections.

I was rejected from a ton of schools and accepted to Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Glasgow in 2012 but received no funding offers and had a family emergency which meant I had to temporarily give up my dream. I was later rejected from all the (U.S.) schools I applied to in 2013. It crushed my soul. Fast-forward to this year when my first rejection was from Texas Tech, the lowest ranking school in my application pool. At that point, I pretty much gave up hope since the other schools were top tier schools. Imagine my shock when I was accepted to a top 20 school last week! With funding!!!!! 

This is all to say: don't give up hope for this year. And even if this year is not your year, that does not mean it is the end of your aspirations. I'm actually very glad I ended up not taking out loans for Cambridge, and that I waited this long for a funded acceptance, as the school where I was accepted is a much better fit for me (financially, geographically, academically, socially, and in terms of my research interests) and the school I am waiting to hear back from (Berkeley) would likewise be an ideal fit for me.  

Anyway, glad we are in this anxiety-fueled pressure pit together, and I hope you receive wonderful news soon!

Here's to a week full of responses all. It's been tough seeing everyone react to their news and not getting any, but this forum helps. Seconding the fears for SOP but mine went to the other direction - I am afraid that it was too specific, missing necessary breadth. 

I’ve had 1 official and 2 implied rejections so far which means I should still be in the running for 12 more programmes, but still this waiting game has done a number on me. I’m questioning everything and am nearly convinced that I’m going to get shut out. The closer I get to potential notification dates, the more anxious I get, and every time at least a single acceptance from one of my schools is posted, my mind immediately jumps to ‘well you didn’t get a call/email yet so clearly it’s a no.’ I don’t know how to stop it and I just want to get it over with as quickly as possible (but obv with a favourable result.)  ?

I'm beginning to think this is my problem as well. I applied to 16 schools that felt like were a perfect fit, but it's looking like I am headed for a shutout...more than half the schools I applied to have notified acceptances, interviews or wait listings, and I've either gotten a rejection letter or heard nothing. I kept my interests specific, but I did not propose any "projects." I was advised by former professors and other grad students that since I just have a BA, a committee wouldn't be looking for anything specific beyond a definitive period and maybe some potential methods.

In the midst of all this, I wonder if my research proposal in my SOP was good enough. I'm really having second thoughts about it. I put my best foot forward and suggested something, but it could have been more concrete. I should add I am interested in A.A. Lit and 19th/20th C American Lit. I tried to find faculty that'd be relatively close to me in outlook. I just don't know for certain. I kept it rather general and broad.

I'm starting to seriously second-guess myself, too. I didn't propose a project at all and mainly just focused on my research interests and the topics I'd like to work on...

In the midst of all this, I wonder if my research proposal in my SOP was good enough. I'm really having second thoughts about it. I put my best foot forward and suggested something, but it could have been more concrete. I should add I am interested in A.A. Lit and 19th/20th C American Lit. I tried to find faculty that'd be relatively close to me in outlook. I just don't know for certain. I kept it rather general and broad.

In the midst of all this, I wonder if my research proposal in my SOP was good enough. I'm really having second thoughts about it. I put my best foot forward and suggested something, but it could have been more concrete. I should add I am interested in A.A. Lit and 19th/20th C American Lit. I tried to find faculty that'd be relatively close to me in outlook. I just don't know for certain. I kept it rather general and broad.

In the midst of all this, I wonder if my research proposal in my SOP was good enough. I'm really having second thoughts about it. I put my best foot forward and suggested something, but it could have been more concrete. I should add I am interested in A.A. Lit and 19th/20th C American Lit. I tried to find faculty that'd be relatively close to me in outlook. I just don't know for certain. I kept it rather general and broad.

Just waitlisted at Carnegie Mellon! This is my first choice school. I am bawling my eyes out at the chance to attend.

I was accepted to UCR’s English (Literature) PhD program yesterday! I only applied to three schools, so this is a huge relief. I got a phone call from the Director of Graduate Admissions. I’m so happy to have found out so early. 

Walked out of the movies last night to see an acceptance email from Davis and immediately started crying. So relieved—I really didn’t think I would get accepted anywhere, much less in the same state as my family.

Just got in at IU-Bloomington! 

HS English educator here (though not in NY): there are looooots of ways to get into the classroom. This link might help: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/certprocess.html 

Congratulations! In at Boston College here too ? It's so nice to start off the season with an acceptance rather than a rejection.

Just checked my mail and found out that I have been waitlisted too. I would definitely take this as a positive turn since my first notice was Duke's rejection. Good luck to us all~

Got accepted from Boston College today!! I've never known relief like this before

So I waited a couple of more days and I got accepted yesterday!! (USC Cinema and Media MA)

I just got into the University of Oklahoma! Woohoo! I am so excited. 

Commenting here to bump up this post on the message board!
Thanks for this thoughtful gesture, @Warelin!
A timely and comforting reminder. Positivity to all of us braving the storm and tides together.