arbie

Hey folks waiting for responses from UW-Madison! I applied last year and heard nothing until the end of March, when I finally decided to reach out to ask because it seemed all acceptances, waitlists, and rejections went out around the same time in January. Turned out I was waitlisted, but their system lost my notification. I was ultimately accepted off of the waitlist. That‘s all to say that once everything seems to be in, and if you still haven’t heard anything, it’s okay to ask! I wish I would have asked sooner since I ended up having so little time to make a decision that I did it literally on April 15. I’m not sure how rare my situation was, but it’s clearly not impossible!

I personally really love this question because I think it matters, and it was something I asked around about and did factor in a bit when I made a decision. Now that I am attending, I think it still matters. Where I attend, we have what we call study cubes--imagine a typical office cubicle that is slightly bigger but is a room with a locking door. The cube has a desk, chair, and built-in, small book shelf. We share it with one other person. I personally use mine consistently, but it's not the only place I work. I am grateful to have a designated area to put my things that has a lock. For office hours, we have another shared room that is more traditional cubicle style--the study cube isn't big enough to hold office hours in. I personally don't use this space and hold my office hours elsewhere because it's in the basement and can feel a bit isolated, but it is available, and I know people use it consistently.

Hey 2020 Cafe-ers and Lurkers, I was a 2019 applicant and am currently attending UT Austin. I haven’t been super active since my season, so I apologize for not being up to date on the conversations/threads so far. That said, I wanted to make a plug for people interested in studying Af-Am/African diaspora lit. In my experience, I feel like UT isn’t a place people immediately think of as having strengths in those areas, but I am really happy with the resources I’ve found here and wanted to share that! So if anyone has questions or is slightly interested, feel free to DM me—I’m happy to answer questions, chat, or exchange materials. Godspeed to everyone working on getting their applications in!

Hillary Schute is at Northeastern in Boston! I know she has several students who work on comics and graphic novels, though it is through the English graduate program.

Can we get a roll call of who accepted for the fall?!

Just sent off decisions from the Madison airport as my plane is boarding. Literally. Turns out my user icon was prophetic—burnt orange all the way. Headed to UT Austin in the fall!

Preordered. Congrats!!! I really think you’re gonna love it! Money ain’t nothing but a thang

Yes! I really think money isn’t everything if you can’t bear to live or work in a place for 5+ years.

Just declined UC San Diego.

Who are you emailing? I’ve found the grad coordinator to always get back within 24 hours or so, but I have been ghosted by some other people outside of the English department

Removing myself from the waitlists at Pitt and U of Delaware.

This is not related to anything but just thought, the color behind my user name icon letter is burnt orange. Is it a sign or the decision I should make? What if our randomly assigned colors are subconsciously a sorting hat of sorts?

Thank you so much! That’s so kind of you to say! I can visit, though I am not sure if I can make it work with my job. I have given myself until Friday to make a final decision, so will definitely say more definitively what I’m doing then!

Accepted off the waitlist at UW Madison!!

Just sent off emails to decline UNC Greensboro and U of Alabama offers and additional fellowships. Best of luck to those interested in these programs!

Please collect and share all info you glean!

At least it means we’re qualified and not an instant reject! Have any rejections been posted from UNC yet though? Fingers crossed for us both!

im in the same boat as @alexisnj and @tacocat211 I called the department today and was told to email the DGS. But I had a feeling the person I was speaking to was looking at my file and could see that I was rejected and just didn’t want to tell me over the phone. I am basing this off of nothing concrete except for the way she said my name and confirmed it and told me to email. Lol

I will also admit that I’m putting a great deal on the city I want to live in for the next six years. I live in a city I hate now and am trying real hard not to replicate that decision.

I hear this! What I’m trying to do is separate what might be challenges that’ll be present regardless where I go vs institution-specific challenges. I think it’s also tricky because even if a place looks perfect initially, there are surely things that’ll come up once you get there. I’d rather know the challenges up front then decide which flaws I’m okay dealing with.

Sorry I'm obnoxious today. Also declined U of South Carolina.

No problem! DGS just confirmed receipt; fingers crossed for you!

Just sent off emails to decline funded PhD offers at Purdue and Loyola University Chicago. Hope this helps! Especially you, @kendalldinniene!

Glad I started calling/emailing for updates. Waitlisted at U of Delaware. I’m not sure what’s up with some of these schools and notifying.

THIS! I spoke to a DGS for a school I’m waitlisted at, and she said the same thing. Even went as far as to say that it’s “quite arbitrary” what makes someone ultimately accepted or waitlisted.