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Happy birthday, @bethisbetter ! Don't worry, many of us are on the same boat. 

@SomethingWicked I haven't heard back from Wisconsin either!
Will email them in a month if they don't notifiy me of their decision by then!

Thanks, @arbie for being so helpful!
It's really comforting to know that an implied rejection need not necessarily be an actual one, till a real rejection email has reached one's inbox! I'm thinking of emailing end-Feb-ish if I still haven't heard back from them!

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!

Hi all,

I've been lurking here for the last couple of weeks while waiting to hear back from the different programs I've applied to. It is truly a grueling process!

For the sake of transparency—or, I suppose, as much transparency as we can hope for (...)—, I just wanted to let you all know that I've been accepted to Wisconsin (Literary Studies). Just added the result now.

Best of luck to everyone! 

From last year's notifications it seems as though UW-Madison sends out a couple of acceptances late January, and then several acceptances and some rejections towards the first-second week of February? Perhaps they accept candidates in two separate batches in the same cycle (while also accepting off their waitlist much later down the line).
Trying desperately to cling on to hope here!

@urbanfarmer's interview tips are fantastic – I especially agree with their point about admitting what you don't know. I just want to add a few things that I desperately wish I had known before what I felt was quite a bad interview (that almost certainly squashed my chances at my dream school ?)
1. This may be obvious to you, but think of the interview as you pitching your work to the department. The point of the interview is to share your work with the faculty – both the past work you've done and future work you want to do – and to explain why you are excited to do that work at that particular program. I had no idea what kinds of questions to expect – did they want to get to know me better as a potential colleague? Did they want to hear about more ideas that didn't make it into my materials? Nope – they just wanted a better idea of how all of my interests fit together and some clarification of what I've done and what I want to do, research-wise. Our conversation never strayed from my SoP and WS. Talk about your past and future work in as specific terms as possible, rooted in arguments you have made and methods/avenues of research you want to pursue.
2. Review your statement of purpose and writing sample very carefully for at least a few days before the interview. Practice talking about them with confidence in very specific terms, and be able to explain how they link together. Do not waste time reviewing books/articles written by the faculty at that program. I spent far too much time doing this and didn't have a single opportunity to hint at my knowledge. I should have spent the time reviewing my own materials carefully.
3. As @urbanfarmer mentioned, do have questions prepared for your interviewers. But while questions about funding and placement may be welcome at some departments, I very much got the sense that my interviewers did not want to be asked about classes, placement, job support, teaching (whoops). They made it fairly clear at the end of the interview that I should have asked about the opportunities available to me within my specific field/subfield at the program, and what the work culture is like in those areas. I didn't think to ask about those things because I had already researched them well and I didn't want to seem like I hadn't, but in retrospect, I do not think it is necessarily a bad idea to ask questions you already know the answers to. For my next interview, I plan to begin the "question" section with "I'm really excited about University's program because of x opportunities in my Field. Would you mind talking a little bit about the opportunities and culture in Field at University so I can get a better sense of how I would fit in to your program?"
4. Similarly, when possible, throw in phrases reiterating that you are excited about and think you are a good fit for the program because of x. Only after my not very good interview did I realize I really just talked about me the whole time and made it seem like I didn't know or care about the program. I thought my understanding of the department's opportunities in my field and my fit with the department was evident from my statement of purpose, but in retrospect, I wish I had emphasized these things during the interview.

Here's some tips for people freaking out about interviews:
1. Know that they're trying to get you to talk about things, not trying to trip you up. As such, be prepared to talk about your research, but don't feel like it's a quiz.
2. As someone else said, feel free to admit that you haven't read something/don't know much about something. However, the best thing to do is not let that "I'm not sure, I haven't read that" end the conversation or question. Instead, try to turn the conversation back around into something you either DO know, or turn it into a relevant question. i.e. "You know, I actually haven't read much Foucault, so I don't think I'm confident speaking about his ideas of biopower. However, I have found myself really interested in X, who says Y-- and you're right that I should dive into Foucault to see what he can add to my thoughts about Z." Or, "I haven't read Frankenstein in a while, but I think you're right that it could open up an interesting question in my work. For instance, I'm really interested in... Thanks for the recommendation!" 
With the above, if someone asks you something that you REALLY know nothing about-- say they mention a theorist or author that you've never heard of-- ask for clarification! Say something like, "I don't know Jane Doe's work. What's her take on eco criticism?" Then, use their answer to similarly make connections like I said above. 
3. Don't feel like you need to have a definitive answer. Places where they ask you something that you haven't thought through yet are a great place to (1) say where you thinking IS at, but then follow that up by saying (2) this is why you want to be in a PhD program. Great phrasing would be something like, "I really do think that the relationship between gender and the publishing industry has had a huge impact on the reception of certain authors. I think to get to a definitive answer, however, I'll have to do some archival work, which I haven't had the time to do while in my M.A. That's one of the reasons I'm really excited about the prospect of being in your program-- you have such a great collection of early publishing records, and I love the work that Dr. X has done with them."
4. Have some questions prepared to ask them, if they give you the opening to do so. Even if you don't really have any questions, have some-- saying "I don't have any questions" can make you seen uninterested. These questions, though, should be higher-order questions about the program, and not nitty-gritty. i.e. DO ask about recent placement, but don't ask about specific stipend questions (unless they give you the space to do so). DO ask about the availability of funding for conference travel, but don't ask about how much. After you're admitted, you can ask about details, or about the city or housing or whatever. Right now, you're just trying to get in the door. 
5. The best advice-- for interviews, and for campus visits when y'all get to that stage-- is to fake it 'til ya make it. It's ok to say that you're nervous if you are! But also, act confident, sociable, and kind, no matter how you feel inside. I used to teach speech, and I'd tell my kids that everyone starts to feel nervous before public speaking. That's a normal, healthy, bodily response. The key is to turn those nerves into energy, rather than thinking that they mean you're going to fail, and letting them shut you up. 

Hi everyone, I'm also a Fall 2020 applicant, interested in queer theory and postcolonial studies (broadly speaking). I have been anxiously checking the results page and this forum for a few weeks now, and thought about joining in to quell my nerves. Is anyone else's jaw super sore all the time, and breathing erratic? I want this slow-burning anxiety attack to enddd.
I applied to a bunch of schools, mostly English and a few gender/women's studies. So far, I got an interview request from a women's studies program but English programs are SILENT so far (didn't apply to any of the schools that have been sending folks interviews so far). 
Anyways, I have no questions at the moment, but just wanted to join the cesspool of nervous wrecks

Congratulations! I haven't done any PhD interviews so I'll resist the urge to launch into the tips I exchange with friends for jobs, but in the meantime, Duke of Bookingham (current UMD PhD student, in 3rd or 4th year) wrote up a nice tips post over here: https://dukeofbookingham.tumblr.com/post/190293342155/so-ive-been-in-the-room-for-prospective-phd

Oh, the other piece of advice--which should probably be obvious, and which I almost certainly don't have to give anyone here--is don't lie. It's OK if you haven't read a particular book or done a particular thing. It doesn't mean you're a bad student or a sub-ideal applicant; you want to go to this place to learn and become more well-read, which suggests, obviously, that you haven't read everything there is prior to admission. Even if you got into a program by misrepresenting yourself, you don't want that hanging over your head for five years that will be difficult enough as it is. 

Seconding @cruel optimism on the interview tips bit -- some general tips (applicable for most unis doing a Skype interview) would be great too, please?

Best of luck! This is great news!

Duke interview. Am freaking out. Any tips?
(I'm exceptionally horrible at interviews...) 

Yes, all my application statuses show up as 'submitted', including UChicago (which was an implied rejection) and Emory (where I landed an interview).
No official rejection email(s) yet either, though most of the schools I've applied to typically notify candidates between mid-Feb to early-March.
I'm guessing it'll take another couple of weeks, at least, for the portals to be updated/pending emails to be sent out.

Yes, all my application statuses show up as 'submitted', including UChicago (which was an implied rejection) and Emory (where I landed an interview).
No official rejection email(s) yet either, though most of the schools I've applied to typically notify candidates between mid-Feb to early-March.
I'm guessing it'll take another couple of weeks, at least, for the portals to be updated/pending emails to be sent out.

ALCON--
Please resist the understandable urge to read the tea leaves and the rolls of the bones.
Instead, I encourage you to find strength in the knowledge that you have all worked very hard to  get to this point and that you've done the best that you can under the circumstances to put forward the best version of yourself in your application materials.
Instead, I urge you to invest your time and your energy in matters where the outcomes are in your control: your current courses, assignments, and research projects. If you're in the private sector, you can focus on your projects and the needs of your team mates. Such an investment will have the added benefit of developing your ability to stay focused in stressful situations.
If you cannot focus on academics or work, focus on taking care of yourself in ways that have immediate benefits. A good meal, time with friends, reading for pleasure, "Netflix and chill," some physical activity, a good night's sleep. If you can, tune out of social media and this BB for a few days.
Right now, at this very moment, individuals against whom you will compete for funding, jobs, and professional awards are developing their trade craft. For some, it is because they "know" they're getting into Happyland University. For others, it is because they don't know but they understand that graduate school is hard and that they need every moment that they can get studying their craft.

Hi, I hope this helps. Below are some useful information (don't ask me how I get it ?)
Wait-lists. Your first response to a wait-list should come within 24 hours, expressing enthusiasm for the department and gratitude that your application is still in the running. Attach any funded offers you have to that email, and write a few sentences on why the wait-listing department is very much your top choice. Then, as you receive other funded offers, and allowing a gap of no more than 10 days to go by, write the wait-listing department's Director of Graduate Admissions to restate your continued interest, attach newly-arrived competing offers, remind that person of earlier offers you forwarded, and provide an update the departments you're still waiting to hear from.
 

I think figuring out fit is very tricky despite how hard we try. Programs with large faculty might make it seem like most people are a fit. But some big names might not be taking on new students. Programs with a smaller faculty might make it seem like the fit isn't there even if it is.  We also rarely ever know who's being hired at what time for any upcoming position which may also showcase what a university might be interested in.

Yep, it was the Writing Program and not the English dept that interviewed me. Just dug through my old emails, the interview was for a Teaching Associateship! Basically, you are to teach the first-year writing course as an instructor, not a TA. And yes, UMass has a great program. My MA advisor was quite surprised that I declined their offer (but my MA was funded, too, and seemed like a better option for my personal life at the time). Hope this helps!

I had the fortune to visit this college over Thanksgiving break, because of my gf's family and other factors. I drove through it. The surrounding area is quite nice, and it gives off a 19th century American "rustic" feeling, like the scenery in a Hawthorne book or something. Spatially, the campus looks quite large, and I understand it enrolls a lot of people.
I also applied there and did the Writing Center application. I don't have any more information, but just wanted to provide a couple of comments because it sounds like you're interested in it.

I don't believe they have formal interviews, but I might be mistaken. And after (obsessively) trolling past decision dates, UMass Amherst start sending out acceptances by the second week of February usually.

When I applied 3 years ago I got my acceptance from UMass mid-February. They didn't have any interviews or correspondence in between. After acceptance, you have to have an interview for the teaching assistantship though.

I can't say with any certainty about the people who declined their offer, but everyone in my cohort was interviewed, which includes English and TAPS.

Hm! All very intriguing. I'm trying not to get my hopes up about being on a possible long list, and although I think I'd be feeling the exact same way as some of you if I hadn't received the email yet, I also think it's too soon for anyone to go crying themselves to sleep! I've been digging through last year's thread and it looks like Chicago might send out interview requests in multiple waves, in which case it may just be that you haven't received your emails yet. Let us know – you might get an email tomorrow!