Rani13

Um, I'm in at Penn. Dead.

Thank you, @Englishtea1. That's very good to know. Would you mind if I message you privately to talk about Princeton more generally?

Fellow Princeton (English) admits, I have so many questions. First, when I was considering applying last fall, a grad student in the department told me they offer six years of funding, not five. My fellowship offer though is for five years. Is that sixth year in play at all? Or am I just misremembering what she said? Perhaps it's more like the sixth year is available should one need it, but simply not guaranteed as part of the written offer? Wondering if any of you have insight on this. Second, does anyone know anything about the Centennial Fellowship at Princeton? It's been offered to me, and I'm so pleased, but I'm also curious about it since I have been given very little context (other than the financial details). Anyone know anything about it?

Oof I’m in at Princeton too. What is my life.

Also in at Rutgers with the *nicest* call of all time. ?

This is not the current stipend, you’re working with older numbers. Idk the exact amount, but it’s closer to 28k plus (some) summers.

Oof. I had to say something because the conversation here has left a bad taste in my mouth. The academy with its scarcity of jobs is so bleak that it is clearly already getting us down, well before we have even begun our careers in earnest. I hope everyone is taking some time for themselves amidst all the anxiety and despair. Solidarity with all of you, but especially with those who are still waiting to hear at all and/or are unsure about what comes next. I will say what I’ve been told by friends and mentors in the past: rejection is the only constant in the academy and it never lets up, no matter how accomplished one becomes with time. In that sense, it is entirely arbitrary and hardly personal. Additionally, as someone said recently on Twitter, the academy will never love us back. I know I’m speaking from a place of some luck and privilege right now, but just wanted to acknowledge that this is an unequal playing field and the stakes are so high precisely because they’re in fact so low. This isn’t on us, it’s on the austerity that is destroying the humanities. I hope we’re all doing the needful to step back and take care of ourselves. Thinking of all of you, and particularly those who are bearing the brunt of rejection right now. May the tides turn and soon!

Just a little strange because it said something like “you're on the waitlist but let us know if you actually want to be on it.” Just a little different from the standard “you're on the waitlist and we'll be in touch if there's any movement.”

Waitlisted at UVA with a rather odd email. OK.

I agree with @WildeThing. Prestige counts for a lot, even though it absolutely should not. The elite schools in particular like to reproduce class. The academy is a conservative place and a quick perusal of the grad students in top 20 PhD programs will show that most come from elite undergrads/MA programs. This is not to say that one doesn't stand a chance otherwise, I'm seeing some success coming from a middle-of-the-road (but wonderful) terminal MA myself. But the battle is an uphill one. On the question of the MA, a terminal program is a great idea because it allows you to develop a real project that you can pitch in your PhD applications. IMO the more one can talk, pitch, and write like a scholar, the better one's chances. A final note on prestige: how one defines it goes beyond rankings. It could be that a lower ranked school has a particularly well known faculty member in your field. Or that it's a prominent state school with lots of active faculty producing interesting, new work rather than a hallowed ivy resting on its laurels from that one famous white male professor who died ten years ago. Make your own determinations, but try to balance prestige, rigor, support, and (most importantly) funding.

In at Michigan with a merit fellowship. What.

Also in at Michigan with a Rackham Merit Fellowship. Yay!

That was me.

Wow I had no idea. That is really interesting and feels good to know!

Not at all. It was not my POI but rather Tamar Katz (grad admissions chair, I believe) who called. She did not mention anything about a timeline other than to say an official letter would come in the next week or two. Fingers crossed for all of you. Thank you!

That would be me. My first acceptance and I’m thrilled.

Congrats! Is this for English or Literature?

Long-time lurker here. Just posting to share that I received an invitation to visit Emory today. I'm thrilled to begin the cycle with this news. Based on past years, does anyone know how many people they invite vs how many get accepted? Also, what are their teaching/service requirements of grad students? Here’s hoping we all get good news soon!