Rrandle101

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.

Has anybody heard back/know anything about Indiana's Comp. Lit. program? The English acceptances have already been sent out and they usually respond by now but I was wondering if any of y'all knew anything. Also, to the post above I feel like unless the person who posted that acceptance to Princeton was lying (which I doubt anyone would do in the English/Comp. Lit. crowd on here) then I think it's gonna just be a rejection or mayyyybe a waitlist for everyone else left that applied there.

I had visited Berkeley over the summer on a road trip from San Francisco to Austin and I asked the grad coordinator about how the waitlist went usually and he kind of snorted and said, "well I mean, this is Berkeley so we don't really ever use it except in rare occasions" so best of luck if anyone is waitlisted there but his response did not sound too positive

From past years it looks like they usually have another interview round at UPenn and I'm also really hoping they do again this year (it's my top choice program). I was thinking about emailing in a week if I haven't heard anything or seen anyone else get interviews. I haven't heard anything from Cornell either but I have the sneaking suspicion that if at this point you haven't heard anything that you just didn't get in. Best of luck!

I saw that too. Had a mini meltdown after class yesterday when my roommate asked me how my apps were going and I told her that, "I felt like I paid people to tell me I'm an idiot". At least Northwestern was quick about it, even if they sent two rejection letters I guess

I feel like I'm losing my mind waiting for UCLA, Berkeley, and Indiana's Comp. Lit. program to respond. Just out of curiosity, what places are y'all waiting on that typically respond sometime this week?

I was also waitlisted and wasn't sure how to -tactfully- ask how that all worked on their end so I just emailed them back a nice email and said that I would let them know if I end up wanting to commit somewhere else as soon as possible. The language used in the email makes me think that some people will be making it off the waitlist more likely than not but I'm also not sure how they'll be selecting people from it either. I'm hoping some of my profs here will have some insight and if they do I'll post it in here for everyone else that was waitlisted there.

I'm not sure about professors outside of the Medievalists specifically but I've had four professors tell me that the people I want to work with are absolutely fantastic people and that OSU has a reputation for having a friendly climate in general

Hey just a heads up, I'm the goofball that messed up the UT Austin waitlist notification on the results page. Got a very nice email just now about it from their graduate office about it but my portal still hasn't been updated. Hopefully more emails from them go out today for other people about acceptances/waitlist notifications!

It sounds like from what someone else said last week that Berkeley and the rest of the Northwestern acceptances should be coming out this week. Historically UT also notifies around now but someone called and the response was very vague so I'm not sure. Chicago also might be a possibility I think for the people who interviewed for them but I didn't apply there so I'm not as confident on the timeline for that school

Oh gosh I'm sorry and yeahhhh I'm hoping that I'm not gonna get on my laptop tomorrow to find a chonky rejection from Northwestern. I'm hoping since one of them said it was their POI that called and not the DGS that the acceptances will trickle out over the next few days. Who knows though! I had checked my portal today after that and it said "Materials Needed" under the Application Status even though I looked through the checklist and everything is there??? I'm just gonna have to let go and let god with this one because I'm also driving myself a little crazy with Northwestern

Just saw that someone got into Northwestern on the results page (Congratulations to whoever you are, it's a fantastic program!) and am now anxiously waiting next to my phone for a happy call/sad email notification because it looks like from past years they release both on the same day just about

I'm so sorry that you've put in all of this work and have been having such a rough go with things this application cycle. I absolutely DO NOT think that you are too old to be applying to any PhD programs and hope that despite how everything has been going that you won't have to apply again next cycle. That all being said, I actually had a brilliant professor for my critical theory class who didn't finish his undergrad till he was in his 30s (he had started his BA, stopped, and then picked it back up later in life) and then went on to get his PhD at Yale. I also know a couple of graduate students here at my school (Texas A&M) who are well into their thirties with kids and getting their PhDs so if you are committed to getting yours I think you should not let what you think the committees might think about your age stop you. It sounds like you've been doing a whole lot of the right things to do so I don't really have any advice/helpful tips for you but perhaps some current grad students might have some valuable insight? I hope this cycle doesn't end with a shut out for you and best wishes.

I'd say if anything you should look at this early notification of being on a waitlist for a really strong program in positive terms. I know it's hard to just change the way you feel about things (especially when right now information has been coming out so slow) but if it helps I think that by being on the waitlist you can at least know that your application is going to be taken seriously and that it is competitive within your sphere of research interests. There were a couple of folks from last application cycle who literally got into one place and had it turn out to be their dream school while also getting rejected from what they thought were safer schools as well. I hope that you start getting better news in the coming weeks but I wouldn't count yourself out quite this early.

My research advisor told me that he had mixed feelings about undergraduates going to conferences (especially if they weren't getting reimbursed for at least some of it) because on one hand it did sometimes provide that student with good insight into how research should be presented/conveyed and such but on the other hand you might not get any good feedback as an undergrad because profs and grad students typically don't care that much about what undergraduates are researching. I think that dynamic probably varies from conference to conference (I never went to one so I can't speak from personal experience) but I think what everyone else has been saying about language proficiency, a clear research focus, and various indications of your investment in developing yourself as a scholar in your field (which can include conferences but also more importantly coursework, honors theses/research papers, etc) definitely rings true.

I have my eyes peeled for UT Austin and Cornell's Comp Lit. program and probably will all week

Hey! Congrats and for the English department I did but I'm not sure if it'll be around the same in your department. The DGS said for English PhDs to expect at least what students received last year (a little bit less than $18,000 prorated across 9 months) and health insurance that is 85% already paid for. Someone else already said you'd get an email with stuff like that later but hopefully this helps and is relatively close to your funding offer!

I was wondering if any current/former graduate students had any input on English programs with really great academic/professional climates for their students and others that maybe aren't as friendly/cooperative for them. I know all of us this cycle are a long ways off from accepting/declining offers (at least that is what it feels like) but I think a thread like this might be really useful not only for us but also other people applying in the next 5 years or so.

I go to Texas A&M rn and absolutely love all of the professors here I have taken classes with! If your interests are Medieval-related feel free to message me (I would extend that offer for profs in other periods but I don't know the other faculty that well besides a few Early modernists/theory people)

I think it depends on the program. I know UPenn's Comp. Lit. program did two rounds last year but I think most have like one big round of interviews? Maybe call their office tomorrow and ask or see if someone on here has any info to the school in particular that you're worried about

I feel like it depends on how many of the schools you've applied to actually even do interviews and when they historically announce, "hey let's do this thing and interview" based on past years. I applied to 12 programs and would at most have only 2 interviews as the other departments don't really do them so my guess is that you're probably just fine since it isn't even the last week of January yet anyways!

I didn't apply to Chicago but thoughts and prayers for all the people tonight finding out if they actually got an interview after putting their availability in on a DoodlePoll (???) I'd be a nervous wreck about now if I were one of you ngl

I got the official acceptance email just now from OSU with the funding/healthcare/visit day information all attached. I know there were some people in another forum worried that because they didn't have the email yet that they didn't -actually- get in but it looks like everything should be fine!

That's so exciting, Congratulations! What's your field of interest?

The chat has been made!