Kelsey1599

The best of luck to all those waiting on waitlists tonight. Hopes and prayers! ??

Think it’s time to start freaking out now that the first waitlist acceptance has been posted for Michigan... ?

Forgot to add on this: when I say significant debt, I mean relative to living in your hometown with my parents. I still have way less debt than I think I would have if I'd gone, funded, to a school across the country. I can't be sure, though. When I picked the smaller, regional program close to home, there were some unexpected trade offs, like no conference or travel funding, unexpected fees ("fully funded" really was a misnomer at my school for anyone), and a very low stipend. At the same time, no regrets. I got to do my MA with a fantastic support network in a great community that I'm very familiar with, and surrounded by faculty that without exception genuinely care for and nurture students.
 
Apart from all that... welp, guys, it's the Sunday night before the 15th. I have a feeling tomorrow morning is gonna be back to intense stuff. Fingers crossed for all of us.    

So my thought is because we're in the middle of a major holiday celebration for a minimum of two very large religions, we won't see as much movement until Monday. I'm actually kind of sickeningly crossing my fingers that we don't in case it's bad news... I don't normally really appreciate Passover as much as I should, but this year, with everything? I'm kind of digging the vibes, lol. And Happy Easter to those of you who do that. And Happy Holidays to anyone else I've missed.   

So, I already said similarly in the waitlist thread, but... my thought is because we're in the middle of a major holiday celebration for a minimum of two very large religions, we won't see as much movement until Monday even though we're chugging to the finish line. Monday might be a heck of a day, though.  
(I'm actually kind of sickeningly crossing my fingers that I don't get news in case it's bad news... I don't normally really appreciate Passover as much as I should, but this year, with everything? I'm kind of digging the vibes, lol. And Happy Easter to those of you who do that. And Happy Holidays to anyone else I've missed.)   

@WildeThing @vvolgate Thanks for the input! I'll take another look at the course listings and see if it'll really be worth it or if there's another class I'm just as interested in. 

Depends. Where I did my MAs, our three hour seminars generally always ended up having a 10-15 minute break somewhere in the middle. That even with a break would be too much for me, mentally, but I know people who genuinely prefer that kind of schedule. It can be handy for long commutes, sharing a vehicle, etc... 

No, but it's definitely tougher. Both semesters here I've had "long" days with 3-4 classes and they're rough and some days you will be very tired but I don't think it's worse than maybe taking classes you're less interested in.

Anyone else still on waitlists and loosing their mind? Because I am loosing my mind. 

Thank you both for your input! I'm continuing to weigh the pros and cons for both schools, and I hope I can feel at peace with whatever decision I reach over the next few days. I have no prior teaching experience, so even though I am excited to teach and have confidence in my abilities, the lighter load at WashU appeals to me. Still, the Penn State teaching would be doable, especially with the fellowship they've offered me. I'll keep talking with people at both schools, and hopefully I'll reach a breakthrough soon.

Never mind! Happy to say that I've finally made my choice and I'll be attending UW this fall

Hi all! Checking in to see how folks are doing this in strange, strange time. Never in a million years did I ever expect 2020 years to turn out like this. I'm especially saddened for all of you and the future Fall 2021 cohort, going into grad school with this much tumult is something I cannot imagine. Even in the best of times, the process of applying and deciding whether or not to go accept a program's offer was mentally taxing without the pressures of anything external. I vividly remember experiencing a strong case of cold feet and 'should I or should I not' before I started my first quarter. With COVID at hand? My goodness.
I'm happy to keep chatting, offer support, or help proffer advice on decisions. I know that the April 15th deadline is coming up incredibly soon. Always happy to talk.

I've been on the Berkeley waitlist but last night I got an email saying that they couldn't offer me a spot! I was a bit surprised considering how early it is and I didn't think everyone would've responded by now. I was told, also, that I was first on the waitlist, and the faculty encouraged me to assume that I was in, so it was obviously pretty disheartening to get that email. I think I'd been banking on Berkeley a bit too much because I'm not that interested in the other choices I have. Anyway, feeling a bit crushed over here.

I feel your pain ? I think pro/con charts are definitely the way to go! I personally have a spreadsheet that desperately needs filling out. Best of luck to you (and everyone else) during this stressful time!

I can't sleep thinking about my choices! I'd like to be on the same coast as my family, but I have to sacrifice some things I want to do that. If I went the other way, I'd get those things but I'd have to give up being closer to family and also my relationship. Shit's tough

These last stages of the decision-making process are excruciating, especially under the unusual conditions! Today I graced my favorite professors' inboxes with a thousand-word email about the pros and cons of my top two choices. Writing it all down really helped me clarify my own thoughts. I know which program I prefer, but I'm having trouble getting over the trepidation of moving nearly a thousand miles from my hometown, especially when my second choice program is much closer. 

So, I think I'm going to officially accept my PhD offer soon. At this point, best case scenario with BU is that I get accepted to their MA program, but if I'm not willing to go into further debt for BC, I'm sure as hell not going to for BU - especially after this aggressive silence. I'm officially over waiting for them. While I'd like to have the option of my WL accepting me, I'm not really sure I'd take them over this offer, even though it would mean I wouldn't have to move. The prospect of finally committing has me anxious af. Last year was such a disaster that I'm afraid something is going to go wrong again. However, moving 2 hours away as opposed to 47 hours away should be exceedingly less stressful. *knock on wood* *knock on so much wood* My cats are going to be super pissed. 

Just got a very kind and understanding email from Michigan (looks like it was sent to all waitlisted applicants) talking about how they understand the frustrations caused by these delays, expressing thanks for our patience, and also answering some common questions about deadlines, etc. I think I just fell a little bit more in love. 

Truly wish you get it. Your passion is dancing on my screen right now!! 

Hi! New here; a question on waitlists: I’ve been accepted at 3 programs and waitlisted at one that I most wish to go to. The DGS said that they hope to offer me admission and asked I tell him before I made a decision elsewhere...do people know why he would want this info? would that possibly expedite an acceptance? I already feel wary of the condescending “we love your work so much we wish we could accept you” thing, and I don’t want to get played by them if I wait it all the way out

A little bit of good news came to me a few days ago in the midst of all this craziness and uncertainty: I've successfully leveraged one of my offers to increase my stipend at another institution! I got word that the college's dean approved an increase, and I should receive further details this week. I really wasn't expecting them to bite, so this is a very nice surprise! 

This knowledge is the beast behind my stress dreams

So, we're just over 3 weeks away from the April 15th deadline. The silence has become absolute. I'm reminded of the episode of Spongebob where he visits Glove World and gets stranded in Rock Bottom.
"This isn't your average everyday darkness. This is...advanced darkness."

Oh another thought! if anyone else is working/studying/writing from home and is interested in co-working in some way or doing productivity check-ins, hit me up!

[insert obsessively thinking about the political climate and general state of the academy and the impact on climate change policy and basically the entire state of hte world for the next 5 years here]
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