Rauschenbusch

Down and up day, but at least it came in to the inbox in that order! Rejected from Michigan, and accepted at Brandeis!

It does happen.  I do strongly advise that you do not accept their offer without a full package and by that I mean at least 4-5 years of TAships, not just one year.

I am sorry! That sucks.

Students in the program brought up issues from their perspective, stuff the professors courting me either wouldn't say or wouldn't know about, and most of it came out in informal settings during prospie weekend. Funding packages are all well and good, but they're pretty meaningless when you don't know stuff like cost of living, what happens if you need an extra year, if the department will defer funding in your offer for a year if you get an external fellowship, what sort of support the department/university offers (for me, stuff like child care), if the insurance is just medical or includes dental/vision (maybe less important if you get one offer and it comes with just medical, but I had multiple offers with the full suite).
What's the department culture like (hard to tell from afar, you get a better sense of it after the prospective student events, usually when current grads take prospies out for beer at the end of the day)? Department tensions (for example, one program seemed to show a lot of preference for a particular field, the students in other fields couldn't hide their resentment. Some programs fully fund some students, only fund others term to term, which can also breed resentment)? How supportive/what are the advising styles of the professors you want on your committees and, importantly, how do the professors you're eyeing work together (need to talk to their grad students, think about what happens if there are specific people you NEED on a committee and they don't get along)? Do you not want to be one of two women in a cohort of 20 (this happened to one of my friends)? If the department offers grants for research/conferences, how do those shake out ("We offer grants each year" can translate to "we offer one grant to one student each year")? Common element: talking to grad students in informal settings. You may be able to achieve this over email/phone, but I didn't get nearly as much information from the grads hand-picked to talk me into attending each university as I did when out to beer with grad students during prospie weekend. Hope this helps!

Same as it ever was.

Yes! It turned out I didn't have to languish on the wait list too long; I just got the email that I was accepted to my No. 1 choice (FSU)! Now I'm all shaky ... having trouble processing that this is actually happening.

Just got my rejection letter from Boston College; I don't see any others in the results, so I'm not sure if they do it in waves or not, but best of luck to other BC history applicants out there!

Since my field is church history, my applications straddle history and religious studies departments, and so far the religion folks seem to be moving faster. Got accepted to my No. 1 choice yesterday (yay!) and rejected from my local choice today (boo!) – which means our family is almost definitely moving this summer. Both of them are religion programs. My three holdouts are all history programs. Come on, history folks! My children (and me) would like some certainty!

Since my field is church history, my applications straddle history and religious studies departments, and so far the religion folks seem to be moving faster. Got accepted to my No. 1 choice yesterday (yay!) and rejected from my local choice today (boo!) – which means our family is almost definitely moving this summer. Both of them are religion programs. My three holdouts are all history programs. Come on, history folks! My children (and me) would like some certainty!

Since my field is church history, my applications straddle history and religious studies departments, and so far the religion folks seem to be moving faster. Got accepted to my No. 1 choice yesterday (yay!) and rejected from my local choice today (boo!) – which means our family is almost definitely moving this summer. Both of them are religion programs. My three holdouts are all history programs. Come on, history folks! My children (and me) would like some certainty!

I am so sorry. I completely understand how you feel though I know that is little comfort. I read a quote that has been keeping me going through this grad school purgatory and that is "what is meant for you will not pass you by." Cheesy but whatever works, right? Sending hugs and good vibes your way. 

Idk if anyone else applied there this season (besides the one admit), but I've just been rejected from Vanderbilt. Feeling kind of numb, really wondering what will happen now. Wisconsin was also an implicit rejection, so I have four options left (really 5, gotta update to say that I applied to Lehigh), but Michigan is a pipe dream, so my options are dwindling. I'm applying for Master's programs now, so I have a backup plan. This really sucks, though, I had my heart set on Nashville.

Congrats! Wonderful! 

Yes! It turned out I didn't have to languish on the wait list too long; I just got the email that I was accepted to my No. 1 choice (FSU)! Now I'm all shaky ... having trouble processing that this is actually happening.

Yes! It turned out I didn't have to languish on the wait list too long; I just got the email that I was accepted to my No. 1 choice (FSU)! Now I'm all shaky ... having trouble processing that this is actually happening.

I'm in the "no word from anyone" boat thus far, and my deepest fear, even though I know it's irrational, is that I somehow missed a key step or submission, and I'll just wait in limbo indefinitely because the applications never actually got submitted.
Sigh.

Yes! It turned out I didn't have to languish on the wait list too long; I just got the email that I was accepted to my No. 1 choice (FSU)! Now I'm all shaky ... having trouble processing that this is actually happening.

Yes! It turned out I didn't have to languish on the wait list too long; I just got the email that I was accepted to my No. 1 choice (FSU)! Now I'm all shaky ... having trouble processing that this is actually happening.

Yes! It turned out I didn't have to languish on the wait list too long; I just got the email that I was accepted to my No. 1 choice (FSU)! Now I'm all shaky ... having trouble processing that this is actually happening.

Yes! It turned out I didn't have to languish on the wait list too long; I just got the email that I was accepted to my No. 1 choice (FSU)! Now I'm all shaky ... having trouble processing that this is actually happening.

Yes! It turned out I didn't have to languish on the wait list too long; I just got the email that I was accepted to my No. 1 choice (FSU)! Now I'm all shaky ... having trouble processing that this is actually happening.

Here’s to hoping everyone receives good news this week!

Received my rejection letter from Stanford and, while I’m disappointed, my first thought was that this means I can accept my offer to Yale ? I was waiting because I knew Stanford is so close to home and would be my family’s first choice and I thought it was mine too until I had my Yale interview. 
I know in my gut that Yale is the place for me and I am so excited to accept my offer and make preparations for my move across the country. Has anyone had experience with a move cross-country move before? Would love any advice I can get ?
Good luck with the rest of decision season everyone. This has been the most nerve wracking experience but in the end we will all end up where we are meant to be. If you truly love research and contributing to your field of study, you’ll find a way ♥️ 

Me, too! Since I posted this, I was waitlisted by my No. 1 choice, which is good – I did actually submit the application correctly, and I still have a chance! – but more subtly disappointing than I expected. Not like instant deflation, but more like a balloon with a small hole in it.
This waiting game is rough!

Honestly that's been my biggest fear, that somehow I missed something big in the application process and it's just too late. I hope that's not the case for either of us ❤️