sadevilminion

Held off on posting this since Wednesday because it feels too surreal and I’m still waiting for them to email again saying “Whoops, wrong person!” But I got into UIUC with 7 years of very good funding ? I’ve turned down my offers from 4 out of 5 programs now. Waiting for UIUC to send the official documents before I turn down my last one. Thank you to everyone on this forum who offered advice and helped me keep a shred of my sanity during this crazy season.

I may have been accepted off the waitlist at Oregon State. They emailed a week ago to ask if I was still interested, and I said no. They could have just been gauging my interest, though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

I was accepted to CU Boulder ? , but it’s unfunded ?. I was positive it was a big no from them. I guess the “only accepting 2” meant funded offers. I’m still quite thrilled by the huge ego boost, even if I won’t be attending!

I totally plan on doing this. I did something similar with an undergrad prof for my current writing sample and I’m very happy with it. In other news, being inpatient with UIUC, I emailed their grad studies office manager (following the link in the application portal ultimately led to her, and the DGS mentioned somewhere on the website that we could email her as well, so I went with this one). Her response is that they are still reviewing applications and will send results in early April. I don’t know if the DGS knows more than the GSOM (my acronym, lol), but I’m surprised it wasn’t the “all acceptances have been contacted already” that others have received. Maybe she is too nice to tell me, lol. There is no way they’re still reviewing applications when the first admits were 2 months ago, right? edit: forgot to mention that this fuels my delusional pipe dream of being on a secret waitlist

Ah, thanks for this advice. They’re both MA programs. Both boast of placing students into PhD programs afterwards, but I’ll look more into that. I will probably go with the better offer, because yea, I’m not in a position to take out loans or spread myself thin with secret side gigs.

It’s really relieving to read these posts and see that a lot of y’all are in the same boat - selecting for funding, ranking, or dream program. My dream program told me I was in their top 3 but is offering a miserable stipend of $10,000 per year while expecting me to pay several thousand in fees and $4000 in mandatory health insurance (I think I could possibly circumvent this by getting on medicaid). The cost of living has skyrocketed because of the “covid escape to Montana,” as I’m calling it. Three different people from their department have reached out to me to answer questions and tell me how exciting my app was, and it’s breaking my heart that I won’t be able to go there unless a money miracle happens. They are pretty low on the ranking list. Another place has offered $13000 the first year and over $17000 the second! Their program is really unique, won’t make me teach the first year while I’m a research assistant, they’re higher ranked, low cost of living, department seems to have a reputation for being radical (a plus for me). Sounds amazing, but their program isn’t as tailored to my interests as the other one, and it’s in a corn field. The choice seems obvious, but my friends keep telling me to choose the other one. I suspect they just want someone to visit in Montana. How to choose ?

Oof, I came here to say I’m so mad after reading the Boulder waitlist who said they only admitted TWO people this cycle. I was initially iffy about applying there in the first place, but now I know I waisted time and money on their dumb app.

I emailed explaining that I was worried the stipend wouldn’t cover the cost of living, because that’s a big part of it for me. I didn’t mention other acceptances, although I’m sure they know that’s a part of it. Honestly I don’t think we owe them any explanation.

Boulder being a little careless with the spam email this morning ?

I hate them. Can't wait to apply there again when I finish my MA ?

I only applied to MA programs, and I’ve noticed a trend that some programs send out results for their PhD applicants and then send the MA results a few days or weeks later. Just wanted to throw this out here in case it helps anyone’s anxiety ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I was just accepted into another funded program and am now at 3a/1w/2p! Forgive me for not saying which school - it's really small, not famous or ivy league, and in the middle of nowhere. Also I have a phone call with them next week and I'm sweating already! No rejections yet (still feels unreal after all rejections last year), although my dream school, UIUC, is definitely an implied rejection at this point. Would be wacky to get in everywhere except there, which also has the largest cohort (i think?) and personally the best fit with my research+POIs. Well, a girl can dream!

A couple people posted waitlists for Boulder. I'll start anticipating my rejection email

YES! Congratulations! ???? I’m genuinely so happy for you! I hope you get some sleep tonight!

Which one of you rapscallions posted the UIUC rejection? Spill the tea!