screwdriverfemme

How's everybody doing with waiting/decisionmaking/both? I committed to UCLA (my first choice!!) yesterday, and I'm thrilled. Today I've got to decline my other offer, which is necessary but also a little sad.

Of course — I hope it’s a little helpful! (And thank you!) I am American, so I can’t speak to how the international process goes, but that sounds like a promising email. I will also say I was applying for the PhD, not the master’s, so that may also change things (I imagine the process is different).

I got an unofficial offer from BU yesterday. I visited campus early this week as well (they invited me, it was a kind of interview/vibe check visit).

I don’t know if I can tell you which I’d choose, but I can ask you some questions which I’d want to consider if I were making the choice! What are your research interests, and how do you feel the faculty lines up with them? Have you had the chance to talk to current grad students at either school? (If not, I very much recommend doing so, and asking them honest questions about their experiences both good and bad … and paying attention to their answers!) I would also definitely recommend taking into consideration the cost of living in both places! I’m no expert, but I very much imagine that Santa Barbara is more expensive to live in than that area of Illinois; so their offer may look more generous, but actually shake out similarly based on COL.

Does anyone have any tips for recruitment visits? I'm attending a three-day virtual visit for my absolute top school tomorrow through Friday, and I feel like I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I've got three(!) individual meetings with faculty and am working on coming up with questions or conversation topics for all of them, I've got questions for my grad student meetings, I'm doing the readings for the classes I'll be visiting ... am I missing anything?? What kind of questions have y'all asked faculty in individual meetings??

Also applied at Harvard for philology, also haven’t heard anything. No idea whether they usually do interviews or not, though. No rejection means we’re still in it, though!!

Also rejected by UChicago! “Check Portal” email and a form rejection. Bummed, but c’est la vie.

Can’t speak to Michigan, but nothing for me from Harvard (classical philology). I have heard of people getting interviews for the ancient history track, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the tracks interview/make decisions separately. (That’s what I’m hoping anyway!)

I applied for classics at Chicago (philology) and haven’t heard anything either! I haven’t seen anyone posting anything about them, so my guess is that they haven’t reached out in general yet. And like everyone else has said, it’s not over til it’s over — plenty of time still to hear back. Don’t lose hope!

Acceptance from UWashington! No funding … yet. The email said I was high on the waitlist for it, so there’s a potential for that to change. Trying to look on the bright side, which is that they’re interested; especially after hearing absolutely nothing from my three reach apps, it’s kind of a downer to get an acceptance without funding from one of my two more “reasonable-range” options. (On the other hand, I haven’t heard of anyone hearing anything from any of my reach apps yet, so??)

Got offered a Zoom interview with BU! My first contact is from my latest-deadline program, lol ... hopefully they're just particularly on top of it, and it's not a bad sign for those earlier-deadline programs. Wondering if anyone has heard anything from UCLA, Harvard, or University of Washington?

No news from UChicago for me (I applied for classical philology). That’s the only one I can speak to from your list!

"Excruciating" is the exact correct descriptor, honestly!! The incredibly arcane and changeable nature of this process is ... not good for my nerves. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you in all of your apps, and keeping my fingers crossed that Chicago is just dragging their feet and we both end up with interviews!

I can only speak to UChicago, as that's the only place on your list where I applied (also in Philology), but I haven't heard anything either! I have been checking my email with great dread and enthusiasm.

The big one is Greek drama, especially tragedy, and especially in the context of performance studies! I'm also into lyric poetry in both languages (especially Roman love elegy), ancient magic, and reception studies. Good luck and all best wishes from here!! I know it often takes a couple rounds of applications - especially frustrating when you have already done a Master's, too! Are you planning on re-applying to any that didn't work out last year?