bfat

It's weird, they said they woudn't accept anything late, but I sent a last desperate email to the professor, and like 10 seconds ago, I got a notification from the Rackham school that a third letter had been submitted on my behalf... Maybe just the English department won't consider it, even though the grad school has it? I'm confused, but happy that at least she was able to do it. Maybe I'll follow up with them on Friday (cause I know how much admissions offices love to get calls the day before winter break). Thanks for the virtual hugs guys.

I just called... they don't accept any thing AT ALL after the deadline. She's also late on UVA and Buffalo... Yeah, I'm just crying right now. A lot. 2 years of my life prepping for these applications and so many hours put into them...

Michigan's website says this: "Please make it clear to all recommenders that your application processing will not be complete if we do not receive your letters by the December 15 deadline. Your recommenders will not be able to submit electronic letters after this date." I am totally boned. My professor totally fucked me over. Awesome. Nice waste of $65 and a good bit of hope.

Does anyone else have the sick desire to just keep submitting apps, because at least when you're focused on applying, you're not focused on waiting?

Ugh, yes, I have one recommender that has now missed all the Dec. 15 deadlines, which was 4 of the 8 schools I'm applying to. The weird thing is that this is the prof I have near daily contact with, and she had mentioned that she was prepping the letters for the 15th on Friday (the 14th). And yet they are still not in...

Short answer: Yes. But really, it depends on which "prestigious school" you're talking about. In the discussions I had with professors about potentially applying to Harvard or Yale (as I've mentioned before) they said that the fit wasn't really very good for several reason (and I totally agree). But I was strongly encouraged to apply to Cornell, Duke, UVA, Michigan and other "prestigious" programs, which are apparently just less "elitist" when it comes to admissions. Talking with one of my profs earlier this week, she finally admitted that Harvard and Yale wouldn't even look at my application, no matter how perfectly qualified and amazing my application might be, because of where my BA is from (a large state school that's not bad, but that few people outside the middle states--MD/DE/PA/NJ/NY--area have heard of). I had always kind of suspected this, but it was actually kind of refreshing to hear it directly. Depressing as hell, but refreshing.

Yes. This blog is depressing... but at the same time it makes me want it more. It's the intellectual equivalent of climbing Mount Everest. Lots of people do it, but lots of people also die trying. That's what makes it so tempting/frightening/exciting. But really, the prospect of being able to study for a living at a place that's challenging and rewarding, of not having to work some crappy job to put myself through a program at a school that isn't right for me, but that was the only option because of financial hardship... yeah, I'd pretty much give anything for that.

Yup. I'm kinda bummed there isn't more happening on this board because this paper is driving me bananas and I clearly need help procrastinating. I've got like 500 pages of source material all over my desk and 6 pages written. Wheeee!

I literally just about threw up in my mouth...

Would that I could. See, this is the driving force between like 99% of the "What are my chances?" posts, especially on this particular board, because it's just about impossible to figure this out with any real accuracy. You can kind of judge your fit and your strengths (my stats are relatively good, I probably don't have a 0% chance, so probably a little higher than the overall 2% as well), but beyond that... it's really hard to know. I kind of assumed that a ton of really unqualified people apply to big name programs, but I met witha prof at Cornell, and he said that, really, they're only able to throw out about 75 apps (maybe 100) right away based on poor qualifications... meaning you're still up against 200-300 "good" applications (of course, these numbers differ at each school... making the guaging process even harder). Oh the horror.

17 schools? Gah! My brain hurts just thinking about trying to keep all of that straight. I have 8, but there's a 9th that I'm contemplating throwing in because they already have my scores and I already wrote the SoP, even though the fit isn't that great and my chances are literally about 2%. God, a 98% chance of getting rejected. That's depressing as hell, isn't it.

Umm... pretty much all of book 7, and good bits of 6 as well. I was like, "Wait, where is this going? Uh oh. Uh oh... NOOOOOOO." The French Mistake (facepalm)

I've submitted all my apps due the 15th because I have a 25-page term paper due the 14th by 2:30 pm. I'm saving Carnegie Mellon and Penn State (both Jan 15) for after I'm done this beast, which just took a sudden and dangerous turn into the land of Derridian deconstruction. Somebody kill me please.

Don't worry, your eating habits can't possibly be worse than my husband's. I spend $250 on organic groceries from Whole Foods and what does he eat for dinner? Microwaved pizza rolls (gag) and every piece of candy IN THE WORLD. Seriously, it's like he's 12. Unfortunately, stress and the end of the semester usually drive me to eat nearly as badly...

Oh my god how did I miss most of a conversation on Whedon shows and the Dark Tower, two of my favorite things in the whole world? Tho I guess I kinda started the Buffy thing. Anyway, yes Dollhouse gets pretty awesome. I'm actually writing part of my thesis on it. The Dark Tower tho... It broke my heart. So much suspense for so many years... and then the biggest disappointment of my life (at least until these results come in, HA). I won't spoil anything but the last book hurt, it was so bad. Why can't Stephen King write an ending anymore? And yet I keep coming back... On a kinda related nerdy note, has anyone seen The Lost Room? It's a mini series, but one of the best things ever. Gives me the chills just thinking about it.

The consensus, from what I understand about almost any program (regardless of rank), is that all fully-funded packages are pretty competitive, but that as programs move up in their rankings, the competitiveness becomes more and more ridiculous. So while top-10 programs (depending on what ranking system you go by, there may actually be 14-15 "top tens") may admit 2% of applicants, programs ranked in the 60s-70s may admit closer to 15%, though not necessarily with equal funding. Soooo.... as long as there is nothing that stands out as a big red NO on your application, it's either a toss-up or a crap-shoot.

Yes. Season four so so lame franken-demon mightaswell be named "Carl" or something. Except Hush which is the awesomest. Seasons 5-7 blow my mind with their Jossy brilliance. Best feminist text on tv evar, anyone? But back on topic (cause I could talk about Buffy all day), I'll also be prepping for teaching my first two classes! One of which is Women & Gender in Film & Media, so... back to Buffy!

Well, what should be on my mind is my thesis (still need to write 2.5 chapters) and my conference paper for NeMLA in March... But honestly, I will probably spend January only half-assedly reading what I should be reading and mostly re-watching Buffy and checking this board every 30 seconds...

I just ate two giant slices of pizza and half a bag of peanut m&ms... I used to be vegan.

Oh Holy Lord, I'd kill for some good curry chips. I ate them practically every day when I lived in Ireland. Best. Food. Evar. Unfortunately, the only place that sold them here, a faux-Irish pub, took them off the menu about 2 years ago. WHY?!?!

Really, I think that the issue is that this forum has always been a place of support and encouragement, where people can discuss their insecurities about the application process without fear or judgment. But in the last few weeks, it feels like it's become a place of defensiveness, discouragement, and accusation of unworthiness--the complete opposite of what it used to be. I probably should have left this topic alone, but it has been bothering me too.

I think the general consensus was to upload a CV, even if a school doesn't specifically ask for it. Was anyone able to upload one for Cornell? The last section of the application (for "additional materials") was grayed out, and said something like "Your program doesn't require any additional materials." I was kind of bummed because there's a lot of good stuff on my CV that just didn't make it onto the app.

Coconut milk (2-3 tbsp), tofu, broccoli, curry: mix in a pan over heat. Easiest deliciocity imaginable. (Hint: even better with tempeh)

I concur. I'm especially fond of the fact that no programs ever change their requirements or application websites from week to week either.

Really? Because I'm pretty sure I said I would have considered it, had it been a good fit for me. And I'm also fairly certain that I've applied to some other "big-name" schools. I have no hate for Harvard or Yale (or any ivy). I was just trying to be realistic about a program's quality vs. whether or not I'd fit in or be comfortable there, same as everyone else.