fireflymoon26

I've lived in Davis for 2 years now, and its a wonderful place. No crime, adorable downtown, great food, great theaters - and SF, Berkeley, and Sac are close by for those who need city access. (I don't!) Davis is a very friendly place. Best of luck!

That sounds really stressful. I can't believe the MA program gave you such a weird deadline! Yikes! Did you tell the PhD school specifically about the MA weird deadline, and the MA school's agreement that they would let you out if you get into the PhD program? I wonder if when they said "tell us before signing," they were imagining this weird MA situation, or not. If you decide to sign with the MA program, I'd try to get the MA school to put the "let you out with no hard feelings" into writing, as part of the acceptance offer you sign. Is that too pushy? Seems like it shouldn't be, since they're being so pushy about the deadline. So, if the PhD school doesn't know about the MA deadline situation specifically, I'd consider telling them about it and see what they say. If they do know about the situation, and still say "don't sign without telling us," then....that makes it more difficult, because it implies that signing with the MA program changes the PhD program's reception toward you. Gosh, what a difficult situation! How much do you really like the MA program? In the end, it seems important to weigh your interests when choosing what to do. Hope this helps a little! Best of luck!!!

I am very happy - I found out that I am waitlisted at U of Rochester!! That means I still have a chance to be admitted to their PhD program!! I assume it means that if I don't make it in off the waitlist, I can do their Masters program instead? I don't mind if it is unfunded, which I know sounds silly, but its true. I already have lots of student debt. A little more won't make much of a difference, at this point!

Don't lose hope - FreakingOut is right!! Every schools is different. Some accept via postal service! When I called Harvard, they said they aren't done with the decisions yet, and would be sending them out within the next few weeks. I will be REALLY amused if the only school I get into is Harvard, HEHE! My heart is with U of Rochester, and will hopefully hear on Monday whether I got into the PhD or MA program. *crosses fingers* :)

I don't think Harvard has sent English PhD notifications yet! I called them, and they said that it would still be a few weeks.

FreakingOut, did you hear from Rochester? I'm afraid to check my mail. I'm also in California, so...its likely that I won't hear for a little longer due to distance and postal delays. Eeek!

Heheee! Of course!! *throws lots of magical faerie lucky admission dust on social workers, especially MsTiaLia* :)

Yes yes, submit your LSAT scores!! I am in a similar boat as you, kinda - I went to law school too (JD from Cornell) and my GRE scores were kinda loopy, especially the GRE Literature subject test....I wish I had thought to ask them if they wanted my LSAT score! Tell us all what happens. Best of luck! *throws admission-inducing magical faerie dust on us lawyers*

Wow! Congrats, Freakingout!! I bet thats a huge relief!!! :):)

Rochester is described by bumper stickers as "an acquired taste." Its actually a fairly economically depressed area, as is most of upstate New York. There are some great restaurants and good diversity - two of my best friends live in Rochester, and we always go out for Ethiopian food! There are several Ethiopian restaurants, and also tons of other kinds of interesting food, like Dim Sum. There is a fun alternative bar we like to go to called "Lux" too, with a backyard area, and they have campfires and logs to sit on. Its very snowy and the winters are long and gray. One great thing about graduate school in Rochester would be the cheap cost of living! Housing is very cheap - you could probably buy a house with no money down and move in, and save tons of money on high rent you might be paying elsewhere. (You can find great houses for under 100k!) Also, there is a FABULOUS grocery store chain in Rochester and the rest of upstate New York, called "Wegmans." Wegmans makes groceries something to look forward to, seriously. Its one of the things I miss most about home, if you can believe it! =) So, Rochester has both pros and cons - it just depends on where you like living. Personally, I prefer smaller college towns like Ithaca - but Rochester is close to my parents, and I have great friends there. It would feel weird to move back to Ithaca anyway, since all my law school friends would no longer be there! (I went to Cornell for law school, so I lived in Ithaca for 3 years and moved to Davis, California in 2005) I hope this ramble helps describe Rochester a bit! When I was younger I used to roll my eyes about Rochester, but now I appreciate cheap housing and proximity to home more, LOL. I also miss the snow. Davis has continuously warm and pleasant weather, but I miss the drama of the seasons! I sooo hope I get that "Congratulations!" from Rochester soon - I am hoping so hard for admission there. Best of luck! Maybe we will both get in, and meet up!!

Hi freakingout! I called Rochester last week, asking whether they had read all the applications already. (I had the sudden desire to send a different writing sample, based on the feedback I got from one of the schools I was rejected from) Anyway, Rochester's secretary said that all the applications have been read. *prays for Rochester to admit me*

I'm waiting to hear from: Brown Columbia UPenn U of Rochester U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Harvard WUSTL I applied to 14 schools total, so I've gotten 7 rejections already - all from places like Princeton, Yale, etc, which makes me feel an eensy teensy bit better, because it makes me think I might still have a chance at some of these schools I have yet to hear from. I am on my knees praying to be admitted to U of Rochester! Its only an hour away from my parents, who I miss horribly. I'm living in Davis, CA right now, and I really miss upstate New York. I just hope that I get into one place. Applying to 14 schools was financially insane, and I am super eager to get started on my PhD or Masters in English! I've waited so long, it seems like - I have a law degree. The whole time I was fantasizing about being a scholar. Best of luck, everyone! *throws magical admission dust on everyone*