Whitmanhopeful

Hi, James! Sooooo sorry for the delayed reply! Gmail was routing these to a folder I never check. So glad to hear you'll be here in the fall as well! Let me know if you need help with housing, I cannot decide if I should be looking myself, or trying to save some money and maybe live at home for the first year. I'm debating the classes, several look promising and I cannot decide what would be best. Very much looking forward to starting in the fall! Also to make this easier - rachelheffner@gmail.com (I'm also on Facebook.) Hope you're well -Rachel

James, Hope you had fun at the Open House - I did, and am officially on board for the fall. I'm curious as to what you decided? Or if you had heard any possible class offerings for next year? Hope all is well, Rachel

Hi, James, Glad you'll be joining me - that's a nice surprise! I think I have the same schedule; I'm going to ask if Dawn could possibly arrange for me to meet with some graduate students in the afternoon after lunch, so hopefully I'll be occupied as well. Sorry to hear about Singh - I think we'll all be spending huge amounts of time in the library. (Both libraries are actually quite nice from what I hear.) I'm sorry to hear about your other responses. I've had the same results. I still have not heard back from Lehigh regarding funding though - do you think it's too soon to email and inquire further? I just do not want to be too pushy! I would love to accept and get the process over with... advice? Have a good weekend as well! Thanks, Rachel

Best of luck to you as well! I hope the official rejections come swiftly. (I know they are arriving; I'm just waiting on official news.) It would be nice to be "in the know" once and for all I think. I'll let you know if I get any new feedback on the Open House. Thanks, Rachel

Hi, James, Sorry I didn't realize an updated schedule was posted on the website. I would love to go to one of Singh's classes as well as that of Keetley. I will probably email to ask if that is okay as well, or if there is something else we might be asked to participate in on the day of. Thanks for the update! A quick question - when you heard regarding the fellowships, did they give any other concrete information regarding financials? It's my biggest worry...I think the day of the Open House if I have not heard anything else, I will definitely ask for follow-up info. It would put my fears to rest a great deal. (I'm glad the receipt of the fellowship came on a "good" day for you. It's interesting how much difference a little good news can make to balance out the bad.) I'm glad you're attending the Open House! It will be nice to meet a fellow possible attendee come fall! Can I ask where else you applied (who you're waiting to hear back from?) I'm still waiting on Rutgers, University of Maryland, Univ. of Pennsylvania, NYU and Penn State (all in the top 30 I believe, all definite rejections) as well as Fordham and SUNY Binghamton. I think Fordham would also be a good fit for me (but alas, again I'm pretty sure it's a no - then again I thought this about Lehigh as well!) -Rachel

Hi, James, Where did you find a schedule of classes to choose from? I was invited to Professor Whitley's class in the morning, and I'm very much looking forward to that, however from about 10:30 until the presentation at 4, I'm uncertain as to what I'll be doing. I would love to be able to sit in on other classes during that time if I'm allowed to do so. Congratulations on receiving a fellowship!! I did not and I'm saddened by that, but I cannot say that it was a surprise. I hope I'll be hearing something regarding financial aid at some point soon or this will be a very short process for me...that being said I'm very happy for you! That's excellent news! Hope you're having a good weekend as well! (Let me know if you hear anything else!) Thanks, Rachel

Hi, James! Yes, I heard from Dawn as well, and I'm very excited to participate. This will be a different experience than the Open House in the fall. For one, I didn't get to meet any other professors, nor did I get the chance to sit in on a class. I look forward to meeting you as well; glad you can attend! I have not heard back regarding fellowships either. I'm assuming they went to other people, or that Lehigh will send all financial package information at one time (for example, when the teaching assistantships have been decided). I truly, truly hope it does not mean that I'm not receiving anything...that would unfortunately be the end of my doctoral career... And I just started to look forward to the fall! I've only had one other rejection - CUNY Grad. Center - other than that I'm living in the land of Silence as well. 7 more rejections linger in the cyberspace, waiting to be forwarded. But if Lehigh comes through with everything, I think I will be a happy camper regardless of the lack of offers to sift through/compare. What class are you sitting in on? Hope you're doing well, Rachel

"considered" for TAships. It's slightly alarming that for a possible English PhD candidate - I have lost my ability to speak correctly.

Hi, James, I hope we'll be considering for TAships, especially so early in the game. I'm glad news of the fellowships comes early as well - I'm hoping once we hear about those, perhaps a more comprehensive financial package will be released? I'll follow up in a month or so if we do not know more. That's awesome about your dad! I've only been on campus once myself (despite its close-by location) for the Open House, so I would love to coordinate for a visit - I'm on the more shy end myself, and I think I would get a better sense of things with another student. (Isn't that why Accepted Students days generally work so well? I digress.) I got my MA in 2008 from Brooklyn College and applied that year to PhD programs as well, but I was working full time, and the application process did not have my full focus. I was rejected from all, including Lehigh. That's part of why I'm so relieved this time around, and also a bit tickled by the acceptance. I must have done something right this time, haha. Hope your semester is going well. Let me know when in the next few months you might want to visit the campus. Dawn said to email anytime with when I'd (we'd) like to come and whom we'd like to meet. For some reason the early acceptance has both decreased my anxiety and intensified it (particularly with regard to the other 8 applications of mine still hanging in the balance) - it's such a strange process for everyone involved! Thanks, Rachel

Hi, James, Thanks and an update - Dawn replied to my email and said fellowships will be announced 2/14, and teaching assistantships by the end of February/beginning of March at the latest. She didn't mention needing to "accept" nor provide any other specific funding package info, so I'm not sure if I need to do something further, but I will follow up in a few weeks if I (we) don't hear anything. Are you planning on visiting? I am thinking that even if I do not receive any other offers, I'll feel better long-term about the decision to go if I sit in on a class or meet with some professors/current grad students. Now just to decide if I go now while nervous about funding and hearing back from other schools, or if I wait until say - March - when I might have more information. Rachel

Thanks for the advice. That was definitely along the lines of what I was thinking i.e. find out as much as possible, hope for more information, and other comparative offers (if I can only be so lucky!) It seems like an odd predicament, but I'm certain this has happened to others as well. And thanks for the tip regarding email - I had not thought of ensuring I have things on record, but that makes sense just so I can track what is promised and then actually provided.

Hi, all, frequent reader, new poster. I was just accepted into one of the doctoral programs I applied to (yay!), but in the official acceptance letter for the department, they state a funding package can only be prepared for me once I have accepted, and that it is advisable to do so as soon as possible. I'm thrilled to be accepted and for this to be the first response I've received (8 rejections are on their way - guaranteed), but it seems strange to have to accept before funding is provided! Has anyone else encountered this same kind of situation? Perhaps I am simply reading the letter way too literally, or the wording is badly chosen? I do not actually expect to get into any further programs (it's honestly more than I can hope for - to actually be able to CHOOSE between schools), but at the same time it feels waaaaaay too early in the process to accept, particularly without funding details. I have my MA, and cannot afford to take out any loans in the fall, ergo the funding needs to be enough to live off of in order for me to enter into the program. Any advice? I have emailed the graduate director to ask for clarification, but am unsure how to handle this going forward. I don't want to seem ungrateful or for them to rescind their acceptance, I'm just a bit in the dark on how to proceed! Thanks for any insight.

I wasn't aware I had received the official acceptance letter, at least from the department. Did yours also state that we have to accept before they can provide us with a specific funding package? That doesn't seem like the normal way of things...Am very confused! Your thoughts?

Hi, J, Great to hear from you! (Sorry for a delayed reply, was out of town this weekend.) Actually I'm really glad to be privy to funding information, since I don't have any specifics on hand. I remember asking questions regarding funding at the Open House, and feeling moderately satisfied with the answers - but now I cannot find my notes (of course). I'm glad the TAships are guaranteed, although I hope that the department provides some support/training in getting started (particularly depending on the kind of course) and that the amount of courses doesn't overwhelm the work we would need to do! I'm originally from Bethlehem so I'm pretty familiar with Lehigh; I have family in the area, and my father went there for undergrad - so even though I know it's not the highest ranked program (particularly in our field), all of the experiences that I've heard regarding their graduate programs have been positive. It's hard to put my finger on why I enjoyed the Open House so much. Lehigh was a school I definitely wanted to apply to, but it wasn't necessarily my top choice at least going into the application process. But attending the Open House, my opinion shifted - the students seemed articulate, intellectual, passionate and engaged (much as you would expect from a good graduate program) but even more so, they projected a strong support system - both in working with faculty and with one another, to ensure everyone survives the craziness and emerges a stronger scholar for it. Learning they also had a professor working in my particular field also helped! My preferred specialty is 19th century American poetry, in particular Walt Whitman. I want to explore how his poetry intercepts with the theological and philosophical rhetoric of the time, and how he and Emily Dickinson exemplify two different articulations of the American poetic voice within that time period. As a sub-field, I'm interested in children's literature as well. Hope you had a good weekend!

Hi, I love reading the forums, but am a very new poster! I just got an email from Lehigh - my first acceptance, and I really liked the program, particularly from my Open House experience this past fall. Anyone else accepted? Waitlisted? I think Lehigh will be a good fit for me - which I'm certain is what we're all looking for - and this makes me optimistic. I've been growing increasingly anxious, so to have my first acceptance come before the 8 rejections which are sure to follow makes the whole process a great deal easier. (I'm a second-time applicant.) Anyone else apply? Accepted and attending? Still waiting on other responses? (Growing tired of the obsessive/anxiety/craziness that comes with this process?) I'd love to hear from you either way.

First time posting! But it feels good to log all of our efforts here. Applied to: Lehigh Rutgers CUNY Grad University of Maryland, College Park U Penn WashU Fordham Penn State SUNY Binghamton All English PhD, 19th century American, poetry, Whitman. 2nd time applicant - here's to better luck this time around!!