darjeelingtea16

I called a couple weeks ago, and at that point, they were around a week later than last year in getting out results. Then I called a couple days ago, and decisions still aren't out, as far as I know. Also, they were on Spring Break this week, so maybe that also has something to do with it. I applied to English last year, got on the waitlist, but then didn't get in. I hope you have a better experience! ND is my number one choice this year, so this wait is particularly agonizing.

I was just wondering if there were other people like me who were waiting for ND Lit. I know there's at least one other person on this forum who is waiting...

You and me both! Every day that goes by and I don't get news, I get more nervous. But then I think that well, at least no one else got news yet. And then I think but not everyone who applied is on gradcafe. From there, the spiral into panic and depression.

Yeah I'm hoping for good news, but then I'm also petrified about an interview. I'm confident I can handle grilling about my writing sample, but oh god if they ask me to indicate any kind of language proficiency on the spot, I might panic. It's not that I lied on my apps, but I've been almost 2 years out now and I feel really out of practice.

Ah, I asked this too, and they said that they're doing interviews again this year, and that when they do start notifying (hopefully next week!), it will be for interviews.

I applied to Literature as well, and I called about my app a couple days ago. They told me that they're late this year and they were hoping to make a decision by the end of the past week, but maybe they won't make one 'til next week?

One of my students was writing about Julius Caesar and wrote: "Then Brutus got all up in Caesar's face and shanked him. Caesar was all like 'et tu, Brute?' which pretty much means PARTY FOUL." Might be one of the best things I've read, ever. haha Also, I hope you all know about this lovely site: http://shitmystudentswrite.tumblr.com/

This is something I wondered as well about interviews. I have a few languages under my belt, but I am a bit rusty, and would probably panic, then crash and burn if they gave me some kind of proficiency test on the spot. This is, of course, if I get an interview. Crossing my fingers hardcore for Notre Dame right now!

Those are crappy odds. I feel the panic setting in now...

Yeah, I only saw that same phone interview on the results page and nothing else. Maybe they're trickling results out? I think I'm giving up on Chicago :/

I'm wondering the same about UPenn Comp Lit...

Thanks! I think it's pretty cool, but I hope the departments I applied to think so as well! There is so much I want to work on that has had very little or no scholarly attention. I just hope I'm able to get in so I can actually do the research (in earnest). That's another concern of mine--that it's too specific. Last year, when I applied to programs, I only applied to 4, and didn't get in. When I asked a couple of the schools for feedback as to why, they told me my work was far too specific. So I started out trying to be more general this year, because I got the same feedback when asking an admin person at Chicago about the whole specificity issue, and applied to 3 English programs (Hawaii, Chicago, and Michigan) with a (hopefully) more vague research idea. However, talking to Comp Lit departments, it seems like they are ok (and some encourage) more specificity, so for the Comp Lit programs I applied to (Cornell, WashU, Notre Dame, UPenn, and Emory), I was more specific about the time period and what genre of texts I was hoping to look at.

I have a similar concern. My focus is mostly on 19th century Tagalog literature, and partly medieval Spanish lit. The medieval Spanish lit can be accommodated, but it's hard to find any profs specializing in Tagalog lit, much less Tagalog lit from the 19th century specifically. :/

To add to this list: Fordham: http://www.fordham.edu/academics/colleges__graduate_s/graduate__profession/arts__sciences/gsas_programs__degre/program_statistics/english_language_and_21367.asp Notre Dame (who is actually pretty awesome about this): http://graduateschool.nd.edu/departments-and-programs/ph-d-programs/

Here's hoping for a waitlist then! I'm curious how many apply to Emory's Comp Lit program. I know some places get many more applicants, like Cornell which gets like 120+, while others, not as much, like Notre Dame, which got like 50 last year...

I also applied to Emory's Comp Lit program this year, and I looked at past topics in the lit forum here and elsewhere and it sounds like some people got in without ever having been interviewed (I think). Plus there's a waitlist and all, so, at the risk of sounding too optimistic, it's still a possibility that the news you and I may get could still be good!

Yeah in the short time since I posted that, I've already decided to try for it. I've emailed my references and I'll see what they say. My essay for it will probably be a tweaked version of my SOP, so I suspect they probably could just submit their letters for me...hmm.

I got a similar email from WashU, and in mine, it says "Our admissions selection committee has not yet met to discuss the applications, but the Olin deadline is fast-approaching..." and I applied to Comp Lit. I just got the email today and if it didn't require letters of recommendation, then I'd be all over this, but I feel like I can't just email my references and say 'Oh hey, btw, I've just decided to apply to this separate fellowship, the deadline is in like 5 days, and I need a letter from you." ? Bummer.

My top choice this year would be Notre Dame's Lit program. I was waitlisted last year when I applied for the English program, but the Lit program is so much more up my alley. A close second would be Cornell's Comp Lit program, followed by Hawaii's English program (though Hawaii's funding is a bit meh). Crossing my fingers for everyone!

I'm starting to freak out now. Emory starts sending out interviews what? Next weekish? Which means shit just got real. This is year 2 of trying to get in for me, and I thought maybe since I was more prepared than last year (I think), that I'd be less anxious. Nope. Anxiety levels are way up.

I feel for them, having to get so many apps, but still, part of me is a little irritated that it took them a month to do that. Or maybe I'm more irritated that they made me panic. ND is my number one choice this year and I tried to make that app especially perfect (if that's possible!) so seeing that my app was "incomplete" after I submitted just freaked me the hell out for a hot minute. But in lighter news, yay for 100 (and 1!) posts!

I'm super happy for everyone who is done! Just out of curiosity, has anyone had issues with submitting their apps and then the apps saying they were incomplete? I submitted all my stuff in Nov, for all the programs I applied to, but because I had a nightmare about incomplete apps (damn these apps working their way into my subconscious!), I checked all my apps a couple weeks ago. For Notre Dame and another one that went through applyyourself, my status said "Application Submitted: Incomplete" and talk about going into hardcore panic mode. I called up the schools and found out it was because the graduate schools hadn't verified that it was all there, so they did that after I got off the phone with them and now all is well. Still! ARGH. It's crap like this that's going to end up giving me a heart attack. Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone had the same issue?

I know it's difficult, but I wouldn't worry as much about that. Last year when I applied, I was frantic about stuff getting in on time. This year, I'm realizing that most departments will follow up and let you know if something is missing, and seem to be fairly accommodating, especially when I email them scans or receipts or other proof that indicates that I sent the stuff out at a proper time. Like this time around, one of the schools I applied to said my GRE scores never came, so I showed them that ETS mailed them Nov. 9th, and they said that was fine, as long as they were on their way. I've also called a lot more departments this year pre-app submission, and it seems pretty normal actually that they get things late (like rec letters, GRE scores, etc), and it doesn't seem to bother them. Of course, this might not be true of all departments, but the ones I applied to were pretty cool about possibly getting stuff later if it ends up happening.

I keep fighting the temptation to apply to more schools as well. Thing is, the other schools I'm thinking of applying to are probably not really good fits for my research, but I think part of me thinks 'if I apply to enough schools, ONE is bound to accept me!' Hah. I applied to 5 schools last year--all in NYC (except one--Cornell), all super competitive. This year I applied to 8 schools, some more competitive than others, and more comp lit programs instead of English ones. They get so much less people applying (like 50-150 vs. the 200+ for a lot of the English programs I looked into), and they're great programs! And yaaaay for your progress lolopixie! Feels damn good (and frightening!), don't it?

Notre Dame's PhD in Lit program supposedly also does interviews.