stillthisappeal

So there's one medievalist on their way. Would any of the other accepted applicants mind sharing their fields? I'd also be curious to hear your thoughts on the admissions weekend, when the time comes.

This isn't over the summer, but I'm travelling to Buenos Aires and Mendoza this week with a few of my high school friends. It's my first trip outside of the northern hemisphere. I'm excited.

Given the number of rejections Washington sends out, one would expect them to put a bit more effort into it. I wonder if the edited "story" on the results page concerns this.

That's a great quote from the grad secretary. It sounds like campus visits are going to be out of the question on that timeline.

Is it just me, or does this letter seem unnecessarily awkward? Who writes stuff like this: "Unfortunately, the committee has decided not to recommend your admission and I concur with this decision." Or even this: "I realize that this outcome is disappointing, but I do thank you for the time and effort you invested into applying to a graduate program at the UW, as I recognize that expenditures of money and time to do so can be considerable."

The letter I received said that the funding I would receive for a teaching stipend would "likely be more than $14,561" and that more details would be coming soon. PhD students are guaranteed funding for six years and expected to teach on a 2/1 schedule (0/2 for the first year). In addition, there are a number of opportunities for students to teach literature or lead recitations as a true TA (as opposed to working composition slavery). Many (but not all) students receive a dissertation semester/ year in year four.

Congrats on Northwestern. They were my top choice and rejected me handily.

Judging from the results board, there are at least three people on Notre Dame's waiting list for the English PhD (myself included). Anyone (accepted/ wait list) have a better offer elsewhere? I have another offer from a similarly-ranked school with a similar fit on the table, but I'm still interested in ND for the high stipend and its proximity to my significant other and her family.

If a school is willing to make an offer after April 15th, this is a good thing. Some programs have no problem enrolling fewer students than they make offers to, on the assumption that it somehow ensures the "integrity" of their program. Of course, if you have another offer, that's even better. You should always go with the sure thing. Moreover, in many cases (and understandably so), I have heard a number of people say that they prefer the school that actively recruits them to the dream school that admits them as an afterthought.

It really is a roll of the die (much like the application process itself). That said, I would imagine that at least one person would be taken from Stony Brook's waitlist. Look at this way: every one applies to at least five or six schools-- some up to sixteen. It isn't uncommon for some applicants to have three or four acceptances. As you go farther down the rankings, more and more waitlist spots will open up as candidates take better offers. Also, keep in mind that it's only February. Don't fret yet. There's a big month (with a lot of news) just around the corner.

Thank you. The acceptance is mine. I didn't get a chance to talk to my POI, but she left a very enthusiastic message and urged me to return her call sometime tomorrow.

Another "In Review." I think it's a waiting list at this point. Expect to hear from them in April.

I'm currently 0 for 1 (implicitly, 0 for 3) out of ten applications. I admit: I'm starting to get a little nervous. But you should keep in mind that there is still a lot of time left in this application season. Most notifications won't go out until next month and many schools will be adjusting their waitinglist up until the second week of April. Keep in mind that there is a good chance you will be in their thirties by the time your degree anyway. In some cases, it might be because you had to reapply to programs. In others, it might be because it took five or six years to finish your program. You can't rush a PhD. Also, as a matter of perspective, keep in mind that most of the programs you are applying to are very competitive. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that you have to get used to rejection. Let's hope March is a good month.

You're right; my mistake. The PhD in Literature track is part of an interdisciplinary program. Does anyone know how many applicants the English program admits? Three? Ten? I suppose that there is still the possibility of a waiting list, but it does appear that the first round of acceptances is just about finished.

It looks like there was a new admit to the literature track today. I know that the incoming PhD cohort will be small, but it's possible that there are still one or two slots left open. Keep hope alive.

PhD applicants tend to get the nod before MAs, but it really depends on the program. The main reason for the different treatment has to do with the fact that PhD programs are more competitive than MA programs and admission committees want to get the best applicants for their PhD slots. When I applied for my MA several years ago, I received my first notification (Kansas, waitlist) in mid-January. My last notification (Univ. of Miami, accepted) came some time around the first week of April. We have a long way to go. Expect to receive most decisions during the month of March. If you feel pressed for time, it wouldn't hurt to call your program's graduate coordinator (not a faculty member) and ask about the committee's progress.

I'm sorry you took a shot and things didn't work out. Unfortunately, admissions committees do a lot of screwy things. I didn't apply to my undergraduate institution for my MA (or my PhD) because I had heard from several sources that they very rarely accept applicants from their institution. At the time, I was extremely bitter, especially since the department was so large that I had not had an opportunity to take courses from several prominent faculty members in my field. Now I feel as though I can understand their justification a bit more. As a young scholar, it's to your advantage to gain experience in as many different English Departments as possible. After all, you never know where you will end up when you hit the job market.

I'm "In Review" as well. If I don't hear anything this week, I'm going to assume that I'm on an unofficial waitlist and forget about it until April.

Congratulations. I did my BA at the University of Pittsburgh. I think you will be impressed with the university and the city. Pittsburgh is consistently ranked high amongst the best places to live in the United States. As a film studies person, you should keep tabs on Pittsburgh Filmmakers (http://www.pghfilmmakers.org/), which runs several independent theaters around the city.