fredngeorge

@neverstop - I appreciate that you believe anything can be accomplished with enough time, effort, passion, etc. However, based on my track record so far, I have absolutely no reason to believe that I will ever even receive an unfunded offer, so considering that possibility would be purely hypothetical. I've never received more than a single waitlist and a smattering of advice. I've heard "no" so many times that I'll admit even a "yes" with no funding would be pretty damn tempting -- but I think, in the end, I'm with Sparky in thinking that a "yes minus funding" amounts to a "no." The one positive to draw from your personal experience, however, is that your unfunded offer is strong evidence that with better timing/app materials/luck (or whatever) you are certainly capable of getting a funded offer if you continue to try. In my case, though, I have very little experiential evidence to support any argument in favor of continuing to apply. Yes, getting my Ph.D. in English (and pursuing a career in teaching) is what I want to do more than anything else I can possibly think of. BUT working as a secretary while continuing to apply to Ph.D. programs for years and years indefinitely is pretty low on my list of dream-careers. Like I said, if there was some way of knowing that an additional, say, three-year investment in this process would give me a positive outcome, I would probably act like a starry-eyed idiot and say, "Bring it on!" I have no such guarantee. AND I've already invested approximately six years and $4000 in application costs (not to mention the money spent on my M.A. that will very likely not help me to get a job I will be happy with -- my current crappy job is evidence enough of that for me). In addition to the time and money I've lost, I've taken some serious hits to my self-esteem, my confidence, and my optimism. So you can say that "pride" is holding me back, and maybe it is, but I'd be more likely to put it down to my hard-earned sense of realism. The evidence tells me to move on, and I'm not going to close my eyes and continue to walk blindly into the same wall over and over again on the off-chance that somebody opens a door for me. So in a choice between making a career of applying to graduate school (forever) and finding some other career that, while less fabulous that my Ph.D. dream-career, can challenge me intellectually and allow me to contribute to in some way to something I care about, I choose the latter. Yes, it sucks to start over but, as far as I'm concerned, not as much as the alternative. I appreciate that you're trying to be encouraging Please don't interpret my explanation of my decision to give up as an attempt to convince you to do the same. I think you should do what makes you happy. @dokkeynot - If you read my earlier posts in this thread, most of your questions would be answered. I have applied to a very wide range of programs, never going by ranking but solely by fit -- I never applied to a single ivy league. The list of schools to which you applied puts my list to shame. And if my application has some fundamental flaw, the programs to which I've applied aren't telling. The feedback I've gotten (when I've gotten it) has mainly been minor, fixable stuff. And, at this point, most (all?) of it has been fixed. I know it would be comforting to those experiencing first (or second) round rejection to hear my application was doomed for some reason I'm not telling, but I can offer no such comfort. I will say that I intend to contact departments once the admissions season winds down to get feedback (even though I'm not applying again, I can see no reason not to even if simply for curiosity's sake), and if I find out anything indicative of that "fundamental flaw" I'll be sure to let you know. Edit.... P.S. I really don't mean to throw a pity party here. In some ways this application season, though ultimately just as unsuccessful as all the rest, has been my most productive. The stress of doing this for a fourth time prompted me to take up running in September, and now I've run two half marathons and have lost the 15 pounds I gained since getting married. I'll take what I can get!! And I'm very much looking at my decision to move on in the most positive way possible -- as a fresh start.

Thanks, Fiona! I'm really pulling for you on your waitlist!! I want nothing but the best for all my fellow GCers -- especially those who offer me virtual gin and cookies!

For anyone who is curious, I've now received rejections from all my schools for the fourth time. I think I'm done..... I seriously have no idea what the hell else I'm going to do with my life, but it's definitely time to start figuring it out. If someone could tell me that FOR SURE I would get in within the next three years if I kept applying, I would probably do it -- I want this THAT much -- but my level of self-doubt has reached the upper limit. FWIW, to those who suggested I reapply to the school at which I was previously waitlisted (on my 2nd application) with positive feedback, I did. Rejected. So far, no explanation. I had been in contact with some faculty as to how I could improve my application this year and was told to just submit a strong app again (no specific points for improvement). I tried to reach out since receiving my rejection and was told to e-mail again in six weeks. Good luck to everyone still waiting to hear and congrats to those who were accepted (I'm so happy that such a large number of you made it!)! For me, though, I give up.

It seems like, every time I turn on the freaking radio, they're playing Kelly Clarkson's "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger." I, however, have been feeling like what doesn't kill you sometimes kills you anyway......

I need a hug too.... (rejection stinks)..... Best of luck to everyone here! You all deserve both hugs and acceptances!!

I'm not sure that they will remember names unless you keep in contact. That said, I was waitlisted last year on my 2nd application to a particular university (rejected the first time), had positive feedback and contact throughout the waitlist process, and after maintaining contact and receiving no genuinely helpful feedback on how to improve this time around, have been implicitly rejected from that university this year (my third application). For me, I'm pretty sure my one waitlist (in 6 years/4 app cycles) WAS the end. I don't want to be a hope-killer, but right now, I'm wishing somebody had given me a reality check before I went through this again..... ***Edited to apologize for being so negative on a thread meant for hope. I'll go back and live in the 0% Confidence of Acceptance thread now.....

Sorry in advance for angering any Tolkein fans, but I, for one, think the Lord of the Rings movies far surpass the mediocre (at best) books. As someone suggested about Game of Thrones, the books have much in the way of plot, not so much in the way of great writing.... Generally, though, I really enjoy even less-than-great adaptations because I like seeing the book in a new way. I'm definitely not someone who approaches movie adaptations with a prejudice against directors/writers who change "too much." I think this explains the joy I find in totally reworked/reimagined interpretations of books like Clueless (Emma), 10 Things I Hate About You (Taming of the Shrew), She's the Man (Twelfth Night), Apocalypse Now (Heart of Darkness), etc.

I had a student who wrote an entire paper on how he wanted to be a "raper" when he grew up (translation: "rapper"). Memorable moments: "I really enjoy raping."

Thanks for the virtual hug & virtual shot! They were much needed and appreciated As much as I hate this process (and my life right now....), the support of everyone on this site has helped me in ways I can't even explain

I am so jealous of happy for Timshel, TripWillis, Marlowe, cquin, Woolfie, and the many others who have been acepted so far. Congrats! And I'm seriously rooting for those who haven't heard back yet: this means you Lolopixie and Bespeckled! I am, however, still living (my guess is permanently) in this thread. I just can't shake the feeling that I'm doomed..... yet again I've already received one official rejection, and I've now seen acceptances and waitlists pop up for the one school where I seriously believed I had the best shot (this was my third application to said school, and I was waitlisted last year with positive feedback on my app -- this year, nothing....). That one waitlist (the closest I've come to success in six years of this nonsense and a grand total of four application seasons) was the only thing that had given me hope that I would eventually stand a chance somewhere. To me, that waitlist translated into hope that maybe all my past rejections could be put down to bad timing, bad luck, or a combination of both. And while I by no means saw it as an indicator that I was any kind of sure thing at that same school, I was secretly at least hoping for a slightly more personal rejection -- I've spoken relatively extensively with some of these people, and they know who I am -- Is a short e-mail explaining that the competition was especially stiff this year too much to ask? I guess so. Maybe my app and I aren't so memorable after all. I have spent the last week just kicking myself that I have let myself get my hopes up year after year. Seriously, I think I have some kind of chronic optimism condition that allows me to delude myself into repeating exercises in futility ad infinitum. I'm considering hiring someone to beat it out of me. The rejections get harder to take every time -- I've pretty much never felt lower. I've just wrapped so much of my life at this point around this process that I don't know what else to do. I've done my share of crying. I guess tonight I'll do my share of drinking.

I sort of missed the boat on the drink of choice discussion, but with rejections starting to pop up on the results board, I figured a revival of that discussion wouldn't be too ill-timed. My one-and-only drink of chocie is beer, but there are so many to choose from that I never want for variety. I mostly prefer American ales (I can't stand most lagers, and the wheat beer that makes me happy is a rare exception). Favorite major breweries: Stone, Rogue, Sierra Nevada, Firestone, and Lagunitas -- but I'm lucky to be fairly close to some fairly wonderful local breweries as well. I'll have something this weekend and drink to all of you -- here's to very few rejections for GCers!

I don't post very often, but I seriously compulsively check this site at work and at home every 15 minutes or so. (I've gotten very good at surreptitiously sneaking a peak at updates while my boss's back is turned -- we share an office -- and my husband pretty much thinks I have an unhealthy addiction to this site, which he does not at all understand -- "It's not like you're going to find anything out about your application. Why would you check GradCafe more than once a day/week/month??"). Anyway, my point is that, while you all may not know me very well (due to my lack of prolific posting), I feel very familiar with all of you, and I am seriously miserable that you are getting rejections already. You guys are my friends/support group/inspriation! I have such a hard time believing that some of you will not get in somewhere, however, so don't get too down just yet. My one waitlist (closest thing I ever had to an acceptance) in the way-too-long history of my applications to grad school came in late March -- which felt like a miserably long time to wait for a few weeks of antsy-half-happiness -- but hopefully that means that, in spite of whatever kind of control over our destinies we hope to gain by compulsively analyzing the results board, it's not over until you have an answer in hand from every single program! Don't let one get you too down (yet) We will all get through this (with our drinks of choice, varied Netflix addictions, and our fellow GCers)

Love it!

I thought of another must-read series for my fellow literature-addicts. If any of you haven't read Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, I suggest running out and buying The Eyre Affair immediately to distract yourselves during breaks from the maddening application process. These novels are seriously good fun!

I'm addicted to Tana French -- which is frustrating because, thus far, she only has three novels (In the Woods, The Likeness, and Faithful Place). If you're at all interested in mystery fiction, I seriously believe she's the best there is (still publishing, that is). I read all three over the last year, and since she has no more, I'm thinking of re-reading them.... That said, the real magic of these novels is her writing style -- not always in plot. My best friend couldn't stand the narrator of In the Woods, and if you must have a neatly resolved novel, it's probably not for you. The Likeness has one of the most absurd premises of all time -- but I love it anyway. Right now I'm reading Hitch-22 (for my non-fiction fix) and Age of Innocence. Hitch-22 is great, and I would highly recommend it. I'm only five chapters into Age of Innocence, so we'll see.

Once I've submitted my applications, I'm going out to buy a couple bottles of champagne so that, when (or, more realistically, if) I'm accepted somewhere great, my husband and I can toast my brilliance. And if I'm roundly rejected once more and my pomposity at expecting any different is confirmed? Oh, I'll still drink it. I just won't be sharing....

I also actually ignored this question, as rawera also suggests. I think, since the application form is used for all departments, there are some spaces that are less applicable to some programs than to others (This particular one strikes me as something that would be very important for someone in the sciences, in the humanities not so much.). I noticed there wasn't an asterisk by this question (which would signify that it's required), so I skipped it.

Just in case you're checking Grad Cafe more than the university website (I know I have been...), the website is now back up and running! Best of luck to you!

Also not a fan of this....

I also am freaking out because I stayed up absolutely as late as I could last night, dragged myself out of bed early to continue working, and still didn't quite finish. I'm at work all day, too, (until 5:30pm) so I'm just hoping there's no 5pm deadline for my two schools that are due today. Maybe during lunch I can accomplish something? The other problem, though, is that I don't want my boss to find out I'm applying to programs right now..... this is supposed to be a "permanent" position, so while I've never thought of it that way, I can't really afford for them to realize that....

I have a feeling I may be up much of the night..... I don't know if any of these programs have specific time deadlines, but I'm not taking any chances -- I'm getting them in as early in the day as possible. (I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow....)

Truckbasket's info may be more current than mine (I took the GRE Lit. in 2009 and 2007), but when I took it there were still a lot of identification questions (That said, it certainly won't hurt to practice speed-reading for comprehension). My advice for identification questions, though, rather than reading complete works out of the Norton is something that may sound a little silly (and pretty much goes against everything that I enjoy about studying literature), but it's advice that one of my advisors gave me, and it actually worked quite well. Go through online Clif Notes or Spark Notes to familiarize yourself with character names, plot lines, and themes from as many "important" works of literature as you can. For those same works, read a few pages of the beginning, middle, and end of the novels to familiarize yourself with writing style. I know this sounds like a terrible way to familiarize yourself with great literature, but it will provide you with the kind of broad knowledge base you need to score well on this exam. That said, certain works merit more time (based upon the ratio of the time it takes to read them and the number of questions that show up on the exam). The GRE Lit. Princeton Review book provides a good list of works you should read start-to-finish (many of them poems). You should also have a working knowledge of several "major" works/authors (e.g. Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare). One major drawback to the Princeton Review text is that it really emphasizes ETS's attempt to remain, as much as possible, within an accepted canon, and I found a much higher proportion of African American literature questions and World Literature questions than what I expected based upon the Princeton Review. You can't really eliminate much -- except extremely recent writing. You should have, as Truckbasket suggests, a good understanding of the thinking and terminology of each theoretical movement (including major theorists). In terms of the Norton Anthology of Critical Theory, however, I would stick to the introductions for major theorists. There's always quite good info in there -- enough to generally familiarize yourself with the selection being prefaced. For what it's worth, I scored a 660 on the exam, so it seems to have worked out all right for me in the end.

Thanks! Rejection sucks, and it's not as though it gets easier each time it happens.... BUT every time I think about what I'd be doing if I wasn't continuing to work towards the Ph.D. (i.e. what I'm doing now ), I get a second wind. It seems like your experience waiting tables could be used as the same kind of motivator With any luck, though, you'll get in this time around. Most of the time I feel like this. But usually it's a result of assuring myself that this will only take one or two (maybe three) more tries. To be honest, if it took longer than that, I think I'd have to reevaluate how I define what I "want" to do. I do think it varies a great deal by program (and even specialization). Maybe it would be possible to try and get a sense of what's expected from your individual programs and/or POIs? On another note, I definitely feel your frustration with letter writers. I've had the same advisor (among several other people) look at my SOP each year, and she continues to dissect the same sentences -- some of which were actually rewritten by her in a previous draft (To clarify, I don't ever actually submit writing with her word-for-word revisions, but when I send it back to her, it's word-for-word what she wrote....and she hates it.....). Not so helpful.... I wanted to respond to this because one of the schools you're applying to is the school that really emphasized the "no older than 20 years" thing to me. Like I stated above, it really may vary based upon specialization. However, since they don't exactly hand that info out to applicants, I figured it would be worth sharing. I've gotten the sense from several people in that department that they really like everything (theoretical approach, sources, ways of thinking, etc.) very, very new and have a tendency to look much less favorably on writing that appears, in any way, dated. I know, as a general rule, we all do our best to not appear dated and rather be on the cutting edge, but I've found that some programs (like this one) seem less forgiving than others on this point.

Thanks to everyone for the encouraging responses! I used five articles in my paper from the following years: 1951, 1960, 1961, 1997, 2002. The reason there are so few is that my paper was more theory-heavy than research-heavy (I included no less than five primary theory texts ). Apparently, the shortage of sources wasn't a problem, but I was discouraged from ever including any source that was older than 20 years old unless it was either absolutely crucial to an understanding of the current scholarship or there hadn't been much written since. I'm absolutely certain, however, that this standard varies (at least to some degree) with each program and with each individual reader. In the case of my paper, I cited the older articles because, while much has been written on this particular author recently, much of it centers around one particular theoretical approach, and I was attempting to resurrect a different approach that I saw as abandoned too soon -- this in itself may have been too much of a gamble for a writing sample ("Why is she bringing this approach back? I thought we got rid of it in the 60s!"). While I was saying something original, the research and the approach that I used dated me a bit too much (at least according to the feedback that I got -- again, only 2 out of 12 schools). My current writing sample is structured completely differently from this second one, with 10 articles cited (from 1984, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1994, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008) and 4 consulted (from 1977, 1985, 1997, and 2005) -- still 3 primary theory texts. On this paper, the only reason that I even have any articles from prior to 1990 is that one my my primary texts has received almost no critical attention in the last 2 decades. After the other paper, I was worried even this might be risky, but after meeting with a few POIs and discussing it, it seems the large amount of recent scholarship on the two other works I discuss makes up for the fact that I'm resurrecting a poem many scholars seem to have lost interest in. (I hope!!)

Yes. It may vary for some programs, but pretty much every one I've applied to says, while they keep some stuff on file, unfortunately you have to resend everything (transcripts, GRE scores, etc.).