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I studied for the GRE in late May-early August last year and the GRE subject test from late June-November. I did reasonably well on both tests. 

I just for waitlisted at Berkeley!
 
I'm just wondering about waitlist etiquette. Should I reply to the email I got? Is it ok to ask where I am on the list? Anyone else get waitlisted? Ahh. So happy I'm not rejected, but preparing for a new kind of waiting torture...

I just read the Semenza book, and would recommend it.  A few of his suggestions might be slightly outdated, and some will not work for everyone (ie he assumes you will be getting an MA and then a PhD rather than starting the PhD right away), but overall the book was very useful and relevant and I think I will be returning to reread sections as I move through grad school. I especially appreciated the sample materials included at the end of the book.
 
I have also read "On Writing Well" but I did not find it extremely useful, since it is not specific to academic writing and that's really what I want to master. I think it would be more useful for a pre-undergrad student or someone working to master basic prose writing.
 
Edit: by pre-undergrad I mean an undergrad. Someone gave that book to me before college and so that's my association with it.

I'm reading this thread and seeing your stories and concerns, and they transport me back six years ago, when I first applied to graduate school. I applied to graduate school right out of my undergrad. All the PhD programs rejected me. This was after I had received such encouragement from my professors, a high major GPA, and several awards for both my academics and extracurricular activities. I was kinda a big deal in college and had told everyone about my pursuits. The rejection letters completely rocked my sense of self. I taped them to my bedroom door as punishment, because I wanted to feel them mocking me, putting me in my place everyday. Friends and coworkers were asking all the time about my plans, and each time I had to answer, I felt my inside shrivel up a bit. 
 
I was not in a good place. 
 
I don't know if I would have felt better if I could have seen in the future, but if I could have, I would have known that I had an awesome life ahead of me, regardless of those rejection letters. I ended up doing an MA program, where I met the best of people, produced some fun work, and presented at fancy conferences. I ran into an old friend during my first year of my MA program, and now we are married and have one adorable dog. In the past five years, we've traveled around the country and the world. I taught for three years at a community college, three years of the best years of my life, where I met the most tenacious, witty, and creative students. I am now in a great PhD program in a different field, one I didn't even know existed when I first applied out of my undergrad.
 
It's impossible to know what next year holds for us. But I am hoping that my story demonstrates how little those rejection letters reflect who we are. For me, my letters did not signify that I was worthless or a loser, which is 100% what I felt six years ago; rather, the letters signified that I wasn't ready for grad school and I wasn't applying to the right field. So trust me when I say this: your rejection letters do not define you. 

To be honest, I find your rationale a little bit strange. If you eventually find that you love teaching high school too much to leave for academia, that is a GREAT thing. If I loved anything even nearly as much as I love academic work, I would do that other thing rather than brave the brutal academic job market. If you are not absolutely sure you want to do academia, that's a sign that you should wait before pursuing it. Just wanting to "learn more" is not a good reason. You can read and learn on your own.
 
As for the point about not being as "good" if you take time off--I think it would be the opposite. The perspective and experience you gain will probably serve you well if you do decide to return to school.
 
Also, I imagine you already know this, but a masters and a PhD are very different animals, and should be pursued for different reasons. Some people might disagree, but I would argue that the only reason to pursue a PhD is because you wish to seek employment in academia. If you want to eventually teach high school, a masters might serve you well, but a PhD will not.
 
My sense is that you should take the teaching job. You can always decide to go back to school, if you realize that only more school will make you happy. Otherwise, you can build an enjoyable career in a much more realistic field and likely still have time to do plenty of learning on your own time, or maybe even in a masters program paid for by your employer.

I got my Rochester acceptance a few days ago. It was a notification via website followed by a more detailed email about a day later.

Got accepted to Cornell. Can't believe it.

Got accepted to Cornell. Can't believe it.

Got accepted to Cornell. Can't believe it.

Waitilisted at Emory, which is bizarre because I did not get an interview there. Anyone else?

Passionate? More like an irascible princess. She might just be on her rag, however.

Fuck you! And your whore dog, too!

I just for waitlisted at Berkeley!
 
I'm just wondering about waitlist etiquette. Should I reply to the email I got? Is it ok to ask where I am on the list? Anyone else get waitlisted? Ahh. So happy I'm not rejected, but preparing for a new kind of waiting torture...

I just for waitlisted at Berkeley!
 
I'm just wondering about waitlist etiquette. Should I reply to the email I got? Is it ok to ask where I am on the list? Anyone else get waitlisted? Ahh. So happy I'm not rejected, but preparing for a new kind of waiting torture...

I just for waitlisted at Berkeley!
 
I'm just wondering about waitlist etiquette. Should I reply to the email I got? Is it ok to ask where I am on the list? Anyone else get waitlisted? Ahh. So happy I'm not rejected, but preparing for a new kind of waiting torture...

I just for waitlisted at Berkeley!
 
I'm just wondering about waitlist etiquette. Should I reply to the email I got? Is it ok to ask where I am on the list? Anyone else get waitlisted? Ahh. So happy I'm not rejected, but preparing for a new kind of waiting torture...

I just for waitlisted at Berkeley!
 
I'm just wondering about waitlist etiquette. Should I reply to the email I got? Is it ok to ask where I am on the list? Anyone else get waitlisted? Ahh. So happy I'm not rejected, but preparing for a new kind of waiting torture...

I just for waitlisted at Berkeley!
 
I'm just wondering about waitlist etiquette. Should I reply to the email I got? Is it ok to ask where I am on the list? Anyone else get waitlisted? Ahh. So happy I'm not rejected, but preparing for a new kind of waiting torture...

I just got my rejection too. Tiny sliver of hope is dead .
 
I did get a funded MA offer from Delaware as well today though, which brightens my day!

I just got my rejection too. Tiny sliver of hope is dead .
 
I did get a funded MA offer from Delaware as well today though, which brightens my day!

I just got my rejection too. Tiny sliver of hope is dead .
 
I did get a funded MA offer from Delaware as well today though, which brightens my day!

I just got my rejection too. Tiny sliver of hope is dead .
 
I did get a funded MA offer from Delaware as well today though, which brightens my day!

I just got my rejection too. Tiny sliver of hope is dead .
 
I did get a funded MA offer from Delaware as well today though, which brightens my day!

I just got my rejection too. Tiny sliver of hope is dead .
 
I did get a funded MA offer from Delaware as well today though, which brightens my day!

I just got my rejection too. Tiny sliver of hope is dead .
 
I did get a funded MA offer from Delaware as well today though, which brightens my day!