marlowe

The Analytical writing most definitely encourages a certain type of writing. The only person I know personally that got a 6.0 on the writing is my sister, a philosophy major - she admittedly pandered to the tests idiosyncratic requirements and produced trite and formulaic sentence structure and diction.

On the other hand, I submitted what I thought was a masterwork of nuanced thought and poetic flourish, only to be rewarded with a 5.0. Lame.

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. 

I think the system was very, very different when many of our advisers went through.

I just got an email from Prof. Lesser informing me he has "been authorized to offer [me] admission to the doctoral program"!! Apparently the official email from the English department will be coming tomorrow. I am definitely planning to accept, and so stoked to meet you all for real in the Fall!!!
 
I'm floating.

I just want to say that I love being in grad school at UT. I am currently sitting in a house in Antigua, Guatemala, with my airfare, lodging, and transportation paid for by the university for a week. I saw a historic genocide trial, foresnic evidence that made me cry, and documents that few, if any people have seen. Where else could you make something like this happen in less than a month? I am not one to gush about much, but I don't believe that I could be happier doing anything else right now.

Honestly, the sense of community was one of the biggest things that convinced me to accept. I didn't feel like I was having the program sold to me at any point; all of the faculty were friendly, personable, and really funny. I had so many great and informal conversations with faculty in the two days I was down there. The grad students that I hung out with were super chill and all seemed to really know and like each other.  I know super chill isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm a very laid-back person and I knew from the get-go that I wanted to be in a program where the students are friends as well as colleagues, and I really got that sense from them. Dr. Lesser even said that they like to pick people who are fun because they're trying to build a community. On the first night of our visit the current students "forced"    us to go out and drink together so we could experience some cohort bonding; I don't think that's normal at many programs, but I loved it.
 
In terms of the scholarly assets, there were just soo many resources I didn't know where to look. The Harry Ransom Center alone is staggering, but I particularly loved how interdisciplinary the program was; Dr. Lesser more or less said that you can take whatever classes you need to take for the career that you want; if that means half of them are in the Women and Gender studies program or Religious Studies or whatever, that's up to you. I thought that was amazing.
 
I also thought the sheer size of the department was a huge plus because there were five or six people who I'm dying to work with whereas at other programs I had two, maybe three. I also really appreciated the emphasis on the idea that we've been accepted to the program, rather than to work with advisors. It makes me feel like the world is my oyster, on a certain level. And of course, their placement rate is nothing to shake a stick at. According to Dr. Lesser, and I have no reason to doubt him, UT has the best job placement record of any school in the top 20. Their attrition rate is so unbelievably low (which I think probably has a lot to do with their support system) that, considering how many students they turn out every year, their placement rate is seriously impressive. Honestly, I have no regrets that I turned down the money because the opportunities are worth so much more.

Hello everyone! I also accepted my UT offer this week. So excited! The course listing looks great. Very diverse and it inspires me to take courses outside my primary interests. Looking forward to getting to know everyone better in the Fall.

Sent in my UT confirmation a few days ago, and have been giddy ever since. Looking forward to getting to know y'all on here and in the fall!

Hey, y'all. I accepted Austin today. Hollaaaaa.

Fall classes are out! Holy crap there are so many amazing options, I don't think I can just choose three.

Glad to hear the both of y'all had a blast.  Sorry if I wasn't able to hang out with each of you individually, but I met the most of everyone at the Thursday night dinner/drinks.  Hope to see you all in August.

Well, I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I've been converted to the Austin way of life! I had tons of fun, you guys are awesome, and I think I found a great place to live. All in all, not a bad two days. I know I met Sursie (I wish we had the chance to talk more!), but I don't know if I met brigadierpudding, although I might have a guess (I think I might have been sitting next to you at lunch). ghijklmn, I don't know if this means much to you, but I'm turning down awesome money for Austin; if you love it, you should too.

Call a real estate agent.  They will drive you to a bunch of apartment complexes within a geographical range and price range that you select, and it won't cost you anything.
 
Some people do pay upwards of $800 in rent.  You most definitely don't have to.

My advice, for now, is to ignore the doom and gloom of the internet.  I live within walking distance, cycle in every day, and pay less than $700 in rent for a one bedroom place in a fantastic area.  I am happy to tell y'all more next weekend.

My advice, for now, is to ignore the doom and gloom of the internet.  I live within walking distance, cycle in every day, and pay less than $700 in rent for a one bedroom place in a fantastic area.  I am happy to tell y'all more next weekend.

My advice, for now, is to ignore the doom and gloom of the internet.  I live within walking distance, cycle in every day, and pay less than $700 in rent for a one bedroom place in a fantastic area.  I am happy to tell y'all more next weekend.

I disagree about the whole "follow the money" advice: if you are choosing between two funded programs, go where it feels right.  You are going to be living and working in this place for 5-7 years with no guarantee of a job on the other end -- live somewhere that you won't regret spending your twenties or thirties.  
 
As for the money at UT, it's fine.  We don't live extravagantly, but there are very few complaints about the money or lifestyle.  I turned down a better funded -- and perhaps more prestigious (in my subfield) -- offer because I felt this was right.  I immediately connected with my future advisors and the DGS on the visit.  If any of you have specific questions about the money, you might get five or six different perspectives with some carefully directed GC personal messages.

We seem to have experienced a post-"feeding" turn.  Now, we are trolling the troll.  

If y'all have been paying attention to the dynamic trajectory of this particular poster's three name changes thus far and her posting history, you would have a better idea about what she is really asking here.  I think she initially underestimated the difficult and random nature of this entire process and naively assumed -- as many of us have done before, including myself -- that they would be far more successful in the applications process than results later demonstrated.  CUNY is the lowest "ranked" of the schools on her application list (and not as prestigious as her undergraduate institution, where she was not accepted for the PhD), so she feels as if CUNY is a step below her pedigree.  She also spent much of the Fall trolling the boards and not inconspicuously humble-bragging about the schools to which she was applying.   
 
Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
So, to answer your fair enough question (and one that many of us have considered at one point or another):
 
1) You wouldn't have applied to CUNY if it wasn't a brilliant program and a good fit.  
2) Their funding package is absolutely amazing compared to last year (assuming Comp Lit has a similar scheme to English in place).
3) It is a great program in a top city with top scholars.  
 
In hindsight, it is easy to think that you might have been (or will be) accepted at better places and to know that you would be successful at those places.  But this whole process is unpredictable and stupid, frankly, and you will be as well-trained and challenged at CUNY as at most other schools in the country.

If y'all have been paying attention to the dynamic trajectory of this particular poster's three name changes thus far and her posting history, you would have a better idea about what she is really asking here.  I think she initially underestimated the difficult and random nature of this entire process and naively assumed -- as many of us have done before, including myself -- that they would be far more successful in the applications process than results later demonstrated.  CUNY is the lowest "ranked" of the schools on her application list (and not as prestigious as her undergraduate institution, where she was not accepted for the PhD), so she feels as if CUNY is a step below her pedigree.  She also spent much of the Fall trolling the boards and not inconspicuously humble-bragging about the schools to which she was applying.   
 
Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
So, to answer your fair enough question (and one that many of us have considered at one point or another):
 
1) You wouldn't have applied to CUNY if it wasn't a brilliant program and a good fit.  
2) Their funding package is absolutely amazing compared to last year (assuming Comp Lit has a similar scheme to English in place).
3) It is a great program in a top city with top scholars.  
 
In hindsight, it is easy to think that you might have been (or will be) accepted at better places and to know that you would be successful at those places.  But this whole process is unpredictable and stupid, frankly, and you will be as well-trained and challenged at CUNY as at most other schools in the country.

If y'all have been paying attention to the dynamic trajectory of this particular poster's three name changes thus far and her posting history, you would have a better idea about what she is really asking here.  I think she initially underestimated the difficult and random nature of this entire process and naively assumed -- as many of us have done before, including myself -- that they would be far more successful in the applications process than results later demonstrated.  CUNY is the lowest "ranked" of the schools on her application list (and not as prestigious as her undergraduate institution, where she was not accepted for the PhD), so she feels as if CUNY is a step below her pedigree.  She also spent much of the Fall trolling the boards and not inconspicuously humble-bragging about the schools to which she was applying.   
 
Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
So, to answer your fair enough question (and one that many of us have considered at one point or another):
 
1) You wouldn't have applied to CUNY if it wasn't a brilliant program and a good fit.  
2) Their funding package is absolutely amazing compared to last year (assuming Comp Lit has a similar scheme to English in place).
3) It is a great program in a top city with top scholars.  
 
In hindsight, it is easy to think that you might have been (or will be) accepted at better places and to know that you would be successful at those places.  But this whole process is unpredictable and stupid, frankly, and you will be as well-trained and challenged at CUNY as at most other schools in the country.

If y'all have been paying attention to the dynamic trajectory of this particular poster's three name changes thus far and her posting history, you would have a better idea about what she is really asking here.  I think she initially underestimated the difficult and random nature of this entire process and naively assumed -- as many of us have done before, including myself -- that they would be far more successful in the applications process than results later demonstrated.  CUNY is the lowest "ranked" of the schools on her application list (and not as prestigious as her undergraduate institution, where she was not accepted for the PhD), so she feels as if CUNY is a step below her pedigree.  She also spent much of the Fall trolling the boards and not inconspicuously humble-bragging about the schools to which she was applying.   
 
Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
So, to answer your fair enough question (and one that many of us have considered at one point or another):
 
1) You wouldn't have applied to CUNY if it wasn't a brilliant program and a good fit.  
2) Their funding package is absolutely amazing compared to last year (assuming Comp Lit has a similar scheme to English in place).
3) It is a great program in a top city with top scholars.  
 
In hindsight, it is easy to think that you might have been (or will be) accepted at better places and to know that you would be successful at those places.  But this whole process is unpredictable and stupid, frankly, and you will be as well-trained and challenged at CUNY as at most other schools in the country.

If y'all have been paying attention to the dynamic trajectory of this particular poster's three name changes thus far and her posting history, you would have a better idea about what she is really asking here.  I think she initially underestimated the difficult and random nature of this entire process and naively assumed -- as many of us have done before, including myself -- that they would be far more successful in the applications process than results later demonstrated.  CUNY is the lowest "ranked" of the schools on her application list (and not as prestigious as her undergraduate institution, where she was not accepted for the PhD), so she feels as if CUNY is a step below her pedigree.  She also spent much of the Fall trolling the boards and not inconspicuously humble-bragging about the schools to which she was applying.   
 
Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
So, to answer your fair enough question (and one that many of us have considered at one point or another):
 
1) You wouldn't have applied to CUNY if it wasn't a brilliant program and a good fit.  
2) Their funding package is absolutely amazing compared to last year (assuming Comp Lit has a similar scheme to English in place).
3) It is a great program in a top city with top scholars.  
 
In hindsight, it is easy to think that you might have been (or will be) accepted at better places and to know that you would be successful at those places.  But this whole process is unpredictable and stupid, frankly, and you will be as well-trained and challenged at CUNY as at most other schools in the country.

If y'all have been paying attention to the dynamic trajectory of this particular poster's three name changes thus far and her posting history, you would have a better idea about what she is really asking here.  I think she initially underestimated the difficult and random nature of this entire process and naively assumed -- as many of us have done before, including myself -- that they would be far more successful in the applications process than results later demonstrated.  CUNY is the lowest "ranked" of the schools on her application list (and not as prestigious as her undergraduate institution, where she was not accepted for the PhD), so she feels as if CUNY is a step below her pedigree.  She also spent much of the Fall trolling the boards and not inconspicuously humble-bragging about the schools to which she was applying.   
 
Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
So, to answer your fair enough question (and one that many of us have considered at one point or another):
 
1) You wouldn't have applied to CUNY if it wasn't a brilliant program and a good fit.  
2) Their funding package is absolutely amazing compared to last year (assuming Comp Lit has a similar scheme to English in place).
3) It is a great program in a top city with top scholars.  
 
In hindsight, it is easy to think that you might have been (or will be) accepted at better places and to know that you would be successful at those places.  But this whole process is unpredictable and stupid, frankly, and you will be as well-trained and challenged at CUNY as at most other schools in the country.

If y'all have been paying attention to the dynamic trajectory of this particular poster's three name changes thus far and her posting history, you would have a better idea about what she is really asking here.  I think she initially underestimated the difficult and random nature of this entire process and naively assumed -- as many of us have done before, including myself -- that they would be far more successful in the applications process than results later demonstrated.  CUNY is the lowest "ranked" of the schools on her application list (and not as prestigious as her undergraduate institution, where she was not accepted for the PhD), so she feels as if CUNY is a step below her pedigree.  She also spent much of the Fall trolling the boards and not inconspicuously humble-bragging about the schools to which she was applying.   
 
Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
So, to answer your fair enough question (and one that many of us have considered at one point or another):
 
1) You wouldn't have applied to CUNY if it wasn't a brilliant program and a good fit.  
2) Their funding package is absolutely amazing compared to last year (assuming Comp Lit has a similar scheme to English in place).
3) It is a great program in a top city with top scholars.  
 
In hindsight, it is easy to think that you might have been (or will be) accepted at better places and to know that you would be successful at those places.  But this whole process is unpredictable and stupid, frankly, and you will be as well-trained and challenged at CUNY as at most other schools in the country.