piccgeek

The thing about spring break is that you're just as likely to receive your decision as any other week in March, however, it's impossible to contact the department and the admin coordinator. At least, that as my experience last round. I went home for spring break, and when I got back there were four decision letters in my snail mail box, three rejects and 1 acceptance, and I know for a fact that the school that accepted me was on spring break when they sent the letter. But when I tried to contact that same school over the break to ask them some question or another, all was silent.

!! Good for you arseus, congrats!! ...I am pretty much where you were when you posted. My interview said they would be meeting to make decisions on Mar 1, and so I told myself I would not expect anything until Friday. Well, now it's Friday and I'm freaking out because they didn't make MY deadline that I invented. *facepalm* It's like...I know I just need to sit tight and relax, but I can't help freaking out.

double take

I think my jaw just hit the keyboard. That's AWFUL. You, your husband, and your family deserve some answers.

+1 The process is seriously SO RANDOM. Schools turn down huge amounts of qualified candidates every year. They have to. I know why you're feeling so bummed, and I know you've heard it a million times, but it's still true: you ARE an excellent candidate, you ARE smart, and if you don't get in this round, well, have an adventure for a year and then apply again and when you get in somewhere you can kick ass and take names. You'll be publishing your book and keynote speaking at some conference someday (or whatever the equivalent clout is in your field) and these adcom profs will look at each other and say "omg, we rejected Verda. VERDA! Can you believe how dumb we are??" And your colleagues at your school will laugh at them and say "suckers!" (this was my favorite fantasy as I received my rejections last year...and trust me, I was NOT as qualified as you are you it was way less likely to actually happen.)

sounds like you're in to me. Congrats!!!

+1. not to the personal experience, but to the message. Thanks for the encouragement, modernity! You are absolutely spot on, as usual.

Haha, awesome, looks like you know exactly what you're getting yourself into and how the swing of your moods works! Who knows, maybe the new MA program will has some awesome research or life experience waiting! In any case, you and I can join the ranks of "well...might not get into the program I actually APPLIED for...but dang it, I'm in SOMEWHERE, so at least I know what's going on with my life for another few months!"

Renaissance man

coin purse

I know the adcom has had what they had planned to be their final meeting. I know that in years past, applicants to my program have been informed of decisions either way within the first two weeks of March. I know that checking my email 15 million times a day won't make the news come any sooner....but I just can't help myself. I feel like I'm holding my breath, and pretty soon I'm just going to pass out. Goodnight moon, goodnight stars, goodnight everything!

I will be able to plan my wedding!! If I get in to my program I have to suddenly throw a wedding together in four months. If not, then I can push it back a year (to the original date, actually) and actually, you know...not drive myself (as) crazy with the stress of planning it so quickly. Also I'll finish my current MA, so really...can't complain. For everyone who is completely freaking out about losing the dream (Hermes, I'm looking at you!): A lot of my friends in the grad program where I am were rejected the first round, either going in to the MA or the PhD. They ALL say that the year off was actually really good for them. They were able to focus on the second round of apps, of course, but more importantly, they were able to spend a year reading what they wanted and when they wanted, saving up some money, have jobs with no homework, and generally relax a bit before diving in full throttle. When they did get in to their PhD programs, they were able to really throw themselves into it and stay driven for years of study. Many of friends who went straight from BA to PhD or straight from BA to MA to PhD with no break have begun to feel really burnt out, which is a problem because it is slowing their research down and we all know that's no good. What I'm trying to say is that a year away from the Academy can be a REALLY GOOD thing for academics.

romance novel

Golden state

Nope, there is nothing like a logical pattern of deadlines/notifications/good news/bad news. It's like trying to make sense out of a very abstract painting (and you're someone like me, with no art theory whatsoever). Anyway, congrats on the acceptance!

food fight

soul music

french kiss

Hello everyone, I've been at Purdue for five years--all of undergrad and a year of grad school. I've lived in dorms, grad dorms, apartments within walking distance, and houses in lafayette, and west lafayette, and in my opinion living in the apartments within walking distance of campus are the way to go (among other considerations, parking here is unbelievably God awful) UNLESS you have pets you love, in which case it is SO MUCH CHEAPER to live off campus, probably in Lafayette. If anyone has any questions about campus/grad life/community at Purdue, (or, you know, the English department if there are any English studies people in the house, even though I'm pretty sure results aren't out for our department for another couple weeks) feel free to PM me. I love this campus and Purdue, and would love to have an excuse to talk about it! Congrats on your admits everyone, and boiler up! (...yes, I was an undergrad, so I have a lot of school spirit. don't mind me.)

I can't decide if this makes me want to laugh or cry.

Eskimo pie

yes, yes, YES to everything on this thread. I interviewed with MIT while I was on campus visiting my fiance, and while I was there I made some friends and exchanged some emails. I didn't know their last names, and when I got an email from unrecognizedname@mit.edu my heart positively stopped. From one of the new buddies, of course. I don't know WHY I freaked out so much, I knew for a fact final decisions weren't being made for a few days. I guess I can't help it at this point!

omg it IS MARCH. ACK. At my interview, my interviewer told me the adcom was meeting to make its final decisions ON MARCH 1. That's TODAY. That means 18 hours or so from now, a bunch of people will be deciding my future. ...and I might not hear back for DAYS afterward. DAYS. My new fear is that I will be waitlisted. I do not know HOW I will cope. (Okay, yes, I know I'll cope with it the way everyone else does...by waiting, because that's what you do. But right now, it feels like I'll spontaneously combust if I have to wait any longer.)

askljbvouyadvblaksjdbcliaeywbflksajdb That's about all I can muster when I think about waiting any longer. *headdesk*

That's awful!! Try to hang in there...at least the waiting will be over soon one way or the other (hopefully).