rmgerdes

I'm officially going to OU to study composition and rhetoric (my current plan for an area of focus is response, but who knows!).

I emailed them Thursday for a status update and they uploaded my rejection letter for me; at that point I was just relieved to know!

OU!!! Now all I have to do is figure out how to find a house from 1000 miles away.... Accepted to Graduate Schools Problems... I love it!

For what it's worth, I didn't get in anywhere last year (though I made two waitlists). But this year I'm in and fully funded. While it will hurt for awhile, don't let one round of failure stop you from pursuing your goals.

I am getting FURIOUS at the three schools on my list who haven't gotten back to me yet. I mean, seriously! It is TEN DAYS until decision time. How am I supposed to carefully research my options, etc? If I've been rejected, just tell me, so I can back to the place where I was accepted. I mean, I know they probably have people on their waitlist who would love to know... Purdue, at least, replied to my email inquiry explaining their process and letting me know that I was NOT in the reject pile. But communicating with Bowling Green and Penn State is like howling into a canyon... all I get back is faint echos that tell me nothing. I paid the application fee, sent them my transcripts and test scores... this gets very expensive very quickly... the least they can do is reply in a timely enough manner that I can actually use their response!

I finally got an acceptance a few weeks ago. I've been over the moon for awhile, but now a horrible self doubt is creeping in. Will I be able to do this? Is it worth moving so far away? Will I be able to find a job when I'm done? Part of me knows that it is totally natural to be frightened before a major life change and that I'll be fine--after all, I spent months dreading what would happen if I didn't get in. But the rest of me is scared. I'm such a baby!

I'm currently doing some cross stitching, running, and writing a conference paper... keep my body busy seems to be key.

Ha! I filled out my bracket, as much as possible, on acceptances and rejects. Because not many of my schools are in the tournament, I resorted to blaming/rewarding entire states/sections of the country. If I hadn't heard from a school, they got to the sweet sixteen.

I like this thread just because I'm seeing other people who have only (ha!) one acceptance. I thought I was the only one! I applied last year and didn't get in at all, but I know that I'm qualified and that I'll do well once in a program. This year I applied to 10 schools and got five rejections in a row before my one, beautiful, acceptance. I'm still waiting on four more--but one is all it takes! Also, I heard from admissions guru-type person that I really trust that History and English PhDs are some of the hardest programs to get into, just because there are so many applicants.

It is completely reasonable to ask these kinds of questions. I heard somewhere (but can't remember where, sorry!) that the dropout rate for PhD's is near 50%. Is it because they aren't smart and talented? Hell no! We all see everyday just how many smart and talented people never even make it in! But after the first few years, many programs kind of have you direct yourself and lots of super talented people just can't make it work. They complete their coursework and not their disseration. (Obviously there are other, more complicated, reasons why people leave PhD programs as well). If you're really questioning this, you have a few options. 1) Talk to people currently in PhD programs. Ask them what their days are like, if they think it was worth it, or if they have any regrets. Does their life sound like one you want? Also, since you're in the progress of choosing schools, you may find things that will be dealbreakers for you (For example, it is really important to me that English and Writing departments at my school get along; I've heard horror stories that made me scared to go to grad school at all! BUT, that is one of the things I'm taking into careful consideration as I choose a school.) 2) Talk to your profs or a mentor you have; someone you really trust. They should know you well enough to help you see if you are pysching yourself out or if you are bringing up things that may point to a different life path. 3) Look into the possibility of a deferrment for your top choice. For me, working outside of academia for a year was more than enough to show that this is my path. And, most important, remember that you're allowed to make a mistake. If you don't go this year and decide later that you want to, it isn't like all the things that got you in now will have disappear. And if you start a program and decide to leave, no one will come after you and poke you with sticks. Life is a journey. Let your life unfold. By all means, do your homework and trust your gut. But beyond that, do we really have any control?

I sent my recommenders very personalized cards in January--they were amazing whether I got in or not (of course, they also went out their way to help with my SOP and CV as well). When I got, I ran down the street to one recommenders home and we had coffee and hugs. I sent the others a breathless "oh my god I'm so excited I'm going to explode email." Of course, I'm close friends with one recommender (my neighbor/mentor/intellectual crush) and have close professional/friendly relationships with the others. I think what you do depends a lot of your relationship with them, but you want to do something and you want it to be sincere. It should be noted though my recommenders were also my recommenders last year when I DIDN'T get in, so they really have gone above and beyond with their help, reassurance, and guidance. But, on a related note, do you think it would be appropriate to buy a small gift as a thank you token? I'm very broke, but they have been outstanding. But here's the thing, I would want to get my close friend/mentor something a little more personal than the others. I saw a necklace that is quirky that she would love, but I was just going to get the others a mug or something from my school. They aren't all petty or anything, so I don't think they would hold it against me if they found out that they got less, but do you think it is in bad taste?

If you're really worried, email the prof. You'll see how quickly they respond and how warm/interested they seem. In my experience some reviews on RateMyProfessor are accurate, but it is a very small percentage. Remember that many students have different goals than we (people who want to go to grad school) do.

Thank you both so much! I'm presenting at the CCCC's, so I get to meet Chris (first year writing co-director) and a TA (I think her name was Sarah?). So far I'm really impressed with what I've heard. General questions: - The TAship I've been offered will give me about 1400 a month. My partner and I need to rent a house because we have several parrots. Are there affordable homes to rent in the area? We would need a two bedroom, for about 600-800 a month (the cheaper, the better). Could you recommend areas to look in and areas to avoid? - My partner has his MA in English. He will need to find a teaching job as well. Chris said there was some possibility of his adjuncting at Oklahoma, but are there other places to work? I know that in South Bend, where we currently live, enrollment seemed to take a dive across the board and it is getting really difficult for MAs to find adjuncting positions. Is that true in Norman as well? - Do the English lit and comp folks get along well with one another? I've heard horror stories about campuses where there is no love lost between them, and honestly that is a pretty big turn off to me. I love English across the board and would love to friendly relationships/discussions with lots of English folks. I'm REALLY pumped about this school. Jbarks, as a student there, how satisfied are you? Are you happy? What do you like the most? What is your biggest regret?

This week was a bust for me... I guess that means I'll have to start hoping for next week

Yes! While some evil programs do seem to hold on to rejections, in my experience schools let you know when you're out of the running. Until you hear something, you can assume that they aren't willing to let you go just yet. Good luck!