Fiona Thunderpaws

More than one professor who tried to talk me out of grad school, and I always asked them if they regretted their decision to go to grad school, and the answer was always no. Ultimately, this inspired me to apply even more! It is by far the worst argument anyone can give against going to grad school. At least once you've committed to the application process people tend to stop nay-saying you... Kind of like how when you're friend starts dating someone new and they're terrible, but once they've made themselves an item, you can't really badmouth the new partner anymore.

Yeah, you're right Spasticlitotes! We have GOT THIS.

Monkeys playing dice games. I'm becoming more and more certain that's how they decide things. I practically cried with joy when I got my waitlist notification. I have NO CLUE why I was waitlisted at the school I was, and rejected by some of the others (while some of my rejections were pretty predictable). I've been rejected from 6 so far, and I'm too terrified to ask about my status at the last school I haven't heard from... I have never wanted anything more than for this waitlist to turn into an acceptance! Also, Rainy, I think fate is playing cruel, sadistic jokes on you.

I was very, very torn about pursuing a Ph.D. for several years. It wasn't something I envisioned myself doing when I started college, but I found I really enjoyed the work. I ultimately decided to go for it because I knew if I didn't try, I would always wonder "what if?" That being, I had some very strict parameters for myself when I did apply. The first and more important of which was that I did not want to accrue any debt AT ALL. I would not attend a program unless it was fully funded. The second of which was that I had to honestly ask myself what I would do with the degree since TT jobs are so far and few between. And honestly, if I end up applying my degree towards a different ends, I decided I would be fine with that. In the end though, like Rainy said, I want the degree for the degree's sake. If it helps me get my dream job, that would be an awesome bonus! Of course, my family thinks I'm crazy for all this.

LivePoetry-- I feel you. Getting rejected from a top choice is the worst feeling. I give you majour points for asking for feedback though! I haven't quite worked up the courage yet. Your research sounds very interesting and nontraditional for your field. As someone with similarly uncommon research interests, I know how difficult it can be to try and articulate what you're doing and how it can complement a program's existing research interests. I think trying to mold your interests into the accepted "poetry and poetics" parameters would be unfaithful to yourself, though it is so very tempting to do that when faced with the horror of application season. It is always possible that SUNY Buffalo was not as good as fit as you thought it was. I did my undergrad there (though I did not dabble in poetics at all) and I've noticed there is a certain distance from things that as said vs things that actually happen there. Now, I absolutely love the English department there, but my experiences from class to class, professor to professor, were completely different. It's entirely possible that the people on your particular AdComm are the type of people who aren't involved in the area you are. So regardless of how well you matched the program on paper, these people might not have been able to look past their existing perceptions of their field. Which adcomms are supposed to do, I imagine, but with so many applications, how much of that can they actually get done? Which goes to your third point-- maybe you didn't articulate well what you were doing. I personally think you did, but maybe with in the chaos of applications, it didn't become clear to them. I don't think it's weird to discuss this with the DGS-- you really like the program, and thought it was a good fit (who is the DGS out of curiosity, Dr. Hammill?). Especially if you decide to reapply, it might help you having a rapport with him. And feedback from applications can only make our applications stronger. I hope this helps a little! I really like your area... If I had a department, I would totally accept you into my program.

Well, getting drunk and then making important decisions was always how I rolled.

Bdon-- go to UT Austin and when I get accepted off the waitlist, we will be the youngest in our cohort together! I figured applying when I was young would be helpful because I don't have any responsibilities holding me back, and I can still survive from a substandard diet and sleep schedule. But I get where everyone else is coming from with the whole relationship/kids thing... My mom keeps telling me things like how it's okay I'm in the humanities, because I'll never have to support a family. She's also said that education is a good field for a woman to go into, because there's a lot of time off. And I'm like "...I'm going into academia, not education." The worst thing is that she really believes these things *facepalm*. Also, I'm pretty sure my tenure track relationship might not be able to survive grad school. Sooo, yeah. Wow, this was kind of depressing, sorry all.

This. Also, this has been my unofficial theme song throughout this whole process. Or at least the chorus has been.

Uh oh, they remember our names? That's a scary though o.o

Thanks so much Rainy_Day! Your advice is super helpful. I already told the DGS his program is my top choice, and since this waitlist is the best I've done this season, I'm willing to wait a long time. The waiting is the worst part. I was prepared for a shut out, so while this is super exciting, it also prolongs the agony... Anyway, here's to everyone getting into their top choices for Fall 2012! I wish we could all have a party when it's over with. I'll bring the cake. Cake baking is my backup plan after all.

This. I was torn about applying to programs for two years before I actually committed to it. I have other interests I could've pursued, but in the end I knew if I never applied and done something else with myself I would always wonder "what if..."

Don't give up yet, Andsoitgoes. I was waitlisted there and aside from one Ivy, UTA is the highest ranking school I applied to. All of my rejections from from lower ranked programs. This process makes no sense whatsoever. I think monkeys throwing dice around determines who gets in and who doesn't.

I know the feeling, I already have loans from undergrad with killer interest rates and am wondering if I should take out more... But at this point I'm not even in anywhere so I try not to think about it, yet it haunts me when I try to sleep at night... I'm more familiar with the Madison area than the school itself. My boyfriend is in the Chemistry program there, and I've visited him a few times. The city's small, but it's got a lot going on. Public transportation is great, and students get an unlimited bus pass as part of the tuition costs. Cost of living is pretty low in regards to rent, food, and gas. Everytime we went grocery shopping, I was amazed by how affordable everything is! There's a lot of free/cheap things to do for fun in the area too... There's a ton of parks and bike paths, a free botanical gardens and zoo. Actually, if I don't get into grad school this round, I'm pretty certain I'm going to relocate to Madison and make some money while I try to figure out what the hell I'm doing!

While we're on the topic of visiting schools we're waitlisted at... I'm waitlisted at my top choice, and I emailed the DGS about visiting the school, and he discouraged me from visiting before recruitment weekend for various reasons. The problem is, recruitment weekend is in early April. He did say that if I was made an offer that late in the game he would extend the decisions deadline so I could visit, but I'd really like some of my questions answered earlier than that. So I guess my question is--to all of your wonderful sage and likewise waitlisted people--what's the best way to ask for more information without seeming overbearing and/or desperate? I'd love to get the emails of some of the grad students so I could ask them questions, and maybe just express my interest to my POIs. I'm probably overthinking this whole thing, but I can't shake the feeling that there's some sort of unspoken rules about the dos and don'ts of being waitlisted. I think this whole process has robbed me of my senses.

I'm with Rainy_Day on this one. I think because you will probably end up working with people from school B, you should definitely try to see if they're willing to discuss things with you.

Oh, believe me, Buffalo is way cheaper to live in than Austin... But with the cravat that you need a car to do pretty much anything, and gas in NY is pushing four bucks a gallon these days.

I'm sorry Antecedant and HaruNoKaze, I was really pulling for you guys... I don't know about your other offers HaruNoKaze, but I see you got into UW Madison Antecedant! Getting rejected from them was the worst feeling ever-- it is a lovely school in a wonderful city and it is so cheap to live there! It doesn't seem like a real place, I swear.

Hi Marlowe! Firstly, I LOVE your username. Secondly, this this slightly off topic, but if you had time would you mind PMing some of UTA's funding details to me? I've been waitlisted there, and I feel presumptuous emailing the department about it. Like I'm some sort of dog begging at the back door, which is kind of true, but they don't need to know that yet!

I'm basically a directly applying from undergrad. I graduated last year and spent the fall applying and auditing a grad class at my undergrad university. I only have one waitlist so far though, and looks like seven rejections. Sooo, all and all, I think real life experience is a plus as far as acceptances go.

I didn't see how dejected the armadillo looked before, that's pretty great! Aaand, I could make a drunk badger joke (I just came back from Madison WI), but I'll resist the urge for now... TripWillis--I was talking to my Rutgers friend again today about my own waitlist, and he said a lot of people in the 2011 class came in from waitlist, so I really think you have a good chance! Do what I do and devise ways to talk the accepted people out of it. You don't have oven-like weather and sickly state animals on your side, but I'm sure we think of reasons as to why no one should move to New Jersey.

It's true, Coffeeplease! http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/health/28leprosy.html I was also admiring your signature... I have one program let to hear back from, and I also don't care if it's another rejection. I just want the suffering to end!

OH GOD. The boyfriend. I don't even know what to do about that. It crossed my mind a lot when I was first starting to apply, but then I had to stop thinking about it, because worrying about that on top of applications made me even more of a mess than I am now. He's already at a PHD program at UW Madison for chemistry, and getting rejected from them was like being beaten an inch from death by a bunch of club-wielding monkeys. Then being speed-healed so they could do it again. Brutal. But for those of you looking to do a distance thing, it's been better than I thought it would be. It's really hard, and (for me at least) there was a long adjustment period of getting used to him not being there. However the time to do my own thing HAS been really good for getting stuff done and meeting new people/trying new things I probably wouldn't have done if he was still near me. But like I said, while things got better, it was really, really hard to get used to it at first. And for the money stuff... It can be expensive, but if you're prudent about when you buy flights and try to share the cost of it somehow, it can work out. And honestly, money spent to see someone you care about always somehow feels like the price is right in the end... Or I am giant sap. Maybe both!

Hey TripWillis! I don't know if this helps you or not, but I know someone who was accepted to Rutgers off the waitlist.The department also told him he was close to the top and really kept in touch with him throughout the whole thing. I don't know about the ranked stuff though. UT Austin's waitlist seems to have no organization at all, and oh my god, I would do pretty much anything to get accepted there.... I want to email everyone who got accepted there outright and be like "HEY GUESS WHAT LIVES IN TEXAS? ARMADILLOS WITH LEPROSY!" and hope they back out. But things probably don't work that way.

I'm really pulling for both of you!!! You two are so supportive of everyone, and I feel like what goes around comes around, right? Besides, I really want us all to be friends in Texas. Along with my giant cat The email had pretty generic stuff in it. There was no mention about how many people might be on the list, but it did mention that their holistic class vision=no ranks on the waitlist, just like last year I think. The only bad thing about Austin's waitlist is that their visiting weekend's in early April so waitlisters will be super strapped for time if they are offered admission. I asked Dr. Lesser how the department felt about waitlisters making independent visits, but he hasn't gotten back to me yet. I'll let you know if I hear anything else though!

Hey everyone! The waitlist from this morning is mine. I AM SO EXCITED!!!! It was sandwiched between my dual rejections from Princeton and Rutgers, and this single waitlist has been my only thread of hope throughout this whole application process. Last night I was drinking away my sorrows and trolling for jobs on craigslist, BUT TODAY I AM FULL OF WIN!!!! My field is gender and sexuality with focuses in pop culture and post colonial, if anyone's interested. I forgot to mention that on the results board, sorry!