Fiona Thunderpaws

I think we're all mutant perfectionists here--goes with the territory.

Haha, I'm glad I'm not the only one who got this up this morning and went "It's the 15th..." I am filled with equal parts dread and relief.

I'm pretty sure we're in totally different fields, but thanks! I think we'd be cohort friends though, if it works that way.

I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be nosy or anything--not my intention at all here. You still have a few weeks until you have to decide, so many the time to mull things over will offer my clarity. Best of luck with you decisions!

MrBrooklyn, I like your style.

Marlowe--my own personal hunch is that subfield rank/prestige might be more important than overall ranking... But like she mentioned, subfield rankings can change wildly. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to email the department of the non top 20 school and see if anyone's up for retirement/thinking of leaving in the upcoming years. Maybe (if you can) look and see where recent grads in your subfield have been placed from both schools. Maybe ask for grad contracts as well, so you could at least talk to some of the cohort, even if you can't visit the area. What school is it, out of curiosity? Someone on the boards might be familiar with it and be able to give you some information as well.

I've never seen a crowd so eager to get rejections before--it's a little funny. Mostly because I'm pissed my Ivy league didn't send me a paper rejections... Really Princeton, $90 and you can't send me a letter?!

Spasticlitotes--I'm thinking green and brown, to better hide the bear sports teams in the vegetation outside the English building. All this talk of Chicago/ the Carolina triangle has made me think of a more serious decision factor for those of you in the throes of deciding! I think transportation is something to keep in mind. How will you get around, and more importantly, how much will it cost you? I know in Buffalo NY having a car is almost mandatory, unless you live very close to campus and never plan to leave the vicinity.

Impending--congrats, that's so exciting!!! Aeplo--I think your question might hing a great deal on your subfield. Which school has a better program for your area? Can you look at where people in your subfield have been placed from each school recently?

Againstoutfaces--Oh, I'm not complaining! With a sole waitlist at my top choice, my season's already pretty set! I'm just contributing to the chaos, really. Pelevinfan--I still think you're mysterious!

That seems too good to be true! Is Austin a real place, or is it some sort of fairyland? I think I'm in love... I have to make another offering to the waitlist Gods later today. Zinc--you're right, of course. We WERE talking about serious decision criteria... but then the thread was massively derailed.

Thanks LadyT! I don't actually get to go to my school's visiting weekend as a waitlister, but I know I'm going to visit if I do get made an offer, and that's pretty solid advice both ways. I wouldn't want to be the class prick before classes even start! Flower--I'm also with LadyT on this one, don't let us make you feel guilty about holding out! While it's great if people know where they're declining early, realistically most of us are going to be a part of the made domino dash leading up to the 15th, and we know that. Good luck with your waitlists! I'm feeling really good about everyone's chances on this board.

Good question. I haven't been to Ithaca in a while... Anyone know the CIB factor in Ithaca? How about Austin while we're on it? Spasticlitotes-- you can be head of the athletic department AND head of of whatever your subfield is as well then!

The odds are in your favour, Cornell is HUGE!

Congrats! I hope it goes well for you! Though I'm sure the stress is terrible... I'm slowly started to be consumed by stress myself as it gets closer to my top choice's visiting weekend... Thanks for letting us know, LadyT!

THIS. Food quality is vital, there must be places with great food to which the CIBs and us can go to.

Looks like Rutgers for you after all!

Dorinda-- sorry about that! I promise we'll take good care of him... At least Buffalo is almost part of Canada still right? Southern hockey teams make ZERO sense to me. How do you justify a winter sport in a part of the world where snow only snows once every three years? Crazy...

I had a nightmare last night that I got rejected from everywhere, so they sent me back to high school for remedial English lessons. Yep.

Might as well have everyone list (if they want to!) we might have some lurkers who study German lit too. Thanks for telling us Rubyrunner!

Hello friends! I'm got a special request, for both myself and all the other waitlisted people slowly losing their sanity. Since it seems like people are starting to make decisions and stuff, if anyone turns down an offer, could you just drop us a line here? Give us the gift of hope this application season! Or hair dye, since we're also a prematurely greying lot as well.

I listed things that were academic, like a live-in tutoring position in the dorms and my experience with an academic undergraduate research journal. However, I gave my CV to my LOR writers with everything I had done on it, include my shitty, part time jobs. I know one of my LOR writers used some of the information I didn't end up sending schools in his letter, and it made me sound like the academic, multitasking BAMF I only imagine myself to be.

If I don't get into grad school, I will make it will be a real place. Our mascots will be bears, but our sports teams will be made up of literal bears. Then we'll win ALL the things, and with the money generated by the sports people, I will make a massive English department where every job is TT and grad students get $50,000 stipends. Don't be ashamed! I heartily approve of these two deciding criteria. I'm glad you're not a Senators fan though, Sabres and Senators tension runs deep!

Though obviously less important than anything related to program and further job prospects, I would also consider your living/social situations at different schools as well. I know applying to grad school is more like a job, but most jobs don't have you pulling 12+ hours days, seven days a week. Having a support network of colleagues/friends is really important to me in a program, but maybe you like working alone, so a department with a more reserved atmosphere might be your thing. Likewise, I know I can't deal with living in a rural, secluded place. I want things to do in my (very rare) time off, but maybe you're a big outdoorsy person and going to University Woodland Adventure Place is your thing. I don't think these things should be primary deciding factors, but if two programs seem like they would both work professionally, I would definitely think about it.

Oh yeah. I hear you. I have one waitlist and seven rejections. It's at my top choice. This application season for me will either be the most awesome or most tragic story ever. Aeplo--Best of luck with Pitt! Fit vs reputation is a tough call. Maybe make a list of the pros and cons of each and see for things match up? Also in the end, grad school is whatever we, the students, make of it. Imagine where you want to be when you hit the job, and which school could help you get there the best. Either way though, all three are excellent programs, so I don't think you'll have an issue with reputation trumping fit in the end no matter which one you pick. And Wikichic, I think after recruitment weekend(s) might be when we start hearing back from program(s). But my school (oh, I wish it were mine in the 'I'm going there' sense!) has one of the latest ones out there, so acceptees to your schools might hold out for longer if they have late recruitment weekends as well. I think going to the dining car for drinks might be our sanest option at the moment. Of course, this has already been my coping mechanism for weeks...