Fiona Thunderpaws

Julianne-- congrats, that's super exciting! For you and anyone else considering UB, feel free to PM with any questions about the area itself. I've got 22+ years of experience at this point, and I'd be happy to help anyone out!

Anxious-- I understand how you feel completely. I sent my waitlist school's DGS an email this week, and there was no reply. I also found out that not replying is his style, which made me feel better and also worse. If my initial questions are never answered, how am I supposed to justify a followup email? I was thinking after visit weekend I could shoot him another one, reminding him that the school is my top choice and asking when he thinks people will accept to decline their offers? Of course, he won't know... But that seems better than being all "Hey! If you make me an offer, I will accept IMMEDIATELY. Just reminding you!" Or maybe it's not... Who knows. And to think, there's probably another month of this in the works. I AM AT MY WITS END! I think I boarded the Crazy Stress Train a couple months ago already. I'm the girl tearing her hair out in the corner, surrounded by empty bottles and candy wrappers. Coffeeplease--I noticed your signature changed, and while I 100% sympathize, I couldn't help laughing

Anytime! I hope everything works out for you and your partner.

Is it strictly an undergrad thing? It might be too late for me... It didn't exist until my senior year, and by then I'd already plunked down some money for Phi Beta Kappa.

Hahaha, oh Latin. When I was a wee undergraduate freshman, I decided to begin my 2 year language requirement. I thought taking Latin sounded interesting, and my adviser convinced me it would be helpful. But now I study gender and sexuality in contemporary literature/pop culture with a side serving of Middle Eastern studies. Needless to say, taking Latin was completely useless. But now I can be really annoying at parties!

Maybe it's an literature person thing, graying before you hit 25? I found my first gray hair at 16 after I submitted my high school thesis, and I'm pretty certain I've gotten one for every major paper since. I also found a new "waiting to hear back from applications" gray hair. I'll probably look like a snowy owl when I get my PhD. And it's okay! Us waitlisters like company. I doubt we'll hear anything back until April anyway :\

I only took one grad class, so I can't say with certainty that MA and PhD students at UB are cordial with each other, but that was my experience. Also, I was but a lowly recent college grad thrown into the throes of an upper grad level theory course, and everyone was very friendly and very helpful to me even! I'm not much of a fan of UB as a whole, but I absolutely LOVE the English department. I can't say enough good things about it. And Buffalo is a cheap place to live-- not that that helps with no funding, but it's definitely better than looking at little cash in NY or Chicago.

Congrats for your partner! I had a class with a couple philosophy PhD people--they were not only terrifyingly intelligent, but super nice! Unfortunately, by and large, UB is a school seriously strapped for cash. Funding tends to vary from department to department, and even from student to student in the department. I'm also fairly certain that the English MA is unfunded, unless you score some sort of fellowship or outside support. It might be worth hearing out what they have to offer him though. Gentle harassment via email always got me answers at UB--maybe send them a quick one about the situation.

Haha, I did my undergraduate thesis on Twilight. Then it was a part of the honors college poster presentation. Boy, were the parents of those perspective engineers appalled! But anyway, I second this notion. I'm not a part of STD, but I feel like maybe I should be? Is it worth being a member?

YES! I will so be in this association. Dibs on Dumbledore! While he's not exactly a traditional literary figure, I have the BEST costume for it. At the last movie premiere, strangers were taking pictures with me. If I were smarter, I would've charged them to outset the cost of applications. And for all you grey-haired folk, don't worry... I have like, 8 of them. And I'm not even 23 yet. Thanks Antecedant! We waitlisters need it. We're a high-strung lot in here, to say the least!

Perhaps Courtier? Castiglione gave me the impression they were mostly the same thing. But how would that job add look? Wanted: Articulate and intelligent persons sought for to fulfill Courtier positions. Duties include engaging otherwise uninterested citizens in lengthy discussions about literature, art, music, and philosophy, while simultaneously spreading seeds of doubt concerning deep seated prejudices. Impressive neck ruffs and many layered petticoats to be provided by employer.

I've decided no matter what, I'm not staying at my server job this fall. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. I'm working on my resume now, in the hopes some of my parents' friends can find me a job out of pity. Because making this resume has shown me that I'm not qualified to do anything but be a student forever. Whomp Whomp.

I think the happiest day of my life, aside from the day UTA realizes that they can't live without me, will be the day I quit my server job. I don't even know why it's so terrible, it just IS.

Bogrelief, congrats! Seeing other people get in off the waitlist does give me hope. I am pulling so hard for everyone waitlisted here.

I've visited Ithaca in various seasons. I like Ithaca, but like others said it is very small, and the winters are kind of bleak. If you're an outdoorsy person, it's perfect for that sort of thing. Otherwise, the town is so small I feel like you might run out of stuff to do/get bored if you're the type of person who likes the hustle and bustle of cities.

TripWillis! Please tell me the secret to your crazy amazing confidence. EDIT: Trip, did I see you mention in another thread that you're a reluctant server currently as well? Do you have nightmares about waiting tables until you did? Are we secretly the same person?! Also... wow, someone can turn down Berkeley this early? Kudos to whomever has all the awesome offers! Anxious--I just assume the DGSs are too busy to read this here

Fit is more important than anything when it comes to getting in, and I would definitely devote a lot of time to it. If your research spreadsheet is crammed with details and barely legible, while the thought of looking at one more faculty profile makes you want to stab something, you're doing your research on schools right!

Don't worry Flower, the waiting games are getting to me too, and I've only been wailisted for about ten days! It already feels like forever, and I know I won't know anything one way or the other until April. This waitlist is my only chance of getting in anywhere this round too. The suspense is terrible. I do think keeping in contact with the DGS is good though. I feel like waitlisters have as much a right to asking questions about the program as the accepted people do. Maybe even more, since they're usually not invited to recruitment weekend where most of the acceptees can get their answers. I feel like it's also good to mention your waitlist school is your top choice if you haven't already. Schools look to the waitlist to fill positions, and making an offer to someone who will probably accept is better for them. Best of luck! Where are you waitlisted, if you don't mind me asking?

Fredngeorge, I'm sad to hear that things didn't work out this round. I read your story before I joined the site, and thought it was really inspiring, and was really hoping for you I know I don't have the drive to do this over and over again, and your ability to keep trying (while remaining so positive and supportive) truly amazes me. I wish I could send you a hug, a plate of cookies, and a bottle of gin.

Oh, that makes more sense. Even for a big school, 30 offers for only English PhDs would be insane! Sorry all, stress is turning me into paranoid person. Drit--most programs have different timelines for getting back to people, so don't sweat yet just because the English and Rhet/Comp people heard back already! Check the results survey, it might help you out.

I'm with Transcendental on this on. You'll know about your waitlist in a little over a month, and I wouldn't think they'd expect you to let them know before the 15th since they know that's the big decision deadline for everyone. Maybe explain your situation to them, just to clarify/ease your mind, but I'm sure they realize your MA/PhD offer is the one to take! If you're worried about repeating the coursework over again, maybe make a list of pros and cons for doing the program and how it would help your future applications. If the pros seem to outnumber the cons, and you feel good about doing an MA even knowing you might have to repeat some of the classes and work later on, I think you should go for it! If not, maybe do some more brainstorming and see what else you could do during the time to help your applications. I hope this helps you a little! Seems like a difficult place to be on.

Thanks for the info, Dokkeynot! Holy smokes though, 29 people... I really hope the waitlist is smaller. GuateAmFeminist--I still believe we have this, but I am terrified Time for stress cooking!

Thanks for your feedback and encouragement everyone! I guess self-doubt and and apprehension got me more than I thought they had. I think to the idea of applications last fall terrifying and immense--but they don't have to be that way next time around. I think I'm definitely going to try and focus more of fit, and shoot for fewer, but better-matched programs. In the same vein, and someone who knew very little about fit this first time around, how did everyone else articulate fit in their SOPs? Do we focus on professors, the nature of the program itself (hard to distinguish from the websites)? Do you think it's acceptable to do a more hands-on approach and email potential POIs at schools with our research interests and see what they say about our chances? I thought avoiding direct contact with programs pre-application would be the better thing to do for some reason, but the Girl Scouts don't sell any cookies by lurking at home behind their computers, now do they?

I also agree with this. After lurking on these boards for a few months, I can honestly say that I've never encountered a group as talented and driven as the Lit/Comp/Rhet people here. It seems unfair that some people make it in and others don't, sometimes for no really apparent reason. But we all already knew fairness doesn't have a place in the application game. That being said, I 100% agree with AhabsAdmissionLetter that schools could do a few things that could prevent this process from the massive waste of money and resources it can be for us. If I knew school X wasn't looking for anymore Gender and Sexuality people, and school Y doesn't like accepting people without a MA, I wouldn't apply to either. My mentors advised me to look at applying to grad school as applying for a job, and anyone hiring is looking for some specific traits in their applicants. I understand departments don't always know exactly what they're looking for in applicants-- but even just a little information like this could go a long way in making the process easier for everyone involved.

Wikichic--JHU? Congrats! That's an awesome school. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. And this waitlist thread is one of the few things keeping me sane! "Waitlisting is NOT the end" is becoming a mantra of mine. Aeplo--thanks for the information! I can't really blame Dr. Lesser I suppose. There's probably thirty people asking him the same stuff. If he's still MIA for us waitlisters by recruitment weekend, maybe you could share some of your impressions of the school and cohort with us? GauteAmFeminist and I are ravenous for knowledge!