ProfLorax

Waitlisted at Ohio State! A really kind email explaining that they were impressed with my app but limited in funding.

Thank you. This is exactly what I was hoping someone would say! I have to remind myself that I am already in, so visit day is not an audition! If anything, it's the campus' chance to audition for my affections. ... Right?

What about sitting in on classes? Will we be expected to participate or just observe?!?! I haven't been a student in three years!

Yay! I am out of upvotes, but I've been rooting for you! Congrats on the good news; I believe this is just the first!

Yes yes yes yes. It feels so good to be wanted!

Just got an email from one of the professors I mentioned in my SoP for UIUC. She wants to "entice" me to accept the offer, and she complimented a specific part of my writing sample. It's like getting accepted all over again.

Thanks! This is interesting... not at all what I would expect.

I probably should google this, but what factors does US News and World Reports use when determining rank for graduate programs? Placement rate, publication output, faculty?

Thank you for this! I am beyond thrilled about the prospect about living in Amherst, and I just love your description of the community! I plan on visiting in April. My husband and I are toying with the idea of buying instead of renting. We have some money saved up, and with property values so low right now, the mortgage would end up being much cheaper than rent. Obviously, if we decide to move forward with this fantasy, we'll contact a real estate agent, but until then: what towns and neighborhoods would you recommend we look into? We've love a quiet neighborhood that is walking or biking distance from the restaurants and shops. We have our heart set on a fenced yard so that our pooch can have easy access to the outside, but we are starting to realize that fences aren't really a thing anywhere east of the Rockies!

I am not sure about the attachment feature, but you can always upload it to Google Docs!

I don't think my partner will join me for any classes; after all, as a software engineer, he would be bored out of his mind. The plan is this: while I do all of the prospective graduate student activities (meeting POIs and fellow students, sitting in on classes, etc), he will scope out the town and places to live. I might bring him around the department to meet the faculty and staff after the formal events are finished, but that's it. I think he's quite grateful for this arrangement.

I think so! I'm trying to figure out how to get there without taking much time off from work. I don't live near a major airport, and the campus is not near a major airport, so it could take a whole day of traveling! I really need to see the campus and community, as well as talk to students and professors, to get a good feel for the program. I am terrified of living in the middle of miles and miles of cornfields, but if the campus and program are fabulous enough, I may have to get over my fear of flat country and take the leap!

Bfat: a huge congratulations!!!! Patientagony: are you going to visit UIUC during the March 13-15 visit?

I just knew they wanted you! Congrats!

WHERE ARE MY UPVOTES?!?! That ven diagram made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe. I don't think I could ever do a 9-5 schedule at an office simply because of the pants issue. I love that some of my work hours are spent at home, grading, reading, or lesson planning, without pants.

Another ENFP in the house! I'm as extroverted as people get, which I guess explains my love of teaching. I've long considered teaching a brand of performance, and I get such a rush after a class session. That being said, I have some pretty strong introverted tendencies. My favorite hobby is reading the internet on the couch with no pants on. My love of not wearing pants often conflicts with my love of being surrounded by people.

I think we all need a pep talk... What will be YOUR Space Jam?

WOOT! Congrats, sebastiansebby.

No idea. It was an email letting me know that my status has changed, which led to a pretty standard letter congratulating me and reminding me to send in my official transcripts. I haven't seen any other admits, so maybe Writing Studies has its own timetable? I'll be crossing my fingers for you!

Thanks everyone! I am stunned. I really thought I didn't have a chance with UofI! jazzy dubois, once I've processed all of these emotions, I will definitely take you up on that offer!

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign wants me! They really want me! No info on funding, but I got an email to check the website. Stoked! I applied under the Writing Studies emphasis.

What helps me keep my sanity and empathy in this process is remembering that GradCafe has only existed since 2006, and I imagine most adcomms cemented their admission review and notification procedures way before then. Before 2006, applicants found out when they found out; they had no way to track if other people had already heard from schools, and thus, there were no "assumed rejections." In my case, I wouldn't know that some people already had heard back from Ohio State, so I would have never contacted the office to ask what was going on. That also meant that the committees could take their time reviewing, finding funding, and making decisions in chunks, without worrying about messing with the minds of the applicants who hadn't heard back yet. The question is, do we think that adcomms should change their protocols because GradCafe has changed the game? I have a hard time imagining universities and English departments bending to the will of some users on a website. I laughed out loud when Purdue emailed me to let me know that my application was complete. This was the last sentence of the email: "We want to emphasize the fact that, unless you receive a rejection notice from us, you most definitely remain a competitive applicant in our pool of potential candidates (even if other people are posting online that they have received offers from Purdue)." Purdue acknowledged the existence of the Results Survey on GradCafe, but also placed the onus of patience and understanding on me, the applicant. I thought that was an interesting way to deal with the still fairly new pressures brought upon by the Results Survey. If anything, that sentence helped me keep my cool when I saw the one Purdue English acceptance on the board a week or so ago.

Congrats, muchado! I can claim the UMass Amherst acceptance!

Ha! This made me snort because my dad also does not understand my career path at all. He never graduated from high school or went to college, so academia is truly a mystery to him. Still, he's incredibly supportive because he trusts my decision-making-- haven't let him down yet! As I said in another forum, my mom's having a hard time with all of this. She's currently single, and I am her only child (my brother and I have different mothers). She's trying to be supportive, but the idea that I might be moving clear across the country clearly hurts her deep in the gut. She was terrifically supportive this morning when I told her about UMass Amherst, but I could tell she was already imagining what it will be like for me to be so far away. And as I have said before, my partner is super supportive. Our dog doesn't care either way, as long as he gets treats.

PS Let me know if you want to swap application materials!