ProfLorax

Thatjewishgirl, I am simultaneously applying for a reading/writing position where I currently teach. I say, go for it! Although I know that Reading is not highly regarded in the field of English, but full-time teaching positions are! Also, the administrative experience of being head instructor of ANY subject could only be a positive thing on your CV when job hunting in the future.

Haha, like this? I sent a quick reply. I thanked him for letting me know, then promised I would ask questions after done celebrating the good news.

YAY post-acceptance sleep! It feels great to know that my application was good. I had hoped that was the case, but I couldn't be sure until I heard back from schools. With this validation from such a great program, Ategenos, I am confident that we will both hear more good news before the cycle is over! Ok, let's talk Writing Program. I was feeling really confident about the interview because I have been teaching for three years and I really emphasized that in my application... But after reading how competitive TOships are, I am starting to feel anxious! I'm reading through the posts from last year, and it seems like the interview is pretty relaxed and casual, so that's good. I'll just have to do my research and really go through that website! ETA: Did anyone reply to the email? Should I say thank you? I don't have any questions yet, but I know that I will!

Thanks! I have never been to Massachusetts, so I'd glad to hear it's amazing! Thanks! I would love to visit during my Spring Break, which is the first week of April. I'm thrilled! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Congrats! *scurries over to the Amherst thread*

The link in the letter to the Writing Program is missing a letter... Here it is: http://www.umass.edu/writingprogram/teaching/employment.html

I WILL HAVE IT! I WILL HAVE IT ALL DAY! THANK YOU! An acceptance AND my very own gif... I just don't know how this day can get any better. I'm thinking celebratory burritos.

Thanks! No, I have never been in Massachusetts. I'm a Californian through and through, so living on the East Coast could definitely be an adventure! And yes, I have unsubscribed from so many email lists (MoveOn, Groupon, etc) out of pure frustration and impatience! Abso-fucking-lutely! Channeling positivity and optimism to all my GradCafe peeps! And thanks! Like a lot of people on these boards, when I first applied to grad school, I was rejected outright from all PhD programs. I was devastated. I went to a great MA program, learned tons, made some great friends, and started dating my husband. It all worked out wonderfully, but that sting of rejection never really left my system. So, to now have an acceptance under my belt is an overwhelming feeling of redemption. Good luck to ya'll, and learn from me; assumed rejections mean nothing!

Woot! Congrats Ategenos and mobydick, two of my potential future classmates!

Thanks!! I applied to Rhet/Comp. Looks like the email was sent at 8:21AM EST. The letter mostly just outlined funding and health insurance. It also talked about the Writing Program interview. I haven't heard from the Writing Program yet (which makes me terrified this is all a fluke!). Last year, I think that every GradCafer who was interviewed was either accepted or waitlisted, so I have a good feeling about your chances!

ProfHacker has also been talking about the "alt-ac" job path. Here are two good posts I've read over there, and they both contain some links to other great sources that talk about the alt-ac trend. http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/commentary-alt-ac-is-the-future-of-the-academy/42871 http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/four-tips-for-a-non-teaching-academic-job-search/37847 Like OctaviaButlerfan, if teaching doesn't pan out, I would love to direct a Women's Center! I worked at my campus' Women's Center as a student, and it really shaped my attitude towards campus community building and the bridge between activism and scholarship.

Hey guys! I'm in! I still haven't received an invitation to interview with the Writing Program, but I just got the email from Joseph Black that I'm in! Some stats: seems like they received 200 applications. They are shooting for a starting class of 15. I really had figured that I didn't get in since I haven't heard from the Writing Program... I am just stunned.

Lemme tell you why assumed rejections are a bad idea... From the looks of the results survey, UMass Amherst had already contacted its applicants for an interview with their Writing Program. Yesterday, I sighed and crossed them off my list mentally. It's cool, I told myself. I never really wanted to live in Massachusetts (that was a lie). It is 6:03AM in California. I woke up five minutes ago to check my email (because I can't help it). When I saw that I had two emails, I whispered, "curses Groupon Getaways!" But then I saw the subject line... "Acceptance from UMass Amherst." Holy shit guys, I GOT INTO UMASS AMHERST!!!! The email says they I will be contacted by the Writing Program for an interview soon. It also says that I GOT INTO UMASS AMHERST! I got into a PhD program, ya'll! I already called my husband at work, but it's too early to call my friends and family... So I'm sitting in my bedroom, hopping around my mattress because I GOT IN. Weeeeeeeeee!

What I don't understand is why anyone is defending the Ivies as if they are an oppressed group that need protection. If some peeps on the Internet want to critique elitism and analyze class difference, I don't think the Ivies are going to lose any of their prestige. No Ivy professor is going to read this thread and then cry hirself to sleep tonight. I promise. I wanted to upvote a ton of the posts on this thread for talking about class privilege and the like (seriously, how do I run out of upvotes so quickly?!). My only addition is that class rarely exists in a vacuum; class issues are often directly tied to other forms of prejudice and discrimination: racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, etc. To look at class as simply a distinction between rich, middle, and lower class, as Don't Hate seems to be doing, is to ignore the complicated history of class, identity, and power in the United States (and really, the world at large).

My hubs is coming with me wherever I go. Like you, I included him in the decision making process when it came to schools and locations. He's incredibly supportive, but I can tell he's a bit anxious about the whole thing. I mean, he's leaving his stable, well-paying software engineering job so that I can go to grad school. That's crazy, right? I'm always nervous that he'll have a hard time finding a new position and/or friends wherever we end up, but I also have lots of faith in his ability to succeed. But yeah, I feel you. I'm really grateful that my partner is supportive and coming along for the journey, but I know I'll also feel responsible for his happiness and success since he moved for me.

Thanks-- that's what I was thinking. Most of my schools notify in late-Feb, early March, so I really couldn't imagine a visit weekend being on March 2. Radio silence on this end too. But I did just go through the threads from 2011 and 2012, and that strangely gave me hope. It was nice to see that some of the Grad Cafe greats didn't hear back from schools until March or even later. ComeBackZinc didn't hear back from Purdue until March! One of my favorite posts on the results board is of an acceptance on April 7 to UMD College Park's PhD in English program; it simply says, "only acceptance. Got in off the wait-list. WHAT?! Wow." So it's definitely not over until it's over. P.S. The fact that I have a favorite Results Survey post means that I'm the cool kid, right? No? Oh. Okay.

Are ya'll holding off weekend trips during application season? I am thinking about planning a surprise weekend getaway for my partner's birthday on March 2. However, I'm nervous that I'll find out that I am accepted somewhere and the visit day will be on March 2. What to do... what to do... On one hand, I haven't heard anything yet. On the other hand, I might hear some good news soon. On the other hand, the trip sounds really fun. Super fun. It's something we've talked about for years. And the look on his face when he realizes where we're going will be priceless. On the other hand, I've read here that visit weekends are super important in the decision making process. And yet, this year will be my last year making decent money, and the last year I could pull this off for a long long time... BIRTHDAY TRIP IT IS!!! ... I think?

Anticipation alliteration!

I love the picture that corresponds with this example:

I love stories. Ever since I was a child, I loved to listen, read, and tell stories. I didn't realize why until I was in college, and then it hit me. Now, I tell my students why we spend so much time analyzing literature, myths, film, and TV series: because if we want to really know the values of a culture, we look at the stories it tells. When I first realized that, I finally felt validated for my years upon years of analyzing EVERYTHING. And while the rest of the world always vehemently replied with, "it's just a book/movie/TV show/story!" I felt at home in English and Women's Studies departments, places where everyone was devoted to teasing out understanding or meaning or lack of meaning behind stories. Forgive the incoherence. It is late. I am sleepy and plagued by a wave of feelings thanks to a stupid YA book actually wasn't stupid at all-- just very very sad. And uplifting. AGH THE FEELINGS.

Just finished The Fault in Our Stars. I will process the book tomorrow, as it is after midnight and I am sleepy. But I do have one thing to say: Tomorrow, I will call my little brother who survived cancer twice. When he farts into the phone, as he inevitably will, I'll roll my eyes while feeling immense gratitude that he's still around to be my bratty little brother.

First of all, thanks for the update! I was really eager to hear today (I even had about five different dreams last night about checking my application status. Pathetic). But if they are taking their time because they are trying to secure more funding, like Silas suggests, they can take all the time they need!

Didn't the office tell you that decisions would be made by the end of this week? I haven't been expecting a notification until tomorrow at the earliest.

Thanks up the update and the optimism!