2019 Applicants

[rr732]

3 hours ago, FriendlyNeighborhoodWolf said:

alright y'all, my challenge is to not obsessively check the inbox today. thirty times per hour should be pretty reasonable. thoughts?

That’s every two min which seems totally reasonable to me!

I literally placed restrictions on gmail and safari the other day so it cuts me off from checking at some pt... it’s compulsive at this pt. 

[Matthew3957]

Alberta rejection came through ?. Will post to survey soon first must wallow. 

[Bopie5]

1 hour ago, placeinspace said:

Does anyone (maybe @Warelin) have any insight into how big the Davis cohorts normally are?

From their website for PhD admissions: "Last year we received 124 applications, made 26 offers, and ended up admitting 12 students for Fall 2018."

Not sure if "offers" includes waitlist? Not sure if the fact that the admissions rate is about half of the offers--maybe people chose other places and/or got better funding packages elsewhere. Seems consistent that the cohort would become 7-9 a few years in like @Fedallah mentioned.

[placeinspace]

6 minutes ago, Bopie5 said:

From their website for PhD admissions: "Last year we received 124 applications, made 26 offers, and ended up admitting 12 students for Fall 2018."

Not sure if "offers" includes waitlist? Not sure if the fact that the admissions rate is about half of the offers--maybe people chose other places and/or got better funding packages elsewhere. Seems consistent that the cohort would become 7-9 a few years in like @Fedallah mentioned.

Of course the one website I don't double check is the one that lists all that info haha. Thank you!!

[Eucerin]

question: would not being able to make an on campus interview/visit day negatively affect my chances of getting an offer  ?

[pdh12]

@Eucerin definitely not!! 

[Eucerin]

Just now, pdh12 said:

@Eucerin definitely not!! 

Thanks!! ❤️ I hope so  

[mandelbulb]

25 minutes ago, Eucerin said:

question: would not being able to make an on campus interview/visit day negatively affect my chances of getting an offer  ?

usually there's an option to interview by phone/skype if you can't make it in person

[pdh12]

Really, you don’t have to worry! I was accepted into both grad programs i’ve done with no visits, and no expectations for visits. the ND thing is an anomaly.

[dreid]

Do we think all the NYU comp lit interviews have gone out? My hearttttt

[spectrum-in]

Ummm is that USC acceptance anyone here? And did you apply to the Creative Writing/Literature PhD? 

[vondafkossum]

Minnesota’s rejection letter was a MESS.

[bernardthepug]

4 minutes ago, vondafkossum said:

Minnesota’s rejection letter was a MESS.

this weirdly made the sting of rejection a bit more palatable LOL.

[placeinspace]

I’m officially cutting myself off from the pain of this site now that my cycle is over, so my last piece of advice is to be pessimistic about this process. False hope never helped anyone and it’s much better to stay realistic- this isn’t a process you can succeed at through the power of positive thinking, so much better to be aware of the realities than have your high hopes totally crushed.

And with that horribly depressing statement, I say goodbye and good luck!! I’ve enjoyed enduring this pain with all of you!

[vondafkossum]

8 minutes ago, bernardthepug said:

this weirdly made the sting of rejection a bit more palatable LOL.

I try very hard not to equate technically correct SAE grammar with intelligence or goodness—because SAE is a totally bogus ass construct—but a director of admissions can’t find anyone to copy edit a five sentence official correspondence? How do you have two comma errors in five sentences?

[lalalalalalala12]

28 minutes ago, spectrum-in said:

Ummm is that USC acceptance anyone here? And did you apply to the Creative Writing/Literature PhD? 

I'm the USC acceptance! Not creative writing track, but the standard English Language & Literature Phd. Official stuff shouldn't have rolled out yet, I just received confirmation from POI who I had been in previous contact with. Don't sweat it if you haven't heard anything!

[spectrum-in]

7 minutes ago, isoldeabandoned said:

I'm the USC acceptance! Not creative writing track, but the standard English Language & Literature Phd. Official stuff shouldn't have rolled out yet, I just received confirmation from POI who I had been in previous contact with. Don't sweat it if you haven't heard anything!

Ahhh congratulations!!!!!! I’m waiting to hear from the CWR track so it’s nice to get to breathe another day ?

[Bopie5]

Welp, the CA workday is (almost) over and I haven't heard from Davis. This cycle's looking like a shutout.

[havemybloodchild]

1 hour ago, vondafkossum said:

I try very hard not to equate technically correct SAE grammar with intelligence or goodness—because SAE is a totally bogus ass construct—but a director of admissions can’t find anyone to copy edit a five sentence official correspondence? How do you have two comma errors in five sentences?

Ahahaha ? but seriously.

[Warelin]

7 minutes ago, Bopie5 said:

Welp, the CA workday is (almost) over and I haven't heard from Davis. This cycle's looking like a shutout.

I read your interests earlier and before looking at your school list, my mind immediately went: Santa Barbara, WUSTL, Michigan, Illinois.

[Bopie5]

14 minutes ago, Warelin said:

I read your interests earlier and before looking at your school list, my mind immediately went: Santa Barbara, WUSTL, Michigan, Illinois.

Ah I hope the UCSB and Michigan people feel the same way. This was encouraging to read. I'm already planning/retooling for next year, and WUSTL and Illinois are two that I didn't apply to this year that are already on the list for next time. Holding out some (realistic/halfhearted) hope that it'll work out this year, but making peace with the fact that it might not, and if it doesn't work out this year, it just means I'll be a stronger applicant with more knowledge of programs and myself, more equipped to truly end up in the right place next year.

Edited February 8, 2019 by Bopie5

[trytostay]

Just now, Bopie5 said:

Holding out some (realistic) hope that it'll work out this year, but making peace with the fact that it might not, and if it doesn't work out this year, it just means I'll be a stronger applicant with more knowledge of programs and myself, more equipped to truly end up in the right place next year.

Yes, yes, yes. I agree with all of this and it's how I'm approaching the situation as well. It might not work out this year, and while I'll be sad, it's just a bump in the road in the longterm. I'll spend the next year learning a lot about myself and my work and I will be able to demonstrate that to schools in the 2020 application cycle. 

[Warelin]

2 minutes ago, Bopie5 said:

Holding out some (realistic) hope that it'll work out this year, but making peace with the fact that it might not, and if it doesn't work out this year, it just means I'll be a stronger applicant with more knowledge of programs and myself, more equipped to truly end up in the right place next year.

I think you'll go far with that attitude! It is so hard to tell what admission committees want in any given year because we don't know in what direction they're heading. I think making strides to learn more about yourself as an applicant and taking steps to immerse yourself can only strengthen how you appear to any committee though.

[thismortalcoil]

3 minutes ago, Bopie5 said:

Ah I hope the UCSB and Michigan people feel the same way. This was encouraging to read. I'm already planning/retooling for next year, and WUSTL and Illinois are two that I didn't apply to this year that are already on the list for next time. Holding out some (realistic) hope that it'll work out this year, but making peace with the fact that it might not, and if it doesn't work out this year, it just means I'll be a stronger applicant with more knowledge of programs and myself, more equipped to truly end up in the right place next year.

If it's anything, your interests would also be well supported at the University of Toronto, I think. From what I've looked into in their department (so large! like 70 full time professors or something), there's a number of great people doing work in maternity, psychoanalysis, women and gender studies, and performance.

[Bopie5]

7 minutes ago, Warelin said:

I think you'll go far with that attitude! It is so hard to tell what admission committees want in any given year because we don't know in what direction they're heading. I think making strides to learn more about yourself as an applicant and taking steps to immerse yourself can only strengthen how you appear to any committee though.

So true! And also I'm realizing/finding that it's hard to totally get a sense of your interests while still in undergrad, taking survey courses or courses outside of your area of interest just to expand your background. Pursuing a yearlong research thesis has already allowed me to discover more about why I'm interested in what I'm interested in, and has specified/narrowed the focus of some of my projects. Adcomms are a variable I have no control over; I can only improve myself.

 

10 minutes ago, thismortalcoil said:

If it's anything, your interests would also be well supported at the University of Toronto, I think. From what I've looked into in their department (so large! like 70 full time professors or something), there's a number of great people doing work in maternity, psychoanalysis, women and gender studies, and performance.

Ah, wow, thank you! I didn't even put any Canadian schools on my radar this year until it was too late--a prof I just met this year recommended both University of Toronto and York University Toronto, but it was too late for me to retool my app for some of the different variables/styles of Canadian apps. Thank you for the rec--gotta look into University of Toronto's department more!