2020 Applicants

[43pennsylvanian]

To all my fellow Chicago rejections, I reached out to one of the professors at UChi today and he told me that there is an unusually high number of applicants this year and the department simply cannot take them all. He even wrote me a note (with details about my statement of purpose) and mentioned how strong my application is. 

From the tone of his email, it looks like getting into a program now is just a matter of luck. A student from my cohort here got her MA at UChi and she also said the same thing. It's just pure luck to get into a PhD program now. I'm sure we all deserve a spot somewhere! 

On the other hand, I'm waiting desperately to hear back from other schools and every day that passes by makes me die a little inside. 

[CanadianEnglish]

59 minutes ago, karamazov said:

I'm a tiny bit puzzled by the lone Brandeis rejection that was posted on the board today... It looks like they've sent out rejections mostly on the same day in past years, so I'm curious as to why only one person got one today. Strange. I guess maybe they'll release more tomorrow? 

I’m confused as well - it seems like a couple of my schools are doing a couple admit or reject a day. Maybe schools are adapting the “sending out information in waves” strategy? Pitt, Penn, Michigan, and now Brandeis have all released just some news, but not to every student yet. Just frustrating being in the dark of it all. But the poster said it was a generic email so maybe there’s hope for us since we didn’t get it? I’m assuming Brandeis will contact more people tomorrow since they’ve sent out news the first week of February for the past couple years. 

[MichelleObama]

Congrats to all the acceptances & WL's! I would have 10/10 applied to more schools with earlier projected acceptance dates if I would have known how painful waiting during February would truly be. I thought January would be the hardest part, but I was WRONGGG. Yale is my top choice and hearing that they are "very interested" in my application at this point in the cycle--hearing ANYTHING from them at all--gives me some comfort in what's to come in the upcoming weeks. I received a very kind and encouraging email from one of the deans in the GS in reply to their requested summary of how I occupied my time in my breaks from enrollment, but I'm still nervoussss even though... Yale didn't have to ask me anything! If Yale goes out of their way to contact me personally, its probably a very good sign! BUT WHAT IF I END UP ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK ANYWAY BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IS A BETTER APPLICANT THAN ME!!!?? THERE IS NO RESPITE!!!

[hamnet in tights]

4 hours ago, CanadianEnglish said:

I’m confused as well - it seems like a couple of my schools are doing a couple admit or reject a day. Maybe schools are adapting the “sending out information in waves” strategy? Pitt, Penn, Michigan, and now Brandeis have all released just some news, but not to every student yet. Just frustrating being in the dark of it all. But the poster said it was a generic email so maybe there’s hope for us since we didn’t get it? I’m assuming Brandeis will contact more people tomorrow since they’ve sent out news the first week of February for the past couple years. 

Michigan has three separate English PhD programs that all admit separately-- English Lit, English & Education, and English & Women's Studies. I don't think there's any news out yet for English Lit or English & Women's Studies. 

 

[Indecisive Poet]

10 hours ago, onerepublic96 said:

Rejected at Chicago, as expected. Didn’t get referred to MAPH, either, which now worries me... though perhaps that’s because I already have an MA...?

My partner also got a flat-out rejection with no MAPH referral, even after making it to the interview stage. He already has an MA as well, so I'd put it down to that. If that's the case, I think it's commendable that Chicago is adopting a policy of not referring applicants who already have MAs to their MA program – I find that behavior (Colorado does it too, I know) pretty offensive.

Edited February 7, 2020 by Indecisive Poet

[Indecisive Poet]

7 hours ago, meghan_sparkle said:

Really? Man, if so, this is just crazy and so inappropriate of him to say. I know multiple people from my university who've turned down Berkeley English or Comp Lit just in the last few years. There are people every year who get accepted to multiple top programs, and, faced with an impossible choice, turn down places for all kinds of reasons. It isn't a rare thing and no program is above it. 

Agreed. Before my partner received his official Chicago rejection, we wondered if they perhaps kept a waitlist, a conversation which boiled down to me saying "surely not, because who turns down Chicago....besides probably me....." – but in recent days, I've been realizing that I don't think turning down one top-10 program for another necessarily makes any difference whatsoever to career prospects/success/happiness. I come across more academics in my field with degrees from Yale and Cambridge, for example, than I do from Berkeley or Chicago. If I'm lucky enough to be admitted to another of my dream programs and that acceptance allows me to stay with my partner, I'll turn down Chicago happily. I imagine there are a small minority of people who turn down Berkeley, Chicago, Columbia, etc. each year because they need to stay near their family, because they vibe better with a different faculty, or because there are resources at a given program that would be hugely helpful to them that another program doesn't have. Really lame of Berkeley to say this.

Edited February 7, 2020 by Indecisive Poet

[Indecisive Poet]

13 hours ago, The Hoosier Oxonian said:

NYU (the other school I was sort of hoping to hear something from this week) appears to have done the same thing last year - they didn't notify their rejections until mid-March! Fully expect not to get into NYU either (like Berkeley, it's a tenuous fit for me), but I wish they'd tell me now and not make me wait six or seven weeks!

Last year, NYU acceptances were sent out between 11–13 Feb, so it may be another week if they're operating on a similar schedule.

[aussiekoala]

6 hours ago, karamazov said:

I'm a tiny bit puzzled by the lone Brandeis rejection that was posted on the board today... It looks like they've sent out rejections mostly on the same day in past years, so I'm curious as to why only one person got one today. Strange. I guess maybe they'll release more tomorrow? 

Yup, same. I'm just trying to convince myself that if we didn't get a generic rejection letter than hopefully we're still in the running. Also, I imagine that there aren't as many applicants to Brandeis than like say Chicago, and not everyone who gets a decision reports it on GradCafe. 

[meghan_sparkle]

Just to qualify my earlier reply re: Berkeley: it might be the case that like most schools they extend more offers than they want to enroll, knowing a few will decline, so they might not actually pull from the waitlist every year if the no's hovers around the same number—but still I think that grad coordinator's framing, if true as conveyed, is kinda disingenuous.

I have a question, though unless current students are lurking maybe it won't get answered. When is a good idea for international applicants to book flights to visit dates? I'm an American living & working in the UK, and still have 6/8 schools to hear from (expecting nothing, though; even if I get rejected everywhere else I'll consider this cycle a success) so not 100% sure what days in March I should plan to be in the US. Right now it's Berkeley (weekend around the 13th) and Chicago (6th). I don't want to book a round trip flight just for the two I've heard from assuming I'll fly back after Berkeley's because these tickets will be nonrefundable (I know you can book flexible tickets, but they're way more expensive and probably outside of the travel allowance).

But then again, I guess most other schools I haven't heard from—even if by some miracle/poor choice on their part I get into any—would have visit dates much later in March, so the choice is already between two trips (one early March one later March) or one long trip (staying with family in between visits). I work from home so could do this. Just not sure what is the best idea ... organizationally. Anyway, this is silly, maybe I should just book now assuming I won't get in anywhere else? Tickets will only get more expensive the longer I wait, and judging by past years, I will have some news next week, and then the rest the week after. 

Edited February 7, 2020 by meghan_sparkle

[Emailchecker]

9 hours ago, CanadianEnglish said:

I’m confused as well - it seems like a couple of my schools are doing a couple admit or reject a day. Maybe schools are adapting the “sending out information in waves” strategy? Pitt, Penn, Michigan, and now Brandeis have all released just some news, but not to every student yet. Just frustrating being in the dark of it all. But the poster said it was a generic email so maybe there’s hope for us since we didn’t get it? I’m assuming Brandeis will contact more people tomorrow since they’ve sent out news the first week of February for the past couple years. 

Where did you info from Michigan, if I may ask? 

[caeiro]

1 hour ago, meghan_sparkle said:

Just to qualify my earlier reply re: Berkeley: it might be the case that like most schools they extend more offers than they want to enroll, knowing a few will decline, so they might not actually pull from the waitlist every year if the no's hovers around the same number—but still I think that grad coordinator's framing, if true as conveyed, is kinda disingenuous.

I have a question, though unless current students are lurking maybe it won't get answered. When is a good idea for international applicants to book flights to visit dates? I'm an American living & working in the UK, and still have 6/8 schools to hear from (expecting nothing, though; even if I get rejected everywhere else I'll consider this cycle a success) so not 100% sure what days in March I should plan to be in the US. Right now it's Berkeley (weekend around the 13th) and Chicago (6th). I don't want to book a round trip flight just for the two I've heard from assuming I'll fly back after Berkeley's because these tickets will be nonrefundable (I know you can book flexible tickets, but they're way more expensive and probably outside of the travel allowance).

But then again, I guess most other schools I haven't heard from—even if by some miracle/poor choice on their part I get into any—would have visit dates much later in March, so the choice is already between two trips (one early March one later March) or one long trip (staying with family in between visits). I work from home so could do this. Just not sure what is the best idea ... organizationally. Anyway, this is silly, maybe I should just book now assuming I won't get in anywhere else? Tickets will only get more expensive the longer I wait, and judging by past years, I will have some news next week, and then the rest the week after. 

Have exactly the same question! 

[FiguresIII]

1 hour ago, meghan_sparkle said:

Just to qualify my earlier reply re: Berkeley: it might be the case that like most schools they extend more offers than they want to enroll, knowing a few will decline, so they might not actually pull from the waitlist every year if the no's hovers around the same number—but still I think that grad coordinator's framing, if true as conveyed, is kinda disingenuous.

I have a question, though unless current students are lurking maybe it won't get answered. When is a good idea for international applicants to book flights to visit dates? I'm an American living & working in the UK, and still have 6/8 schools to hear from (expecting nothing, though; even if I get rejected everywhere else I'll consider this cycle a success) so not 100% sure what days in March I should plan to be in the US. Right now it's Berkeley (weekend around the 13th) and Chicago (6th). I don't want to book a round trip flight just for the two I've heard from assuming I'll fly back after Berkeley's because these tickets will be nonrefundable (I know you can book flexible tickets, but they're way more expensive and probably outside of the travel allowance).

But then again, I guess most other schools I haven't heard from—even if by some miracle/poor choice on their part I get into any—would have visit dates much later in March, so the choice is already between two trips (one early March one later March) or one long trip (staying with family in between visits). I work from home so could do this. Just not sure what is the best idea ... organizationally. Anyway, this is silly, maybe I should just book now assuming I won't get in anywhere else? Tickets will only get more expensive the longer I wait, and judging by past years, I will have some news next week, and then the rest the week after. 

I had a similar situation last year, and I ended up doing two transatlantic flights (Greta, shoot me). The latter flight was just for one visit. But it turned out to be oh so necessary! That was the school that on paper was the best fit faculty-wise, but I left there realizing that I just couldn't live there for the duration of the program. I'll note that the visits were a little farther apart (from late Feb to early March and then mid-March). It wouldn't have been feasible or affordable for me to stay in the U.S. those two weeks in between, so I didn't really have a choice. I guess my point is, do you imagine those later visits will really change much? For me, there was a lot at stake in that second visit. I could theoretically have gone on a third one, even, but at that point I had already decided.

Edited February 7, 2020 by FiguresIII

[meghan_sparkle]

20 minutes ago, FiguresIII said:

I had a similar situation last year, and I ended up doing two transatlantic flights (Greta, shoot me). The latter flight was just for one visit. But it turned out to be oh so necessary! That was the school that on paper was the best fit faculty-wise, but I left there realizing that I just couldn't live there for the duration of the program. I'll note that the visits were a little farther apart (from late Feb to early March and then mid-March). It wouldn't have been feasible or affordable for me to stay in the U.S. those two weeks in between, so I didn't really have a choice. I guess my point is, do you imagine those later visits will really change much? For me, there was a lot at stake in that second visit. I could theoretically have gone on a third one, even, but at that point I had already decided.

I can imagine several cases where the later visits would change stuff, yeah! A couple of the schools I haven't heard from were vying for my top choice, and it just happens that they're later to get back. Hmm ... I guess either way I'll have to book the Chicago/Berkeley flight before hearing the outcomes—waiting til the 21st or something to book a flight for the 5th just seems like a terrible idea given how much prices climb up in the fortnight leading up to the flight. Aggggh

[CanadianEnglish]

2 hours ago, Emailchecker said:

Where did you info from Michigan, if I may ask? 

A poster on the results board wrote that they were accepted to the Joint English and Education PhD program, but @hamnet in tights replied to my post saying:

 

6 hours ago, hamnet in tights said:

Michigan has three separate English PhD programs that all admit separately-- English Lit, English & Education, and English & Women's Studies. I don't think there's any news out yet for English Lit or English & Women's Studies. 

 

So that makes sense! Thank you for the clarification @hamnet in tights!!!! I didn't realize that the programs would have separate acceptance/rejection news release dates. 

[jm6394]

6 hours ago, hamnet in tights said:

Michigan has three separate English PhD programs that all admit separately-- English Lit, English & Education, and English & Women's Studies. I don't think there's any news out yet for English Lit or English & Women's Studies. 

 

Yeah, I applied to English & women’s studies and haven’t heard anything

[Romanticist]

11 hours ago, spikeseagulls said:

After having my flights delayed for nearly 10 hours, I finally landed and opened my phone to a Berkeley rejection. Knew it was coming; it still stings a bit though! 

Same. This was my top choice & not going to lie it hurts! Where else have you applied? Do not give up! I was rejected from many schools over the last 9 years and finally just got one funded acceptance (to Davis). Honestly Davis is a better fit for me than Berkeley anyway. 

Hope we cross paths at an MLA Conference one day because, based on your earlier post, your research interests sound fascinating & important!

[caffeinated applicant]

1 hour ago, meghan_sparkle said:

I can imagine several cases where the later visits would change stuff, yeah! A couple of the schools I haven't heard from were vying for my top choice, and it just happens that they're later to get back. Hmm ... I guess either way I'll have to book the Chicago/Berkeley flight before hearing the outcomes—waiting til the 21st or something to book a flight for the 5th just seems like a terrible idea given how much prices climb up in the fortnight leading up to the flight. Aggggh

Throwing this out there--I've seen some evidence that schools will work with you about visit dates, and it doesn't seem outlandish at all to book your current plan and tell future schools that offer you a visit, "I'm in the US for these dates. These dates are out for other visits. Would it be possible for me to visit during X days?" even if that isn't the weekend they've scheduled. Like, I've heard of programs letting accepted applicants visit at alternate times if they've got multiple visits/open houses scheduled for the same weekend, and "transatlantic flight and time off" seems like a situation where it would at least be reasonable task for some wiggle room. And since English programs do visits after acceptance letters go out (contrasting with sciences where interview visits are common), you already know they want you. Not sure if you'd want to do this, since you'd miss out on the formal schedule and meeting other potential cohort-mates, and it's a short time to cram in as many visits as possible (maybe stay a bit longer, if you're going to be visiting family anyway?), but it could be an option. 

[Deleuze]

Any updated information on whats going on with Duke Literature? Is it just assumed that if you've heard nothing you're out at this point?

Also: Any information on the Penn State acceptances available?

Congrats everyone who has heard back with good news! Solidarity with those still waiting.

[caffeinated applicant]

6 minutes ago, Deleuze said:

Any updated information on whats going on with Duke Literature? Is it just assumed that if you've heard nothing you're out at this point?

On Duke lit--since there are three results on the board already (and they only admit, what is it, six per cohort?), I'm assuming that no word = out of the running, and the rejection notice is in some pending purgatory between the adcomm and the graduate school. Still, it's not a rejection until it's a rejection, and we do already know that they did a second wave of first-round interviews (that person on the results board who was interviewed a week after the others). 

The best that I can tell appears to be that at some schools, the adcomm submits recommended acceptances/rejections to the graduate school admissions folks, who finalize the results and post them to the portals. This would explain why it takes a couple days for accepted students to get official letters at some schools after already receiving notice from the DGS, and why rejection letters come through a bit later, too. I got this off of a deep dive in Maryland's graduate admissions FAQs--where they state that it could be five full business days between the adcomm recommendation and the official confirmation from GS--so I can't say for sure that it follows for Duke or any other individual program, though. 

[WanYesOnly]

Long time lurker here joining in on the conversations. Anyone waiting on Cornell? Any ideas on when to expect results? Last year they seemed to do it over Valentine's day, so maybe my heart will be crushed on that day or maybe not. Hoping for the best!

[hamnet in tights]

1 hour ago, jm6394 said:

Yeah, I applied to English & women’s studies and haven’t heard anything

My understanding is that that program generally responds somewhat later. Best of luck to you, the cohorts are very, very small. 

Michigan posts their admissions statistics each year under Rackham's statistics page. The three English programs are listed separately. 

 

[coffeelyf]

4 minutes ago, WanYesOnly said:

Long time lurker here joining in on the conversations. Anyone waiting on Cornell? Any ideas on when to expect results? Last year they seemed to do it over Valentine's day, so maybe my heart will be crushed on that day or maybe not. Hoping for the best!

Same boat here - Cornell English. Most of my schools seem to notify around Feb 14-15, which will make for the worst "will they-won't they" tension ever.

[undercaffeinated]

31 minutes ago, Deleuze said:

Any updated information on whats going on with Duke Literature? Is it just assumed that if you've heard nothing you're out at this point?

Also: Any information on the Penn State acceptances available?

Congrats everyone who has heard back with good news! Solidarity with those still waiting.

I'm happy to share a little more about the Penn State offer I received! Was there anything specific you were curious about?

[mickeys]

Anyone heard from University of Toronto's Cinema Studies Institute? From previous years' records, looks like they'll be rolling out decisions some time next week but I was wondering if anyone heard from them already. Mine is still Under Review. Sorry if this isn't the right place, couldn't find the category.

Edited February 7, 2020 by mickeys

[Shakespeares Sister]

I'm still waiting to hear back from many schools.