2020 Applicants

[vvolgate]

3 hours ago, caffeinated applicant said:

Hauling the conversation in a different direction--welcome to the rejection club, and if I may speak frankly, lowkey congrats on one of each, 1a/1w/1r? There's something kind of satisfying about that.

Sadly(ish), when I came home tonight, it became 1a/2w/1r/1p! So earlier I should’ve actually said it was 1a/1w/1r/2p. 

I know waitlists are technically good news, and I do have one really great offer to boot, but lawd almighty I can’t help but feel a little bit like I must be doing something so wrong.... 

 

[Rani13]

Oof. I had to say something because the conversation here has left a bad taste in my mouth. The academy with its scarcity of jobs is so bleak that it is clearly already getting us down, well before we have even begun our careers in earnest. I hope everyone is taking some time for themselves amidst all the anxiety and despair. Solidarity with all of you, but especially with those who are still waiting to hear at all and/or are unsure about what comes next. I will say what I’ve been told by friends and mentors in the past: rejection is the only constant in the academy and it never lets up, no matter how accomplished one becomes with time. In that sense, it is entirely arbitrary and hardly personal. Additionally, as someone said recently on Twitter, the academy will never love us back. I know I’m speaking from a place of some luck and privilege right now, but just wanted to acknowledge that this is an unequal playing field and the stakes are so high precisely because they’re in fact so low. This isn’t on us, it’s on the austerity that is destroying the humanities. I hope we’re all doing the needful to step back and take care of ourselves. Thinking of all of you, and particularly those who are bearing the brunt of rejection right now. May the tides turn and soon!

Edited February 20, 2020 by Rani13

[onerepublic96]

40 minutes ago, Rani13 said:

Oof. I had to say something because the conversation here has left a bad taste in my mouth. The academy with its scarcity of jobs is so bleak that it is clearly already getting us down, well before we have even begun our careers in earnest. I hope everyone is taking some time for themselves amidst all the anxiety and despair. Solidarity with all of you, but especially with those who are still waiting to hear at all and/or are unsure about what comes next. I will say what I’ve been told by friends and mentors in the past: rejection is the only constant in the academy and it never lets up, no matter how accomplished one becomes with time. In that sense, it is entirely arbitrary and hardly personal. Additionally, as someone said recently on Twitter, the academy will never love us back. I know I’m speaking from a place of some luck and privilege right now, but just wanted to acknowledge that this is an unequal playing field and the stakes are so high precisely because they’re in fact so low. This isn’t on us, it’s on the austerity that is destroying the humanities. I hope we’re all doing the needful to step back and take care of ourselves. Thinking of all of you, and particularly those who are bearing the brunt of rejection right now. May the tides turn and soon!

You said this so well! Thank you. 
 

[alittlebitofthat]

I just want to add that the reason I’m so fond of this forum (apart from the admission updates obviously) is because unlike the rest of the internet, the mask of anonymity does not bring out the trolls within us. I’ve only ever perceived it as a positive space. And that, folks, is something! When I read @caffeinated applicant’s post yesterday, I just kept looking at the screen for a few minutes at least. It captured everything I had felt last season, and everything I had struggled to suppress ever since. 
A few days ago, I couldn’t access the website because of server issues for around 10 mins, and I legit freaked out. 
I truly value this space. Let’s just actively try and keep it the way it has always been: POSITIVE, SUPPORTIVE, EMPATHETIC. 

[poetryislit]

I am dying to hear from UPenn (as are many people, it seems) ?

[MichelleObama]

1 hour ago, poetryislit said:

I am dying to hear from UPenn (as are many people, it seems) ?

Penn has some strong women on their faculty studying Shakespeare and race theory and I am VERY ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM THEM. I was nervous about my application this cycle because there aren't so many faculty in programs I found desirable working within that particular niche. I'm not especially interested in complicating the decision I already have to make, but a Penn acceptance would definitely f*ck me allll the way up. I took the GRE (performed medium well on verbal and writing with an embarrassingly low quantitative score) at the last minute specifically for Penn and Yale & my scores reflect the impulse ?

[Wimsey]

I am expecting today to be pretty chill and tomorrow to be the opposite. We've heard from @meghan_sparkle that Columbia will likely notify around the 21st, and I think Rutgers will accept people this weekend as well. ?

[Lighthouse Lana]

Where are you Boston University?? Help me BU, you're my only hope!

[caffeinated applicant]

@ adcomms: look y'all I wrote down in each week of my planner which schools I expected to hear from and with the exception of UT-Austin and Chicago, y'all are S L A C K I N G. Harvard is excused because you're always late but the rest of you............................................... I'm waiting (respectfully) pls 

(It does not help matters that I emailed Maryland about status a week and a half ago, and I emailed UT-Austin yesterday to reiterate interest and ask if there's been movement, and neither has gotten back to me. I can understand if communications on the subject are embargoed until they're able to offer or decline, because that's the kind of thing that universities love to do even if it's--IMO--unhelpful and rude, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming that this is the reason behind the lack of response rather than reading into it...) 

[lotsoffeelings]

hi everyone, I've been lurking on this for a while now. Like others, I've been in the pits of despair these last few weeks (3r/0a/1w/5p) with 2 of those 5p implied rejections (NYU & Columbia). Soliciting self-care tips for these stressful times as I, like many here, struggle with depression/anxiety and this process is kind of killing me slowly. Any advice welcome, and congrats to those who have already been accepted ❤️ 

[spikeseagulls]

I finally gave in and emailed Yale because I saw more rejections went out, and they informed me that they're still making decisions. I don't know how to feel?!?!?!?!

Edited February 20, 2020 by spikeseagulls

[lotsoffeelings]

15 minutes ago, lotsoffeelings said:

hi everyone, I've been lurking on this for a while now. Like others, I've been in the pits of despair these last few weeks (3r/0a/1w/5p) with 2 of those 5p implied rejections (NYU & Columbia). Soliciting self-care tips for these stressful times as I, like many here, struggle with depression/anxiety and this process is kind of killing me slowly. Any advice welcome, and congrats to those who have already been accepted ❤️ 

And also, if anyone can confirm that no interview at Columbia = rejection? Mixed info about their interview process and kind of just want to rip that band-aid off. 

[caffeinated applicant]

5 minutes ago, lotsoffeelings said:

hi everyone, I've been lurking on this for a while now. Like others, I've been in the pits of despair these last few weeks (3r/0a/1w/5p) with 2 of those 5p implied rejections (NYU & Columbia). Soliciting self-care tips for these stressful times as I, like many here, struggle with depression/anxiety and this process is kind of killing me slowly. Any advice welcome, and congrats to those who have already been accepted ❤️ 

One tip: find something that you can do that consistently takes your mind off of applications, preferably something that physically blocks you from checking email etc and that overall boosts mood. Maybe this is something creative or productive, maybe it's a mindless distraction that quiets everything. Invest in making that thing a routine activity, to the best of your ability (I'm bearing in mind, for instance, that if you're a student currently, you may have very limited free time). Carve out some time, as often as possible, to practice forgetting. 

In this vein, I finally restarted my running routine, which went to the wayside for the last half of 2019 for a combination of reasons including apps, and with a podcast on to keep my mind from spiraling in the quiet, that twenty or thirty minutes is enough for the anxiety to uncurl and allow me to forget about the pending number. I've also bumped up my skincare routine from my usual cleanser and SPF moisturizer into a whole Multistep Ordeal--something about being in a quite small room, again with a podcast playing, a candle lit, maybe drinking an espresso, while I rub nice-smelling stuff on my face is very soothing for me. Perhaps because it effectively wraps in all of the senses? 

[CanadianEnglish]

I just emailed UNC Chapel Hill's DGS to inquire about when they are sending out news. Will update if or when I hear back. 

Hope every gets a bit of good news for the rest of the week!

[gooniesneversaydie]

2 hours ago, GoldHippie said:

Where are you Boston University?? Help me BU, you're my only hope!

Same! It looks like last year they started sending out acceptances around the 11th, so definitely behind. 

[sidneys]

21 minutes ago, lotsoffeelings said:

And also, if anyone can confirm that no interview at Columbia = rejection? Mixed info about their interview process and kind of just want to rip that band-aid off. 

I will say that as someone who did interview at columbia I'm also confused about their interview process but not convinced that no interview means rejection––mine was very chatty and not at all the tone I expected for a make-or-break type of interview. my advisor guessed the interviews have more to do with merit fellowships than with the decision to accept or reject. but possibly I just misread the room and it was a make-or-break interview, or possibly the entire process varies by subfield (and on the boards this year, all of the interviews posted seemed to be for 20th/21st century lit; the early modern interview was mine). I know this isn't a sure answer, but I hope the additional details about their interviews help put some minds at ease! 

Edited February 20, 2020 by sidneys

[politics 'n prose]

19 minutes ago, CanadianEnglish said:

I just emailed UNC Chapel Hill's DGS to inquire about when they are sending out news. Will update if or when I hear back. 

Hope every gets a bit of good news for the rest of the week!

Oh, bless you—Chapel Hill is the last school I’m waiting to hear from (and potentially the best fit of all the schools I applied to, for whatever that’s worth) and I’m driving myself a little mad trying to figure out when they’ll notify based on past years’ results. Thank you, brave soldier!

[hamnet in tights]

So on another topic: when to inquire about waitlists? I'm currently sitting pretty on two waitlists. One list notification came with the promise that they would notify me of change as soon as possible (it wasn't stated but somewhat indicated that I'm at the top of that list), and the other was a lot more vague. I currently also have one very generous fully funded offer. My advisor encouraged me to get in touch with the schools I'm on the waitlist of, although I'm not really sure what to say at this phase, apart from to express my continued interest. Thoughts?   

[The Hoosier Oxonian]

Just got rejected from Cambridge for an MPhil. Not a big surprise, because I had to apply very early, back in October (long story), which made it my weakest application. I had pretty much made up my mind to take one of my PhD offers anyway, but I won't lie - my feelings are a little bit hurt.

Edited February 20, 2020 by The Hoosier Oxonian

[caffeinated applicant]

Does anyone want to email Brown to ask when they're gonna get on with the rest of their decisions? Tick tock, it's almost March and they extended two offers more than a week ago? It kind of looks from the board that they're still deliberating (I'd expect more than two people to report in on GC), but maybe they've got a decision date?

Frankly after my last two emails to schools went unanswered, it's making me both itchy-fingered to send more emails and bizarrely worried that I'm cursed. ?

[Rrandle101]

I didn't apply to Brown but if y'all don't want to be a bother for them I will call them later today about when they're releasing their admission results because I have no stock in this fight and have nothing to lose from doing this. (This is admittedly a half-joke but in all honesty if you haven't heard back via email I would call/ask an obnoxious person like myself to call if the thought of that gives you anxiety).

[spikeseagulls]

11 minutes ago, Rrandle101 said:

I didn't apply to Brown but if y'all don't want to be a bother for them I will call them later today about when they're releasing their admission results because I have no stock in this fight and have nothing to lose from doing this. (This is admittedly a half-joke but in all honesty if you haven't heard back via email I would call/ask an obnoxious person like myself to call if the thought of that gives you anxiety).

Same goes for me! I'm down to bother any school upon request.

[gooniesneversaydie]

14 minutes ago, Rrandle101 said:

I didn't apply to Brown but if y'all don't want to be a bother for them I will call them later today about when they're releasing their admission results because I have no stock in this fight and have nothing to lose from doing this. (This is admittedly a half-joke but in all honesty if you haven't heard back via email I would call/ask an obnoxious person like myself to call if the thought of that gives you anxiety).

 

2 minutes ago, spikeseagulls said:

Same goes for me! I'm down to bother any school upon request.

I am going to screenshot this, in case I ever meet anyone that says they don't believe in angels. We are not worthy.

I am debating whether to send out an email today. We know it was going to be another week based on previous posts, and today would mark 1 week. So.... today? Tomorrow? July?

[poetryislit]

6 hours ago, MichelleObama said:

Penn has some strong women on their faculty studying Shakespeare and race theory and I am VERY ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM THEM. I was nervous about my application this cycle because there aren't so many faculty in programs I found desirable working within that particular niche. I'm not especially interested in complicating the decision I already have to make, but a Penn acceptance would definitely f*ck me allll the way up. I took the GRE (performed medium well on verbal and writing with an embarrassingly low quantitative score) at the last minute specifically for Penn and Yale & my scores reflect the impulse ?

I feel this!! No other school would complicate the hell out of my decision but Penn ?

[killerbunny]

Anyone else stewing in the nth stage of waiting: anger?

Edit: I'm looking at you, applications with November deadlines. 

Edited February 20, 2020 by killerbunny