2020 Applicants Forum

[PrettyinInk]

4 hours ago, feralgrad said:

It's a Facebook group. Basically another applicant posted that they'd received an acceptance (for fiction). The acceptance came via email.

Thanks for sharing this. I wonder if it was a post-interview acceptance, or just a straight acceptance via email.

[presentperfect]

8 minutes ago, imnotaboutthat said:

on that note, how have u guys been taking care of yourself while dealing with rejection? also dont want to tell my recommenders how many rejections ive gotten...??

I feel that about the recommenders. I just want to be able to tell them I got into one school at least. 
 

People who have applied more than one year: have you used the same recommenders? It hurts me to think of asking them all over again 

[rpwbigsleep]

34 minutes ago, wek123 said:

 i figure it's probably safe to assume a rejection from iowa, too? i've also been waitlisted at vanderbilt, which feels like a victory though obviously i'd like to actually get in somewhere.. 

@wek123 Hoping to stay zen as well, best of luck!

Do you know if Vanderbilt's WL rank # is for genre or overall? I couldn't tell from the email

[goldielox]

38 minutes ago, imnotaboutthat said:

on that note, how have u guys been taking care of yourself while dealing with rejection? also dont want to tell my recommenders how many rejections ive gotten...??

I've been trying to distract myself with arts and crafts! Taken up sewing again, which has kept my mind semi-occupied... Unfortunately, the rejections are making it difficult for me to work on my writing. Hard to find motivation with all the self-doubt. I'd imagine I'm not the only one dealing with that, so that does make it a bit easier. Misery shared is misery lessened, as they say. Finding alternative creative outlets has definitely helped. 

Also! about the recommenders: I think it's good to keep in mind that your recommenders have probably dealt with rejections like this too, especially if they're professors/have been through the application process themselves. I'm sure they'll understand ❤️

[goldielox]

congrats to everyone that got into Michigan today, by the way. I got my rejection e-mail earlier... really stung. But I'm happy for everyone who got in!

[feralgrad]

Just saw the first notification for Hollins *shivers*

[Karakoram]

9 hours ago, imnotaboutthat said:

on that note, how have u guys been taking care of yourself while dealing with rejection? also dont want to tell my recommenders how many rejections ive gotten...??

Rejections really suck. I haven't been able to focus on anything for a while. Well, it might not be the best strategy but excellent food and drinks always help me haha. We're talking about Spain right? LOL Someone above talks about sewing. That might help. Back then I did some knitting, and it was really helpful. Anyway just last night after 2 first rejections I suddenly want to write again, have some ideas and plans. I think it's a bright side of all this shit haha. 

Telling your recommenders that you got rejections is really hard. I was there before. It took me 3 years applying to dozens of schools to get in the masters I'm doing now. So you imagine haha. But in the end I'm so happy and I think it's some kind of like destiny. If I had been accepted earlier, I wouldn't meet the people I know now and wouldn't do the topic I am doing now. 

Anyway, huge congratulations for those who got acceptances by now. I'm genuinely happy for you guys. I already imagine some day a few years later I'll read books by some of you over here. 

Last night I hid in the closet and cried like a baby but now wake up feeling better. Well, that's something you can't do anything about. I still have to write even if this life I don't ever set foot on the US haha. 

[Karakoram]

8 hours ago, feralgrad said:

Just saw the first notification for Hollins *shivers*

Good luck with that. Because of you I know about the school. How ignorant haha. Might apply there next year too. Fingers crossed.

[Smrn17]

If I haven’t heard from Purdue for poetry yet, I’m assuming it’s bad news? Probably same for Iowa too. All day at work I’m anxious to check my phone and then I do and the nothing that’s there is worse than a rejection haha.

[feralgrad]

4 hours ago, Karakoram said:

Good luck with that. Because of you I know about the school. How ignorant haha. Might apply there next year too. Fingers crossed.

Thank you! I learned about Hollins from GC too, actually. I think it's definitely worth applying to since it's got the benefits of a well-respected, fully-funded program without being quite as competitive as the big names. A 10-15% acceptance rate is still intimidating, but it's a far cry from .5%!

[Ydrl]

3 hours ago, Smrn17 said:

If I haven’t heard from Purdue for poetry yet, I’m assuming it’s bad news? Probably same for Iowa too. All day at work I’m anxious to check my phone and then I do and the nothing that’s there is worse than a rejection haha.

Besides that one international acceptance for Iowa, there haven’t been any acceptances for poetry yet. My theory is that this person was accepted to their international program (based on the U next to their status), considering how there are so many of us on Gradcafe and no one else has posted an acceptance. I think poetry is behind this year, again, just like last year. If we don’t hear by the 6th, then we can panic.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Ydrl

[SomethingBorrowed]

6 hours ago, Karakoram said:

Rejections really suck. I haven't been able to focus on anything for a while. Well, it might not be the best strategy but excellent food and drinks always help me haha. We're talking about Spain right? LOL Someone above talks about sewing. That might help. Back then I did some knitting, and it was really helpful. Anyway just last night after 2 first rejections I suddenly want to write again, have some ideas and plans. I think it's a bright side of all this shit haha. 

Telling your recommenders that you got rejections is really hard. I was there before. It took me 3 years applying to dozens of schools to get in the masters I'm doing now. So you imagine haha. But in the end I'm so happy and I think it's some kind of like destiny. If I had been accepted earlier, I wouldn't meet the people I know now and wouldn't do the topic I am doing now. 

Anyway, huge congratulations for those who got acceptances by now. I'm genuinely happy for you guys. I already imagine some day a few years later I'll read books by some of you over here. 

Last night I hid in the closet and cried like a baby but now wake up feeling better. Well, that's something you can't do anything about. I still have to write even if this life I don't ever set foot on the US haha. 

I’m glad you’re feeling better today and really hope you get in someplace you like. Fingers crossed ??

[cdreibelbis]

Hope everyone is holding up well and congratulations to those of you celebrating huge accomplishments!

 

FYI -- Maryland has started notifying via email today per Draft and I saw a poetry acceptance on Gradcafe results as well. Radio silence for me thus far, but the kiss of death portal change as described in previous results years hasn't happened yet either. Fingers crossed! 

[feralgrad]

Currently in a nasty loop of refreshing email --> refreshing this thread --> refreshing the results page --> repeat

[Lemonlaw]

4 minutes ago, feralgrad said:

Currently in a nasty loop of refreshing email --> refreshing this thread --> refreshing the results page --> repeat

Same. 

[Lemonlaw]

I noticed that there's a Fiction acceptance for University of Florida on Draft and Gradcafe. I'm going to assume that they're posted by the same person. Does anyone know if Florida staggers notifications? 

[MFAhopeful57]

4 minutes ago, Lemonlaw said:

I noticed that there's a Fiction acceptance for University of Florida on Draft and Gradcafe. I'm going to assume that they're posted by the same person. Does anyone know if Florida staggers notifications? 

no idea, but I hope so!

[Ydrl]

Made a strawberry pie, wish I could serve some to the rest of you so we could nervously eat it today. It won’t be set for a few hours, so not even I can eat my stress pie.

[Ydrl]

All these creative writing acceptances that aren’t mine are really killing me.

[Karakoram]

1 hour ago, Ydrl said:

Made a strawberry pie, wish I could serve some to the rest of you so we could nervously eat it today. It won’t be set for a few hours, so not even I can eat my stress pie.

Drinking wine and refreshing email every 5 mins here. Will have my presentation tomorrow and just amuse myself that I'll speak like Paulina in La casa de las flores. Haha. PaulinaChallenge is on me and I'm sure I'll win haha.

[feralgrad]

6 minutes ago, Karakoram said:

Drinking wine and refreshing email every 5 mins here. Will have my presentation tomorrow and just amuse myself that I'll speak like Paulina in La casa de las flores. Haha. PaulinaChallenge is on me and I'm sure I'll win haha.

Briefly forgot that you're 5 (6?) hours ahead and was a bit concerned haha

Edited February 26, 2020 by feralgrad

[Karakoram]

1 minute ago, feralgrad said:

Briefly forgot that you're 5 (6?) hours ahead and was a bit concerned haha

Spain is 6 hours ahead of New York and 7 of Iowa (Weird coz it's even more western than the UK geographically). But here people drink at any moment after midday till morning haha. Kind of an 'improvement' from Scotland where they drink whisky in the morning haha. (When I was there last year I somehow adopted that habit LOL) 

[MFAhopeful57]

Per Twitter, appears that Arizona State University's acceptances have all been called already.

Edited February 26, 2020 by MFAhopeful57

[SarahBuya]

1 hour ago, MFAhopeful57 said:

Per Twitter, appears that Arizona State University's acceptances have all been called already.

Their official Twitter?

I'm not seeing anything but I'm sad. I didn't get a call. WAH

Edited February 26, 2020 by SarahBuya

[MW11031989]

20 hours ago, goldielox said:

I've been trying to distract myself with arts and crafts! Taken up sewing again, which has kept my mind semi-occupied... Unfortunately, the rejections are making it difficult for me to work on my writing. Hard to find motivation with all the self-doubt. I'd imagine I'm not the only one dealing with that, so that does make it a bit easier. Misery shared is misery lessened, as they say. Finding alternative creative outlets has definitely helped. 

Also! about the recommenders: I think it's good to keep in mind that your recommenders have probably dealt with rejections like this too, especially if they're professors/have been through the application process themselves. I'm sure they'll understand ❤️

The recommenders, especially if they've gone through or managed the process themselves, are great resources. I just had a meeting with one of mine and I'm definitely feeling a lot better. Hang in there everyone!