2021 Applicants

[Lighthouse Lana]

49 minutes ago, Cloudbury said:

I think it's absurd that the admissions process is being drawn out like this. I may have a heart attack. 

I totally get what you mean!! I just checked the results page and audibly shouted "they're picking us off like flies!" I'm sure there is some method to this madness, but it certainly does wreak havoc on my nerves.

[AJL_PhDfall21]

8 hours ago, Lighthouse Lana said:

I totally get what you mean!! I just checked the results page and audibly shouted "they're picking us off like flies!" I'm sure there is some method to this madness, but it certainly does wreak havoc on my nerves.

yeah I don't get it either... wouldn't it be easier to just tell you we have been rejected/accepted all at once instead of going one by one? has anyone called the English department?

[Lighthouse Lana]

5 hours ago, AJL_OSU said:

yeah I don't get it either... wouldn't it be easier to just tell you we have been rejected/accepted all at once instead of going one by one? has anyone called the English department?

Unfortunately, I think we have to wait it out for a little while. It's only January and it might take committees longer to get through all of the applications. We just don't know how they approach the application process; it could be that they are reviewing one-by-one or they could be compiling apps for a waitlist. I would say, if you have not heard back by mid-February (painful I know), then you can reach out to the department and see what's going on. 

This process is a bummer, I know. Hoping you hear back soon! Hang in there!!!

[kirbs005]

32 minutes ago, Lighthouse Lana said:

Unfortunately, I think we have to wait it out for a little while. It's only January and it might take committees longer to get through all of the applications. We just don't know how they approach the application process; it could be that they are reviewing one-by-one or they could be compiling apps for a waitlist. I would say, if you have not heard back by mid-February (painful I know), then you can reach out to the department and see what's going on. 

This process is a bummer, I know. Hoping you hear back soon! Hang in there!!!

I would second this. If you look at historical application cycles for OSU they notify on their website and then send emails 2-5 days later. It's also unclear if they are doing it in waves or if they have notified all their acceptances (could be a smaller cohort, could be people aren't on GradCafe, hard to say). 

Especially since emails haven't gone out, resist the urge to call and pester them. Not only are they working on admissions, they are teaching, doing research, and trying to navigate covid all at the same time. Give them some time. If you're still sitting at pending and no email in like 2-3 weeks then reach out, especially if others have heard one way or the other.

I feel like the anxiety has ratcheted up a little with this first wave of decisions (mine included, I'm also still sitting on Pending) but I think it's important to reiterate the "you are not your acceptances" mantra that had been going earlier in the week/last week. You are a well qualified candidate or you wouldn't have convinced three professors to write LORs. At this point it's a bit of a crap shoot, and it *sucks* but it is what it is, and please try not to take it personally (as really freaking hard as that is). 

Edited January 22, 2021 by kirbs005

[helloperil]

I also want to recommend resisting the urge to contact anyone at this stage. I know the first wave of acceptances is stressful but there is still so much time left in this admissions cycle! When I was applying to programs, my first notification was a rejection from Duke, which absolutely crushed me. I was convinced this one rejection was indication that I'd never get in anywhere. 

And then literally a week after that, I was accepted to the program that I'm now happily attending. All this to say — you never know what is coming next for you! You are all well-qualified, smart applicants and there's still a lot of time left. Hang in there!!

[cruel optimism]

On 1/20/2021 at 2:39 PM, Cloudbury said:

Anyone have any idea when Duke will release results? The anxiety is killing me. 

for those who are wondering, i have just heard from someone on the adcomm that they've finalised admissions, so i presume that notifications will go out shortly (or at least to admitted applicants) after the decisions get green lit by the graduate school. 

[EffervescentMoon]

I wonder what the timeline is for Cornell. They were one of the earliest deadlines, so I imagine they should come pretty soon. 

[kirbs005]

2 minutes ago, EffervescentMoon said:

I wonder what the timeline is for Cornell. They were one of the earliest deadlines, so I imagine they should come pretty soon. 

Looks like they're mid February according to the last few years of Results data

[A Small Raven]

Based on the results page, it looks like UC Berkeley has started making decisions about the Comparative Literature PhD program, I wonder if they'll be releasing decisions on the regular English PhD program as well soon...

[Lighthouse Lana]

Does anyone have intel about Northeastern? In past years, it looks like all rejections come out on the same day, but this year it seems really sporadic... I have a feeling a lot of programs are "playing it by ear" this season for the selection process.

[jkv152]

I heard back from my first program and unfortunately it was a rejection. UCSB wasn't my first choice, but a rejection still sucks. I'm not taking it personally. I'm sure there were other candidates who were likely a better fit for the program.

I'm waiting to hear back from 5 other schools. I just need one. Good luck to everyone!

[Kapol-in]

40 minutes ago, jkv152 said:

I heard back from my first program and unfortunately it was a rejection. UCSB wasn't my first choice, but a rejection still sucks. I'm not taking it personally. I'm sure there were other candidates who were likely a better fit for the program.

I'm waiting to hear back from 5 other schools. I just need one. Good luck to everyone!

Dang, what program for UCSB? I see that your program is in Film and Media Studies, IDK if there's a sub for that on Gradecafe but they probably would like to know that decisions are being made from that school. Anyway, that sucks but hopefully you'll get in somewhere!

[Cloudbury]

6 hours ago, cruel optimism said:

for those who are wondering, i have just heard from someone on the adcomm that they've finalised admissions, so i presume that notifications will go out shortly (or at least to admitted applicants) after the decisions get green lit by the graduate school. 

I have not heard anything so I feel like it's making it more and more likely that i wasn't accepted. 

[TheorySchmeory]

7 hours ago, CCort said:

Based on the results page, it looks like UC Berkeley has started making decisions about the Comparative Literature PhD program, I wonder if they'll be releasing decisions on the regular English PhD program as well soon...

Where might I be able to find a results page for English Lit acceptances/rejections?

Edited January 23, 2021 by TheorySchmeory

[Lighthouse Lana]

3 hours ago, TheorySchmeory said:

Where might I be able to find a results page for English Lit acceptances/rejections?

If you click on the "Results" button at the top, it'll take you to the results page for everyone, but if you go to the search-box and type in *English it shows only results for English programs!

[TheorySchmeory]

34 minutes ago, Lighthouse Lana said:

If you click on the "Results" button at the top, it'll take you to the results page for everyone, but if you go to the search-box and type in *English it shows only results for English programs!

Thank you!!! I can't believe I hadn't noticed this feature until now!

[The Maritime Scholar]

I just got an email from OSU saying I was accepted! It's the first decision I've gotten, and I'm glad it wasn't a rejection ?

Congrats to those who also got accepted to OSU!

[AJL_PhDfall21]

3 hours ago, The Maritime Scholar said:

I just got an email from OSU saying I was accepted! It's the first decision I've gotten, and I'm glad it wasn't a rejection ?

Congrats to those who also got accepted to OSU!

congrats!!  I was wondering if the email you received was sent to a gmail, hotmail etc account or if you got access to the outlook email OSU has  

[ShivD]

16 hours ago, cruel optimism said:

for those who are wondering, i have just heard from someone on the adcomm that they've finalised admissions, so i presume that notifications will go out shortly (or at least to admitted applicants) after the decisions get green lit by the graduate school. 

Thanks for giving us an idea-- this is helpful! 
Likely means that I will receive a rejection, since I did not hear anything from them. 

[lilgreenblatt]

For those of you lovely folk who have attended/are attending a masters program for lit, around when did you hear back? Is it a different timeline from phds? (I imagine so, since there are no interviews.)

[cassidyaxx]

On 1/23/2021 at 8:38 AM, lilgreenblatt said:

Is it a different timeline from phds?

Though I applied to some MA/PhD programs and some MA only programs, I remember I did hear back much later than most. I don't think I received my first notice until February 14th, and the rest were around that time or shortly after that. But in many of those cases I also then had to wait even longer to hear back about funding. I didn't have finalized offers (knowing not only if I was accepted but also about funding) from most of my schools until early April, which was painful lol. However, I feel like it also can vary drastically depending on schools and year and some people definitely had a shorter waiting period than I did!

 

[ghost-enthusiast]

2 hours ago, lilgreenblatt said:

For those of you lovely folk who have attended/are attending a masters program for lit, around when did you hear back? Is it a different timeline from phds? (I imagine so, since there are no interviews.)

I only applied to two schools but for the program where the application deadline was January 1st, I found out in the last week of February, and for the program where the deadline was February 1st, I found out in early March (funding info came a few weeks later).

P.S. The MA I'm doing right now has been one of the most wonderful experiences I've had and am definitely so glad I did it before applying for PhD's this year! Hope this helps and wishing you luck!! 

[lilgreenblatt]

5 minutes ago, ghost-enthusiast said:

I only applied to two schools but for the program where the application deadline was January 1st, I found out in the last week of February, and for the program where the deadline was February 1st, I found out in early March (funding info came a few weeks later).

P.S. The MA I'm doing right now has been one of the most wonderful experiences I've had and am definitely so glad I did it before applying for PhD's this year! Hope this helps and wishing you luck!! 

This is so super helpful, thank you so much!

[Warelin]

This is a few years old but tends to be pretty close for a lot of programs:
 

 

[dogeared]

On 1/21/2021 at 11:50 AM, CCort said:

Hey there  I noticed your profile says creative writing - I'm just curious what other programs you applied to? Creative Writing PhD programs are so few and far between it seems like, and I had trouble finding them in locations where I was actually willing to move. I applied to University of Denver and UT Knoxville's creative PhD programs, and the rest I applied to were for english/lit. 

Hi  yeah I feel that. There are only a few. Since I already got my BA in Creative Writing and I'm finishing my MFA in Creative Writing, I didn't really feel drawn to getting a Creative PhD. Most of mine are just English/Lit as well. I did apply to Denver and and USC, though!