2021 Applicants

[Magic Lantern]

Wishing everyone a happy new year! Hope things go well in 2021!

[Bopie5]

Happy new year, all! How's everyone doing? How are you planning to weather the next 2-3 weird months of waiting? 

[cassidyaxx]

19 hours ago, Bopie5 said:

Happy new year, all! How's everyone doing? How are you planning to weather the next 2-3 weird months of waiting? 

Happy new year! Hopefully by not obsessing over results like the last time I applied. I have a FULL course load this semester, so I hope that will keep my mind off it, at least a little bit. I've also been getting back into crafting and journaling. I was lucky enough to pretty much secure a job offer that would start in July if I'm not accepted into any programs, so that's something I've been reminding myself whenever I feel nervous or anxious about waiting for results!

[kirbs005]

20 hours ago, Bopie5 said:

How are you planning to weather the next 2-3 weird months of waiting? 

Mostly distracting myself with work and reading if possible. If schools follow the same timeline that they normally do, I think I'll know about all but one of my schools by the beginning/middle of February which is a little daunting. Also thinking about alternate plans with my partner if I don't get accepted anywhere. 

But I did have my first weird application dream - not a nightmare luckily, I got into the school in question in the dream - but still frustrating when I woke up. Good luck to everyone else waiting - I hope you don't have weird dreams (or if you do I hope they're not bad ones)! And Happy New Year!

[Magic Lantern]

2 hours ago, kirbs005 said:

But I did have my first weird application dream - not a nightmare luckily, I got into the school in question in the dream - but still frustrating when I woke up. Good luck to everyone else waiting - I hope you don't have weird dreams (or if you do I hope they're not bad ones)! And Happy New Year!

Interesting, haha. I also had a dream a few days ago about getting waitlisted by one of the programs I am applying to. 

[WildeThing]

Good luck everyone! Waiting sucks but it'll be April 15th in no time.

[Bopie5]

7 hours ago, kirbs005 said:

I think I'll know about all but one of my schools by the beginning/middle of February which is a little daunting

This is definitely daunting to think about! Now that all my apps are in and there's nothing more I can do, I've found that my thoughts keep getting sucked into random things adjacent to the idea of getting into a program (trying to guess whether the pandemic led to more or fewer applicants, looking at apartments in all the cities even though that is definitely a waste of my time, lurking around academic twitter, reading endless articles about the dire state of the job market/the humanities in general, etc). None of these things provide much in terms of peace of mind, but I can't stop myself from trying to find whatever information I can, no matter how tangentially related.

Once next semester actually starts and I'm busy writing my thesis, it will be better! Wishing luck to everyone. It's a strange season, but we have done all we can, and even getting apps in is such an accomplishment given the circumstances. I hope there will be a lot of good news going around this forum in a few months!

[lilgreenblatt]

8 hours ago, kirbs005 said:

Mostly distracting myself with work and reading if possible. If schools follow the same timeline that they normally do, I think I'll know about all but one of my schools by the beginning/middle of February which is a little daunting. Also thinking about alternate plans with my partner if I don't get accepted anywhere. 

But I did have my first weird application dream - not a nightmare luckily, I got into the school in question in the dream - but still frustrating when I woke up. Good luck to everyone else waiting - I hope you don't have weird dreams (or if you do I hope they're not bad ones)! And Happy New Year!

I had an application dream last night as well! I got into one of my schools, but then I was mute so I could not tell anyone I had gotten in. And my fingers stopped working so I couldn't accept. Strange.

[emmajoe]

Who else applied to WashU?

[queenofcarrotflowers]

15 hours ago, Bopie5 said:

This is definitely daunting to think about! Now that all my apps are in and there's nothing more I can do, I've found that my thoughts keep getting sucked into random things adjacent to the idea of getting into a program (trying to guess whether the pandemic led to more or fewer applicants, looking at apartments in all the cities even though that is definitely a waste of my time, lurking around academic twitter, reading endless articles about the dire state of the job market/the humanities in general, etc). None of these things provide much in terms of peace of mind, but I can't stop myself from trying to find whatever information I can, no matter how tangentially related.

Once next semester actually starts and I'm busy writing my thesis, it will be better! Wishing luck to everyone. It's a strange season, but we have done all we can, and even getting apps in is such an accomplishment given the circumstances. I hope there will be a lot of good news going around this forum in a few months!

Long time listener, first time caller. Had to make an account just to say this is so relatable, I'm doing the exact same as you (trying to suss out numbers of applicants, pointlessly looking at apartments, lurking on academic twitter...). It's nice to know I'm not the only one getting mentally sucked into grad application-related stuff! I told myself I would forget about applications as soon as I had them in, since I'm not really expecting any acceptances this cycle, yet it's all I'm thinking about now... I'm even checking application portals even though there's no chance of decisions until February at the earliest! 

[Bopie5]

1 hour ago, queenofcarrotflowers said:

I told myself I would forget about applications as soon as I had them in, since I'm not really expecting any acceptances this cycle, yet it's all I'm thinking about now...

First of all, love your username. Second of all, this is so real and relatable! I thought I’d feel better once I got them all in, and in some ways I do. But I’m feeling like, phantom deadlines, imagining there are things due that I’m forgetting.

[Magic Lantern]

Question about the ApplyWeb portal:

Should I be worried if my application status is marked "incomplete" on the portal, even though all materials have been received? It seems like they just never update this checklist, since the date on the checklist is still 2013...

Might it be appropriate to email the program coordinator and ask them about this?

[arrowseeker]

3 hours ago, Magic Lantern said:

Question about the ApplyWeb portal:

Should I be worried if my application status is marked "incomplete" on the portal, even though all materials have been received? It seems like they just never update this checklist, since the date on the checklist is still 2013...

Might it be appropriate to email the program coordinator and ask them about this?

Hi!

I'm not sure which school you're applying to, but I'd had the same issue with my Northwestern Applyweb application and sent an email to the graduate coordinator; he told me my application was indeed complete and there was nothing to worry about.

Hope this helps!

[arrowseeker]

I finished up my submission on New Year's Day and I think I've dreamt about the admission four times already. I don't know what to do with my time until February! Mainly watching Netflix, playing video games (Fallen London, anyone? I've always thought it's a great game for English majors), cooking, and the occasional Duolingo a day.

By the way, I was daunted by Brandeis English Program's last-minute cancellation of this year's admission process. Has anyone considered asking ETS for a refund for the score reports sent for those cancelled applications? I'm an international so I've sent both GRE and TOEFL scores, and considering how many schools cancelled, it amounts to quite a sum ?

Anyways, best of luck for all of you guys!

[kirbs005]

12 hours ago, arrowseeker said:

Has anyone considered asking ETS for a refund for the score reports sent for those cancelled applications? I'm an international so I've sent both GRE and TOEFL scores, and considering how many schools cancelled, it amounts to quite a sum

I think it's definitely worth asking! Especially if the cancellation of admissions was last minute or with no warning. I know one of the schools I applied to kept saying "don't submit or send anything until closer to the deadline/we make a decision" so in that case, if they had cancelled there wouldn't be much of an argument. But I think it's at the bare minimum worth asking.

[jujubee]

Hi! Been lurking since last year when I applied to four PhD programs in English where I got completely shut out (my lone acceptance was creative writing). This year, I've applied to five UC schools: Berkeley, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Irvine, and San Diego. Finally created an account to express solidarity with everyone applying in such unpredictable times and say thank you in advance for making this process feel less lonely. ? ?

[Magic Lantern]

15 hours ago, arrowseeker said:

Hi!

I'm not sure which school you're applying to, but I'd had the same issue with my Northwestern Applyweb application and sent an email to the graduate coordinator; he told me my application was indeed complete and there was nothing to worry about.

Hope this helps!

Thanks! That's really helpful! I will send them an email as well just in case.

[Cordelipup]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here! This is my first round of applications so I am nervous and of course so uncertain about what this cycle could bring.

I'm interested in law & literature and critical theory. Most of the programs I applied for offer a critical theory emphasis (UCI, Davis, and Berkeley). I am a 7th grade teacher so I spent my winter break finalizing applications, and now I'm trying to shift all of my focus to teaching before admission results come out.

Good luck to everyone!

[Magic Lantern]

Desperate question:

Hello friends! I am about to submit my Oxford application. The program requires a 4000-word writing sample and asks applicants to show the word count if possible (not sure what they mean by "if possible" though). After some substantial editing, my WS still goes over the limit by 700 words and it just seems impossible to shorten it further at this point. Would it be a terrible idea to submit the WS with the word count and include a brief note apologizing for going over the limit?

I also emailed the program director asking how strict they are about the word limit, but they haven't got back to me yet, and the application is due in about 24 hours.

I'd greatly appreciate it if you could give me some advice! Thanks so much! 

Also, good luck to those still working on their applications (I feel like I'm the only one)! Hang in there!!

[crunchyfallleaves]

@Magic Lantern to my knowledge Oxbridge takes word limits very seriously. I.e. I know that you can and will be marked down for exceeding the word limit on essays at Cambridge for example and you are typically required to include the word count on your cover page. I would very much recommend finding a way to cut the 700 words, even if it feels unimaginable, so that your app doesn't risk being disregarded on that account. Maybe try calling in some outside readers, even if they have no familiarity with your topic, just to identify passages that could go. I find another set of eyes is often far more equipped to help with this because our brains get so wrapped up in our own work.

In short, I could be wrong, but based on my knowledge, I don't think this would be a situation where exceeding the limit by that much and writing a note apologizing would bode well. Hope you are able to make it work and best wishes.

[Freekayak]

Good luck to everyone and a very happy new year! 
 

I applied to the Comm Culture PhD in York, Canada. Was wondering if anyone here would know by when York (and other Canadian universities) send out admission decision emails? York website says it would take 8-12 weeks, but it’ll be super helpful if anyone who has experienced Canadian admission process can share some thoughts! Thank you!! 

[JaneLWH]

2 hours ago, Magic Lantern said:

Desperate question:

Hello friends! I am about to submit my Oxford application. The program requires a 4000-word writing sample and asks applicants to show the word count if possible (not sure what they mean by "if possible" though). After some substantial editing, my WS still goes over the limit by 700 words and it just seems impossible to shorten it further at this point. Would it be a terrible idea to submit the WS with the word count and include a brief note apologizing for going over the limit?

I also emailed the program director asking how strict they are about the word limit, but they haven't got back to me yet, and the application is due in about 24 hours.

I'd greatly appreciate it if you could give me some advice! Thanks so much! 

Also, good luck to those still working on their applications (I feel like I'm the only one)! Hang in there!!

I applied to an Oxford MA program as well (1700-1830). After substantial editing, my WS ended up being 4089 words, excluding the bibliography and the footnotes. Their website clarifies that footnotes and the "Works Cited" page are not counted as part of the word limit. Have you included them in your counting already? If not, I believe that the word number will be significantly lower. My essay is 4680 words with the bibliography and the footnotes, pretty close to yours. It depends, of course, on how long your footnotes and works cited page are; my bibliographic entry page is 3 pages long, while the footnotes are frequent. 

I emailed the program director as well a few weeks ago, and they suggested that the word number should be as close to the limit as possible, though it doesn't matter if it exceeds it by a bit. Hope that helps!

[Magic Lantern]

5 hours ago, crunchyfallleaves said:

@Magic Lantern to my knowledge Oxbridge takes word limits very seriously. I.e. I know that you can and will be marked down for exceeding the word limit on essays at Cambridge for example and you are typically required to include the word count on your cover page. I would very much recommend finding a way to cut the 700 words, even if it feels unimaginable, so that your app doesn't risk being disregarded on that account. Maybe try calling in some outside readers, even if they have no familiarity with your topic, just to identify passages that could go. I find another set of eyes is often far more equipped to help with this because our brains get so wrapped up in our own work.

In short, I could be wrong, but based on my knowledge, I don't think this would be a situation where exceeding the limit by that much and writing a note apologizing would bode well. Hope you are able to make it work and best wishes.

 

4 hours ago, JaneLWH said:

I applied to an Oxford MA program as well (1700-1830). After substantial editing, my WS ended up being 4089 words, excluding the bibliography and the footnotes. Their website clarifies that footnotes and the "Works Cited" page are not counted as part of the word limit. Have you included them in your counting already? If not, I believe that the word number will be significantly lower. My essay is 4680 words with the bibliography and the footnotes, pretty close to yours. It depends, of course, on how long your footnotes and works cited page are; my bibliographic entry page is 3 pages long, while the footnotes are frequent. 

I emailed the program director as well a few weeks ago, and they suggested that the word number should be as close to the limit as possible, though it doesn't matter if it exceeds it by a bit. Hope that helps!

Thank you both so much!! I really appreciate your helpful suggestions! I was eventually able to shorten the paper to 4000 words (felt like half of my soul just left my body lol). 

And for people with similar questions: the program director also got back to me saying that the paper should be as close to 4000 words as possible. I guess it's always good to ask them in case of uncertainties!

[angrychalupa]

Anyone applying to Comp Lit programs? I applied to 6 schools in that, plus one English and one German program, and am considering one more German program. Looking at GradCafe histories, it looks like most schools send out responses (or at least acceptances) as early as the end of January, so I'm hardcore panicking.

[silk]

hey everyone!

i hope everyone is doing good during these stressful times. i'm new to the forum, and i applied to some master's programs in comparative lit.

penn state, this morning, e-mailed me to say they wanted to have "brief chat" over zoom this friday, and i'm freaking out about it. my languages are turkish and intermediate spanish (though the speaking part is very rusty there).

would they, like, out of the blue, ask me to speak spanish during the interview?

i was wondering if anyone had any advice for me! thank you!