Fall 2021 Applicants

[Perpetua_]

On 3/23/2021 at 4:57 PM, lkjhgfd said:

Hello, everyone. I am on the waitlist for Duke. To whoever gets admitted by Duke, if do not plan to attend, please decline the offer asap. Duke is my dream school and my top choice. I am desperate to get in there. I also have another decision I need to make by April. You would be my life-savior it if you withdraw soon. Thank you.

I've also been waitlisted at Duke, do you have any news from them?

[Catalystica]

Hey all, is anyone willing to claim that UCLA rejection? I was wondering whether or not you attended the prospective weekend, because I did not, but have not heard anything (at all) back yet, which I'm suspecting may mean I'm actually on the waitlist. Or I was rejected months ago and they haven't put that news out yet lol. Trying not to actually be hopeful at this point.

[Catalystica]

So, it's April 16th and I have heard absolutely zip from UCLA. I'm actually angry. I figured after not being invited to the prospective weekend that there was no way I got in, but now that it's extended this long I started thinking I was on a waitlist. I reached out to the SAO yesterday morning for an update on my status and have gotten no response. My online app says submitted. Am I supposed to put my life on hold at their convenience with no communication?

Edit: Just got news of being rejected off the waitlist. See ya'll who are in the same boat next year.

Edited April 16, 2021 by Catalystica

[ClassicsCandidate]

I'm sorry it worked out that way, @Catalystica. It is incredibly frustrating when you have to wait past the due date for decisions when schools might not be as gracious with their due dates for submitting our materials. I'll definitely be here for the next cycle!

[Catalystica]

@ClassicsCandidate Thanks. It's been a really hard year, but I haven't had a year without school since I was 3 years old. I'm sure I'll benefit from the gap. Let me know if you want to talk privately as we get our apps ready for next year (assuming I can face putting myself through this again). I'm happy to do a reading group or accountability group or something!

[Wafflotron]

So... I had a fun but immensely frustrating thing happen today.

I'm a to-be Master's student, and yesterday I accepted an offer from McGill. They were able to guarantee me some money via being a TA, their program seems really good for me, and tuition is vastly cheaper than any of my other options. Plus, Montreal is an insanely awesome place and is relatively affordable. Without any comparable offers, it was a no-brainer for me, and although I only officially accepted yesterday I'd been telling people I was going to go to McGill for the better part of a week now.

Today, I woke up to an email from Tulane stating that I was at the top of their waitlist for a fully-funded offer and asking if I'd already accepted to another school. I'm at a total loss of what to do, and it feels like life just likes messing with me at this point.

[suntaliquidmanes]

1 hour ago, Wafflotron said:

So... I had a fun but immensely frustrating thing happen today.

I'm a to-be Master's student, and yesterday I accepted an offer from McGill. They were able to guarantee me some money via being a TA, their program seems really good for me, and tuition is vastly cheaper than any of my other options. Plus, Montreal is an insanely awesome place and is relatively affordable. Without any comparable offers, it was a no-brainer for me, and although I only officially accepted yesterday I'd been telling people I was going to go to McGill for the better part of a week now.

Today, I woke up to an email from Tulane stating that I was at the top of their waitlist for a fully-funded offer and asking if I'd already accepted to another school. I'm at a total loss of what to do, and it feels like life just likes messing with me at this point.

Go to McGill. Don’t encourage Tulane’s bad behavior. It’s after April 15th.

[Catalystica]

Just as a note, I read this post on reddit explaining what exactly the 15th is. I think that it's important information that not enough people know:

"

I’ve been seeing a lot of talk on this sub about April 15th approaching and the anxiety that it is causing. I wanted to share the link to to the official April 15th Resolution to clarify what this date means and who it applies to.

The bottom line is that this resolution tells signatory universities that they cannot require students to accept OFFERS OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT before April 15th and students have the right to withdrawal from commitments of financial support (e.g. assistantships) until this date if they accepted early. Each university has the right to set this date whenever they want, as long as it is AFTER April 15th.

So what does this mean for you? You are only impacted if you are being offered financial support. If the university that has given you the offer is a signatory to this Resolution and tried to force you to make a decision before this they are in violation.

Everyone should ask their department about deadlines if they haven’t already been communicated clearly. April 15th is sometimes touted on this sub as being “dooms day” when in reality it has very little to do with students and only applies to certain applicants.

Yes, many schools have began using this date as a “universal” deadline for all admits, regardless of funding status. So it may apply to you. But it is also very likely that it may not. A lot of people are getting irritated with their programs because they are still waiting for admissions decisions even though the date is approaching, but it reality these programs likely have a later decision date and/or you are not a funded student and this doesn’t apply to you.

Check in with your department (especially in unfunded cases) and save yourselves a lot of panic and confusion in the coming weeks so you can make the most informed decision without the pressure of an arbitrary deadline.

Here is the text of the official Resolution for anyone in need of more clarification:

”Acceptance of an offer of financial support* (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties. Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15, and sub- sequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15.

However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student to first inform the program that they are withdrawing or resigning from the offer of financial support that they previously had accepted. Starting in Fall 2020, applicants are no longer required to obtain a formal release from the program whose offer they accepted, either before or after the April 15 deadline. It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution or a link to the URL should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer. "

That said, I'm also really unhappy with schools holding us without information until after the 15th. It's incredibly difficult and really shows a lack of compassion. I had a school do that to me my first cycle too. I think the funded MA's always get short shrift next to the PhD programs and are prone to giving late acceptances.

Edited April 16, 2021 by Catalystica

[Wafflotron]

On 4/16/2021 at 12:50 PM, suntaliquidmanes said:

Go to McGill. Don’t encourage Tulane’s bad behavior. It’s after April 15th.

I wish Tulane hadn't emailed me just to tell me that I was at the top of their waitlist, but if they do extend an offer for full funding to me that means as much as $40,000 that I would have spent going to McGill, not to mention the value of 2 years of Tulane tuition.

[Archaeologist_1_2_3]

 

On 4/16/2021 at 9:50 PM, suntaliquidmanes said:

Go to McGill. Don’t encourage Tulane’s bad behavior. It’s after April 15th.

Rubbish, this is terrible advice. Do what is right for *you* and nobody else. 

[suntaliquidmanes]

1 hour ago, Archaeologist_1_2_3 said:

 

Rubbish, this is terrible advice. Do what is right for *you* and nobody else. 

I took “I’m at a total loss of what to do” as a request for opinions. An opinion is what I offered! Of course Wafflotron is going to weigh the options and do what’s right for them, but one does wonder about the sort of commitment Tulane has to them with a post-April 15th “top of waitlist” notification.

[Marcus_Aurelius]

3 hours ago, suntaliquidmanes said:

one does wonder about the sort of commitment Tulane has to them with a post-April 15th “top of waitlist” notification

Nah, an offer's an offer. Lots of people have gotten offers after the 15th. Sometimes schools aren't able to let people know before (sometimes culpably, but often not). Wafflotron should absolutely do what's most economical, even if it means backing out from where they accepted.

[ctbnj]

Does anyone want to claim the Rutgers MA’s from the results board? You could PM me, if you would like.

[Archaeologist_1_2_3]

On 4/18/2021 at 5:25 AM, Marcus_Aurelius said:

Nah, an offer's an offer. Lots of people have gotten offers after the 15th. Sometimes schools aren't able to let people know before (sometimes culpably, but often not). Wafflotron should absolutely do what's most economical, even if it means backing out from where they accepted.

Yup, once you get to a program nobody knows or cares if you came in off the waitlist. Thinking otherwise is stupid as hell. 

[Wafflotron]

Thanks to everyone who weighed in! I received the offer today. Big ups to Catalystica for the explanation for the 15th, it did wonders in helping me to understand my actual position with McGill and was a big help in sorting out my options.

On 4/18/2021 at 5:13 AM, ctbnj said:

Does anyone want to claim the Rutgers MA’s from the results board? You could PM me, if you would like.

The one on April 7th was me. No funding, so I declined.

[Catalystica]

2 hours ago, Wafflotron said:

Thanks to everyone who weighed in! I received the offer today. Big ups to Catalystica for the explanation for the 15th, it did wonders in helping me to understand my actual position with McGill and was a big help in sorting out my options.

The one on April 7th was me. No funding, so I declined.

I'm so glad that helped! This is my second cycle and yet it's the first time I ever heard anyone explain what the 15th is and why it's so porous as a deadline. 

[ClassicsCandidate]

On 4/16/2021 at 1:05 PM, Catalystica said:

@ClassicsCandidate Thanks. It's been a really hard year, but I haven't had a year without school since I was 3 years old. I'm sure I'll benefit from the gap. Let me know if you want to talk privately as we get our apps ready for next year (assuming I can face putting myself through this again). I'm happy to do a reading group or accountability group or something!

I am totally okay with speaking privately and having a group ?

[Perpetua_]

Spreading the word: Texas Tech is still accepting applications for their M.A. program (apparently they have an unusually large number of funded slots this year). I saw it on twitter.

[JMAurelius]

On 4/23/2021 at 3:29 PM, Perpetua_ said:

Spreading the word: Texas Tech is still accepting applications for their M.A. program (apparently they have an unusually large number of funded slots this year). I saw it on twitter.

Well, that's unexpected and unusual, considering many programs are taking fewer applicants this cycle.  Good news though, and I hope it'll be of benefit to someone.

[ClassicsCandidate]

I still haven't heard back from UPenn about the certificate funding, so I'm really hoping because it's finals that they haven't notified anyone yet, but I'm getting really nervous

[JMAurelius]

40 minutes ago, ClassicsCandidate said:

I still haven't heard back from UPenn about the certificate funding, so I'm really hoping because it's finals that they haven't notified anyone yet, but I'm getting really nervous

Ugh, that sucks.  Best of luck!  And know that we are all here for you just as you have been here for all of us. ?

[ClassicsCandidate]

On 5/3/2021 at 6:49 PM, JMAurelius said:

Ugh, that sucks.  Best of luck!  And know that we are all here for you just as you have been here for all of us. ?

Thank you! I really appreciate that. Getting the information from them and a few other places are going to help me make my next steps, so I'm really hoping to hear from someone soon!

[ClassicsCandidate]

Update: I was placed as an alternate for the Fellowship. 

[JMAurelius]

4 hours ago, ClassicsCandidate said:

Update: I was placed as an alternate for the Fellowship. 

Is that the same as being placed on the waitlist?  If so, that's good news!  ?

[ClassicsCandidate]

15 hours ago, JMAurelius said:

Is that the same as being placed on the waitlist?  If so, that's good news!  ?

Yeah, so I just have to wait to see if anyone turns theirs down, but I'm uncertain how likely it is. I also don't know where I am on the alternate list ? So I'm just anxious about that.