taylorjunebug Posted January 28, 2022 Posted January 28, 2022 16 hours ago, NotBill said: I did as well. There's a video in there where the diversity officer patiently explains that he does not know the status of any admissions decisions, though we can ask him, even though he—definitely—does not know. But feel free to ask! (???) I saw that! It was...odd. ? NotBill 1
sadevilminion Posted January 28, 2022 Posted January 28, 2022 17 hours ago, thecat00 said: I'm definitely starting to become nervous, at least ever so slightly, as February is coming next week. I'm excited at the same time. I'm just sending my best wishes to everyone, once more. Next week cannot come fast enough! According to my calculations... three of the six programs I applied to should be dropping their decisions in early Feb. I'm nervously excited while still feeling like I'm heading straight towards the chopping block. Hard times!, heterotopia, icedwithoatmilk and 4 others 7
icedwithoatmilk Posted January 28, 2022 Posted January 28, 2022 Just wondering if anybody has heard from UC Santa Barbara's Comp Lit program, other than the person who posted a rejection yesterday? I saw that post yesterday but haven't heard anything myself or seen anything on my portal, so of course I'm getting anxious ? Sending encouragement to all!! taylorjunebug 1
Hard times! Posted January 29, 2022 Posted January 29, 2022 On 1/27/2022 at 2:29 PM, illcounsel said: Seems like yesterday was a pretty heavy day for decisions and today is pretty light! Trying to manage all the anxiety of this process Oh yeah! The last two days have been incredibly quiet--the calm before the storm. Adcomms have decided to go gentle on some before the storm arrives. Most schools I have applied to usually release their decisions in February and I have been dreaming of saying goodbyes to the grad-school-dream (or fancy, as time will decide) once and for all! All the best to everyone! February is certainly the cruellest month for prospective grad students. taylorjunebug and illcounsel 2
thecat00 Posted January 29, 2022 Posted January 29, 2022 A question: What does it mean when people post they've been accepted to a program to which you may have applied and you've not heard anything back from that program? What is most likely: the program accepts in waves, you're on a hidden waitlist, you didn't get accepted and they've not rejected you yet, or something else altogether? I think this situation might happen this cycle and I wish to know (if I can) what this implies? Hmm. Hard times! 1
Glasperlenspieler Posted January 29, 2022 Posted January 29, 2022 1 hour ago, thecat00 said: A question: What does it mean when people post they've been accepted to a program to which you may have applied and you've not heard anything back from that program? What is most likely: the program accepts in waves, you're on a hidden waitlist, you didn't get accepted and they've not rejected you yet, or something else altogether? I think this situation might happen this cycle and I wish to know (if I can) what this implies? Hmm. Most programs send out acceptance first and then rejections a few days later (or even later). Waitlists (if a program offers them) sometimes come with the acceptances, sometimes with the rejections, sometimes in between. So if people have reported acceptances, it's possible that you're on a wait list and haven't been notified yet, but it's probably best to prepare yourself for a rejection. sadevilminion, theonewiththepies, kpyjkh and 4 others 7
e-drev Posted January 30, 2022 Posted January 30, 2022 anyone else apply to rhet/comp at Universtiy of Utah? reached out and they said their decisions will be made and communicated on 18 Feb. gonna be a looooong three weeks ^~^
illcounsel Posted January 30, 2022 Posted January 30, 2022 Can anyone here claim the Northwestern acceptance on the board? I know that Saturday acceptances aren't out of the question, but seems strange that it was a weekend and there aren't any others up. Any information appreciated!
Hard times! Posted January 31, 2022 Posted January 31, 2022 Hello! Monday is here already. Good luck everyone! I am an international student and dread waking up in the morning lest a rejection letter is lurking in my mailbox--anyone else sharing the dread? Also, would someone know how one copes with being a shutout twice? I don't expect to hear from any school until next week but I have started losing my sleep over a probable shutout cycle already. The last time I had applied I was severely under-prepared--my SoP and writing samples were cringeworthy and had not even been through two rounds of revision. I had applied because as an international student I had misgauged the competitiveness of the process. I knew very well the cycle would be a washout for me. But it's been two years since then and I have worked a little harder though when I am feeling masochistic I revisit my applications and am appalled by what I read. I am kind of having the same feelings I had last time though I think the quality of my writing samples is a tad better. But oh... there has been covid to make the competition far worse than what it was two years ago! So, the scale hasn't tipped a bit--a more competitive cycle nullifies slightly better writing samples anyway. Is there anything at all that people can do after a second shutout? Honestly, I can't prepare for a third one--I have spent too much already on what has been a mirage so far! An MA is not an option because I have one already. Haha! Any coping strategy therefore has to be along emotional or psychological lines. Thanks in advance and sorry for the shameful self-indulgent rant.
HummusBaguette Posted January 31, 2022 Posted January 31, 2022 1 hour ago, Hard times! said: Hello! Monday is here already. Good luck everyone! I am an international student and dread waking up in the morning lest a rejection letter is lurking in my mailbox--anyone else sharing the dread? Also, would someone know how one copes with being a shutout twice? I don't expect to hear from any school until next week but I have started losing my sleep over a probable shutout cycle already. The last time I had applied I was severely under-prepared--my SoP and writing samples were cringeworthy and had not even been through two rounds of revision. I had applied because as an international student I had misgauged the competitiveness of the process. I knew very well the cycle would be a washout for me. But it's been two years since then and I have worked a little harder though when I am feeling masochistic I revisit my applications and am appalled by what I read. I am kind of having the same feelings I had last time though I think the quality of my writing samples is a tad better. But oh... there has been covid to make the competition far worse than what it was two years ago! So, the scale hasn't tipped a bit--a more competitive cycle nullifies slightly better writing samples anyway. Is there anything at all that people can do after a second shutout? Honestly, I can't prepare for a third one--I have spent too much already on what has been a mirage so far! An MA is not an option because I have one already. Haha! Any coping strategy therefore has to be along emotional or psychological lines. Thanks in advance and sorry for the shameful self-indulgent rant. Hey, it's not shameful AT ALL! It's so normal to have such thoughts and there is nothing to be ashamed of. My suggestion would be: 1. Try not to think about your second "failure" to come since apparently nothing has been determined yet and there is no evidence that you are going to be rejected again, given that you've worked harder to reshape your application and there's no reason you are going to do worse this time. 2. Try to redefine "failure". It might be helpful to think that only those that suit you will choose you, so being rejected is by no means a "failure"; instead, it just indicates that this program might not be a good fit for you. I'm an international applicant as well, and trust me we are all going through the same process of torture just as everybody on this thread. Wish you good luck! How about finding some distractions eg. sport? Hard times! 1
Hard times! Posted January 31, 2022 Posted January 31, 2022 1 hour ago, HummusBaguette said: Hey, it's not shameful AT ALL! It's so normal to have such thoughts and there is nothing to be ashamed of. My suggestion would be: 1. Try not to think about your second "failure" to come since apparently nothing has been determined yet and there is no evidence that you are going to be rejected again, given that you've worked harder to reshape your application and there's no reason you are going to do worse this time. 2. Try to redefine "failure". It might be helpful to think that only those that suit you will choose you, so being rejected is by no means a "failure"; instead, it just indicates that this program might not be a good fit for you. I'm an international applicant as well, and trust me we are all going through the same process of torture just as everybody on this thread. Wish you good luck! How about finding some distractions eg. sport? Huh! Well, I am with my six-year-old cousins at the moment. If two six-year-olds can't distract you enough with their antics and incessant questioning, not many things can distract you haha! Shameful because after what the pandemic has done to the world, mourning over grad-school rejections seems outrageous. Hope you have been holding up well!
sadevilminion Posted January 31, 2022 Posted January 31, 2022 5 hours ago, Hard times! said: Hello! Monday is here already. Good luck everyone! I am an international student and dread waking up in the morning lest a rejection letter is lurking in my mailbox--anyone else sharing the dread? Also, would someone know how one copes with being a shutout twice? I don't expect to hear from any school until next week but I have started losing my sleep over a probable shutout cycle already. The last time I had applied I was severely under-prepared--my SoP and writing samples were cringeworthy and had not even been through two rounds of revision. I had applied because as an international student I had misgauged the competitiveness of the process. I knew very well the cycle would be a washout for me. But it's been two years since then and I have worked a little harder though when I am feeling masochistic I revisit my applications and am appalled by what I read. I am kind of having the same feelings I had last time though I think the quality of my writing samples is a tad better. But oh... there has been covid to make the competition far worse than what it was two years ago! So, the scale hasn't tipped a bit--a more competitive cycle nullifies slightly better writing samples anyway. Is there anything at all that people can do after a second shutout? Honestly, I can't prepare for a third one--I have spent too much already on what has been a mirage so far! An MA is not an option because I have one already. Haha! Any coping strategy therefore has to be along emotional or psychological lines. Thanks in advance and sorry for the shameful self-indulgent rant. I am SO scared of opening last cycle's writing sample and SOPs. I know the writing sample is garbage because I did it three years out of school and without any guidance. I did re-read my old SOPs while writing my new ones, and they were surprisingly not as awful as I thought they would be. Still, I cringe at the thought of them. I had no one to guide me through the process or explain anything about applications, and while I did have some of that this year, I'm also still expecting to be rejected from all 6 programs I applied to. As for COVID making the competition worse, I'm not sure if that's true. I suspect the increase in applicants mostly means an increase in quantity, not quality. I like to think they are people like me who also submitted cringeworthy samples and SOPs! Well, that's how I reassure myself, anyway. For coping strategies, I don't know. Yeeting myself from this mortal coil isn't an option. Part of my reasoning for applying to certain schools was location, so if I don't get accepted anywhere, I'm going to try to still move to a different city. Maybe learn a new skill set. Programming bootcamps are really popular nowadays, hah. I think just coming up with another long-term goal to work towards will be helpful. As for the short term, hanging out with friends (if you can) has been very helpful in getting my mind off of things lately. Hard times! 1
Cordelipup Posted January 31, 2022 Posted January 31, 2022 I'm excited to see all these UNC acceptances on the board! I did not apply to this school, but it seems that they have released results earlier than in previous years. Has anyone noticed this with other schools? I haven't heard back from schools either way this year, but in my handful of rejections last year, each one mentioned the drastic increase in applicants. Has anyone heard from programs about a similar trend happening this year? Good luck getting through this week! Hard times! 1
Hard times! Posted January 31, 2022 Posted January 31, 2022 Oh, yes, in case it helps--UIUC has already made their decisions. I am not sure if they have notified everyone yet but they have decided on the admits--the DGS confirmed. UIUC is certainly a rejection for me because it was a bad fit and my application was horrid. However, I hope they send out more acceptances soon in case they haven't sent out all their acceptances already.
sadevilminion Posted January 31, 2022 Posted January 31, 2022 1 hour ago, Hard times! said: Oh, yes, in case it helps--UIUC has already made their decisions. I am not sure if they have notified everyone yet but they have decided on the admits--the DGS confirmed. UIUC is certainly a rejection for me because it was a bad fit and my application was horrid. However, I hope they send out more acceptances soon in case they haven't sent out all their acceptances already. I kind of thought my application for them was pretty decent, although it was my first submission this season and the writing sample wasn't past it's second revision yet :(. And I thought the fit would have been perfect, bc my focus is kind of niche, and they have faculty (whom I thought I saw somewhere that they were also on the adcom, though I can't find that now) that have very similar research interests. Alas, I haven't heard diddly-squat from them! Hard times! 1
Hard times! Posted January 31, 2022 Posted January 31, 2022 26 minutes ago, sadevilminion said: I kind of thought my application for them was pretty decent, although it was my first submission this season and the writing sample wasn't past it's second revision yet :(. And I thought the fit would have been perfect, bc my focus is kind of niche, and they have faculty (whom I thought I saw somewhere that they were also on the adcom, though I can't find that now) that have very similar research interests. Alas, I haven't heard diddly-squat from them! There are chances you might still hear from them! They said they are done with their deliberations but never said they have sent out all acceptances. The competition though is indeed high--not because there are more applicants but because most humanities departments have lost multiple funding sources since the pandemic started. They can accept fewer people because their funds are severely strained... sadevilminion 1
sadevilminion Posted February 1, 2022 Posted February 1, 2022 18 hours ago, Hard times! said: There are chances you might still hear from them! They said they are done with their deliberations but never said they have sent out all acceptances. The competition though is indeed high--not because there are more applicants but because most humanities departments have lost multiple funding sources since the pandemic started. They can accept fewer people because their funds are severely strained... Good point
Hard times! Posted February 1, 2022 Posted February 1, 2022 With rejections outnumbering acceptances so early on my fears of a shutout seems very real! Though I didn't apply to Northwestern, the number of rejections going up has been rattling all my heart bones. And as someone said, yes, it seems many decisions have gone out earlier than usual. Lord knows what to make of that especially if there has been total silence for you!
mostlygoo Posted February 1, 2022 Posted February 1, 2022 4 hours ago, Hard times! said: With rejections outnumbering acceptances so early on my fears of a shutout seems very real! Though I didn't apply to Northwestern, the number of rejections going up has been rattling all my heart bones. And as someone said, yes, it seems many decisions have gone out earlier than usual. Lord knows what to make of that especially if there has been total silence for you! I have a niece who applied to a dozen or so PhD programs in molecular genetics and virology this cycle, after getting shut out last time and coming back with a much stronger app (more research experience, pubs, recs). I know it's a different field entirely but she has done *so much more* than I have when it comes to this process that I almost feel embarrassed to be anxious about my own chances, or upset (much) by a rejection (and I'm one of those Northwestern rejections). I really feel for all the folks out there who have poured every bit of themselves into this very tough process. Hard times! and sadevilminion 2
sadevilminion Posted February 1, 2022 Posted February 1, 2022 I finally heard back from somewhere, and U Nebraska Lincoln sent me a fully funded offer! I can hardly believe it. After I was all-out rejected last cycle, I spent the last spring and summer educating myself on critical theory, and I took a high-level course in the fall semester hoping to produce a decent paper under the guidance of a professor. I was crazy busy from April to December just working towards this. Just knowing that I'm actually going to get paid to go to school makes me weak in the knees. heterotopia, HummusBaguette, thecat00 and 12 others 15
mostlygoo Posted February 1, 2022 Posted February 1, 2022 5 minutes ago, sadevilminion said: I finally heard back from somewhere, and U Nebraska Lincoln sent me a fully funded offer! I can hardly believe it. After I was all-out rejected last cycle, I spent the last spring and summer educating myself on critical theory, and I took a high-level course in the fall semester hoping to produce a decent paper under the guidance of a professor. I was crazy busy from April to December just working towards this. Just knowing that I'm actually going to get paid to go to school makes me weak in the knees. Congratulations! So happy for you, that's a great way to end the day... And happy you felt like the extra work paid off, too. sadevilminion and Hard times! 2
taylorjunebug Posted February 1, 2022 Posted February 1, 2022 58 minutes ago, sadevilminion said: I finally heard back from somewhere, and U Nebraska Lincoln sent me a fully funded offer! I can hardly believe it. After I was all-out rejected last cycle, I spent the last spring and summer educating myself on critical theory, and I took a high-level course in the fall semester hoping to produce a decent paper under the guidance of a professor. I was crazy busy from April to December just working towards this. Just knowing that I'm actually going to get paid to go to school makes me weak in the knees. Congrats!! sadevilminion 1
Hard times! Posted February 2, 2022 Posted February 2, 2022 5 hours ago, sadevilminion said: I finally heard back from somewhere, and U Nebraska Lincoln sent me a fully funded offer! I can hardly believe it. After I was all-out rejected last cycle, I spent the last spring and summer educating myself on critical theory, and I took a high-level course in the fall semester hoping to produce a decent paper under the guidance of a professor. I was crazy busy from April to December just working towards this. Just knowing that I'm actually going to get paid to go to school makes me weak in the knees. Congratulations! You are going to gradschool, no matter what! sadevilminion 1
Hard times! Posted February 2, 2022 Posted February 2, 2022 (edited) 9 hours ago, postmodern said: I have a niece who applied to a dozen or so PhD programs in molecular genetics and virology this cycle, after getting shut out last time and coming back with a much stronger app (more research experience, pubs, recs). I know it's a different field entirely but she has done *so much more* than I have when it comes to this process that I almost feel embarrassed to be anxious about my own chances, or upset (much) by a rejection (and I'm one of those Northwestern rejections). I really feel for all the folks out there who have poured every bit of themselves into this very tough process. Thanks for your kind words. Yes, it does take a lot--I have felt like anxiety putting out my neuronal firings at times. I wish there were more understanding elders like you around. If I am a shutout, not only will I be stranded to tend to my own feelings of inadequacy, but to explain to my parents and their acquaintances why grad school acceptances are hard and worth more than their bragging rights! Edited February 2, 2022 by Hard times!
Hard times! Posted February 2, 2022 Posted February 2, 2022 (edited) 9 hours ago, sadevilminion said: I finally heard back from somewhere, and U Nebraska Lincoln sent me a fully funded offer! I can hardly believe it. After I was all-out rejected last cycle, I spent the last spring and summer educating myself on critical theory, and I took a high-level course in the fall semester hoping to produce a decent paper under the guidance of a professor. I was crazy busy from April to December just working towards this. Just knowing that I'm actually going to get paid to go to school makes me weak in the knees. And yes, an early acceptance is even better! I mean grad school admissions involve so much nerves and to be able to relax and know that you have made it to at least one place is such a relief. Congratulations on the unburdening too hope you have positive news from more places Edited February 2, 2022 by Hard times!
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