UPitt Acceptances

[tortola23]

Just wondering if any of the acceptees are on the forum and would like to share their stats. I especially wonder what types of undergrad institutions everyone comes from, since I earned my BA at a somewhat unusual school and am trying to see how that might affect my apps.

Also, scary that they're sending the emails on a Saturday. I always try not to think about this stuff on the weekends . . .

[crae]

Hi! I'm shocked that I'm saying this, but Pittsburgh accepted me and nominated for a fellowship. Here are my stats:

BA from mediocre liberal arts school, GPA 3.799

MA from mediocre university, GPA 3.95

GRE: Verbal 770, Quant 690, AW 4.5

GRE Subject: 680

Area: Early Modern

If there's any other information you would like, let me know.

Edited February 5, 2011 by crae

[crae]

I forgot to say that I also unexpectedly got accepted to one of my "long shot" schools, so I will probably be turning Pitt down, which will open a spot there. :-)

[tortola23]

Hi! I'm shocked that I'm saying this, but Pittsburgh accepted me and nominated for a fellowship. Here are my stats:

BA from mediocre liberal arts school, GPA 3.799

MA from mediocre university, GPA 3.95

GRE: Verbal 770, Quant 690, AW 4.5

GRE Subject: 680

Area: Early Modern

If there's any other information you would like, let me know.

That is awesome! Our stats are similar, and my BA is also from a little-known liberal arts college. I do not have an MA yet, so technically I applied to UPitt's MA program, not the PhD.

Congratulations!

[lolopixie]

Congrats, Crae. I didn't apply there, but just other info I would like to know of someone who has been accepted to 2 schools now, do you have any publications? If so, how many?

[crae]

Thanks, guys! I don't want to sound obnoxious, but I feel like if I can do it, there's hope for every other serious candidate out there. I woke up this morning feeling like a total loser, and then got the shock of my life from both Pittsburgh and UC Davis (which is also providing guaranteed funding). Also, I should mention that I applied to PhD programs two years ago also, so this is my second time around. I was summarily rejected that time from all six schools I applied to. This time was my "do or die" year, where I was to find out if I had a future in academia, and I definitely did not expect anything much.

Anyway, Lolopixie, I'm sorry for not mentioning publications. The only publication I have is in a mediocre pedagogy journal, and the article is about teaching, not literature.

Something else I should have mentioned is that I've been an adjunct instructor of composition and liberal studies for the past two years.

Good luck everyone. :-)

[fall-11]

Thanks for sharing all that, and congratulations on both the acceptances!

[lyonessrampant]

Congrats Crae! Glad things are going so well!

[crae]

Thank you!

[birches]

if I have not heard anything from pitt yet should I be assuming it's a rejection?

[crae]

Emily, don't start worrying yet. I found it encouraging to check out the results board from previous years. It seems like it frequently happens that, in April, after not hearing for so long, people are suddenly accepted to their dream school. I'd say, if you haven't been rejected, take that as a good sign! :-)

[intextrovert]

Emily, don't start worrying yet. I found it encouraging to check out the results board from previous years. It seems like it frequently happens that, in April, after not hearing for so long, people are suddenly accepted to their dream school. I'd say, if you haven't been rejected, take that as a good sign! :-)

Just a note that you almost certainly will not be waiting to hear things until April! I was one of the people posting on the results board last year in April that I had just gotten into my dream school, but that was an admit from a waitlist, which I would guess is probably the vast majority of the April acceptances on the results board. So I had been notified I was on a waitlist here in early February - it wasn't that I hadn't heard from them until my acceptance. You SHOULD hear from almost everyone by early to mid-March. There was only one exception for me last year - I hadn't heard anything from another school by April 1, so I emailed and found out I was on a waitlist. But the lack of notification that late is the exception, not the rule. Not knowing is the worst part (which makes waitlists really hellish, but that's another issue entirely).

But yes, seconding the part that says not to worry yet. It is still REALLY early. This is just the very beginning - but the waiting and not knowing will be over (hopefully) in a little over a month. Hang in there!

[crae]

Thanks for clarifying, Intextrovert. :-) I do second your comment that sometimes people aren't notified about waitlists (I wasn't either when I applied two years ago), so an acceptance (or rejection) can come out of nowhere late in the game. The possibility was what I was mainly pointing out, as well as the fact that Emily hasn't been rejected yet.

[birches]

thanks crae and intextrovert for your comments. they made me feel a little better! I am hoping I still have a chance with Pittsburgh. They have an amazing children's literature program (the best in the country) and that's what I am hoping to specialize in. Congrats crae on your acceptances to both UC Davis and Pittsburgh! Let's hope that we all hear some good news soon!

[crae]

Thank you! Good luck to everyone!

[tortola23]

I'm guessing that all acceptances have been sent now. Anyone know if they do a waiting list?

I've definitely given up on this one, though.

[tortola23]

Just emailed to inquire, and "the committee will be making a decision soon and you’ll receive a letter in the mail in the next couple of weeks."

From my experiences last year, a letter in the mail = rejection.

Sorry, guys.