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Prof Lesser responded to my update about my options for the Fall, saying that they're pushing admits to notify them right after this weekend's visit. We can expect to start hearing things from April 1st onward.

If you're an Austin admit, please post your decision either here or on the Waitlister's Paradise thread! We'd love to know how many decline.

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So I've emailed Prof Lesser four times now (initially in response to the waitlist email, about 12 days later notifying him an article had been accepted be published in a peer-reviewed journal to update my CV . . .and again ask questions, a few days ago listing my options, and then agdin today asking what a standard funding package would look like for someone admitted off the waitlist). I have NEVER received a reply. This is making me pretty irritated. Even a "thanks for your interest. I have no answers for you at this time." would be appreciated; at least a reply acknowledges my existence! On the other hand, my preferred offer emailed Monday offering more money. I'm inclined just to go there. What do you other waitlisted people think? Have you had communication with Dr. Lesser? Maybe he just decided he didn't want me on the list anymore and decided ignoring me was the best way to get me to go away (if so, it's working). . . I don't know. I'm probably overreacting, but this is driving me crazy!

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I had to email twice to get any response, and with my second update email I CCed the chair of the department; that second time Prof Lesser responded to me. Hopefully they're just very busy, but I interpreted it as rude, too. We are students the committee has approved for admission, so I'd think they'd at least be polite to us. I have to admit that it did lower my opinion of the program a little, especially when I have offers from places that have been excessively kind and responsive to me. I don't want to work for a prima donna English department any more than they want prima donna students working for them.

Apparently we'll be hearing during the first week of April (ie: next week). I'm really thinking that they'll hardly get any declines, though. LE SIGH.

p.s.- I should add that a professor I met with previously at UT always responds very quickly to my emails. So it's not a department-wide thing.

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So I've emailed Prof Lesser four times now (initially in response to the waitlist email, about 12 days later notifying him an article had been accepted be published in a peer-reviewed journal to update my CV . . .and again ask questions, a few days ago listing my options, and then agdin today asking what a standard funding package would look like for someone admitted off the waitlist). I have NEVER received a reply. This is making me pretty irritated. Even a "thanks for your interest. I have no answers for you at this time." would be appreciated; at least a reply acknowledges my existence! On the other hand, my preferred offer emailed Monday offering more money. I'm inclined just to go there. What do you other waitlisted people think? Have you had communication with Dr. Lesser? Maybe he just decided he didn't want me on the list anymore and decided ignoring me was the best way to get me to go away (if so, it's working). . . I don't know. I'm probably overreacting, but this is driving me crazy!

lyoness, I've emailed Dr. Lesser twice and haven't gotten a response either. Not sure what the deal is as other schools that have waitlisted me have been very responsive and helpful.

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Hmmm, good to know you both, tortola and emichelle, are having communication issues in that it isn't just a reification of my paranoid construction that he's ignoring me to make me go away. I'm pretty close to just accepting one of my other offers at this point, though, so if you're an early modernist, that may decrease competition for you! Tortola, when you say you don't think many first-round offers will decline, are you saying that because you met with a lot of them who said they were going to UTA or because based on the quality of the program you think people will take UTA? I was just wondering. Best of luck to you both!

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Hmmm, good to know you both, tortola and emichelle, are having communication issues in that it isn't just a reification of my paranoid construction that he's ignoring me to make me go away. I'm pretty close to just accepting one of my other offers at this point, though, so if you're an early modernist, that may decrease competition for you! Tortola, when you say you don't think many first-round offers will decline, are you saying that because you met with a lot of them who said they were going to UTA or because based on the quality of the program you think people will take UTA? I was just wondering. Best of luck to you both!

I'm thinking along the lines of how bad funding is this year. UW is about equal to UT as far as prestige goes (it's probably better in my particular field) and they can't fund their first-year students. A lot of English departments are having serious budget issues, including UF. So I think that UT stands out with it's full funding and it's department that hasn't been much rattled by budget issues (so I've been told my disinterested profs).

Also, it seems that all of the first-round admits attended the visit weekend and are waiting until after it to make their decisions. Not that that means none of them will decline! But I'd guess it means they're all very seriously considering UT.

I'm still waiting it out; no reason not to, really.

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Do you happen to have any of those funding package numbers? It looks like based on an earlier post here that the first year is about $14K. My friend at UTA has summer funding and got in off the waitlist, so I'm guessing that's part of the package for a little while anyway. I understand funding goes up a bit when you move from leading recitation sections to teaching courses. I also believe there is a 1:1 load when actually teaching. However, you have to pay the university fees, which are about $800. I guess people deduct from their stipend, take a loan, or something. Anyway, my other offer, especially with added funds, is more money and a similar COL as Austin. I'm trying to just do a statistical comparison at this point, but I can't get these details from Lesser. So, does this mesh with what other people know?

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That's exactly what I've heard, too, so hopefully it's true? I was a little surprised that UT wasn't more forthcoming about the financial situation for their wait-listers; UF told me everything in their first email.

It isn't much money from UT, but it's more than you'd get from a lot of schools currently, and as someone living in Austin, I can say it's definitely doable on 14k if not super-comfortable.

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Thank you! I had to read the email a few times before I could believe it.

Good luck to everyone. I feel like a living reminder that perseverance and hard work really can pay off! I had such a terrible application season last year, and such an excellent one this year. Don't give up if you really want it.

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Congrats, Tortola23! If you don't mind me asking, what did you do between this year and last? Did you do your MA? I'm just curious because you obviously did very well with your application this year, and I am currently deciding where to do my MA.

Thank you! I had to read the email a few times before I could believe it.

Good luck to everyone. I feel like a living reminder that perseverance and hard work really can pay off! I had such a terrible application season last year, and such an excellent one this year. Don't give up if you really want it.

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Haha . . . I worked in a bike shop. Seriously. In fact, I'm at work there right now.

However, when I applied last year I was in the middle of my fourth year of college writing my thesis; when I applied this year, I already held my BA and I used my thesis as a writing sample. I think the biggest difference was doing a LOT of research and applying to schools particularly strong in my field, with a lot of effort put into the personal statements. I wrote a totally different, personalized one for each program.

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Thank you! I had to read the email a few times before I could believe it.

Good luck to everyone. I feel like a living reminder that perseverance and hard work really can pay off! I had such a terrible application season last year, and such an excellent one this year. Don't give up if you really want it.

Congrats, Tortola! I'm just a lurker on the UT board, but it's always gratifying to see someone get in to their top choice school :) Well done.

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Thank you! I had to read the email a few times before I could believe it.

Good luck to everyone. I feel like a living reminder that perseverance and hard work really can pay off! I had such a terrible application season last year, and such an excellent one this year. Don't give up if you really want it.

Congrats, Tortola! That's so fantastic; and I know how good it must feel after a disappointing season.

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Congrats, Tortola! I'm just a lurker on the UT board, but it's always gratifying to see someone get in to their top choice school :) Well done.

Likewise. Since I joined GC, I've been watching a number of regular posters and keeping fingers crossed for people. This was a big one, as it was clearly apparent how much you wanted it. Congrats, Tortola!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'd like to add my congratulations, tortola. I'm still waiting to hear from UT, as I am on the waitlist as well. I'm guessing it's not looking good this late in the game, but it's an encouragement to have made it this far. Did your acceptance email mention anything about the number of spots that might be left? Emails to Prof. Lesser/DGS have gone without response thus far. In any case, good luck in the coming year!

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All of my emails to Lesser have been ignored as well. It pissed me off enough to accept another offer, though I'm waiting to see if Lesser EVER contacts me again. Bad form UTA. They're a great school, obviously, but let's get over ourselves a bit and reply to a few emails, shall we? Grr. Anyway, rant done. Good luck rge! Congrats again to tortola and, of course, to the first-round admits!

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