University of Florida

[Tanner Anthony]

I called the program assistant, Kathy, and asked if a specific decision had been made on my application. She said that there are 3 groups that have been made. 1) People UF is "recruiting" (basically admits), 2) Weight listed, & 3) Rejections. She is making the letters now and hopes to have them mailed out by the end of this week. The ISIS network should be updated next week. She said she didn't know the decision on mine.

[unearthedlurker]

Tanner, did you email the DGS?

I'm waitlisted, and the only reason I know that is because the DGS responded (quite promptly, might I add) to my inquiry. Kathy is a sweet lady, but she's only the mediator between The Powers That Be and The Applicant.

[Tanner Anthony]

No, I did not. What is their email? Please and thank you.

Tanner, did you email the DGS?

I'm waitlisted, and the only reason I know that is because the DGS responded (quite promptly, might I add) to my inquiry. Kathy is a sweet lady, but she's only the mediator between The Powers That Be and The Applicant.

[unearthedlurker]

No, I did not. What is their email? Please and thank you.

pwegner@ufl.edu

[tortola23]

That's how I found out that I'm wait-listed, too. Professor Wegner responded very quickly.

[ssundva]

That's how I found out that I'm wait-listed, too. Professor Wegner responded very quickly.

Me too! ; )

[Tybalt]

That's how I found out that I'm wait-listed, too. Professor Wegner responded very quickly.

I e-mailed as well and received what appears to be the same (form) letter. Has anyone been rejected by Florida? It seems like a rather large wait-list.

[tortola23]

I e-mailed as well and received what appears to be the same (form) letter. Has anyone been rejected by Florida? It seems like a rather large wait-list.

Mine wasn't a form letter, but it does seem to be a large wait-list; in fact, both wait-lists I'm on seem to be pretty long. I think that they expect about half of their first-wave acceptees to decline in favor of other schools. Makes sense.

[bottles]

Thanks for all the help, guys! I'll just sit tight and wait for a response, I'm also waiting for a response from UNC regarding my MLIS application, so I have a little time before I would really need to know ASAP.

[unearthedlurker]

Mine wasn't a form letter, but it does seem to be a large wait-list; in fact, both wait-lists I'm on seem to be pretty long. I think that they expect about half of their first-wave acceptees to decline in favor of other schools. Makes sense.

Do you know how many people are on the waitlist? Does it work by subfield or by program? I'm so confused about this whole process, even though I've gone through it three different times. Sigh.

[ssundva]

Do you know how many people are on the waitlist? Does it work by subfield or by program? I'm so confused about this whole process, even though I've gone through it three different times. Sigh.

Are most people being told their relative place on the waitlist? I'm a little concerned by how many people are "pretty high" or "quite high" or "near the top," etc. Does anyone have any info. on about how many initial offers went out?

[unearthedlurker]

Are most people being told their relative place on the waitlist? I'm a little concerned by how many people are "pretty high" or "quite high" or "near the top," etc. Does anyone have any info. on about how many initial offers went out?

I was "near the top" of the waitlist last year and ultimately was not accepted. We have to keep in mind that in this economy and these uncertain times that competition is extremely fierce with more people are going back to school. Last year there were over 460 applications for, what I've heard, 12 seats. :\ I don't know the numbers this year, but I'm assuming it's at least as many, if not more.

[unearthedlurker]

Thanks for all the help, guys! I'll just sit tight and wait for a response, I'm also waiting for a response from UNC regarding my MLIS application, so I have a little time before I would really need to know ASAP.

bottles, good luck to you re: MLIS. My friend just posted a breakdown of her salary in the wake of the Wisconsin rule, and it looks grim. To be honest, I was thinking about doing an MLIS in the interim between reapplying (if I don't make it off the waitlist), but after I saw her post... not so much. I hate to be the harbinger of bad news, but I don't believe in false hope. I know we all do what we love---and, boy, do we love books, all of us here!---but keeping food on the table is a pretty big deal.

My friend, who has been working as a librarian for the past four years, is now making an excess of $150/mo. after bills. It's great, of course, that she has a surplus coming in, but things to think about now that the pension plan outlook seems grim to all of us: retirement. What's worse is that, she said, in the great state of WI, she'll have to put 12.6% of her excess money toward pension and, what, 5.2ish% toward healthcare. Do the math on that, and she's left with pretty much nothing to put toward personal accounts like ROTH/IRAs or stock or bonds or whatever it is people are putting their money into these days.

This is, unfortunately, going to be a big problem to most of us in the humanities. While it's a big problem only for Wisconians at the moment, I see things ending badly for EVERYONE nationally. It makes my heart break.

I sure hope this doesn't offend or hurt anyone. I just... don't want anyone to have false hope, you know? Not that you would have false hope about the MLIS, but the ideal/fantasy world we grad students live in sometimes differs from what might happen after school. I hate to think about it, but I feel like I have to.

[bottles]

bottles, good luck to you re: MLIS. My friend just posted a breakdown of her salary in the wake of the Wisconsin rule, and it looks grim. To be honest, I was thinking about doing an MLIS in the interim between reapplying (if I don't make it off the waitlist), but after I saw her post... not so much. I hate to be the harbinger of bad news, but I don't believe in false hope. I know we all do what we love---and, boy, do we love books, all of us here!---but keeping food on the table is a pretty big deal.

My friend, who has been working as a librarian for the past four years, is now making an excess of $150/mo. after bills. It's great, of course, that she has a surplus coming in, but things to think about now that the pension plan outlook seems grim to all of us: retirement. What's worse is that, she said, in the great state of WI, she'll have to put 12.6% of her excess money toward pension and, what, 5.2ish% toward healthcare. Do the math on that, and she's left with pretty much nothing to put toward personal accounts like ROTH/IRAs or stock or bonds or whatever it is people are putting their money into these days.

This is, unfortunately, going to be a big problem to most of us in the humanities. While it's a big problem only for Wisconians at the moment, I see things ending badly for EVERYONE nationally. It makes my heart break.

I sure hope this doesn't offend or hurt anyone. I just... don't want anyone to have false hope, you know? Not that you would have false hope about the MLIS, but the ideal/fantasy world we grad students live in sometimes differs from what might happen after school. I hate to think about it, but I feel like I have to.

You're right on track economically. I am, though, more afraid for the job prospects involved with getting a PhD in literature...which is why I went into library science. It's kind of insurance for me--it reassures me that I can find a job doing something, that I didn't spend years getting the degree, and that it will prepare me for any future studies that I might want to embark on. If I want to get a PhD in literature later, cool. Right now, though, I'm more concerned with giving myself the most stable start of post-school life that I can.

I was hell bent and determined to go into English for a while but after doing a LOT of research into the field/job market, I made the decision that it would probably be better for me to get a professional degree that would say "Hey, I can DO something" instead of potentially being a miserable temp for years before taking a job that I hate in a college that can't afford to pay me anything--after spending 6+ years in a PhD program.

I am looking into going into academic librarianship, hopefully culminating in a PhD in library science. I hope I am taking the route of "some sort of job that I won't hate" instead of "I can't find a job and have to do things that I hate", but who really knows anymore.

What scares me the most is that Pittsburgh (the school I have had the most interaction with in terms of acceptance/funding/etc.) is being threatened with a roughly 50% cut in funding--just like every state-affiliated school in Pennsylvania. Bad times all around. I just hope the MLIS was a stable decision that will work itself out in the end! I enjoy it, if nothing else.

[dgobox]

I, too, was sent the 3/8/11 email from Dr. W informing me that I was "near the top" of the waitlist for the MA. I applied to the PhD (theory track) but I only have two B.A.'s from UNF. I am also, like some of you, a bit apprehensive about what I perceive to be a large number of waitlisters. A few people have uploaded rejection statuses on the survey page, though.

I've been rejected by SUNY Buffalo, Stony Brook, and Columbia for comp lit., Duquesne, DePaul, and Memphis for philosophy, and I'm on Emory comp lit.'s wait list, although I was told I am "not high on the list at all."

I also applied to PSU English but I haven't heard anything. I emailed them a couple weeks ago and was told that a few offers have been made and the rest of the decisions are forthcoming. I expect rejection.

[sivlE]

Wanted to let the U of Florida wait-listers know that I will be calling Prof Wegner tomorrow to let him know that I will not be accepting my offer.

I was accepted into the "postcolonial track".

I really hope this helps someone on here get in!

[dgobox]

Thanks for the update. Cheers!

[ssundva]

Wanted to let the U of Florida wait-listers know that I will be calling Prof Wegner tomorrow to let him know that I will not be accepting my offer.

I was accepted into the "postcolonial track".

I really hope this helps someone on here get in!

Thanks for letting us know! It is, indeed, rather considerate of you. You must have received quite an offer from somewhere else. ; )

Congrats!

[tortola23]

Wanted to let the U of Florida wait-listers know that I will be calling Prof Wegner tomorrow to let him know that I will not be accepting my offer.

I was accepted into the "postcolonial track".

I really hope this helps someone on here get in!

Thank you! Especially since I'm postcolonial, too!

[dgobox]

Thank you! Especially since I'm postcolonial, too!

Do you, or anyone else for that matter, think that they look to replace admits with waitlisters who are in the same track? Personally I can see that going either way: I can think of reasons why that would be a logical thing to do, but I can also think of reasons why that might not be the case. Any thoughts?

[tortola23]

Do you, or anyone else for that matter, think that they look to replace admits with waitlisters who are in the same track? Personally I can see that going either way: I can think of reasons why that would be a logical thing to do, but I can also think of reasons why that might not be the case. Any thoughts?

I'm also wait-listed at UT, and they told me in their letter that they do replace turn-downs with students in similar fields, to maintain the balance of their "cohesive" incoming class. UF apparently has some sort of ranked wait-list (whereas UT does not rank), so I'm not sure if they use this system or not, although it would stand to reason since they can't overload one POI or one reading group, etc.

I guess we'll all find out soon!

[dgobox]

True. Thanks for your response. I wish I could know how many critical theory admits have already been extended. Such is the nature of the game, I suppose.

Good luck to you!

[tortola23]

True. Thanks for your response. I wish I could know how many critical theory admits have already been extended. Such is the nature of the game, I suppose.

Good luck to you!

Oof, the wait-lists really do make it feel like a game! Good luck to you, too.

[dgobox]

From the survey:

"I was in Florida a few weeks ago, so I spoke face to face with my POI who indicated there were only about 6 slots. I am on the slightly lengthy wait list, and chances at getting in are slim. If you make it, feel very lucky. The applicant pool was huge and those who got through the first few rounds were well defended as a good fit. Wait listed people, good luck!"

6? Does that sound right to anyone else? As far as I know, Wegner has not given anyone a figure, so I realize I don't have any defeating evidence....but 6? I mean, Emory Comp. Lit took 7. Apples to oranges, of course.

[unearthedlurker]

From the survey:

"I was in Florida a few weeks ago, so I spoke face to face with my POI who indicated there were only about 6 slots. I am on the slightly lengthy wait list, and chances at getting in are slim. If you make it, feel very lucky. The applicant pool was huge and those who got through the first few rounds were well defended as a good fit. Wait listed people, good luck!"

6? Does that sound right to anyone else? As far as I know, Wegner has not given anyone a figure, so I realize I don't have any defeating evidence....but 6? I mean, Emory Comp. Lit took 7. Apples to oranges, of course.

The state of Florida, much like many states, is facing *extreme* budget cuts in education (for one). Sounds about right to me. I heard through the grapevine that Gov. Rick Scott has asked programs to cut their cohorts in half, if not more.