Waitlisters Paradise

[Tybalt]

AHHHHH. The suspense is literally killing me...

Same. One of my friends asked me what I was doing next year. I told her that the only thing on the menu for certain is that I will be recovering from the ulcer that this process has undoubtedly given me!

I finally caved and e-mailed both Dr. Ray and the DGS at Rochester to see if they had any updates. No response from either as of yet. I did get a phone call from UNLV, offering admission and a $14k stipend. I'm still concerned about the financial details, however, as the contact seemed non-committal on the amount of the tuition waiver (and if it's only 60%, like a UNLV admit from last year indicated, I doubt that I can swing it financially).

[the once and future grad]

Are you leaning towards Rochester? I met some of their Medievalists at a conference last October, and they raved about that part of the program-- they really loved it. Do you know when the visit days are/were for U of R? I'm on the wait list (Renaissance), and I'm curious as to when I might expect to hear back from them (which I assume will be after the visit days).

Hey Tybalt,

As of right now, I am, but I'm also REALLY interested in Indiana, where I'm very high on the waitlist. I visited there last week, and just returned from Rochester like 20 minutes ago! The big visiting weekend was Sunday-today, but a couple of people came late and are staying till tomorrow, and one visited last week and one is coming next week. I know that at least a couple of the people there had quite a few other options and are going to be making last-minute decisions. I can tell you for sure that one Renaissance person has accepted, and while I'm pretty sure that I met another Renaissance prospective, I'm blanking on who it was.

The medievalists there are wonderful, and I met a lot of people that I absolutely loved (profs, current students, and prospectives). They seemed pretty strong in Renaissance too.

If I find out/think of anything else that might be helpful, I'll let you know!

[the once and future grad]

I'm really sorry to hear that. I'm too terrified to e-mail her, as I don't have any other offers to accept at the moment. I know one of the three early modern admits accepted (he/she sent me a PM on this site). I know another was planning to accept (the guy from Clemson). I know Wrader was going to decide after his campus visits, but I don't think he's on the Gradcafe anymore. This whole process is going to be the death of me.

Last week, I received a phone call from the DGS at Notre Dame, wanting to know why I hadn't returned any of his e-mails and if I'd made a decision yet. I told him that I hadn't received any e-mails, and that the web site indicated that I was rejected. He said he'd look into it and get back to me--which he did via e-mail about 10 minutes later. He was working from the wrong list, and meant to call someone else with the same last name. I know that stuff like that is bound to happen with the huge numbers of applicants, and I actually felt bad for him (he really sounded embarrassed by the whole thing), but I'm starting to go stir crazy over here.

I met Wrader at Minnesota's visiting weekend, and he seemed pretty sure that he was going to choose them over Maryland, if that helps at all.

And that really sucks about the phone call. Sorry to hear that

[lcs]

Anyone accepted into Texas A&M's English M.A. program and turning it down? Also, does anyone know whether it is funded?

[Tybalt]

I met Wrader at Minnesota's visiting weekend, and he seemed pretty sure that he was going to choose them over Maryland, if that helps at all.

And that really sucks about the phone call. Sorry to hear that

No worries. I think the ND DGS felt worse about it than I did. I had already received my rejection, so I figured from the first that it was some kind of a mistake. It's easy for us to forget that the adcoms are insanely overworked this time of year. They're basically trying to sort through 300-500 applications using the same format that was used back when they only got 70-100 applications. Mistakes like that are bound to happen. Frankly, the most depressing part of the whole situation was the fact that I liked Notre Dame all the more for his reaction to his error. He's never going to see me again, and he could have been a jerk about it. Instead he apologized and showed genuine remorse for what was, in the end, a simple clerical error. For the folks going to Notre Dame--you've got a great DGS over there.

As for the wait list situation, I can only hope it works out. Ideally, everyone ends up at a place that fits them best.

[John_Duble_E]

Anyone accepted into Texas A&M's English M.A. program and turning it down? Also, does anyone know whether it is funded?

I'm a current Ph.D. student at A&M and, from what I understand, M.A. students will be funded in the sense that they receive a monthly stipend, but that they will not receive a tuition reduction or waiver. Have you not heard anything yet?

[digitality]

I just declined a funded offer for the University of Louisville's English rhet/comp program.

[Dr. Juice]

I finally caved and e-mailed both Dr. Ray and the DGS at Rochester to see if they had any updates. No response from either as of yet.

hey, not sure if you've heard from Rochester yet, but i have. Dr. Kegl replied to the e-mail i sent her declining my spot on the wait list: she said no spots have opened up there yet anyway. of course, i'm going for Restoration lit., so i don't know if that matters.

[lcs]

On 4/5/2011 at 11:44 PM, John_Duble_E said:

I'm a current Ph.D. student at A&M and, from what I understand, M.A. students will be funded in the sense that they receive a monthly stipend, but that they will not receive a tuition reduction or waiver. Have you not heard anything yet?

Just that I'm on the wait list. Do you like the program?

[mattyd05]

Just turned down an offer of admission to UNLV. Apparently they only have 4 funded spots this year, and I was among those selected for that small group. There are a host of reasons I'm not going, so I won't bore you with them here.

[snappysorbet]

Just turned down a fully funded Rhet/Comp PhD spot at UNC-Greensboro.

 

[jprufrock]

Declined NYU's generously funded PhD offer. Hope someone here gets it!

[ajm]

Declined NYU's generously funded PhD offer. Hope someone here gets it!

Any decisions being made about Stanford or Penn?

[mattyd05]

For one thing, 12k gross income with no summer teaching option is just not enough to live in the Vegas area. Rent, food, utilities, incidentals, etc - and you're talking about the most basic, pauper life. And while in and of itself that isn't a reason to decline admission, I've been having second thoughts about the whole Ph.D. thing for quite some time now. My only other admit this season was UGA, which was approximately the same 12k for teaching 3 classes per year (which would be easier to manage in Athens, GA than Las Vegas). I've been in school for 6 straight years now - I'm finishing up my M.A. at UB - so I honestly think I need a little time off to regain some perspective. I'm more than a little burnt out at the moment, and I don't want to go somewhere far away on a pittance if I'm not absolutely sure I'm doing this. So as of yesterday I turned down both offers and am taking at least 2 years off.

[mattyd05]

As far as the program is concerned, it is a perfect fit for me and it broke my heart a little to have to decline the offer.

[Vertigo23]

I have removed my name from the waitlist at Kent State.

[Tybalt]

For one thing, 12k gross income with no summer teaching option is just not enough to live in the Vegas area. Rent, food, utilities, incidentals, etc - and you're talking about the most basic, pauper life. And while in and of itself that isn't a reason to decline admission, I've been having second thoughts about the whole Ph.D. thing for quite some time now. My only other admit this season was UGA, which was approximately the same 12k for teaching 3 classes per year (which would be easier to manage in Athens, GA than Las Vegas). I've been in school for 6 straight years now - I'm finishing up my M.A. at UB - so I honestly think I need a little time off to regain some perspective. I'm more than a little burnt out at the moment, and I don't want to go somewhere far away on a pittance if I'm not absolutely sure I'm doing this. So as of yesterday I turned down both offers and am taking at least 2 years off.

Did you officially decline yet? If it's primarily the money issue, I know that they don't have a "standard" funding offer (I was offered 14k, which I might not be accepting depending on waitlist results and other job related concerns). Plus, they have the Rogers Fellowship ($25k + tuition waiver--I'm not sure how this is awarded or even if its awarded every year).

[DisneyLeith]

Declined a fully-funded offer from the University of Kentucky's English MA/PhD program.

[runonsentence]

Accepted PhD Rhet/Comp offer at Cincinnati! Declined full funding at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (that was a tough decision!!) and told Ohio University they could take me off their waitlist (I was apparently "very, very high" on their waitlist), both PhD in Rhet/Comp.

[QuentinComp]

Just declined SUNY Albany. Also took my name of the MA wait list at Boulder.

[Raputa]

I'm declining Rutgers, and I've taken myself off the wait-lists for SUNY Buffalo and UPenn. Going to Michigan!

Good Luck and congratulations everyone!

[lechatgris]

Turned down funded offers from Miami U and Texas A&M (both ph.d. lit.); took myself off the waitlist at LSU. Good luck, all!

[violaswamp]

I just turned down a PhD offer at Iowa. It wasn't full funding, only 50% with a lot of teaching and research responsibilities, but the money seemed doable to me. Also, I had been accepted off the wait-list. Good luck!!!!

Anyone turning down Iowa?

[bktv]

I just turned down a PhD offer at Iowa. It wasn't full funding, only 50% with a lot of teaching and research responsibilities, but the money seemed doable to me. Also, I had been accepted off the wait-list. Good luck!!!!

Just as a point of clarification, Iowa only offers full funding for PhD admits. A 50% appointment at Iowa (and elsewhere) IS full funding. It carries a full tuition waiver, stipend, and health insurance. The 50% number is based on a 40-hour work week. So a 100% appointment would be 40 hours. As a TA or Instructor, the idea is that you don't work more than 20 hours a week, and that is where 50% comes from.

[thenewkid]

Just turned down three offers:

• UMass- Amherst English Ph.D.-- plus Teaching Assistantship award
• CUNY Graduate Center Ph.D. -- plus Enhanced Chancellor's Fellowship
• College of William and Mary American Studies Ph.D.-- was wait-listed for a fellowship, but their funding is really good and I hope that someone else will benefit from being bumped up the waitlist another place!

Hope that helps some people out. Those are all really great places and there's money to be had.

That being said, I'm still waiting to hear from Michigan-- such a great program, great financial packages, and the DGS said she'd let me know ASAP, hopefully Monday. I hope people decline Michigan in droves today and tomorrow... to go to other great programs, of course!