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0% Confidence of Acceptance


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Don't forget the ridiculous Interfolio fees! I would've been happy to forgo that service, but one of my recommenders hinted that she'd be less likely to give a recommendation if I didn't use it. Hmph. It really does add up. I made a spreadsheet to keep track of all the expenses, what I had already paid, the state of my savings, etc. When I look at it now I just want to cry, hah. I could've gotten that new laptop that I so desperately need (to the extend to which anyone "needs" a laptop) instead of failing miserably at applying to grad school.
Seriously!!!!! It's going to be bad enough telling people I bombed at apps, but my parents may kill me if I don't get in anywhere (they paid for a couple apps for a Christmas present and I wasn't able to fly home for Christmas or Thanksgiving because I had to work on apps). Not to mention my relationship... I'm pretty sure if my bf and I would be in serious trouble if we didn't live together. The thought of locking myself away every weekend for six months to work on apps with a 2% acceptance rate is daunting to say the least.
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What's up with Penn!! Two wait-listers and three email acceptances, two of which are international? Seems odd. I do hope they'll be making some phone calls this evening for domestic acceptances. I haven't been able to focus on anything all day.

No but seriously what is up with them? Again, not expecting anything but this is strange. Unless all acceptances went out but there were no domestic acceptees who post here...

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No but seriously what is up with them? Again, not expecting anything but this is strange. Unless all acceptances went out but there were no domestic acceptees who post here...

 

I don't know, it's super odd. I'm holding on to the hope that there will be more news tomorrow. Or potentially calls in a little while? As ridiculous as this might seem I have to think so...it's my top choice and I don't want to bear that kind of heartbreak right now. 

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I'm also hoping for Penn but the fact that people have been wait listed already leaves me with little hope.

 

I know...but hey, Duke wait listed some before acceptances were sent out. Hold on to that...at least I am....trying to.

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dunno, but i can't login to my account. site is down for users it seems.

 

Just did...doesn't say anything on there except that my app was completed so, not much of a revelation there.

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It isn't over until its over!

*It isn't over until Rutgers notifies.

Fixed that for you.

(Oh please, Rutgers. You were always a favorite.)

ETA but actually though. I'm still not convinced Penn is done. I'm just convinced I won't make the cut.

Edited by girl who wears glasses
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*It isn't over until Rutgers notifies.

Fixed that for you.

(Oh please, Rutgers. You were always a favorite.)

ETA but actually though. I'm still not convinced Penn is done. I'm just convinced I won't make the cut.

 

You got this, girlwhowearsglasses. I have faith in you. And in a few weeks, you're gonna be all: funny-gifs-deal-with-it-2.gif

 

Cause that's what being a boss looks like.

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Marie-luise, why did you only apply to one program? Do you not really want to study anymore if you can't study at harvard?

 

In short: yes. Although it has less to do with it being Harvard.

 

This is the only programme in combination with the only professor I can see myself spending at least another six years in. He is a brilliant academic and an incredibly nice man, and, if I may say so, the kind of academic I aspire to be. Harvard's Comp Lit programme is also ranked nr 1 and looking at what courses and secondary fields you can do, it seemed a perfect fit in that respect, too. Plus, my best friend is there and some other friends I have made in Celtic.  It just seemed right. I will re-apply once if I don't get in this season. But after that, I will stay on the Celtic job market and try to expand into other fields.

I want to be an (Indo-)European literary scholar, someone like Dumézil, though less heavy on the mythological side, and heavier on the criticism side and the linguistic side. I like being strong in both philology (hence all the languages), but at the same time have a good grasp of the theory (and this is where Harvard comes in). I want to be a medieval comparatist, but with a background in historical linguistics (in which I'd do a secondary field), but I also want to draw on languages and cultures that have been neglected by the European mainstream: Russian (Medieval Russian lit is fairly neglected even within it's own field of Slavic Studies; it's all about the Classics; Modern Russian criticism has largely been untranslated and provides new insights into familiar material) and Celtic to a certain extent. Old Irish literature has incredible themes, but it's a difficult language to learn, so not many people learn it.

I am also very fond of learning modern languages and will keep doing that as long as I live.

 

That's the long answer.

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Thank you, dazedandbemused.

 

No probs. :D I think it's most difficult right now because there has been so much news already, but so many schools haven't really even started doing any notifications yet. All you need is one! I think you'll get more, though. Darkest before dawn and all that, eh?

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No probs. :D I think it's most difficult right now because there has been so much news already, but so many schools haven't really even started doing any notifications yet. All you need is one! I think you'll get more, though. Darkest before dawn and all that, eh?

Love. I'm still smarting from not hearing from Brandeis on Friday and it's making it a bit difficult to be as kind to myself as I would be to strangers on the Internet. I hope you're right!

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And is that all for UVA or are they waitlisting before accepting (like Duke)?

 

srsly, WTF is up with Virginia? It seems like there just isn't enough up on the board for them...

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srsly, WTF is up with Virginia? It seems like there just isn't enough up on the board for them...

 

Yeah, I'm kind of surprised I haven't gotten my rejection from them yet. But maybe they're one of those schools that just hangs on to our apps until May and then goes "Oh yeah, might as well reject those losers already."

 

How many do they usually accept? Because five does seem like a very small number, even not counting the hundreds of people not on gradcafe.

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srsly, WTF is up with Virginia? It seems like there just isn't enough up on the board for them...

 

UVa English always does this. They historically have trickled their acceptances out really slowly because they can't afford to over-matriculate, so they make a really small initial batch of offers and continue to take a couple of people at a time off the wait list* as (or if) the initial acceptees decline. Their funding is quite good but it is limited, so they have to be careful about the number of students they bring in.

 

*As far as I understand it's not a "wait list" in the traditional sense, more an "acceptance-pending-space list," which is why they don't typically inform applicants they're on a "wait list." Any wait list notices on the board may suggest they're changing that policy to give people more information about their statuses this year.

Edited by Phil Sparrow
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