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So, two rejections yesterday. Not a very good weekend. And now I've got tons of tiny details to contend with:

Brandeis rejections were sent out via postal service, and were postmarked Feb 4th, according to the results page. I'm out of state, so it's totally possible this notice could come today or tomorrow. But what throws me off is an email I got from them on the 5th, inviting me to a live chat session for prospective grads. Would they really send this if my rejection letter was in the mail? Boy I hope not.

My question is: has anyone been accepted to Brandeis? Or applied and not been rejected? Or heard anything?

I know I'm reading into every little thing here, but one of the schools I was rejected from this weekend was supposed to be my back-up. If Brandeis is a no as well, I think I might be out of the game.

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orinincadenza, if you do get wait listed/accepted, please post and let us know how things look at Brandeis. I'm already rejected, but may reapply. I know they were hit hard in the Madoff scandal, but their English department is really great. I may reapply next year if nothing goes my way.

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orinincandenza,

Thanks for keeping me and the rest of the readers in mind. All my friends are telling me Brandeis is a crappy school because I didn't get in and they think it's what I want to hear, but their program interests me, they are still a good school in my mind (even without me) and, hey, there's always next year.

I just don't want to read general news stories about losses to endowments and generalize what that might mean for the one tiny department of the school that I care about.

Edit:

Oh and BUMMER on the spam. Spammers should have their hands chopped of and be thrown in Guantanamo Bay, just in the general case, but in a case like yours, they should suffer a thousand bee-stings first.

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Brandeis has been toying with me all week. I've heard of these rejection letters, but haven't received one yet...so I'm hoping for the "no news is good news" for the time being. Maybe stupidly, I thought Brandeis was one of the schools I had a really great chance of being accepted to, especially considering my specialization in relation to two of the big faculty members. But I'm trying not to get my panties in a twist, though god knows the empty mailbox all week hasn't helped.

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Don't over think it, mentalyoga.

My application was probably much more sucky than yours, so I've been rewarded by being allowed to learn my fate earlier than you.

Aw, no reason to believe yours was 'suckier.' My frustration with this whole process is that everything seems like a shot in the dark. I know a friend last year who got full funding to a school that was ranked higher, 'better on paper,' generally more prestigious, etc.--and was outright rejected to one she expected easy acceptance to. And so not really having a clue as to what might pull weight is what bothers me. I mean, for example, my GREs aren't spectacular, but I've heard that writing samples are really highlighted in the process (and I know mine is really strong)--but then, I hear that GREs are one of the 'first cuts' made, so maybe my sample won't even be seen. It's the not having any straws to grasp at that gets under my skin.

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I'm with you, mentalyoga. I now feel not all confident about my Brandeis (or other) prospects, because I've gotten three rejections and don't understand why. I mean, I understand why -- it's because there are other people out there who are more qualified and a better fit for these programs, but I wish it were possible for schools to indicate why you didn't make the cut. This year, I improved my writing sample, wrote a whole new SoP, and brought my GRE V scores up a hundred points. If I have to do all this all over again (for a third time; sick), it'd be tough to go through all of it without a more or less guaranteed spot in a program. I certainly don't mean to sound like I think I'm entitled to a spot, or that the process is unfair -- I just I wish I knew what I was doing wrong.

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actually I do. Yes.

this year has seen numerous suspicious notifications and members of other grad communities seem to agree.

was it you? if it's true then congratulations. rest of us are gonna go sulk in a ditch somewhere because this application season has been horrible for most.

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I just got a call and email from Brandeis, accepting me. However, I posit that something is wrong in the department, at least as regards my acceptance. I'll cut/paste the key phrase for you:

The committee was very impressed with your qualifications and found your writing sample on the death of Antigone especially insightful and original.

I wouldn't dare comment on my qualifications :? but...this isn't right. I work on Shakespeare. I submitted my thesis chapter on The Winter's Tale. I have never written about the death of Antigone in my life.

Something's weird.

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To keep myself sane, I keep thinking that the prof who is supposed to call me from Brandeis and other programs that have already sent out rejections that I haven't received is just being lazy, or on vacation, or forgot...

This most likely is not the case, but helps to ease the angst. I live 20 minutes outside of Waltham. My rejection letter should have arrived by now. Is anyone else becoming distrustful of their postman?

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Whoa. These new twists are almost too much. Potentially fake acceptance claims? Epic adcom mistakes? If I wasn't waiting so painfully to hear from them myself, I might find this genuinely entertaining.

Comfect, a congratulations is in order, and also a reminder to not worry about it too much -- it's totally possible that whoever wrote that email got momentarily confused by all the hundreds of writing samples they've read. I feel like if you heard someone's voice on the other end of the line saying yes, you are in, then you've got nothing to worry about.

To the rest of us, I submit Kells' plea for real talk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdaAWFoWr2c,

in the sincere and urgent hope that the Brandeis admissions folks will give us some of it asap.

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Thanks orinincandenza. :) I've actually checked with the admissions people, and yes, they did mean me. But I'd still suggest that they're not completely operating at 100%, so no one should worry too much about a slow roll-out of admissions. They're a bit out of it :arrow: things might go slowly.

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Aaaaand I'm waitlisted. At what's my #1 choice. I'm super excited but nervous and scared. This is the first non-rejection I've received, but I'll also be really bummed if I don't get in. Now how to let them know that I REALLY want to go there without seeming desperate or creepy (they have asked me to let them know)?

The purgatory continues. Phase two, in which Orin gets his oats.

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Aaaaand I'm waitlisted. At what's my #1 choice. I'm super excited but nervous and scared. This is the first non-rejection I've received, but I'll also be really bummed if I don't get in. Now how to let them know that I REALLY want to go there without seeming desperate or creepy (they have asked me to let them know)?

Orin,

do you want me to email them a link to your post?

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