Yellow#5 Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 It's hardly creepy or desperate. You may not have noticed, you are not the only one posting on grad cafe :shock: I hope you get in, I know you've been waiting on them for a while.
orinincandenza Posted February 19, 2009 Author Posted February 19, 2009 Touche. And thanks. I'm sure if I do you'll hear about it.
joeygiraldo Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 I'm still pissed I haven't heard ONE WORD! Ugh.........
Yellow#5 Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 As MDLee said on another thread about applications that are held a long time: By all means, Dr. BigTimeUniversityChair...hold it. Hug it. Get to know it. No news is good news.
Yellow#5 Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 You are quickly becoming my favorite crazy person.
mentalyoga Posted February 21, 2009 Posted February 21, 2009 Just heard back from them, via a letter, today. Waitlisted. However, the letter said I'm very near the top of the waitlist--anyone know if this is just the blanket comment they give all waitlisted candidates? They also said to contact them if they were one of my top choices (I suppose so they know if they're wasting their time by holding on to me). My answer is yes on that front--anyone know the etiquette for this? A quick email, simply stating my interest? A phone call? An email detailing why I'd really, really like them to magically accept me instead of holding me in limbo?
joeygiraldo Posted February 21, 2009 Posted February 21, 2009 Same boat for me. Same worded letter too. BTW: I don't think I need to tell people that the acceptance in the results with $35,000/year and first class flight is fake as hell.
mentalyoga Posted February 21, 2009 Posted February 21, 2009 Same boat for me. Same worded letter too. BTW: I don't think I need to tell people that the acceptance in the results with $35,000/year and first class flight is fake as hell. Maybe we're both really wonderful candidates.
joeygiraldo Posted February 21, 2009 Posted February 21, 2009 Maybe we're both really wonderful candidates. Yea you're forgetting Orin too (see last page). Already three of us in this lil' forum, seems like a big waitlist....ha Yep, I'm really not holding my breath. I'm sure all three of us will reply saying we're dying to get in (already did, in fact) along with the others on the list. Ugh. This app. season has been so brutal I would expect nothing less than so much firefighting to even hear the slightest inclination of acceptance.
myzzm Posted February 21, 2009 Posted February 21, 2009 All of this drama and still...I have not heard from Brandeis.
mentalyoga Posted February 21, 2009 Posted February 21, 2009 myzzm said: All of this drama and still...I have not heard from Brandeis. Well, at least you've got two acceptances to rely on. I thought hearing back from a program would relieve some pressure, but then still hearing nothing from my other four programs and getting waitlisted by them only increased the anxiety. I feel like an already taut wire being stretched and stretched--I'm really hoping to get some good news this week. Certainly makes me regret not applying to more than 5 schools, but money was super tight last semester...
orinincandenza Posted February 21, 2009 Author Posted February 21, 2009 Mentalyoga, I think no news is good news re your other schools. This does seem like a big waitlist, if we're three on it and I'm assuming more candidates who don't hang on the grad cafe. I'm trying hard not to get my hopes up for that reason, but I'm crossing my fingers that three accepted Brandeis candidates will get into WashUÂ or Brown or something, and we'll all be so in. Joey: you think that was a fake results post? How come? I know in the carefully-worded letter of ours they talk about how they fully fund all PhD students...is 35k way too much or something? I just don't know my way around the whole financing part very well yet.
mentalyoga Posted February 21, 2009 Posted February 21, 2009 But I'm still hoping to get into Brown and WashU! Haha. Certainly not a firmly-grasped hope, I should add. I would imagine we have at least a decent chance, as those immediately accepted are probably (hopefully) getting lots of other acceptances to choose among, too. And I think the fact that Brandeis is having some financial and political issues right now might turn off those sorts of people...whereas, for me, I just want to be in. I suppose it's getting down to the wire for me--I was hoping to make school visits over Spring Break, which is a mere two weeks away here, and if this terrifying not-knowing continues, I'll be in quite a sticky fix. We'll see...
joeygiraldo Posted February 21, 2009 Posted February 21, 2009 Mentalyoga, I think no news is good news re your other schools. Joey: you think that was a fake results post? How come? I know in the carefully-worded letter of ours they talk about how they fully fund all PhD students...is 35k way too much or something? I just don't know my way around the whole financing part very well yet. If you are in grad school and are being given 35k/year, you are living like a king. There is no school in the country that gives that amount for an English PhD, the most I've seen is 20-22k/year. Even the science programs, which obviously provide larger stipends, AT BEST offer 30k/year..... so you must understand that 35k/year for an ENGLISH PROGRAM and for Brandeis WHO IS IN A BAD FINANCIAL SITUATION RIGHT NOW is impossible.
Comfect Posted February 22, 2009 Posted February 22, 2009 Brandeis' offer, at least for me, was 20k for the first year, renewable based on good standing. That may or may not be a standard offer; I really have no idea.
royalt3240 Posted February 22, 2009 Posted February 22, 2009 Indeed, I'm pretty nuts -- or so most people think. Though I haven't really let loose on this forum until now... :shock:
royalt3240 Posted February 22, 2009 Posted February 22, 2009 Well, I do find the obnoxiously generic "compliment" sandwich that is the typical boilerplate of rejection letters to be so irritating as I'm sure most people find it. There were lots of applicants. We couldn't accept them all, even excellent ones. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.. BLE BLE BLE.. BLAH BLAH BLAH! Therefore, we are unable to offer you admission. We hope that you are able to pursue your graduate studies elsewhere, except not here -- don't come knocking, don't talk to us, don't ask why you were rejected, if you can get more feedback, just toddle off, slink away with head held LOW, crestfallen, banished, forlon, oh be pitiable, pathetic, cry, sob, ask why oh why you weren't accepted, YES, YES, be SAD, but ... do NOTTT.. EVERRRRRR... bother us again. In fact, just go take that nose dive off a cliff you were thinking about just about 20 seconds ago. We adcoms laughed at your application, uproariously -- think of a cabal maniacally laughing away at how deliciously evil their plans are. Indeed, that was us. Just HA-HA-HA'ing your stupid little admission fee to the bank and smiling with broad satisfaction. Fool. This is awesome. You should be accepted just for this.
rinneron Posted February 24, 2009 Posted February 24, 2009 Here here. Seriously vecrhite, I look for your posts now. If for nothing else than to cheer myself up a bit.
myzzm Posted February 24, 2009 Posted February 24, 2009 An update on that chaos that is Brandeis: After logging in for the first time to the website they discreetly attached in a general "thanks for applying" e-mail, I found that the Graduate School is reporting my SOP as missing!!! I mailed my SOP with my CV and my writing sample and have confirmation from USPS that it arrived at their office on Dec 24th. I would assume they never received it because of the office being closed but... they received my writing sample! What's going on?! I hope that someone just didn't report it to the website and that the adcom has my materials under review. If they don't.. this is a disaster because I know some decisions have already been made! The most important document is the SOP! I don't know what is going to come of this crisis, but I'm shaking with frustration.
rinneron Posted February 24, 2009 Posted February 24, 2009 Eeek! Good luck myzzm, all my well wishes go to you -- call them in the morning and demand an answer. Well, nicely perhaps, but DEMAND. This isn't the sort of thing they should let happen.
Yellow#5 Posted February 24, 2009 Posted February 24, 2009 I sent my application to Brandeis quite early and noticed a similar "missing" materials remark...the GRE general was received but not the GRE subject. I emailed them and they corrected it. Seriously, I think their admissions office is a bit understaffed and they don't necessarily log everything.
orinincandenza Posted February 26, 2009 Author Posted February 26, 2009 Nothing here. Mentalyoga, where you at?
mentalyoga Posted February 26, 2009 Posted February 26, 2009 Still nada. Brandeis is looking to be my only chance at grad school next year, so I'm anxiously crossing all fingers and toes at this point. Since this waitlist, got a rejection from the one program I thought I'd surely make it through to, and the other three are not looking promising. I suppose stranger things have happened, but the odds are pretty stacked against me, I must say. Even the professors I'm close to are subtly giving me advice on the reapplication process. I've not given up hope entirely, but I'm really feeling as though the rug has been pulled out from under me right about now. Good luck to us all, though!
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now