Harvard Post

[TripWillis]

So, um... unless that first acceptance posted was their 1 person cohort, they appear to be late this year. I wonder if President's Day weekend threw a wrench in things. I feel like we should expect to hear today.

[Silent_G]

I was thinking maybe they were in touch with Brown and decided to be kind and only have one massacre per day...

[Stately Plump]

I'm praying for all of you!* Positive energy for us! +++

*I'm not actually praying, it just sounded like the right thing to say.

[TripWillis]

I'm praying for all of you!* Positive energy for us! +++

*I'm not actually praying, it just sounded like the right thing to say.

I will pray to lord god Xenu if it gets me into Harvard.

[DorindaAfterThyrsis]

I'm using the Force.

Jedi mind tricks work exceptionally well on stuffy academics.

[TripWillis]

I'm using the Force.

Jedi mind tricks work exceptionally well on stuffy academics.

*waves hand* You do not want to send me a rejection e-mail. You want to give me a $27,000/yr fellowship, plus healthcare and no teaching.

[Silent_G]

*waves hand* You do not want to send me a rejection e-mail. You want to give me a $27,000/yr fellowship, plus healthcare and no teaching.

This. Except I do want to teach.

[TripWillis]

I was just reading The Education of Henry Adams and there's this part in it where he's complaining about having to take a professorship at Harvard College, when he'd rather stay close to Washington politics. He just finds that kind of education "detestable," and thinks there's nothing worth being learned at Harvard.

It is poor timing for me to be reading this right now.

[Bayo]

You're still coherent enough to read? I've been in the middle of Julian Barnes's Man Booker winner for a few weeks now. And it's a tiny little thing.

[TripWillis]

Um so. What's going on? Did we miss the brief eclipse of Harvard notifications or something? Does gradcafe not get to see this one go down?

[hanoverkontent]

Ugh, I hear you, Trip. H,P,P,Y, and C need to sound their slughorns and wrap this season up.

[TripWillis]

HPPY C -- why does this look like a rapper's name?

Seriously though. What do they think, that they just command endless renown and prestige and can keep us all waiting until April? How many applications do they really have to look through? Can't be more than 700-800, right?

[deebee]

don't look now - P's off to the races

[DorindaAfterThyrsis]

Ugh.

I'm going to go tie my brain into knots writing about Milton, and pretend that I don't care about this.

[vivace41]

So I caved and emailed the department at Harvard asking when we should expect decisions. This is what I got back:

We expect the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to notify applicants of all Admissions decisions within the next few weeks. You should hear from them by mid-March.

I'm not really sure what to make of that. I'd like to think that this means that they haven't sent out acceptances yet, but I also imagine that accepted students would be contacted by the department and not GSAS. So it might just mean that my rejection is in the mail.

Still keeping my fingers crossed for everyone though!

[Stately Plump]

So I caved and emailed the department at Harvard asking when we should expect decisions. This is what I got back:

We expect the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to notify applicants of all Admissions decisions within the next few weeks. You should hear from them by mid-March.

I'm not really sure what to make of that. I'd like to think that this means that they haven't sent out acceptances yet, but I also imagine that accepted students would be contacted by the department and not GSAS. So it might just mean that my rejection is in the mail.

Still keeping my fingers crossed for everyone though!

I take that to mean, "We won't be bothered by your inquiry. We have not thought through your email in the least, and the truth is that we will probably get back to you this week. However, because we really are not sure, we are going to tell you mid-March, just to play it safe. Please don't email us again, and have a nice day. ."

(jk)

But seriously, best of luck to everyone! I'm excited to get to know all of you when we're classmates at Harvard! (<--- sunglasses to hide false sense of hope, while acknowledging deep down that I'm as good as rejected)

+++ energy for everyone!

[DorindaAfterThyrsis]

I must say, StatelyPlump, that your innate ability to use sunglasses to express such a wide range of emotion is truly remarkable, and one of my favourite features of these boards.

I, for one, think that this fact alone qualifies you as a Harvard scholar.

(<--- sunglasses to show solidarity....and to prevent myself from being blinded by your awesomeness)

[Isidore]

I feel like I'm in some twisted version of Requiem for a Dream - you know the crazy sped-up addiciton parts? That's me today: do 10 minutes of actual work, check phone, check e-mail, growl at coworker, check grad cafe, pull out hair, repeat (insert appropriate sound effects). This is SICK.

[hiphopanonymous]

I'd be pleasantly surprised if at any point during the day I managed to string together ten consecutive minutes of work.

[TripWillis]

I feel like I'm in some twisted version of Requiem for a Dream - you know the crazy sped-up addiciton parts? That's me today: do 10 minutes of actual work, check phone, check e-mail, growl at coworker, check grad cafe, pull out hair, repeat (insert appropriate sound effects). This is SICK.

Ass-to-ass.

Edit: BTW, that part where they're having the phone conversation near the end (right before it gets totally insane) is one of the most heartbreaking moments in any movie. Jennifer Connelly is terrific in that scene. I heard that they had them actually on the phone /w each other during it.

Edited February 22, 2012 by TripWillis

[TripWillis]

I'd be pleasantly surprised if at any point during the day I managed to string together ten consecutive minutes of work.

If you figure out how, please let me know. BTW, congrats on Rutgers... are you going? (See below)

[hiphopanonymous]

If you figure out how, please let me know. BTW, congrats on Rutgers... are you going? (See below)

Thanks, man. I hope your waitlist turns into an offer. So far Rutgers is my one and only. And plus also I applied to do early modern. In any case I'm excited to go visit and find out more.

[TripWillis]

Thanks, man. I hope your waitlist turns into an offer. So far Rutgers is my one and only. And plus also I applied to do early modern. In any case I'm excited to go visit and find out more.

Oh, okay. Well then you're excused. Maybe we'll be cohort mates!

Edited February 22, 2012 by TripWillis

[hiphopanonymous]

Oh, okay. Well then you're excused. Maybe we'll be cohort mates!

You're talking about Harvard, right? Natch.

[girlmostlikely]

"We won't be bothered by your inquiry. We have not thought through your email in the least, and the truth is that we will probably get back to you this week. However, because we really are not sure, we are going to tell you mid-March, just to play it safe. Please don't email us again, and have a nice day. ."

Save for the specific details re: application decisions, this pretty much describes every email I've gotten from ETS and a couple graduate school admissions offices. (I'm not naming names. Except, it's not you, Chicago, Columbia, or Rutgers.)

At this point, I just want Harvard to notify, and I want an implicit rejection. I know I say this from a point of privilege (acceptance to two top 10 programs, and acceptance to my three very top choices), but I am getting so overwhelmed corresponding with faculty and students from my current options. You were a much better fit than I thought you were, Harvard, and you have some GREAT new recent hires, but I can't handle any more.