Final Decisions?

[spasticlitotes]

So, basically, no one has really decided yet?

[Stately Plump]

So, basically, no one has really decided yet?

hahahahahaha!

+1

[TripWillis]

I can't tell you how much I would love to be decided right now so I can stop the madness.

[perrykm2]

So, basically, no one has really decided yet?

I see your avatar is Katie from Horton Hears A Who.

Truly a cinematic masterpiece.

[spasticlitotes]

hahahahahaha!

+1

I'll go ahead and take that as confirmation.

I see your avatar is Katie from Horton Hears A Who.

Truly a cinematic masterpiece.

AND YES - zomg. Cutest thing ever. This scene, especially, seems to reflect me completely:

In my world, everyone really does eat rainbows and poop butterflies...

[myriadways]

I can't tell you how much I would love to be decided right now so I can stop the madness.

There. Is. So. Much. MADNESS.

[Jbarks]

I have a question for everyone. I've been accepted to three schools so far. I have already positively ruled out one-- funding reasons, fit, etc. I know how to craft a rejection letter, but I'm not sure when to do it. My conundrum is I have a call with the DGS of the program this weekend, but I already know no matter what I will not be accepting an offer to this school. I don't want to do the call and waste her time when I know it's not the program for me. Should I just go ahead and send the email? I'm thinking so, but I wanted a few opinions first.

[rainy_day]

I have a question for everyone. I've been accepted to three schools so far. I have already positively ruled out one-- funding reasons, fit, etc. I know how to craft a rejection letter, but I'm not sure when to do it. My conundrum is I have a call with the DGS of the program this weekend, but I already know no matter what I will not be accepting an offer to this school. I don't want to do the call and waste her time when I know it's not the program for me. Should I just go ahead and send the email? I'm thinking so, but I wanted a few opinions first.

If you know you will be rejecting them, I'd say go ahead and do so now. Why waste your time and that of the DGS? If you think there is even a glimmer that the phone call may change your mind, then go ahead and hear them out, though.

[rubyrunner]

I don't want to do the call and waste her time when I know it's not the program for me. Should I just go ahead and send the email? I'm thinking so, but I wanted a few opinions first.

I just faced the same dilemma. The prospect of a phone conversation with the DGS made me realize that I would not be attending the school, and I didn't feel right taking up his time. Writing the e-mail and hitting the "decline" button gave me a huge sense of relief, as I'm sure it will for you. Plus, you'll make someone on the wait list very happy.

(Weirdly, my husband was against me declining schools early. His reasoning? "What if the other schools rescind their offers?" I was like, "WHY would you put that into my head?")

[Jbarks]

Thanks, Rainy_Day. I was leaning toward this. I just needed outside perspective. My brain capacity has been dwindling for weeks.

[marlowe]

Oh, I remember the old JBarks that thought he wasn't getting in anywhere. Now he has more offers than anyone.

[spasticlitotes]

My brain capacity has been dwindling for weeks.

At least you've got some capacity left. All these rejections have been making me doubt my initial beliefs in having any kind of capacity. Somebody make it end. Is there anyone else who is waiting on more than 9 schools? Because that would make me feel better.

[antioxidant]

grimwig, i'm not sure what your research interests are, but if you're literary-theoretically-inclined at all i'd caution you to stay away from ox. a member of my cohort at cambridge that had done his ugrad at ox had a hard time getting up to speed because many ox professors still considers authorial intention to be a key element of literary study, whereas it has been all but discarded at a lot of other schools.

edit - columbia and brown also have european campuses (columbia's campus in paris is supposed to be spectacular)

I'd say English at Oxford is more historicist/contextual rather than heavy on authorial intent.

[wreckofthehope]

I'd say English at Oxford is more historicist/contextual rather than heavy on authorial intent.

Yes, definitely. It does depend a lot on what college you go to as an undergrad, though - certainly my college was very historicist. Some colleges do have a more theoretical approach (Balliol, possibly) but as an undergrad the approach that dominates basically depends upon the interests of the two or so English professors at you college. I feel like, generally, historicism is the most common framework at Oxford and that as a graduate student that is what you'd be most likely to come across from the people you work with.

[Bandreac]

I accepted an offer from U of Arizona's literature program. Fully funded with a TAship.

[eriksmegs]

(Weirdly, my husband was against me declining schools early. His reasoning? "What if the other schools rescind their offers?" I was like, "WHY would you put that into my head?")

Ha ha, I had the opposite experience. I was having trouble making myself decline an offer and my husband was pretty sympathetic, but the second I half-jokingly asked "but what if my other school rescinds their offer?" he rolled his eyes and made me sit down and decline right then. And I felt much better.

[perrykm2]

No joke, there was a post on Reddit about someone who believed he had been accepted to his dream program, then turned down all the other programs, then got an email like, "OOPS, WE MADE A MISTAKE, you didn't get in at all."

[siarabird]

No joke, there was a post on Reddit about someone who believed he had been accepted to his dream program, then turned down all the other programs, then got an email like, "OOPS, WE MADE A MISTAKE, you didn't get in at all."

I saw that post! It was horrific. I hope he decided to take legal action or something, considering that he ended up declining all of his other offers. I believe that the University that fake-accepted him at least owes him something in damages. Then again, if I were in his shoes, I would be worried about how taking any kind of action would look to future grad programs...gah! What a horrible position to be in. Poor guy.

[perrykm2]

Ugh, I know. I feel so bad for him. What a horrible and cruel mistake. ;[