Duke Graduate Program in Literature

[desperate_straights]

As the curtains begin to draw shut on any hopes I might have had to be accepted into a Ph.D. program (2nd round of applications), I'm wondering if anyone's heard anything from the GPL at Duke. Hard to tell from the forum.

[kfed2020]

I know a couple of people who are flying down for the interview this week/end.

[LOLhedgefunds]

So - having heard nothing, one should assume the worst?

[DEClarke85]

I've already been rejected. It feels like it was a month ago, but it's only been about 2 weeks. Maybe you are waitlisted?

[Lisa]

I still haven't heard anything either. Please let me know if anyone finds out anything.

[Phedre]

Hey, I got into Duke Lit last year, but I don't know if they are changing things this year. Last year they only took their incoming class and waitlist from the interview pool... so sorry to burst the bubbles of people, but I think if you weren't invited to interview, it doesn't look very good.

[klh]

In the same boat: haven't heard anything, finding it difficult to sift through the search results. I guess all signs point to no interview = no dice.

Applied to: Duke, Stanford, UVA, Michigan, Notre Dame,  Brown, Cornell, Berkeley, WUSTL

Waiting: Duke, Cornell, Berkeley

Accepted: Brown, Stanford, Notre Dame, Michigan, WUSTL

Rejected: UVA

[kfed2020]

Still, though, KLH, you're in a quite wonderful position. Congrats on those acceptances!! Where are you leaning?

[MyshkinLit]

Someone recently posted being waitlisted for Duke's Literature program-- did you, or anyone who has been admitted/waitlisted this year, attend this "recruitment" weekend or have a phone interview? If they only accept/consider people from that pool, then why not send the rest of us (me) a rejection letter already? What does it take to let the losers know when they are losing? ! But I, and maybe others here in the forum, would appreciate a word from the accepted/waitlisted.

Thanks everyone!

[ThePoet]

Hi MyshkinLit,

A friend of mine attended the recruitment weekend, and he basically said that if you weren't there, you've been rejected.

Sorry to break the news- I'm in the same boat. I'm also waiting for them to let me know if I was rejected/waitlisted

[MyshkinLit]

I know I was not accepted--not being invited to the recruitment weekend--but I have yet to receive my official rejection. I feel completely forgotten. I have an "ethnic" (non-White) name; maybe they misspelled. I know they sent out rejections end of last week, but I haven't heard anything. What assholes, to keep me waiting this long while already having decided on incoming class (or who they are considering for the incoming class). Anyone else in my situation?

[Lisa]

I never got a letter in the mail, but i did finally get an email last week saying my status was updated online with the rejection letter attached.

[halfpint]

I also got an e-mail telling me to check my status on the website. They said only accepted students would receive a formal letter via postal mail.

[MyshkinLit]

I haven't received any kind of notification: on website, via email, or postal. No contact made at all. Strange, no? Anyone else in my situation, on my island with me?

[ripley9]

I just received the rejection email - no surprise, except for how long it took. I even called last week and was told my application was 'still being processed.' Anyway, my last name begins with an M so I don't know if they're doing it alphabetically, one letter per day, or something like that.

[uhdare]

Don't feel bad. I was an undergrad in this department, and now work at the school and keep in close contact with several professors. I have heard they are excepting about half the usual number of grad students this year due to cost cuts, and the department has a reputation for accepting international students. So if you've been rejected or didn't get invited out for an interview, it's probably got nothing to do with the strength of your application.