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Fall 2015 Acceptances (!)


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Just got this email from UMD:

 

"I am emailing to let you know that our Graduate admissions committee in Medieval and Renaissance studies has been very impressed by your application, and we are excited about the possibility of you joining our program next fall. We received some 200 applications and anticipate being able to admit 8 or 9 new students to our PhD program next year. You are currently in second place for the slot in Med-Ren. Most likely, we will only be able to make one admission in this field, but there is usually a lot of movement between early February and the middle of April. It is still very early in the process,and I am sure that you will have other attractive options. But if you remain seriously interested in UMD after you have a clearer sense of your options, we hope that you will visit our campus for our Open House event on Friday, 27 March. I would be happy to speak with you on the phone about this event and our program. If you give me a time and a phone number, I would be happy to call you at your convenience."

 

A bit confused on how to interpret this -- is this standard waitlisting language? Am I in the ambiguous realm of half-acceptance? I was under the impression that programs have one set waitlist, so I was a little surprised that individual "slots" have a pecking order. Also, is it typical to invite waitlisters to a program open house? Any body else come across something similar this cycle?

 

I'll end up getting in touch with the DGS directly; I'm just trying to figure where I stand before I go into that conversation. I'd appreciate any insight y'all might have! 

 

ETA: Having gotten over the initial shock of the email, I'm pretty confident this is a waitlisting. I suppose I had figured being put on the waitlist would be a little more straightforward, whereas my position seems to hinge on a number of other unmentioned conditionals. For example, am I to assume that if neither of their two early Americanist spots (or whatever) go unfilled, that I accepted even if Med-Ren #1 accepts? Ack! I need to stop fretting and just call them.

Edited by Ramus
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Just got this email from UMD:

 

"I am emailing to let you know that our Graduate admissions committee in Medieval and Renaissance studies has been very impressed by your application, and we are excited about the possibility of you joining our program next fall. We received some 200 applications and anticipate being able to admit 8 or 9 new students to our PhD program next year. You are currently in second place for the slot in Med-Ren. Most likely, we will only be able to make one admission in this field, but there is usually a lot of movement between early February and the middle of April. It is still very early in the process,and I am sure that you will have other attractive options. But if you remain seriously interested in UMD after you have a clearer sense of your options, we hope that you will visit our campus for our Open House event on Friday, 27 March. I would be happy to speak with you on the phone about this event and our program. If you give me a time and a phone number, I would be happy to call you at your convenience."

 

A bit confused on how to interpret this -- is this standard waitlisting language? Am I in the ambiguous realm of half-acceptance? I was under the impression that programs have one set waitlist, so I was a little surprised that individual "slots" have a pecking order. Also, is it typical to invite waitlisters to a program open house? Any body else come across something similar this cycle?

 

I'll end up getting in touch with the DGS directly; I'm just trying to figure where I stand before I go into that conversation. I'd appreciate any insight y'all might have! 

 

ETA: Having gotten over the initial shock of the email, I'm pretty confident this is a waitlisting. I suppose I had figured being put on the waitlist would be a little more straightforward, whereas my position seems to hinge on a number of other unmentioned conditionals. For example, am I to assume that if neither of their two early Americanist spots (or whatever) go unfilled, am I accepted even if Med-Ren #1 accepts? Ack! I need to stop fretting and just call them.

 

As far as I know, some schools only admit a certain number of students from each field, and have rankings and a wait list for each field.  So if the two early Americanist spots go unfilled, they will draw from the early Americanist wait list.  What I would inquire about in that email is whether you are 2nd place overall, or 2nd place on the waitlist.  

 

Either way, congrats!

Edited by NowMoreSerious
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You're killing me, Ramus, getting into all my top choice schools. ;) (I'm not Med/Ren).

Congratulations!!!! I've never been wait listed, but I'm sure plenty of others will chime in on that front. I know UMD guarantees funding, so it sounds like they really want you, but only have enough $ for one person in your specialty. It seems like they're also trying to gauge your interest in them, which is always a great place to be.

In any event, a huge congratulations is in order. As they say, a less than 5% acceptance rate, and clearly you're within the top 5%!

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Hi Ramus! Congrats. Yes, you are on the waitlist. Our incoming cohorts usually have one student per area (one rhet/comp, one medievalist, one 20th century scholar, etc) to achieve a balanced and well represented cohort. You will be offered admission if the #1 pick for your field declines.

A couple more things, Ramus: Ralph (our DGS) is extremely kind, fair, and approachable. Feel free to ask him any and all questions that come to mind. Also, the med/Ren PhD student from my cohort was just over at my house yesterday dropping food off (my cohort has been wonderfully supportive of me procreating). He was telling me how the biggest challenge of building his committee is that there are so many supportive and brilliant Renaissance scholars to choose from, he isn't sure who he wants to leave out! It's a pretty great problem to have. He also just published in Spenser Studies, so you'll be sure to have committed and productive colleagues in your field.

Let me know if you want to chat more specifically about UMD, Ramus, and any other acceptee/waitlister!

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Hi Ramus! Congrats. Yes, you are on the waitlist. Our incoming cohorts usually have one student per area (one rhet/comp, one medievalist, one 20th century scholar, etc) to achieve a balanced and well represented cohort. You will be offered admission if the #1 pick for your field declines.

A couple more things, Ramus: Ralph (our DGS) is extremely kind, fair, and approachable. Feel free to ask him any and all questions that come to mind. Also, the med/Ren PhD student from my cohort was just over at my house yesterday dropping food off (my cohort has been wonderfully supportive of me procreating). He was telling me how the biggest challenge of building his committee is that there are so many supportive and brilliant Renaissance scholars to choose from, he isn't sure who he wants to leave out! It's a pretty great problem to have. He also just published in Spenser Studies, so you'll be sure to have committed and productive colleagues in your field.

Let me know if you want to chat more specifically about UMD, Ramus, and any other acceptee/waitlister!

 

Thanks for the clarification, proflorax! This is incredibly helpful. I'll be in touch towards the end of the month or the beginning of next, once I've got a better sense of the options available to me.

 

You're killing me, Ramus, getting into all my top choice schools. ;) (I'm not Med/Ren).

Congratulations!!!! I've never been wait listed, but I'm sure plenty of others will chime in on that front. I know UMD guarantees funding, so it sounds like they really want you, but only have enough $ for one person in your specialty. It seems like they're also trying to gauge your interest in them, which is always a great place to be.

In any event, a huge congratulations is in order. As they say, a less than 5% acceptance rate, and clearly you're within the top 5%!

 

 

Thanks! That's very kind. I'm sending best wishes your way for locking down one of your top choices. And let me extend a belated congratulations on MSU. They sound like a great option; I have a buddy in their program and he's always singing praises about them. 

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Sarcat I think UCR humanities are about to go. I checked my application status (complit) this evening and it is no longer under review, but a decision has not yet been posted. Something is coming soon!

Ahhh oh god. Fingers crossed for the both of us!

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Congratulations to you marvellous people who were accepted/waitlisted during the night!

 

I'm sending positive vibes to everybody waiting to receive good news! :wub:  :wub:  :wub:

 

 Between caution/diplomacy or spontaneous public freak out, I will ALWAYS choose the latter...  :)

 

Haha, I'm glad I'm not the only one!

Edited by Katla
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Thanks! That's very kind. I'm sending best wishes your way for locking down one of your top choices. And let me extend a belated congratulations on MSU. They sound like a great option; I have a buddy in their program and he's always singing praises about them. 

 

Many thanks, and that's very good to hear! So far the only person who has had anything to say about MSU is one of my letter writers (being on the east coast, we don't get a ton of midwesterners), so it is great to know that about a member of the program.

 

I just got into UCLA!! I am totally in shock right now. Felicity Nussbaum.

 

Purdue Acceptance! :) First full-acceptance! Any other Purdue admits?

 

A huge congrats to the both of you! AMAZING programs!

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