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Fall 2015 Acceptances (!)


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Well, I suppose this is in the realm of "good news." While I didn't get accepted to UMD's Ph.D. program, I was offered acceptance to their M.A. program. So that's something, I suppose. It might be unfunded, or might be partially funded. The one reason why it's a true consideration for me is because it's fairly local -- my wife works in D.C., and we were going to be moving this year no matter what. Moving from the Virginia side of D.C. to the Maryland side is not a big deal, overall.

 

Had it been an M.A. offer from any of my other programs, it would be small consolation...but this might actually be worth considering.

 

If nothing else, I feel a little better about things overall. I was starting to fear that there was something profoundly undesirable about my applications in general...so to make the top 15% or so of applicants to UMD is at least partially relieving...

 

(Oh, and there's also the intangible Proflorax factor!)

 

Hmm...

DagNABBIT! TOTALLY was trying to up vote this, and I hit the wrong button!!! So now I look like a hater! Bah!! Stupid small-faced smartphones!!! Just know, HUGE happiness to you!!! And to all the other accepted!!!! Life is funny how it works us.^^

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Hey guys - this is my first post on GradCafe, as I figured it was time to stop lurking and join in. I'm one of the Brown admits; absolutely floored. 

Does anyone know if they usually do an admit weekend? I'm an international student and so this is all very muddy water for me. 

 

Empathy for all those in the red from Columbia, I'm there too. 

Probably you got the same email from the DGS that I just did, but in case they're sending it out piecemeal, it looks like their admit stuff is going to be the 18th-19th (W-Th) of March....

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Got a call while I was in the movies and assumed it was a telemarketer. Just saw they left a 2:00 minute voicemail, so I checked. Michigan acceptance?????

Congrats!! So great to hear!

 

I'm hoping they'll announce their joint English and Women's studies soon ^_^

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Thanks, WT!! Congratulations yourself! I'm glad you have some security in this process now.

Getting caught up on the thread--congrats to all the wonderful acceptances! This cohort is pretty amazing and wonderfully supportive. Great to see.

 

Thanks! Yes, my day has been getting better and better the more I think about it. Even though I wasn't expecting to go down the M.A. path (and who knows? I still have a few Ph.D. tongs in the fire), knowing that I've been accepted to a good program does indeed lift a huge burden off my shoulders and gives me a lot of security. The funding situation at UMD is surprisingly good, even for M.A.s...so it's a very strong option for me.

 

Something I completely forgot to mention earlier (and indeed, forgot about in general until I just re-read my SOP) is that I did, in fact, have contact with a POI at UMD last summer. I have no idea if that worked in my favor here or not, but it's probably worth mentioning. I'm starting to think that contact with POIs has more weight than we might think.

 

As for UMich, I know that poetics isn't your focus, but if you decide to go there, you may want to make a point of taking a course with Yopie Prins. She's quite fantastic.

Edited by Wyatt's Torch
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Congratulations~! I don't know if you've ever been to Atlanta, but GSU will put you in a fantastic area--cheap housing, cool and crazy music scene, delicious food, public transport that actually gets you places.There are so many college kids up in Midtown (which is like 7 minutes away from GSU, 15 by MARTA) because of Georgia Tech that you'd be able to find a great, cheap apartment with a bunch free amenities (to appeal to the Tech demographic) like free Wi-Fi and free laundry.

 

hypervodka I remember you got into Emory....are you planning to attend? currently weighing my options!

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hypervodka I remember you got into Emory....are you planning to attend? currently weighing my options!

 

I really, really, really liked the program, but I think I'm going to be a lot more sure about my choices once I get all of the campus visits out of the way. It's a great school, for sure.

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Thanks! Yes, my day has been getting better and better the more I think about it. Even though I wasn't expecting to go down the M.A. path (and who knows? I still have a few Ph.D. tongs in the fire), knowing that I've been accepted to a good program does indeed lift a huge burden off my shoulders and gives me a lot of security. The funding situation at UMD is surprisingly good, even for M.A.s...so it's a very strong option for me.

 

Something I completely forgot to mention earlier (and indeed, forgot about in general until I just re-read my SOP) is that I did, in fact, have contact with a POI at UMD last summer. I have no idea if that worked in my favor here or not, but it's probably worth mentioning. I'm starting to think that contact with POIs has more weight than we might think.

 

As for UMich, I know that poetics isn't your focus, but if you decide to go there, you may want to make a point of taking a course with Yopie Prins. She's quite fantastic.

 

Just my two cents, but an MA is useful. You'll become a stronger scholar because of it. In a couple years, you'll be able to get into programs you might not have access to now. You'll have more time to publish, more time to go to conferences, etc., and that's all great to have before you go on the job market. 

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I really, really, really liked the program, but I think I'm going to be a lot more sure about my choices once I get all of the campus visits out of the way. It's a great school, for sure.

 

Where else are you accepted? What do you like about Emory in particular? I've lived in Atlanta before and loved the area, for what it's worth:)

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Well, I suppose this is in the realm of "good news."

 

Indeed it is! You deserve every last "huzzah," friend.

 

And congrats to all the other admits of the day! Did the last two days set records for acceptances this season on GC? I think so! 

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Where else are you accepted? What do you like about Emory in particular? I've lived in Atlanta before and loved the area, for what it's worth:)

 

I was accepted to UMD, USC, Vanderbilt, and UCLA as well. Emory in particular was great because when I visited, it was very obvious that there were a lot of professors who were interested in my research and would be able to guide me through it. Everyone was extremely friendly and social, which is important to me, because I think the experience of writing a dissertation can potentially be very isolating. I have no backing in biocriticism and disability studies at all, but I do foresee my interests shifting in that direction, and Emory is probably one of the best, if not the best place for that, so there's truly a lot of room for my research interests to evolve with a hefty amount of faculty support.

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I was accepted to UMD, USC, Vanderbilt, and UCLA as well. Emory in particular was great because when I visited, it was very obvious that there were a lot of professors who were interested in my research and would be able to guide me through it. Everyone was extremely friendly and social, which is important to me, because I think the experience of writing a dissertation can potentially be very isolating. I have no backing in biocriticism and disability studies at all, but I do foresee my interests shifting in that direction, and Emory is probably one of the best, if not the best place for that, so there's truly a lot of room for my research interests to evolve with a hefty amount of faculty support.

 

congratulations!! What would you consider the "cons" of Emory? (I still haven't heard back yet but I'm hoping to get all opinions in the event that I receive an offer)

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congratulations!! What would you consider the "cons" of Emory? (I still haven't heard back yet but I'm hoping to get all opinions in the event that I receive an offer)

 

Hm... They're placement rate is very mediocre (as in average--about 55%), but that's largely because a lot of Emory's graduates graduate intending to have alt-ac or corporate careers. Virginia Highlands/Druid Hills is also a kind of crappy area for people without cars (like me) because you have to walk everywhere and crossing some of the roads are a suicide mission. And Druid Hills REALLY isn't my crowd... it's one of the affluent Atlanta neighborhoods. Good sidewalks, but only the hint of personality.

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Hm... They're placement rate is very mediocre (as in average--about 55%), but that's largely because a lot of Emory's graduates graduate intending to have alt-ac or corporate careers. Virginia Highlands/Druid Hills is also a kind of crappy area for people without cars (like me) because you have to walk everywhere and crossing some of the roads are a suicide mission. And Druid Hills REALLY isn't my crowd... it's one of the affluent Atlanta neighborhoods. Good sidewalks, but only the hint of personality.

 

Are you going for a TT job or an alt-ac position? hmmm I didn't realize Emory's placement rate was so low...I do love the Druid Hills area personally though.

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I was accepted to UMD, USC, Vanderbilt, and UCLA as well. Emory in particular was great because when I visited, it was very obvious that there were a lot of professors who were interested in my research and would be able to guide me through it. Everyone was extremely friendly and social, which is important to me, because I think the experience of writing a dissertation can potentially be very isolating. I have no backing in biocriticism and disability studies at all, but I do foresee my interests shifting in that direction, and Emory is probably one of the best, if not the best place for that, so there's truly a lot of room for my research interests to evolve with a hefty amount of faculty support.

Hey! How did we not talk about disability studies during our chat? That's one of my major research interests. I booked Robert McRuer to speak at our graduate student conference this year, and I started a DS in the Humanities reading group. We should talk shop someday! I'm reading Rosemarie Garland-Thomspon's Extraordinary Bodies right now to kick off my reading for comps. (I get really excited about fellow DS folks!)

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Just my two cents, but an MA is useful. You'll become a stronger scholar because of it. In a couple years, you'll be able to get into programs you might not have access to now. You'll have more time to publish, more time to go to conferences, etc., and that's all great to have before you go on the job market. 

 

I know this has been said somewhere else, too, but yeah, MAs are wonderful. They are definitely nothing to look down upon! When I first attempted to apply for a PhD three years ago, I was shut out. This time around, after a master's degree that really helped me hone research focus and gather better letters of rec, much more networking, research experience, and  professional growth, I am a much, much stronger applicant. An MA should be viewed as and embraced for what it is: an awesome stepping stone to bigger and better things!

Edited by mmmscience
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Well, I suppose this is in the realm of "good news." While I didn't get accepted to UMD's Ph.D. program, I was offered acceptance to their M.A. program. So that's something, I suppose. It might be unfunded, or might be partially funded. The one reason why it's a true consideration for me is because it's fairly local -- my wife works in D.C., and we were going to be moving this year no matter what. Moving from the Virginia side of D.C. to the Maryland side is not a big deal, overall.

 

Had it been an M.A. offer from any of my other programs, it would be small consolation...but this might actually be worth considering.

 

If nothing else, I feel a little better about things overall. I was starting to fear that there was something profoundly undesirable about my applications in general...so to make the top 15% or so of applicants to UMD is at least partially relieving...

 

(Oh, and there's also the intangible Proflorax factor!)

 

Hmm...

 

WT!!! This is fantastic news, congratulations!!!!

 

And congratulations to others on their acceptances on the ominous Friday the 13th. :D

Edited by fancypants09
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Hey! How did we not talk about disability studies during our chat? That's one of my major research interests. I booked Robert McRuer to speak at our graduate student conference this year, and I started a DS in the Humanities reading group. We should talk shop someday! I'm reading Rosemarie Garland-Thomspon's Extraordinary Bodies right now to kick off my reading for comps. (I get really excited about fellow DS folks!)

Have you, by chance, read Hideous Progeny by Angela Smith? I'm using it for an independent study this semester on representations of the "unruly" female body (Smith is one of the reasons I applied to Utah).

Also, it is so awesome that you got McRuer for your grad conference! (Though it's also just another reason to be bummed when I finallly get my UMD rejection.)

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Something I completely forgot to mention earlier (and indeed, forgot about in general until I just re-read my SOP) is that I did, in fact, have contact with a POI at UMD last summer. I have no idea if that worked in my favor here or not, but it's probably worth mentioning. I'm starting to think that contact with POIs has more weight than we might think.

 

As for UMich, I know that poetics isn't your focus, but if you decide to go there, you may want to make a point of taking a course with Yopie Prins. She's quite fantastic.

 

Just my two cents on this -- I didn't contact a single POI at universities I applied to, nor did I mention professors by name in my SOP, and my "fit" paragraph was basically one sentence and then I spent the rest of it talking about teaching experience (as something I could add to the department). I don't think it could hurt, certainly, especially if it's something that will provide peace of mind, and I do wonder if a pattern will emerge where we see that contact POIs appears to be a "requirement" at some schools but not others. But more than anything, I'm fascinated by how different everyone's application experiences and backgrounds are. 

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But more than anything, I'm fascinated by how different everyone's application experiences and backgrounds are. 

 

It is fascinating. In that distant day when I finally get to sit on an admissions committee, I won't be at all surprised if there are a few surefire cream-of-the-crop candidates, while the rest are decided by an epic canasta tournament.

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Well, I suppose this is in the realm of "good news." While I didn't get accepted to UMD's Ph.D. program, I was offered acceptance to their M.A. program. So that's something, I suppose. It might be unfunded, or might be partially funded. The one reason why it's a true consideration for me is because it's fairly local -- my wife works in D.C., and we were going to be moving this year no matter what. Moving from the Virginia side of D.C. to the Maryland side is not a big deal, overall.

Had it been an M.A. offer from any of my other programs, it would be small consolation...but this might actually be worth considering.

If nothing else, I feel a little better about things overall. I was starting to fear that there was something profoundly undesirable about my applications in general...so to make the top 15% or so of applicants to UMD is at least partially relieving...

(Oh, and there's also the intangible Proflorax factor!)

Hmm...

Congratulations WT
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Are you going for a TT job or an alt-ac position? hmmm I didn't realize Emory's placement rate was so low...I do love the Druid Hills area personally though.

 

My career goals are very flexible. I'd love to be a professor, but I also wouldn't mind working in a museum or as an archivist or as a strategic marketer or as a private school secretary or whatever. (This is actually an existential crisis that I'm working through atm while I'm making a decision... work in progress.) But I should ask for specifics, because I think the placement rate is different among different area groups.

 

Hey! How did we not talk about disability studies during our chat? That's one of my major research interests. I booked Robert McRuer to speak at our graduate student conference this year, and I started a DS in the Humanities reading group. We should talk shop someday! I'm reading Rosemarie Garland-Thomspon's Extraordinary Bodies right now to kick off my reading for comps. (I get really excited about fellow DS folks!)

 

 I REALLY don't know anything about disability studies, but I'd love to talk about it, if you're free sometime this coming week. Garland-Thompson is amazing.

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It is fascinating. In that distant day when I finally get to sit on an admissions committee, I won't be at all surprised if there are a few surefire cream-of-the-crop candidates, while the rest are decided by an epic canasta tournament.

 

I think about what happens in the adcom meetings quite often...sometimes I imagine it playing out like a reality TV show...something along the lines of The Apprentice. 

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