Waiting to Exhale (the wait list thread)

[1Q84]

1Q84: I've only talked to DGSes in my case, but I haven't known who the adcomm head has been at any of the schools where I applied (though I expect their one in the same in a few places). If you haven't talked to the DGS anywhere you are WLed I don't think there is any harm in sending a short email expressing your continued interest.

 

 

I can't imagine it has. I think InHacSpe is right and that there are many overlaps between the two positions. My 'contact' at my WL school is the DGS but that's because I've had all my communication about my application from him -and like InHac I have no clue who the head of the adcomm is.

 

Without even seeing your responses, I impulsively emailed the DGS last night in a fit of impatient despair. Hopefully I can get some more clarity from her soon! This is really tearing me up.

[InHacSpeVivo]

Good luck, 1Q! Let us know if you hear anything!

[jpop]

Okay, loooong time lurker here. I'm almost completely striking out this season. I have one acceptance, but am on the waitlist for funding--and I can't imagine taking on more debt for the sake of being too impatient to wait a year. As it's April 1 tomorrow I'm not feeling terribly optimistic. I can tell you my long list of reasons for why I need to get in this year: soul crushing depression, professional stagnation, my dog just died unexpectedly; but rather than go on about how I'm climbing the walls on the wait list, I'd like to just say that I'm grateful for my spot. I've gotten some personalized rejections, in fact from some outstanding programs that have completely floored me with their genuine "please apply next year" emails. And while as of right now it looks like it's not going to happen for fall 2015, I'm just grateful to not have been shut out universally. I am grateful for the near miss.

 

And those of us who are waiting to exhale may be disappointed, but I remember applying for my MFA and being universally shut out. I was convinced this was my doom. I sucked. Surely I was terrible. I was likely a talentless hack. Anyway, that year I spent reapplying turned out to be the best year of my life. I moved, met some truly incredible humans, and am so tremendously grateful for having been shut out. If I hadn't I wouldn't have had those experiences, ones which I count among some of the best of my life. It's entirely possible that won't happen again this year, and I'm okay with that. Don't get me wrong, the rejection sucks. I feel ready. I am ready. I want to start part of my life, but in the meantime I'm going to keep working. I'm going to keep writing, and keep connecting with all the other English department crazies, because I'm delighted to count myself among this tribe of readers and thinkers.

 

Anyway, in the spirit of combatting self loathing, I present to you a Ted Talk for inspiration. Hang in there! In the end it will all be okay, and okay can happen whether you're enrolled come fall or not. 

 

https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_lewis_embrace_the_near_win

[BeatrizBear]

I emailed one of the schools that waitlisted me and they said that not enough people have declined/accepted yet for them to go to the waitlist. I guess some people are waiting really last minute to reply...

[Wonton Soup]

It's April!

[squankabonk]

One of the schools where I'm waitlisted said that they were supposed to hear back from one of their offers on April first. Also they said that I'm next in line for a spot off the waitlist.

 

(STARES INTENTLY AT PHONE WILLING IT TO RING)

[kurayamino]

I've turned down ucla and Michigan and will officially be attending Rutgers. I hope the spots go to someone on the forums!

[CarolineNC]

Congrats kurayamino! If I could do the whole process over again, I'd apply to Rutgers. Sounds fantastic. 

[janaca]

I've turned down ucla and Michigan and will officially be attending Rutgers. I hope the spots go to someone on the forums!

[jean-luc-gohard]

Congrats kurayamino! If I could do the whole process over again, I'd apply to Rutgers. Sounds fantastic. 

 

Seconded! Rutgers looks awesome. It's definitely on my list for next year's apps.

 

And congrats on your decision, kurayamino!

[sr27530]

Hi everyone - long time lurker on here. I'm currently on the wait list at my dream school. Any advice for a situation in which a DGS asks what other programs you have offers from before giving you a decision on your application?

[Dr. Old Bill]

Hi everyone - long time lurker on here. I'm currently on the wait list at my dream school. Any advice for a situation in which a DGS asks what other programs you have offers from before giving you a decision on your application?

 

Welcome!

 

Others may very well disagree with me on this, but I think you should just be straight up with the DGS. If you have other offers, the DGS may be able to convince his higher-ups that you're someone in demand, and that they should make funding available so that their program will have you instead of another program. But even if you don't have other offers, letting the DGS know that fact might convince him/her to take you since you have potential as a future scholar etc. Either way, I've never been very good at politics, personally, but even if I were, in a situation like this -- in April, no less -- I suspect that honesty and openness are key. I doubt the DGS is asking for any nefarious reason -- it's probably to try to make all the pieces in front of him/her fit together.

 

Good luck!

[EnfantTerrible]

That's a difficult question as I don't think it's really right for the DGS to ask that, especially not when there's an implication it will affect their offer. I'd be tempted to tell the DGS that their programme is the only one you applied to, but the likelihood that the truth will come out might mean it's not worth the risk.

[Dr. Old Bill]

That's a difficult question as I don't think it's really right for the DGS to ask that, especially not when there's an implication it will affect their offer. I'd be tempted to tell the DGS that their programme is the only one you applied to, but the likelihood that the truth will come out might mean it's not worth the risk.

 

Why on earth would you lie?

[hypervodka]

Lying about the schools you applied to would be the absolute worst thing you could do, and it would do nothing to actually help you. Tell them what schools you applied to and what schools you were accepted to, but emphasize that the waitlist school is still your top choice. It's perfectly reasonable for them to ask what other schools you are considering. Just be upfront.

 

You also can't quite trick schools into thinking you are more "in demand" than you actually are. After the initial culling is done, many schools separate the admissions committee into subcommittees, and each subcommittee identifies which applicants they most want, forming a ranked or unranked list. Some students appear on every list--those are the students that get "topping-off" fellowships and incessant phone calls. In this way, a lot of schools already have their own internal list of students who are "in demand" for that particular program. No one's going to think, "Oh, she was accepted to Harvard WE SHOULD ACCEPT HER QUICK QUICK QUICK" if it wasn't the snuggest "fit" in the first place.

[fancypants09]

Why on earth would you lie?

 

I wouldn't engage in any sort of misrepresentation, either. And EnfantTerrible, why do you think it's wrong for the DGS to ask about other schools? The application materials pose those questions, and people are going to find out sooner or later---I mean, all of your professors are colleagues in same or related fields, and you have applied to school to join that field. I don't see how being up front could hurt your chances. 

[EnfantTerrible]

The DGS always has imperfect information about the candidates that he/she sees (no one is fully summed up by their grad school application) and I think that questions about other offers a candidate holds risk prejudicing the DGS's understanding of the candidate in a way that may not be favourable to the candidate. Asking which other offers someone has while they're sitting on your waitlist does not seem like a casual question.

[fancypants09]

Alright folks. After a few days of agonizing over the Harvard waitlist, I decided to take myself off of it and commit to UCLA. I realized that I would choose UCLA even if I did get off the waitlist. I know it's not the same as declining an acceptance offer, but guys, I just turned down Harvard, and it feels...weird but awesome. 

[EnfantTerrible]

It may very well not be worth it to lie, I was just expressing my own desire to obstruct such lines of questioning.

[EnfantTerrible]

Congratulations on making your decision, fancypants09! Wish I had the resolve to do the same!

[empress-marmot]

Welcome!

 

Others may very well disagree with me on this, but I think you should just be straight up with the DGS. If you have other offers, the DGS may be able to convince his higher-ups that you're someone in demand, and that they should make funding available so that their program will have you instead of another program. But even if you don't have other offers, letting the DGS know that fact might convince him/her to take you since you have potential as a future scholar etc. Either way, I've never been very good at politics, personally, but even if I were, in a situation like this -- in April, no less -- I suspect that honesty and openness are key. I doubt the DGS is asking for any nefarious reason -- it's probably to try to make all the pieces in front of him/her fit together.

 

Good luck!

 

I agree! I was accepted to a program but waitlisted for funding, and the DGS asked in a very roundabout way if there was any information I could give regarding other offers. I did, and I reiterated that the school was my top choice. I also told the DGS that as exciting as the program was, I could not self-fund when I already had a funded offer. I thought it was a very diplomatic email.

 

Then again, the DGS never replied. Last night (nine days later) I went ahead and declined my acceptance, so I'll never know if it was successful or not. Good luck!

[InHacSpeVivo]

Congratulations, fancypants!

[Dr. Old Bill]

Alright folks. After a few days of agonizing over the Harvard waitlist, I decided to take myself off of it and commit to UCLA. I realized that I would choose UCLA even if I did get off the waitlist. I know it's not the same as declining an acceptance offer, but guys, I just turned down Harvard, and it feels...weird but awesome. 

 

Congrats!!

 

I've heard some things lately that have made me think that I won't apply to Harvard next time around. UCLA should be a fabulous option for you and, drought aside, L.A. itself is a pretty awesome place, in my opinion...

[Katla]

Congrats fancypants09!!!!

[1Q84]

Alright folks. After a few days of agonizing over the Harvard waitlist, I decided to take myself off of it and commit to UCLA. I realized that I would choose UCLA even if I did get off the waitlist. I know it's not the same as declining an acceptance offer, but guys, I just turned down Harvard, and it feels...weird but awesome. 

 

Congrats! Welcome to LA