2017 Acceptances

[shoestofollow]

10 minutes ago, Wyatt's Terps said:

You guys just can't help yourselves, can you? 

I.....really cannot..............

[positivitize]

I've got a deal with myself when it comes to emailing DGS. Obviously, I want to email everyone all the time for all the information ever; however, before I email any DGS unprompted, I've decided to read a book of theirs cover-to-cover. That way, for every (unprompted) email I've sent, I've read a scholarly work. Usually my questions shift from "TELL ME WHEN I'LL HEAR SOMETHING!!" to "Wow. I really enjoyed X about your book. *Thoughtful question about the text that displays comprehension and engagement* PS: I'm an applicant, what's the deal with Y?"

If nothing else, it slows down the outgoing emails I send, trains me to read unfamiliar scholarly works quickly for comprehension, and exposes me to a ton of cool ideas. Best case scenario, it makes the difference between the bin and the long shortlist.

Edited February 14, 2017 by positivitize

[Yanaka]

Hahahahahahahaahahhhahahahahahah @positivitize "you cray".  

 

[positivitize]

4 minutes ago, Yanaka said:

Hahahahahahahaahahhhahahahahahah @positivitize "you cray".  

 

 

You know it. I think we all go crazy to a certain extent during application season.

[Yanaka]

9 minutes ago, positivitize said:

You know it. I think we all go crazy to a certain extent during application season.

Exactly. Plus, I mean, shouldn't they just announce some kind of time frame when you know the earliest and the latest times for each decision? Shouldn't they just have some kind of mailing list after classifying all the applicants? I don't know... I'm complaining a little because the wait is so stressful and distracting, but I guess they have their reasons...

But for instance, UCLA's "don't expect anything before March or April" when you see on GC that people have already received their acceptances and therefore you perfectly know it means you've been rejected is just not coooool.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Yanaka

[anxiousphd]

3 minutes ago, Yanaka said:

Exactly. Plus, I mean, shouldn't they just announce some kind of time frame when you know the earliest and the latest times for each decision? Shouldn't they just have some kind of mailing list after classifying all the applicants? I don't know... I'm complaining a little because the wait is so stressful and distracting, but I guess they have their reasons...

One of my programs sent me an email in late January saying to expect decisions in 4 to 6 weeks. Right now they're my favorite admissions committee because it is SO nice not having to obsess over it for a month!

[Dr. Old Bill]

Argh. I don't want to sound like a surly old man, but here's the thing...

It's perfectly fine for you (us) as Ph.D. program hopefuls to be antsy about admission timelines. It's to be expected, really -- it's one of the biggest moments of our lives, and that's not hyperbole. BUT, you should also keep in mind that these admissions committees are often dealing with upward of 300 applications...and almost all of those applicants are in the same boat as you: worrying, antsy, emotional, on edge, and unsure of when they'll hear back. Admissions committees have an unenviable task, and while it's largely a mystery to us as to how they make their decisions (and it almost certainly varies by program), I just think that we have to respect that they do it the way they do it for a reason. Professors are usually busy at the best of times, and I can only imagine how hectic it is during this time of year when they're sitting on an adcom. Likewise, a DGS (and his/her staff) has to juggle all of these acceptances, rejections, and waitlists for a couple of months. 

All of this is to say that I completely understand the desire to know all of your options as soon as possible...but sometimes I worry that that desire starts to merge into an expectation that you are owed an answer right away. I simply think that you have to respect the process, and understand that adcoms have their reasons for doing the things they do the way they do them. They have to do their job...and it's a very hard job to do. Calls and emails from panicky applicants isn't going to speed up the process or change anything.

I hope this doesn't come across as a rant. I don't mean it as a rant. I just want you to remember that, as difficult as the waiting process is for us, it's also difficult on the adcom side of things. Just try your best to be patient. 



ETA: Cross-posted with AnxiousGrad

Edited February 14, 2017 by Wyatt's Terps

[KikiDelivery]

The waiting process does feel like an exercise in patience. I am here thinking though that waiting is what we are going to be in for with the career path we've chosen.

*waiting on whether we got acceptance to x conference*

*waiting on whether our publication was accepted*

I am trying to recognize and settle myself in the reality of waiting. At the same time, I do understand the frustration of just wanting to know. I found myself in the temptation to just accept a program already, but I smack myself out of it thinking this is a life-changing decision. I need to do it right.

[Yanaka]

I agree with you, @Wyatt's Terps... But the thing is: if it weren't for GC, we'd have absolutely no clue of when the answers were supposed to come in... And the few timelines I received while applying were much earlier than the actual answers... So my guess is: if they gave actual, accurate timeframes, even very large, they'd have less panicky emails and phone calls asking for answers... Of course us GC-ers should be much more patient and not contact offices and DGS's. But I'm sure all the other applicants who aren't on this forum are asking because they gave either no indications or unrealistic ones... Do you see what I mean? 

[Dr. Old Bill]

Congrats to all of the Fordham, Oregon State, and CUNY Grad Center acceptances yesterday!

I wonder why no one's posted about their acceptances in this thread...

Edited February 15, 2017 by Wyatt's Terps

[brontebitch]

15 minutes ago, Wyatt's Terps said:

Congrats to all of the Fordham, Oregon State, and CUNY Grad Center acceptances yesterday!

I wonder why no one's posted about their acceptances in this thread...

Wondering also about the NYU acceptance? Someone called in and received their decision? It made me want to call, but I restrained myself lol

[biyutefulphlower]

I think the thread was acting up yesterday because I kept getting posting errors, but holy moley, it looks like CUNY Grad center sent out a whole slew of e-mails yesterday across disciplines!  (My heart, my poor heart.)  Can anyone confirm if the online portal updates for acceptances/wait lists?  Mine still looks the same (and I'm trying my hardest to keep my spirits up.) 

Edited February 15, 2017 by biyutefulphlower

[Yanaka]

The whole forum was down! 

[imogenshakes]

If this helps any for my fellow Iowa applicants: I have on very good authority that they've made some decisions and are working out funding for admits! We should be hearing officially soon! ? (Admittedly, "soon" for us may be "two weeks" for them yet, but...at least things are moving)

congrats to all of the admits yesterday! I had trouble posting all day, it gave me some error message every time I tried. Not sure what was going on, but glad it's back up and running so we can cheer for all of the good news ?

[CaffeineCardigan]

I don't even post that often but I missed reading all of your good news while the forum was down and I was at work. Congrats to everyone who got acceptances today!! 

[jungThug]

anybody know how many people CUNY typically accepts?  Is it a big program? 

[Lovegood]

@jungThug It claims to have 20 out of 200 on the website of English Department. Does CUNY offer MA?

Edited February 15, 2017 by Lovegood

[Lovegood]

30 minutes ago, natalielouise said:

Wondering also about the NYU acceptance? Someone called in and received their decision? It made me want to call, but I restrained myself lol

Me too, restrained myself! 

[anxiousphd]

@Lovegood @natalielouise I have been assuming it was posted by the weirdo who keeps posting things about NYU trolling us. He or she has some weird vendetta against NYU and has been acting strange on here for a while. 

 

If someone legitimate can claim the acceptance, then my apologies!

[brontebitch]

5 minutes ago, anxiousgrad said:

@Lovegood @natalielouise I have been assuming it was posted by the weirdo who keeps posting things about NYU trolling us. He or she has some weird vendetta against NYU and has been acting strange on here for a while. 

 

If someone legitimate can claim the acceptance, then my apologies!

lol wat

That's wild. I'm glad I didn't call if that's the case!

[Lovegood]

Does anyone know about University of Stirling from UK? I applied by coincidence and got admitted in The Gothic Imagination MPhil, but...it's a MA program without funding, I don't know if it worth the money, or will help me with further Ph.D application, because Gothic Lit is kind of my reading interest, not one of my academic interest. 

[Lovegood]

8 minutes ago, anxiousgrad said:

@Lovegood @natalielouise I have been assuming it was posted by the weirdo who keeps posting things about NYU trolling us. He or she has some weird vendetta against NYU and has been acting strange on here for a while. 

 

If someone legitimate can claim the acceptance, then my apologies!

I think it's just too early to make that phone. 

Edited February 15, 2017 by Lovegood

[Zeromus1337]

I've been waitlisted at the CUNY Grad Center. Found out yesterday. 306 people sent packages! I'm a Victorianist! So close! I'll be going to the Open House on March 17th.

Typically, they only extend offers to about 20, but I was told 25 yesterday for this admissions cycle. 

The portal does not update for those waitlisted. It didn't for me at least.

 

There are MAs at CUNY, but for other programs. You can get an en-route MA in the program.

Edited February 15, 2017 by Zeromus1337

[Yanaka]

No, don't call, guys!! Don't do it!

[KTF87]

21 hours ago, KikiDelivery said:

The waiting process does feel like an exercise in patience. I am here thinking though that waiting is what we are going to be in for with the career path we've chosen.

*waiting on whether we got acceptance to x conference*

*waiting on whether our publication was accepted*

I am trying to recognize and settle myself in the reality of waiting. At the same time, I do understand the frustration of just wanting to know. I found myself in the temptation to just accept a program already, but I smack myself out of it thinking this is a life-changing decision. I need to do it right.

heheh yeah good practice i guess;

@Wyatt's Terps, I am not sure it is about patience, as far i am concerned of course!
for me, it's about the ambivalence and confusion, and remaining in the "i don't know what's going" phase that is draining and overwhelming. I can wait for months if they can just give a frame of what's to come, even with some caveat. I can be as patient as they want me to be in this case, but otherwise I am not sure patience is relevant