Harvard University
English
RejectedPhDAmerican
Application Details
- Institution
- Harvard University
- Program
- English
- Degree Type
- PhD
- Degree's Country of Origin
- American
- Decision
- Rejected
- Notification
- on 05/03/2026 via E-mail
- Undergrad GPA
- 0.00
- GRE General
- Not provided
- GRE Verbal
- Not provided
- Analytical Writing
- 0.00
- Notes
- Interviewed 2.10 and genuinely thought it went well. Proposed research: 19th- 20th-century American poetry; my writing sample brought existentialist thought - especially the work of Jean-Paul Sartre - into discourse with American poetics. All the indicators looks good. Then... no waitlist, no unofficial offer... I understand since before the decision came out that I had made the finalist pool but not the admit pool or waitlist (about 2 people were admitted from what I've heard; yet, if you look at the website, about 10-15 professors are seeking advisees... meaning only 2 professors, probably very distinguished, had the negotiating power to have their pick... the person I chose as a potential advisor probably didn't have the bandwidth or the care for philosophical approaches that my dissertation gestured toward...). I know now how to position myself for next cycle (I only applied to one English program this cycle, Harvard's); next time I'll be applying to all 8 Ivy English PhDs and will write dissertations that draw from the work of more senior level professors to ensure I get in.... just putting this all here because it really is a journey, and nobody was there to advise me exactly on how to go about it :)
Institution Statistics
Acceptance Rate
27.2%
Avg. Notification Date
March 14
This data is estimated based on applicant submissions at The GradCafe.
Timeline
Received notification of Rejection