No interview. Email from program director on 2/11 confirming I wanted to be on waitlist, followed by portal update notification on 2/13 confirming waitlist. 4.0 GPA BA, BS & MA. "We had a large number of strong applications this year, including yours, and the admissions committee struggled to make some difficult selections. These selections are always provisional, and each year we usually admit students from the waitlist."

“ We had a large number of strong applications this year, including yours, and the admissions committee struggled to make some difficult selections. These selections are always provisional, and each year we usually admit students from the waitlist.”

“ We had a large number of strong applications this year, including yours, and the admissions committee struggled to make some difficult selections. These selections are always provisional, and each year we usually admit students from the waitlist.”

I was so thrilled to get this email. I hope I get accepted to this program. It's research aligns very well with my interests. 1a/ 1r / 1w / 1i / 8p

Standard email telling me to check portal. I think it just wasn't a good match. Oh well.

GPA is MA.

Expected. Never really thought I would have made it into the program with those application materials. Goodbye, UR! I look forward to getting acceptance offers from programs where I truly fit :) 0a/3r/5p

No interview for the program!

To the disappointed posters below about the disrespectful suspension of the admissions this year: I will start a topic on the forum under the the menu of Interdisciplinary Studies. We can collectively discuss there the possible courses of action. You can reach the topic as follows: GradCafe Forum - The Menu - Interdisciplinary Studies - "University of Rochester - Visual and Cultural Studies (Fall 2021 Suspense)"

Same email as the candidates before. Terribly disappointed. Not even an apology. I didn't think they could do this. Any thoughts for a strong complaint?

Same email as below - They will not be taking any new PhD students this year. Pretty frustrating as I had a certain amount of money I could allocate to application fees. I would have applied elsewhere had I known this sooner. Seems odd they decided this a month AFTER applications were due

"After careful deliberation, we determined that providing enhanced support to our students was the best course of action considering the global health crisis and the increased precarity it has introduced into an already uncertain academic fellowship and job market. Enhanced support will be equally distributed amongst all students in the 2021-22 academic year. We will refund application fees to those who applied for possible 2021-22 matriculation to VCS." OK, good! Will you refund my TOEFL score (20 dollars), too, and will you also "refund" the time and energy I spent to put together all the required application materials? You fucking idiots. If you are unable to make this decision before the application, just shut down that program.

"The Steering Committee of the Graduate Program in Visual & Cultural Studies has decided to suspend admissions this year. After careful deliberation, we determined that providing enhanced support to our students was the best course of action considering the global health crisis and the increased precarity it has introduced into an already uncertain academic fellowship and job market. Enhanced support will be equally distributed amongst all students in the 2021-22 academic year. We will refund application fees to those who applied for possible 2021-22 matriculation to VCS"... really?

Informal email from program chair. I’ve been courting this school since I was waitlisted last year. I’m so excited!