"(Not) my home in Indiana...."

You know, as I'm racking up so much experience with rejection, I've noticed a few things. Primarily, if the envelope I receive in the mail is super-thin (containing only one sheet of paper), this usually indicates a quick, crushing blow aimed directly at the stomach area (or, as I like to call it, blitzkrieg denial). Secondly, without fail, each rejection letter starts something like this, "As you know, (University Name Here) receives a large number of applicants every year. Due to limited resources, our admissions committee is required to reject highly qualified students, like yourself, that have the ability to succeed in a doctoral program, blah, blah, blah...." I get what they're doing but, seriously, does it make any sense to build someone up just to then, in the next breath, tell them "NO"? It's the equivalent of saying to some poor rebound guy, "It's not you it's me" or "You're just too good for me" or "I just need to be alone and get to know myself" or "I need some space" or just about any other lame-o excuse for not wanting the person. Why can't they just be honest and say, "We're just not that into you." (sigh) I've almost reached the halfway mark in possible grad schools and I find myself very discouraged. Granted, I know the process is rigorous and there are infinite numbers of qualified applicants but, come on, how many women apply for a Ph.D. in the first place? Especially in History? Where's my damn affirmative action when I really need it???