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Will it ever end?!?

Posted by psychdork, 21 March 2010 · 154 views

So here it is, March 21st, and I am still waiting.

Sigh.

I applied to 8 PhD programs and then last week I applied to a MA program at my undergrad.

Of the PhD programs:
So far:
~1 waitlist (at what I've been referring to as my "middle choice" school)
~5 rejections

Remaining:
~1 possible waitlist (at my first choice!)
~1 who even knows at this point, but most likely rejection

I should hear back from the MA program sometime this week and I've been told by several profs that it's pretty much a guaranteed acceptance but I'm still hesitant to think about it that way until I know for sure. It's not in my chosen sub-field, and the department knows that, but I think I can make that field work to my advantage anyway.

Though it does amuse me that I should hear back a little more than a week after I submitted my MA application, whereas I'm quickly approaching 4 months for my top choice PhD program.

It amazes me though how I have almost completely disassociated myself from my remaining apps. Even my first choice program. It's weird, I still want to go there, but at the same time I'm almost at the point where a rejection letter would not affect me...almost.

Back to checking my email...

Sulaiman

Mar 22 2010 12:23 AM

You are not alone. I feel your pain. I applied to six schools for my PhD.

So far:

2 rejections
2 wait lists
2 unconfirmed-possibly 1 will be another wait list and the other will be a rejection.

From what I have gathered from a friend, one of my wait listed schools have had very few first round offers accepted...so that eases the stress a little.

At this point I wouldn't care about a rejection letter. We have all done our best and did our part in the application process. Everything should be made clear by the end of next week. I'm sure we will get into a school. I say this because it is a sunny Sunday afternoon we are reading and writing about how badly we want to go to grad school. Just shows our determination. You are not alone so here is to the pains and rewards of grad school.

back to checking my e-mail too...

amnobel

Mar 25 2010 03:57 AM

Yaa youre definitely not alone.. of 10 phd programs (clinical and counseling psych) i applied to..

1 wait list
8 rejections
2 havent heard from at all

I've heard that it's harder to get into graduate school right now than it is to get a job because so many people are trying to go back to school. Therefore all the applicant pools have basically doubled. Right now i'm still waiting on the one school to get back to me about the wait list which i figure will be after the april 15th deadline for people to tell them yes or no. And if that doesn't work out I've got a part time job that will probably help me for applications next year. I applied to some masters programs too but i'm not sure if that's the path i want to take to getting my phd..

Do you know if all masters programs get back to you that fast? Like ones for mental health counseling for example??

amnobel

Mar 25 2010 03:58 AM

and i just realized that i said i applied to 10 programs then listed 11 options, perhaps thats why i havent gotten into graduate school yet.. oops! i have 1 wait list, 7 rejections and 2 havent heard from at all..

Social Psyc Researcher

Mar 25 2010 09:53 PM

Not to be an even bigger downer but I applied to 14 programs last year, was wait listed at two but they never got to the waiting list. Now here I am a year later after applying to another 15 programs (some the same, some new ones) on 4 waiting lists.
I am glad you are all staying optimistic, now that I am doing this a second time I have lost hope fast...now I am just hoping plan B works out...

psychdork

Mar 27 2010 02:52 AM

Not to be an even bigger downer but I applied to 14 programs last year, was wait listed at two but they never got to the waiting list. Now here I am a year later after applying to another 15 programs (some the same, some new ones) on 4 waiting lists.
I am glad you are all staying optimistic, now that I am doing this a second time I have lost hope fast...now I am just hoping plan B works out...

Believe me, I can relate. I applied to 5 programs last year, and was wait listed at one. This year I applied to 9 programs, so far one wait list and one acceptance (to a masters program at my undergrad). Hang in there! My plan B this year (the masters program) is looking better and better to me every day.

psychdork

Mar 27 2010 02:55 AM

Yaa youre definitely not alone.. of 10 phd programs (clinical and counseling psych) i applied to..

1 wait list
8 rejections
2 havent heard from at all

I've heard that it's harder to get into graduate school right now than it is to get a job because so many people are trying to go back to school. Therefore all the applicant pools have basically doubled. Right now i'm still waiting on the one school to get back to me about the wait list which i figure will be after the april 15th deadline for people to tell them yes or no. And if that doesn't work out I've got a part time job that will probably help me for applications next year. I applied to some masters programs too but i'm not sure if that's the path i want to take to getting my phd..

Do you know if all masters programs get back to you that fast? Like ones for mental health counseling for example??

I think it really just depends on the school/program. Some programs get back really fast (like mine) others take months. Sorry though, no idea for mental health counseling.

Postbib Yeshuist

Mar 31 2010 06:08 PM

It sounds to me like you're applying to PhD programs directly out of undergrad (i.e. your application to the MA). If this is the case, the fact that you were even wait-listed is a tremendous accomplish, of which you should be VERY proud. That being said, the chances of acceptance to do PhD work directly out of undergrad are virtually nil, and I would question programs that did not "require" a Master's beforehand. If I may be so bold, I'd take the MA and go full bore. Build up some additional experience and expertise and then, in a year or two, when you apply again, you will more than likely find the tables completely reversed (i.e. multiple acceptances with very few rejections).

Best of luck! (and if I'm wrong about the undergrad thing, my deepest apologies).

psychdork

Mar 31 2010 11:37 PM

I took a year off before I applied, so I'm not exactly directly out of undergrad however, I do not have a masters, so I guess it depends on how you define "directly out of undergrad".

For psychology programs it's not uncommon to be admitted straight from undergrad (some programs actually do not like applicants with a masters degree). For what it's worth, many of the programs I applied to only took 1 or 2 students this year (where they would typically take 5-8) so I agree just being waitlisted is an accomplishment.

I'm still waiting on two programs (the waitlist, and the unknown), and I did get accepted to the MA program. Since the two programs I have left are far from my top choices, unless the funding is amazing (which I doubt given the times) I will most likely go for the MA and then reapply in a couple years. I've thought about this a lot and the nature of the MA program and the possibilities of where it could take me really makes sense, and I agree I think that if I really work hard the next two years I could end up accepted at an amazing PhD program.

It sounds to me like you're applying to PhD programs directly out of undergrad (i.e. your application to the MA). If this is the case, the fact that you were even wait-listed is a tremendous accomplish, of which you should be VERY proud. That being said, the chances of acceptance to do PhD work directly out of undergrad are virtually nil, and I would question programs that did not "require" a Master's beforehand. If I may be so bold, I'd take the MA and go full bore. Build up some additional experience and expertise and then, in a year or two, when you apply again, you will more than likely find the tables completely reversed (i.e. multiple acceptances with very few rejections).

Best of luck! (and if I'm wrong about the undergrad thing, my deepest apologies).