Someone is reading my application right now

[CoffeeFueledAnxiety]

@GeorgeC07 Last week the realization of the incoming holiday season dawned on me and I promptly send out emails to my programs regarding anything I might need help with including reference letters reminders to a professor who haven't send his out yet to two programs (they have a later deadline on early January). 

[LadyScientist]

14 hours ago, GeorgeC07 said:

@LadyScientist Gee you've already got a result?  The schools I applied have already started their vacations, and they don't even reply to my emails regarding the reference letters. I look forward to the rejections from the top schools already, just to make myself numb to them. Sorry about your rejection though, hope you get satisfying results.

Yeah, the life sciences do theirs really early. I got a second rejection today...  I am just really really hoping I get one offer. That's all I want/need... But damn I am really feeling a lot of pressure. Is it too much to ask to get an interview for Christmas?  

[GeorgeC07]

3 hours ago, LadyScientist said:

Yeah, the life sciences do theirs really early. I got a second rejection today...  I am just really really hoping I get one offer. That's all I want/need... But damn I am really feeling a lot of pressure. Is it too much to ask to get an interview for Christmas?  

I don't think they work during Christmas, but asking for an interview would be one of your don'ts. I know a girl who got her offer from UCR with RA, though it was not her dream school. I also apply to UCB but they only want the best so I don't anticipate much from there. It's common to get one or two rejections first, since the best schools process their applications first right?  The good news will come. 

BTW, merry Xmas. 

[GeorgeC07]

3 hours ago, IndoGenic said:

@GeorgeC07 Last week the realization of the incoming holiday season dawned on me and I promptly send out emails to my programs regarding anything I might need help with including reference letters reminders to a professor who haven't send his out yet to two programs (they have a later deadline on early January). 

Yep, it's a good thing to keep an eye on the deadlines. Some of the processes could take a really long time. One of my recommenders can't access the LOR systems and have to email the LOR to the office of graduate, leading to a huge delay in the process. And then there's Christmas, no wonder I'm anxious. My experience is that the bigger the schools, the faster they process these information. Just make sure that your recommenders send out the LORs in advance and check with the coordinator if anything's not right. 

[LadyScientist]

Oh gosh @GeorgeC07 I was only kidding about asking for an interview, haha! But it would be nice if it worked that way-- or that I got a letter in my stocking!

But happy holidays to you as well!

[eternalwait]

It's kind of a general question, but if I submit an application before the deadline, will it get reviewed only after the deadline, or it could be reviewed before? I think in Europe they review it even it's before the deadline, while in the USA only when it's after.

[GeorgeC07]

9 minutes ago, eternalwait said:

It's kind of a general question, but if I submit an application before the deadline, will it get reviewed only after the deadline, or it could be reviewed before? I think in Europe they review it even it's before the deadline, while in the USA only when it's after.

Generally they review the applications altogether after the deadline. But they still encourage the students to submit the applications in advance because there are too many applicants and tons of materials to be gathered. And I think maybe they would review the apps in the order of the time of submission. 

[eternalwait]

Thanks for the information!

One deadline of mine is until mid January ... argh, so many days ahead.

[GeorgeC07]

1 minute ago, eternalwait said:

Thanks for the information!

One deadline of mine is until mid January ... argh, so many days ahead.

=。=One of my deadlines is February 1st, and I submitted a fortnight ago. I reckon I'll start contacting the departments about the dates next month.

[eternalwait]

Oh man... Patience, then. Maybe you're like me: I also had as deadlines Dec. 15th, so while some schools are still reviewing my applications, I should be receiving some news on others.

[CoffeeFueledAnxiety]

My programs deadlines varies from Dec 1 to Jan 15 but I have submitted all of the applications just to put my mind at ease. My mind is not exactly at ease after submitting them all, though haha . But yeas as far as I know, unless the program has a rolling admission, finishing the application early or close to deadline doesn't really make much of difference.

[fadedfigures]

5 hours ago, LadyScientist said:

Oh gosh @GeorgeC07 I was only kidding about asking for an interview, haha! But it would be nice if it worked that way-- or that I got a letter in my stocking!

But happy holidays to you as well!

You're not the only one who wishes for that. I'm hoping for a Christmas miracle where my phone rings on Christmas morning with an interview invite. But much like true Christmas miracles, that would also be a stretch. 

But maybe people are making calls on Christmas Eve...

[PhDorBUST]

17 hours ago, eternalwait said:

Once a girl in my lab had as whatsapp sound the one I have for my email notifications... It was horrible

Nooooo that's the WORST. When that happened to me I changed my email notification sound to the most distinctive one I could find 

[GeorgeC07]

Okay I got an email from Gatech that said and I quote " You have a very strong file and credentials. You have not been offered admission, but at the present time your file has been made available for viewing by the faculty via an internal web site". I don't know whether this is good news or bad news, but their deadline is February 1st. In this sense it does have some advantages to apply early huh. @eternalwait Oops forget to tag you.

Edited December 24, 2016 by GeorgeC07
To tag other user for notice of information

[GeorgeC07]

8 minutes ago, GeorgeC07 said:

Okay I got an email from Gatech that said and I quote " You have a very strong file and credentials. You have not been offered admission, but at the present time your file has been made available for viewing by the faculty via an internal web site". I don't know whether this is good news or bad news, but their deadline is February 1st. In this sense it does have some advantages to apply early huh. @eternalwait Oops forget to tag you.

Huh I asked my friend about his opinion on this email and he told me that it means my competence is just so so and if no one's interested, my hope looks bleak. And I checked the results posted in the search section and found several admissions from the same department. Seems this is gonna be my first rejection after all, it's funny that this school actually has the furtherest application deadline.

[eternalwait]

4 hours ago, GeorgeC07 said:

Okay I got an email from Gatech that said and I quote " You have a very strong file and credentials. You have not been offered admission, but at the present time your file has been made available for viewing by the faculty via an internal web site". I don't know whether this is good news or bad news, but their deadline is February 1st. In this sense it does have some advantages to apply early huh. @eternalwait Oops forget to tag you.

Wow, that's strange. It's very unusual for an USA university to send admissions or rejections one month before the deadline, right?

6 hours ago, PhDorBUST said:

Nooooo that's the WORST. When that happened to me I changed my email notification sound to the most distinctive one I could find 

Yes, it was terrible. I suffered greatly during that hour... xD

I received a call at 8 am today... I got very nervous (no one calls me)... it was my uncle. This application season is driving me crazy, and it's just starting xD

[GeorgeC07]

@eternalwait Yep, Gatech does that. Maybe they don't give out rejections but they surely have given some admissions. I shall wait and see then.

[stereopticons]

One of my deadlines is inexplicably April 1. In previous years, acceptances went out in March? I'm hoping that's the case because I'm assuming if I get other offers (fingers crossed) I'll need to make a decision before that deadline is even up. I know technically I have until April 15, but having been on the waitlist, I'd hate to leave those people hanging. 

[eternalwait]

I checked on the Search section and indeed some acceptances  in US universities are sent even in May. 

[clarwyn]

Joining the wait here. I was actually doing ok with the idea that I won't possibly hear anything for a few weeks (I'm in the middle of relationship drama, so I have a distraction) but then my dad started asking me every day if I've heard anything! So, now I'm obsessing. Also, it didn't quite occur to me that interviews were a thing, and now I'm terrified. Imposter Syndrome is hitting me hard. How do you guys cope with that?

[GeorgeC07]

2 hours ago, clarwyn said:

Joining the wait here. I was actually doing ok with the idea that I won't possibly hear anything for a few weeks (I'm in the middle of relationship drama, so I have a distraction) but then my dad started asking me every day if I've heard anything! So, now I'm obsessing. Also, it didn't quite occur to me that interviews were a thing, and now I'm terrified. Imposter Syndrome is hitting me hard. How do you guys cope with that?

I didn't find any solution to it. The solution found me. It just bent me to a point that I simply gave up and no longer refreshed app websites or emails. Just trying to get myself busy. BTW, it seems that having an interview is almost a sign that you're gonna get admitted, at least it's like that for my friends.

[Forest Owlet]

On 12/22/2016 at 0:49 AM, PhDorBUST said:

Does anyone else go through random periods of total optimism and complete fatalism? Like "H*LL YES I GOT THIS B**CH" then five minutes later "I can't believe I wasted hundreds of dollars for six rejection emails...."

Phew, I'm glad I am not the only one like this. So much of switching from one extreme to another 

Edited December 28, 2016 by Forest Owlet

[DBear]

6 hours ago, clarwyn said:

 Also, it didn't quite occur to me that interviews were a thing, and now I'm terrified. Imposter Syndrome is hitting me hard. How do you guys cope with that?

I had no idea that interviews were common since the field doesn't do interviews. Then I started seeing people talk about interviews here and freaked out. Luckily, upon further research, it seems that the field I'm applying to doesn't do interviews.. 

Your dad heehe.. I actually encountered the opposite with my mom. I told her I'd submitted all my applications and was telling her about the process and she snapped at me saying I was stressing her out and to not tell her anything until I had gotten accepted. lol.

 

[clarwyn]

5 hours ago, DBear said:

Your dad heehe.. I actually encountered the opposite with my mom. I told her I'd submitted all my applications and was telling her about the process and she snapped at me saying I was stressing her out and to not tell her anything until I had gotten accepted. lol.

 

Haha! Well my parents are hoping to move wherever I go, so that my mom can babysit my kids. So my dad wants to know where he should be looking for jobs. I applied to four schools. So he's pretty anxious about it too.

[DBear]

13 minutes ago, clarwyn said:

Haha! Well my parents are hoping to move wherever I go, so that my mom can babysit my kids. So my dad wants to know where he should be looking for jobs. I applied to four schools. So he's pretty anxious about it too.

That's too cute!! It's like role reversal, his revenge for all the times that you (presumably) asked as a kid "are we there yet?!" 

I now have an image of your whole family waiting by the door, bags packed and ready to go! I hope you end up somewhere the whole family will be happy!