phigirl

Harvard applicants: if you want closure before your mail is delivered I'd give the dept. a call. I just called them and they were willing to tell me I was not offered admission, and the guy said letters should me mailed today. He was super nice, so if you just want your closure like I did I'd call them.

Just got accepted to Washington State University with an awesome four-year funding package!  First i've heard from them since handing in my app.  I guess a late reply doesn't immediately mean rejection!

I missed this news, phigirl. Congrats and here's hoping!!

I wanted to share the news with you guys because you have been so tolerate and supportive. I was accepted into my last school today, which means I officially went 5/5! Grad school sweep!!
 
Thanks so much for obsessing over signs with me and sympathizing with my hallucinations and nonsense.

Congratulations Phigirl!!! Always awesome when positive thoughts mixed with happy dreams come true    
 

Sunday morning I dreamed that I was accepted via email back to my alma matter for an MA in history-was super disappointed when none of the 7 emails I had were about that
 
but I just got my email accepting me to the program with funding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday morning I dreamed that I was accepted via email back to my alma matter for an MA in history-was super disappointed when none of the 7 emails I had were about that
 
but I just got my email accepting me to the program with funding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday morning I dreamed that I was accepted via email back to my alma matter for an MA in history-was super disappointed when none of the 7 emails I had were about that
 
but I just got my email accepting me to the program with funding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday morning I dreamed that I was accepted via email back to my alma matter for an MA in history-was super disappointed when none of the 7 emails I had were about that
 
but I just got my email accepting me to the program with funding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME!

Sunday morning I dreamed that I was accepted via email back to my alma matter for an MA in history-was super disappointed when none of the 7 emails I had were about that
 
but I just got my email accepting me to the program with funding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday morning I dreamed that I was accepted via email back to my alma matter for an MA in history-was super disappointed when none of the 7 emails I had were about that
 
but I just got my email accepting me to the program with funding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks MSW. I've got a Plan B implemented that I'm waiting to hear official news on - MA in History- so in a best case scenario I'll apply for just the PhD in 2 years, which seems like the majority of candidates I know who were accepted had related MA's. worst case scenario is well...complicated because I have a soon to be husband who can't transfer to another UG after this semester (too many hours after that) so fingers crossed!

well at least I can have my mind back-got my final rejection this morning so there's no more wondering anymore.

That reminds me of back during undergrad when I had started an application for a school (a fairly selective top-30 UG), not turned in an essay, recommendations, not paid the fee and not submitted he application, and I not only got an acceptance, I received a 20k per year scholarship. I had already gotten into my top choice, so I didn't actually get to find out what would happen if I accepted it. 

So sorry to hear that.  I hope you are able to find out how you can improve your application and try again next year.  As someone who has been through it, it is well worth it.  When I got rejected last year, 'next year' seemed so far away. But in reality, it comes very quickly...
Try again! Dont give up!

I feel this is something you need to hear, even though its not something I like spreading. 
 
I have been told for a long time that I should go on to be a doctor, and in light of this I applied to medical school during my senior year. After interviewing I came to a realization, that it would be a relief if I did not get into medical school. It was at this point that I realized this is what everyone wanted for me, but not what I wanted for me. When the offer came a few months later, I couldn't accept it. My dad kind of understood, my mom thought I was crazy and was practically hysterical. 
 
In the mean time I had decided that i wanted to go for my PhD. The summer after I had a research internship, but when it ran out in August I found that I was unemployed  I moved back in with my parents and ended up in a sort of limbo while my friends moved on with their lives. I went from future med student to unemployed engineer just like that. During this time I applied to grad school, and eventually found a job 4 months later. I received a full time job offer with promotional potential and an internship at the same time. Since I knew that I wanted to go to grad school I turned down the job offer and took the internship.
 
Right now, it doesn't look like I will be accepted to grad school (I've been rejected from 6 programs and are waiting on 3). I've turned down so many opportunities for this, but even so I believe I made the right decision. I know this is what I want and hope to reapply next year, if what I expect to happen comes to happen.
 
With that I conclude, if its not right, then its not right. I don't regret turning down the offers I had because that would have been a decision I would have regretted. Make the decision that's right for you, and it won't always be the easy one. 

Ok, just had to share this "omen" of sorts...got accepted to HGSE!! ( that's not the omen). They issue you a Harvard ID number....it is all "sets" numbers that have direct meaning for me! I already have it memorized!

I have applied to 8 programs and have been rejected by 7 of them. This last school had the latest deadline (February!) and I just want to know now so I can celebrate or get on with my life. I've had a really good talk with a good friend (who has his PhD) and I will strongly consider applying next year. All these rejections have put some doubt in my mind not of if I want to do it or if I am capable of doing it, but of whether I want to put my energies into re-strategizing and trying this again. A part of me says if I don't get in then bring it on for next cycle. But a part of me is still holding out on hope. I don't know if I'm being foolish but as a couple of folks have told me, "all it takes is one."

I think the problem isn't the tension between optimistic and pessimism in this process; the problem is that people come onto gradcafe in the hopes of discovering some "absolute truth" about the application cycle. The fact is, there are no absolute truths, and that makes applicants uncomfortable. Some of us benefited from connections; some did not. Some applicants loved their unfunded MA experience; others would never even consider attending an unfunded MA program. A handful of us had stellar GRE scores, but many of us had just above average numbers.
 
The awkward, uncomfortable truth is that there are no absolutes in our field, no one factor that will guarantee acceptance into a PhD program. Our experiences are our own truths, and they may not apply to everybody applying to grad school. 
 
So, what can one do to improve their chances? Make sure that every aspect of the application is strong. Work consistently with advisors on the statement of purpose and writing sample. Build the CV. Study for the GRE's. Talk to people at conferences. Research the hell out of potential programs. Pour every ounce of energy, focus, and time possible into the application. GradCafe is a great tool to build community, connect with potential colleagues, vent, and celebrate. But it is not the place where anyone will find the secret recipe to getting into grad school-- because no such recipe exists.

As a master's student, I taught several genetics labs on my own (i.e. the supervising professor wasn't normally around). I told my students to just call me by my first name, because anything else would be weird. Most complied, but one student kept calling me "Professor [Firstname]." When I explainer to her that I wasn't actually a professor, she just called me "Mr. [Firstname]." I said that "Mr." was still too formal, so she moved on to "Sir." I get that she was trying to be polite, and had probably been raised to address people in this manner... but it was weird for me. Especially since I was raised in a part of the country where the most common way to address a stranger is, "Hey, you!"
 
Eventually, we compromised... I let her call me "Captain [Firstname]." We both thought it was funny. A couple other students even joined in. I love it when a group of students has a nice sense of humor (now if only their work ethic had been just as good...).

This is actually painful.

had a dream I got accepted into a program I didn't even apply to last night. even in my dream world I was like "wow, that doesn't make any sense because I didn't apply-but that's awesome!"
 
survey says I may have officially lost it

Harvard applicants: if you want closure before your mail is delivered I'd give the dept. a call. I just called them and they were willing to tell me I was not offered admission, and the guy said letters should me mailed today. He was super nice, so if you just want your closure like I did I'd call them.

I just received my letter of acceptance to U of T's MSW program.  After receiving 3 cold rejections last year, I couldn't be happier.