SunnyComposer

Finally... I got an acceptance letter from Stony Brook yesterday! On top of that, I've now interviewed for CUNY, UNT and UT. Still waiting on NYU, Columbia and UC Davis. It is gratifying and surreal to be actually accepted after all this time. What do I do now!? Still have to wait to see how it all pans out. Not sure how to rank all of these schools (if I were to get into more than one that is)...

I knew someone who got that degree a couple years back. If you're having trouble finding people who are applying, that might mean there's less competition. I'm not sure. NYU, in general, has a better acceptance rate than some of the other big schools. I got in there for my Masters but decided not to go because of the price tag. They don't give much in the way of scholarships. I wish you luck as well!

I saw the mid-February date on the composition website, under "commonly asked questions"... but that doesn't mean they actually honor that. I hope they do too!

I keep weighing those thoughts as well -- my feeling is, that the big names will certainly get you more interviews, but I also know it's possible to build your reputation and career without them. And, in the end, getting a job is about being the best fit for the school, just like getting into PhD program. (Then again, I know the harsh realities too, and am still crossing my fingers for the Ivy leagues.) I guess we gotta believe we'll end up where we're meant to. Good luck!

Oops, sorry CP3 -- I didn't mean to flag you as a bad reputation... I just joined yesterday and thought I was hitting the "reply" button... hope I can fix that... Anyway, I meant to say that I went with the same approach last year, only applying for big-name schools. It's a risky business, and one that requires a thick-skin, because you have to be willing to keep at it for a few years if they don't take you the first year. There are so many variables, that it just doesn't come down to your submitted materials, I've heard... that it has a lot to do with timing and where you'd fit in with the crop that year. Kudos to you for doing that. I hope it works out better for you than it did me. (That's why I went for some back-up schools this year!)

Yes, CP3, I will admit, seeing that others are going through the same makes me feel not so alone in this process -- though, we are each going through a very individual journey of rejection and, hopefully, acceptance. Good call, musicmage09 & Karajan, I've been composing like mad to keep my mind off of it. I didn't know that about Columbia... where did you hear about their March notifications? I'm hoping to hear from Stony Brook shortly, I believe they go out mid-February -- anyone happen to know? Thanks all.

I was somehow relieved when I received my first two rejections from Yale and Princeton this year. I've been applying to PhD/DMA programs for a year and a half, and just want to finally get some answers. I've applied to 9 in total, besides those already mentioned: Columbia, NYU, CUNY, Stony Brook, UT, UNT and UCD. I have interviews scheduled with CUNY and UT, and just completed my first doctoral interview via skype a few days ago with UNT. This all seems like good news so far, but I'm going crazy! The minutes are ticking by, and I want to know what I'm doing with the next few years of my life. Any advice in how to deal with this pressure? Good luck all those out there.

What I've heard from some faculty, is that GRE's might be used as a tie-breaker at the very end of the process, if they have 2 equal candidates.