sweetpearl16

I'm tempted to ask the graduate coordinator about decisions, but I'm a bit scared to because a) it is something I never done and the application portal says that decisions will be released by mail only and not through email or phone correspondence.

I am one of the South Carolina admits, the one who got the email today. I was applying for archaeology.

Despite my signature, I haven't actually been officially told I was rejected anywhere yet, because they haven't told me. The only reason I know anything is because of my adviser. As I said on another page, I applied to Maryland in December and haven't heard a thing from them since, although my adviser tells me that he believes I've probably been rejected (that is my assumed rejection). My other rejection is from my current school. I know the admissions committee met last week. I know that those who were accepted have been called. I know I was waitlisted low enough that I can pretty much say that I've been rejected. I only know that because I broke down and asked my adviser. I don't think the school is planning on telling the wait-listed candidates they've been waitlisted. I don't think that rejections have been sent out either. I don't understand this entire admissions process. Why can't a program send out all decisions together and in a reasonable time?

I still feel l like I'm loosing my mind, even though I've gotten into two schools. One of the schools I was admitted to requires a separate form to be filled out to be considered for funding, but this was not clearly stated on the webpage (the webpage has since been updated to explicitly state it). My POI emailed me today telling me that the committee was going to meet to work out GAships, and please go ahead and fill out the form. She apologized for the confusing wording, and said they were going to make it clear for next year that it needed to be filled out. The form asked why you wanted a GA position and what relevant work experience you have. I mentioned why I wanted to a position (both for financial reasons and because I want increased teaching experience as I hope to be a professor one day). I've been employed once as a TA in my current program, but never as an RA. However I had an unpaid internship with a local organization for a year and half where I helped them conduct research using historical documents and databases. But because it was unpaid and not an RAship through my school, in haste and due to the stress of the situation, it just did not occur to me to mention this experience. All of this information was clearly stated on my CV which was submitted with my application. Apparently however my mind does not always function clearly after days of little sleep coupled with the stress of the application season and of regular graduate school life. I emailed my POI back let her know about my internship. She thanked me and said she would keep in touch about funding. I can't help but feel like I've come across as an idiot and have messed up my chances for funding. It is a wonderful program, and it would be great to be able to attend it, but I can't afford an out of state, unfunded PhD program.

I applied to MarylandThe deadline was December 15. I still have yet to hear back from them. My adviser has let me know, based on correspondence with someone there (which wasn't actually about me but someone else), that he thinks decisions were made a month ago and I have probably been rejected. Still it would be nice to get something which confirmed that. It's not that I don't trust my adviser, it's just that I need to go ahead and see my rejection so I don't keep feeling like I threw my application into some black box, never to be heard about again.

Congratulations Pears! I'm so happy for you

Congrats lionhunter!

I would still be careful. I know someone who did this, and it actually ended up backfiring on them.

I really wouldn't worry too much about. It can take some time for official approval, I would be shocked if the graduate school did not admit you. Relax, I think the status changes and unofficial emails from DGSs and POIs are meant to make you feel less stressed, not more.

I applied to South Carolina for Anthropology. Last Friday I noticed my application status had changed to recommend. Yesterday I called and the graduate coordinator claimed that it just meant that it was recommend to the admission committee, but he also told me he had a feeling things would fall my way. Today I checked the application status and my decision had changed from pending to admitted. The same thing has happened to a few other people who've applied to South Carolina, so I would definitely take it as a good sign. Good luck!

Dream weaver

So I just checked the status page, and the admission decision changed from pending to admitted! I haven't gotten an email or letter yet, but I have been admitted! I guess the program coordinator really was giving me a hint yesterday!

One way

false modesty

Red tape

Scotch egg

Alternative Rock

Thanks so much Eager and Darling Nikki. I am so sorry about your rejection, Eager. You seem like such a nice, wonderful person and who doesn't deserve to be crushed like that, especially on Valentine's Day. I appreciate all of your warm, kind thoughts and I'll definitely keep you posted as I find out more.

Healthy Habits

Thanks Eager. I had seen the application status of the school change from new to recommend, although the admission decision still said pending. I was wondering what recommend meant. The application deadline for the school was February 1, but historically it has a quick turn-around and usually releases decisions around this time. I was hoping that it meant recommended for admission but he said it just meant it was recommend to the admissions committee. That is when he told me that he had a feeling things would work out in my favor. I'm really hoping this is a good sign, because this is one of my top choice schools and currently I am waitlisted at my other top choice.

By current university is open. My UG institute is also still open. Neither the faculty nor the staff have the day off.

Peace out

I called up the one school I am waiting on today to figure out what a change in my status online meant. Unfortunately the change did not mean what I was hoping for, but the program coordinator said that he had a feeling that things would work out in my favor and I would be hearing from the school real soon. I really want to believe that he was giving me some type of hint, but I don't want to get my hopes up too much.

I'm 23 and will be 24 by the time I start my PhD. program. I was 22 when I started my MA. I went straight from college to grad school. When I started my MA, I could not wait to finally get done with school. Somewhere along the way that changed; now all I want to do is continue school and my research.

Thanks RubyBright. It's rough because I want to be happy for the acceptance I have. It is a wonderful school. However until I know the funding situation, I can't really celebrate. I will say one thing I've learned through all of this, is that in the social sciences being waitlisted does not always mean you weren't a wonderful applicant. It can just mean that the person you want to work with already has many advisees and that they want to let others accept students first. That's the frustrating thing. Sometimes whether you get in vs. whether you get get waitlisted has more to do with internal departmental politics.