Wemayet

Very interesting numbers. And wow, my hope for Michigan has just severely plummeted. Grats to the recent admits!

I don't expect to get into WashU; not sure I'd be a great "fit", but there are a lot of things to like about that program. Congratulations, SirChuckles, by the way. In 2012, their admits went out between Wednesday and Friday (according to a results search) and I would expect the same this week. For some insane reason, I didn't apply to FSU. Didn't realize how many good people in my areas of interest are there. Kicking myself for that because I'd have heard from a school by now if I had applied, rather than sitting here having heard from none! Before, after, during work... the spot on my ipad where the refresh wheel is located is now programed into my muscle memory - I can hit it without even looking at the ipad. It takes a couple secs to reload, then I sneak a peak. Sad, but true...

Yes, a very quiet Monday morning; as expected. In either case, I'd say starting this afternoon, and relentlessly throughout the week, we'll all be hitting the refresh button with disturbing regularity. Anyone else feel like exploring the possibility of being placed into a medically induced coma until Friday afternoon?

I offer this advice from the perspective of someone who has been abroad for 10 years, intends to go abroad during PhD for research, and planning to work in IR / Comp IPE / Security -- by all means, I do not yet fully understand what is available, but I have been looking into deeply during the last year. My personal angle has been to find schools with professors that have active research abroad in regions that I would like to research, hoping that they can point me to a local contact. After reading your post a second time, trying to figure out what about it bothered me I realized. But let me first say that you're never going to get to do what you want to do if you don't start asking around! So yeah, why not ask about your future when you have a recruitment visit, if there is time to do so? Back to the thing that bothered me... not all "study abroad" programs are created equally. Some are vastly better than others. I did a very nice Chinese Law study program while getting my JD, for instance; it was no undergraduate study abroad. My thought for you is that if you don't have access to a "sister" school abroad that takes exchange researchers for a semester or two, then look into what's offered at schools other than your own and see if you can qualify for their program. If not this option, then perhaps you should consider another study abroad. Make some contacts while on that program, and develop your own path. For some countries, you need a letter from a local professor or a sponsorship from a local university. The study abroad programs are just a door opening to those who might be able to provide you what you're seeking, if that's how you decide to approach it. A final thought is that many language programs lead to abroad experiences, and could be a worthy supplement to your education. For the more qualitatively inclined, language seems a necessary substitute for quantitative coursework. Many of the programs out there that I've seen have the additional benefit of being well funded.

The situation with my favorite school is precisely as described. The potential mentor in my case has appealed to the committee; but I feel like I'm going to be the bubble boy, right on the edge of acceptance, but not making the cut. What sucks is that this is the wrong combination for my chances to be good - I am probably less than what the committee / this school would take outright, but I have an advocate. If only this advocate were at a slightly less stringent school, I'd feel like I had a really good chance. This is also the only school with which I have a POI, so I've developed a contact at a highly ranked school I probably will not get in to, and neglected developing a POI at a school I would have an excellent chance of getting into with an advocate on my side. UGH. I'm afraid that this is what I'm heading for... Too all of you in similar situations; best of luck!

This is the terrifying next step. None of my schools have announced in any appreciable why yet. If I could be safely placed in a medical coma for the next week or two, I think it would prevent so much stress injury to my heart that I might actually have a longer lifespan. I really wish I could bring myself to stop looking! But the only thing that will really give me the confidence to stop is to get one admit. If the first school I hear from is an acceptance, getting rejected at the subsequent 8 will be cake. If it's the other way around, might as well put me down for a heart and liver transplant.

Hahaha. This is ultra-cheese, but I smiled big. The difference between that smile and other smiles is that most of my smiles recently have been from people making funny word play about how miserable their lives are right now. But Michelle has given us something to smile about that is completely based in positive thinking. Thanks Michelle!

You nailed it sister! That's about how a typical day goes... I'm actually so happy to not be in a relationship right now. Worse thing would be that my "happiness" is currently pegged to a plan to leave... that can't be healthy for a relationship. A wonderful person has been pursuing me recently, and it takes all my strength to resist because I know she'll be devistated when I leave (if I get in anywhere). How maddening. And how much worse it must be for those of you who are in relationships; you have my sympathy.

Patience... HAHAHAHAHA! I thought I was a patient person. Recently, I have learned otherwise. No acceptances, no rejections, no interviews... for God's sake, punch me so I know I'm alive.

Damn, that's cold. What next, a letter and a phone call?!? Have an imaginary beer, my treat.

Great idea followed by great advice, in my opinion. There is a certain amount of "stand-offishness" I've adopted in regards to my schools, because I don't want to "fall in love before prom" (so to speak). When I get rejected, I will look at the school no longer. If I get accepted, I will be looking up everything! School fight song, department history, make a trip to the library for journal articles by the people in the department -- and after I get a good head on my shoulders for the school, the program, and the people, I'll start reaching out to start a discussion. Proviso... IF I get accepted anywhere.

Interesting analogy. So would "without funding" then be "without a paddle"? I suppose the tides might take you right past the Island, but the only way to make landfall would be to jump out and swim for it... at the risk of drowning, of course. So yesterday, unknown caller, but number is showing; rarely happens. In a strange twist somewhat related to the above lifeboat analogy, I answer the call and "AHHHOOOOO!" It's a (*sensored*) recorded sales call, the sound is supposed to be the horn of a crusie ship blowing. They want me to go on vacation. Yeah, me too ass hat, me too. I wish I knew about this one. Last year, a look at "results search" reveals, they sent out many acceptances and rejections on February 2nd. 2012.

Ultimately, this is what I have to tell myself. There is no good math for these situations. It is a human problem. There are people that will get in because they said the right combinations of words, connected with the right people, or their file was placed in just the right place in the stack for the one person on the committee that would like them to grab it. Maybe the better why to think of this is some version of the Multiverse Theory - in some alternate universe, I have been accepted to each of these programs. I just hope I am experiencing one of these universes...

Just checked Wisconsin again. Same thing I read... Last year, they sent out most of their accepts in one day (1/24/12) and most of their rejections on one day (2/3/12); according to a GradCafe results search. That's right at a week and a half lag time between accepts and rejects. Since I'm only seeing 4 accepts for this year so far, I wonder if they are doing it differently this year? Or are people have just not been posting results? Without knowing which then it is difficult to say, but if it is anything like last year the rejects will be coming out about Feb 6th. Best of luck to all my potential classmates!

Having very similar topic and regional interests to OP, and having applied to Minnesota... I'd very much like to read what answers come to this post!

AWA is a riduculous measure of writing ability, because the writing you'll be doing in PhD will involve many, many revisions. The AWA is a more accurate measure of 1) organizing thoughts, 2) typing quickly and 3) *as in third* one's BS capacity. Unfortunately for some, practicing organization of thoughts occurs during the revision process. For those who were always able to bust out a term paper at the last minute without a revision, congrats! But I myself would be much more impressed with someone's verbal score; and I don't think I'm alone in my assessment of what the AWA measures in this regard. edit: italicized "in PhD"

Don't feel too bad. I actually (on a re-read) found that in my SOP for the school I most want to get into, I called their graduate school by the wrong name! Ugh...

Hello. My handle is wemayet, and I am a GradCafe "search results" junkie. It all started in the fall, when I was looking for application advice. I figured a little wouldn't hurt, you know? It didn't take long before I was spending most, then all, of my spare time reading forums. It didn't seem like a bad trade off for all the good feelings I was getting from what I was taking in. I grew to rely upon it. I needed it to get through applications. But even when applications were over, I still needed. I tried to quit cold turkey, but found myself going back for more. I think on purpose at some level, I had even lost my login for a while, hoping I'd forget. Then one day, I saw it. The first indication that someone from one of my schools had gotten an interview. That taste brought me back. Worse than before. A great hunger inside of me, I needed the information. On my tower, on my ipad, on my laptop... all browsers had a GradCafe tab. I'd hit that refresh button... dozens of times... sometime dozens of times in one hour. When I wake up, I reach for the nearest computerized device and hit refresh again and again. I'm hoping to make it an hour without, for this first attempt to stop. My handle is wemayet, and I am a GradCafe "search results" junkie.

Narrowed it down to 15 quickly, then to a dozen, then applied to nine -- those on my signature. All very selective schools but across the spectrum; some long shots and a couple that were not top 25 ranked. I'm a decent candidate; not a top candidate, but I meet everyone's "requirements" and have a few things going for me and a couple knocks against me. Seeing that most of my programs accept 5-10% of applicants, and I applied to 9... I am now practically convinced that the statistical probability that I will receive an invite with funding is unlikely because 9 times 5-10% does not meet a 100% surety threshhold... and that's just bad math but my DAMN BRAIN will not let me get over it. Aaauuuuggggghhhhh!!!! So I ask myself, what would be the "good math"? It's more like flipping a coin nine times... with the chance I get in with funding somewhere being equal to the chance that the coin lands perfectly on it's edge. Again brain... why you gotta be like that? One acceptance. Any single one. The rest can even send me letters about how terrible I am. JUST ONE.... Thank you for letting me vent.

I really hope a few Boren alums (as the OP phrased it) would reply to these questions. This is very interesting to me as well. Thanks!

BMR716 has some good advice, I think. Like the OP, I too was told by a department to which I applied that I should go for FLAS. I also discovered I could do the same at another University to which I had applied (fairly obscure language, only 2 of my 9 schools teach it). So bang for buck, I figured I'd make a new SOP, since I could use it for two schools. Good thing I did. Turns out my POI at one University sits on the FLAS Committee. Having two very different SOPs is giving me a chance to double dip his attention. My PhD SOP and FLAS SOP dovetail nicely, so in my opinion, this gives me a chance to impress someone who could make or break me in both funding and acceptance. Just a thought to send along! Best of luck!

I'm in the process of developing a couple of POIs as well, although with people whom I have no chance of meeting in person. I envy your opportunity to actually meet with a POI in person, so to that extent, consider your opportunity in this case to be very beneficial! Just an opinion here, but if someone has told you they are available 27 hours any given week, it sounds to me like you're going to have to get patient / creative. One thing I've learned, going through one graduate and one professional program, is that you must get to know and be very kind to the department staff. I mention this, because they are the best source of information about when a person you want to get ahold of is typically available, and they are the ones that will pass on information with reliability. After having tried to schedule a time and not succeeded, then I would suggest, if it is at all practical, to swing by the office on a couple more occassions to see if your contact is available, and to ask the staff. If you miss your contact, leave a quick note. If you do this a couple of times, and miss your contact, my experience is that they will be inclined to send you an email and set up a time. If it is not practical for you to swing by a couple of times during your contact's available hours, then it sounds like you are already doing the best you can. Good luck!

At my weekly poker game, then at a weekly trivia night. Friend - "Heard anything yet?" Me - "Nope." Friend - "Oh well <insert any number of comments in this thread which are awkward>." Me - "Yeah." Twice a week, rinse and repeat, for the last two months and I would assume for at least the next two months. However, I do try to take this as a positive; if they didn't care, they wouldn't ask, right?

Got my apps submitted last month, I felt relieved. This relief was replaced by constant dread. One of my recommenders has habitually refrained from submitting the LoR until right before the app deadline. In one case, missing the deadline by a day. All nine apps finally done, with all LoRs, as of today. Relief again... no, wait. That's not relief. There's no relief. Not even a shread. And the more threads I read here, both the less and more stressed I become. At least we're all in this together! This is my first post; long time lurker, had to finally break down and share on this thread. Thanks for sharing everyone.