RubyBright

You should read this: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla

Yes, that's the person I've been talking to.

Thanks for mentioning Annie's, guys... *munching on cocoa and vanilla bunny crackers*

Did anyone apply to Clemson's program, by any chance? I'm considering them for next year if this year doesn't pan out.

I think that's a good sign! Maybe a bit terse, but I'm sure they have a lot going on.

My acceptance went up on the website about 10 p.m., and I got an email informing me the decision was up the next day at about noon.

Sounds solid to me.

Well, that won't really help. They won't decide whether or not they're offering me funding until I accept - whether it be now, or April. That was my first reaction too, but it's starting to look like this might be my only offer... so I'm not sure what to do.

SO glad I clicked this thread. I smiled a lot. Just wanted to remind everyone who is stressed out that your body can't tell the difference between a genuine smile and a fake one. If you can fake a smile for even five seconds (even just biting down on a pencil and holding it there for five seconds!), it starts to change your brain's chemistry at that moment and improve your mood! So just take some time and smile. It will help.

I have a slight problem. One school has accepted me so far, and I was (am) delighted, but when I asked about funding, I was told that they won't offer TA/RA-ships until people commit to attending. There aren't enough assistantships for the entire incoming cohort, so there's no way to know if I'll be offered one or not. However, this is an out-of-state school, and I can't afford to attend unless given aid... is it normal to be asked to commit when you don't even know if you can afford to attend? How can I politely ask for something more concrete, here? I don't want to sound greedy, but there's a huge difference in financial burden between a tuition waiver + stipend versus no aid at all.

Starry Night

Very inconsiderate of them!

Yes, but thank goodness for Annie's if you're stuck eating gluten free!

I rediscovered Klondike bars, thanks to applications.

Yes, it is quite normal. There are still free-standing master's programs, but may of them are terminal. If you want to do research, you head for a PhD. It's becoming increasingly common for schools who are cutting budgets to phase out their master's program and only have a combined master's/PhD program where you are awarded your master's either en route to the PhD, or receive both together at the end.

Nope, just spending much less time on the forums, since my current academic life is demanding my attention. I'm glad you picked such a good flavor of cookies.

Sorry to say that I was given a user ID for all of my schools upon application, just like I was when I applied for undergrad. But you can feel smug when you get it, because you know that you get to keep it if you're admitted.

Just stopping by to give everyone here virtual cookies. If I could, they would be real. As it is, this way you get exactly the flavor of your choice.

Doctor Who: the graduate school edition!

fire alarm

Yes, clinical almost always does interviews.

I'm discovering that being on a waitlist is actually worse than not hearing anything about your status. Now I'm wondering how long it will take the admitted students to send back their decisions... and I'm assuming they won't do so until they hear from THEIR schools. So now I'm wondering which schools they might have applied to... how likely they are to be accepted to those other schools (not to mention when they'll hear from them)... how likely they are to choose those schools over my school... aaaaaaaaaaaargh.

tooth fairy

Location already factored in for me long before I heard/will hear anything about decisions. I have a kind of unique situation (long story that would be both boring and useless to recount), so location was most important to me. That was why I only applied to four programs. From there, funding is next most important, and POI is third. Other things are considerations, but they won't sway the decision much. I've already received an acceptance without any offer of funding yet, so, though the POI is good, I'm not sure I could accept it. I can't imagine paying out-of-state tuition for five years! Still hoping they'll come through on funding... I guess to summarize, practicalities like location and funding are paramount, and things that come down more to "liking" this or that come after.

SweetPearl, that is almost my exact situation, though I'm a little higher on my waitlist. I'm right there with you!