Vincenzo

If I'm making a request I'll close with some manner of appreciation over the person having taken the time to read it ("Thanks,"). Otherwise, people get a dash and my name (usually indicating finality or the formality associated with being a relative stranger) or they get nothing at all (which for me is a symbol of familiarity that says I don't feel like I need to be formal; you know who I am, so you don't need my name there, and you also don't need me to BS you with insincere, mostly automatic, social conventions). Everything else just seems trite.

The rule is, by convention, that they notify in whatever order puts me last. Way last. Laster than the last one after the lastest to be receiving of notifications. And don't worry, me is you too. Too. Too... Hi! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna get back to the conversation I was having with the wall. Ok, and the door. The door too. Too. Sometimes it chimes in. And that's ok. We're ok. Everything's ok. [twitch] ... .. .what? /shrug

sansao, I see you've got a couple more interviews (at least). Should we assume from the nature of the post that you've already committed to this one acceptance? If not, you've got quite a bit of time left before you need to. It's very common for folks to wait for everything to pan out before choosing a school and the programs are used to people being accepted to multiple places and so having to turn down acceptances (but you probably know all this). They know you've got to choose the best option for you and so shouldn't take it personally. If you have committed however, and do want to back out, it'd probably be good to write a letter to the program/graduate office explaining the situation and have that letter endorsed/(forwarded with his/her own notes) by the advisor. In which case, I agree with slaNYC in that sooner is probably better than later (just to keep relations pleasant and your reputation in the field intact). However, sleeping on it a bit more would still be wise. And having another lily pad to jump to before deciding would be nice too. Either way, even in a place you love and really do want to be, earning a PhD is one heck of a mountain to climb. For how long could you make yourself do it in a place you don't want to be with only the hope that something better comes along while you're there? (Although, changing direction a bit is actually pretty likely regardless.) This is what I'd be thinking about. But unless I had somewhere else to go, it'd be getting weighed against having to go through all this again. And I'd get my PhD on Rikers Island to avoid that. ... ...

I would love for that to happen. Print Button + Attorney + Telephone = Accepted. Done.

31. ~15 years professional experience in enterprise software development / data analysis, but only now finishing undergrad.

Here's another: the adcoms are being cute and waiting till Valentine's to show us some love.

You guys really need to stop reminding me that I have a thesis to write.

Half of you are undergraduate minions of the graduate admissions committees, here to gather data on me. And the other half, needing an outlet for the shame of being whipped by your PI's (see video), are current grad students come to torture me with false hope.

Though I haven't done so myself, I do see some benefit in folks posting this kind of info on rejections and such. And if they make a sideways comment to blow off steam I just look at it as exactly that. We're all carrying a mountain of stress around and if expressing a bit of frustration/anger/disappointment under the umbrella of anonymity in a little online forum gives some relief I say go for it. It's better than pounding back a fifth and going for a drive. And as it pertains to the benefit of accomplishments posted with rejections, it helps me get an idea of just how thick the competition for a program is. Yes, it's heavy everywhere for everything, and there are factors (SoP, LoC, etc) not related to stats that contribute. But, if I see a bunch of folks getting rejected for a program I applied to that have publications and conference presentations and master's degrees and great numbers then I know it must have been damn hard to get in and either I feel really good about still being in the running or less bad that I got knocked out.

I think I'll join them. It'll be better than this. "Braiiins... Brr-rraaaaiiinns..."

Hit that screenshot button until it breaks!

No worries. Thanks, though. I have seven other apps outstanding and really there's only one with the power to break my heart. I actually expect that shoe to drop by Friday. /shiver

Uhm. So... [uses a toe to push some dirt around]... you're saying I shouldn't have put this in my graduate applications??

The universe decided to give me a sharp kick in the ass today for complaining about the wait... Received CMU rejection email this afternoon. I marked it as SPAM and got back to the drip-drip-drip. [twitch]

Call me when you start having conversations with them.