NightGallery

Yes, I do. I've applied to Columbia three times. After I get settled into my new life, I don't know if I'll be able to uproot everything again for such an endeavor. I may have a different point of view after a few years, but really at this point I don't see it happening. I was admitted to UCLA in 2014 and passed because their job numbers were terrible. Seven years of intense study for a small chance at a tenure-track job is simply unacceptable to me. I'm not in my twenties anymore and I'm married. So, I went to Cornell to failsafe my earning power with a Pro degree, with the hopes that it would raise my profile enough to successfully reapply to Columbia (and other Ivy/Public Ivies) this year. I had a good rapport with Columbia, visited twice and had a great 2 1/2 hour meeting with my POI there in NYC last October. It was all VERY encouraging. But —in the end— I just couldn't convince them (or the other programs I applied to) that I was the best candidate. I'm at that point where I think its probably best to just move on. I wish you every success!

Penn Rejected last night. That's it. This means I'm not going to be an ethnomusicologist; or at least not one with a degree that states as such. Trying to get my head around it... I'm not going to be professor. For the better part of a decade that was my scholastic aim. Instead, I'm going into the professional world. Stunned, really. Always saw myself as an academic: as someone who would become a professor of ethnomusicology. Unfortunately, the folks at the seven programs I applied to this year (my third and final round) did not. My life just changed in a very serious way and forever. As a consolation I'll have an Ivy League professional degree come June. As for the rest of my life, I fully intend to make the best of it. I congratulate all those who were admitted, and I wish everyone else going through the sting of rejection all of the fortitude and tenacity they need to do what is best for themselves next year; whatever that might entail. The Grad Cafe has been a source of comfort and clarification over these three application cycles and I am grateful for that. It is time to move on. Excelsior!

Rejected by Columbia yesterday and NYU last week. If you haven't heard from them yet, it could mean you are in a holding pattern. Remain positive, but don't read too much into it... at best you are probably on an unofficial waitlist, meaning: you're behind those already notified of being waitlisted... who knows? You may get an email tomorrow asking for an interview. Best of luck to you! Incredibly selective program.

I absolutely can relate to that! I'm waiting to hear the final word from Columbia and Penn ethnomusicology, then I'm going on with the rest of my life (I'm about to get a professional degree from an Ivy League University). Good Luck in your PhD studies! I'm too old to take a chance on anything but an Ivy/Public Ivy League PhD program at this point, because jobs are far too hard to come by in the academy...

If you REALLY want to go to Columbia, then stick it out. I have applied to Columbia Ethno in the past. I hate to burst your bubble, but I know from experience that Columbia generally accepts in February and rejects in March. You may be on a waitlist, but really they probably would've notified you of that. I have experience with this program. I was rejected at the END of March. Be ready for that.

Funding was in the dumper when I visited UW a couple years back. Unlike IU, they won't admit folks they can't fund. so on the money front, an offer of admission from UW is probably good news. Don't do a PhD without funding. UW was great in the past, but their rep has slipped.... The ivy leagues have a lock on ethno now in terms of employment ops after graduation. Trust me, I went through all of this before.... Sucks.

Just curious: Were you a good fit with UW research aims? Was this a reach program for you? FYI they are ridiculously selective, part of that is because their funding is practically nonexistent... I have visited the program before and met with most of the faculty. Great people, but my area of research wasn't quite close enough to theirs... did not apply this year.

I applied to NYU ethno. I guess your classmate's acceptance is bad news for me: I haven't heard a word from NYU.

I applied to Penn Ethnomusicology. No word yet...

FYI: Rejected today by Harvard Ethnomusicology.

I have just been accepted to the ethnomusicology PhD program at UCLA. I very much want to continue to study ethnomusicology, but after a lot of web-based research, I am concerned about finding real and lasting work that is commensurate with the effort it takes to eventually earn a PhD. i.e. I don't want to cap six hard years of work with loan deferment requests and delivering pizzas to pay the rent. Now I find that I have been accepted to Cornell University. What a strange impasse I find myself at. Two paths are available to me. One is my dream; studying Ethnomusicology at a top-ranked program — the job market from what I have gathered is not the greatest for Ethno Phd's . The other path is a practical option: obtaining a solid and very employable ivy league degree from one of the best HP programs in the world. Time: 6 years for the PhD vs. 2 years for the MA. Prestige: A top-drawer public sheepskin vs. and ivy league degree. I applied to HP programs as a fallback for ethnomusicology, because I applied to six EM programs last year and was rejected across the board. I am in my 40's I am married. Much to my surprise, I am actually leaning toward Cornell. Any thoughts?

About a week ago I received an unsolicited email out of the blue from a POI at one of the top-tier programs I applied to. The gist of the message was that she wanted me to know how much my writing sample (senior undergrad thesis) impressed her and that she is in full support of my research. Then she inquired about my grad school status. I replied and we struck up a dialogue. As it turns out, she wants me to visit the program again this fall and meet more faculty and sit in on classes. Needless to say, all of this has been quite a salve to my burnt ego, but I am curious about the implications of my POI reaching out in such a fashion. Good news, or am just I engaging in wishful thinking? Anyone have any opinions/insights on this? Thanks.

It's crummy and unprofessional. Additionally, it's extremely insensitive to the dedicated applicants who have put SO much effort, resources, and interest into these programs (not to mention all of the effort that went into an applicant's undergraduate studies). They seem to forget that these are REAL peoples' Lives that fuel these applications. Flippant negligence.

My wait is over. Emailed DGS today. Received response. Rejected from the waitlist. Ouch: I had been rejected after 4/15, but they FORGOT to inform me of their decision. Treated like an insect. That's it, I'm done for 2013. What else can I do? I'll set my sights on next year and MOVE FORWARD. Best of luck to all here still waiting and congratulations to those accepted. Give up? Hell no, I won't.

Ugh. STILL waiting.... I'm going to contact the program this Wednesday, and see where things stand (with the most diplomatic/professional countenance I can muster).

MammaD, I'm sorry to hear that! But if you are indeed rejected, the plus is that you now stand free and clear to plot your next move. And you've got the right idea; hit them harder next year! Never say die, we've all put too much blood, sweat and tears into our respective endeavors to just quit at this point. I wish you and everyone else dealing with this rough impasse the very best in all academic undetakings: myself included... I'm STILL waiting!

Let us know how that goes!

If I have to, I'll reapply for 2014; with the hard-earned insight and lessons learned from this menagerie of emotional carnival rides. Temperance. I didn't come this far to just give up. Excelsior!

STILL waiting. The program gave themselves till "late April" to decide, so there can't be much more than a week of this left... right?

Thanks... That really sucks about the untimely LOR submission. That would have cost me some serious sleep... It's SO competitive out there. I really didn't anticipate such a nasty string of rejections for myself, I had so much momentum coming out graduation: cum laude, wonderful LOR's, research/TA experience, 'Excellent' grade and eval on my thesis. and great meetings with POI's. I'm bewildered. Best of Luck to you and the rest of us who are teetering on the precipice...Yep; it is so nail-biting-ly intense to have it all come down to ONE waitlist spot. Argh!

On waitlist since 2/23. No end in sight. Sigh. How much longer can this go on after 4/15? Really!

I feel your pain... This is practically identical to my recent experiences. Best Wishes!!

Found out my dream school rejected on April Fool's Day. If only it were a prank! Now that 5/6 programs I have applied to have rejected me, it all comes down to the 1 waitlist spot. Wow. I knew this was possible, but didn't anticipate it happening. Wish me luck. Good luck to everyone who is still hung up in the waitlist web!!

Yep, I was told by my mentors that 3 would be plenty. How wrong they apparently were. Alas, I spent thousands on traveling to various unis for POI/department visits, which seemed to go splendidly, but got me no further than I am today. I'll have to somehow be more conservative, yet more effective on that front, if forced into a second round of applying. God, I just want IN, and to be done with this Twilight Zone-like rite of tortuous liminality.

Allow my stats to cheer you up... 3.83 GPA, cum laude, Lots of TA and research experience, 3 great letters, 4 great POI visits,1 very strong senior thesis, and... rejected from 4 out of the 6 programs I've applied to, the result being pretty much everything hinging on ONE waitlist slot (the one remaining non-reporting school is a top-shelf dream school, so a rejection is most likely imminent there). Wish I had your problems! Also, consider this: my undergrad profs warned me that interest in graduate studies (applicants) has gone WAY up in the past 5 years, while funding at most unis has not justified an expansion of faculty (thus admitted applicants/advisees). Result = Plenty of more-than-qualified folks turned away. I should have applied to 10+ programs... I will next year if I have to do this all over again. Keep your chin up, and good luck!!