focused

I would rather be cleaning horse stalls than performing my current corporate job. Cleaning stalls is actually really great cardio!:-) Plus, I'd much rather spend my day around horse manure - it doesn't smell half as bad as greed. I've only kept my job because I have an exorbitant amount of undergraduate loan debt, and unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to pay such loans with the salary from cleaning stalls. But to be fair, in the two years I've had this job, I've really learned a lot about myself, my values, and how I want to live my life in the future. It reinforced my preference for academia and sociology, in particular. It made me realize that life is both too short and too long to drudge through solely for wealth. So in that way, it's ironically been an invaluable experience.

Congratulations! You must be really excited!

I never realized that some places spread out their admission decisions so much. I could understand if it were a funding issue and they were waiting for some early admits to decline in order to accept others. But few, if any, are declining this early in the game.

Deckard - I am so sorry. I was just scrolling through here again and realized that I responded to your question directed to EdPolicy, but didn't even say congratulations! I was so excited yesterday, I wasn't even thinking properly. So forgive me, and CONGRATULATIONS:-) I'm definitely attending the admit day, so perhaps I'll see you there.

Great!! CONGRATULATIONS!! You must feel wonderful. Are you interested in doing soc psych work?

Deckard - I think EdPolicy meant that there were two acceptances posted on the results page.

Thanks everyone for the congrats! Taiwanadian - Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to either of those questions. I received the visit and funding details, but not cohort size. I didn't ask merely because I know the general cohort size. I have no idea where they are in making calls. Sorry I can't be more helpful. Good luck!!

I'm one of them. Super excited and fortunate! Thanks for the congrats:-)

Given your gender interest, are you interested in working with Hesse-Biber? I didn't apply to BC, but I've spoken with her at a conference, and she's very approachable and personable.

Yay! Congrats, Astronautka!

Hey captiv8ed - I'm really sorry to hear this news. I was really rooting for you because I knew Princeton was your top choice! I know it may not help much, but I think that if you can look back and know that you gave 110%, then you can rest a little more easily. All anyone can do is honestly give his or her all. I know that doesn't help much at first, but I think that after the initial sting wears off, you will find some solace in knowing you worked as hard as you could.

That's great - congratulations!

Congratulations! Is Princeton one of your top choices? Just curious - how do you know how many people Stanford accepted? Are you just basing it on the number of people who posted acceptances on this site?

Rachel - You mentioned that you're an international student. I'm not sure where you live, but it may be that it was an inopportune time in your time zone when they were generally making calls today.

I will definitely be there; I am really looking forward to it!

Congrats to EdPolicy and FallApplicant77! I was accepted to Stanford today, too! Do both of you intend to attend the visit days?

Karakiz - I don't think you need to worry. This type of stuff happens to everyone. If it makes you feel any better, when I received my first acceptance, I was so excited/relieved/nervous that I didn't even hear the name of the person who called me. I didn't think this was a big deal because I figured it was just the DGS/standard call and I wouldn't really need to know. About 10 mins into the call, I realize, for a variety of reasons, that I am going to need to know to whom I'm speaking. So I'm already nervous, of course, but then I become even more nervous because I'm trying to figure out how to tactfully figure out who is on the other end. I eventually narrowed it down, but still had to ask for the professor to confirm that he was Professor X. Embarrassing! The only good thing was that I was correct in my guess. I just explained to him that I was really excited at the beginning of the call and missed his name (there wasn't really a good point to interject at the beginning). He didn't seem to think it was a big deal at all. These professors have all made similar calls who knows how many times before. They understand we're nervous, so I don't think it's anything to worry about in the grand scheme of things.

I did not apply to Indiana, but just wanted to wish both of you luck while you're waiting for the final decision. And in any case, congratulations on having received the interviews.

Definitely - I have been so anxious that I feel both mentally and physically fatigued!

This is hilarious; thanks for posting!

I don't think that "breathing" and "easily" are two words that many of us are using the same sentence these days. <insert Gmail smiley with the googly/frustrated eyes rolling all over>. I just want all of this waiting to be over!

Ever since I read your post earlier today, this song has been stuck in my head!

This is my first time applying, but I visitd Grad Cafe during last application season. My general impression is the same as yours; there seem to be fewer applicants (at least in Soc) on the site this year. However, perhaps my perception is distorted because I was not actually applying last year.

I'm Soc, not Poli Sci, but I definitely have this fear! It had not really crossed my mind until I read a post that described that very situation. Apparently, the school sent e-mail acceptances to the incorrect distribution list. These top programs aren't accepting that many people; how difficult can it possibly be to double-check the "To" box? So far, my acceptances have been communicated via phone. That eases my fear slightly because they generally seem to know your specific interests when they call (so I assume they're not making an error).

I keep receiving general subfield section updates from a professor at one of the top programs. I'm just on the listserv for this section, so the subject line, of course, has nothing to do with admissions or applications. Nonetheless, every time I open my e-mail and see this professor's name in the "sender" column, my heart skips a beat. The city for the next conference is a historical wonder to explore? Fabulous, but I really just want an acceptance!