Munashi

I've never done this either. Although hey, there is still grad school...

I'm also not sure you'd want to attend a school that didn't actually want to admit you. That would be a very awkward situation to have to deal with...

His number is probably on the school's website somewhere too, I'd imagine. Definitely give him a ring!

Hey everyone - how's the housing hunt going? I recently signed a lease on a place. It's got an earlier move in date than I wanted, but it'll give me more time to settle in before the fall semester starts. Hope you're all doing well.

I disagree. I don't think that a PhD is necessary to make good money in I/O, but I wouldn't say the only reason to get a PhD is to teach. I'm entering my program with the intent to go applied at the end of the road (at this point, I don't intend to enter academia). But having the PhD makes you eligible for higher paying positions, even in the applied world. Is the PhD route for everyone? No. Is it required to have a good salary? Certainly not. On average, a PhD holder will have a higher starting salary than someone with a terminal MS, but that doesn't automatically make the extra time worth it for everyone. Ultimately, it's your decision! I will also note that the PhD program you are looking at is in Organizational Science, not I/O Psych which I do think makes a difference and may limit your ability to go applied after finishing school. Edited to fix a typo or two...

I had a large range when it came to interview response times. Examples: One place informally told me their decision while I was still at my visit. Another place took a few days before letting me know. A third school took 3.5 weeks. All of those were acceptances.

Same here. I accepted my offer VERY early in March and declined the others once I had submitted all the necessary paper work a few days later.

I will admit to not knowing about this particular program. But conventional wisdom is that if a PhD program is not funded, one should not attend as the debt acquired through an unfunded program is likely to be too large to be manageable.

Did you hear back from the director, aurora_nova? If not, try and call them before the end of the day so you can at least stop worrying about it and know for sure what's going on!

I need to correct this and the opportunity to edit has long since passed. U of Minnesota!!! Not Minnesota State. Please forgive my sloppiness.

Congratulations, Bren! That's wonderful news. Minnesota, as you know, is a top notch program and they are lucky to have you.

This happened to me. I got into the most selective/highly ranked schools on my list and was rejected from many that are lower ranked. Confused and surprised me, but I can't say that I felt inclined to complain! As bsharpe269 notes, I think fit was a big factor in my outcomes.

Quickly popping in to add this: There are plenty of people living in America who have these kinds of problems with their families (immigrants and non-immigrants alike). Yes, the overall culture here is one of choice. But not everyone's nuclear/immediate family subscribes to that line of thinking.

I haven't had this happen personally, but I have heard about these sorts of things and just want to extend my sympathies because I can only imagine how awful this must feel. I hope that you will hear from the director soon, please keep us posted! My hunch (take with a grain of salt): I would think the website is more likely to be an error than the contact from the director.

"Are you reading my mind?" Totally...

I totally ordered one for myself. The shipping was much less than $15, but still. I did it, wouldn't discourage it... Although St. Andrew's Lynx had a good suggestion: order a few items (if you'd like) to justify the higher shipping!

I understand this sentiment and I appreciate you pointing it out since I'll admit to not having considered it. Still, I think there are benefits to not being "#1" when you're in a learning environment with the goal of educating yourself. I recognize this is a personal preference, though. There is clear value to being able to help others improve, as you noted.

This isn't so much about ranking as it is about department culture in a way, but I definitely see what you're getting at. I have always felt that if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room. It may be an adjustment if you are not used to being challenged, but I think people that genuinely enjoy learning thrive in environments where the material is challenging and you have the opportunity to learn from not only your professors, but also your peers. You may need some time to adjust to being challenged, but I think if you're aware that challenges will come and you're open to taking them as a learning experience and not as a blow to your ego, you will be great. Be excited! You might look like a fool, but so does everyone at some point. Your peers face the same risk. Learning is hard, and that's why it's so damn rewarding. Just anticipate the challenges/struggles, don't take them personally (easier said than done, I know), and do your best. You will grow so much more when you are being pushed! I think you'll do very well.

This did make me laugh. Following the trend of misspellings and also Penn State, the other day I noticed an acceptance to "Peen State" and nearly lost it in public.

Penn State here! Congrats on deciding. I know for me, it was great to finally clear away some of the question marks hanging over the future...

Q: "Will I enjoy my new program?" A: "Signs point to yes"

Jumping on this train. If you're puking, you are beyond drunk and likely have alcohol poisoning. But I understand what soylatte5 is getting at, I also never understood the draw of being intoxicated at that level.

Definitely ask and make sure you get a concrete answer (preferably in writing) before committing.

Proflorax has lots of great points here, but I especially wanted to reiterate these! Making an effort to ensure your schedules line up at least part of the time is huge.