FinallyAccepted

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6gz7q7tz#page-7 This study makes it seem that students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences were most accepting (compared to other schools within the university). Also, older students were most accepting. So within academia, you seem to be choosing the area with the most promise. I echo pasteltomato that academics seem to be more accepting, and you should be fine in Sociology.

They probably won't notice it like you are right now, being someone who IS familiar with that person's name. I wouldn't sweat it, but I wouldn't draw attention to it either.

I'm glad you said that. I was worried it was just little old introverted me that was worried about answering and would let it roll to voicemail. Talk about having to be on the spot right away. The fact that I avoided telemarketers instead was just a happy coincidence.

I applied all over for Social Psychology programs. Social cognition, implicit attitudes, prejudice and stereotypes. In order from east to west: 1. Tufts 2. Stony Brook 3. Indiana University 4. University of Iowa 5. University of Kansas 6. Oklahoma State 7. UT Austin 8. University of Colorado 9. University of Washington 10. UC Santa Barbara

Yeah, when people ask about my "safety" school, and I just have to tell them that grad school (at least in my field) doesn't work that way. There are no safety schools anymore. That was undergrad, not grad.

Like fuzzylogician, I think that some anxiety is warranted. We lack control over something that will have a significant impact our lives, and anxiety from that uncertainty is not unreasonable. In fact, my husband fessed up today that HE'S occasionally checked out the results page himself. Like me, he also doesn't like to lack control over the future. Work will definitely take up time when a normal schedule resumes next week. Both a blessing and a curse, there. People have suggested yoga for me, and I should probably take that up. Any anxiety-reducing activity should be part of my daily regimen, really. The anxiety of application season just makes it all the more obvious.

They have to know that with such a competitive field that you can't put all of your eggs in one basket, right? Can you tell School B that you already committed to School A, but that you're cutting your visit short at School A because interviewing at School B is still very important to you?

This was something I worried about as well. For my interviews, my spouse will be coming along as well, and it's not a financial concern for us to stay in a hotel but I worried about what I would miss by not staying with a student. I have to give myself injections a few times a week, so that was one thing I didn't want to have to worry about with a student as well as my spouse wanting to come along. After all, he's uprooting his life too, so it would give him a chance to see where we should live, where he could work, etc. so I'm glad TakeruK talked about bringing a partner.

I agree. I have found this to be difficult as well. I have loved my co-workers, but I was the young one who joined an established social studies department, and I've been the baby for awhile. The other two women in my department I have really loved, but one retired this year and the other will reture in two years. I love them, but our relationship teeters back and forth between being maternal and friendly. Both have older children, and one has grandchildren, so sometimes it's been difficult to relate for me. If I get into a doctoral program, I'll be surrounded by those mostly younger than me, who are trying ro find a significant other (I am married). I'll be closer in age to my advisor(s) potentially. I'm shy and introverted, so outside of work or school, I'm unlikely to find companions as it is. So I get what you're saying.

If you want to change your signature, go to My Profile. Edit Profile. Signature.

No problem. It seems like everything can be POI-specific. So unless you know that your POI has been interviewing people on the phone, you shouldn't be too concerned. I have seen results on that page to schools for which I applied, but know people in that POI's lab who tell me they haven't started looking at applications yet. So yes, that page is a blessing and a curse. But I'd rather be sad and have closure than continue to have unjustified hope. Before I received each rejection last year, I already knew to expect it because of that page. I have a friend from high school who's applying for programs in a completely different field who has sworn off that page until March. To each her own.

Does it look bad for an applicant invited for an interview weekend to not immediately respond with a resounding "Yes!! Thanks so much for inviting me!!" I was told to let them know by January 9th, and I haven't let them know yet just because I don't know about the other programs' interview dates yet. I was going to see what I heard in the next week. Thoughts?

Depends on the school or department. Some schools have a phone interview before inviting you to an interview weekend. Some just invite you to the interview weekend or have a phone interview. One or the other. And I've heard of some that don't interview, although I think that's definitely the exception rather than the rule. So don't be nervous. Again it depends on the school. Some schools send out invitations department-wide, and in some schools, POIs may be the ones to send out individual invites.

If you want to work with a particular professor, you need to contact him before you apply- not after. Even if you have other professors in mind, you don't know if they'll be taking students either, unless you ask. That deadline is quickly approaching, so I would e-mail asap keeping in mind that this is a time when professors may take longer to respond to e-mails than normal.

One letter with a "slightly negative comment" should not ruin your chances. I would advise against asking your professor what he/she wrote. I would do your best to let it go. If it comes up in an interview, you can always talk about why you had to leave the project.

I'm Shana. 31. Graduated this year with a masters in General Psychology. My undergrad was in education, and I'm on year 8 of being a high school psychology teacher. I wanted to get a PhD, but didn't think I would be a viable candidate in the extremely competitive Social Psychology subfield. The masters program was, luckily for me, only evenings, so I completed it after school for the past 3 years, with the last year going part-time teaching. I applied to PhD programs last year and got rejected from EVERY school I applied to. I'm trying again this year. Luckily, my husband is willing to pick up and move anywhere depending on which program might accept me and offer me a decent financial package, and we have no interest in children besides our 2 dogs. After being surrounded with young students all day in an instructional role, I hope I wouldn't end up too "preachy" to other graduate students I was technically on equal footing with in a doctoral program because they were younger- and I kind of have a habit of teaching... (Glad to have found this thread the second time around. I'll definitely be prouder of my mature self in February when interviewing, rather than feeling insecure about lacking research experience like my psych undergrad counterparts.)

You kind of have to look at what's normal in your particular field, but I'd say don't freak out. I submitted most applications 12/1, and haven't heard anything from any but one... but according to GradCafe neither has anyone else. Don't worry until LATE January unless you specifically see that interview invitations have been extended for the same school, same program, and same POI. Otherwise, everyone does it at different times. Don't freak.

With my luck, I'd end up rooming with a former student (that I'd taught while still in high school). Talk about a role reversal.

Like TakeruK mentioned, there's not a standard protocol that applies to all schools or all of a certain type of program. This year, I applied to 11 schools. I think only 4 wanted official transcripts at the time of application. Most were fine with a scan now and an official transcript IF admitted. This is much nicer from the standpoint of paying for graduate applications, especially for those of us with more than one transcript which needs to be sent.

Cyanide and ex-girlfriends. Wow. Cant say I've experienced anything so traumatic. My most awkward moment (besides not getting in anywhere last year) was one of the rejection e-mails I recieved. Penn State e-mailed me, and the subject heading was "PSU decline." I hadnt gotten an interview, so I knew it was coming, but still. All the others has still left a shred of hope with generic "Application Decision" kind of headings, and I could open them after preparing myself. This one afforded no preparation time, it just sat in my inbox a Big. Fat. NO.

Thanks!

After getting my undergrad in Social Studies & Psychology education, I became a teacher. I'm on year 8 of that. Meanwhile, I went back to get a masters in general psychology, so I could be a more realistic applicant for a doctoral program. Now I'm applying for PhD programs. I'm hoping that who I am can shine above a sometimes negative view of American educators (greed, laziness, lack of knowledge or ability [i.e. "Those who can't DO, TEACH."]). I know teachers like this, but I also have some amazing colleagues. My major flaw is the perception of my first chosen profession.

Plus, it seems like sometimes different individuals within the SAME department and school, may act at different times to send out invites, etc, though this shouldn't be TOO long of a difference. (From what I've gathered on GC)

First (and still only) interview invite seems to have done it. For me AND my husband. Seeing the completed checklists on each website helped, but getting that e-mail really did it.

Regardless of gender, that takes some figurative cojones. I just wish we were allowed to plan these things out better if they DO already know when the weekend will be. I'm finding that I'm not wanting to commit right away to an interview weekend date because I don't know if another school would have theirs planned the SAME weekend but just hasn't TOLD me yet. If I knew that none of the others would, I would've committed immediately, but I don't want to decide something without having all the facts. I'm not going to back out of a commitment that I've already made.