DidacticPrinter

Rejection from MIT:
 
"Not really a remote research fit. Guess they saw through my SOP like grandma's underpants."

Rejection from MIT:
 
"Not really a remote research fit. Guess they saw through my SOP like grandma's underpants."

I was watching T.V. contemplating what I should do for the next year having received five rejections. One application remained, but considering it was my top choice and they were only admitting around three people this year due to funding cutbacks, I knew I didn't stand a chance. Then it happened, an email popped up from the DGS congratulating me on acceptance to their Ph.D. program. I was completely shocked, and ridiculously happy! 

Preface: I'm from the middle of no where east Texas, and the first male in my family to ever go to graduate school, much less be accepted into a prestigious PhD program.
 
It was an east coast school, so when I heard my phone vibrate it was 6:15 AM I was still sleeping. The iPhone notification gave me a brief preview and kind of ruined it, followed by an e-mail from a group of faculty who congratulated me and hoped I accepted. I jumped out of bed and scared the hell out of my cat. Then I called my mom, she burst into tears at work. Then I called my partner, who goes to the school I was accepted in (we have been separated for over a year), and she burst into tears whilst at work, as well! It was a great, emotional, and memorable early morning. 
 
Remember to tell your mom how much her support made a difference. Telling my mom that she was the reason I made it was probably one of the best, most rewarding, and amazing experiences I've ever had. 

Statistically, I should have found a good one at random by now. Perhaps it's not my selection skills but rather something wrong with the selection pool.

My top 3 in conversational order:
 
"Oh, it's good you're going for your masters."
Actually, I'm applying to PhD programs. 
 
"How are you going to pay for 5 more years of school?!"
Well, they're actually going to pay me to go for all 5 years. I won't be spending a dime. 
 
"Oh, well, I was planning on getting my PhD too sometime. Seems like it will be fun."
Oh. Well, okay. Good luck with that then. 
(Unspoken thoughts: Yeah. Right. You just strap on your PhD helmet, squeeze down into a PhD cannon, and fire off into PhD-land, where PhDs grow on PhDrees.)

Some official statistics from Princeton:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.princeton.edu/gradschool/about/docs/admission/admission_stats.pdf

I would not be surprised if the proportion of internationals on the Grad Cafe was significantly larger than in the general applicant pool. Many internationals fully depend on information from sources like the Grad Cafe as we simply have nowhere else to turn for information on US grad school applications.

Stout floats

As a hobby, I use my iPhone to take photos of murals and street art in my city and then post them to Instagram. I have gained a fair amount of popularity among the street art community in my area. My parents want me to lead a financially stable life and they are unsure that graduate school will lead to that sort of stability. At one point during the waiting process, they suggested that I pursue a career in street art photography rather than attempt to re-apply to graduate school should I not get into my chosen program.

Here's the thing, I don't own an actual camera. I have no experience with actual cameras. I take photos of graffiti. With my iPhone. It is a phone. Also, don't make money taking photos of graffiti. And actual, real photographer-professional-person-type cameras cost thousands of dollars. I would a) not know how to use that sort of camera, break it the first day I had it. Also there is the small issue of people go to school to be professional photographers. I have never taken a higher institution art class in my life, let alone a photography class. The most recent art class I took was wood shop in the tenth grade. I was unable to make a bird house.

#bestbackupplanever #thankyouparents

Just watched Cosmos. Talking about how massive the universe was made me feel a lot better about grad admissions lol. 

Rejection from MIT:
 
"Not really a remote research fit. Guess they saw through my SOP like grandma's underpants."

HOLY FUCK I GOT ACCEPTED TO MY TOP CHOICE OMFGGGGGGGFGFF AHGEUQOAOXYYR4161


Tip: TAKE YOUR WISDOM TEETH OUT! I RECEIVED THREE ACCEPTANCES IN THE SPAN OF A DAY LOL

I found the following comment on some other forum, abt some guy rejected by EPFL,......... 
 
"Perfect 10 and still no admit...
This case reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio"
 
P.S. - In India, GPA is evaluated out of 10.

I had never thought
I would want so much to be
Their sloppy seconds

Torture: waiting to hear back from schools.

Excitement: any time there is a new e-mail in my inbox.

Disappointment: e-mail is not from a school I applied to.

Heart attack: e-mail IS from a school I applied to!

Confusion: e-mail neither an acceptance nor denial, but is telling me that I "should consider" applying for foundation scholarships.

More disappointment and confusion: not even close to eligible for any of these scholarships.

I just got accepted to the University of Florida for their Mass Communications program, which I accepted. It was the only school that I applied to for a MA instead of an MFA. And, I couldn't be more pleased to attend. They have by far been the single most responsive, professional and helpful school out of all that I have applied to - and that matters to me. Incredibly excited, and wished I would have saved my application money on the MFA degree programs and went straight for the MA because it fits me better. Best of luck to everyone!

Torture: waiting to hear back from schools.

Excitement: any time there is a new e-mail in my inbox.

Disappointment: e-mail is not from a school I applied to.

Heart attack: e-mail IS from a school I applied to!

Confusion: e-mail neither an acceptance nor denial, but is telling me that I "should consider" applying for foundation scholarships.

More disappointment and confusion: not even close to eligible for any of these scholarships.

I have not received an acceptance yet.
I have not won the lottery yet.
I have not had a puppy show up at my door yet.
I have not had Bill Gates give me a free computer yet.
I have not found the secret to having rock-solid abs without working out yet.

I think that covers some bases at least.

This was the first result when I checked just now:
"This is what I show the judges. They don't know what's good" -- Honey Boo Boo

I'm going to pub quiz tonight and phones/smart technology is banned. Anything that will keep me from checking my e-mail every 3 minutes should be a healthy move in the right direction!

LOL. What a cruel, harsh reality to wake up to! Soon. Very soon we will hear back AND spring will start! It's all just one giant test of endurance.

Forum University Speech Pathology And Linguistics, PhD (F14) Rejected via Other on 4 Mar 2014 A 4 Mar 2014
By "other" - a carrier pigeon brought me a note that said "use the discussion forum for discussions and use this board for admissions results". But I guess this repetative behavior qualifies as a form of speech pathology, so perhaps its part of the application process. And yes, I realize that this is a hypocritical mode of communication.  
 
 
Are people trying to get posted here...?

Agreed! If anything, let the world be rid of the GRE.

I'm too self deprecating not to have LORs backing me up: live on, LOR epidemic!!