sassy_grad_24

You can't base your potential to contribute on contests like these. I know it feels bad (even terrible). I've been rejected and then on waiting lists and gotten nothing plenty of times, a couple of times from Ford. Academia is "NO" nine times out of ten when you think of conferences, publications, funding and then the market. This one didn't work out so we prep and improve the next one. Regional contests and even those at your own institution may rank you first place with the same application.
 
Take a day to be sad, peruse your alumni association's job listings for jobs outside academia, join Versatile PhD, vent anonymously on GradCafe... But remember that this career path is not the only option. AND you don't need to win a Ford to do well here. 
 
Let it out. Then, chin up and onward. 

You can't base your potential to contribute on contests like these. I know it feels bad (even terrible). I've been rejected and then on waiting lists and gotten nothing plenty of times, a couple of times from Ford. Academia is "NO" nine times out of ten when you think of conferences, publications, funding and then the market. This one didn't work out so we prep and improve the next one. Regional contests and even those at your own institution may rank you first place with the same application.
 
Take a day to be sad, peruse your alumni association's job listings for jobs outside academia, join Versatile PhD, vent anonymously on GradCafe... But remember that this career path is not the only option. AND you don't need to win a Ford to do well here. 
 
Let it out. Then, chin up and onward. 

I think they send out notifications Fridays because they probably don't want to answer phone calls from people freaking out over not knowing whether they got it or not. The offices are closed weekends so I bet all those calls just go unanswered. 
 
Last year it took about 3 weeks for all the decisions to roll out. I remember hearing friends not getting a decision until at least late april. Not sure why that is but it definitely had nothing to do with alphabetical order. 
 
Yesterday I told a prof who was a reader this year that a friend of mine already got a notification. This professor says it is odd because they only met to read apps last week. My Prof was a little surprised that the decision was released so early and suggested that maybe a reader leaked the info but in the last 24 hours I've heard of 3 people I know getting notification for the dissertation award and 1 for the predoctoral award who have all won. 
 
The idea of waiting another week makes me more anxious.
 
Congrats to BioChick77 

So I just got word that a friend received an acceptance for the Ford Dissertation fellowship. I won't say their field but I'll say its in the humanities. Congrats to my friend but I'm still waiting for a yes or a no and its driving me crazy! Also: This notification is way earlier than in other years. Decisions usually don't roll out until the first or second week in April. It may be different for the dissertation fellowships. 
 
The ford fellowship selection meetings took place March 10-12 so our fates are sealed by now anyway. I just wish they'd hurry up and get the notifications over with!