DeWinter

You meant GPA, right?

Wow, I've had the same dream! Except they sent me a letter proclaiming that they thought it was insulting that I applied there.

I actually had a dream recently where I received a rejection letter in the mail, where the committee had written in HUGE capital letters (I kid you not): OH MY GOD! HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK OF APPLYING TO OUR SCHOOL?? A DISGRACE! Talk about paranoia!

I agree with the above. I also had to deal with this with one of my schools. I'm in the same situation as the OP, so they told me to just fill it in with all zeroes. Best to call the international office of the school that you're applying to.

Great! Thank you all so much for being a great help! She mentioned that though she's DGS, she's not on the admissions committee and that I should go ahead and write to the professors who are on the adcom (she gave me their names). Does that mean anything? Neutral? I pretty much made faces at myself because she was so calm the whole time. Hence, the panic.

I just recently talked to a potential advisor at a program that I'm applying to. For the most part, I remained polite but, it's so difficult to gauge their reactions over the phone. I , also, at one point, interrupted her and completely forgot the word I was looking for while I was talking to her. Needless to say, I'm being hard on myself and feel myself a fool.

Ditto. I'd love to hear as well. The tension and anxiety is thick!

My advice is to get a backup anyway just in case. Please don't linger onto the LOR writer who might not even pull through. Instead of stressing, go ahead and find another who will be ready to send them in if the other one can't. It'll take loads off your back, trust me! There's nothing wrong with you and please don't take it personally. There are loads of reasons why professors cannot pull through sometimes. Some are due to time constraints, some are due to just sheer forgetfulness, some because of other issues. If he suggested to write you LORs, then I'd say that he thinks highly of you as a student and thinks you can succeed. However, find a backup who is ready to spring into action, in case he doesn't come through for you.

Can other professors who are not recommenders find out what LOR writers wrote for you in their letters? I was curious because the professor had something to the extent of "it'll be tough to get in, even with your letters". She was not a LOR writer. I was really shocked because I didn't know/didn't think that professors shared that kind of information with others. Or am I wrong?

I feel you and I have gone through very similar situations. I am not at that point of the negative being motivation yet, since it happened recently, but slowly but surely, I've realized that I can't let some professors stop me. Maybe she felt like she was doing me a favor by trying to bring me down or she was more concerned with placing students into Phd programs. Either way, I still think it's absolutely negative. I knew that it would be tough getting in but not impossible. Yet, she rubbed me the wrong way. I forgot to add, she claimed that "it'll be tough getting in, even with your letters", which rubbed me the wrong way even more. I was thinking, does she know what other professors wrote on my LORs? I thought they were confidential? Any inputs? As for your professor, he's totally at fault and probably was trying to save face. Either way, forget about him. Seems like we have to dodge shady or flaky professors in this obstacle course of grad school. I wish I could say more choice words because it stings like something else, but I think it makes us stronger in the end. Here, here!

It really helps having fellow graduate students give their input. I'm feeling a bit better. I'm quite upset because I was never good in standardized tests but I still got into a very good undergraduate program with a scholarship. I also am doing well in my masters (above 3.5) but I just can't seem to do well on this bloody test. I've taken it but goodness, it's so darn expensive! I'm quite weak in math but strong in verbal. My verbal score high in percentile as well as my AW, but my quant was extremely weak. I've had professors tell me that sociology mostly looks at verbal, but then I've heard all kinds of inputs. I just refuse to kill the hope of getting into a program. As a poster said, I'm not in this for the money. I'm extremely passionate about my focus/thesis issue and I hope that departments will see that. I wish that the passion would count more than statistics.

Really? Why so?

Wow, the icing on the cake. More nervousness! More pressure! Yeay!

Agh, the frustration. I wonder if professors would just be a little more positive. Maybe I'm too sensitive for grad school. It's like ruthless, at times.

It's scary about their policy on international students. I hope all other schools who say they fund all incoming students for 4 or 5 years will fund internationals, too.

Unfortunately, she's my graduate chair and she has not really been involved with anything that I have done. I've just taken a breezy course where she just tells you what to do in graduate school (when to apply, how to get committees together). It was mostly just her talking. Other than that, she's just been out of the loop. I had to talk to her because she asked where I was applying. I even told her that I'd be talking to a department chair of one of the schools that i was applying and she blew it off like it was nothing. She's been saying "don't apply to top programs" to everyone in the department. I don't know if it's just me but I don't believe it's the best approach for motivating students. I mean, I've talked to professors at most departments I'm applying to and they've been quite interested. She said "it'll be tough getting into these schools even with the letters of recommendations". Kinda shocked me. These are not top 10 or 20. It's more like the top 30's, 40's and 50's in ranking.

I'm wondering if anyone else has come across that professor (who barely knows you) who tries to tell the students in the department to not apply to top 75 programs and tries to de-motivate them, rather than motivating them. I mean, I know average GRE scores don't automatically disqualify you from getting in but I feel that despite some weaknesses of the student, professors should motivate students and tell them that it's worth a shot applying to schools. What's wrong with applying in the top 30's or 40's or 50's? I was told that these were "top tier" and that I should look at lower level schools. All based on my GRE scores!I'm coming across more and more professors who seem to pull you down, instead of making you feel hopeful. I hated the GRE with a passion and I'm just not good with these kinds of tests. It doesn't mean I'm stupid in any way! Not every professor is like this but I feel that students shouldn't be told that they can't get in anywhere because they have an average GRE score especially after they've applied. It's so demotivating! Anyone else have thoughts, inputs?

I'm wondering if anyone else has come across that professor (who barely knows you) who tries to tell the students in the department to not apply to top 75 programs and tries to de-motivate them, rather than motivating them. I mean, I know average GRE scores don't automatically discredit you from getting in (I'm in the liberal sciences) but I feel that despite some weaknesses of the student, professors should motivate students and tell them that it's worth a shot applying to schools. What's wrong with applying in the top 30's or 40's or 50's? I was told that these were "top tier" and that I should look at lower level schools. That it's going to be tough to get in. All based on my GRE scores!I'm coming across more and more professors who seem to pull you down, instead of making you feel hopeful. I hated the GRE with a passion and I'm just not good with these kinds of tests. It doesn't mean I'm stupid in any way! Not every professor is like this but I feel that students shouldn't be told that they can't get in anywhere because they have an average GRE score especially after they've applied. It's so demotivating! Anyone else have thoughts, inputs? It is a dream to get into a not a top ranked school but a good school who is respected with average GRE scores but good grades, strong statement of purpose, etc.?

I completely agree with all that you said. Even other professors cannot believe that some professors would leave students hanging. It's so incredibly stressful for students when they're panicking about getting everything else on time and then, you have to worry about that one LOR that is nagging at the back of your mind. Leaves you quite bitter as well.

It's not about being evil. I believe that students have every right to be frustrated. Sure, professors have to juggle a lot of priorities but students also invest a lot of time into the process of applying, not to mention the money as well. I didn't mean way ahead of time, but at least, let the student know right before or right after the deadline has passed instead of making the student wait for days and weeks at a time.

I didn't think it was a sure sign that I was in either but it does sound like at least it's something positive. Thanks for the advice!

So frustrating. I just don't know why professors cannot say a simple "No" or a "I'm too busy" ahead of time. I feel y'all.

Hello all, The department chair of one of my top priority schools has written back after a month and a half. She wrote after the application was submitted and the deadline passed last week. She wrote to me last Sunday, saying that my research sounds fascinating and that she's sure that I'd find a place in X university. She doesn't have a sabbatical until further down the road so she's available is available to work with me. She also said that we could talk about the program on the phone if I'd like and that she strongly recommends that I talk to grad students. Now, I wrote to her back in December and I received nothing, until after the deadline. What does the phone conversation mean? Any insights? Sorry, I'm kind of clueless about these sorts of things and my brain is fried from the application process.

Can you talk to the department chair or someone to shake this prof up? There must be someone in the higher ups to whom you can go to and ask. I mean, this is about your career. If he's the only one missing and you have no back ups, please talk to the department chair or a dean or someone!

I feel for you. Where is he? Just not able to reach him? I hope he has a valid excuse. If he has an ounce of credibility, he will write those letters.