Megan

OK, I have been holding back comment on all of these sorts of requests because I know what it feels like to feel nervous and terrified and desperate to get an offer, and I know it's worse when the whole world is crowing about how they can't decide between their five offers at every Ivy League department. I know because I was rejected everywhere last time around, and at many places this time around. I am sympathetic, I really am, but these sorts of requests and comments are really very frustrating. People on this board aren't jerks, for the most part. If they are REALLY sure about their decision, they have already withdrawn their acceptances to other schools. Additionally, and more importantly, them withdrawing does not help you at all. Schools factor the percentage of kids who get better offers into their admissions process, so the fact that Y person is going to decline school X is factored in already to the process. It could POTENTIALLY speed up the process, if you are going to be on the wait list or something, but it shouldn't impact the outcome either way. When people make these sorts of requests what you really do is make people feel guilty for going through the process in their own way. You also make the focus of other people's celebration and accomplishment about what that celebration and accomplishment can do for YOU, instead of about the fact that in this absolutely brutal vicious game, they have had a success that we should all be celebrating. Yeah, the waiting is hard. Yeah, it's scary not knowing what's going on next year, and everybody on this board is sympathetic to that kind of stress. Yeah, somebody who has ABSOLUTELY decided and is still holding on to their offers is being an asshole. I don't think that person exists on this board. I still have GW outstanding. I may or may not get in. If I do I will, most likely, decline the offer to go to NYU. I will, however, not accept an offer from any school without visiting. Until I visit NYU and decide that I love it as much as I think I will, I'm going to stay on the wait list at UNC and I'm going to stay in the running for GW. Also, if I got great money at GW, and loved it when I visited, I might accept it. I think fit is the most crucial thing. I love UNC's program, so I could really see that happening too. That's my process. If somebody on this board isn't turning down their offers yet, it's because they haven't finally decided where they are going yet. These types of requests and posts do nothing except dampen the excitement of people who deserve to be excited.

So, while I still have GWU outstanding, my cycle is pretty much over. I will wait and see what happens with GW and with the UNC wait list, as I do really like their program, and want to make sure i consider all my options carefully, but even if I get in there, I suspect I'm going to be in New York next year, which I am THRILLED about. If I could go back and give one piece of advice to people applying next year (and I'll put this in the other thread too) it would be this. Listen to what people say about your SOP, read examples, all of that. Be informed BUT at the end of the day, follow your gut. For the most part, the people giving you advice don't know everything about your background. Even your advisers often don't know details or may have forgotten them. I got SO caught up in trying to express X or Y or whatever, that I went back and reread my SOP the other day and realized I didn't once mention 3 major aspects of my education/training that are super unusual and interesting (not to mention kind of central to my research). It's not that X and Y weren't important to say, but so were lots of other things that I didn't say. That being said, it all worked out for the best in the end, as I think that I am going to be EXTREMELY happy at NYU. If I had it to do over I again though, I would actually listen to my gut a bit more.

They've rejected me twice now. My undergrad adviser suggested I take all my rejection letters, put them in a pile, and light them on fire. I think I will dance around that fire in the tshirt of whichever school I attend!

Thanks Princeton for being the ONLY school to notify both rejections and admissions in a timely manner. I don't understand why everybody can't send rejections just after admits.

Congratulations to all the admits! Big accomplishments all around today.

Amazing!! Great job! Congratulations!

OK, I just reread the email (rather not announce the school on here without prof's permission, but top 20) and realized I misread the first time. What prof actually said was they had that many times more applicants with REALLY high GRE scores than usual. That's different, although what it means in practice is that it's harder to make the initial cut, so in fact that is even scarier than having more applicants all told. Instead of just more numbers, there is higher quality among the already increased numbers.

That's because the graduate school itself will only send letters and not emails. It's possible and I don't know that much about Harvard, but I would be really shocked if the department didn't notify via email unofficially for admitted students.

Woah. That's nice in Nashville. I'm from TN, and my cousin lives in Nashville. While prices are going up as people realize the south has something to offer, costs are still comparatively low. Also, the area right around Vandy seems really, really cool. Sorry for the slightly off topic post.

I would like to add that there are SO many other things that change year to year. Profs I'm talking to are citing numbers like 3x 4x more applications than last year (slightly more specific than just "this was a competitive year"), so that's one thing. I suspect Princeton is a bit more stable in numbers. Another thing a prof was just talking about yesterday, though, is the fact that they also have to look at current cohort and who came last year. So, for example, a department might have just graduated a bunch of Europeanists and need some new ones, or they might be really looking to improve the number of Latin Americanists in the department. They may have taken several Africanists last year, and not have a much space for that region in the incoming class this year. There are just SO many factors. Princeton was my dream school, so believe me I understand that this is easier said than done, but I think we have to try to not take it personally, and clearly you're an amazing student and an amazing candidate.

I will add to what others have said that you never know what a professor is going to do once you are there. People sometimes leave. Choose the better program, and keep in touch with the prof you got on with so well.

I'm not in your field, but I have been in your position before (actually, almost exactly, although it wasn't grad school, but something else). I'm going to have to agree with everybody but the last poster. Unless you have a competing opportunity in Japan right now that will not be there in a year, go to Yale. If you hate it, after a year, shift tracks. Even as somebody going into my PhD relatively late, one year is not that long. Heck, you can drop after 6 months if you really want to. For me, and talking to friends many of them have similar experiences, traveling and getting ready to leave puts you in a weird mindset. You're embedded in a situation so different from the one you are entering that it's hard to get any perspective on what you are going into. I'm not saying your feelings are wrong, or that there's no potential for you to dislike it once you are there. What I'm saying is, there's just as much chance that you will get there and remember why you liked it in the first place. Bottom line, you don't lose anything by going to Yale (unless, like I said, there's an opportunity in Japan that you haven't outlined that wouldn't be there in a year), except possibly one year of time. If you DO hate it or feel not great about it, then leave. Grad school isn't prison, and you can bail pretty much whenever you want. I'm also assuming that since it's Yale you are fully funded, so you are also not losing money? The advice that you have to go in with passion is true, but I would argue that right now it isn't that you have no passion, it's that you aren't sure you have passion. So, go find out. The worst thing that happens is that it's a learning experience and you have a year to spend figuring out what to do next.

I think you say something like: "You know, your program is my top choice, but X is offering me a much more competitive package. I'm wondering if there is any flexibility in your offer?" Just like negotiating a salary for a job.

Sorry to hear about that! I was rejected first time around, and have managed at least one acceptance to a great program this time around. If you really want to do it, you can definitely improve your results next time! Good luck no matter what you decide!

Congratulations to ALL the Princeton admits. What an exceptional accomplishment!

Umm, a huge percentage of humanity are assholes? Some people think it's funny when other people feel bad? Some people enjoy watching the suffering, anxiety and stress of others for their own entertainment? Maybe I'm too pessimistic. I have been literally manually inputting casualty numbers from ethnic cleansing using a database that is in google earth and contains detailed pictures so...I don't have a TON of faith in people today, to be fair, but I really can think of nothing else to explain it. Some people are just mean and enjoy the pain and stress and anxiety of other people.

The only thing I believe at this point is an official letter from the graduate school. I have no idea what to think, and I am not giving up on or relaxing regarding a school until I have my official rejection/acceptance. Even a POI letter at this point, I would still probably be nervous until I had the official acceptance.

That's awesome! You are only the second European I know who watched it! edit: I've mostly lived in Central/Eastern Europe so...that could be why.

Thank you for that! I have so much fun showing Captain Planet clips to people who missed it, or to Europeans. Particularly the intro where it introduces all the geographically diverse idealtype characters, and the final song. Oh Captain Planet.

I actually think the consensus seems to be that Princeton hasn't admitted anybody yet and that the results on the board are trolls....right?

I'll take the quoted part down if you want, but let me say, I think it would be a real shame. I will do it if you like, though. Or requote it without your name attached.

OMG. Thank you so much.

I woke up this morning to my giant stack of unfinished thesis work, and checked this thread mainly because I'm a masochist who likes to torture myself by increasing the anxiety of waiting. Instead, I was treated to a delightful conversation abut the various attributes of American presidents, which started my day off with a giggle and made this day seem infinitely more manageable. Thank you. I don't really have a favorite president myself, but if I had to pick one it would probably be FDR. As a high school student I got into a fight with the head of the school board over FDR, and totally caught him (a lawyer with an undergrad degree in econ) in a major analytical mistake. As a high schooler I thought I was awesome, now I suspect I kind of looked like a jerk, but still. FDR, man.

I tried to call Yale and nobody answered the phone. I did call Columbia because I needed to hear it myself, and the woman confirmed all admits should have received an email.

I'm with brent09, it's certainly not going to have any NEGATIVE impact, so you might as well shoot them an email. I mean, why not?