MyDogHasAPhD

She is really impressive, considering she got her PhD way before my poor, sad human self could.

I am currently in a program and was pretty active in the Social Psych 2017 thread so I hop on here from time to time to just check in. I wanted to chime in with a bit of reassurance. It is still SUPER EARLY! I did not hear from HALF my schools until after February 1st, and did not even get my first official acceptance until mid-March. Yes, many do send out invites this week but I know in my program, many of the faculty have not even began making their "informal interview" phone calls, and another friend who is in a different program also told me the same thing. So with all that said, do not think that just because you have not heard this week that all hope is lost. I promise you, it is not! Hang in there, friends. It will be over soon and this time next year, hopefully you will all be super stressed out in grad school!

Any good advice on how to go about wording an email rejecting an admissions offer? I am really struggling to find the right words because this was a really hard decision for me and I had a lengthy correspondence and an actual on campus visit to this university. Ultimately, I was accepted to my top choice program and the fit is a lot better but nonetheless, I still am having a hard time wording this rejection! Anyone else send a rejection email care to share how they worded it?

So I was wait listed at my top choice. Reached out to POI after being told I was first alternate on a wait list a few weeks prior because I had another, less desirable offer emerge and this university was putting some pressure on me for a decision. Three days after I sent this email to POI at top choice, I received a reply that he wanted to discuss my application again. I have been offered admission since. Sometimes when all hope seems lost, it really isn't. I was so certain that I wan't getting in that I had told most my family and friends that I was going to the program that had first offered me admission. It ain't over til it's over.. and it isn't over for 3 more weeks really. Don't give up hope yet!

I was also first alternate.

Thank you so much. I was feeling that way too.. I was so shocked. Best of luck and really, don't give up hope! I have heard from a few people that usually end of March, early April is a big time for wait list offers to start coming through.

Absolutely. I was not expecting this and had internally given up a bit of hope. It was a really great surprise, to say the least.

I just got accepted into my top choice off the wait list!! There is hope!!!!

Also still nothing from FSU on my end!

Try searching for postings for new PhD programs or labs on here. Sometimes newer programs extend their application deadlines to get more students applying. SPSP sometimes sends out bulletin emails when new labs are recruiting, and sometimes they have later deadlines but I don't recall seeing any past 3/1. Good luck on your hunt!

The funding struggle is real. I think programs are pro-actively freaking out due to the new administration. I actually had a program tell me due to wanting to secure funding for existing students they were only taking ONE student in their social program! ONE!

Hi everyone. Could use a little advice. I am currently waitlisted at my top two programs and have been accepted to what we will call my #3. Happy to have an acceptance but am in a dilemma. The program I am accepted to is not nearly as appealing to me as my two waitlist options. Do I sit on both waitlist options, hoping one will pan out and wait until the last minute to accept my offer at my #3? I feel bad doing this, knowing someone may really want the acceptance I have but is waitlisted. But I also feel like turning down an offer and hoping a waitlist option pans out is a real gamble. Am I being a jerk for holding on to two waitlist options eventhough I have an acceptance?

Congratulations on your hard work, persistence and determination, friend!! Amazing news.

U of Rochester made admissions decisions this morning. Rejected due to funding. At least it wasn't because I am a total failure, which has been confirmed elsewhere. LOL. Sorry--I am having one of the down days in this perpetual cycle of optimism and pessimism!

I agree with a lot of this. Personally, I have been looking at programs not necessarily in terms of rating, but how well prepared I am going to be for life outside of academia, as well as for tenure track positions. Given the future of tenure track jobs (or lack thereof), I have found myself wanting to prepare for the worst and looking at stats sequences and methodology courses and weighing in what preparation I would get for non-academic positions when applying to schools. Obviously tenure track academic positions are ideal, but these student loans aren't paying themselves.... oy.

My POI said to email someone named Erin and "We are in the midst of the process, however, so I don’t know if she will be able to provide you with much information." I am assuming rejection at this point.

Anyone who had an interview at Rochester know if they are doing an on campus? I had an in person interview with my POI at SPSP. Not sure what the next steps are and am kind of floating in the waiting abyss aimlessly.

Not that strange! I have an interview in a couple weeks with a PI I didn't even apply to, have zero overlapping research interest with, and haven't heard a peep from her but graduate students from her lab have contacted me so I am fairly certain it isn't a mistake. To say I am a bit at a loss is an understatement.

Good to know. I wish they could just inform of us of rejections once they know they don't want us! I kind of figured at this point that no news is not exactly good news. At least my intuition was not wrong. Thanks for the info!

Also applied to Clark and UNH. Nothing yet. You are in good company in the world of radio silence. Best of luck!

I couldn't agree here more. I feel like the GRE is keeping incredibly qualified applicants out of top programs. If it was a test that showed reliable predictors of success in graduate school or at least had some correlation with attrition rates, I could give it some merit. But the stats show it is only predictive of first year graduate school success. So much of making it through programs has to do with tenacity plus all the other "intelligent" people qualities. The GRE simply cannot measure that and while these program say "Oh we look at applicants holistically", clearly many are not. Many are using the GRE score as a cut off for funding and a way to do immediate mass eliminations. Such a scam. Also silence isnt always a bad thing. Sometimes it can mean you didn't make the initial round of interviews and when they hold their interviews, someone may not click well so they go back to the drawing board. This is my second time through this process. The silence can make you crazy, absolutely. I don't know if I have it in me to do this a third time. Props to those who have.

It is incredibly disheartening. I will be coming in with a Masters, multiple pubs, and other CV "tokens" that clearly demonstrate my abilities beyond a test score. Luckily I still have some other great options floating around but this one was a top. Especially because I was wait listed before the masters degree and was told to reapply if I went ahead and got my Masters! Well...

So frustrating. But I have somehow ended up snagging a few interviews with my mediocre GRE scores so hopefully not all departments place such emphasis on them. It really is so unfortunate.

Rejected from Albany. Seems as if they sent out acceptances already. POI emailed me following my inquiry. This one stings.. bad. It was a top choice for me. The curse of the GRE strikes again.

Has anyone heard from UNCG's social program yet?