yellowshoes

Thanks for the info. How did you find this out? Or is it just guessing?

I'm very tempted to e-mail the DGS and ask when decisions will be mailed (or e-mailed). I hate being pushy though. Ugh.

Well if you haven't heard... my guess is they haven't accepted anyone yet! best luck

Has anyone heard anything from Johns Hopkins? I'm not expecting to get in or anything, just wondering when I should expect to get word.

Thanks for clarifying!

Thanks for checking! I guess they got tied up last week... good to know when I should expect to hear, although I wish it was e-mail rather than mail as that takes an unknown amount of days to wait.

I think you make some valid points. I find the information you looked up about your old program interesting, particularly that 30-40% come from international schools. I suspected there were several, but that is quite a lot. So roughly 35-45% come from non-Ivy/non-international schools. I'm not sure I would consider Cal Tech to be a "random" school as we've all heard of it, and I think everyone is aware that (even small) private schools usually fair well. I think what is more interesting (and perhaps more relevant to those of us who have been voicing concerns about the importance of undergrad) is the percent of students coming from small state schools. This wouldn't be schools like the University of X, X State University, or even (in some cases) Northern X University (I'm thinking of Northern Illinois which people have heard of), but schools like University of X at (insert random, small location...this obviously doesn't apply to the extensive California system). Seeing how many students come from these sorts of schools (state ones that we've never heard of) would be worthwile. To your second point, would you not agree that more often than not both kids (the one from Harvard and from Western Michigan) with the 3.8 will have excellent recs? Who would the school pick in that, more likely, case? I would think that in most cases kids would have similar GREs, GPAs, support in recs, etc. In the event that they didn't, however, I agree that the school would be less likely to pick based on undergrad. But when all else is roughly equal, who could blame them?

I wouldn't encourage you to give up, just know what you are getting in to. Have people who know what to look for read your statement if at all possible. I really don't know what else could be my problem as its not GPA, GRE, stength of letters (akthough from less known profs, which I can't help), etc. Unless its undergrad, which also can't be helped now. The statement is the only thing I can mess with at this point.

No, unfortunately. Several of mine are low ranked and I didn't even touch anything higher than 13.

I second all that's been said about undergrads, although maybe not the part about international schools... schools like to get kids from all over the world. A point about statements. Yes get people to read it, but if your profs aren't reading them yearly (if your school doesn't have a grad program) then get someone who knows what to look for read them. My profs all liked my staement, but I have recently learned how far from good it actually is. They didn't have bad intentions, they have simply forgotten what goes into a good one. As for my stats: 4.0 GPA and 1400 GREs. No luck so far and only a couple left.

Do you know if they are sending decisions via email or postal? If the latter, it should obviously take longer. Also, are you a MA or PhD applicant? I noticed you are in at both missouri and missouri st. Louis. I think the first is the clear choice! Especially given the money situation!

Has anyone heard anything from Nebraska? Apparently the committee was supposed to meet roughly last Monday and release results last week, but I haven't heard anything from them. (I applied for the MA, although I'm assuming they will release results for both MA and PhD at about the same time?)

I've applied there too, with a 4.0 GPA and 1400 GRE. I've had terrible luck across the board so far though, and this is one of the best programs I've applied to. I think coming from a great undergrad, and already having tons of good news, works in your favor. I don't see why you shouldn't get in!

Well looks like I'm out then. Congrats to you! What's your subfield? (That goes for both UW admits here)

Anyone claiming the UW Seattle admit on the results page? I'm wondering if it was a mass email or from a professor. Congrats!!

I think you're probably going to have to control for those on the extreme ends and only use results from those in the middle. I mean, someone from a Top 5 undergrad reallhy can't do anything but maintain their position or move down, and someone from the no-ranks can either not get in anywhere or move up. I'm not sure you can include all of these people in the same group. For all of those schools in the middle, though, it is interesting to see mobility based on position within the current department.

Congrats!!!!

Agreed. It's just stupid to say "My life sucks worse than yours." There is always someone who has it worse than you. It would be like a kid who grew up in a house with drugged parents and a kid whose parents helped them with their homework everynight. The latter says, "It was just as hard for me to get an A in our 3rd grade class as it was for you." No it wasn't. Even people at the bottom could be lower.

You do a great job of showing that many kids do come from not-the-greatest backgrounds and still make it. I guess I should have mentioned in my post clarifying that "royal flush" was about money and not "being an alcoholic as an adult," that what is really the most important is the undergrad institution (which usually requires money). The undergrad institution effects everything: the relative value of your GPA, the quality of your letters (both the standing of those who write them and their experience reading great ones every year), the research opportunities you've had, and the advising needed to write a killer personal statement. The only thing undergrad doesn't effect is the GRE, which is almost useless since everyone has a great score in this game. You can overcome all of the aboved mentioned troubles of an unknown undergrad by working hard, but it is NOT the same. Fortunately for you, you worked your butt off, got into a good undergrad, and made it work, and for that I can only say congrats and nice work! While the "royal flush" of money obviously made things more difficult for you, however, you likely had the support of your family (correct me if I'm wrong). Coming from a poor background, one must have people around them supporting their desire to go to a good undergrad institution. A lot of modest-income families don't see the need in going to a great school and, quite frankly, think it is a disgrace to your upbringing when you ask to essentially be "better" than your parents. They are incredibly unlikely to sign any loan papers you'd need. For most people, it is a money and a support problem. For some lucky ones like you, it is only a money problem (which I am not suggesting is anything easy to overcome). Ultimately, if you can manage to still go to a good undergrad without either money or support, then THAT is impressive. It's not strictly money that makes contributes to the "royal flush," it's the culture of the family and community you have. I think this is a valid point.

Thanks for this! I always wondered what departments that get applicants who are clearly using that school as a "safety" do with that applicant. As to the points about letter writers and undergrad institutions. I'm under the impression that sometimes undergrad does matter (I was told this, actually, by a very reputable prof at an excellent school) for picking the safer of two candidates. Not that either is particularly smarter, but just that you sort of trust Stanford over Northern X. You say that "good" letters are better than "famous" letters, but I wonder if coming from an unknown school disadvantages you on both ends. Not only are your profs not famous, but your department doesn't send many kids to grad schools, nor does it have a grad program itself. So, your profs don't see what a "good" letter looks like all the time. Any truth to that? I do think your point about getting into a school under a less-competitive subfield is true, and I second the above poster who asked if using that as a strategy to get into a school and change subfields is doable. I think many people have considered it. Or, at least changing second fields. EDIT: I didn't mean having done most undergrad work in American and applying for theory, but having done most undergrad work in American, applying as an Americanist, and then switching to theory once you are there, even though your record and application don't really show you as one.

Just to clarify what I think the original poster meant by "royal flush" (please correct me if I'm wrong): I think it has nothing to do with things that are hard to deal with (be that a disability, being gay, being depressed, etc); I think the poster means either A: Having enough money to afford a good high school and more importantly undergraduate education or B: if not money, having been told that going to a good undergrad is important for getting into a good PhD, that it can be done without it, but that it is much harder to break into that circle than to remain there. Being depressed as an adult and having to come out of the closet are much different than knowing that where one goes to undergrad really matters and having the resources to do so. I think the later is what the poster means by "royal flush." The tone of the original post will, I agree, be damaging to this conversation.

I think that means they've mailed your letter (says nothing about what the letter says, though). The "decision letter has been mailed" notification should be listed at the very bottom of "receieved items." They don't remove those items, and it doesn't stand out, but if they've add the final transcript part they've probably added that.

I e-mailed the director earlier this week to update my file. He said he committee was meeting at the end of this week and that e-mails should go out next week. He also said that he will send a mass waitlist e-mail and one to those who won't be considered any further.

I obviously don't know, but I'd say it's a really good thing. BC sent out a wave of rejections a couple of weeks ago, and then within a week sorted out those who weren't going to be in the running for PhD (but marked to be considered for MA) and made decisions on them. So I would guess the fact that you haven't heard means you are still in the running (or at least are being held in the symbolic waitlist). They definitely seem to operate on a "narrow it down" system rather than a "notify the best and let the worst wait a while" system. Did you mark to be considered for MA?

I didn't apply there, so I haven't been keeping up with it, but good luck!!!