ArchaeoGeek

Still waiting to hear something...anything... :/

I'm not sure how to think about this application season, it's been such an emotional rollercoaster ride...At this point, I have accepted an MSc program at Durham in England, so at least I know what I am doing next year! I did get a place in a PhD program Stateside and have emailed my POI about deferring entry for a year, but at this point I am torn, since they are offering no 1st year funding, so I may end up doing applications again next year as well... Congratulations to everyone! It's so great to see so many people getting into programs and being so excited about the beginning of their academic careers!

What is the deal with MAPSS? I got rejected at Chicago but admitted to MAPSS, like everybody else... "What makes MAPSS distinct: Unlike other M.A. programs, MAPSS is highly competitive for admission..." Competitive admission is kind of the opposite of admitting everyone who applies (or in this case does NOT apply), isn't it? Weird.

Does anyone happen to know how many spots are available at the Cotsen Institute at UCLA? I don't know where I am on the waitlist, but if there are, say, two spots, I'm sure I won't get in, whereas if there are more I might still have a chance...

Got home to a waitlist decision for UCLA, which is better than a rejection, I guess... There are just too many acceptances appearing now to keep up with, so I will just say "WOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!" for everybody! It's so great to see folks getting into programs they love after so much hard work!

The ones that crack me up are the temper tantrum ones, like the Princeton reject a few days ago who went off that the professors were stupid and how the rejected applicant was so much better than their current PhD students anyway...Obviously you weren't, because you didn't get in, duh.

Would it be reasonable for me to ask Ball State if I can make my final decision after visiting UC (so I can meet with the faculty, talk to them about where they are in their funding decisions, etc) on March 2? They would really only be losing a couple of days of certainty. I don't know too much about funding, etc. but my gut feeling is that I would ask them for a few days to decide. Unless Ball State is your absolute dream school and the perfect program for what you want to do (in which case you would just take whatever they'd give you and make it work), the worst thing they can say is no, and then you might want to think a bit about working with a department that is that inflexible and hard nosed. But congratulations on the acceptances! That is so awesome for you!

Another Friday is passing with no notifications...It's getting a little discouraging at this point...

How do you know this?

Faulty! WOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!! Congratulations!

Thank god it's not just me...I seriously considered retaking the GRE, but I just don't have the math skills to really improve on what I already have--my quant score would probably only come up three or four points with the absolute best that I could do. And my verbal section was good enough that it would also only come up three or four points. It just didn't seem worth it, but of course now that I have submitted all my applications, I am convinced the departments are putting them all in the circular filing cabinet because of that stupid quant score! Should I start sending POIs emails about how much I like to bake? WILL TRADE HOMEMADE COOKIES FOR PHD!!!

Ohhhh...So people are hearing back from UCLA now too...Good thing I haven't heard back from either NYU *OR* UCLA...This won't make me insane at all...

I don't want to beat a dead horse here, since the response generally seems positive even though it was initially negative, but I had a very helpful conversation the other day with a professor who is a LOR writer for me...She basically said that there could be any number of reasons for a rejection that have absolutely nothing to do with you as an applicant...Maybe the professor is just not taking students this year...Maybe they just got funding for a sabbatical...Maybe there are too many students in the subdiscipline in the department but a couple will be graduating by next year...(I am thinking of things that might fit your specific situation where they basically told you to reapply and you'd get in) This actually sounds like a horrible breakup speech though, doesn't it? "It's not you, it's me" But seriously, unless you get a much better offer, think about the fact that an awesome professor basically said "Hey, I really like you!"

HOORAY!!! How exciting for you! Now you get to go Google all about the town you'll be living in, find the best coffee shop and the cool indie bookstores and all the fun stuff...

I'd take this as a good sign...I mean, it's obviously a bummer because you didn't get in this year, but if you're able to wait and reapply, it sounds like you have a very good chance of getting in next year.