jaxzwolf

My name is jaxzwolf, and I deflect my addiction. Instead of constantly refreshing my email, I have begun turning my attention toward other things. In the past two weeks I've had a soda-drinking relapse (a very serious relapse-- carbonated beverages anonymous, anyone?) and become absolutely obsessed with a television show. Healthier outlets might have included woodworking, running, or reading, but I chose a dangerous path-- Pepsi and TV. I need help. Or, you know, for a few acceptances and it to be April 15th already.

Professors tend to be horrendously busy this time of year. As a general rule, I would give three weeks between emails. If this particular POI is a factor in your making a decision about which school to attend, then I'd say you're alright to try again after two weeks. If you think it will weigh heavily into your decision then two weeks after having sent your original email I'd call instead of sending a follow-up note. Some professors are just easier to get hold of by phone. If you do sent another email, just say you know he/she is likely extremely busy but you have a great deal of interest in his/her research and the prospect of working together if you attend X University, and you thought you'd try and get hold of him/her again.

I started out with a Dell Latitude which took me through my last year of high school and all four years of UG before dying the year after I graduated. There was a lot I liked about it, and I certainly never regretted purchasing it, but I had consistent trouble with software issues, slowing, freezing, and crashing. The hard drive had to be replaced twice, and the keyboard malfunctioned once and I had to get a new one (hard to type without the 'n' and 'y' keys! ). Its troubles weren't enough to make me tear my hair out, but it was irksome, especially on the occasions when I was trying to get work done. I'm not a PC gamer and I use my laptop for little else than work, internet browsing, and watching DVDs now and again. Like I said, I really liked the Dell, and I would certainly consider purchasing another. When it came time for me to replace the Dell, however, I bought a MacBook Pro, largely because I loved both my iphone and my brother's iMac. I've had it for two years now and I absolutely love it. I have never had it freeze up on me or crash, and I haven't had any software or speed issues. It does occasionally have trouble finding the wireless connection in my apartment, but I'm not sure if that's the fault of the AirPort or of the two-bit, used wireless router I bought second-hand. Honestly, if it were to fall apart today I would buy another, even with the expense. The multi-touch trackpad is incredible, and I can't imagine using anything else. It's hard to describe just why I like the Mac so much better. It's intuitive, certainly, but there's a certain flow to it that just gets me. I'm not a fan of the Mac vs. other PCs or Windows vs. Apple debate. Honestly, I think either way you're going to get a good computer, and each system has its pros and cons and may be better or worse for your particular needs. If you're doing a lot of heavy processing or like to play video games on your computer/online, a Mac might not be the best choice, and if you chose to buy one and make the necessary upgrades it would cost a fortune. I'd buy a Dell again, but I'm personally sold on Macs, just because of the user interface. It all comes down to what you need in a computer, and what you want to get out of it. Hope that helps.

Magic 8 Ball online. Except I have to keep refreshing it until it tells me what I want to hear. And that doesn't make a lot of sense, because it's not always right when I'm making it say what I want. Oddly comforting, but deceptive.

If it has only been a week I would wait-- I know it's hard, but professors are typically swamped with things to do and this time of year tends to be particularly busy. You stated your case and told her you'd be interested in working with her. I would give it two weeks from from the day you emailed her before you try again. I err on the side of caution in thinking that emailing any earlier might be construed as impatient or pushy. Give her time to get back to you. If you haven't heard and it's been two weeks since you replied to her original email, I don't see any problem with sending a short follow-up note reiterating your interest.

I think it's best in these circumstances to wait until after the application season has passed (i.e. until after April 15th) and things have settled down a bit. Then politely email your POI (if you had one at this particular school) or admissions and inquire what you could do to make your application stronger. Phrase it in a way that shows you're not angry/desperate/disappointed (even if you are). Rather, you just want to know what you could have done to give yourself a boost above other candidates. I did this last year, but I had a few specific labs in which I really wanted to work, so I emailed POIs directly. I think you likely have a better chance of getting details from a POI rather than an admissions person. I said something along the lines of, "Although you were not able to offer me a spot in your lab this year, I am still interested in your research, and I plan on reapplying next year. Is there anything you might suggest that would strengthen my application?" Something along those lines might work. You might receive a nice, helpful reply, you might receive something along the lines that cookd2 did, or they might blow you off. But it can't hurt to try, as long as you approach it sensibly and give them a bit of time.

I had trouble with this, too, last year. When I was in UG and talking about grad school, my two primary advisers talked about the process with me often. I'd heard plenty of stories from both of them about what to do when, and what to expect afterward. So I had it in my head going in that it would be a breeze-- contact professors the summer beforehand, pick schools that interest me most, apply in the fall, be invited for visits/interviews in the winter, and if I'm interviewed I'm basically guaranteed an acceptance after that. Then spend a long, hard couple of weeks choosing between a bunch of offers to great schools. At that point, they definitely didn't realize that times had changed a bit since they'd applied, and I wasn't familiar enough with the process to know they were wrong. I found out pretty quickly, after being rejected across the board my first go-round. I was confused as to why nothing they told me was working as they'd said it would. I wasn't invited for interviews, I didn't get any offers, and there was no choosing to be done, period. They were confused, too, giving me the whole, "I just don't understand" gambit, until they started research today's process more thoroughly and realized that applying to grad school now isn't the same as it was twenty or thirty (or even ten, or five) years ago. This year I was much more prepared for the application process, and I know my chances of admission are slim, so I take every correspondence with potential advisers, interview invites, etc. seriously and gratefully. As for my professors? They're still feeding me "you're going to get in!" lines, so I take everything they say with a grain of salt. Bottom line: you're the one who is applying, it's your responsibility to understand the process and the odds, and at the very end, although you'll likely thank your recommenders, it's your responsibility to do the work it will take to get an acceptance.

If you're waitlisted at U of M and haven't received (and don't end up receiving) any other offers, would you be willing to throw in the towel on U of M and apply again next year? If you're really interested in teaching abroad and you think it will be a good opportunity and experience, I'd say go for it. Spend your year elsewhere and come back next year to try again. Unless you're considering U of M for specific reasons (i.e. it's your dream school, top-choice school, the only school you want to attend, the best fit for your research interests, etc.) it would seem to make sense to take a break, do something you'd enjoy, and come back at it for another round. Teaching abroad would broaden your experience and would add a little extra something to your CV. If you can work it in to contribute some relevancy to your future intended research topic(s), all the better, as that will strengthen your candidacy and potentially net you offers at schools in the future. If U of M is your final goal, it won't hurt at all to ask for a deferral if you're accepted off the waitlist. After all, the worst they can say is no, and then the decision will be made for you. EDIT: Just re-read the additional post and saw that you mentioned U of M is your dream school. If that's the case, then there shouldn't be any harm in asking. If they say yes, you can go, if not, well... then you're off to U of M in the fall, eh?

That is hilarious! I can only imagine what some of my usernames would be if I used the same method. I keep some weird things scattered around on my desk sometimes.

I re-read my application materials frequently, and try to convince myself that there are some really good bits in there that will stick out to an admissions committee and make them decide that I'm a worthy candidate. It's nice to reassure myself that everything was well-written and that I did put some decent ideas on paper, even if no one ends up taking notice (or agreeing that the ideas are decent). I kind of wish I hadn't opted out of viewing my references' recommendation letters, though. I imagine that at least one of the three of them (and in actuality, perhaps all of them) would have some pretty nice things to say about me, and it would be great to go back when I'm feeling my worst and read those, just to see that someone believes in me. Guess that could backfire, though, it there was something unexpected and negative in there! That wouldn't help at all, eh?

This is almost exactly what happened-- I received the rejection this morning. I got an email from the POI that said something along the lines of "it was good to meet you, but I've decided to select another candidate." Not so bad, right? Except he ADDRESSED IT TO SOMEONE ELSE! So I had a fleeting moment where hope sprang up again, screaming "Maybe it's not too late! Maybe he does intend to accept you and just got his emails mixed up! Maybe the acceptance is on the way!" Of course, I emailed him back immediately and asked to clarify. "Ahem, this is jaxzwolf, not (random other person). Did you mean to reject me, really?" Of course he meant it. "Whoops, sorry-- yeah, you're rejected, Just forgot to change the name." Wow... way to kick me while I'm down, add insult to injury, etc. Instead of sending my mom a text message I called her and spent half an hour on the phone sobbing, then fell apart again at work. Luckily, my boss is patient and pretty understanding, and was with me throughout last year when I was rejected across the board, so she gave me some time to myself and set me to some tasks that I usually enjoy. Super thankful for that. But really, other than that, this rejection is playing out almost exactly as I imagined. The sobbing was there, the world-cursing showed up early on, and I'm currently trying to excite myself about other programs, despite the fact that I keep thinking, "but Dream School was such a perfect fit!" *sigh* Oh, and I went for cookies instead of chocolate.

I think it's always a good idea to sent thank-you notes after interviews, whether they were conducted one-on-one or in groups. E-mail thank-yous should be fine. I would thank the program director for sitting down with you and providing you with the information about the program, and the two professors that observed your group I would thank for overseeing your interview session. All of these individuals are taking time out of their schedules to assess candidates. Just be gracious, tell them you enjoyed meeting them and learning more about the department, and thank them for their time. Thank-you notes will both reaffirm your strong interest in the program and show that you really do care that they took the time to interview you.

Beer, money.

Started as a bio major, finished as a bio major. I never changed it. But I did briefly toy with the idea of majoring in studio art. I wonder how much more/less difficult my life would be now if I had?

This sounds delicious!

If I get accepted to my top choice school, I am definitely posting it on Facebook. I have NEVER updated my status on Facebook before, and, at most, I check my account once weekly. There will be people on there reading my update and thinking, "Holy cow, jaxzwolf is on Facebook? Oh yeah... I vaguely remember accepting that friend request. Hm."

Like everything else in graduate admissions, acceptance rates after interviews vary depending on the school, department, program, etc. If you're going into a program that has students do rotations, then there is likely a set number of individuals the department admits each year (such as 5, 10, 15, 20, etc.). Then the percentage of admits will depend on the number of people they decide to interview. If you're entering a program directly into a specific professor's lab, then it depends entirely upon a.) how many spaces are available in the specific lab you want to work in and b.) how many individuals the professor is considering. It is often difficult to find out just how many students a department/professor is considering, but oftentimes the program's website will have a blurb somewhere about the average number of candidates admitted to the program each year. Try checking the FAQ, if the department's website has one. I have heard estimates of different programs accepting anywhere from just 15% to 95% of interviewees. Some programs decide who they want to admit beforehand and use interviews to make sure the candidates are the same in person as on paper. As long as this is the case, acceptance afterward is a formality, and the interview is used more as a recruitment event. Other programs bring far more candidates than available spots to interview, with three or four individuals competing for each open spot. If that's the case, the interview is likely more about judging experience, maturity, and how well your research interests fit within the current paradigm of the department, as well as gauging how well you get along with faculty and other graduate students. Unfortunately, there is no way to really quantify your chances, unless you know the exact number of candidates they're interviewing and the number of spots available. Even then, the odds can shift one way or the other depending on the skill sets/experiences/etc. each interviewee is bringing to the table. The best thing to do is make sure you're prepared, be excited and knowledgeable about your own research interests as well as the current research going on in the department, be friendly to everyone, and take some comfort in the fact that they certainly wouldn't have invited you to interview if they weren't interested in you. They like your application-- now they just want to see if you're a good fit for the department. Good luck!

Is this your first time applying? Good luck, and I hope we both hear good news soon!

"At this time, we do not admit candidates who have little to no possibility to succeed in life. We recommend you pursue work more suited to your skill set and aspirations. This guide to local fast food restaurants in your area should help you get started. Thank you for your application fee."

Last year when I applied everyone (myself, my friends, professors, bosses, etc.) except my mom was convinced I was going to get in. She kept cutting in with, "You better have a plan B" and "What are you going to do if you don't get in anywhere?" This year things are different. My professors are more circumspect about my chances, I've convinced myself I'm a total failure and am already anticipating a rejection letter post-interview from my dream school, and my mom is being the positive one. "I'm sure you'll get in this time!" or "I feel good about Dream School. I think you'll get accepted." It's nice to have the support, but I kind of wish she'd stop. I'm a big proponent of the 'always expect the worst because if it happens it will be less emotionally crushing, and if the opposite happens you'll be pleasantly surprised (and relieved)' paradigm. Really, though, I'm just sick of the waiting game and of not knowing either way. I find myself fantasizing about what it would be like to attend Dream School, and then I make myself stop because it will hurt all the worse if I do get rejected. I just want to move on with my life.

My first rejection wasn't too bad. It was a long-shot school and I knew my chances were slim, so when I received the notice in the mail I opened it, read the 'we don't want you' part, and threw it in the recycling bin. No fuss. I did have a moment of silence for my lost application fee (may its travels far from the safety of my bank account be varied and fulfilling). I had an interview last weekend at my dream school. If I end up receiving a rejection letter after coming so close, I might come apart. I'll start by sending my mom a text message, and then getting pissed about whatever platitude she sends in reply, regardless of the fact that she's being genuine. I never cry, but I can imagine a long sobbing session, complete with alternating irate, cursing bits and desperate self-pitying bits. I will curse the world for its unfairness and wonder why I have to be so tormented, with the universe just dangling my dream tantalizingly close in front of me, luring me into dreams of success and happiness, and then snatching it away with a cruel "HAHA!" to leave me rotting in despair and wondering why I even tired in the first place. Then I'll try and move on to positive thoughts about other schools, but I'll keep coming back to the fact that none of them will even compare to my dream school, and that I'll end up living like a vagrant and hating whatever grad school I end up in because it's just not the same. And then chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. Or cake. Or donuts. Or possibly chocolate cake donuts. Later on I'll get over it and move on. But it might be a long, hard road to get there.