Shere Khan

Well, University Of Wisconsin was pretty early last year as well. But there was definitely a lot of nonsense going on last year on the admissions results' page...

Received the final rejection (NSSR). Hurray! Application process is over...

Withdrew from an (unfunded) offer from FSU and a funded offer of CUNY. Not the unversities the active participants in this forum were waiting for - but I still hope it helps someone out there. Good luck to all of you stuck in limbo...

Given the wide variation in rankings over time and between different ranking systems, I can't imagine that a 5 spot difference is even significant... I'd rather go with the better fit and "general feeling", unless the placement record of the second university is really abysmal.

Well, I've seen the whole story unfold here in the gradcafe and on the PSJR board, so I assume that some people just got a bit emotional or tired of leading the same discussion again and again (but then nobody forces people to get involved in the discussion, no?). Anyway, as far as I can tell, SOOT, you've made up your mind: You want to do the MA at Yale (I am deducing that from the fact that you always contradict those posts who suggest that you take the PhD, but never those that support Yale). So you know what you want and you would like this board and others to support your decision. Well, not everybody does, and those that don't won't change their minds anytime soon. So I'd suggest you do what you feel is right. In the long run it is probably not going to make a big difference anyway. You've managed to get into great PhD programs this year, you'll presumably be able to do that again, and money does not seem to be an issue. So if you feel that the MA at Yale is the right thing for you to do, go ahead.

For what it's worth: I've just been rejected by UC Berkeley. For the second time within a month. Thanks for rubbing it in, guys!

. Glad to hear that you don't have to move in with your parents again . Maybe we'll meet some day in New York.

I think I finished the online part sometime before Christmas last year, and sent the paper version off in the first or second week of January...

Rejected by Columbia, accepted by CUNY. Interestingly with an "Enhanced Chancellor’s Fellowship"(18'000 USD), even though some posters here said that they only offer fellowships after one has already accepted the admission... Will presumably have to decline politely, so somebody else will get a chance. Good luck!

I got the inofficial notification from NYU on February 9th, and the official letter (as attachment to an e-mail) at the end of February. One or two other forum members have claimed NYU acceptances, and several Columbia acceptances were claimed as well on this very thread.

Congratulations, SuddenlyParanoid. You are the proof that God exists ...

Thanks for posting this. I was once told that the top universities actually communicate to each other which applicants they accept, in order to avoid sending admissions to the same top candidates - SP's case seems to prove that this is incorrect. Good news for the people waitlisted with these universities, I guess. Personally, I don't think it was a very good idea to start this thread. There are obviously (many) people who can jokingly discuss such a matter or analyze the situation rationally, but let's face it: It takes one idiot to derail such a discussion into personal attacks and backstabbing. Just have a look at the Political Science Job Rumours forum: sometimes the discussions there are quite useful, but then one troll starts a personal attack and the rest of the idiot wolf pack joins in... .

Hi there, am in the almost same position, but with the additional problem of having a partner with whom I finally would like to have a "close distance relationship"... Did you receive any other acceptances that you are considering as an alternative? Oh, and what were your impressions so far? I've contacted serveral current PhD students and possible thesis supervisors and almost all of them responded very quickly and were very helpful with their answers. Will you also attend the recruitment weekend?

Thanks for the advice. I got the inofficial notification on February 9th, and the official letter (as attachment to an e-mail) last Monday. I really don't know what their procrastination means - we had to tell them if we attend their recruitment weekend by February 22nd, so I would have assumed that they're done sending out acceptances, but...

Just got accepted by Florida State University (checked the web site after someone else posted that s/he had been accepted). Weird - I seem to be accepted by those universities where I felt I wasn't a very good fit when I applied - I was actually considering not finishing my application to FSU, but then one of the recommendation letters had already been sent, so I went ahead with the application... Anyway, will probably turn them down, as I have a funded offer from NYU - or does anyone with more insight into US universities and their rankings feel that this is not a wise decision? Advice is appreciated...