Tiglath-Pileser III

I received one rejection very early on (Feb 8) and have heard absolutely nothing since. The fact that I've received no acceptances as of this date (Feb 18) is driving me totally buggy. I know that a lot of schools that I've applied to do send out their offers late, but it hasn't helped to see others get acceptances in unrelated fields early on. Good luck on your applications. -H.

You read it! Now, you can't unread it! TALES OF INTEREST!

Okay, here's my list.... Hit the "Results Search" over and over and over again.Watch Doctor Who from start to finish.Tend to my carnivorous plants in my terrariums.Drink lots of plunk red wine.Play RPG computer games, e.g., Oblivion or Dragon Age.Actually, do my class work.

I got my first rejection of Feb 8th. While it is not a school that I was interested in, it still had a demoralizing effect. I wished that I never sent my application there.

As of today, I have received no offers and one rejection. So, I have to be honest. While I am glad for all those who do get accepted, I get a sinking feeling deep down in the pit of my stomach when someone gets an acceptance at any of my choice schools. This spiral down into dread that I will get shut out entirely. I can't change how I feel. I can change how I react to those feelings.

With no acceptances yet and one rejection, panic is setting in. So, I'm going to do the same thing as everyone one else and stating why I'm a good candidate. 3.8 overall GPA in my graduate studies from a well-respected collegeTwo masters degrees: a MDiv and a MA in Archaeology.GRE 1360A solid master's thesis1 out of field, peer-reviewed publication10 years of work experience in computer engineeringMy letters of recommendation are well-known expertsReading proficiency in French, German, Middle Egyptian, Hebrew, Greek, Akkadian, and Japanese My advisor thought I should shoot for the "big colleges" over the sure thing. I hope he was right. Meep!

I have a friend who scored in the mid-700s on verbal and mid-300s on the quantitative. And even though he was applying to schools that officially did not consider the math scores, he found himself on the "fast reject" path with 5 out of the 6 PhD programs he applied for. It appears that the GRE serves as a reason to reject more than it does as a reason to accept. I think that the GRE serves a very important sociological purpose for admissions committees. The two most important rules for success at graduate school are: (1) know the system, and (2) jump through the hoops. Those who excel at the GRE are the types who will prepare for any test, and thus are more likely to learn the tricks and the rules of the test (and the system). Those who treat one section less seriously than another are less likely to be pliable and flexible in a graduate school setting and are less inclined to want to jump through the hoops. My friend did get into a PhD program, but he had to take one at a third tier college with almost no funding.

Ha ha ha... It reminds me of what happened to me when I first applied for my MA back in 2005. A week after I submitted my last application item, I got a 'thin' envelope that scared the heck out of me. It was stamped in blue "final decision" on the outside. Talk about terror. It was a letter congratulating my on my acceptance and that the full acceptance packet would be sent in the mail in a few weeks.