porcorosso

Thank you, guys for the responses! Great plans. Your comments help me to getting a general idea how you spend summer before the storm called a grad school life. Btw, special thanks to @Cat_Robutt. I really love the movie. I graduated a college this month, and am currently working under my former academic advisor. I will be working in his lab until June, and will have a lot of time until September. I might go back home (i am international), or visit my friend abroad. but other than that, I do not have a solid plan

Hi folks, After stressful time of waiting, I was fortunately admitted to some Ph.D. programs in physics. (yay!) Recently, I have brainstormed about what I would like to do during the summer before I start a new chapter of my life as a grad student, but I could not figure it out. Would you please share what you had done during the summer before you started the grad school? Work? Travel? Started research early? I would appreciate if you could explain why you made that decision, too. If you are starting this fall, what is your plan in summer?

Hi ! Congrats on your admission! I will also most likely accept the offer from Chicago. I will be in the Physics Ph.D. program, and am already pumped to start my adventure. I have not looked around the housing yet, but am planning to ask the housing to the current grad students when I visit them for the Open House.

Congratulations! You must have some stories considering this is your third year. I am so happy for you.

You spoke what is in my mind right now. I am so glad that I am in that same position as yours. I was accepted to the school of my 2nd choice with good funding. I could not win the fellowship but it is not a big deal. I am inclined to accept the offer already, but am waiting to see how other schools treat my application.

Finally, I can write my story on this thread! I came back from school. I came back from school around 10pm. I was obsessed with my quantum chemistry homework, and had not checked my application status all day. Anxiety attacked me, and made me check the gradcafe results page. One person got into the program of the schools I applied to, saying the admission decision is up on the webpage. Immediately, I checked my application. I saw a message logo on my application, and opened it. .......delighted to offer you admission to the Physics Phd program beginning Autumn Quarter 2016...... I stopped breathing, and read the same sentence from the beginning to make sure I understood English correctly. (English is not my mother tongue) I showed my girlfriend to make sure that I read it right. (Forgive me for how stupid I was. I was excited) "Fuck this chemistry shits, I do not have to worry about it any more!" (I completed it in a perfect manner indeed ;D) I checked the webpage technically on Friday. On the same day, I presented my thesis at the chemistry department. I got good reactions from the audience. I went to a fancy dinner held at my college because I won a leadership award. It was the nicest day in the last four years.

Thanks Jim Eric! It was the nicest day in the last four years. Now I feel a lot better since I do not have to my back-up plan any more. Plus, UChicago was one of my top choices. Apparently, the departments handle the applications in different fashions. From the schools I applied to, I feel the physics departments at Cornell and UChicago send offer letters at one sitting, and they will send additional offers after they hear some of their offers are declined. Other schools take several rounds to admit students. I know the physics department of Michigan did that last year. Yeah. Berkley is a very popular (/competitive) school, and definitely needs some luck to get in as well. I have seen many acceptances/rejections in late March and early March from last year's results. So I am confident that the search is still on. I hope you will hear back a good news from the schools soon! (Sooner is better)

After two rejections, my first offer came yesterday night! From one of my top choices! Great feelings. I am really excited to share this with my advisors.

Congratulations! I am sure you are pumped up right now!

Applied to 10 schools. Two rejections came in! So that is something... I am about to pass out. If I were admitted to one of the schools I applied by now, my mentality was a lot different. I feel I should start applying for jobs in case I will not get in this year.

Agreed. If they rejected me, I just want to know. It would be wise for me to look for jobs and explore my summer plan, but I cannot focus on those back-up plans because I have not technically been rejected from any schools so far. Still waiting to open my champagne. Hope the moment comes!

You are not alone. I started feeling calm, and focus on my situation. I probably should get a back-up plan in case I will not get in. (maybe a job) Does anyone have a back-up plan at this point?

I think I screwed up my SOP. I wrote my objectives, two major research experience (one was related to my field, the other was my internship at a national lab), and why I am attracted to the program. I only used a 2-3 sentences to mention my POI there. The last paragraph was a concluding paragraph. I was sitting in front of my mac for many days, but could not improve my writing. The process made me really depressed, so I decided to submit my SOP as it was. I changed the paragraph in which I mentioned my POI and my interests for each school I applied for. But yeah. Only a little bit. I did not know how to make this better. Also, I did not contact most of my POIs. I did for a couple schools I was really interested. I am curious if you contacted all of your POI

I have the same question with the bignc93. Actually, 2 of my applications were due 12/1. 7 were due 12/15. 1 app was due 1/8. Still hearing nothing except an email telling me that a decision will be made this week. Should I assume rejections for most of them? I would like to believe the admission committee is taking more time to review the applications for interantional students.

Geez I am checking the gradcafe.com all the time...!! I was freaking out today that today is already February 10th!