Phiner. Determination

Also, for any student looking for funding opportunities...  http://www.indiana.edu/~gradgrnt/category/saa-vacancies/

Hello, future Hoosiers!!!
I'm so excited to be posting here. I was originally offered an unfunded MA in Comparative Literature, which I couldn't accept, but this week they offered me the whole shebang--Ph.D. and Max Kade Fellowship in Germanic Studies! Five years total support! It's a dream come true, so I'm very, very excited. During the application I did a LOT of research about Bloomington, considering IU was my top choice (I'm seriously still not sure I'm not dreaming right now). I'm really looking forward to a trip down there, but that probably won't be until late May or early June because my brother will be making the move with me, and he has to finish up his last semester of undergrad. 
I'm keeping a close eye at house/apartment options. I want something nice in a quiet neighborhood--I'd really rather not hear undergrad parties on the weekends, you know? I'm also looking for something away from the stadium for the same reason. I've actually been debating picking something in Ellettsville or something just outside of B-Ton, but reading here about the parking trouble is making me think again. I'm not surprised to find out the parking is terrible. I went to University of Rochester for my MA and it was the same issue . . . wound up parking a mile away from all my classes, if I was lucky! Plus I love to walk, so picking a place within three miles of the school would be great. 
Anyway, I'm so looking forward to the move and I hope to get in touch with others hopping on board this year!

I just exited a faculty meeting announcing my departure, regardless of the outcome of this application cycle. Then, I got to email everyone with a BETTER reason for why I was departing!
I shut my office door and cried, silently, by myself when i read the email. After 7 years and 3 applications cycles, with one waitlist 6 years ago to show for it, I was beginning to think this was a dead-end road for me. The amount of relief and joy that hit me has been difficult to describe, even over a week later.

Hi all! I haven't been to this forum in a whlie.
I, unfortunately/fortunately signed my lease siteunseen. Hoping it works itself out with the phenomenal reviews of MeadowCreek. It's one of the newer cottages so cross fingers it works itself out! Now I'm scccrd! I'll be there at the end of this month for a visit which is exciting!
Anyone want to meet up when the semester rolls around? I'm 33, female, originally from California....nervous about the move!

Well, I went apartment shopping in Bloomington. I gotta tell you guys: BE CAREFUL. There are a lot of shady companies out there. DO NOT get an apartment sight unseen. Management companies will try to tell you that all of the units are the same, so they don't need to show you anything other than promo shots. That's when you should know they're trying to mislead you. Be sure to Google these companies. Check out their reviews. You're likely to find some shady stuff going on.
I'm from an area in Michigan with some truly awful economic hardship and I have never seen apartments (or neighborhoods; the entire block was like that!) as run down and gross as the ones I saw last weekend. In general, if they're charging less than $600, they're within 2 miles of campus, and it's not a house, you are in for some serious weirdness. You have to ask yourself: if it's so close and so great, why aren't they charging the market rate? (Answer: it's because it's a hovel.)
Anyway, there are some reputable places left. I went with Meadow Park*. It's a little further away from campus than most (about 2 miles from my program's building), but it has an excellent reputation and is generally a nice-looking complex. Site here: http://www.meadowpark-apts.com/ They have another complex a little closer to campus, Fountain Park, but it's not quite as good of a deal. (More expensive for the same size.) http://www.fountainpark-apts.com/. When I talked to the company, they said they had tons of units left.
*PS. They're not giving me any money or anything for this plug, but I kinda wish they would.

Hi everyone, 
Congrats to everybody who has been admitted to IU! I just decided to come to IU in Fall 2016 for Psychology PhD. I am from LA and looking for a roommate to move in this August (early Augst). My orientation starts on August 7. I haven't secured a place yet, but I'm going to start looking for an apt soon. I will be moving to Bloomington for grad school and would prefer roommates who also are graduate students or working as professionals. Pets-free and smoke-free. I do not have a car, and thus would prefer to live close to campus in a quiet neighbourhood. However, I'd also be willing to live 10-15 mins walking distance away from campus to lower the cost of rent. I was wondering if anyone is also looking for roommate(s) to share a house or apartment  
 
 

Wow, that is great news! Congratulations!!! It is certainly encouraging, and brings hope to everyone on the waitlists. It is wonderful to hear that waitlists are constantly getting shorter, and leading to admissions. Hope that we all hear back good news soon and can share success stories here on this waitlist post. I look forward to that day!!!

Another wait list success story here!!
I was actually pretty pleased with being wait listed by my top program after a less-than-impressive application cycle and hearing that the program had only offered three acceptances this year. I emailed after being wait listed just to say that it was still my top choice and I wouldn't make a decision until hearing from them. My POI contacted me to schedule a call about a week later, and offered me a spot while we were on the phone. I got an amazing fellowship offer a few days later.
Like I said, I didn't feel so great about my chances this year, and was beginning to consider back up plans before getting off this wait list (my only other acceptance provided a generous first year fellowship, but it wouldn't have covered the full cost of living, and funding for subsequent years wasn't guaranteed). This totally feels like a one in a million chance that is the result of finding a really close research match and someone else happening to decline. PhD apps are SUCH a crapshoot!

Definitely the BU program. Accreditation is a big deal.

What field is this in? How much does the school cost? Are you allowed to attend part time (6 credit per semester)? If you really want to attend the PhD program, I would attend as a part-time student** my first year and apply for scholarships to support the next few years. If this is a STEM program, there are a lot of scholarships out there that you can apply to. Or another option, attend part-time and re-apply for PhD programs during the Fall. Most PhD programs allows you to transfer up to 9-12 credits from other school (so you wouldn't lose the first year). 
One thing I hate about PhD admissions process is that there's no direct formula for getting accepted, it's mostly about luck... That's my advice without knowing too much about your program.
I wouldn't advice taken a year off without any job prospect within the field you want to engage in for your phd. 
 
 
 

Not yet, but it's looking pretty likely.

ummm...oh my god.
oh my god.
I got accepted to my top choice with full funding & moving costs.
oh my god.
The #1 school in the world for what I want to do wants me.  
is this real?

waiting for rollercoster!
 
And, got more excited for rollercoster and rode it!

When I got my acceptance, it was unofficial because I kept bugging them so much!! I was actually in a department chair meeting at my school district where I teach. WAHOO!

@artsy16 Congrats!!! I am so freaking happy for you!!!! :-) 

Hi @Phiner. Determination! I got in to IU!! Will message you!

Thanks!!! Same to you!!!

@artsy16 Congrats!!! I am so freaking happy for you!!!! :-) 

(Today) I was on the phone when I heard the call waiting beep sound. I thought it was probably my mother or something, until I ended the call and saw the area code for my POI at a school I had been waitlisted at (not even first on the waitlist, so I didn't really have hope). I tried to answer, but my POI had hung up already. Luckily they had immediately called back. I didn't get my hopes up right away because I did actually get a call earlier in the week from a POI at a school I was waitlisted at, just to tell me I wouldn't be getting an offer. But I'm beyond excited that it turned out to be a happy call!!!! I had really been down in the dumps these past few weeks because I got not good news from everywhere I interviewed with. I can't even put into words how I feel right now. 

I can't believe I get to say this.....
BUT I GOT IN TO MY TOP CHOICE*!!!!! 
*one of two top choices
Wow. Unreal. 
The stars really aligned for me as I hadn't had any offers before getting this great news. 

I was cooking breakfast and getting ready to travel to yet another interview. Got a phone call from a mysterious number ( I am starting to like mysterious numbers), that turned out to be my POI for the program. The conversation lasted for like 30 minutes. I silently screamed the whole time. There were moments that I broke out in dance and jumped around the room while he was on the phone. I hope he did not hear the gasp for air as I rolled around on my kitchen floor. I finally got myself together and wrote " F#$% YEA!!" on a slip of paper attached to my refrigerator. The program had wait-listed me two days prior, so I had given up hope in being accepted. Nothing like Pancakes and an Acceptance to start my morning! :-) 

Finally have all of my decisions -- accepted to 2 of 3 schools I applied to. YAY!
Cornell : I had a Skype interview which I had to take at work because of the time, so I had reserved a conference room for myself. They told me I was in during the interview. Cue : me jumping on conference table in excitement.
University of Chicago : I had spent a long morning working from home and compulsively checking my email. Finally decided to go into the office. Was in the garage parking a scooter and decided that (as soon as I had stopped moving) I needed to refresh my email again right then. Saw mysterious email from 'admissions'. Nearly dropped scooter. Got it onto the kickstand and waited for the email to load (since I was in an underground parking garage). Finally saw Congratulations!...

I can post in here finally! I got my acceptance today, in the middle of a particularly challenging coding lab. I got quite excited, showed it to my friend sat next to me and the professor came over to see what we were talking about. I told him and he was excited for me. We stopped the lab for a 10 minute break and had some coffee and I had so much excited energy I ended up hop-scotching down the lab Just hoping beyond hope I get the funding now...

Pride is fun! I went and performed maaaaaaaaaany years ago! I was cheerleading with the adult cheerleading groups in Pride!  Enjoy the city! So much to do!
Oh yes, have been bugging them like crazy! Any day now!!
Has your friend looked on Craiglist?

School: University of Iowa
Program: Counseling Psychology
-Great School and Program
Hope it opens a spot for someone on the waitlist!