day_manderly

Don't worry, imposter syndrome is actually this special mark on the psyche of all future doctoral degree holders.

@Kilos, oh, I so understand. I feel a little sick now thinking about both the incredible process of relocating if accepted, the devastation I'll feel if I don't get accepted, and the agony I'm in thinking about how we will now soon know one way or the other. I went to grad school before and I don't remember feeling this worked up about it--it feels so different this time.

Yup. Based on the predictions, one of my programs starts notifying before the month even ends - I get a little anxiety stomach ache just thinking about it (anxiety mixed with excitement though!)

Well then, we shall all attempt to combat this trend! I enjoy these forums- it actually helps allay my anxiety knowing that others are out there going through the same things :). And it's kinda nice to have a safe space to obsess... 

Don't worry, imposter syndrome is actually this special mark on the psyche of all future doctoral degree holders.

@Kilos Thanks! I am experiencing a bit of imposter syndrome, so I really appreciate your words!

I haven't had any correspondence with any of my schools and I'm already feeling the same way. I think it's pretty natural. It's a huge shift, a huge change, and for many of us it's the first time we've been faced with such a monumental opportunity. I know everybody's different, and people's circumstances all vary, but for me, it's unnerving knowing that the very course, direction, and ultimate outcome of my life may very well rest on how appealing an admission committee finds my stack of papers. You got the interview though, which means your stack was good enough; now all you have to do is show them you're the person on the paper. : )

Current student at Harvard's Ed. School. Here is my book list for after graduation:
Instructional Rounds in Education: A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning by Sarah Fiarman Data Wise in Action: Stories of Schools Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning by Sarah Fiarman How Kids Succeed by Michael Fullan  Role of Government in Education by Milton Friedman Becoming a School Principal The 21st century principal Cage Busting Leadership Rick Hess Resourceful Leadership Elizabeth City Who Rules the World Noam Chomsky The Flat World and Education by Linda Darling Hammond Preparing Principals for a Changing World by Linda Darling Hammond Tinkering Toward Utopia by David Tyack  Five Miles Away, A World Apart by Jim Ryan Excellent Sheep: Miseducation of America's Elite by William Deresiewicz Making Hispanics by G. Christina Mora The Diversity Bargain by Natasha Warikoo Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well  by Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen Improbable Scholars by David Kirp Lessons from Privilege: The American Prep School Tradition World Peace and Other 4th Grade Accomplishments Trust in Schools by Anthony Bryk Courageous Conversation by Glen Singleton The Principal's Chair by Dr. Judith Knotts Understanding Power by Noam Chomsky The Price of Admission by Daniel Golden Listen, Liberal by Thomas Frank The Problem with Math is English by Concepcion Molina The Together Leader by Maia Heyck-Merlin Generosity Network by McCrea, Walker, and Weber Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

These are all fantastic suggestions - my reading list is getting longer with every post!

I'm re-reading the Harry Potter series (my school where I teach has a Harry Potter student/staff book club), reading Kindred by Octavia Butler, and will be reading Closing the Opportunity Gap: What America Must Do to Give Every Child an Even Chance edited by Prudence Carter and Kevin Welner once I finish the previous two. I also just read Survivig Your Stupid, Atupid Decision to Go to Grad School by Adam Ruben (funny Christmas gift from a friend who knows I'm going through the application process!). 

Actually just got an email for a phone interview with the faculty member with the most closely associated research interests to mine at UNC Chapel Hill! Super excited--first I've heard anything!

Are you guys checking the university IT accounts compulsively? I keep looking at the 'Application ready for review' and wondering whether my schools will write 'Application under review' eventually, or maybe I will just learn that it was under review after I get some news into my mailbox.

I am reading Academic Freedom and the Modern University by John W. Boyer, and One Hundred Semesters by William Chase.

Relax! What you mean is fairly obvious. I'm sure half of the readers won't even notice the typo! I don't think you should do anything about it. I am not sure how program coordinators will react to requests for replacing documents due to minor typos, but I suspect that it's not going to be easy to get them to agree to do anything of the sort.
I had a minor issue in SOP which I was (still am, a little bit) panicking over.. but I googled and found out that it's not going to really matter. People have got in with far worse things. If it makes you feel any better, just google this.

I think the rule is to disclose only what is relevant to your future professional/academic plans, and to your intended project. People coming to you for advice - definitely relevant. You being bisexual - not sure (is you being bisexual connected with you having trustworthy air?.. it helped people open up, sure, but it wasn't a defining thing, right?).
I also wouldn't start with talking about this in SoP. In Personal Statement - maybe. See the difference here. Some schools (like UMich) ask for two separate essays.

Just how wrong? Like, completely, absolutely wrong? Perhaps, dropping a professor a very-very short and very-very polite e-mail? Just saying 'I have applied to [their school], and I would love to work with you. My word processor ... I am just writing because I do not want you to get offended and assure you that this was not a mistake due to ignorance'.
I'm not sure about this advice, it's just something I myself would consider doing.

@wlsWKglaemfek I have so many things I want to tell you but let me start by quickly saying this, just on the practical side of things (and please don't take this to mean that I in any way underestimate all the other implications of this terrible thing that has happened to you): I think you may run into trouble if you only submit two letters. At least in some cases, it may automatically disqualify your application because it is an official requirement that you've not met. So asking to only submit two letters would be difficult. If at all possible, I would suggest trying to replace the offender with another letter, even if it's short or not as strong. This may require telling some white lie to some secretary about this person encountering a problem getting letters done in time and asking that they be replaced in the application system, in cases where you may not be able to do this alone (some systems won't let you change LOR info once you've entered it). And I'd say ask someone, anyone, else for a LOR, and do it as soon as you can. It's very often the case that LOR writers get extra time to submit their letters beyond the official deadline given to applicants. So it's worth a try, and they may still have 2+ weeks. If your other two letters are strong, a just so-so third letter shouldn't be a big problem. It's quite often the case that students don't have that many strong personal relationships with professors at the undergrad stage and end up with one letter that's weaker than the others.

I actually have no idea, but I did this as well. I emailed them a couple months ago expressing interest in their work and asking if they were accepting students. Typically the response was, "Thanks for your interest, yes I'm accepting. I'll keep an eye out for your application, let me know if you have any questions." 
So, although I don't expect it to improve my chances by any means, I felt like it'd be nice to write back and say that I did indeed decide to apply and to thank them for their initial response.

I have been reading this thread for a little while, but decided to hang back on posting until after applying since I didn't want to overstress about my applications. I hope its ok to join in now that we're all in for a long wait together.
I am applying for PhD's in the field of education policy (plus a backup in international education).  I am from the UK but currently working in Istanbul, I have been a teacher for 7 years and have an undergrad in English Literature and a masters in Comparative Education (both from two of the top ranked universities in the UK/world). I have been at a real loss sometimes trying to work out how my academic records translates into the US since we don't get GPA's and no-one EVER does any research at undergrad in the humanities fields (though obviously my undergrad had me reading reams of academic journals, I have done multiple extended essay projects, and completed a thesis project in my masters). But eventually I decided to just go for it and apply for a PhD in the states hoping my background was enough. Taking the GRE was the biggest challenge I had, since I have never taken a multiple choice test in my life except for my driving test theory exam and I had to learn that 'quick-trick-mathematics' is a thing - in the UK most of your marks come from showing your working out so this baffled me at first. But I got through it in the end.
I am relieved to have got in all my applications on time. Now I just have to wait and see.
Thank you though for the useful advice you have been posting - good luck to you all.

I have all 8 of my apps in (and complete) for this year, and all of my recommenders have submitted their letters.  This is earlier than I managed to get it done last year so I'm able to start worrying and obsessing earlier! 

I think most schools are ok with letters coming after you've submitted - like, 2 weeks after. You should check though. I made my profs send theirs like a week ago, just in case (all schools I'm applying to have the option of inviting recommenders prior to submission - I think if you apps don't have that option, then the letters can come later).

Did anyone else put all of their eggs in one basket? How do you feel about that decision now?

I only applied to the master's program in higher education at Harvard. I've lived on the West Coast for the past 3.5 years and want to be closer to my family on the East Coast-- including my new fiance. I had a great rapport with someone in admissions (including a campus visit) at HGSE and feel confident that the program is run well. I thought the student representatives from Higher Ed seemed like they were thriving and I was impressed with how much they respected each other. And of course there are many reasons that I find the one-year master's attractive.

But! When I met with the admissions person I found out the Higher Ed program is the most competitive (I took this to mean ratio of admits per applicants) of the 13 programs offered at HGSE (gulp). I had a 3.6 GPA at an Ivy in undergrad. My letters of recommendation come from a Pulitzer prize-winning professor, a mentor whose "batting average for HGSE is 1000", and a former manager (I read this recommendation and was floored). However, I'm in the career change category, which also makes me a bit nervous. I (think I) have an interesting job history-- from working for an educational non-profit in the Dominican Republic to being on the edit staff of a national magazine, and starting a magazine at an international design firm. However, I was not happy with my GREs-- I had taken several different kinds of practice tests and would have taken any of those scores over what I got. Everyone in my life told me not to even bother practicing for the writing component. Mistake! I got a 4.5. and I get paid to write for a living.

So for now I'm typing instead of trolling! Like everyone else on here, the anxiety is killing me and I feel like I can't move forward with other life plans until I have this answer! If I don't get in this year I will definitely apply again next year, as much as I dread the thought. I just don't want to spend the time or money to go anywhere else. If I'd applied to multiple programs it's not like it would have changed my chances at HGSE, but right now I kind of wish I had more websites to check and a greater chance of hearing something, anything!

Anyone else in the same boat? Merrily merrily merrily. . .

My impression is that he hasn't forgotten, he will hopefully submit it on time for you--it just seems like one of the inertias that professors have, doing whatever that is not on the top of their list in the last minute. This is obviously a very annoying situation for all of us grad students. I also reminded one of my professors today the deadline for LOR (one of the deadlines is day after tomorrow for me as well and he had not submitted yet) and he was really pissed off about it, rolling his eyes and going "I know. It's not like I forgot."  I was kind of taken aback by this since I did talk to him in a friendly tone, and regretted mentioning it for a while, but now I'm thinking whatever. I mean, he isn't going to be responsible for all the time + money I spent and most importantly, my future. Although possibility exists that some schools may wait for late LORs, it is indeed case-by-case, as some others may shut down everything after the deadline. So my advice for you is just go for it, call him and do everything to make sure he doesn't miss it. I'd rather just have an uncomfortable moment of confrontation than spend few days waiting in anxiety + have my future plans possibly torn apart. 

I saw a thread somewhere about this. A short answer is no, don't risk it, keep it professional.

I started with my research question, then expanded on my interests more generally. I had all kinds of attempts at so-called "hooks" but those all were liked by some but not others so eventually I gave up and went with a straight and to the point approach.