Cervello

The Facebook page updated and said to check back in the next 1-2 weeks for more info and that decisions should be released soon. 

Congratulations!!! 
This is interesting, and doesn't surprise me at all. I really feel like I won the lottery with this fellowship. I'm sure more than half of the people who apply are of "high quality." And reading some of the comments on this forum, it seems like some applications really just hit bad luck with over-worked and tired reviewers. One of my cohort-mates had five E's and one P, and got HM--but I feel like she deserved it more than me, with so much more research experience and publications! The last reviewer just seemed to miss her bold-faced "broader impacts" section and gave her a P.  

Hey Plume, first of all, I just want to say I'm so sorry that you are in this situation. It sounds like you and your parents are close, which makes it even harder.
I'm in a really similar position - my father has had stage 4 cancer for the past few years, and I already live halfway across the country from my parents. I'm about to start a PhD program in the Fall, and I, too, sometimes feel conflicted about whether I should really be moving home to spend time with my family (we try to see each other as often as we can, about once every two months or so) - though living away from home, I felt guilty about this long before I ever applied to grad. school. My Dad promises he'll be around when I finish, but obviously he only has so much control over it. 
I think the right path for you is a very personal choice, based on what your relationship with your family is like, whether you feel you can handle continuing to live away from them, and to some extent, the progression of your dad's illness. I'm an only child and very close to my parents (my Mom also has a limited support structure to care for my Dad). However, my Dad is currently stable, and I know for sure that while he'd love to have me home, he doesn't want me to hold up my life, or miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to move home and stay with him. That being said, if/when he starts to decline, I've given a lot of thought to coming home for a while. It's really, really hard sometimes to be so far away, especially when he was really sick from chemo, but there are some things that help us feel connected - Skype/FaceTime calls, visiting as often as we can, keeping open communication about how things are going on any given day. When things are tough, sometimes my parents just need a safe space to vent, share their fears, or have a good laugh. I find this kind of support to be a small way I can help from afar, both so I feel "hooked in" to what's happening and so I feel like I'm contributing something.  It's important to remember, too, that you should have the option to take leaves of absence, if needed. At some point you will probably have to make a decision to put your Dad before anything else, but that time may not be now. Just out of curiosity, could you defer your admission if you needed to?
Its also important to take care of YOU and your needs. It's not wrong, or unhealthy, or selfish to want to pursue your career during such a difficult time - if you don't maintain some semblance of sanity and happiness in your life, your Dad's illness can engulf your whole world and throw you into an emotional situation that is really difficult to crawl out of. On the flip side, graduate school can be so stressful that your Dad being sick could affect your ability to keep up with your studies. I think it's ultimately about finding an emotional balance that allows you to process your feelings about what your family is going through, while still getting up every day and being as present as you can be in your own life. Oh, and other forms of self-care -- talking to a therapist or clergy member, engaging in meditation, art or journaling, exercise, meals or coffee with friends -- any activities that can give you a short "pause" on what is probably always in the back of your mind.
i don't know if anything I've said is helpful - I've actually never tried to talk to someone about how to deal with this. (It's also too late at night for me to be super eloquent - sorry!). I sincerely wish you and your family strength, health, and joy. Congratulations on your admissions!!

Woke up this morning to an email telling me I won the NSF GRF. I'm in shock. Never thought I'd get it. Was hoping for an honorable mention. Now I've got to decide where I'm going to grad school. 

OMG. I won the NSF GRF. How did that happen? I'm shocked. Great way to begin the weekend, that's for sure. Now I just have to decide where I'm going.

How is that possible?

Congratulations!! That's great news!

Wom NSF Interestingly enough, my best grades came from my harshest reviewer.

It's about that time of year again. Rejection sucks, but sometimes a little bit of black humor helps. Here is one of my favorites from this year. Feel free to add your own!
Stanford University Economics, PhD (F17) Rejected via Website on 28 Feb 2017 I 28 Feb 2017 doesn't matter had sex

dude, I'm just happy to have this gig I'm in right now. I was basically shut out by grad schools twice (to this day, I have no idea why), and wasted 2 years of my life in a job that I absolutely hated. It did paid well, and I grew a lot, but not a great deal for me. the third time, I applied to one school, not sure whether I'd get in or not. I hustled around to about 4-5 different professors, to their offices, and one of them gave me a chance. It's not the best group, we struggle with funding, and I'll probably stay here longer than if I were in a different group. But I'm still glad to be here, because I could've ended up like one of those salary slaves. For me, it's not about worrying about getting the best draw of the cards, but more about playing my best hand, and working my ass off to earn what I have.
 
do I think about what if I had gone to a different college where there were more opportunities that are better aligned with my interests, or wish I could have a 4 hour conversation with my 17 year old self? sure. but you live you learn. not all the lessons will come easy.

Happy to say I just accepted an offer of admission from one of my top choices and a top 20 school in my field.  For all of those with low-GPAs, there is hope! Find a masters that will accept you... do extremely well and the door will open for Ph.D programs! 
EDIT:  Also, thank you to this community for the great advice and support along the way! 

Got an acceptance email from JHU this afternoon! Psyched!

I'm sorry to hear that :/ During one of my interviews, one of the professors gave me some really good advice when selecting a school. If you're interviewing at these schools, there isn't a wrong choice. They all have top notch research, and it doesn't really matter where you go, because you'll have the same opportunities no matter what. It definitely sucks to be rejected, but you seem like a capable person. Just remember you get to decide your own future.

Got an acceptance email from JHU this afternoon! Psyched!

I know UCSF doesn't guarantee housing but for a first-year, what's the likelihood of getting housing at Mission Bay? It's convenient to classes, so makes sense to try. Also, do most ppl who get mission bay housing opt to stay in it their second year, or move off campus? 
And final question, if you don't get on campus housing, what neighborhoods are best to look at for housing if your classes and labs are at Mission Bay? My criteria are closeness to mission campus, safety and cost. I won't have a car, so I'd like proximity to services like grocery store, too.
Thanks for your response!

I know UCSF doesn't guarantee housing but for a first-year, what's the likelihood of getting housing at Mission Bay? It's convenient to classes, so makes sense to try. Also, do most ppl who get mission bay housing opt to stay in it their second year, or move off campus? 
And final question, if you don't get on campus housing, what neighborhoods are best to look at for housing if your classes and labs are at Mission Bay? My criteria are closeness to mission campus, safety and cost. I won't have a car, so I'd like proximity to services like grocery store, too.
Thanks for your response!

I got accepted to Stanford for Genetics!! I thought for sure after the interview that I didn't stand a chance. Best day ever!

Admin told me committee is meeting today!  

First acceptance!!!
Duke Biochemistry! 

Jan 26-27, the first session. Best of luck to you!

Waiting to hear back post interview is driving me nuts!!!   The fact that everyone in my lab keeps asking me if I've gotten accepted doesn't help either.
In other news, my step-mom apparently told all her friends and family I'm going to be a medical doctor.......
Just rambling in hopes of keeping my fingers from pressing refresh on my email......

I have had some interviews where I sat down and the entire time the professor grilled me on my research interests, future goals, and previous research. On the other hand, I've had interviewers that never even mentioned education, and just chatted with me about baseball and line dancing. (Seriously). 
The point of the interview is to give the school a chance to sit you down and see what you're like as a person. If you're there, they obviously like you on paper and they are interested- but do they like you as a person? You could be a genius, but a jerk. Likewise you can have a rough application, but be a hard-working, charming individual.
Honestly, the interview depends on who you get- it's totally up to chance. You can believe your interview went poorly and end up acing it, or vice versa. The best you can do (in my opinion) is to smile, answer honestly, and try your best. If they like you, they like you. If not, then that's their problem  

Once you get an interview invite, you've defeated 70% of the battle, and I think interviews fill in the remaining 30%. Your interview experience is highly dependent on your interviewer. I think the few people who don't get accepted post-interview are the ones who got unlucky and got interviewers who would continuously grill them. 
 
I think interviewers are looking for 3 things from you: knowledge of your own research project (based on your ability to answer the questions they ask you about your research), ability to communicate your research project, and enthusiasm/ability to ask good questions about their research. I've attended 5 interviews so far, and I think all my interviewers try their best to gauge these 3 variables. 

I agree with someone upthread who suggested you have your BF contact UVA to say his GF has been accepted to grad school there, and that if he were also accepted, you'd both commit to attend. You should do likewise with your dept. 
I have a friend and his GF who both applied to med schools last cycle. They had an overlapping list but didn't get accepted to a single common school. He was rejected (not waitlisted...he didn't even originally get an interview) at one that she was accepted to and wanted to attend (Tulane), and they both wrote to the admissions committee. He soon got an offer and they're now attending together. I think it's worth writing emails and seeing if it goes your way. Best of luck to you.
 

This is definitely false. I interviewed at programs where they interviewed 40+ people for 5-6 spots. 
Also, there's really no need for hostility. I was interested in them. I had a number one school for academic + personal reasons, I thought it was a reach...didn't even expect an interview. Visited, loved it, knew I would go if I got an offer and I got in. It's not some conspiracy...