Ternwild

Congrats.

At least the guy admits he's a dick.

Whelp. Count me one time waitlisted. Decided on another university, but if I get a late cycle acceptance, I'll ask if I can defer a year.

Good call.

Don't you mean awkward? lol I would feel very awkward getting a PhD phone call while on a tour for a Masters. I mean, they know almost instantly you aren't going to take the Masters at that point. xD

What a ridiculous question. Yes, call them immediately.

This. I think you will find that getting funding is a lot easier than they make it out to be. That said, you should attend and if you aren't able to secure funding in your first year working ONLY with the professors you want to work with, then do a terminal Masters. Meanwhile, fire out a few applications this winter for F20, just in case.

Word of advice: Take this program. Having done two degrees at TAMU, I strongly discourage attending the university.

Just because you feel the program was a perfect fit for you, doesn't mean the program feels you're a perfect fit for them. That said, consider looking into working in a job that will look better on your application, next time around. Such as moving from administrative work to research or something along those lines. It is not entirely inappropriate to ask what you can do better, next time, but I suggest asking closer to the summer after all the applications have gone through. For now, work on making your work experience more relevant (even if that means learning how to sell what you currently do, better) and increase your GRE scores. Unless you're at 170/170/6, your scores can always be better. Also, consider speaking to people within your industry (including future prospective POIs for F20) on what sort of things they would look for in applicants and what makes you more competitive in your field.

They're okay. They have pita chips. Who could question existence in a world with pita chips?

Yes. Sadly, at this point, if you did hear anything, it wouldn't be until after Apr 15th. Start planning on what you'll be doing until your next applications this December.

Can someone bang on the door of the Admissions Director for Physics at CU Boulder and tell them to (pretty) please accept me? xD

San Diego is full of a fast moving base of people. People often switch apartments yearly or come and live for only a year or two. Downtown is best compared to places like La Jolla (which is near UCSD campus) or El Cajon (near SDSU campus) because there are always apartments available because they aren't occupied by students who are all on the same 9mo rotation; plus, there are plenty of high rises and houses that are split into multiple apartments. The nicest part of downtown to live in is north of Laurel St near 3rd Ave, but it gets a bit more expensive. Hillcrest is the more lively area of northern downtown. It is near Balboa Park, has plenty of night life, and is a really great gay community (really friendly people for a city). Cheaper places to live in the heart of downtown is 3rd Ave past Broadway. The city is cleaner and much safer than NYC (100 fold), so that isn't something you have to worry about. But, if you live in downtown, be aware that every year when Comic Con happens, you will not be able to park or drive for a week (it's mental). Best to live up north near Banker's Hill or Hillcrest. Like I said before, avoid 15th or higher. That is where the heavy crime, homelessness, and drugs start. Also, despite how cheap it is to live there, avoid South East San Diego. This is where San Diego's gang crime is heaviest. It is San Diego's Compton. Home to the Lincoln Park Bloods. See the photos below. Avoid this area at all costs, no matter what race or ethnicity you are. The good(?) thing about San Diego is that the city has an agreement with some of the LPB's white collar crime to keep the crime out of downtown in exchange for turning a blind eye. This makes downtown and the surrounding areas pretty damn safe with no significant gun crime, GTA, or muggings. There are a lot of homeless in San Diego--being from NYC, that is nothing new to you, I'm sure--but they are well taken care of by the city, so they aren't violent or disruptive and are often quite friendly. Hope this helps. Enjoy San Diego. Most people who have lived there will agree, it is one of the greatest cities in America. ?

It's true. I know quite a bit about this topic. Basically, you need to assume you're rejected. This way you aren't sitting around waiting/hoping for some magical acceptance to come in. What you need to be doing is researching jobs in your field and start applying, now. Start planning for if you don't get into your school. Though being accepted off the waitlist is entirely possible, you're likely not going to; the odds are not in your favour. So, plan accordingly and stop worrying about it. If you get in, great. But you need to accept that you aren't and start on that job hunt. Don't waste time. Any wasted time is more time spent unemployed.

ASAP.