Vaudevillain

2nd year PhD in Ecology. Offered Award- E/E, VG/E, G/E. Reviewer #1 was surprisingly complimentary! "unparalleled research breadth", "most inspiring [broader impacts] I've seen" and "one of the best proposals I have seen" were some of the more flattering quotes- I'll take it! #2 didn't have any critique to offer or say much, just agreed that I was well qualified to do the research and that it would be useful in advancing the field, and that the broader impacts have high potential. #3 was VERY thorough, and wrote out two whole paragraphs going through all the strengths and weaknesses of both criteria. They liked my experience, especially in undergrad, and thought the aims were very interesting (if challenging) and would generate important insights if successful. They were less pleased with my experimental design and felt they weren't thought through sufficiently and didn't have enough detail- they picked out some very technical methodological weak points that I've caught and changed since writing the proposal, so it seems like it was reviewed by someone who's definitely quite familiar with my branch of the field. Knocked me for not having publications/talks/posters stemming from work in my first year of grad school too, but overall it's useful and really thorough feedback that I appreciate getting. I'm just grateful it seems like all three actually read my application thoroughly and paid attention! tl;dr depth of review and assessment of IM varied by reviewer but they all really liked my BI

Does anyone know when the NSF might release the demographic breakdown of the awardees? They've usually done it the same day it was released, but I can't find anything for this year.

I got it, it was sent at 11:22 EST.

Thanks!!

Holy shit! I got it (2nd year in Ecology). I'm still shocked. I've been in knots about it for months and was bracing for the worst but I got it! Does anyone have a sense of when reviews will be posted? I know it'll be in the next couple of weeks, but timeframes from past years?

So if we don't receive an email, we won't be able to check our status until after 6:00 AM? Or is it possible the portal will come back up sooner if they're posted earlier?

The maintenance timeframe is 10:00 PM - 6:00 AM EST. So it's likely the soonest we'd be able to see would be 11:00 EST, with an email going out a couple hours later at 2:00 EST. More likely that it'll take longer though, since the quickest it's ever been is an hour.

Trying to bury the anxiety with grading. An hour and a half until it's down!

I looked at the difference between the start of the maintenance time and the actual release of results- it looks like the minimum is ~1 hour, and the maximum is almost 7 hours, and it averages about 3 hours and 45 minutes (so about 2:45 EST). Here's hoping it's sooner so I'm not lying awake stressed all night...

I keep wondering if I'll wake up to a maintenance notice tomorrow, since it seems like they almost always go up between 9 AM and 9PM the day before release. Ugh! I just want to stop being so nervous every time I remember this is happening!

I'm also worried about Honorable Mention. I know I have a strong academic record and very thorough Broader Impacts, and my research proposal is solid, but I also don't have any publications, which really worries me as a 2nd year PhD student (Life Sciences- Ecology). I had one in review at the time of the application from my undergrad thesis, I just hope that's enough. My graduate research is really long term (dependent on field season and then long turnaround time for community sequencing of samples) so I'm nowhere near publishing yet. I'm kind of banking on my Broader Impacts helping to pad things since I've been heavily involved in STEM equity work and targeted outreach for years and it's probably the strongest part of my application, so that at least is helping me feel like I at least have a chance...

2nd year PhD student applying for the first time in Ecology!

It happened a long time ago; I saw it in the 2009 threads. Apparently they were able to access their reviews via some link they weren't supposed to be able to access about a week early. This was also during the fastlane beta period, so I doubt there'll be the same issue with results leaking now.

I finally decided- I just accepted my offer from the University of Minnesota! I'm incredibly excited; and I'm going to be moving out there early in July to start research early through my fellowship program! It feels like the right decision, and I'm honestly delighted. It feels so good to finally be done with the process and begin moving forward with the next chapter of my life!

@fossilsrcool congratulations on your decision!! That sounds like an awesome offer to a great school, and I'm really happy for you! I heard back from AZ last week offering me admission, which I was honestly really surprised by! It feels good to know all the results, but the decision making has been hard. At this point, I've officially declined the other schools' offers and it's down to the U of A or the U of MN, and I'm leaning towards the latter. I talked with the PI and one of his graduate students again which kind of strengthened that lean... I loved the U of A but I think at this point if it's between a stellar, famous adviser within a program that didn't feel like a fantastic fit, vs a very good adviser at a program that felt like a great fit, then the decision is sort of already made. I'm going to try to sit with it for a bit before formally accepting, and see if it 'feels right' after some time. I can't believe April 15th is less than two weeks away...

@FishNerd which school did you visit? I will happily plug the University of Denver (I'm from the area) as being located in the best city in the US!! I feel you on the thesis work. I'm trying to get a lot of writing done for mine, because I'm presenting the results at a conference the weekend of the 15th (eek!) but intermittently my thoughts keep coming right back to grad school... it'll certainly be a relief once it's decided.

Ugh, @potentiallylovely, I'm sorry- it really sucks to not hear back from programs for so long and to have to go hunt down any sort of answer. I really wish the ones who don't accept us in the first round would just do us a kindness and at least make it outright and straightforward without leaving folks hanging. UNC is pretty great though; I have a friend who loves it there, and having other options always make things easier How are y'all's decisions and constant refreshing of emails going? I'm still waiting to hear back from Arizona, but not expecting to hear anything from them before the eleventh hour, even if it's good news. I've been talking to my PI and his grad students at UMN, and while I've waffled a lot back and forth, I'm leaning towards committing to go there there. I'll probably wait till mid-April just to see if I do hear back from Arizona and something surprises me, but it's nearing a close... feels pretty wild that it's less than a month away now. Also, happy Spring!

I'm spectacularly torn between two schools' Ecology and Evolutionary Biology programs. School A, the University of AZ Tucson, I haven't actually gotten into yet; but was waitlisted- according to the PoI I have a good shot of getting accepted; but if I do it'll be closer to the deadline and I need to know whether I'd accept an offer from School A or B if I hear back from them at the eleventh hour. School B, the University of MN Twin Cities, I've been accepted to. I've gone back and forth on which one I think I like more and it's been nearly impossible to decide. I ask your help in knowing what to prioritize. Arizona: An intermittently top 10 school. Not a lot of funding, as it's in a conservative state, so I wouldn't be able to get much from the school. Smaller stipend (18k) without guaranteed summer support, but is in an area with a cheap cost of living so some grads just live off that the entire year or find their own funding. I'd have to TA most of my time here since there's not much RA funding, though since I want to teach this isn't a huge downside- problem is the undergrads are a little notorious for being frustratingly unengaged, though some are diamonds in the rough. A good school in a place I could do year-round field research. My potential adviser is a fantastic fit- senior faculty with a good track record of getting people into good postdocs and even tenure-track faculty positions (which is where I want to end up), a wonderful mentor, is one of the people who pioneered the subfield i'm studying- a BIG name in ecology. She knows everyone in my field; everyone knows and likes her. The best people join her lab- upwards of 60% of her students get NSF GRFPs. She doesn't fund her students herself; but helps them find and apply for funding. Her research is a great fit for me since it's conceptually focused on the subfield I want to study; and flexible on the system I use so long as I'm able to find people who are experts (if it's not in her area). I might have to go outside the schools to find people who know how to study the systems I'm interested in. Being in her lab would probably be the best for my career; as it would likely open some serious doors for me. She's the reason I applied. I like the area the school is in- beautiful natural environment and lots to do outdoors all year round. Culturally the fit of the city it's in is fine- enough to do; liberal; nothing mind-blowing but totally workable. But I don't really feel like the culture of the department is a good fit. There's not much community among grad students; and people didn't seem particularly excited, friendly, or enthusiastic about what they do. I was really weirded out by how ...low-key? everyone seemed; being a very gregarious and excitable person myself. It seems like it would be pretty lonely here for me and that if I wanted any sort of community I'd have to work really hard to build it myself. Even among the other prospective interviewees I had some uncomfortable experiences and was sort of put off by the attitude some of them had. Overall, I think my career and research could be the most successful here under my mentor, but I'd have to work really hard to be happy here, and the funding isn't ideal. Minnesota, on the other hand, feels like an amazing cultural fit. I loved the city and its culture, I loved the department and its culture (it seems like most of the faculty actually take into heart and encourage a work-life balance in the students and want the grads to be happy and not just work machines). The graduate students seem well-balanced and hardworking, overall happy, friendly, and enthusiastic, and happy in the program, and I really liked them and felt like I'd fit well with them and the other folks I interviewed with. I disliked the winter weather and surrounding landscape in the city but could tolerate it, as it's a really cool place with a big queer community and a ton of things to do. Its department is absolutely loaded, and has plenty of funding for summer support and other ventures like RA-ing in addition to being a TA. I was offered a diversity fellowship for nearly 32k my first year and a solid shot at full support during my final year of research, and guaranteed support through a combination of RA-ing and TA-ing the rest of the years. There's a lot of faculty I could collaborate with for potential projects as they're experts in some of the systems I'm interested in; though they don't have a super strong focus on the conceptual aspects of the work I want to do like the Arizona PI's lab did. It's a top 5 program and a well-respected school in my field. The undergrads are usually a lot more engaged and excited than at Arizona, meaning teaching would be a lot more enjoyable. It also has fantastic healthcare and a lot of other resources within the department for career development in academia. I like the lab and the adviser I'd be working with; he's very nice and we get along well and he's really supportive and willing to let me go in whatever research direction I want as long as it's feasible, though his area of expertise is in a different direction than the Arizona PoI. My biggest concern is that he doesn't seem to push his students very hard in regards to doing things that will help them be successful after they graduate (i.e. publishing early and often as they go, finding an empty research niche, etc). He's a great writer and editor but his lab hasn't been super productive since he's mostly been working on a very long-term big project instead of churning out more papers with grads, which is important for me if I want to build a portfolio of publications to apply to postdocs/faculty positions. I worry that while I think I'd still be successful in his lab and he'd be very supportive and kind, I'd have to be the one to push for what I need to be able to successfully get a job after grad school. While I'm very assertive and no stranger to management of a hands-off adviser, I ultimately don't feel that I know what I need enough to be able to do this with someone who's "a little bit too nice" (in the words of a current student of his). Overall, the funding is spectacular and I know I'd be happiest at this school, but my research and career might not be the best they could be like if I went to Arizona. I've agonized over these two schools (which are both great options and I know I'll be fine at either but still, it feels like an impossible choice) and have gone back and forth several times, deciding definitively "this is my top choice" before second-guessing myself and changing my mind. PLEASE HELP! Do I prioritize being happy, well-funded, and well-balanced at grad school at the cost of a big name and great mentoring? Or being mentored by someone who could probably make me the best I could be at my career path, but be pretty lonely, broke, and stressed while doing it? I just don't know at this point, and worry that if I choose Arizona I'll regret not choosing Minnesota if I'm sad and miserable there, and if I choose Minnesota I'll regret not choosing Arizona if I can't land a decent postdoc or job upon graduation. And hey, maybe I won't even get into Arizona and won't have to decide, but I just need to have this mapped out before then so I can make a decision if I do. Sorry for the monologue- any help is appreciated!

@bluemonday when did you hear back from them? also, do you know of anyone who's gotten an outright rejection from Arizona? I have yet to hear back from them and I've heard from a couple people who have gotten accepted, so I'm hoping I'm somewhere in a middle tier that will be given an offer once people start declining the offers... fingers crossed!

Rejected from Northwestern today; which was completely expected and I'm not particularly fussed about it- I mostly applied to round out the number of apps I sent out; and though the PI was a solid fit they only take 2 students a year. I've been agonizing about hearing back from Arizona though- no word yet after the interview three weeks ago; though the POI said she really liked me and that people were impressed with me. Unfortunately that may not be enough... I recently talked to one of the people I interviewed with for the same lab and she's been accepted already (though the POI was interested in taking multiple students; so I know it's not a total no-go still). Weirdly enough that made me feel better- they've started sending out acceptances; but I haven't been rejected yet so there's hope, at least, but I'm happy to know they've started so I'm not just left totally hanging wondering if they've gone through or not. Does anyone have much of a sense of how these things go? Like if it's done in waves; or one at a time? I haven't heard from anyone who's been rejected yet; so maybe they just haven't sent those. I have another very good option to go to, so I'll be okay if I don't get in, but I'd just really like to have all the responses in hand so I can finally get some closure and stop thinking about it all the time.

I've heard back from three schools at this point (with good news at least!); and I'm losing my mind waiting to hear back from my top(?maybe?) choice because I'm stuck in between constantly going around and around in my head trying to decide what I'd choose between my top two programs (one of which I haven't heard back from yet) and simultaneously trying not to think about the decision because what if I decide it IS my top choice and then they don't let me in... I think I have a strong shot at it but JEEZ if this is not stressing me the heck out. Going nuts refreshing my email! It's been about two weeks since the interview; and they should start sending out acceptances right around now... ugh!

So far, mostly good news! Accepted to Miami and they've nominated me for fellowships so I'm awaiting a funding package there, and was accepted to both Minnesota EEB and Michigan State Plant Bio and awarded fellowships for both! I don't expect to hear back from Northwestern but I applied on a whim and wasn't super enthused about it and it's a tiny program so I'm honestly not surprised or particularly bothered. Now just crossing my fingers to hear from Arizona... it's been a week or so since the interview and I'm on tenterhooks!

So I’ve been on three visits so far, but they’ve all been back-to-back weekends, stressful, and exhausting, and I’m starting to come down with something. I know my body well and it’s definitely the beginning of something flu-like (respiratory issues, sore throat, etc.). I woke up today starting to feel off/like I was sick, but I fly out for my last interview weekend this Saturday-Wednesday. It’s my top choice and I was so excited to be interviewed, and I’m devastated and don’t really know what to do. I paid for my own flight and was supposed to get reimbursed a few hundred dollars but now can’t change my flight because of where I booked it. I know the flu season is really bad this year, and I’m scheduled for a long haul of events Sunday through Wednesday, including several hours of hiking with my prospective lab. I usually am in excruciating pain when I get sick for a couple days due to an immune response, and then after that stuffy, hacking cough-y, maybe feverish, etc so I don’t know if I’m going onto be able to get through it without really obviously being super sick. I’m worried and don’t know what to do- will it look worse if I infect everyone in the department when I know I’m sick? Or will I lose my shot at my dream school/career if I try to reschedule? Should I just wait it out and see?? Please help- I’m frustrated, and really really scared that my shot at my dream school/PI is wrecked because of the stupid flu.

@behavioral_ecology I don't know about any of the other schools, but I do know some Michigan State ecology-relevant PhD programs (Plant Biology? could very well have been a different one though) sent out some invites to their recruitment weekend on Feb 1st-4th a few weeks ago (they don't really do formal interviews as much). I'm sure they'll send out more information and possibly more invitations/acceptances beyond those though- good luck!!

@potentiallylovely I heard back from Minnesota EEB today! The department sent me an email inviting me to the Welcome Weekend (Jan 24th-26th plus optional day the 27th) for an interview.