eliserichelle

Good point but how could I listen to the silence of my email then??

I got married a year into my master's!  I was 23 and my spouse was 27.  Honestly it doesn't feel weird at all.  In my experience, people around you will be very excited for you and not treat you any differently. 
I would say that a good pre-marriage step is moving in together (if you haven't already).  I really strongly feel that you need to live together before you get married.  It really forces you to get to know each other in ways that you weren't expecting, and exposes any potential flaws in the relationship.  Especially when you're in grad school (and potentially going to be there for a while), it's good to figure out how the home dynamic will work in terms of how your work load affects your ability to hang out with your spouse or contribute to housework and stuff like that.

Same, so same.  Virginia is such a strong fit for me and it's one of the last I have to hear from after nothing but rejections.  I feel like there are a lot of us on this board that really need some good news, so let's just pray that for some reason universe listens and we all get in! <3

Got the official Michigan rejection. Oh well. Grateful that they got it over with quickly (relative to acceptances being sent). Also, why do programs think it's reassuring to know that there were a lot of candidates? Like, in my mind, it's "oh, there were 250 applicants? so you're saying I'm not good enough to crack a spot? kthanxbye".
 

Just got the rejection from Michigan. It went to my "promotions" folder in gmail. Saw someone else had their waitlist notification go to their junk folder. 
 
I'm obviously bummed, but also a little relieved--this makes my decision much easier. My southern ass probably would have died in a Michigan winter anyway. 

for sale, Michigan vest, never worn
Jk - I'm wearing it right now as it is very comfortable. It was an honor and privilege, U Mich. SO MANY CONGRATULATIONS to the admits. I'll catch y'all at MLA. 

Thank you for calling and for sharing this information! Fingers crossed for waitlist news soon! They seem to send the waitlists out about a day after the acceptances. 

Good point but how could I listen to the silence of my email then??

Anyone starting to feel.... really depressed and hopeless?  I applied to 10 schools and have been rejected from four, and am expecting rejections from two more.  I know it only takes one, but I'm starting to feel like my chances are almost 0 of getting in anywhere.

Anyone starting to feel.... really depressed and hopeless?  I applied to 10 schools and have been rejected from four, and am expecting rejections from two more.  I know it only takes one, but I'm starting to feel like my chances are almost 0 of getting in anywhere.

Good point but how could I listen to the silence of my email then??

If you blast Destiny's Child loud enough and scream-sing along to "Survivor," the nausea kind of goes away.

Hi @Fineanddandy! Welcome to the community-- we're delighted to have you! 

I've talked about the you-only-need-one mentality elsewhere on the forum. It's a wonderful mentality and one that I have cultivated. I was right where you are for over a year. I was shut out last season and absolutely heartbroken. I can see how you would be frustrated by some of the posts here, but it helps to think of it this way: everyone on here has a different story. Some are doing victory laps because it's their third season and they finally have a slew of offers. Some people have several offers, but maybe the funding options on the offers that have come in aren't what they need them to be. In other cases, they've worked their asses off on their research, and every rejection of their research is a personal blow. My research is so personal. I've been working on one very specific subject for three years. While I'm grateful that I have two offers, it's sometimes hard to keep everything in perspective when scholars you admire review your life's work and deem it unworthy/uninteresting/ don't want to work with you. So much about this process is about "fit." That's what makes it so painful. 

You'll get in somewhere. There's a whole community of people rooting for you!
 @a_sort_of_fractious_angel--- what a beautiful response! I, too, opted out of gradcafe for awhile after the last round, although I was just a lurker. 

@Fineanddandy's post got me thinking about my first season (12 PhDs shut-out; offered an unfunded MA, which I took) and my second season (12 PhDs shut-out). 
A list of straight rejections is its own world of hurt. And it's a right shit world to be in. I know I've said this elsewhere, but I was the only MA in my cohort to get shut out and listening to some of my friends and peers feel their feelings about their acceptances was hard. I excused myself from several social gatherings and I opted out of GC for a while because isolation - while a Generally Bad Move When Sad - felt better than smiling through a "yes, I know you wanted [Princeton] but I'm sure you'll find a way to make [Harvard] work, friend!"
I've never felt that kind of sadness before - I don't even know if "sad" is the word for it - and while distance + time has brought peace to those memories, I can still recall what that anger/humiliation/fear/shame felt like as it unfolded. Internet hugs to you, @Fineanddandy, and to everyone whose season is a red card so far. I really, really, really hope the next few weeks bring you something amazing. 
I do think, for this season, my rejections will feel different. I share @unicornsarereal's anxiety about choosing between the best fit. I'd be nervous about that no matter if I got in 1 place or 10 or my dream school and rejections are tied to that anxiety somehow, although I can't quite articulate why. I guess it is the weight of the decision and all its attending wins/losses (many of which we can't foresee at this point) that make a rejection feel weird or painful even if there's an acceptance in hand.
Also, I have a friend at my dream school. They've worked on my SOP and have been rooting for me, along with several others who know about The School. If things go sideways for me with that particular program, I'll be mostly sad and scared to tell them. Stupid? Totally. We'll still be friends and it'll all be fine. But that rejection will hurt, too, in a different way. 
I had some sort of concluding thought but it's walked off, so I'll second @hibiscus's advice to sign off of GC if you need to (not like GC is going anywhere, lol) and best of luck to all of us.

I'm also currently sitting on only rejections, so I know that it can be difficult to read all of the threads and see all of the acceptances rolling in for other people. It's even more frustrating when they are getting accepted to schools that I wouldn't ever have considered applying because they are too high of a reach. It's easy to grow resentful and feel self pity. Don't let others determine your own self worth though. When I start to feel that way, I try to take a break from grad cafe. This whole process can be soul crushing, but grad cafe amplifies it. I think that most of us are overachievers, so our entire identities are called into question when we don't measure up to these other somewhat anonymous forum users. 
The truth is, it's a bit hypocritical to say that people can't feel bad about getting rejected if they already have an acceptance. If it's someone's dream school (or even towards the top of their list), it still sucks. 

I’m a lurker. I’ve applied to 11 programs. I’ve been told that I was an extremely strong candidate, yet all rejections so far. Not even a waitlist. What bothers me most is the demeanor of some people on these boards who have already been accepted to more than 1 school, yet they are complaining about rejections. Gratitude. Be thankful you have been accepted to ONE. I’m sure y’all don’t mean to sound that way - but that’s how it comes across.  Not a troll. A sad person, who will pick myself up and continue my pursuits. Best to you all and congrats to those who’ve been accepted. 
 

Same here!  I'm a very strong candidate--great writing samples, awesome transcripts, very strong LOR's, 2 conferences, 3 languages, etc., and I've gotten 4 rejections.  I'm still waiting on 6 schools but I'm feeling very anxious and hopeless at the moment.  I would die of happiness to get into just ONE program.

I am really hoping for you and @Fineanddandy!!!
We are extremely thankful for our acceptance and waitlists. I think there should be a space for people without acceptances (yet!) to commiserate, because before we had any positive responses, we were also feeling down/lonely. But I do think it is important to have a thread where people are able note their rejections and express their disappointments even if they have other acceptances/waitlists.
With that said, I am so sorry you are in this situation, and I truly hope things turn around soon! I know there are a number of people applying this cycle who are here for round 2 or even 3 but have had success this time.

Same here!  I'm a very strong candidate--great writing samples, awesome transcripts, very strong LOR's, 2 conferences, 3 languages, etc., and I've gotten 4 rejections.  I'm still waiting on 6 schools but I'm feeling very anxious and hopeless at the moment.  I would die of happiness to get into just ONE program.