mandelbulb

is there a state of "handling PhD rejections well"? i'd just be as honest as i felt comfortable with how i'm handling the process and present it as one of many possible experiences i feel like often teachers are reduced to these stoic lecturing voice boxes and (younger) students forget that teachers have feelings and experience life just like they do. when i was in my master's, i was always honest about how busy i was and that we were all stressed out together. i don't think i talked about applying last year with any students, but if i were to talk about it now, i think i'd talk about how crushing the rejections can feel but that i've always had realistic back-up plans in mind. i'd also talk about the extra ice cream and the few extra shopping sprees. i don't know if that answered your question lol

some institutes have unwritten rules to make a very large attempt to take students who didn't spend undergrad time there. this is an across-field thing i think (i've heard of it happening in more than one field). so it might actually be because you studied abroad there that may have not counted in your favor. a friend of mine was almost rejected from her dream program because she'd spent time working with her POI, when you'd think that instead that'd make her a stronger candidate because she's already proven that she's capable of grad-level work, that they collaborate together well, that the fit is perfect. however, it doesn't look great to "take your own" and it also keeps thinking/scholarship a little insular. on the other hand, some programs love taking undergrads from the same school because they know exactly what they're getting tl;dr fit is about so many things and often we don't even know half of it. we take shots in the dark at what programs will be the best fit, and sometimes we hit the target and sometimes we don't. all we can do is try to present ourselves as strong candidates and, if we don't hit the target, we just have to try again. persistence is necessary in this field.

you will be missed! you've been a patch of sunshine in some of our dark times i wish only the best for you!

@vondafkossum i'll be rooting for you!

i think it'd be best for you to pull from your graduate experience. maybe set up individual meetings with some professors you've taken classes from and connect that way. i've found that professors are almost always open to discussing your ideas with you, helping you gather reading resources... even if that paper isn't for their own class. then they can speak to your work in their class and also your growth over the period of your degree. one year isn't much, it's true, but i do think you can connect with three professors during that time if you reach out to them now.

congrats to the recent acceptances!

edit: nvm me

take it this way -- people reading your application are admiring your work and seeing potential for you to grow as a scholar. although it feels like they're not because they're not accepting you into the PhD program, i would say instead that the people accepted to the PhD program just show that potential a little more. it's a very blurry line, too, because it's all subjective at a certain point don't lose hope! edit: @FiguresIII man you're going to have some really hard choices to make...

i think it's bet to wait until you hear back from every program, then maybe reach out to the DGS or your POI and explain your situation and that you'd like to improve your application for the next year. and maybe only email your top program(s)?

oh my god !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! edit: how to like a post a million times

welcome to the thread! from what i've read here, that's probably a good sign? maybe not super professional, but professors are often very busy and i think sometimes they forget a 9pm email to a prospective student is not the same as a 9pm email to their actual advisee. (though, if this is something that would bother you as their advisee, maybe keep that in mind? some professors don't really have appropriate work/life boundaries with students.) good luck!

pretty sure it just means i won't get referred to the MAPH lol

last year i didn't get referred and i felt like scum, so it'd be nice if i'm going to be rejected again that they then at least refer me. that way i can feel like i've leveled up in their eyes ?

huh, i've got nothing over here. checked the portal(s) and those decision envelopes disappeared, too. i'm sure it'll roll out for me soon, but they just wanted to give me one more last shred of hope... ucruelty.

usually there's an option to interview by phone/skype if you can't make it in person

@debbiepowers tbh i think joining in on the convo has contributed some less anxiety, but the whole process is still way too anxiety-producing lol congrats on your irvine interview and good luck!

celebrate the little wins you've been accepted! and you were waitlisted elsewhere. the universe is moving positive news in your direction

congrats to the northwestern and stanford acceptances

i think i’m seeing uc irvine and stanford acceptances as well? congrats to you all!

uh i had pretty much accepted that i'd be shut-out, but i'm admitted at UCSD too...

do i see ucsd literature acceptances? if so, congrats to those people!

i saw some advice a long time ago to let the calls go to voicemail intentionally so you’ll get a really lovely voicemail that you can listen to forever and ever, but especially when you’re feeling imposter syndrome.

@kendalldinniene my position on the waitlist was in the email

i've had my roommate call twice now...

@northwestnative i'm out of reacts but you know i'd give you one if i had it. @kendalldinniene i hope both you and your friend get in! good luck to you both