ssmall1

For those who has experience of getting off the waitlist, is it recommended to reach out to POI to talk about the waitlist (in addition to emailing DGS)? Or it's an entirely random process?

manifesting some good news for all of us today! 

probably a silly question, but ... if I have been accepted to a program and have been put on the waitlist for another,  do I have through april 15th to make my decision without worrying about the school dropping my funding/offer? The waitlist school said I would likely hear back on the 15th - so I'm just making sure that if I don't get off the list, I can still accept the offer at the other school before midnight on the 15th without penalty. 

I see. You should have until 5pm on 4/15 to accept or reject an offer.

Got my acceptance from NYU's Masters program. They definitely got me with the congratulations!

Congrats to everyone so far! I've been accepted to six MA programs which is exciting. I haven't heard anything from the 7th so I am assuming that it is a rejection. Unfortunately, news about funding hasn't been as exciting. Still waiting to hear back from 3 programs and I'm on the wait list for 2 of the schools. My top school has me on their wait list for funding, but the graduate director said there is still an "excellent chance" to receive a GE position. I know to not put too much into that but it gives me some hope.
The pessimistic side of me is thinking that I won't receive funding anywhere and, honestly, I don't think I could accept an offer where I would have to take loans out to pay for tuition. It definitely puts a damper on my excitement.  
I know there is still a month and half to go but this waiting has been excruciating.

Wrong thread I’m afraid. You might wanna check clinical psych forums for this info. 
 
ETA: Whoops, didn’t see that @fordlandia already answered above! 

Thank you @Karou and congratulations on accepting Duke! ?
I see you are new to the site - this is the history forum, so you will probably find an answer on the Psychology forum:
https://forum.thegradcafe.com/forum/8-psychology/
 

Could I have some feedback on this response re: the HiLi program? I want to avoid burning bridges with the school in general. 
I am writing in response to your offer of admission to the Masters in History and Literature at Columbia University. While I was delighted at the offer, I regret to inform you that I will not be accepting your offer of admission. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. 
 

I have been a longtime lurker in these forums and finally decided to join the convo.
I'm writing about a topic that is relatively sensitive and in a 2019 context is highly charged so I'm hoping this dialogue can be productive and respectful.
Full disclosure, I am a woman of color and this has been the most emotionally taxing process I've ever been through, and I've been through some shit.
I know this is something everyone has to accept, but I feel terribly alone at the moment. The silent but toxic stress of carrying all of these identities is killing me. 
After being one of the few members of my immediate and extended family to complete a bachelors degree, I entered the workforce for several years and after mind numbing work, I decided to re-enter academia and apply to PhD programs. Though I am not first generation, I might as well be. My mother has an associates and my father completed his masters shortly after I entered college myself. Beyond that, I don't know anyone who has ever ventured into getting any sort of advanced degrees of any kind let alone bachelors degrees or high school diplomas. My parents, though supportive, proved quite useless during this process and many of my other family and friends didn't understand why I'd give up a great career to "go back to school." It's draining at family functions to have conversations about things no one understands and judges me heavily for. Navigating the application process was such a difficult process. I reached out to other minorities and POC (person/people of color) during the initial stages but they too vocalized how taking on this endeavor can be very difficult if you're the first to do it. 
Not to sound like a martyr but for much of my academic and career journeys thus far I have always been the first and only in the spaces I exist in. I am one of a few POC at work and  I was one of 3 POC women in a group of about 10 total in my undergraduate program. The stress of constantly feeling like I need to represent an entire group is draining and the burden of not feeling like I can measure up is exhausting. Imposter syndrome has been real. At every step of this process I have been filled with self doubt. I waited 2 years to take the GRE just because I was afraid of failing. I did not I got 160Q/167V/5.5 Writing respectively. Then I applied to programs and felt like my statement of purpose wouldn't be good enough, I was told by many that it was great. I went to open houses and info sessions thinking I didn't belong only to walk away feeling empowered. 
But now, that has all come to an overflowing boil. I am at a point in the PhD application process where it's becoming more readily apparent that I will probably get a flush of denies to every program I applied. I have seen acceptances and invitations for interviews go up and my inbox remains empty save for the 4 denies I've already received. When people ask me how the process is going, i can't bring myself to tell them I've been denied so I just keep saying "I'm still waiting to hear back...". Though this is true, I have no faith that I'll get into the remaining 3 programs I'm waiting on. Even my 'safety school' denied me already.
What's more frustrating is the current undertones that exist in admissions -- the Harvard case against affirmative action, the feeling that spots are "deserved" rather than earned, this idea that POC are given spots in program. I was not expecting to be admitted based on some diversity metrics, and I don't fully believe at the PhD level special considerations are made based on race, religion, ethnicity, or gender. But to continually get denied makes me feel double as bad as I feel like I truly was the worst of a group that already gets special considerations/concessions. 
I am not sure how to move on from these denials and face the hoards of family who thought I was crazy for considering this, the coworkers and friends who have supported me with a zeal that honestly made me even consider doing this in the first place, and the countless other marginalized groups I wanted to encourage through my application and acceptances into programs.
Though I identify (and exist) as a woman of color, I know I am not alone. I know there are countless women, people of color, international students, immigrants, LGBTQ, and other underrepresented or marginalized populations who hopefully can identify with these emotions and I just wanted to allow for a space for folks to be vulnerable. 
 

The anxiety is a small part of the larger transitional period into grad school... Not knowing where we're going to be in six months, not knowing about living situations, etc. Just knowing anything would be nice? Pretty please? 

Hey guys, 
I'm a third-year in a PhD program and I lurk on these forums every year...
Quick advice - as you turn down offers, please remember that if you've done your legwork properly, these are probably big names in your field that you will continue to see and cite for years to come. I turned down an offer three years ago and continue to email that professor regularly. In fact, she reviewed my comps list for me! 
All this is to say, please keep in mind that academia is a small small world. If you liked these people enough to apply to work with them, you probably want to be able to come back to them over the years. 
 
Good luck to everyone! You're almost there!

I’ve also applied to the MA and only gotten radio silence, so we’re somewhat in the same boat. 

I applied to masters program there and I haven't heard anything back from them. My POI was Philip M Soergel. I am assuming that it is a rejection for me.

Kind of moving between two eras here - broadly a Southern historian, more specifically Civil War/Antebellum period , but I also have some interest in the late 19th/early 20th century as it pertains to Confederate memorialization.
 

Anyone have any advice for what to ask DGS and POIs after acceptance? I already know about funding, structure of the program, and whatnot. Would it be a red flag to them if I don’t have any questions?