PsychPhdBound

I got 'the call' on Friday and was told to expect my offer letter on Monday and nothing came :/. I'm doing my best to be patient, with little success. I'm just excited to get this thing signed, sealed, and delivered so I can officially end my admissions cycle! Congrats on your acceptance!!

I got 'the call' on Friday and was told to expect my offer letter on Monday and nothing came :/. I'm doing my best to be patient, with little success. I'm just excited to get this thing signed, sealed, and delivered so I can officially end my admissions cycle! Congrats on your acceptance!!

So much detail already givens I’ll give my personal experience with deciding:
I pre rank programs based on research fit, advisor productivity, funding, and area of living.
During interviews I focused on environment, feel from the students, and how the faculty interacted with each other. That helped give a sense of what going on. In addition, attitude of faculty with students and vise versa. This is actually quite important. So most students are very nice and supportive. However in actual interviews and interactions with students and the faculty, student typically show their true personality. I had an bad experience with a student in the interview with my POI belittling my mindset going into a program. I held my ground but it ultimately rubbed me the wrong way.
 
After receiving offers, I noticed I naturally already made my decision and I just triple check with my wife that she was happy location wise and BOOM! I picked a program!

I feel you! I had an interview last week and COMPLETELY fell in love with the program and have been day dreaming about receiving a good call. So now if I get rejected the fall feels like it's going to kill me. Luckily I should hear by the end of the week, so at least I'll know sooner rather than later. Good luck to all of us!! ?

I feel you! I had an interview last week and COMPLETELY fell in love with the program and have been day dreaming about receiving a good call. So now if I get rejected the fall feels like it's going to kill me. Luckily I should hear by the end of the week, so at least I'll know sooner rather than later. Good luck to all of us!! ?

I am currently on one waitlist for a program I really want to attend. I think I am unofficially on a waitlist for another program but have not heard anything either way. I emailed the program who told me I was waitlisted and they told me I was 2nd on the list. The admission coordinator told me he thinks they will be offering admission to at least one person from the list so my chances depend on that other applicant. This is very nerve wracking to me because now I feel like my future is in some other applicant's hands. He did say that knowing I was very interested in the program is very helpful to know so I took that as a good sign. I basically check my email 24/7. Luckily my job keeps me pretty busy during the week but weekends are long and anxiety ridden. I am starting to think being waitlisted is worse than being flat out rejected in terms of the stress and anxiety it causes.  I wish everyone luck on getting off the waitlist! 

They said I would here about funding soon, but did not give me a specific date. This is an R1 university and they often have different types of funding lines (RA, TA, fellowship), so I'm guessing it has to do more with where my funding will be coming from rather then if I get funding. As a note, their website specifically mentions that offers are not made if they do not have funding...
While I'm still nervous, I feel like it makes the most sense to reject the offer from the other university and then maybe just wait to officially accept the offer from this one? 

Hi everyone! Do you think it's foolish to accept an offer before receiving an official letter (with funding information)? This school is my top choice, and has always been able to fund their students. I have received another offer from a different school, which is why I'm anxious to accept sooner rather than later (I don't want to be holding onto a spot that someone else would gladly take). 

School: UNC Greensboro
Type of Program: Cognitive psychology 
Acceptance Date: 2/18/2020
and
School: UNC Chapel Hill
Type of Program: Cognitive psychology 
Acceptance date: 2/21/2020
I’ll be going to Chapel Hill as it’s my top choice!

Anyone else get their soul crushed when a potential PI talks about how they are SURE you have SO many offers and that they think you have an amazing career ahead of you...but then reject you? I know it's them trying to be nice, but when the reality is that I have no firm offers, it just adds insult to injury when they are asking me to contact them when I "decide where I'm going". 

It's really nice to feel like a program really wants you! Good luck in making your decision!

I'm in the same boat - deciding between two programs! I know everyone says to write a pros and cons list, etc. etc. But honestly, I think we generally already know which choice we want in many cases, we're just scared of committing to one thing and potentially losing out on another.  It sounds that while Program 1 looks better on paper, you really liked the feeling you got from Program 2. 
 I had a really great mentor once tell me to flip a coin - not to decide heads or tails, but because when it's in midair you know which side you want it to land on. 

School: UT-Austin
Type of Program: Social-Personality Psych PhD
Acceptance Date: 2/20/2020
I've been getting a flurry of sweet, supportive emails from PIs, postdocs, and grad students over the last half hour and I'm so overwhelmed with happiness. I haven't made the official decision quite yet, but wow. This might be the one. ?

That's a good perspective! I felt like 9-12 was a bit excessive, but I can definitely see how a program would want to just ensure that they are finding the right fit with an applicant. In the end, I'll just choose to trust the process and not sweat it! 

After I defend my master's thesis I plan on not touching anything psych related until August ?. I'm also excited for Animal crossing, a trip planned to Europe in May, and a music festival in June. Other than that going to be spending alot of time outside enjoying the New England summer before I spend my summers in TX for the next 4+ years.

Just booked 3 trips! One to NYC to check out my new city for the first time next week, a trip with my siblings to Miami where one of them lives, and the other to Vegas for a week in July! I’m 22 and have never lived outside of my state for more than 3 months. Really trying to spend as much time with my family as possible. 
 
So yeah, I got a little too excited after my acceptance and decided to drain my bank account because “self care” lol. Oh well, YOLO. 

Better yet, pick somewhere where you can do both!
I am also going to plan a trip. I wish I had more vacation days!!

I think it would be a good idea for everyone to take a moment and a slow, deep breath. We are all going through a very stressful process and it can be easy, especially on anonymous online chat boards, to get worked up and/or misinterpret poster's tones/intentions. So let's breathe and try to be mindful of our words.
To the OP, there are so many factors that go into decisions and at the end of the day none of us know what got us in vs. kept us out. Try to remain positive, focus on your work, and know that when it's the right fit it will work out. 
Good luck to all of us in these final weeks!!

I think it would be a good idea for everyone to take a moment and a slow, deep breath. We are all going through a very stressful process and it can be easy, especially on anonymous online chat boards, to get worked up and/or misinterpret poster's tones/intentions. So let's breathe and try to be mindful of our words.
To the OP, there are so many factors that go into decisions and at the end of the day none of us know what got us in vs. kept us out. Try to remain positive, focus on your work, and know that when it's the right fit it will work out. 
Good luck to all of us in these final weeks!!

I would definitely look at completion rates and placements for each program, and then I'd pick the one that aligns best with my career goals (since all other things seem to be equal). And if all of that for some reason comes out a wash (with seems unlikely), then I'd start considering location preferences. Is one in a better climate? More affordable city? Closer to family? Etc. Good luck!! Definitely a nice "problem" to have, since it sounds like no matter where you end up you'll have a great experience!

My husband and I are also trying to figure out where we should go on vacation before making the move! We're currently trying to decide between relaxing beach or exciting adventure (I'm leaning more towards adventure ?).

I think it would be a good idea for everyone to take a moment and a slow, deep breath. We are all going through a very stressful process and it can be easy, especially on anonymous online chat boards, to get worked up and/or misinterpret poster's tones/intentions. So let's breathe and try to be mindful of our words.
To the OP, there are so many factors that go into decisions and at the end of the day none of us know what got us in vs. kept us out. Try to remain positive, focus on your work, and know that when it's the right fit it will work out. 
Good luck to all of us in these final weeks!!

All these conversations about relaxing is making me search for vacation spots lmao. I’m for sure gonna soak in some sun and fun once my anxiety chills out. I also think a good idea is vacation at the city/state your moving to. I live in CA and will be moving to Kansas so I plan to visit KS and get a hotel in Kansas City and have some exploring fun

Here! 
I am 42, a married mom of three teens. The eldest is at college here in MO, and she plans to stay and finish her degree.  The other two are still at home and will be relocating with us. 
I will be at least 47 by the time I finish my PhD, and I'm ok with that. I am a much more confident and capable person now than I was in my 20s or even 30s, and I know the life skills I've developed will be a huge help to me.  My mentors here at home have been nothing but encouraging, and the PI for my PhD program is already sharing information and excitement with me. If she says being an experienced parent can only be a help, I'm going to take her expert word for it.  
 

I am 30 years old and have a soon to be toddler at home. I will be starting a PhD in the coming year. I have found that quite the contrary to what people say, being an “older” student and a mother has made me a better student and researcher. I have had no choice but to prioritize things and accomplish them rapidly without delay. I have been working in research for 5 years now and have realized that people with more life experience make better academics in general. I know it may seem intimidating to be in a different phase of life than other students but I think you’d be surprised that there are more of us out there than you might imagine. ❤️