karamazov

I’m so excited to say that I officially accepted my offer at University of Oregon today! It felt so weird to submit the acceptance letter; I stared at the screen for like ten minutes before I finally clicked send. It’s such a good fit for me, though, and I think I’m going to absolutely love it there. The faculty and students that I got to chat with were all wonderful. I can’t believe this is finally happening!
Thanks to everyone here for all your advice and kindness!

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Yes, as I just formally accepted my offer  In the end, I had no other options (my other wait list turned into a rejection), but I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! And not having to choose between programs allowed me to direct all my neuroses towards the plentiful other targets in the world right now lol. Good luck with your choice, and I hope to see you in the fall!
I hope The Other School in NC comes through for you!! Fingers crossed that I'll see you in an inter-institutional class, either via Zoom or (hopefully) in person! (I'm learning this semester that graduate seminars do not transfer well to an online setting....)

@karamazov @kolyagogolova congrats to you both!! haven't had any definitive news on my end (from The Other School in North Carolina), but hopefully i'll get to see you there this fall! (or, well, the next, depending on how the pandemic situation goes.)  

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

I'm so glad you're in, too! That is great! Maybe we'll be cohort mates in the fall*?! 
*That is, if my head doesn't explode while trying to decide between my two top picks. 

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Me too ? I'm glad you're in!

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

Well, I just received an offer from UNC off their waitlist. I am now officially going to have a heart attack.

I rejected a school ranked in the 20s for a school in the 30s. I think the difference is terms of rankings was also around 9? I felt the school ranked in the 30s was in a better location for me, had a better stipend, had faculty I was more interested in working with and their placements looked better to me. The school ranked in the 30s seemed was very open about their placement and the cohort vibe was ambitious and collegial.

I feel like the standard line is "Don't go to a program that's not in the Top 20," which to me suggests there may be some appreciable difference between a school ranked 18 and one ranked 27, at least in terms of prestige, appearances, etc.
I believe we are both considering the same 27th-ranked program, though, @karamazov, so my thoughts on this matter may not be perfectly unbiased. That said, in trying to decide between my two programs--one ranked 27, one ranked 30--I've taken rankings less into account than recent placements (in my case, quantity and quality of recent placements seems to correspond to ranking, though, so that may not be a useful metric for you).  

Some schools that make up the "top 20" will change every time the list is completed. A program in the top 20 might be there now, but might not be on the next list. A lot of the programs on the top 20 have been around for longer which helped them establish early presences in research-focused institutions. However, I think it's important to realize that your adviser is important and the "best" adviser for you might be at a school not in the top 20. There are some programs that aren't in the top 20 but are known for certain subfields. A top 20 might be given preferences at certain research institutions but that's not always the case. Placements might be the best indicator on where and how well a university places. I think it's equally as important to realize cohort size differences between colleges. More placements does not necessarily mean better if one cohort size is 4 and the other is 20.

Ahh just got an email from UW's lovely DGS reminding me about the upcoming deadline like I don't wake up every morning with "April 15th" tattooed on my eyelids. I haven't forgotten about you, UW!
I honestly feel like Bella from Twilight. (Yes, I watched Twilight recently and it was hilarious. Excellent quarantine entertainment.)

I accepted Syracuse's offer yesterday! OSU is not taking anyone off their waitlist this year, and I got the official "no" from Virginia on Monday. Is anyone else heading to Syracuse in the Fall? If so, feel free to reach out to me! I won't be checking this site as much now that my application cycle is over, but good luck to everyone else who is still waiting to hear definitive news or who still choosing between programs!

Protip: Maybe try to develop psychic abilities or something so you can do your best to not apply immediately before a pandemic hits. Just a thought. 

Protip: Maybe try to develop psychic abilities or something so you can do your best to not apply immediately before a pandemic hits. Just a thought.