justanotherfaculty

A huge +1 on all of this from another doctoral faculty member. Stay sane and be kind to yourselves. This is a competitive process and rejections do not mean you are not a high quality candidate, or that you were not considered very strongly. Rejections are normal and a typical part of the process. This does not reflect on you. I encourage you to make the choices that are right for you personally and professionally. Its an important balance between those two because this is a lengthy part of your life that you are planning to spend in a program, in close relations with your classmates and professors. Being happy for 5 years is important.