ProfeWags

I'm trying not to wallow in how sad I am right now, but I wanted to take this opportunity to offer a forum for those watching major milestones crumble before them thanks to the pandemic to offer mutual support. My own circumstance is that as a graduating senior, I've had the remainder of my face-to-face classes cancelled for the semester (we're going online), so I'll never have another proper class at my university. The university has also cancelled all non-class events, so several ceremonies at which I was to receive quite significant honors (including being recognized at the Chancellor's Scholar for the School of Liberal Arts, an award given to the most outstanding student from each of the university's academic units) will not be held. My commencement has not yet been officially cancelled, but we've been forewarned that this is likely. I was also supposed to present at two conferences (my first ever) this spring. One, a small, low stakes, but still exciting graduate conference, has been cancelled. The other, a once-in-a-career opportunity at a significant international conference in the UK that I'd been planning for for almost a year, hasn't yet been cancelled (though I'll be shocked if it isn't), but with the chaos currently reigning in airports and new travel restrictions being handed down almost daily, I can't possibly attend and present even if said conference is not cancelled.
I know these are very much first-world problems and that others are far more injured than I by this global catastrophe, and I understand and support the need to take drastic measures to protect the most vulnerable in our society, but I still feel it's appropriate to express grief at having all the major events and opportunities I was looking forward to for the next several months taken away. I hope this doesn't come off as whining - my aim is to create a safe, supportive space for those of us experiencing pandemic-related heartbreak right now to let it out. Anyone else want to share?

Really appreciating the solidarity on this thread! If you'll let me vent for a moment...I applied for ~7 PhD programs 2 years ago, got rejected from them all, then last minute (literally in April) applied to a MA program that I started that fall. I did the MA because a couple of the POIs I had skyped with during the app process recommended it. Now I'm about to finish that MA and have 9 PhD apps out in the world with 4 rejections, 2 surely on their way based on the posted results, a waitlist at what I thought would be my absolute backup school, and 2 that I haven't heard a peep about. If I could sum up how I'm feeling in a word? Disillusioned.
I've learned the best thing you can do for your mental health in these trying times (at least in my experience) is picture life not only without that degree, but with hope. I've spent the last couple weeks applying for a ton of jobs outside academia, some of which I'm actually weirdly excited about, and one of which resulted in an interview for a paid summer internship for something I never, ever thought I would get. And even if it turns out I don't get it after all, it's a reminder that there's more out there. So, fellow gradcafers, keep pushing - rejection in one aspect of your life is not a reflection of you, neither as a professional nor a person. We'll get through it.

I finally got up the nerve to email Davis, they said that they sent out the first round of acceptances and will get back to me towards the end of the month if there is still space in the program. Obviously disappointed, it's my top choice, but it's better than being outright rejected, I guess.

I got into Princeton today guys! I’m so excited. It’s definitely one of my top choices 

February 1st, by email. It actually went to my spam mailbox, I found it by chance like 3 days later.