ridgey

Someone on the results page (in another field) said they gave a little more for people who had to come in from overseas; anyone know if that's the norm? I'm a rather large ocean away...

Not me. Haven't seen anything on the results page. Last year, according to the results page, they admitted in mid feb and rejected in late feb. So 2-4 weeks I'd say.

Both. I want to do health policy, but I've applied to do that in public health and in public policy (and in poli sci).

Subfield: (for poli sci) comparative Interests: The politics of health and social policy

If you did this for me, you'd find...the phone list for my work place (which also happens to be my undergrad uni). I declare myself Un-googleable. At least to page 20 something - I didn't look any further.

Seems like most people are MPP/MPA. Just wondering if anyone else is waiting on any PhD results?

Thoughts or speculation, anyone? It's not from one of my poli sci applications, but the relevant parts of the grad cafe are reeeeeeally quiet. So, I got an email from a school that said I was on a short list for making admission offers, and decisions will be made within a week. The website says they get about 100 applications/season. Now, it is nice to know my application wasn't a joke and won't be used as an example of what not to do. But, what I really want to know is: how long is the short list? Clearly, no-one can actually tell me that. But is it likely it's everyone who got past the first GRE cutoff? Or down to 6 people for 5 places? Dang, I need a distraction from all this!

I'm really surprised at how many people here have implied their Facebook is public. Privacy settings are your friend, for better reasons than in case an adcom member looks you up!

I just got one from Wisconsin - from a personal address, not "grad school" or similar - that started with "I am pleased to inform you..." Not impressed. Though it did give a timeframe for announcing decisions, so I'll forgive them.

There's no way anyone can answer this. The degree to which a masters will be helpful, harmful, or have no effect on admissions decisions is unlikely to be the same for any two programmes.

Feeling particularly sorry for myself today, so I'll join in: - I have a tonne of research experience - My unusual interests line up uncannily well with particular faculty at two of the schools to which I applied And that's it! Dunno if that made me feel better or not. If the GRE actually carried any real weight, I'd be more confident.

The way I "know" opening letters is wrong, absent permission and especially if the "waive my rights" box is ticked, is this: if I were in that situation, planning to read the letters, my fear would be the writer finding out. If it were a legit course of action, then I wouldn't worry. The fear of getting caught indicates that the action is wrong. I had the opportunity today to read a letter from the writer I'm most iffy about. I thought he had forgotten this school and didn't want to bug him, so lined up a replacement. Today, I found that he'd left the letter for me in my second mailslot in the department, which I don't check often. It crossed my mind to read it, but I knew that 1) I could never look him in the eye again, and 2)sometimes it's better not to know. I just sent it to the programme anyway - it'll be late but I already have the right number and it's better the programme ignore it than it sit around tempting me.

Neuroscience. Surely I win the "most bizarre transition" prize?

I'm applying for PhDs. Haven't heard anything yet...I think for most of my programmes it's too early to read anything into silence.

Oh oh, I'm in the club, too!

That wasn't my question. It seems to me that the best way to find out what he did is to ask him. The reason you haven't is because you know you're in a questionable ethical zone in having read the letter and don't want to get caught.

Does your writer know you have read his recommendation?

Honestly, whether it matters will be determined by the whims of those on committees on the day yours is read. Potentially it may be a prob, but there's no way you can tell. If the applications are submitted, there's probably nothing you can do to waive when you initially declined to. If you have other apps, you know for next time. For now, see if you can channel your stress into something that will help you. Rework your SOP if you have more apps; if not, start a new hobby.

Out of curiosity, what did you think of the admissions consultant? I had no idea such things existed. Not that I would have had the $ for it anyway, but now I'm intrigued. How did it affect your applications? Do you think most people would find this service valuable, or only people in your field?

On the contrary, there's plenty to lose. I absolutely agree the prof has been amazingly cavalier with someone else's cicumstances. The time is right for making a stink if it were something where the mindest of the person in question wouldn't matter. BUT, if the writer begrudgingly writes and finds the student to be a pest (and again, whether this perception is reasonable or not is irrelevant) what kind of letter do you think will be the result?

My concern with the go all out approach to delinquent letters is what if they write the letter while feeling all resentful at you for being demanding? Whether you actually have been demanding is irrelevant; in this case what the prof sees is what matters. Which brings me to my own issue: When I registered one writer for online recs, I emailed to tell her I would drop in some forms for schools that required paper and that one school wanted a letter to a departmental email address. So she does all but one of the onlines, and doesn't send the email. When I drop in the forms she seemed pissed, like I'd suddenly thought to apply more places and was demanding more letters. She said she'd get to it next (this) week, and made it clear without saying it she thought I was a PITA I need to resend the link for the online app she missed. But there is no way that she won't be pissed to find yet another thing related to writing me letters in her inbox. If I can time it for just as she reads the cover note I gave her with the forms where I said I'd have it resent, all will be well. Of course, I have no way of orchestrating that, so one of my letters will most definitely be from someone pissed at me.

Mate! It took about as much work to put it here as to write the thing!

Coyabean, the open tabs and folders in your screen shot are telling! This is a cool idea, I'm going to do one when I get to my own computer.

Six months backpacking in South America! Sorry, I know I don't really qualify to post to the thread. But, I did spend the last year+ working 18 hour days on my masters thesis. On which I'll probably be making edits from some remote corner of Argentina in February (where I studied, you hand the thesis in to be formally examined then you have to make changes, in lieu of an oral defense).

Of course, that $16 500 doesn't go to the sociology department but to the GSAS.