CAPoliSciPhD

I just called and asked a question to a graduate program coordinator and it was horrible...she was condescending and her tone was horrible as I tried to be extra polite.... I think it's time for a new thread called - "application remorse" - in fact...I'll go do that now...

Update - Amazingly, I finished this SOP. This department is kind of slow though because everything has to be mailed to the department! First one where I cannot submit SOP online (There may have been one other but I can't remember now). Anyway, 250 words is usually about 1 page with 1 inch margins. Now, this is usually beneath me (and I think I'm doing this the opposite way that the 'bad' students use this feature) but I made the margins .9 bc when you print it out, you can't really tell the difference. So I'm over the 250 words but I'm still one page, and I don' think it'll be a big deal. If it IS, I just have to say that maybe this is the kind of dept I don't want to end up at ANYWAY! ha...(like it's up to me or something....lol)

Anyone here applied to the University of Arizona?

PS - woo hoo I'm caffeinated now!

Are none of you in school now? undergrad or grad? I keep thinking about this stuff but I know the EARLIEST I could hear anything, good or bad, is not for another 3 to 4 weeks --- so I'm obsessing even though I have actual WORK to do...which sucks bc I'm not interested anymore...

My plan B is to leave the country. Dramatic? Actually, it would be an excuse to live abroad teaching English. I've lived in Europe before, and I'd love to go away somewhere again...plus working on language skills and travel experience could help my app... (already have a masters)

That doesn't make much sense though to talk about improving your application without say anythign about being waitlisted...wouldn't the automatic assumption then be that he improved since being rejected? I think you either acknowledge it or don't -- if you dance around it, it might come off confusing

Yeah, check out the results posted on this site to get an idea...I have two schools that made some decisions starting the last week of January but it was clear not all of them were made then....

Yeah, I read those other ones but don't post on them....so I laughed when you guys started talking about posts I recognized.... I thought maybe there were a lot of neurotic applicants, but now I see it's just the same few of us over and over again ha.

Hm...that is tricky...maybe a line in the SOP showing that you were motivated to better your app and were still interested - I don't think that would hurt you...they liked you well enough to waitlist you last year... Were you in contact with anyone about being waitlisted? Could you e-mail/call them? I kind of think it won't matter too much - new year, new people to look at, that kind of thing...but mentioning it probably can't work AGAINST you... leaving it out though also won't hurt I don't think.... ha so this post wasn't much help... but new year, new cycle, and new app (w/ better stats for you!)....so I'm not really sure how much being waitlisted last year matters...

Linden, LoL at that site! Funny but cruel...what kind of sick person plays on the anxiety of applicants like that??

I also don't have any safeties. And I know somewhere else on this board I thought about applying to some, but the truth is I don't feel rushing around like a maniac bc they have deadlines also 1/15. Maybe if something came up that was Feb. 1, but alas, right now there are no safeties in pool and of course I'm applying to a lot of schools so it looks worse when you get rejected not from 2 or 3 schools but more than 10...ugh... And I understand about people not understanding the competitiveness of these programs...it just seems only those involved can actually get it - even for those of us in the US.

Clearly, I have already been thinking about it. I've always thought that it's more likely that I'll get rejected from every school than to get into one. I just wish there had been a way for me to apply in secret so everyone else didn't get their hopes up! (Too bad those whole letters of rec things were important as well as all the advice I needed when picking schools to apply to and people to read over my SOP...ha...this was not something I did alone....) And most of the issues with my application cannot be changed...two schools that aren't great - one random state school for BA with a low ugpa (granted, I have a reason for this that even the most annoyed by excuses cannot overlook -- but I didn't dwell on it bc I had so much more interesting information and positive stuff to put in) an MA with an excellent gpa but also from another school no one's heard of....and gre's that are good (not amazing) but only the second time I took them....so, it really doesn't take a genius to figure out what the reasons could be if I don't get in anyway.... BUT all that negative-ness aside....I do believe my application is more than just numbers so I'm still going to have a bit of hope...but I don't think anyone who's neurotic enough to get on these boards can be completely delusional...I mean, we of all people see the massive competition we're all up against Luckily, or unluckily, I have a ton of work to do this semester so it should take my mind off this stress eventually bc I'll have other stuff driving me nuts....

I have an advisor who is totally into where I've been applying and he's more excited than I am about everything...I keep having to get his hopes down but it just isn't working! It's killing me bc I'm going to look like a total loser if I get in NO WHERE....it'll be so embarassing...

Yeah, the EARLIEST i've seen from some of the schools I've applied to is end of January but the majority of mine have been mid-Feb to mid-March for the last few years...

So I know we've all mentioned this topic before in some way or another...mostly about the number of applicants probably increasing, but a ton of schools have to cancel hiring faculty (state freezes) bc of the budget crisis... That got me thinking because many of the schools I applied to only admit people they can fund...which may not be very many this year...I know for a fact it's affecting at least one school in this way.... argh...more apps and less spots - great formula! okay, I've GOT to stop obsessing, right?

I posted this on another thread, but it seems like it could fit here.... My SOPs have required 500-1000. Some just say max 1000 - so I've had a statement around 600 - honestly, I don't think anyone is going to count word for word and realize I'm off. The THING is - I have an app left from a school that IS actually hard to get into (actually, aren't they all??? gr) Anyway, that school wants a 250 word SOP!!! wtf! I think that is totally ridiculous! I have no idea how to cut HALF of my SOP. Any ideas? I just don't get it! I know academics should be able to say a lot with only a few words, but 250 is, I think, asking too much of me! What would you guys do? I'm kind of thinking of ignoring the 250 words, but I'm not sure if it's worth the app fee if they're too annoyed...then again, I didn't apply to another school bc it said they wanted a 50 page writing sample and then I saw someone got in with a 15-20 page sample....jebus...

The higher ranked programs do seem to have earlier deadlines -- they were all dec. 15 for me. But I don't think that the acceptances going out in Feb help the school with later deadlines bc if you get rejected feb 7. from the 'snooty' school, it's still too late to apply to the Feb 1. deadline. Anyway, you guys have any advice on the 250word SOP? I'm kind of thinking of ignoring that limit? I can't imagine cutting half of my SOP out. It's all in there for a reason.

THAT is a horrible thought...and I can't say I haven't had it. The worst part is that I still have a few schools whose deadlines aren't until Jan 1. One's not even until Feb. 1 (that's insane) but I cannot get the motivation to fill out anymore applications. It's like I used all my momentum in December, and now it's all gone. Plus, with these little things, it's just that much harder to get the motivation back. Anyway, I never alerted the schools I applied to about these things it's only at one school THEY added the school after receiving my undergrad transcript so it says "not received" for this little school. Honestly, I'm not even going to bother tracking down this transcript (I tried for a minute and get this: it looks like the school changed names but I can't find that anywhere officially so I HOPE I even have the right random school - it was forever ago.) And I just ran into another weird issue - one of my schools left asks for a 250 SOP...wtf...that's NOTHING most of my schools are around 500 to 750. I have no idea how to cut out half of my SOP. And, I'm not sure I care that much so I may just submit what I have....of course, maybe that's a dumb idea and a waste of an application fee. no? Haha - well, everyone, Happy January!

I'm also completely frustrated by this crap. I just checked my UCLA status and everything I sent have been received, but it says "Items Required To Complete File: Suppl Info " --- wtf!!! I don't know what that means! I've sent everything and it even says that it has my writing sample and CV. And another school I didn't send all my transcripts, either, because I didn't think about sending them form the dual enrollment course I took in HIGH SCHOOL in 11th freaking grade in a random state from a community college....and I just don't give a $hit anymore....it's too late to send it now, and this process has just sucked --- I've given them ever MORE reasons not to accept me. good thread. I needed to vent, too.

I haven't called to check at all the schools I applied to...I applied to so many...and honestly, I'm not sure I can take it if they didn't after what I've gone through...crap does that mean I need to call them all now?!

Slothy - which 18 did you wind up applying to? (or at least some of the 18?) I've increased the schools I am applying to, but I'm still debating about one or two of them that I might apply to as safety schools. I need to decide in the next week to make the deadlines (the safety schools all have deadlines of 1/15) - hopefully, LOR people won't get angry like yours! How did you handle it? I'm hoping it won't be too big of a deal since most them are online now...

Do you mind giving us a bit more information about yourself? Why do you think you weren't successful the first go around? You seem to have great stats from those mentioned above...did you only apple to a few schools or....? And are you applying to different schools this tgime? Sorry, just curious bc I'm surprised you didn't do well the first time around!!!

flyingwalrus - Yeah, I'm very familiar with all of the departments - at this point in the process, I'm not dropping any schools - I will only add. You're right about the DC area schools, but I decided to apply nonetheless. My issue now isn't picking programs. (It's freaking Decemeber, I hope by now everyone's done their research!) The truth is there are so many random factors that go into the admissions decisions, I'm just applying to more programs hoping I match up with a department that I'd be willing to actually go to. I saw someone else on here applying to Pittsburgh, what's your subfield?

Ah good point! LoL - I think I'll win the award for applying to the most places...(and prob have the lowest stats on this board) 3.1 ugpa (state school )3.96 grad gpa (nearly unheard of large university) U of WA UCLA UC Davis Notre Dame UIUC WashU UNC GW Georgetown Maryland Not really sure if I have a shot anywhere....which is extremely depressing, but here's to hoping! Thinking about if I should add some other schools where I may have a better shot to get in, but not sure if it'd be worth having a phd from those places anyway...