The_Garnet_Comet

Anyone accept their offers for Western Carolina? I finally accepted and am so excited to connect with anyone else who got in. Message me because I don't do social media!

Same, I'm now waiting on 3 schools whom I interviewed with without so much as a peep. People have reported acceptances from 2 of those and I wish they'd send me rejections so I don't have to literally ask for them to say "No". Borders on unprofessional at times, and cowardly at the worst.

Yeah! I also heard yesterday about my acceptance there. It's a huge move as my wife and I are in Florida, but there's a great opportunity at UNLV for me so I'm gonna visit and meet with some people asap. Congrats! We did it!

Yeah, I'm waiting to hear from a couple now too. UNLV and Winthrop most notably. I'm just anxious because I need to start getting the wheels in motion to relocate.

This process is really confusing. I wouldn't read too much into what a PI, or a grad student, or anyone on here tells you. The only thing that matters is a written commitment from a school. I was fed a lot over this process, and I got my hopes up a lot. My advice is to temper your expectations and to not let what others say influence you. You're gonna land at the spot that's meant for you, and don't let yourself stray from that.

I don't believe it's a great look to generalize the intelligence (or lack there of) of an entire state. Ignorant people live everywhere. Perhaps for someone like me, who has lived all across the country and had the opportunity to be exposed to different types of people, statements like that are hurtful. I hope wherever you chose to go to grad school really causes you to expand your horizons and your ability to understand diversity.

Yeah, that was actually me who posted that. They also extended their deadline to the 22nd I just found out from their Twitter. Starting to get spooked there too, they're one of my top choices.

Anyone heard back from Winthrop or Western Carolina yet? Both would be EdS programs.

I'm waiting on 5 now (all EdS), been rejected by 5 or haven't gotten an interview. Bama has a great program, best of luck!

I just got the notification as well, also rejected outright. Not quite sure what a lot of these schools are looking for at this point, but I fear that the goalposts have shifted this year especially. Good luck with the rest of your applications! Where else are you waiting on?

That's just the thing with me too, there is no next season for me. I feel like an outsider in a lot of ways, and so far that's been confirmed by my professional and academic career. I need to have some sort of progress or I'm going in a different direction. I'm sorry to hear so many qualified and empathic people are having trouble getting into school. I wish you luck as well!

I got rejected from UGA as well, and have not heard from any other schools at this point. This cycle seems to be a culmination of the worst scenarios, from being unable to interview in person to having record amounts of applicants due to GRE omission or otherwise. UGA was my dream school and the best opportunity I've had to be in a position to provide for my family. It hurts for sure and I can't imagine you feel any different. We will make it through and land where we fit best.

Oh jeeze, I have been waiting on them as well for that exact requirement and I was told my application was under review anyways. I was afraid of that being why I hadn't heard anything back yet.

Hey congrats!

Here's what I know. They go through applications every week and have already given out interview invites to people they like. They have about 5 spots and have had hundreds upon hundreds of applications. Learned all this from their open house a few weeks ago. My honest opinion about UNC at this point is that they are a tough school to get into, and they are very selective, but at the same time very proactive about who they're giving invites to. I'm fairly competitive and I still am having trouble contacting faculty there. Take it with a grain of salt, but I personally don't think I would be a good fit there.

Absolutely, I'll be sure to tell you whenever I may hear. It'd be nice to have you in the cohort, ML's lab members were so great, and I'm pretty sure everyone I met at interview day would be a great fit too. Fingers crossed, good luck!

I was told when I was waitlisted for an initial interview that they had recieved close to 200 applications this cycle. I'm surprised they could even interview 40 people, it seems tough to even vet that amount.

Yeah, I met individually with both the PIs I mentioned in my personal statement. They had some overlap in terms of research and both said they were interested in my application. You'd think that'd give me two shots at getting in, but as the other poster mentioned above, they're just trying to figure out who would be the best fit for me (if at all).

Gotcha, I ended up interviewing with 2 PIs, but my itinerary initially said 3, so all I did was stress out after I got it the day before. I LOVED everyone I met from ML's lab, you picked a great PI! I agree on UGA, I knew going in it was my top choice, but every part of last Friday confirmed it. Loved all the students, faculty, and I'd get to be close to family again which is a plus plus. Good luck to you as well!

Same about UGA. Its my dream school but Im unsure if that really came across at interview day. Did you have more than one 1-on-1 interviews? I remember a lot of fellow applicants just mentioning they wanted to work with only one person, whereas I mentioned two.

Now that you mention it, I regret not asking that bombshell question more. For the PI I did ask, she was slightly caught aback and said "I can't think of anything, I would want you to join my lab" which was both good and bad, because there are things in my app that should be addressed. I got really great feedback for the "what would you add" question, and in one case it perfectly aligned with some thing I mentioned in my personal statement. In hindsight, one of the biggest things I would suggest to applicants in this process is to engage with fellow applicants as well. It was very apparent that a lot of people just didn't want or couldn't engage with people they didn't feel could help them in the interview. During student hangouts it was rare for an applicant to address a fellow applicant, and I felt that was a red flag. I woke up the next day and tried to remember the other applicants, and those that I did remember said or tried to engage broadly, and just didn't sit there and ask questions. Engagement and networking were things I wanted to see more of.

The ones that made me stumble were 1)Why do you want a PhD and not an EdS 2) what apprehensions do you have about our program and 3) What would your masters thesis look like. I asked every single teacher these two questions 1) What is missing from this program, or what do you want to add to it and 2) what concerns do you have about me joining this program/lab. The second question is a double edged sword, and can screw you if you don't know how to rebuttal. I only asked someone I was comfortable with that question, but if you're unsure of your status it is a very direct way to confront your fears. Its a question that was given to me by someone who gives a lot of interviews in the business world, and it can flip the script.

I'm with you right there. EVERYONE can feel like they have Impostor Syndrome, especially in this process. The reality is that yeah, some people will be more "competitive" than you. They could have all the experience and the top GRE scores and they'll be highly sought after, and they should be because they probably worked their ass off to get there. Those people are relatively rare, and it never guarantees fit. Fit is important. The school that accepts you will be your fit. Fit changes from program to program, and is as much about you as it is about the school. The nature of this forum and the internet (hello social media) will attempt to trick you into believing everyone is better than you are, they get what they want, and when you don't, it makes you feel bad. You never see your friends post a picture of the worst day they've had this week on Instagram. School psychologists should know better than to promote competition, because it doesn't work in schools, and positive reinforcement is the driving factor behind the best outcomes. Your fit will lift you up, give you everything you need to succeed, and your peers will garner the same benefits through collaboration. We are all in this together. Today, during my interview with my dream school, I felt like I fit. You will feel the same at your dream school.

They're meeting after the make-up interviews on Monday. I was told by the end of next week is when decisions will most likely be given out. Hope everyone had a great time hanging out! I was really nervous but am hoping that I get into my dream program. Good luck!

Does anyone know if its common to have multiple PIs interview with one candidate at a school?