Uberfloweret

My thoughts exactly. Been thinking about how this side of Gradcafe that no one knows about (in my country, at least) turned out to be my safe space since I don’t feel like I can bother my friends or advisors with the issues that phd application provokes this year, so I am grateful to everyone here, who knows and understands! 

Now that I finally had the courage to figuratively open my mouth, I wanted to echo what so many others have already said: I really, really appreciate the positive attitude people have expressed here in this thread. Although I know that I won't be hearing about my own applications for a few weeks or so, it has been uplifting to read this thread and see the way you have supported, and continue to support, each other. I sincerely hope your spirit changes academia (which in its contemporary form often promotes individualistic, egoistic, and competitive values) for the better in the future. Good luck everyone!

Because I really think TOEFL is racist and don't think it's fair of universities to ask intl applicants to pay to prove their competency in English when it's been my first language throughout school and college, having done my Masters from Singapore, and also having online think tank level publications. 

Hi everyone,
I noticed a few people had brought up interest in brainstorming backup plans for the current cycle, so I created this megathread so the information would not be lost in the main application thread. Good luck!

P.S. thank you!!

Counterintuitively, Chicago is perhaps one of the most qualitative departments in the country.

All of the schools that I have been accepted to thus far, with the exception of UCLA, have been non-GRE requiring schools. I didn't even send in my scores to most of the schools on my list. I was accepted into UCLA, and received an interview with Vanderbilt, however, with exceptionally low GRE scores - by their standards - (V156/Q155/W 5.0). I just personally think this cycle came down to so many different factors that GRE scores, whether high or low, were just one weak factor in a plethora of other reasons. 

Congrats!! You should be immensely proud! Did it seem like a mass/personalized email and did your portal change? Same congrats and questions for the WUSTL people too haha

I can confirm a UCLA admission from late last night! Also a Vanderbilt interview that I had yesterday (which was very informal and lead to a nice conversation). The silence from Michigan on my part is ominous, and I assume a rejection at this point. 
 
On that note, I wanted to let you know that I have started to let certain schools (I don't feel comfortable saying which) know that I will no longer be considering them - which has been more difficult of a process than I thought. Hopefully, though, this means some of you great scholars will be getting off the waitlist with enough time to make your own informed decisions. 

I also got an offer from WashU! It was a very nice surprise after the formal rejection from Berkeley earlier today. Subfield: comparative politics.
Edit: no info on funding yet.

Claiming a (formal) rejection at Berkeley. Congratulations to everyone accepted there!

I love research (and honestly research that have policy relevance - maybe a TT position at the IR policy schools like Elliott or Denver could be a great fit) and I have very strong "independent" streak to put it lightly, haha so academia seems like the place I will be happy in. But the horrible TT market and the financial aspect of giving up 5 years of salary equivalent to a TT position is giving me second thoughts.

I wish they would actually use these portals to indicate anything. Why the hell is there a portal just to tell me what I already know ? 

The first one isn't really a factor we as potential students or even eventual students have much control over sadly. While it is good that top tier universities are increasing stipends it should go without saying that doesn't mean the cohorts HAVE to decrease in size as they can rein in budgets in better ways.
 
As for the second one, that is certainly a valid fear but I think future students at least have some say in that because if teaching loads DO get out of hand, students can always attempt to unionize to get the admin to knock that crap off. Both cases just go to show how academia as a whole is starting to be mirror more corporate bullshit jobs to quote David Graeber (rest in power, comrade). If you all haven't read Bullshit Jobs by Graeber I would highly recommend it; while it mostly focuses on the private sector he does talk about academia quite a bit too. 

I was told by my POI at Northwestern back in November that there was a good chance they and many other programs would have smaller cohort sizes going forward as PhD programs are having to come to terms with changing realities. 

My biggest concerns this year:
1) Will universities permanently move forward with smaller PhD cohorts? I know some schools like Chicago have restructured and are increasing funding to PhD students but significantly reducing cohort size as a university-wide initiative.
2) With less graduate students available to teach introductory courses, does that extra labor fall on the smaller cohorts, will there be more adjunctification, or an increase in teaching loads at research-intensive universities for TT faculty?

For those who want to learn how to use LateX, I strongly suggest looking into Overleaf. It was how I learned how to use it and it's a great way to use LateX, while still having some semblance of an UI. 

Ahh shoot, okay. Well thanks for the update! Guess I’m accepting that bougie-league offer sooner than anticipated ? 

Marking off a rejection from Princeton just now as well.
I'm in PT, hoping some other folks got some good news!

I honestly don't understand why they don't send rejection mails right away and make us wait for days even after they send acceptances to other applicants. I mean, rejection mails should be the same so it should be easy to just automate them and send them right?

Guessing they are being super generous in Cali this year lol  ?

Sometimes I just want to accumulate the powers of our minds and use it to punch these brilliant advocates of what they think is the true virtue of administrative/managerial phronesis right into their zoomed faces; sometimes, the logic of budgeting/funding/etc gets me so angry 

Sometimes I just want to accumulate the powers of our minds and use it to punch these brilliant advocates of what they think is the true virtue of administrative/managerial phronesis right into their zoomed faces; sometimes, the logic of budgeting/funding/etc gets me so angry 

yes, this information came from me and broke my heart (and sometimes I dream that they had a change of mind and decided they are crazy about political theory so they need more new students) 

Sometimes I just want to accumulate the powers of our minds and use it to punch these brilliant advocates of what they think is the true virtue of administrative/managerial phronesis right into their zoomed faces; sometimes, the logic of budgeting/funding/etc gets me so angry