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This is what I heard as well when applying. I didn't receive ESRC funding (I didn't think I'd get in at all), but I was accepted to the MSc program I applied to. From what I understood from attending sessions is reaching out is welcome, but not mandatory. Especially, for MSc student applying for funding for an eventual PhD through the school. Also, @eastafricanhopeful I never reached out either, but your "dumb" thing was significantly less than my own where I repeatedly misspelled the name of the funding I was trying to apply for throughout my application (not surprised one bit I didn't get it). The horror when I realized. Ugh... ? My recommendations and research proposal probably saved my application.

It's best to be honest, BUT if this master's program is the school you want to go to then you can make that clear in your response as well. If you were to say that you were accepted somewhere with funding then they may not reject you, but you might end up waitlisted for funding. A simple yes may work against you, but also weigh your options and think about which direction you want to go if you were to receive an offer.

Is it true that they don't use a waitlist?

I'm assuming the same for USC, but I'm also trying to not completely assume I'm rejected until they tell me so. I did email Berkeley at the beginning of the month and they said they had no clue when decisions would be made. I don't know how that decision will go for me because one of the potential advisors I was wanting to work with isn't in the department anymore...

Did anyone apply to the DASA program at UCI? Or know anything about it? At this point, that seems to be my best bet for the time being to transition into a PhD program. (Or spend more time and money applying to other Master's programs that are still accepting applications). Is anyone else considering (or something similar) this pathway at the moment?

I'm coming right from undergrad (I graduated in December). A PhD is plan #1, a Master's is plan #2 with a PhD in a year or two, and plan 3 is plan 2 but substitute a Master's with working. It's intimidating for sure to to see so many qualified people that we're competing against for places in PhD programs, but I think that may (to a degree) be taken into account. There's nothing wrong with having more/less education or experience prior to entering a PhD program. One thing I heard a professor say is that grad programs don't want carbon copy students. If a program wanted us to have a Master's beforehand it would be required. There is something to be said about students who are coming out of undergrad that may be still attempting to solidify research interests and that does in part work in the favor of the programs.

Can anyone confirm a Duke acceptance? I'm pretty skeptical now of just about anything posted on the results board.

My mentor told me pretty much the exact same thing today when I was telling her all of my plans for when I don't get in (I was very upbeat about it), the jobs I am applying for, and the extra programs I can submit applications for because they have later deadlines. She pretty much said that in two weeks we could be having a completely different conversation because I very well may get in somewhere. Just because this cycle is strange doesn't mean inevitable I won't get in though at times it may feel that way. I just happened to apply to programs that send out decisions a bit later so it feels weird when so many have heard from schools and I haven't gotten a decision since my first one over two weeks ago. The Berkeley demography department is so incredibly cool. My mentor went there and the set up of their program is what really drew me to them. With the weirdness of this cycle quite literally anything could happen.

This past weekend USC sent out acceptances. I'm not sure what that means for those of us who haven't heard anything...It's probably best not to assume anything. What program at Berkeley did you apply to? I don't believe their sociology department was accepting applications this cycle.

Hello. I am. @SocAndStuff Can I ask who you received the rejection from (e.g. the coordinator, director, etc.) and what your subfields were?

I had an interview for a job last week, one today and two more later this week. Maybe I'll get lucky with a position. I chose Demography and Health & Medicine for my two tracks. Is the day you pay the app fee the same day it is submitted? If that's the case then I submitted it about 2 weeks before, but two of my recommendations came the day of the deadline. It would be nice if I did get a response, but I wasn't in contact with a professor there. It was the program that is one of my best fits so we'll see what happens.

Half of me wants to believe they're still possibly going to send acceptances, but I'm uncertain.

Well shoot. I wonder how many apps they had and acceptances USC sent out this year.

I emailed Michigan last week. The grad coordinator said decisions should be out the 3rd week of Feb (next week).

I actually had a moment of panic from UCI today when their financial aid office emailed me about my aid app, but "NOTE: This notification is intended to inform you of your financial aid application status only and does not imply acceptance for admission." I am in solidarity with everyone waiting in Limbo for notices. It's definitely not my definition of fun.