limeinthecoconut

I care to give people accurate information about my application process because they have given me accurate info. And I care enough to encourage others through this tough time as others have already cared for me. It is part of that maxim, "Do for others what you would expect them to do for you."

Lmao, true, yet unavoidable ... Eh, what can u do.... Excuse me while I refresh my email

Because rejected students are unimportant (to them)?

Talked to the MIT grad coordinator today. 1/4 of acceptances were sent fedex, 1/4 via telegraph, 1/4 via smoke signals, and 1/4 via horse-drawn carriage. delivery times may vary.

Curious- natofone, in my opinion, is correct. I decided to cast a very wide net to account for the "randomness factor" as he so correctly identifies, that is rampant throughout this process. Applying to six schools that are all "really great fits" isn't necessarily the wrong way to do it, but I myself wouldn't have wanted to put myself through all that stress. What if I didn't get into any of those six?

I know that some people here are really struggling with themselves becuase they didn't get in anywhere so far this season. Trust me when I say I very much feel for you and continue to keep all of you in my prayers that you will find what you're looking for. At the same time, however, it is never a wise decision to apply without a safety program (and no, Brown is NOT a safety program, despite its lower ranking) unless you'd truly only want to get a PhD from a top 15 or 20 program and would otherwise prefer to persue another career (which if someone honestly felt that way, I'd almost rather see them not get in anywhere because they'd be going into academia for all the wrong reasons in the first place!). I feel very blessed to have gotten in at UT-Austin and UC-Davis (along with schools like Rice and FSU, which aren't as high up on the USN rankings but nonetheless hold strong positions in some of the other rankings that Bobb-Cobb was nice enough to post earlier). I also feel fortunate to even be on the wait list at a power house like University of Rochester, which I never expected possible.

That said, I applied to schools like Georgia and U of Florida because I didn't know what was going to happen most everywhere else, as it really can be a game of complete randomness. Both these aforementioned programs are great fits for me, have some great professors, and are no doubt on the rise. Will I go there now that I have all the options that I do? Most likely, no. However, would I have been more to happy to go to one of those places were those my only options. Absolutely! Would I have had to humble myself in some ways going from a Vandy undergrad to Georgia, U of Florida, Oklahoma or SUNY-Albany? Of course! And it would have been tough at first, believe you me. But I feel that my calling in life is to teach political science, and I sensed that 2010 was the year for me to begin graduate school.

Anyhow, that's my two cents, and I'm sure it's not worth much more than that, but yeah, there's where I'm coming from in all of this.

Living with a million roomates, eating those gross noodles (a buck at the dollar store), taking a loan, getting a part time job, applying to every single award possible.
It's a tough life. I have to think a thousand times before I actually purchase an item of luxary or go out to a fancy place, and on top of everything, I buy tons of books every month, which doesn't help. But I have survived thus far, and so can you. If you have a partner, consider the family residence - it has a shady reputation, but dirt cheap. Or perhaps find a few roomates and get a place together, or maybe a basement apartment somewhere in the Annex. Go to as many talks / receptions as possible - free food. many get a part time job at the library or the nearest café. Just tighten the belt and you'll be fine. Toronto isn't cheap, but I bet it isn't as expensive to live as NYC or Boston.
Also - the department often has funding for research travel, conferences and for learning a language that isn't taught here, and there are also awards for international students.