NadaJ

This is what gets me too. It's been such a long process. I feel drained.

No success story here either, just waiting. I have a job interview tomorrow, so that helps me have something to look forward to.

Wait until the 15th. You're almost there.

I wish I could offer some helpful advice. I was wait listed in late February for the one PhD program I applied to. Both the current and past DGS in the dept I work in (different field than what I am studying) suggested I send one follow-up email saying that I'm interested in remaining on the wait list, and I look forward to receiving their decision regarding my application in April. I used up this "one pass" last week, and here I am, a week later still waiting. I think at this point, we just have to wait. If you have top wait through the summer, maybe once a month? In any case, good luck! I hope your waiting is too much longer.

I am 30 and I applied to one school. I am on the waiting list for the PhD, and accepted with nearly full tuition and an RAship for an MA (I am finishing an M.Ed in another field). The school is out of state and we (i.e., my husband) cannot leave unless I am accepted into the PhD program. I am looking for jobs in the field I want to go in, but where I live work is very limited w/o the degree, and I don't want to practice, I want to do research. I am trying to get excited about this plan B, but I'm disheartened.

This is the true meaning of March Madness...

Just wanted to say I had a dream I was accepted to UPenn and I really liked it. I didn't even apply to UPenn this cycle, so maybe this is a sign I should for next year. In any case, GL to all of you!

So, did you reject the school that didn't offer you funding and you now you feel bad? LOL, I'm sorry, maybe my cynical 30 year old self is showing, but do not feel bad! Like wtncffts said, it's not personal, it's an institution, and they will be able to carry on without you. Go where you like, be civil and kind, and keep it moving.

I believe the April 15th deadline is in regards to accepting funding, and if the school is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools. Check out this link: http://www.cgsnet.org/?tabid=201

From my own experience and reading others experiences on this board, one cannot solely rely on a POI/DGS/etc., until you have an acceptance in writing. Your experience sounds very positive, but unless one person is in charge of admissions, there is an entire committee that must be consulted regarding admissions. So, I would have to say no, this does not sound like an unofficial acceptance; you had a great experience with a POI, and I wish you luck in your application!

I've been thinking about this over the weekend. I am a "waitlister". I only applied to one school/program because of the very small niche of my area of interest. I thought I would accept right away if I were offered a spot in the PhD program, but I don't think I would. It really is a lot to consider--picking up and moving my family, being a full time student, living as a poor student...so, even if I were to be accepted, even now, I would have to really mull it over, and I only applied to one program. So, while I am sitting here, waiting to hear back if I am off the wait list, I totally understand those with offers now. Unfortunately, this is the way the game is set up, and us wait listers just need to...well...wait.

Have you taken a look at The Chronicle of Higher Education's Facts and Figures?

Your offer letter should list the name and contact information for the department administrator or someone that can answer your questions about funding. As someone that has crafted multi-year funding letters, it can be hard for us to make the information clear, and we encourage you to contact us so that you understand your funding.

Congratulations Pumpkinpie88! That's wonderful news! I am still waiting to hear back about the wait list, but it looks promising that if I don't get accepted to the PhD, I will accept SSA's MA offer. My husband is scared to death of moving (finding a job, what to do with our house in this market). I have had a great experience with the School of Social Work here at the U of MN, but there are so many opportunities in Chicago for someone with my mix of education and experiences, than here in Minnesota.

I work in a dept of communication disorders, and let me just say, admissions is competitive. Ultra-competitive. There were only a handful of students w/o a 3.5, and they were likely rejected. Candidates on the wait list have only a slightly lower GPA than those accepted (as in to the tenth decimal place less). Something interesting to note is that the programs ranked very high in the field, received fewer applicants, so many people who were rejected from our program were accepted to higher ranked programs. SOPs are important, and if someone writes about a grandparent with tinnitus, a sibling with autism, those are a dime a dozen. Make your SOP interesting. Unfortunately, GPA and GRE scores are the qualifying factor, and the SOP separates you from the crowd. I hope this helps. Basically, it's a very competitive field. I didn't know so many students had such high GPAs (3.8+) in undergrad until I came to this department.

I have a black macbook that I bought in 2006, and I'm still using it. My husband is a PC person through and through and his main argument that they are overpriced is squashed now that I have had my macbook going on 5 years. I have upgraded to snow leopard (the newest operating system--I think I was using Tiger before), and I have 2GB of RAM. I have the latest Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Pro. It runs fast and has never crashed. I will probably have this laptop another 2-3 years. At work, I have upgraded to an iMac, 21" screen and I can never go back to a PC at this point. I love my iMac even more than my macbook (my baby), and if I ever get accepted to a PhD program, I will have to buy an iMac for home, I love it that much.

ITA, MadameNon. It's like a game of musical chairs. I spoke with someone in admissions today to ask about the details of their "top awarded" MA offer. I am so infatuated with their program, I don't feel quite so bad about being on the wait list now. Fortunately, the wait list is not ranked, so there's still hope. I also keep wondering if they offered me the MA as a test...to make sure I'm either serious about the program, or a way to pacify me. Conspiracy theories abound!

I am contemplating accepting the MA if I do not get off the wait list for the PhD. It will be hard to pass up UChicago and the generous aid they have given, but I might just have to. GL to everyone else waiting.

I'm glad you thought the article was interesting. I do not attend UPenn; actually, I am finishing my M.Ed in HRD at the U of MN. But last summer, I was heavily researching social work programs, and discovered Roberta Iversen who researches the effectiveness of workforce development programs and she is at UPenn. I also didn't realize the diversity of social work until I started looking at the research opportunities in the field. I am not interested in direct practice or clinical SW, but a social work degree can allow me to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of social policies and programs, with the main priority of helping marginalized populations as opposed to political or economic gains.

Anyone else having the wait list blues? I am trying to stay positive. I have only applied to one program, so I feel very fortunate to have made it this far. They have offered me full funding for the MA (I am coming from a separate field), and gave me an extension to decide on the MA until April 15th. I have never wished for a month to go by as fast as I have now. I've already emailed about wait list ranking, but have not received a response, so I am leaving it alone. I've also already contacted my POI and her response to my wait list was positive. All I have left is just...wait...