socialpsych

I would ask. Very likely they'll tell you to go ahead and buy it yourself (esp the plane ticket--maybe not hotel) but some schools like to book plane tickets for you through their own travel agents so you don't have to get reimbursed.

NO, thank goodness. But one of my colleagues was waitlisted at the school we work at. I'm really sorry.

I assume you are planning to apply next cycle. Write them emails in the fall. Introduce yourself, describe your research interests, say what work of theirs you are particularly interested in or what interests you share with them, and ask whether they are taking on grad students next year. I didn't do this myself this year but I wish I had. I think the "are you taking on advisees" question is a good way to start b/c it's not demanding much of their time/interest, but at the same time, if they're willing to talk more, they have an opportunity to offer. If they do say they are willing to talk more, say you have seen their recent publications but are wondering what they've been working on more recently, or something like that. To address your worry about sounding strategic/disingenuous: I would hope that you'd actually be sincerely interested in the work your potential advisors are doing. If you can't manage to be interested even during a half-hour phone conversation, perhaps you had better not apply to work with those people. Just keep asking intelligent questions and your sincere interest should come through; otherwise, yes, you probably will sound disingenuous, and, yes, I'd imagine that will hurt you.

From what I have heard, UC Davis sends out that email in all fields, anytime it's about to post a decision online. I wouldn't read anything into it whatsoever. Also, the promise to notify by April 15th doesn't mean anything, either. All the programs are supposed to notify by the 15th but most notify sooner. They were probably just trying to be vague and avoid giving you details.

Consider that scenarios like the following happen all the time: School X accepts Student A and waitlists/rejects Student B; School Y accepts Student B and waitlists/rejects Student A. If B got in off the waitlist at School X, it wouldn't make any sense to worry that she might be less qualified even just based on offers of admission, because another school actually preferred B to A! The point is that schools don't make decisions by constructing a ranking of applicants that all schools would agree upon. Fit makes a difference, as do random irrelevant factors that have nothing to do with level of qualification.

I don't think I have IS. I've been preparing for my program of study for a long time and I have lots of reasons to think I'm prepared. That said, I am still feeling anxious. Getting a PhD is scary even for the prepared. Now that I've officially committed to my program, I'm starting to realize how much work is ahead of me! :shock:

Of course it is good enough. The advice about not having more than one offer in hand at a time just doesn't fit with the way real humans make decisions! Especially if you haven't visited schools yet--and I wouldn't make any big decisions before you visit--you have every right to take your sweet time. I'm sure that those who are hoping that early decisions will release spots would want to take their time and make a careful decision, too, if they were in your shoes. Of course, do the responsible thing and let go of those other offers once you've made up your mind and you're feeling good about doing so, but not a moment before.

It happens, but not often. I was never notified on a weekend, but a friend of mine just got a phone call today from a program where she interviewed this week!

Just bumping this thread! Officially going to Stanford next year...anyone else?!

You know, Dr. A, it's more mixed than I'd expected. On one hand, yes, it feels FANTASTIC to have closure. On the other hand...well first of all, there's a sense of loss about some of the great schools I've turned down...and also, it's sinking in that my next job is to get a PhD! :shock:

Okay...I'm done! I'm headed to Stanford next year for micro organizational behavior!

Really? I don't think that's true at all. Redwood City and Menlo Park (just north of PA) can be quite reasonable. At any rate, even if that is true, I don't think there is anything wrong with those cities per se, so if you do find a nice and inexpensive place, I don't see any reason to avoid moving there!

The only thing I can think of is maybe you came off as unenthusiastic. Programs like to take people who are signaling strong interest in coming if admitted. This might be a situation where it would be appropriate to ask, especially at the two schools that have contacted you and rejected you. Since they interviewed you, they have invested a lot of time and resources into you already, and they know you a bit better than if you hadn't interviewed, so they may be willing to tell you honestly why they rejected you. There is another thread somewhere about asking schools why you were rejected...

I think they had an admit or interview day last Friday. I am not 100% sure though; something happened last Friday that a prof referred to as "neurosci admissions", that's all I know. Guess it could have been a meeting, too.

I'd say don't bring him.

I guess I could understand it if you've had extensive contact with people in the program or interviewed there. In slightly unusual circumstances, I called a school to withdraw my application. I guess it's kind of the same thing, except backwards, if a school calls to reject you? That said, I have never actually heard of anything like that happening. Do let us know what was said.

I don't think anyone at any of the visits I've been to brought friends, significant other, or family to official visit events. I can totally understand why you would bring them so they can check out the city and help you make a decision about that aspect; but it would probably be a bad idea to bring them to official events, both because it is likely to be awkward for them, and because I don't think the schools usually expect or want anyone to come aside from applicants/admits who were specifically invited!

Glad to see most of the cat people here have 2 or more! Nice for them to have some feline company...

Also, grad09, I too transferred to my current school, and I too will be working with a new group of faculty. I think both those things help. And there is a lot of value to being somewhere where you already know the norms and can hit the ground running as soon as you start the program. I don't know what people think of this in history in particular, but I am in org behavior, and everyone (even at other schools) expects me to stay where I am.

I'm staying. My dream program happens to be at my undergrad school. I visited my second choice school, fell in love with that one too, and may look into spending a quarter there as a visiting student--that way I'll be able to make some new connections. But I need to go to the best program for me, which is my undergrad school, hands down.

Congratulations Boz!! I wouldn't worry about what the profs will think. You can always say something like, "Yours is the only program I am seriously considering at this point." I should think they would be delighted!

Go for A and never look back. The fact that you didn't feel great at B says at least as much as any other factors you're considering. If you're just not feeling it, don't go there.

Poofypoof, I'm a Stanford undergrad and I'll tell you (and everybody) that you can trust whatever drpsych says about Stanford! S/he is legit. (: I don't know how things work in cognitive, but in personality they definitely conducted interviews a couple weeks ago. I was in the building the day they were interviewing, and I chatted with both a prof and one of the interviewees about it.

Sorry to say, they decided really early on. I got an offer about 2 months ago. I declined, but I heard they are not accepting off the waitlist. How annoying that they have not told you anything yet! Maybe they have had multiple people decline and are still trying to figure out what to do?

Really? I do feel a little guilty copy/pasting, but sometimes I sincerely want to thank multiple people for the same thing. I have gotten very warm responses from pretty generic notes. I don't think it hurts to send a generic thank-you...because really the point is to thank people! No?