Lizzle

Congrats to everyone who got the WG! I was not one of the lucky few, but I'm happy with the feedback I received and am crossing my fingers for better luck next time

Yeah, so it looks like they started letting folks know last year on April 6th and the year before it was the 12th. I know these dates are pretty meaningless, except as general guidelines for the notification window, but the sooner the better - esp. for folks who have to resubmit! I think I might disable my internet for large chunks of time today...and hide my iphone...maybe I should just call it a day already go back to sleep Good luck, everyone!

Anyone else checking their email every 10 minutes for news from the WG folks? We should be getting close to notification time...

Is it poor form to use univerisity funds to fly out and visit if I've already accepted a school's offer? I accepted after already discussing my visit - the school offered to give me $500 for the trip - but now I'm worried I've made a major faux pas. What are everyone's thoughts?

As a MAPSS grad who was just admitted into my top-choice program with full funding, perhaps I can offer some insights. First, I'll start with the positives. MAPSS undoubtedly provided the opportunity to explore my academic interests in a graduate setting - completely different from undergraduate. While I thought I was focused on my research areas in college, I saw these change almost completely over the course of my year at U. of C. I learned what it *meant* to commit to graduate work and, frankly, had to take a few years to decide if it was the correct path for me. Most students who enroll in MAPSS start out 100% sure that they want to pursue a PhD, yet the vast majority change their minds by graduation. Given that most of my friends who went to PhD programs within a few years of college eventually left their programs (and these were top, committed students), this is an EXTREMELY important point. PhD work is not for many people - and that's fine! - and MAPSS does an excellent job of guiding students, as such. As for MAPSS students who decide to pursue PhD work, the Department is an unquestionable asset. This is the toughest year for admissions to date, and the majority of alumni applicants were admitted - with funding - to programs. The stats have been higher in the past. I'll admit that I doubted my decision to do MAPSS, due mainly to the costs involved (I received 1/3 tuition), but I'm now confident that I wouldn't be in the position I'm in now were it not for the program. Now, the negative side: I hated it. I came from a liberal arts background (at a top school) with VERY strong theoretical grounding, and resented the pretentious idea that no one but U of C grads could understand, say, Marx. Please. Also, the school struck me as very conservative. I'm in Anthropology and am interested in applied/activist work, which is not at all popular (or terribly respected) at U of C. I couldn't stand the neighborhood (Hyde Park), but was lucky enough to have lots of friends elsewhere in the city (not involved with the school). I came out with a few friends, but, frankly, found the program to be quite isolating socially. Could have just been my approach to it, though. In sum, I'd always questioned my decision to do MAPSS...until I got into my top choice school and thought things over a bit. I did learn a lot there, but at a price...but it got me a job (easy in Chicago with a U of C degree of any kind)...but I couldn't stand the school...yet some people love it! If anyone wants more specific info, feel free to send me a private message and I'll write more. Hope this helps!

Hey guys, As I mentioned, I'll be moving down to Austin with my significant other (a lawyer) late in the summer. I'm trying to get a feel of the job market down there (and, yes, I realize this is an unbelievably difficult/unfair time to assess employment opportunities anywhere). Does anyone have any insight? As I mentioned, he's a lawyer and will be looking for legal work down there after passing the TX bar. I don't want to drag him there if it will be impossible to get a job, so I'm hoping someone can give me a bit of perspective on the situation. Please let me know! Thanks, Liz

There's so much great info on this board- I love it! I, too, have some questions about housing in Austin. I'll be starting grad school there in the fall and will move down with my partner. He's not a student, so I'm hoping we can live in an area where I can still be close to UT without him feeling like he's drowning in student life. That means coffee shops, restaurants, and general "stuff" in the vicinity (I hope!). We've been in Chicago for years and are all about urban biking - how feasible is this in Austin? What neighborhoods would be better for it than others? We have a car, but mainly use it for groceries, road trips, and when we're feeling lazy, and are hoping to maintain that approach, if possible. Any suggestions for areas to check out would be great! Thanks guys

I have new faith in the system. Although I've been rejected by everyone in town (i.e., mainly programs that weren't the best match for me), I just got into my top choice and will most like be going. Same application, same everything - just a better fit, which the professor I spoke with talked about at length. I had absolutely lost faith and thought "well, if i didn't get into this growing list of other schools, no WAY will i get into my #1." Just goes to show that negative speculations are a total waste of time. Good luck everyone! p.s., I should probably mention my secret tactic: I put on my lucky socks the day I was notified. Didn't know for sure they were luck, just had a hunch...

Hey Peppermintgal, I'm right there with you! Best to try to be mellow and ride it out for the next 4-6 weeks and, if waitlists work out, crack open the champagne. In the mean time, my days revolve around trying not to think about things too much (I did that for a week and it was killing me!) and keeping my spirits up. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's going to come down to the school where I'm waitlisted, in part because the program seems to be my best fit. As such, gotta distract, distract, distract in the mean time Good luck!

I got my rejection email from Penn today. Not the most impressive rejection I've ever seen - like they can't give me more than three lines of text?? - but I suppose it was short and sweet. I'm not too upset, since it was definitely one of the schools I added for the sake of adding a few more to my list; it terms of match, it was iffy. Also, it was ridiculously difficult to get in - over 200 apps fr 6 spots! My hope is that acceptances/rejections will reflect fit more than anything. Sure, I've had friends get into (and go to) schools that weren't the best fit, but were the best rank. I'm hoping this will be a bit like when I applied to college (10 years ago...) and, ultimately, I got into the places that I felt were a good match for my needs and interests at the time - that is, into places were I would "succeed". So far, I've been rejected by two schools where that wasn't necessarily the case and waitlisted by one that is an excellent fit. Thinking out loud here, sorry... Anyway, these are my thoughts for this morning. Scintillating, no? Hope everyone's well or, at lease, persevering!

I'm right there with you guys - the first rejection is awful! I've had one rejection and one waitlist so far and, I have to say, the rejection sent me spiraling. I didn't even really want to go to the school, I guess I just wanted it as an option. It was sort of like getting dumped by someone I didn't even like - you know, I wanted to beat them to the punch and save some face So, yes, I totally freaked out, realized I had no Plan B, had way too many martinis, and by four days later I realized I had to pick myself back up and stop being such a drama queen. Rejection sucks, no? But, as my mom likes to say, pride is cheap and things have a way of working themselves out regardless. Chin up!

Hey, I, too, am doing to waitlist dance and wanted to put in my two cents. One of my M.A. profs recently reminded me that this is not a bad year to be waitlisted. Essentially, funding was cut so much this year that there has been a profound impact on admissions; this means that many people who would have been admitted in a typical year are now waitlisted or, in cases, rejected. In short, the dept. probably wants you, it just doesn't know if it can have you yet. Keep your spirits up, be patient, and try to look on the bright side: you're halfway in! Good luck

I'm also wrestling with this and have decided to go ahead and start applying for jobs. I'm not going full-force and don't feel comfortable networking my way into a position (don't want my friends to look bad if I DO get into school and have to bail on a job), but I've decided to get started. Realistically, it can take weeks to get a job - the applications, interview, follow-up, etc. - and you can usually stall the start date a few weeks if need be. I figure that, by the time the process is over, it'll be close enough to April 15th that I should know what my options are. Good luck!

Smo - thanks for the info. Can you believe UT just posts decisions on their web site, rather than contact students directly (letter, email, carrier pigeon, whatever)?? They haven't posted any info for my anthro application yet, but I imagine it's coming. As to your situation, i heart fieldwork, I think these are questions best suited for actual professors. Could you contact some of your past profs, perhaps? I know from my father, who is an academic, that they have etiquette rules up the wazoo, and at the very least a prof could give you some perspective on how common your situation is, the general protocol, etc. Some of my advisors warned me that these sort of antics would be more common this year and said, essentially, take take any (reasonable) offer one might get. That's a personal call, though, and I'm not sure I agree with it (or that you should follow their advice, either). Good luck, regardless, and congrats on having (at least) one acceptance in the bag!

Hey guys, Sorry to hear about the recent wave of rejections. Stay strong! I haven't gotten any news, so who knows what that means. I tend to assume that programs have forgotten about me... Quick question: what's the word on UT-Austin? I haven't heard anything, but there seem to be rumblings on the forum/results. Happy Monday, crew!