LadyL

I have an informal phone interview with a professor at Tufts tomorrow. I was the one to initiate it, but they've seen my app. by now and haven't canceled it, so I take that as a reasonably good sign! I am reapplying after being wait listed for Fall 2007.

Hey neuroguy, what department at Brown did you apply to? I.e. Brain Science, Neuroscience, BioMed, Psychology...?

I was rejected off the waitlist at a school. The letter said that they accepted 4% of their applicant pool that year. That made me feel a bit better, because just to get on the waitlist was an accomplishment considering I was applying straight out of undergrad.

I guess I'm surprised that marital status would make a difference in terms of departmental aid, because the school is funding *you,* not your spouse. And if your spouse is, say, a millionaire, wouldn't that decrease your chances of getting aid? What are the "obvious reasons" you're referring to? It seems counter intuitive to me. If you're talking about federal loans...again, higher income = less aid, right? I'm not really sure how marriage affects funding so I could totally be talking out of my butt here.

This is my second round of applications. Last time I got on 2 waitlists out of 7 schools I applied to. I've done what I can to improve my app. - the only thing that I haven't done yet is get on pubs due to some administrative issues with the study I work on that led to delays in recruiting. We're drafting several now, just not in time for my apps. I do have some posters including a first author poster in review. I would apply a third time but I am not sure what else I can do to strengthen my app. at this point. I guess get more pubs. I could retake the GREs, but I really loathed that process, and mine aren't bad, just average. So the real conundrum is, if I don't get in this time, what are my options for becoming a stronger applicant next round? I feel like I'm as ready as I'll ever be skill wise (I am doing the same level of data analysis as the post docs in our lab). In a way I feel like it would be a shame if I got passed up. Last time I was sort of marginally qualified and really enthusiastic - now I am fully qualified, more focused, and even more motivated. But it's out of my hands anyhow .

I really have to agree. If you're at the point of reminding her *twice a day for a week* it's time to ask someone else for a letter. The fact that she was totally hands off on your thesis should have been a tip off that she might not be the most reliable person to write your letter. What's done is done, we all make mistakes, but at some point you have to admit the mistake and head to plan B. But if plan B is having your *mom* bail you out, well frankly I find that a bit concerning. Good luck either way.

MIT's BCS program sent out all their interview invites already according to the results page. The departmental email had specified that they would only send out invites, not rejections, at this stage. So presumably everyone who didn't get an invite is either rejected or potentially wait listed. Last time I applied, interview dates came and went for all my programs (with me attending one), but a day after my birthday in March I got a wait list email for a school I'd assumed rejected me. So there's probably still hope for everyone who doesn't get an interview.

I had the exact same situation - professor agreed to meet with me but was out of the country. Told me to email him on X day to follow up. I did so, no response. After much debate I decided to send another follow up email a week later just to show that I was really interested. In reply I got this email: Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I've been traveling and so am just now catching up on e-mail. At this point, we are actively evaluating graduate applications and making our decisions about which students to invite for an interview. If you application is selected in this process, we will have ample opportunity to meet at that point. So, why don't we wait until the department has made its final decisions about who to invite. Hopefully, we will know more very shortly. So yeah, I took this as neutral - maybe he already expects to meet me at interview weekend, maybe he thought my app. sucked and doesn't want to waste his time, maybe he's just too busy to schedule extra meetings. I think at this point our fate is in the hands of the ad. comms, whether we like it or not.

I'm in the same boat. Applied to 5 programs, the most competitive one had the first deadline, and it looks like interview invites are out and I didn't get one. I 98% expected this but it still is not the ideal way to start the process! Here's hoping for good news to counterbalance it soon .

I would say the only thing it *might* be safe to assume is you made the first, bare minimum cut. If let's say your app. was incomplete or just really unimpressive, they hopefully wouldn't be so cruel as to still set you up with an itinerary and encourage you to fly there to visit. I would hope that you're at least in the top 60% of the applicant pool, ideally higher, if they're facilitating a visit like that. It sounds like based on your other credentials you have a good shot though - good luck!

So I was rereading the emails I got from all the departments I applied to (because what else do you do when anxiously waiting to hear back from schools). I realized that all the schools I've applied to have been really decent about communication - i.e confirming materials were received, answering questions - except one. This school nearly gave me a heart attack because some time between October (when I did my research on program deadlines) and January they *moved up* their deadline. By two weeks. Thankfully they decided to still accept apps. until the original deadline (probably because of the panicked phone calls of people like me). Then, I wasn't able to fill out an online app. because I'd applied previously. It wouldn't let me create a new application, OR a new web account. I called the department and they said to contact IT. I did and never heard back from them. So I mailed in a paper application, which I confirmed was delivered. I emailed to see if they got my transcripts, LORs, etc. and never heard back. I should probably call and follow up again, but I'm really not motivated to considering their track record. Incidentally a friend of mine is attending the same grad school but a different program, and when I mentioned these frustrations her advice was to go somewhere else if I could because it's so bureaucratic! Anyone else let down by a school after applying? It stinks to put all that work into an app. only for the school to seem less and less appealing! I know all schools have their bureaucratic elements but this one is taking the cake. Am I writing them off way too soon?

Ok, so it was just a teaser then. That's ok . I will follow up with the professor on Monday.

All my applications are in and now I am waiting/obsessing. So I need feedback on my latest point of obsession. I applied to my top choice school 2 years ago and was rejected (but wait listed at two other respectable schools). I've reapplied with a much stronger app. this time around (much more research experience, which was the major weakness of my app. before). I got that experience in a lab affiliated with Top Choice working under two faculty members, who wrote a letter of recommendation for me. So I think my chances are a bit better this time around. Anyhow, last time I applied, the only communication I had with the school was the automated application confirmation and a rejection letter. This time around, I've corresponded with the faculty member I'd like to work with, who has been fairly receptive. He agreed to meet with me and told me to send him times I'm available. I did so last Friday and haven't heard back from him, but he just got back from traveling internationally, so I just figured he was busy. Then yesterday I got an email directly from the admissions committee. It said: "Thank you for applying for admission to Top Choice Graduate School. We are reviewing applications and will soon prepare decision letters. Offers of admission will be sent via postal mail. Responses to offers of admission must be postmarked no later than April 15, 2009. If you applied to multiple programs, you will receive a decision for each program. Please note that you can only matriculate into one program. If you accept an offer, any and all remaining offers are withdrawn. With best wishes, Dean ___ and the Admissions Staff Graduate School" I definitely didn't get an email like this from them last time, and in fact haven't gotten a similar email from any of the schools I've applied to this time around OR last time. Since the email is so geared around how acceptances work, I take this to be a good sign, yes? Or am I reading way too much into things? Also, now I'm wondering if the faculty member didn't get back to me because A. he already knows I'm being accepted/getting an interview, B. he knows I've been rejected and doesn't want to waste his time, C. he is just busy like I thought. Should I follow up with him anyway, if only so that I look interested? I just don't want to seem pushy. I really wish schools wouldn't send out such vague, teaser emails that give me (potentially false) hope.