snes

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

In my day (2012 Fall), Columbia accepted some musicology/theory folks without interviews and rejected at least one person who was invited to interview. That person was me. I'm not bitter. Nope.

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

That is all.

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

Congratulations! I'm in my second year at UChicago (primarily theory) and I'm very happy with my choice. PM me if you'd like...otherwise, see you on visit day?

"Do you think that acceptance to Blarvard U on the results survey is fake??"

"Not any school gives any indication of any date when any applicant would hear any sort of news. That's why I stalk GradCafe."

"I just reread my SoP and I hate myself now."

"I am an imposter, so I don't want an interview lest my POIs find that out."

"I love mondays!"

"My POI at Blarvard U has a twitter and he tweeted about the weather being bad but I can't help thinking that he's talking about applications. :/"

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

"Do you think that acceptance to Blarvard U on the results survey is fake??"

"Not any school gives any indication of any date when any applicant would hear any sort of news. That's why I stalk GradCafe."

"I just reread my SoP and I hate myself now."

"I am an imposter, so I don't want an interview lest my POIs find that out."

"I love mondays!"

"My POI at Blarvard U has a twitter and he tweeted about the weather being bad but I can't help thinking that he's talking about applications. :/"

"Do you think that acceptance to Blarvard U on the results survey is fake??"

"Not any school gives any indication of any date when any applicant would hear any sort of news. That's why I stalk GradCafe."

"I just reread my SoP and I hate myself now."

"I am an imposter, so I don't want an interview lest my POIs find that out."

"I love mondays!"

"My POI at Blarvard U has a twitter and he tweeted about the weather being bad but I can't help thinking that he's talking about applications. :/"

Submit your strongest papers, whatever the topics happen to be.  

I ate shit on the GRE, by the way.

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

I'm just here to say that I love when the second item in an alpha list turns into

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

1. "You spent all day on your applications? You're still not finished?"

2. "And what are you going to do when you're done?" (absolutely no one cares about what I'll do when I'm there)

3. "But are there any things you could do with that in the world?" <--this person would not listen to me until I started talking about music therapy, which is luckily a genuine interest of mine, albeit still on the research side of things.

4. "Oh, you got accepted to [unfunded master's at a name brand school]? WOW CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" vs. "Oh, you got accepted to [a top-ranked doctoral program with full funding for five years but much less local name recognition]? That's nice!"

I think it's wise to delegate TA grading to hours of the day where you are not cutting into your best productivity times. That has been late afternoon 3-5pm for me (when I am least productive that is). Save your best hours of the day for more difficult tasks such as writing papers and preparing presentations.