kbirch

I just got my email from Boston College. Waitlisted! They say it's a short waitlist because they can only accept a few people at a time and that there's a high chance I'll be admitted. They give all their accepted students an 18K first year TAship and say basically everyone gets fully funded for 5 years. They're having a recruitment weekdays - March 12-14. AHHHHH My day just got infinitely more wonderful! I know it's not for sure and I may still not be accepted, but after being rejected from everywhere (including Boston) last year, this is a huge step in the right direction. Good luck to all!

I tried calling but didn't get through. Frustrating! I can't tell if they just haven't gotten through all the applications yet, or if we're off the list. *Fingers crossed!*

I haven't heard anything from anywhere so I'm getting way too excited about an email I got today. I need someone to either bring me back to Earth or celebrate with me - haha. I had emailed profs back in the fall, and I just heard from one of my POIs at Michigan State (who hadn't emailed me back initially) that she was going through her emails and was sorry she hadn't written me back. She said she saw my application and thinks MSU would be a very good fit for me. Is it wrong to think that she wouldn't have emailed me that after I was already put into the "rejection" pile? Am I just crazily overanalyzing or am Ipotentially correct in thinking if she said that it's a good sign (in addition to overanalyzing)? Also did anyone else apply to MSU?

@felicidad, What do you teach? I used to teach 5th grade and Valentine's Day was great, but now I teach middle school... Valentine's Day is now just an excuse to flirt, not pay attention and basically treat the whole day as a party.

Am I the only one who hasn't heard anything?? Granted, a lot of my schools had later deadlines but... but... but... Frustration!!!

One caution on this: I applied to a lot of smaller schools, thinking I'd fit better there and had a better shot at getting in... They accept such small cohorts that I don't know if they'll even be easier to get into. I mean, obviously easier than the top 10 schools, but I think percentage-wise, they're still really tough. Here's hoping, though!

I did, sleepycat! My app wasn't that strong there, though.. I may have discovered a grammar error or two. : / Whoooops.

Impressive list!

Chocolate makes me VERY happy. Also, babies. I teach middle school, so I get shrugged shoulders, backtalk and rolled eyes all day. There's nothing like a little baby to smile and giggle and act impressed by anything I do/say.

@MoreCoffee, I'm considering calling to find out if they're done making decisions... It's so hard to tell if there just aren't many people who posted on here, or if they're not done yet. The anticipation is killing me, though!!

I completely agree with sciencegirl on fit... I feel like I fit with so many programs, because it's hard to find a school that doesn't have immigration and gender people. I think fit can be more broad than having exactly the same opinions and ideas. However, I haven't gotten in anywhere yet, so soon I'll see if that's a naive belief.

I haven't heard anything from anywhere I applied! Ahhhh.

@Socialgroovements, I think part of why there are so many "social movements" people is that some categories weren't included. For myself, I checked the "Social Movements" box, but that was mainly because I'm most interested in critical & public sociology. I think your dibs are definitely solidly in place! : )

Thanks, jenjenjen! That makes me hopeful for some success... I haven't heard anything yet, but most of my schools don't seem to be done letting people know / haven't started letting people know yet. *Fingers crossed!*

@Slumgullion, that's really similar to the email I sent out, too. I heard back from a few people, but didn't get much of a conversation going. Did you get more extensive than that? Also, the ASA is a great idea. I went to the PSA when I was an undergrad but didn't think to meet people. Maybe that'll be my next step... Thanks!

For people who are getting into schools right now, what was your communication like with your POIs? I emailed mine brief messages but our communication didn't get into too much detail... It seems like a lot of people on here know theirs really well. Is that true for you? And how do you get that kinda conversation started? I ask for my "Plan C" - applying next year for the THIRD time. *sigh*

I second this... Please! BC is a top choice for me.

I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a cheesy romantic, but I completely agree. My boyfriend and I decided on my list of schools together, which meant compromising on both of our ends. Granted, he's a teacher, so he's got flexibility in terms of finding a job, and my research interests are met at a LOT of schools, so I'm not too pinpointed, but I feel like you can definitely have both love and grad school. Plus I would never have gotten through the application process without him... It's helpful to have a voice of reason when you're in the middle of a freak-out.

At the same time, though, this process is almost maddeningly random. People can definitely be rejected from lower-ranked schools (hah - like UT-Austin could ever be considered a low ranked school!) and accepted to higher ones. The thing that's making me tear my hair out is that there are all these extraneous factors... Obviously, a 4.0 will be more helpful than a 2.5 but I feel like our stats can be so similar but if we're not exactly what a school is looking for, we're out. And that may or may not happen with every school you apply to. !!@#@)(*) Ahhhh.

Wouldn't this be a natural consequence, though? As researchers, we're shaped by our experiences... That means that our research - methods, interests, writing - will be shaped by who we are, where we come from, our own contexts. I guess I agree that adcoms are probably uninterested in our pasts unless we can connect them to our futures, but I find it kind of silly to expect that anyone would be unable to make these connections.

Correlation does not prove causation.

I applied there, but my diversity statement was not at its best, so I'm not expecting an acceptance. I bet there are still more letters going out, though.

Can I come?

Yes. :-(

I totally agree, Supernova! This article also made me feel down. Blech - I'm not ready to think about the fact that I might not get a job, on top of worrying about even getting in!