patientagony

In the nanoseconds between reading the words "english" and "education" I almost had a heart attack.

It's weird that they mentioned a discipline you weren't connected to, but yeah, it was probably the funding issue that sealed the deal. It sucks that something so important is basically out of your hands, but that's grad school apps for you.

I'm curious, did you contact your POI, or did he contact you? In any case, it's important to know how your app could have been better, so at least something helpful came out of that rejection. I hope you have better luck elsewhere!

You applied two weeks after the deadline and they still took your application? What sort of magic trick do you have up your sleeve?

Thanks! I don't think all of the acceptances have gone out. I think they notified me early because of a fellowship nomination. All hope is not lost for you!

Honestly, I'm really surprised. It was crushing to be rejected from every school the first time around. I didn't apply last year because I was still feeling the rejection, so I waited two years between application cycles. I think the reasons this time is going better is that the first time I did it senior year of college, which was just too much stress. I wasn't ready, I didn't have enough time and I had this idea that unless I got into one of the top ranked schools I was never going to get a job, so I might as well just apply to the insane places no one gets into. This strategy did NOT work and I don't suggest it. This time I've toned down my expectations, spent more time on the personal statement and just tried to generally chill the fuck out over the whole process.

Oh, thanks for pointing that out! That was the automatic signature from when I applied the first time around and I forgot to change it since I haven't been active on here in quite some time. Thanks for pointing that out. I hope I didn't scare anyone into thinking that Yale was already replying. I've fixed it now.

Thanks bluecheese! I've been reading this thread for the last week, but until now I haven't had anything to say that wasn't related to my anxiety. Reading about everyone else's is strangely comforting.

Hi, I'm the Indiana admit from the results board, so yes, I can confirm they've started sending out acceptances. I missed their phone call, and I didn't get very many details from the voicemail, but I'll update the thread as soon as I speak with them. Good luck!

I think that one of the worst things about this process is the unwarranted optimism from family and friends who have no idea how difficult it is to get into a Ph.D program and keep trying to reassure you that "you'll get in somewhere!" NO! You can't say that when you have no clue what the process is like and how impossible it is to get into some of these schools.