IslandBoy

To the posters who inquired about MIT, I concur entirely with IRHopeful's earlier message. I was 0-for-4 in this funny lottery game until I got the call with good news from MIT's department the other day (five-year funding package--very exciting). I had strong numbers (PM if you really want to know), terrific rec letters, etc., but I had no luck with the other schools (though I am still waiting to hear back from a few) . . . Basically, I think, it all comes down to departmental fit, and whether professors feel they can accommodate your research interests. This was particularly vindicating because I was rejected there--and everywhere else, in fact--four years ago (a humbling 0-for-7). So for those of you who are feeling down about this year's cycle, keep the faith and never give up. I spent those four interim years earning a relevant Masters degree, publishing extensively, and developing a solid expertise in my subject area. I recognize it's a rather circuitous route, and not for everyone, but it has certainly paid off, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. By the way, I believe MIT accepted ~30 people this year, and they have called all those to whom they were offering the full funding package (largely to get a sense of whether or not they would attend). From what my advisor/contact told me, they are already getting a much higher yield than last year, when 9 people accepted their offer.

So, it seems like a wave of Berkeley rejects have gone out in addition to that first round of admits. If we haven't heard anything, should we expect the worst, or is there still hope? Does Berkeley do a waitlist?

Well, you and I can commiserate . . . 0 for 2 (UCSD, Berkeley) so far and expecting the worst! What does it take to get into PhD programs these days, anyway? Let's hope this curse doesn't continue too much longer. Big congrats to all the admits though. You guys rock. EDIT: Might another wave of admits be possible at Berkeley, or do you all think they're done?

From the other posts about UCSD, I guess that means a ding for me! Ouch, not a great way to start the season, as it was among my target schools . . . Was there any word on how many applied/were accepted? For the admits, care to share fields and backgrounds? Big congrats to you all (OK, so I am a bit envious)!

Time to come out of the woodwork ... I'm a (re)applicant this cycle who's been reading these boards voraciously--like most of you, in nervous anticipation of those notification e-mails and packages! My guess (not going on any actionable intel or anything, just pure intuition) is that Berkeley will let us know by Friday. But I suspect some of the other schools to which I've applied will be sending their letters later this year than last. The wait for that first acceptance is killing me ... I can't stop checking my e-mail! Just FYI, I'm one of the many folks here who's giving my doctoral ambitions one last go this year. I applied four years ago to seven PhD programs and was dinged everywhere--a shock at the time (I had terrific numbers and a strong CV; the stats haven't changed) but not so much in retrospect, as my personal statement was way off the mark. I got a Masters degree instead, plus a couple years of substantive work experience as a researcher, and now I'm back as an older, and hopefully much wiser, applicant. Not expecting to win them all this year, but I'll be happy if I can gain admission to at least 2 of the 6. Good luck to all; it sounds like people on this board have already been beating the odds.