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I just received an e-mail from MSU asking me for a phone interview this week! WOOT WOOT! Anyone else????

Me too! & not that I know of? I haven't seen anything posted in the results section yet either so my fingers are still crossed!

I applied to the comm program so I'm guessing the decisions are made from separate committees? Don't worry, though! Maybe that one acceptance was someone who's matriculating so he/she heard early?

The director told me the committee wasn't meeting until the end of February, and I've heard nothing yet either. I'm trying really hard not to lose hope! Did you apply to the Comm or the Media program?

Sorry to hear I contacted MSU last week and they said they'd be making decisions at the end of the month so it looks like it'll be a little while yet. Did you apply there, too?

I'm in the same boat as you. Cornell was my 2nd rejection & I only have 2 more to go sigh.

I had an interview 2 weeks ago and haven't heard anything since. I take it this is bad news being that they've been in contact with you since your interview?

First rejection came today and I'm feeling particularly pessimistic. Anyone else? Where did you get rejected? Can we please whine together? I think it will help. What do people say to you to comfort you? Does it drive you insane? If one more person tries to comfort me by telling me, "Everything happens for a reason," I swear...

So sorry to hear! I received a rejection from U Mich today, too. I'm beginning to think this whole optimism thing is IMPOSSIBLE. I wonder if there are really that many more applicants this season, like U Mich has said?

Congrats! I've applied to U Mich - Ann Arbor as well, and when I spoke with them in December they mentioned that they expected final decisions to go out at the end of January. I was starting to panic seeing as it's now February! If you wouldn't mind sharing any specifics with me, too, I'd REALLY appreciate it!

Don't lose hope yet, folks! Optimism is key here. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself. Meanwhile, is anyone else going INSANE waiting to hear something? The suspense is killing me.

Also, I'm in panic mode too. Perhaps I should get my unemployment application started?

I was the one who posted that I had an interview with Cornell last week! I know my GRE scores and GPA weren't stellar but I had some decent research experience since starting my MA program. I haven't heard anything from them since, but they said they expected to have decisions made by late next week. Also, I saw someone posted today that they got accepted. During the interview, Cornell told me they had 125 applicants, were doing 20 interviews and only accepting 2-3. So... good luck to all! It's a tight race!

I'm posting this in the Communication section specifically because I'd love to hear from people with similiar experience (or anxiety). Basically, the point of this post is because it's about 3 weeks before I begin my MA in comm studies with a teaching assistantship, and, well, my nervous moving jitters just turned into a full-blown anxiety. From what I've heard, PhD TAs are normally the only ones "teaching", while MAs are left to grade assignments & observe. Apparently my program is different. I will be TEACHING 3 sections ( THREE!! EEK!) of a basic freshmen intro to comm course twice a week... with a professor only leading an online portion of the class (and the professor will NOT be in the room with me until an evaluation period at the end of the semester). I know I will have support, but I am far from being an expert in my field, and being thrown into a room with 20 students who are all going to be bored to tears with my ramblings is terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. I don't think of myself as boring, and, um, I have a degree in communication, so if I'm boring, there's something wrong. I have absolutely no fear of public speaking, rather, my fear is that malleable student minds are hanging on my every word, or that they're bored to death, which translates into horrible evaluations, which translates into my assistantship being taken away, which translates into no funding! How on earth does one begin to manage being a student and a teacher at the same time? In prioritizing--which comes first? What do I say if someone asks me a question I don't know? What if my students know more than I do? What if I'm boring? I'm used to having above average grades-but with the added TA responsibility, what if my grades plummet? What if my students evaluate me poorly? What if, because of my low grades and my poor evaluations, I'm forced to drop out and repay my student loans immediately (with no job, of course), and have no other option but to live in a box in Northeast Ohio and freeze to death in a snowdrift? Please help. Those who have been down this road before--how did you cope, and what are some things you wish someone had told you before you began grad student life? Those who are approaching the same scenario as me-- are you freaking out too? It's not that I'm looking for a pep talk, I supposed I'm just wondering how on earth anyone who survives all this still has hair left they haven't yet pulled out.

I found a place right across the street from campus actually. I'm a little nervous about living near a lot of undergraduates, but I couldn't pass up this apartment:) Stow is a really cute town though! when do you move in?

I'll be there too! I'm going for my MA in media communication, did you guys find apartments yet?

Which school is your top pick? If you got accepted at the one you're waiting to hear from would you definitely go there? I'm kind of in the same boat right now, and the more I think about, I'm realizing even if I get in the school I'm waiting to hear from I'd probably still go to one I'm already accepted to. I think the main thing here is deciding what your decision would be if you got accepted to the one you're waiting on. If it depends on funding, then I'm not really sure what the protocol is for accepting and then declining (plus, you'll be out of the $ you sent in for the deposit). I would try to contact the school and ask them when they'll be sending out acceptance letters and tell them they're your top pick of schools but if you're not accepted you don't want to lose the chance at a program you're already accepted to. Unless they lack empathy, they should be understanding.

Thank you guys so much for your input. They're MA programs, and I would like to go into the industry for awhile and then return for my PhD later in life and eventually settle into academia. Do you think it's bad to just choose a school based on money? I know D.C. will have so many more networking opportunities but that $1300 rent is making me think twice. Is this just a plunge I have to take and deal with the $ situation later?

Please add you opinions! I have always felt American University is a better school--though I fear that opinion may be biased--yet I'm not sure I can survive in Washington D.C. with only a small stipend and loans. Which program do you think is better?? Thanks for your help!

Please help! I've been accepted to Kent State (OH) and American University (D.C) for my M.A. in public communication with an emphasis on media and I haven't the slightest clue how to decide where to go. I have full assistantships to both so my tuition is paid for to both. Both programs consist of three semesters & Kent has offered me $8,300 for approx. 20 hours of teaching assistance & AU has offered me $4,500 for approx. 15 hours of whatever assistantship I chose (TA, RA etc.). I have always thought of AU to be the better school, but I think my view may be biased, so PLEASE help! Do any of you know which program is better? My dream job would be working as a media strategist on politcial campaigns--so that's pulling me toward AU since it's in D.C.- but I'm not sure how I would afford Washington D.C. with only a $4500 stipend and the rest in loans. Plus, I dont really think I want to teach as a career, so being able to choose what type of assistantship I commit to is pretty tempting. However, Kent is a great school and the program allows me to tailor the degree to do what I want with it (I can pretty much decide what I want to emphasize on). As much as I wish it wasn't a factor, the money is also an issue-- is it bad to choose a program just because they've offered you a bigger stipend? I wouldn't have to worry about affording D.C. life, snce Kent is a small city. Please help! It's greatly appreciated!!