Ameonna

Don't panic! He may be busy with something, or be out of town for a couple of days, or some other perfectly reasonable explanation. As for my situation, I was ultimately invited to visit campus for an interview so that we could talk in person, and I was accepted soon after that. The in-person interview was actually a really wonderful experience! I can't say for certain if that is what's planned for you, but it is a very real possibility. :EDIT: It's probably also worth mentioning that I was given a phone interview before the in-person interview, as well; that's what started the whole correspondence, which is another reason why this sounds so similar...

Keep reading, and keep responding! This is actually a really important part of the process; look at it as an awesome opportunity to get thoroughly acquainted with the research interests of someone whom you may be working with for 5+ years, and to judge whether or not this type of research is something you could see yourself devoting time and energy to. If anything, I would take it as the POI being excited to work with you and wanting to share his research with you. Definitely a good thing! One thing I'll say is you may be pressuring yourself too hard to respond IMMEDIATELY; obviously, you don't want to sit on the articles forever, but I'm sure this professor won't mind if it takes you a couple of days to process the information. I actually went through a similar process, and while I felt that same pressure to respond ASAP, I gave myself the amount of time I needed to respond comfortably and meaningfully, which really helped, I think.

That rule only applies to schools that provide funding in their offer, and I think the schools that signed that agreement are exclusively American: http://www.cgsnet.org/portals/0/pdf/CGS_Resolution.pdf This is the rule in writing. To the OP, I would definitely send a polite e-mail requesting to hear about your status. Mentioning the acceptance is probably fine, especially since it has given you this 30 day deadline and you want to be able to consider these programs and their offers before making a decision. As long as you make that concept clear, I'd like to think that they would understand.

Interview day for all UNC - Chapel Hill psychology applicants is next week (the 17th)... I'm assuming I'm not invited. Would certainly be last minute if I was!!

I suppose the possibility exists, but I would think it rather odd, especially since it seems like, more often than not, schools invite more people than they intend to accept (a notion supported by http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=2184.) It IS true that not all schools require interviews, but those with specific visitation/interview days, I've found, tend to use interviews as a required step in the process. That said, all of this comes from my experience and that of my friends/professors in psychology programs in the US. Not sure about other disciplines/countries and their way of doing things.

From my own experience with the process in the psychological sciences, I suggest taking note of visitation/interview days if your desired universities happen to have them. If that day has already passed, and you are not invited, assume rejection.

I kept my promise. It was the most delicious cupcake I have ever eaten.

I'm not an international student, but one of my recommenders was contacted the day after an interview at one of my top choices. From the sound of it, they just wanted to get more information from the recommender about the research I had done at my university. I was recommended for admission soon after that. Now I just have to wait for the director to approve my recommendation... *Crosses fingers* Anyway, my point is not to worry, and that if it's anything like the experience I had, the contact was probably made because they are strongly considering your application and just would like to get more information before they make the recommendation.

Two rejections and zero acceptances right now... Not fun. I'm just hoping that the universities I applied to are getting the rejections out of the way early, and that there will be acceptances to follow. Thankfully, I have not been rejected by any top choices yet, but it still makes me feel terrible...

I get this one ALL THE TIME. It's always somewhere that doesn't even have a quantitative psych program, and when I mention this to said person or persons, they will shoot back, "Well, is it really THAT important that it's in quantitative psychology? I mean, there are other types of psychology, right?" Right, because devoting 5+ years to a psychological subfield that I'm not as interested in would be TOTALLY worthwhile... NOT!!

Maybe I should change it to: Accepted: On a list of people who might eventually end up being accepted: Accepted for the 2013 school year with the provision that I apply next year with better credentials and no one better than me applies: But that last one is pretty long for a signature. Hmm...

I'm in the middle of the process as I speak (er, type)! What I can say from my experience so far is HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS!! Not only does it show that you're interested in the school, but it allows you to get a realistic perspective of what life as a grad student be like. I am being asked fairly consistently if I have questions, and I have been doing my best to be prepared for that. There's certainly a lot to ask about. I found this thread in particular very helpful for questions to ask at campus visits/interviews: As for what to wear, I honestly still don't know for sure, but I think the trick is to strike a balance between feeling comfortable and looking put-together... if that makes any sense. What's really nice is that despite all my worrying and obsessive preparation, the potential advisor I met with really made me feel relaxed and comfortable talking with him, and I genuinely enjoyed our conversation; it didn't feel like an interview or anything, just two researchers talking. I think that's a really good sign.

I'd save the money. The future will come soon enough, and if I end up getting accepted, I'm gonna need every cent I can muster! Besides, I don't really believe in psychics. Even so, I can definitely understand wanting to get the answers ahead of time... The wait is painful!! :EDIT: Another thought just occurred to me... What if the psychic tells you that you're getting rejected everywhere? How will that affect you if you get invited to an interview or campus visit? What about if you're told you'll be accepted? Just wondering.

This is definitely me!! I'm preparing for campus visits, and I'm so deathly afraid that I'll come across as a ditz in person, or that I'll mess up a really important question ("What's your name?" "Um... Ummmm... KRUSKAL WALLIS" "That's a really odd name...") I'm also afraid that I just won't fit in when I arrive there; that I'll somehow be out of the loop or just seem "out of place". By the same token, though, I'm really looking forward to getting a good look at the school, meeting everyone, and taking a close look at what could be my future (hopefully)!! I can assure you that I have never been as obsessed with my wardrobe as I am right now. Freaking BARBIE doesn't care as much about what she's wearing as much as I do for these visits, haha! I'm guessing business casual (at least for a girl) is khaki/dark pants, a cute (but not overly flashy) shirt or blouse, and flats or nice shoes with small heels. Jewelry should accentuate the outfit, but not overpower it. Makeup should be subtle. At least, that's what I THINK it is... I could be wrong!

To those who shared their stories about long-distance relationships: thank you so much!! It makes me feel a little better about potentially facing a long-distance relationship for quite a few years. I agree that it will likely make our relationship stronger, as it seems to have with others, despite the fact that it will be tough. Good luck to all of you, and stay strong!! Also, it is nice that I will be able to focus on my studies more. Both of us will be very busy this upcoming year (hopefully)!! My first campus visit is coming up at the end of this week. I'm SUPER nervous, but I'm also very excited. I'll need to keep myself distracted on the plane flight so I don't spend the entire time worrying that I'll make a bad impression... AAH!

Just because the other universities you applied to are just as or more competitive than UT-Austin DOES NOT mean that you will automatically be rejected from them; there are a lot of factors that go into admission decisions, and from what I've heard, these decisions can ultimately become quite subjective. You never know who in these departments might take a liking to your applicant profile, so don't consider yourself down for the count just yet. Rejections are tough, ESPECIALLY when they come with such a terrible consequence as having to say goodbye to someone you love. Don't lose hope, though!

If I were part of adcom personally, I'd be fascinated, not weirded out!! Granted, I'm in a different discipline altogether, but for what it's worth, being different makes you memorable, which is a good thing!

Is anyone else moving away from a significant other in order to attend graduate school? I haven't been accepted yet, so I'm not sure if it will actually happen or not, but my boyfriend has a wonderful job here, and I don't want to impede on the opportunities he has for advancement at his job; similarly, he wants me to further my education, no matter what it takes. I am so very thankful for his love and support, and I am more than willing to make a long distance relationship work, but it does make me a little sad to think about the distance! Is anyone else in this situation, or has anyone already dealt with a long-distance relationship as a result of graduate studies?

All great points! In some ways, though, I actually think fit takes precedence over prestige when it comes to your chances; no matter how prestigious a school is, if you can effectively make the argument that your research interests and goals are perfectly suited to the program to which you are applying, that makes all the difference, I think. No matter whether you applied to 5 schools or 50, what matters is that one acceptance that gets you into your desired program. Besides, I know I'm constantly reminding myself that SOMEONE has to get accepted!

Don't give up the fight just yet! It isn't a rejection 'til the letter comes in the mail, and you never know if they might still be considering admitting more students. One possibility is that you might get waitlisted. Those people with a million publications are likely to get more than one acceptance, and there's probably a good chance that not all of them will go to this particular school. I guess the best advice I've gotten on this particular matter is to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Atychiphobia is an abnormally intense fear of failure. I think we all can relate to that phobia a little bit. I know I can! Also, phobophobia is the fear of having and/or developing a phobia.

I think a plague doctor tattoo would be really cool, especially since it's so fitting with your interests. Go for it! I love tattoos, but I don't really see myself getting any in the near future. If I were to get a tattoo as a gift to myself, it would likely be inspired by one of a series of images I found of newspaper articles with the majority of words blacked out to form new sentences. One of them said, to do the math, and at the same time, dream. That quote really stuck with me as a quantitative psychologist, because that is the root of what we do; we do the math (obviously), but at the same time, we are looking to answer questions in the big picture. Also, I have big dreams of graduating with a PhD and becoming successful as a professor/researcher, so I think that is another meaning that can be taken away from the statement.

I'm with you on Minnesota, though I'm cautiously hopeful that their quantitative psychology program is just taking a little longer to process applications this year.

My interview prep playlist (to keep my confidence up): Muse - Knights of Cydonia Miss Kittin - Kittin is High Queen - We Will Rock You DJ Tiesto - Walking on Clouds Kerli - Walking on Air Dan Bern - Tiger Woods La Roux - Bulletproof La Roux - In for the Kill (Let's Get Ravey Remix) Origa - Rise Then, if I end up actually doing well, it's gonna be Queen - We Are the Champions.