-hermes-

Or perhaps a way of crafting an excuse to fail? (psychobabble)

Instagram, obsessing over which filter you're going to use, and worst of all: calling it "insta" :/

Maybe I'll ask them. Someone posted a rejection saying they got their master's from the program, had a couple pubs, and had two LOR writers who were on the adcomm. Not sure whether that makes me feel better or worse.

Thanks guys!! I really do hope that the reason was a poor fit. But it's hard not to question every other aspect of my app. My main LOR writer (a prof who I've worked with for almost two years) has been in an awful mood lately with the entire lab and maybe he didn't write me a strong letter. Maybe my master's GPA and awards don't make up for a mediocre undergrad GPA. Or maybe my SOP wasn't good enough. With this news, the wait now seems interminable.

Identify places you'd like to work at once you graduate. Then apply to those places for internships.

I'm sorry. You sound exactly like me. Maybe you could email the admin and let her know that you had an issue uploading the file and that you submitted it five minutes late. It seems like it should be fine since you were able to submit it (and the portal hadn't automatically stopped accepting submissions). For what it's worth, I've been making a conscious effort to submit apps several hours in advance of my deadlines and still ended up having a meltdown -- one of my school's websites stopped working and it was just after 5pm so I couldn't reach anyone at the admissions office. A few really anxious hours until I was finally able to submit it in time for the midnight deadline.

My Macbook Pro completely died last week. Apparently there's a known issue with the graphics card just up and dying in the early 2011 models. It'll cost tons to repair it and I need a laptop for work and school and apps, so I just got a new laptop shipped to me -- and the delivery got messed up and now it's apparently either lost, wrongly delivered, or stolen. I hate having so many things completely outside of my control. I'm stuck at work feeling anxious about the laptop, about my phd applications, my future in general, and it sucks that I can't do more to guarantee a positive outcome for any of this.

Sooo I got rejected from Washington's iSchool. I'm not really disappointed about the rejection since I realized the program was a pretty terrible fit while writing my SOP and almost didn't apply. But it's made me feel really uncertain about my chances at better and more exclusive programs.

Yes, I applied to the iSchool. I do think it helps to be a resident of the state, or to have the ability to become a resident (international students can't). I was also considering the Oxford Internet Institute. Looks like a great program.

Same for UC Berkeley -- looks like we have a program in common! Wondering whether it made sense to apply there, given that apparently UC schools aren't great for funding international students.

Yeah, same. I know it doesn't make statistical sense, but I feel more hopeful about places that take 10 students rather than 2 even when the acceptance rate is the same. Also, Cornell is SUCH a good fit with my research. And both my POIs replied to my emails and sounded interested in my work. Feel like it's giving me false hope.

Soooo I read the 2013 application thread, and wish I hadn't. Cornell's stats that year: 125 applications, 20 interviews, 3 acceptances.

There's no template as far as I know -- just a space for them to write or upload a letter. Pretty open-ended. There may also be a set of questions asking them to rate you in terms of your ability to do independent research, your analytical skills, etc as compared to other students they've worked with.

Right, I don't know. Though maybe the invites go out as they read through the apps because some have gone out around the 20th and others around the 30th in the same cycle. Two weeks until the other apps are due. Congrats on finishing all of yours! When's the earliest you think you'll hear back? Doesn't Wisconsin Madison send out invites this month too?

It was due Dec 1. And luckily, I keep everything on Dropbox and wrote my SOPs in Google Docs. Back up, everyone! It's going to suck not having my own laptop to edit my writing sample etc on, but I can't imagine what I'd have done if I lost those docs altogether.

My laptop died yesterday! So I am now computer-less as I work on my last two apps. :/ Also, one of my programs could send out interview invites this week! If I thought I was being obsessive before...

Ha, yes, gradwannabe -- that's what I meant. I liked reading how the admissions process played out last year -- just a comment on how obsessive these applications are making me. Not particularly illuminating -- one person got mostly shut out, another got into most of her top tier schools much to his/her surprise, and one got into a top tier and no others. So anything can happen, I suppose.

I just read/skimmed the entire Communication application thread from 2014. ....I have a problem.

Thanks for the input, autumn and lyrehc. It's definitely a hard decision with no clear answer. I'm leaning towards not applying there, because I really don't like the location. Factoring in my partner is also complicating things -- though a couple of schools I have applied to are clear across the country!

So I'm concerned I haven't applied to enough places (especially given the selectivity of my schools -- UCB accepts 2/3 students every year). I'm considering whether to apply to an additional PhD program that has a later deadline that I could still make. It's a pretty decent fit, but the reason I wasn't applying there is I'm not enthused about the location. But now I'm wondering whether it may be worth applying regardless...

I meant the Washington Information School program (it was due Dec 1). Sorry if that alarmed you!

Why, has the status changed? Washington sent an email to applications saying "as you can imagine, the admin committee is busy reviewing applications..." :/

I think part of my frustration is that the process seems so opaque and arbitrary at times. A school can reject people with multiple first author pubs but accept someone with no pubs. But even if your research interests align perfectly, maybe they already have enough people doing work in that area and won't want you. Overall, I really wish I had started this process earlier, and applied to more places.

Anyone else cycling back and forth between "of course I have a reasonable shot!" and "I'll never get in anywhere!"?

The earliest I'll hear from my two top choices is early February. THAT'S 59 DAYS AWAY!