Kbert

I was shortlisted for a PhD in the Department of Comparative Human Development, and I'm going insane watching the deadline for a decision steadily approaching for the other school I got in to. Anybody else involved with this program?

Similar to the person below, the silence is killing me. I applied to 6 different PhD programs in anthropology, but there's only one school that really, really fits what I want. I have scoured the internet for as much info as I can find. I've been having nightmares about not getting in, only to wake up and check my phone and email right away to see if I missed anything in my sleep. I get this bowling-ball-in-stomach feeling until I check Grad Cafe and find that nobody else got anything yet either. I'm not at all superstitious normally, but I've even started checking my horoscope, and ordering Chinese food just to get fortune cookies. I'm an atheist, and I've even prayed. I sit at my computer, refreshing the "Results Survey" page every few minutes; I've memorized the patterns from years past in terms of when emails are sent out when and for what purposes (Acceptance emails were sent out on the 22nd last year, and it's already the 23rd! Why are they behind????). Basically, it's gotten to the point where it's ridiculous. Every minute that passes without any word whatsoever seems to be longer than the minute before it. My Plan A is to get into UC San Diego (my top choice by far). My Plan B was any of the other schools. And now, with all of this time to think about it, I'm thinking I should have come up with a Plan C, in case I don't get in anywhere. I'd want to be in grad school even if the economy were doing great, but in this economy, it's hard to not worry that I'll be stuck in my dead-end job that I hate until something miraculous happens. Is anybody else dealing with this right now, or should I be making an appointment with a psychiatrist and taking assessments for OCD? Does anybody have any good ideas for back-up plans?

Definitely a new iPhone. And probably a Mai Tai.

So, in the process of dying in agony, waiting to hear back from any of my schools, I've been searching for additional scholarships, grants, and basically any potential funding opportunities online. Does anybody know of any scholarship opportunities that offer enough money to cover anything more than books for one semester, at max? I mean, it's true that every penny helps, but at a certain point it just seems like a waste to be writing essay after essay for measly $500 awards. Yay, I might be able to pay for grad school tuition in 60 essays about how Bugs Bunny is my all time role model! And all these "Scholarship" websites seem to basically just be ways for them to advertise how I can "earn a degree online." Didn't I just put in my info saying I'm pursuing a doctorate??? And say you happen to find one, maybe for $5000 - certainly not enough to pay for stuff for real, but it would help - but it's oddly specific: "This award is for a French student who is living in Kansas, is studying Chinese literature, and has only one eyeball." Okay, so I'm exaggerating, but less than you might think. Is anybody else as frustrated with this as I am? Does anybody have any reasonable suggestions for finding funding opportunities that aren't provided directly through departments?