shaxmaty1848

FEAR THE SPEAR.

I saw someone on the Survey got rejected. Maybe you're waitlisted?

Great, my schools had deadlines in Feb so I think I am still good for not hearing anything back yet.

So between that and the info WeRegretToInformYou got that one of their depts only recently got funding info, I'm feeling better about now hearing anything as of yet. Great news actually.

Hey now, let's not be too hard on ourselves. You applied to all really competitive schools, in a huge field. PLENTY of people haven't heard back from schools yet! Myself included. I'm not giving up. Youre right that it's no good to be hopelessly optimistic, but there will be a dept out there for you. Life is a huge series of "reality checks". Highschool and undergrad both had plenty of those for me. Your skills and your competition will change every year... don't give up yet. My favorite professor got her PhD when she was 55, and now she is a star faculty member. It's not hopeless!

BAD ROMANCE

My application has been in about a month. However, my dept is very very small, and it's almost the middle of March. Should I send a brief email?

If you really want to go there, I would say something like, "Thank you for further considering my application, and thank you for being in touch with me about the status of my application. I am very enthusiastic about the faculty and research opportunities offered by the Dept of ___ at your U, and if I was to be admitted, I would certainly accept the offer." A lot of schools are concerned with offering acceptances to students who will accept the offer, because the more people who reject offers, they have to revisit the waitlist and it's basically just more bureaucracy. Also, depending on how flexible you are with funding, you may consider saying that you would accept being provisionally unfunded for a year or so, or look for funding outside the dept. That's your personal situation though.

Only one more week and we will be at the middle of March. Something about that is scary. I've been trying not to check my application statuses. I try to think about how busy my current professors are with midterms and writing letters and going to meetings and holding office hours, and then I try to think when they would be able to fit in reading writing samples and applications and stuff... That at least comforts me enough not to think that my application isnt sitting in a pile of trash being ignored. These guys are busy. Just gotta relax a bit...

Just wanted to start a thread where people could post how long it took for them to hear back with a decision, so that people like myself, who are still waiting, could sort of gauge what to expect. This is obviously assuming that your school didn't release them all at once. So, how long did it take? Myself: STILL have heard nothing!

Play chess.

How long is usually appropriate to wait before calling or contacting someone? (All other factors aside, such as knowing that interviews went out.)

Worrying if people will think it's rude to announce your grad acceptance on facebook? That's a good place to start.

I honestly can't believe this is a real concern for people. One thing I hate about living in America (and there isn't much) is the obsession with intellectual modesty. When I'm accepted, where ever it may be, I will announce it and be proud of it, and if someone thinks I'm bragging then they should take a good look at themselves and their own insecurities. Honestly. People need to stop being so petty. I'm going to live my life and be happy about what I've accomplished. You should have people around you that love you and celebrate your accomplishments along with you. Anyone who doesnt feel that way can get over it. Feel free to message me if you got into your top school and brag all day long about it, if you feel too shy. I'll crack open a bottle of Blanc and put on some jazz and drink to it with you.

OMG September? Why...why??!

Yeah you can browse almost....any....of the threads on this site and see countless examples and horror stories from people who had to call to get their decision or who simply never got one. I have a friend who was met with silence from two universities. I really really hope that isnt me...my top program is small and a bit obscure so they really have no excuse not to get back to me. It usually happens from schools who get a lot of applications, they dont even bother rejecting you.

This! I'll see you there...

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My SO and I eloped and spent the money on a lavish vacation instead. Sorry, not spending money on playing dress-up for the evening.

I feel that way too. But I think it's more of I'm sick of being in undergrad and I'm really ready for something new and different. I definitely need the summer to reflect and spend time with myself as a person and not as a student though. It will be time well wasted!

That's the kinda attitude I like to see! I'm still going strong on resisting the urge to check the Survey board and my online statuses (2 days!). Haha. All I hope is that I dont end up as one of those people who simple gets no response at all...

Work a crap job on purpose (detox academia) focus on foreign languages read whatever I want lots of laying in the sun drinking mimosas

Take a look at MIT's Media lab. Might be a good place to start. Even if you dont feel like you would get in there, getting in touch with some of their grad students might help you, if they told you what other programs they looked into .

Am I the only one who feels like if you dont get notified you should get your money back? Idk it's like, if I pay to have my application processed, and you cant even reject me, what did I pay for? Makes me wonder if anyone at all even looked at my application. (I obviously understand they would never give anyone their money back and they have their secret voodoo methods of admitting people, but still)