[Pitt GSPIA ($$) vs GWU Elliot (no $$)]

For me, the debt isn't worth the rankings unless you're guaranteed to get a high paying job post-graduating, and let's be real- in this economy .. ? is anything guaranteed?

Especially if you work for an NGO or a non profit, you'll have to start repaying the debt as soon as you graduate, and the time it might take you to pay off 90K as opposed to 40K might interfere with getting your PhD later rather than sooner.

I personally chose the undergrad institution that offered me the most money, and I'm graduating this year with only 3K in debt. Looking back on it, it was a pretty tough decision for me- but considering how the economy turned out and my roomies are struggling to find jobs once we graduate, I'm very thankful that I did make that choice.

Just ask yourself, is the debt worth going to the #7 school or not? That's what it really comes down to.

Hope that helps :/

[Waitlists]

I'm on two waitlists.

I called them- I left one a voicemail, and the other just called me back- I would definitely call rather than send emails though. The lady I talked to was very nice and gave me all the info I needed to know (ranks, how large the waitlist is, what I can do to help strengthen my application etc.)

No word on funding.

Hope that helps!

[I [FELT] feel like such a total loser]

ditto. but we're all in the same boat, at least we can blame the economy for part of it- not just us as candidates.

I've been rejected at one school, wait listed at another, and no word from my last school.. although it seems as though the responses coming back at this late stage are rejections (from this school)- so don't feel bad. I refuse to give up

[American v GW]

I can't speak for everyone, but I know there are quite a few of us who still haven't heard from AU yet.. so I can't really choose between the two when I've only researched GWU thus far.

As for AU v. GWU- I did apply to both for undergrad, got in to both SIS and the Elliot School- went to neither (ended up going with Vassar- the only non-DC, liberal arts school I applied to). When I applied ^^ way back in the day, I actually leaned more towards AU, because they were more generous $$..

[How long have you been waiting?]

I'm still waiting to hear back from one school, and SEVERAL people have heard back on acceptances. But apparently a ton of us are still waiting and slowly people are hearing back- I think this school in particular is sending out it's acceptances & rejections in waves, which is pretty annoying but there's a good chance the school you haven't heard from is the same. :/

[Wait List Etiquette]

Thanks Victory,

I'm finding it hard to sit still and not be proactive about being wait listed- even if the wait list is ranked.

[Wait List Etiquette]

Haha. I definitely DON'T want to send my shorts- that would be pretty awkward. But, for instance.. my GPA has gone up .1 since I applied, which is a pretty signifcant increase and I also applied to the State Department for an internship and got in. I just figured if I added those two bits of information with an email letting the school know that I'm still very enthusiastic about their graduate program, that drastically changes my profile as a candidate.

?

[Wait List Etiquette]

I've been wait listed and I was wondering what I should do about it. I knew a girl who was once wait listed at Brown, and she sent in her volleyball shorts with a note saying she was looking forward to retrieving her shorts in person and playing for Brown in the Fall. She later got in.

Should I be pro-active or just sit here? I want to let them know I'm enthusiastic about their school without being annoying..