BayAreaStat86

Haha, I have the same exact statistics as Zelda. One = wait list One = Haven't heard from The rest were no-go's, but I'm still optimistic because there's still hope...the same goes for you guys. Good luck

frandux, don't lose sight of your goal, keep fighting until you finally reach your goal! I understand your struggles because I'm in a similar boat, but I know that over time, we can accomplish what it is we want to accomplish. Frederick Douglas once said, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." And from a psychological perspective (it was my concentration in undergrad), we tend to appreciate things more when we have to work harder to acquire/obtain it. I think there's room for much improvement, you can improve your GPA in your upper-division level courses, you can expand your level of experience by taking more upper-division courses at a local university (I've been looking at this myself, most universities have an "open university" opportunity; of course, the cost per unit is not "cheap"), you can obtain tutoring/research/internship (or if you already have this, you can add more experience). I'll be brutally honest, you shouldn't give up. The second you decide to give up, you've lost confidence in yourself. Just because things aren't going right or according to plan, doesn't mean you have to give up your resolve to accomplish your goals/dreams. As said in Finding Nemo, keep swimming!

Waitlisted to one school, waiting to hear back from two (likely rejections). But the best thing to do, and the only thing I can do (as well as the rest of you), is remain hopeful. In the darkest times, a glimpse of light can always serves as the greatest source of hope, no? Good luck buddies!

I agree with teaganc, I don't think it wasn't rude at all, it's a black-white scenario. You either get accepted or rejected from a school (think about their internal computer system and the admission logistics, tracking all the applications and saving the 'outcomes' of each), and because you refused to participate in the group interview, you were "rejected" from the school. It's as simple as that.

Yo Tim, We picked great places to live...our karma allowed us to grow up in such a diverse environment, such that of the Bay Area! I've applied to UCLA and I am awaiting their decision. I am also waiting on a few other UC schools, I know that each had already offered some early acceptances, but hopefully there's still some available seats for each program, enough for some of our Bay Area culture! Good luck Tim, I wish you the best. Akira

Firstly, sorry to hear that I've applied to the same exact program, and it didn't happen to me, it's truly unfortunate. I honestly wouldn't know what to say because it seems as if they've already contacted who they'd accept, while placing others on waitlist (or rejections?). I'm currently on the waitlist, I was given an ultimatum to decide by April 20th....and I only assume that accepted students must make a choice around that time as well. It wouldn't hurt to re-sumbit or have them retrieve your application since you've already paid for it, but I couldn't say if how it'd influence your admissions...especially this point in the game. Sorry but good luck Tim

I'm not in the same situation, I still haven't made it to the graduate program, but I'd like to offer my perspective. Right now, it's seemingly prevalent in American society (I can only speak on my own experience but it likely pertains to many others, both domestic and international) that society encourages youth to attend school with the sole incentive to land a high-paying job....but that doesn't ensure joy! So what it really comes down to is what you value more: high-paying job or a job that you truly love (because it benefits yourself and others, or whatever reason). I don't think Jordan+AirForce1 could have said it any better, if you want something, go for it. Fight for it, endure and persevere, and you will definitely not regret it in the future. Set the goal and go for it, don't be deterred by financial insecurities....or what's the point of living life? Frederick Douglas once said, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." Some things that you desire in life, you'll have to work hard and struggle for. I say go for it....but it's easy for me to say that because I'm not in your shoes. But good luck whatever decision it may be.

Grades play a factor, but they don't determine the outcome. You have good grades, they could be a lot better, but you can make up for that with a strong personal statement, strong letters of recommendations, adding more research/education experience to your profile, and connecting with the advisers/faculties of the specific programs of interest. You'd be surprised how far you can make it with a simple connection with a staff-faculty member, at the same time, it ought to be someone who you TRULY desire to work with. But yeah, to get back to the main point, grades do influence BUT DO NOT determine the outcome of admission. Do your best and keep your dreams high, if you really want it, you'll fight for it...and the faculty will see that. Be sincere and be determined, persevere!

GreAgain, If it's any consolation, you would greatly benefit me by choosing to attend Stanford heh. A quick background: I've been rejected to 3 graduate programs (statistics), haven't heard back from 4 (don't know what to expect...although the signs are not too promising), and waitlisted to 1 (Columbia's statistics program). Thus, your decision to attend either Stanford/Columbia directly impacts my likelihood of attending graduate school. So, you'd be helping out a fellow applicant and prospective student by choosing Stanford (although there's likely people in the same boat from the other side, waitlist at Stanford, but then again, they probably have many other opportunities if they've even been considered by Stanford ).

I actually have a friend in Stanford's Ph.D. program, so all I can say is, if you're truly motivated to exert yourself (because it'll definitely be rigorous)...then by all means Stanford is the way to go. If you want, I can connect you with this person's email and you can directly ask her some questions.

I'm actually in the same boat! I'm doing my best to maintain a sufficient level of optimism, but reality is starting to kick in and at this point, it's not a good sign. It's my second time around in this graduate application process, and I would really benefit from some practical advice on what I can do. Anyway, I aspire to obtain a master's degree in statistics (although my undergraduate emphasis was in social behavioral science, with a concentration in psychology). It's a complicated story, but to get straight to the point, I attended a liberal arts university and faced certain limitations. I've taken a variety of math classes (including some after I had graduated from undergrad, at a local community college), and I plan to enroll in two for the summer term, but I wanted to get some advice from some students (preferably those who have actually been admitted to a master's program) on how I can better prepare for a statistics master's program. Here's some background info: - Statistics (I performed an experiment involving 2x2/3x3 chi-square tests and correlation tests, with data obtained from on-campus students) - Calculus 1 - Calculus 2 - Calculus 3 - Discrete Mathematics - Linear Algebra - Social Science Research Methods (not math, but involved concepts relating to research design) - Capstone project (involved use of SPSS, zero-order correlation study, multiple linear regression analysis) - Intro to Computer Science (basic programming, and a pre-requisite for a programming language I plan to take in the summer) - Some experience as a "statistics tutor" at my undergrad And, I plan to take Probability Theory and Regression Analysis this summer (hopefully I am able to enroll in these classes), and I will either take a programming language class this summer or this upcoming Fall term. Also, I might become a math/statistics tutor at the local community college for next year, pending how I perform on an test and interview/screening next week. But, what are some other classes I can take, or things I can do to help beef up my academic resume? Right now, it's tough to gain actual research/intern experience based on my background (no B.S. in statistics/math, so I'm somewhat disadvantaged to obtain any intern/research assistant experience, etc). Please offer advice, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Last year I applied to 6 schools, and I received 6 rejections. This year, I've applied to 8 schools and have heard back from 3 so far (3 rejections), but remaining optimsitic. But what I wanted to stress, and maybe serve as a source of motivation (rather than depression or the likes of anything related), life does not end! Take the next year to beef up your academic resume with additional classes, research/intern/work experiences, etc. And don't give up on your goal because you will eventually get there, I wish you all the best.