solairne

I'm getting more and more anxious, and I've noticed I'm getting crabby. I dream about acceptances or rejections almost every single night, and the first thing I do in the morning is pull my MBP off my desk and check online to see if I have any emails or if my schools have posted anything. Then I spend the rest of the day jumping when my phone beeps. Also hearing back from just 1 school and it being a rejection doesn't help.

I'm 22 and can't grow a full beard. I only get Johnny Depp patches.

A lot of CA schools I've noticed have cohorts of 5-7, but I've seen a lot of schools having anywhere from 10 to 15. Keep in mind, however, that of those 12 not everyone is going to accept.

Yea, I was thinking about that earlier. I know that the University of Toronto requires an MA for PhD admissions, but I'd imagine that is far from the norm because the number of schools that grant BA or PhDs in Ling is larger than those that grant terminal MAs... and there aren't many that do BA/PhD. Are you applying to McGill Tarski?

Are the MA and PhD programs considered separately? It seems that they let in about 10 of 50-70 applicants per annum for the PhD program, but I have no idea about the MA. It's no longer listed on their webpage, but a few of last year's students who had their CV posted were admitted directly from BA into the PhD program. I thought the same thing you did, too. Hopefully it works out for both of us.

I remember reading that about Wednesday in a different thread. That's good to know about notifying everyone en masse, though. Thanks again for the helpful advice, as always.

Yea, that's definitely possible. I definitely have realistic expectations, I'm just curious as to if any regular posters on here have heard anything either way, or if Fuzzylogician has any more insight.

So I've noticed that results are being posted now for MIT this season... I've yet to receive an email, notification online, or anything via post.... Has anybody else heard anything? I can only assume no news is good news. (Until I check the mail tomorrow to find a rejection, haha.)

Anybody applied to McGill's PhD program in Ling?

I was considering applying to Harvard, so I know a little bit about their program, but admittedly not a lot. I don't think you should give into despair and ice cream yet, it's only the 5th of February. I think you still have a week or so to go until you should worry. Honestly, I'd just write a professor whom you have a relationship with there, or the admissions secretary and just ask your status if it is not available online. If they were going to offer you an interview, they won't rescind it because you asked about it. If they weren't going to offer it anyway, what does it matter if you come off as a little bit brazen?

I think that sort of means by what s/he meant about proposing new ideas. I emailed a professor because I was particularly interested in her work and asked her to extrapolate a little bit on a conclusion as well as what her views are in other areas based on that research. That was met really warmly. If the poster meant that he suggested the professor do the research differently, then yea... that's probably not a very good idea. But a lot is dependent upon whom you speak with. Some professors are very laid back and open to that kind of thing, others will blackball you. Personally, I'd avoid telling the person who decides my fate what to do.

I got a rejection yesterday, but that has been it so far. I didn't really expect to get into that school, but it sort of dampens your spirits to have a rejection as your first notification, and at that one that came 10-15 days before the normal period for that school.... I'm probably overly (albeit, cautiously) optimistic about one remaining school, but we'll see. I feel like a death row inmate waiting on the governor's call...

Thank you for all of the feedback, I appreciate it.

Yea, this is the link I followed: https://webapp.spire.umass.edu/admissions/htdocs/applicant/gradapp_logon.html I'm not really upset about not getting into UMASS, I'm just sort of disheartened about the first response being a rejection - haha. Oh well, no point in getting your spirits down. At least you know you've made it past a few pre-screenings.

I got my first response today, and it was a rejection. UMASS Amherst was not my first choice, it was 3 of 4 on my list, but it's sort of unnerving to get a rejection as your first response. It's hard to not take it personally (as it is a personal rejection) but for all I know it could be because of fit. I know I was not a good fit at the program, but I applied anyway. I also found out about 10 days before the first responses were posted in the data bank for 2009, 2008, etc. That means first round of rejections. Boo.

Provided that your home address is correct, the worst case scenario is they don't hear from you via email and send you a letter by post. If you don't hear anything 1 or 2 days after a lot of decisions start pouring in, shoot the school an email.

For those of you who applied to UMASS-Amherst, they've sent out their first round of decisions (or only round, not sure). Check the website. My stats are at the front of the page, and I suppose I'm not what they were looking for, although I wasn't that good of a fit with the program. Anybody else hear from them either way? Still have my fingers crossed, tightly, for McGill.

French and German language undergraduate applying to doctoral program in theoretical linguistics. That's not that far of a stretch, though.

This is definitely a good idea. I'd say accept. Why would you turn down the chance to make contacts? Best case scenario - you get in. Good scenario - you get in elsewhere and have a good relationship with this person and potentially his colleagues. Worst case - you get in nowhere across the board, but maybe somebody whom you met at this conference takes interest in you and you get in next year. I really don't see any downside other than the money which doesn't seem to be life or death for you. About the receipt part. This could be hit or miss depending on the professor(s) and the program. If you feel comfortable, do it. If you don't, don't do it. But saving the receipt is a good idea in case later on you decide to do so.

That is interesting, but I'm not sure that is necessarily applicable to all programs. Also about what UMASS mentioned about aptitude for teaching, that could be weighted more or less depending on programs. I'd imagine humanities and social sciences would value that more than other areas where laureates tend to go into non-academic jobs. Also, regarding what the original post said... I still think that the GRE is all but unimportant. Several UC schools that I was considering told me that they hardly even glance at it. McGill and MIT don't even require it. Your GPA is also important, but as somebody above me mentioned, it is hard to compare GPA across universities, and especially between candidates in different positions (MA vs BA applicants, etc.) One of my German professors told me that at UT-Austin people with aeronautical degrees were let into the German literature PhD program. It doesn't seem that fruitful to compare the GPA of an aeronautical specialist with that of a chemist when they're both applying to the German literature department. I think that it definitely doesn't hurt to have a 4.0, but I also don't think it hurts to have a 3.6. What they are looking for in admitting applicants is how others perceive your work and potential (letters of recommendation), how you present yourself and your interests (SoP), and your work (your sample).

Do you think the results will be posted at a different time than they have been listed here in 09 and 08?

Talk to professors about it. I'm sure they are going to be more than understanding.

How is that trip going to work out? Do you have to pay totally out-of-pocket or is the school paying?

That is so good! Congratulations! It must be nice to know that be that your first choice or not, you at least have somewhere to go in September. I still think mine are 3-4 more weeks away, but we'll see. What did you do when you found out?

Yea, it is. That's the biggest plus you can have. Granted, it won't make up for a 2.2 GPA, but it will definitely work in your favor.