amlobo

Yeah, I'm in middle America as well... closest application is 6 hours away, the rest are in different corners of the country, lol. I'm hoping for a warmer climate... Today, my friend asked me "Did you apply to Hawaii?" No, they don't fund my program. "What about Las Vegas?" Nope. "But they would be so FUN!" I don't think she understands what grad school is... lol.

Hahahaha. I'm now picturing someone's mom calling the adcomm to let them know they need to increase their stipend. Yeah, I don't think any stipend will "satisfy" my mother... since I'm an attorney right now, lol. My best explanation for her is that I wanted to "take off a few years" when I had kids, anyway, so getting a stipend is like free money I wouldn't have had otherwise... plus I'm getting another degree from it. See, mentioning babies in with it will blind her to everything else... poof! Magic!

Yes, we sound very similar, hehe. I was hoping to pop out a kid after finishing coursework... which should be around 31 or so (if I get in!). Lol. Hubby and I have been married for 6 1/2 years, so we get a lot of grief about being childless... ha. I figure if I get in nowhere, my mother is spared needless grief (until next year...)... and if I DO get in, it will be much harder for her to crush my dreams when I have already been accepted to Awesome University with a fantastic stipend.

This is exactly why I have not told my mother I'm even applying yet. Lol. I told my husband that I thought she would try to stage an intervention, so I wanted to have an acceptance *in hand* when I tell her that a) I'm quitting my job, b ) I'm still not having kids in the near future, and c) I'm moving across the country. I've been slowly preparing her for the news. I first got her to realize that I am waiting at least 3 more years to have kids (I'm 28). I also got her to accept that I want to change careers... and possibly go to grad school (not my fault she has assumed that I meant master's programs IN my current city, which is close to her, lol). Though, in that same conversation, she said that my husband and I better never move away again (we used to live away). Oh, and did I mention I am the only child?! No pressure... So, waiting on acceptances is proving extra stressful... ha...

My alma mater will send official electronic transcripts, but I think you have to verify the grad school will accept it. I know it's a "newer" option, so not everyone might accept or even offer it.

One of my favorites is at a local specialty pizza place... fresh hand-tossed dough with Olive Oil, Minced Garlic, Mozzarella, Mushrooms, Goat Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Green Peppers, Fresh Tomatoes. Nom nom nom nom nom. Really, put goat cheese on anything and I will devour it. Lol.

My family doesn't know I'm applying to schools (except my husband of course!)... and neither do any of my coworkers. I was kind of driving my husband and closer friends crazy talking about apps and such... so it's better to be on here with my fellow worriers than causing insanity to others

Never thought I'd be applying to PhD programs either! It took 3 years of law school and 3 years as an attorney to realize it was the right path, lol. Wish I would have known in college! I'd be done by now...

Yes. Still first!

I think if I can just get ONE acceptance, the level of crazy will decrease exponentially.

Don't worry, overdosing on crazy pills here. I can't figure out if this website is healthier or unhealthier than just having access to no information. I have convinced myself that there is some kind of solace in the "known"... and that collective obsessing makes me feel at least a little bit less crazy. Lol. I have probably read all of the results for my program in the history of gradcafe... at least a few times.

Yeah, I am the first grad school person in my family too. Luckily, I am older, so some of my friends are actually professors already and helped me edit things and answer my questions . Lol.

It took a lot of planning and a lot of time (and money), I'll tell you that, lol. I took a part-time job in addition to my full-time job just to pay for apps. I had this awesome spreadsheet put together months ago with all the info about the programs, and luckily my deadlines were spaced out between 12/1, 12/15, and 1/1 basically. I would have marathon app sessions sometimes, where I'd just fill out like 6 forms in a row. Then, of course, the SOP marathons where I tailored each one to word counts and programs/professors. It was basically a third job! Soooo glad to be done! But, I ended up liking my second job, so I'm keeping it. Ha

Ok, submitted my last app today! Had one random 1/15 deadline mixed in with all of my earlier ones. 15 applications didn't seem like that many in the beginning, but it was complete insanity. On the bright side, I've memorized my credit card number and security code now... which comes in very handy for online shopping.

You have inspired me to add a "notification date" column to my already multi-page spreadsheet on all of my programs, lol. Earliest from last year is January 20.... so naturally, still continuing to check apps religiously...

Well, I just posted this in the other forum, but here goes: I dreamed that I was religiously checking all my app status websites, and one of my top schools had changed my status from Submitted to Accepted. I thought it was a mistake, so checked my email, where I saw the congratulations email. Then, every applicant to the program showed up at my house, and the adcomm made us line up in 3 lines. It was kind of like Goldilocks... they said "the front line is too young" and then "the back line is too old"... "middle line, congratulations, you are all in." And, then I saw a gradcafe buddy in the "too young" line looking all sad, while I was happy for being 28... right in the middle! Lol. Then I woke up, and I tried to make myself go back to sleep so I could bask in the glory of an acceptance... sigh...

I've been involved in a discussion about this issue a few times, and everyone kind of has different ideas about it. It seems like the general consensus is that it will not affect your chances of admission, but that it allows the adcomm to determine how many offers to make, based on how likely the applicants are to accept.

Well, thanks probably in part to this forum, lol, I had my first admissions dream last night. I dreamed that I was religiously checking all my app status websites, and one of my top schools had changed my status from Submitted to Accepted. I thought it was a mistake, so checked my email, where I saw the congratulations email. Then, every applicant to the program showed up at my house, and the adcomm made us line up in 3 lines. It was kind of like Goldilocks... they said "the front line is too young" and then "the back line is too old"... "middle line, congratulations, you are all in." And, then I saw a gradcafe buddy in the "too young" line looking all sad, while I was happy for being 28... right in the middle! Lol. Then I woke up, and I tried to make myself go back to sleep so I could bask in the glory of an acceptance... sigh...

Hooray! What a load off! I freaked out about an unreceived GRE score (I have already had to re-submit to one school, ugh)... and emailed grad admissions about it. They emailed me back and were like "you submitted over Christmas break, so we just now matched it up." D'oh. Perhaps I'm a bit overeager and on edge

I agree - don't bring it up, but don't lie if asked. I don't have kids myself, but I feel like my married status is pretty obvious since my transcripts have different names, lol. (And, I also did thank my husband in a published article...)

As a non-science applicant, I feel like I am living vicariously through the science folks for the next few weeks. Perhaps it will take my mind off my own applications to fixate on others'... lol...

Yeah, I kind of figure if a prof agrees to write a rec for you, they must not think you're hopeless to begin with. Ok, well, that was my limit for optimism for the day...

Well, since I'm applying to 15 programs, I did some elaborate inference work in my delusional brain and have decided odds are that I should get into at least one. My LOR writers are confident in my chances, but they are also from different disciplines than the programs to which I'm applying (my undergrad major was a different field). Lol.

Count me as another crazy person checking app statuses every day, even though I know late January is the absolute earliest that any of my programs notify applicants of decisions, lol. But, there are always those weird stories about people getting early acceptances/rejections... right!? That's what I'm telling myself to validate my insanity. And, I told one of my LOR writers that I would be applying again next year if I didn't get in anywhere. He replied, "You will certainly get admitted to multiple programs with full fellowships, and the only decision will be which one to choose." I am still about 10% convinced that I will get in anywhere. Why can't he be on the adcomm?!

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