alf10087

Same here.

I've heard from many experts in the matter that TOEFL is just about the cut-off. If you're over it then you're fine, and a higher score won't provide additional help. For example, if the cut-off is 100, there's not much difference from a 101 and a 120.

I've kind of been there. I have already laid out three different plans: opening a restaurant, matriculating an MBA in a local school, and buying a small piece of land with my grad school savings and having a quite life as a farmer

I know this waiting process is a roller-coaster, but I'm wondering, how have you dealt with the pessimism batches? I'm going through one right now, and I'm basically thinking about just giving up on the wait and start making different plans for my life, other than just waiting for the inevitable rejections.

I received an e-mail saying that my application is complete, and now I only have to wait. You can check it up on the Sparks website. They haven't provided any information on the number of applicants, other than a map specifying the origin of the current applicants, which is basically the whole world except for a few usual suspects. Recently, my hopes for acceptance have been very low. I'm starting to wonder why I even applied there.

Exactly the same happened to me. I noticed I was using a wrong word like in the 6th application. Fortunately, the word was used only on the statements of two of the previous ones. So basically in my 6 applications, 2 of them have a typo. I was very angry, as I spent like exactly one week proofreading every statement and application in order for everything to be perfect.

Does anyone know if they call even if you're an international applicant? It would make a lot more sense to send an e-mail, don't you think?

I have to upgrade my account in order to see who has viewed my profile

I applied to 6 schools. Haven't heard anything yet. I'm waiting for next week, when I should be contacted if I'm a semifinalist for a fellowship. If I'm contacted I'll know things are going well, if not... oh well...

I'm just wondering how did you "just submit" your application to HKS when the deadline was like November 30th.

I have seen at some schools that they still accept documents after the deadline, if your application is incomplete. For example, in the Harvard Kennedy School, they send mails saying something like "If you still have pending documents, we will contact you, and they will be sent by mail" and in Columbia, it says that if they detect an honest intention to finish the application, but something is missing, they will contact you in order for you to send what's missing. So basically, they are more flexible than what it looks. I guess they use the timeline to organize everything, and to avoid too many people sending documents after the deadline, but that doesn't mean that if you miss something by a few minutes, you're dead.

Ok, now I'm worried that it's all going to get worse once I finish the applications.

I did that. It is helpful for managing all the information and to keep track of what you have received. The problem is that every time I get the new mail icon in that account I go crazy, and it is usually just a reminder of something completely unimportant.

This process is terrible but I feel a little warm to know that there's many people (like you guys) going through the exactly the same feeling. My emotional rollercoaster is driving me crazy, and it seems like it gets worse for a day or two after I submit each application. I'm 4/6 and almost done on the 5th. Something that has helped me control anxiety is to write down a schedule for EVERYTHING. For example, I know that on Saturday the 5th application has to be submitted, and I won't do anything related to the 6th until Sunday. Then, from Sunday to Friday I have to submit the last one. After December 21st I haven't planned anything because it is a date that currently goes beyond my planned life. I'll deal with it when it comes, but I'm trying to get used to the idea that I should completely forget about my applications and carry on with my life as if there were no applications at all. Otherwise, I will just go crazy.

Update: currently 4/6 with 3 completely finished. In the 4th one I'm still waiting for 2 LORs of which one will be uploaded today and the other one promised he'll have it by this week. In that 4th one the GRE and TOEFL scores still have to arrive, but that's just waiting (and there's plenty of time before the deadline so I'm ok). As I write this post, I'm preparing my state of mind for the 5th application.

I didn't waive it at first, as I though it made no difference. Then read at several books and almost at every forum on the internet that not waiving is basically throwing the letter to the garbage. I panicked for about a day, and then wrote to the school asking if it could be changed even though the letter had already arrived. They did. So, keep calm and email the ad comm

I think more than 160 is considered good on almost every circumstance and for every major, unless you're applying to top schools where it may be a regular score.

The same happened to me. I started noticing the words "my" and "I"showing up quite disproportionately, then I remembered the statement is about me, and so there's no way to avoid it. Of course, try to use as many writing techniques as you can to avoid excessive repetition, but it is impossible to make a statement and avoid talking about yourself. It could even be perceived as diffidence, which is poison for your cause.

Nope. For the PS they say "about 3-5 pages double space" but nothing for the PHS. I'm leaving the PHS at 3.5 pages/900 words.

I'm interested in swapping a Personal History Statement from UC Berkeley.

I'm struggling with the dreaded Personal History Statement from UC Berkeley, but I already have finished a draft. Anyone willing to swap?

I read in a book that every 8 natural days is a good parameter for reminding them. It is not so frequently that it feels harassing, but it also won't leave them hanging, thinking that you lost interest in the process.

If you're applying to a program I think it is because you are convinced that you can get in. Try to make the case for yourself, and try to change his mind. If you're compelling enough, he may sign it. That's basically what you'll do when applying to a school: convincing the admissions committee that they have to accept you. But also find a backup. You don't want to be left hanging without any time to make additional movements.

You have to choose only one, as after they admit you (hopefully) you need to send the official scores and ETS will only send a report for one of the tests.

I already submitted two applications. In one I still need the Credentials Evaluation Service to send my grades, and the TOEFL scores to arrive, but everything else is done including LORs. The process of adapting SOPs is taking me a lot longer than I thought, so I'm basically submitting an application every two weeks. In the next one scheduled I have to write from zero the dreaded Personal History Statement so it may take me a little more, even though I have only 3 weeks left before the deadline. I hope that by late December I'll be done with my 6 applications and ready to have daily panic attacks until March.