What will you do if you get your first acceptance letter?

[littlemy]

 

Hello,

I'm an international applicant for fall 2018 and I'm feeling more nervous than ever as the admission decision season for my major seems to be approaching. And though I'm not entirely hopeful, I keep imagining myself getting an acceptance letter. (yay!) And I ask myself this. What will I do first when (if) I get an acceptance email? Well, first, I guess I'll tell my family and my closest friends about it! But what will I do afterward?

Will I write a quick thank you reply to the school right away before I make a final decision? Will I talk to my MA thesis advisor about it or will I wait until I receive decision letters from other schools and almost finish making up my mind? Will I tell my recommendation letter writers about the news? 

I assume many of you have imagined the same situation. When and if you get your first acceptance letter (I hope we all do!!!), what will you do? I know that it may depend much on whether the school is your top choice or not. But what do you easily imagine yourself doing afterward besides jumping for joy and possibly sharing the news with your loved ones?  

 

  

Edited January 18, 2018 by littlemy

[PlsAdmitMePls]

Oh man, you're not alone on this. I've gone over this scenario a thousand times in my head over the past couple months. Assuming I get into the top choice school: first, I'm going to take the day off work and head to my parents' place (they live in the same city) and let them know the great news in-person. After, I'm going to compose a thank you email to all my professors and let them know the good news as well. Beyond that, I think I'm just going to go take it easy for the rest of the day and just bask in the pure euphoria.

Just imagining that gives me a dopamine rush!  Best of luck with your results! Here's to getting our acceptances!

 

[Carly Rae Jepsen]

Being totally honest--I'll share the news on social media and cry.

Afterwards I'm gonna have a chat with myself in my head and wonder if this school is the right fit, if I should wait for the rest of the schools etc.

[littlemy]

9 hours ago, PlsAdmitMePls said:

Just imagining that gives me a dopamine rush!  Best of luck with your results! Here's to getting our acceptances!

 

 

I know, right? Knowing that I'm not alone on this somehow makes me feel happy and even less lonely! I wish the very best of luck to you, too! Let's get accepted! 

[littlemy]

19 minutes ago, Carly Rae Jepsen said:

Being totally honest--I'll share the news on social media and cry.

Afterwards I'm gonna have a chat with myself in my head and wonder if this school is the right fit, if I should wait for the rest of the schools etc.

Of course! Why didn't I think about it? I think I'll cry too, remembering the time I struggled with the application process, thanking those who helped me along the way. I hope we all get accepted by our favorite schools!    

[phyanth]

Oh gosh, I would probably:

1. Scream

2. Cry

3. Tell my husband, family, and letter writers

4. Take the rest of the day off and celebrate!!! 

[khigh]

Call everyone. Cry. Chug wine. Not necessarily in that order. 

[jocorac]

Depending on what school it is, I've come up with numerous scenarios. First I'm gonna cry, call my parents, cry more, and then call all my friends. If the school that my professors want me to attend accepts me, I plan to tell them by getting a shirt and surprising them at my old school. I'll probably cry more for the rest of the week too. Oh and get good food to celebrate! 

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

This is what I did.

I was coming home from getting my blood drawn when I got an email notification that my status had changed and to check the website. I proceeded to spend the entire drive home (only about 10 minutes) freaking out and coming up with every rejection scenario possible. Once I got home, I checked the status, still freaked out it would be a rejection. I couldn't believe it when I read Congratulations. I just sat there in shock for a few minutes and then my anxiety turned to elation. I was filled with restless energy and may have done a few laps around the house. As soon as my parents were awake I went to their room and said, "Guess who's going to grad school."

My father got a confused look on his face and said, "Why?" -__- He meant, "what brought you saying this on" but still. Anyways, I let them know I received an acceptance, high fived them both, then proceeded to text everyone I know, haha. I also printed out the acceptance and made them read it (partly because yay acceptance and partly to make sure I wasn't hallucinating). I also emailed all of my letter writers and thanked them. I then randomly said, "I got into grad school" at both of my parents for the next couple of days, multiple times a day.

I have yet to post about it on social media because I'm trying to get a job, but most people who know me know about it, haha. 

[ElvisShrugged]

 

50 minutes ago, khigh said:

Call everyone. Cry. Chug wine. Not necessarily in that order. 

Yup. I'll shed many tears, drink lots of wine, and sleep soundly for the first time in months.

[ShewantsthePhD101]

Call everyone. Thank letter writers. Thank the school. Take myself out for a nice dinner.

[lilmaz]

Die of shock. Resuscitate myself with joy. Leave a message on my husbands phone crying. Get tears all over my dog. Go see my parents and watch them cry because I will be moving away. Have exactly 4 margaritas and sleep without subconsciously listening for my phone to chime for the fist time in months... 

[glycoprotein1]

I like to think my reaction will be some mixture of speechlessness, a rush of euphoria, and endless babbling as I try to find the words to tell my parents.  All topped off with a cider (or two or three) and a steak at our local fancy restaurant.  Let’s hope I haven’t jinxed my chances now! 

[Tigla]

1. Breath a sigh of relief
2. Call my fiancee and inform her that I will be moving with her too
3. Grab a drink with the gang
4. Wake up with a hangover because 1 drink become a night-out till 8am (Bars don't close in Berlin)
5. Wonder why I was stupid
6. Continue writing my MA

[bluebird8]

1. do cartwheels while simultaneously crying tears of joy

2. plan a nice vacation

3. look for places to live and plan moving

[TheScienceHoney]

-Probably scream

-Call my parents, then my boyfriend, then my best friend

-Post on social media, email my rec letter writers

-Cry

On 1/18/2018 at 12:28 AM, PlsAdmitMePls said:

Assuming I get into the top choice school: first, I'm going to take the day off work

-I hadn't thought of taking a day off but I'm totally going to now, I've been working my ass off, I deserve it lol. Probably do some day drinking with friends to celebrate. Relax. Enjoy the happiness.

-Then after that's all passed I'll actually look into accepting admission, the timeline I'll have, places to live, etc. All the practical stuff that comes with it  

I haven't gotten a single interview or acceptance yet. When my first rejection came, it was at 2 AM and I was awake and I definitely cried reading it. It's still gnawing at me.

[khigh]

I've been thinking about the order of phone calls I will make: boyfriend, undergrad advisor, parents in that order.  Then I would order mugs/tshirts for all of them. And then drink all the wine. 

[littlemy]

16 hours ago, TheScienceHoney said:

-Probably scream

-Call my parents, then my boyfriend, then my best friend

-Post on social media, email my rec letter writers

-Cry

-I hadn't thought of taking a day off but I'm totally going to now, I've been working my ass off, I deserve it lol. Probably do some day drinking with friends to celebrate. Relax. Enjoy the happiness.

-Then after that's all passed I'll actually look into accepting admission, the timeline I'll have, places to live, etc. All the practical stuff that comes with it  

I haven't gotten a single interview or acceptance yet. When my first rejection came, it was at 2 AM and I was awake and I definitely cried reading it. It's still gnawing at me.

This is a solid plan. Maybe I'll do just the same, except that taking a day off won't be necessary for me, since I've already been indulging myself in heavy binge-watching and "taking days off" ever since the application process ended. 

I also haven't gotten any interview or acceptance yet. I expect them (or rejection) to arrive from early February, but I'm not so sure. I'm so sorry to hear that you got your first rejection. I really hope you get your first acceptance soon from your favorite school! Best of luck to you!    

 

[haohaohao]

I saw this post yesterday morning, and then received an email from UPenn in a few hours. I quickly grabbed my Mac and expected to be an "interview invitation" since the result came so early. Well, I was not lucky at all. So I guess that receiving a rejection letter as the first news heard turns out to be awful. I could not even sleep last night. 1 rejection, and 8 to go. 

I have one favorite  program. Whenever I picture the admission letter from that program, I guess I will be happy from inside out. I dreamed twice that I got accepted by my dream program, I was soooooooo excited that I woke up myself. Haha! I hope it will come true.

Hearing nothing is a torture, hearing something bad is even worse, I cannot help thinking the rejection letter is like of a "bellwether of ill omen". But feelings and thoughts can be wrong.

It is really a hard time!!!! Good luck to everyone.

 

[senorbrightside]

I will probably scream of excitement, tell a few people about it and wait for the other decisions to be made if it isn't my top choice and cross my fingers the funding will come through so it can happen! 

Sorry to the poster above me who got rejected. I know what that feels like too well! I tried in 2008 and was rejected all around. Last year I was accepted to the one I had money to apply to, but the funding fell through. 

[Bayesian1701]

I had the interesting experience of getting two acceptances in two hours today.

For the first one I called my dad like immediately, and emailed my mentor,  and called/texted other people too.  I then went to my tutoring job and between sessions got another email but then got back to work.  After work, I surprised two of my rec letter writers in person with the news.  I spent the entire afternoon calling/emailing/texting the news to those I hadn't heard.   I opened my graduate school acceptance bottle of champagne and gave myself the afternoon off for homework.   I almost cried tears of joy like a million times today.  The first time it was because I knew I was going to graduate school,  the second time because I realized that it is more likely someone will get into an Ivy League university than someone to get a first round acceptance to the UT Austin stats program,  and again when I realized I cracked the top 20.  I have waited two months basically, and almost every day I feared that I would get no offers.  I literally had the what if I don't get in conversion YESTERDAY with multiple people.  Now everything else is gravy.  I have two funded offers now, am on the shortlist for another and have 6 more places to go.  I can now say with confidence that I will be attending graduate school.  And that is an amazing feeling.

[semling]

I would first find my husband at work and tell him in person (I imagine hugs and 'yays' and maybe some tears will be involved), then immediately tell my mom (and ask her if she can babysit so my husband can take me out to celebrate).

After that, I'll have to keep it a bit on the downlow. I have a job that I need to keep until at least partway through the summer, so I don't want to tell them that I'm leaving this early. So I won't be able to post it on social media, or tell anyone who might mention it by mistake.

[realllllJulia]

Still waiting so I guess this kind of imagination will help.

I will run out of the classroom or my office and call my parents though they are hours ahead. Then I will post it on social media, share it with my close friends, and get myself a drink.

If it happens during a class, I will let the professor know in person right after the class, as both of them provided letters. If it happens at work, I'll tush out to grab some snacks and share the good news with everyone. I'll try my best not screaming out at either place.

On 1/19/2018 at 6:15 PM, khigh said:

Then I would order mugs/tshirts for all of them.

I find it a good idea to order mugs or t-shirts. Will do it definitely! 

I guess I will do nothing the rest of that week, though I will keep pushing myself finishing my thesis.

After I finally calm down, I'll start to plan my moving and find a new apartment.

[butwhyisallthecoffeegone]

I'm going to order myself an extra large buffalo chicken pizza from my favorite pizza place. I'll splurge on a 6 pack of not-Natty Boh beer. I'll call my mom, my dad, my fiance, and my advisor. and then i'm going to freakin' celebrate. 

The next day I'll write thank yous and think strategy, but that first acceptance will be a celebration that I have a next step. 

[Gradgirl2020]

I will eat all the carbs. I'm talking a pizza from my local pizza joint, a cake, a few donuts and many, many last word cocktails.