Fall 2019 Applicants

[Lemonsour123]

@perpetualalligator You would think that waiting gets easier after an acceptance but it still really sucks, I'm fully expecting a rejection from UIUC at this point but I just want to know.  

As for a waitlist response, I would thank them and reiterate your interest in the program but thats it unless you have incredible information to update (like a published paper). You don't want to annoy them too much lol

Edited January 16, 2019 by Lemonsour123

[pyramidstuds]

I created an account just to participate in this thread...I know it isn't healthy, but I am constantly on this site refreshing. Just reject me already so I can move on!

I applied to Notre Dame, UNC Chapel Hill (undergrad alma mater), Cornell, UTSA, Virginia, and Illinois. Yesterday, I was rejected from ND, and nearly had a panic attack (seriously) when I saw UIUC was sending out wait list notices? I check that portal 2378945 times a day, no notice or email from them yet. Earlier in this thread, sounds like first round of acceptances have already gone out.

Basically, I am in a panic, I don't expect to be accepted anywhere. Being rejected and then *feeling* rejected (by UIUC) in the same day was a lot. Cornell, there's no way, they probably laughed at my application--but I applied just for fun. I don't think I applied to enough programs.

Sorry for the panic. I didn't even tell many friends/family I am applying to PhD programs, because I don't think I will get in anywhere, and don't want to be embarrassed when that happens. So I have nobody to talk to.

Edited January 16, 2019 by pyramidstuds
Clarity

[perpetualalligator]

@pyramidstuds I am so sorry to hear that The waiting for decisions part is definitely the worst, but also you are not alone in this. We are all freaking out and constantly refreshing this site so welcome to the abyss! I also completely get the feeling of panic; before I got the Illinois decision I was thinking that I wouldn't get in anywhere (still haven't but I try to stay optimistic).

Is this your first time applying? As you probably might find out as you read the threads in this forum, sometimes it takes more than one try to get in, this for instance is my second time applying. I know that really does not help but also that does not mean that you are not good enough or smart enough and you definitely should not feel ashamed or embarrassed. For the most part it really depends on whether or not the department thinks your research will mesh well with their interests and even then they might not have the funding. It sucks, but it's not personal (even though it feels like it), and most of the time it's out of our control. I hope this helps a bit, feel free to pm me if you want to talk and also there are a bunch of threads where you can vent and talk about your worries in here so feel free to just get things off your chest! Best of luck!

Here are some threads that I found useful:

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by perpetualalligator

[Lemonsour123]

Welcome @pyramidstuds! I'm sorry you went through that yesterday  I will admit to eating a lot of ice cream last night over UIUC's implied decision. I think many decisions come down to fit, I've talked to my POI at Ohio a few times before, and honestly the fit with them and with the program is pretty perfect, while at UIUC my POI never even replied. Fit isn't just about talking to POI's however, and many people get in just because their projects work well with the department. While I'm sure you have good news coming your way soon, it might ease your panic to work on a solid backup plan. I know it helped me to look for CRM jobs or even just summer internships so that I knew I would have something if I didn't get in anywhere. 

 

[perpetualalligator]

Sorry for spamming so much, but I found this is in the results page and since some people where wondering about Duke it seems like all interview requests have gone out ? . By the way what´s the deal with notifying people about rejections much later? Wouldn't it be easier to just send a mass email at the same time they send interview requests? It just seems unnecessarily mean to not give people closure when a rejection is already implied. I find it so annoying.

 

[pyramidstuds]

Wow, thanks to you both for the thoughtful responses. I hate that "misery loves company" but it really does help to have people who relate to a very specific situation. Plus, I am pretty naive about the goings on with all this stuff, so having insight from others is helpful.

I've barely browsed this forum, I mostly just live on the results page (but will visit the threads you recommended, @perpetualalligator, thank you!) so I am learning a lot, for example, "implied decisions." @Lemonsour123 you mentioned that, and we're in the same boat with the same school--am I thinking right that we are kind of on a second tier wait list (if they've already sent out a wave of offers and wait list notices)? Is this common?

Also, I am a first-time applicant, and I didn't realize how often folks applied multiple times. I am currently enrolled in a Master's Program (graduating May 2019) and I work full-time, too. So my back-up plan is staying in my job, where I am not fulfilled. But, I guess, I am lucky to have that option. My plan is to hit the job search hard if/when I am unanimously rejected.

Thanks again to you both.

[pyramidstuds]

Sorry for a double post, but also wondering if, in the case of an "implied decision," I should contact the school (in this case UIUC). I see so many people on the results pages who receive a decision after emailing. I wonder, should I be doing the same? Does it show initiative that could matter? I have been erring on the side of not wanting to annoy. Or, am I just delaying the inevitable? I'm dangling in this weird space where I want to be put out of misery, not waiting, but I also worry about the finality of emailing and getting a "no."

[Lemonsour123]

@pyramidstuds So I went a little crazy and looked at all the decision dates from the past, it looks like waitlist decisions come out on the same day or right acceptances and rejections come slightly after that. So we may be on a second tier waitlist but I'm not really holding much hope at this point. The good news is that UIUC does tend to send rejections pretty soon after other decisions so at least we will know soon. You could ask through an email but I'm not sure where that will get you, they will probably just tell you that decisions will come soon. 

[pyramidstuds]

@Lemonsour123 ha, I did the same thing! For everywhere I applied...?

[perpetualalligator]

9 minutes ago, pyramidstuds said:

@Lemonsour123 ha, I did the same thing! For everywhere I applied...?

@pyramidstudsMe too! Unfortunately it doesn't really help with the anxiety, if anything I feel that time goes by slower as I anticipate the decision dates lol. Has it helped you?

Also this website can be so eyeopening. The first time I applied I was so clueless about the process and even now I am learning so much. It is insane the amount of stuff you just don't know if you don't have any mentors or anyone to guide you through the application process.

Edited January 16, 2019 by perpetualalligator

[pyramidstuds]

16 minutes ago, perpetualalligator said:

@pyramidstudsMe too! Unfortunately it doesn't really help with the anxiety, if anything I feel that time goes by slower as I anticipate the decision dates lol. Has it helped you?

Also this website can be so eyeopening. The first time I applied I was so clueless about the process and even now I am learning so much. It is insane the amount of stuff you just don't know if you don't have any mentors or anyone to guide you through the application process.

I don't think it's helped me be less anxious, but it does help (as you mention) with opening my eyes to the process. For the two decisions I've received thus far (ND and UIUC), the dates were pretty close in years previous. I guess it helps manage expectations, but not anxiety.

My only friend who has done this process of applying for PhDs is in clinical psychology, and the worlds are vastly different, it seems, so I'm glad to have this anthro-specific spot!

[scarseed]

Man I did not expect to get into Duke given that Petersons says they have a 6% acceptance rate but I was so caught off guard by seeing anything at all that I just feel awful today. Oh well.; 

1 - REJECT

10 - ?

[pyramidstuds]

17 minutes ago, scarseed said:

Man I did not expect to get into Duke given that Petersons says they have a 6% acceptance rate but I was so caught off guard by seeing anything at all that I just feel awful today. Oh well.; 

1 - REJECT

10 - ?

Yeah. Despite my very best efforts to not have hopes up, knowing the reality, the numbers...the actual rejections still sting.

[pmcol]

Hey everyone! Let's keep our hopes up and our chins up. I know it's tough seeing the decisions starting to roll in, especially if we're in our second or third application cycle (like me!). But, I am sure there is a place for each of our smart brains. Definitely, anxiety can creep up as the results (and anticipated rejection letters) unfold on gradcafe. Doesn't mean we aren't capable researchers. Whatever school we are admitted into will be the right one!

[perpetualalligator]

Does anyone know who the UIUC acceptance is or wants to claim it? Also if that mysterious soul sees this do you mind sharing your POI's initials? Something tells me that they might never appear but I hate it so much when people use the results page to ask this stuff and I refuse to do it.

[Imalthica]

I applied, in order of interest, to Tulane (socio-cultural, as well as EEB), UT Austin (geography and EEB), Texas A&M (archaeology), UHawai'i (Botany), and UArizona (EEB). I wanna study ethnoecology and historical ecology in the gulf south to southwest, and central America. But Tulane is my top interest, I really, really wanna go there!  My partner applied there too, for linguistics and linguistic anthropology (wants to study language preservation and phonetics in the south and central America), so my fingers are super crossed!

 

I just got my first rejection letter from UArizona, probably because no one I contacted there actually replied *eyeroll*, and I'm not super hopeful about Hawai'i either, but I'm optimistic about the rest!

Edited January 17, 2019 by Imalthica

[pmcol]

41 minutes ago, Imalthica said:

I applied, in order of interest, to Tulane (socio-cultural, as well as EEB), UT Austin (geography and EEB), Texas A&M (archaeology), UHawai'i (Botany), and UArizona (EEB). I wanna study ethnoecology and historical ecology in the gulf south to southwest, and central America. But Tulane is my top interest, I really, really wanna go there!  My partner applied there too, for linguistics and linguistic anthropology (wants to study language preservation and phonetics in the south and central America), so my fingers are super crossed!

 

I just got my first rejection letter from UArizona, probably because no one I contacted there actually replied *eyeroll*, and I'm not super hopeful about Hawai'i either, but I'm optimistic about the rest!

I'm sorry to hear about your rejection from UArizona. Sounds like you have a particular interest and I'm sure you're more than qualified. Keep at it, Tulane is an excellent institution. If you're optimistic about your other applications, that's great!

Here rooting for you!

[KuroNeko]

On 1/17/2019 at 12:59 AM, perpetualalligator said:

Also this website can be so eyeopening. The first time I applied I was so clueless about the process and even now I am learning so much. It is insane the amount of stuff you just don't know if you don't have any mentors or anyone to guide you through the application process.

This is my second time applying, and after having submitted my applications, I have just now found out about this site. I spent a lot of time looking at past posts and at the response times of last year, and that's been really helpful to know about when I should expect to hear something. At least for me, that has helped with my anxiety a little, too. 

Anyway, seven years ago I applied to six schools, and after being soundly rejected everywhere, I was offered the MAPSS program at Chicago instead, which I took (and I don't recommend). Then I've spent five and a half years in my country of focus, and I'm now trying again, this time applying to nine schools. 

I've been accepted to one school with funding (in the country where I'm living), but I haven't heard from any schools in the US or Canada. I've been obsessively hitting refresh on my email, and now this website. 

Fingers crossed for everyone!

[Mofanthrooo]

This is my second time applying too!! I saw that someone got an interview offer from UPenn on the results page. Would it be better to expect "no" from UPenn since I didn't get it...? ?

I'm afraid to see all the results rolling in haha

 

[LetsGetThisBread]

1 hour ago, Mofanthrooo said:

This is my second time applying too!! I saw that someone got an interview offer from UPenn on the results page. Would it be better to expect "no" from UPenn since I didn't get it...? ?

I'm afraid to see all the results rolling in haha

 

Hey Mofanthroo,  It's often a pretty safe bet. The waitlists are typically chosen from the interviewees as well.

I've got the same feeling about Duke haha, all we can do is look forward and hope all our other schools support us. 

[pyramidstuds]

I am in the same boat with Illinois. I just learned about "implied rejections" this week, through this site. Frustrating to say the least--I guess I am confused about why they don't send rejections at the same time as acceptance/wait list? Anybody know?

I suppose "implied rejections" didn't exist before a site like this, now we now know more about the sequence of the decision-making process.

[Psyhopeful]

28 minutes ago, pyramidstuds said:

I am in the same boat with Illinois. I just learned about "implied rejections" this week, through this site. Frustrating to say the least--I guess I am confused about why they don't send rejections at the same time as acceptance/wait list? Anybody know?

I suppose "implied rejections" didn't exist before a site like this, now we now know more about the sequence of the decision-making process.

I think it’s probably just easier to send them to everyone once they know for sure who they’re admitting. Some of the people who interview will also be rejected, and there’s also the slim chance that someone who didn’t interview will interview later or be waitlisted, so they do them all at once once they’ve made their final decisions.

[pmcol]

11 hours ago, KuroNeko said:

This is my second time applying, and after having submitted my applications, I have just now found out about this site. I spent a lot of time looking at past posts and at the response times of last year, and that's been really helpful to know about when I should expect to hear something. At least for me, that has helped with my anxiety a little, too. 

Anyway, seven years ago I applied to six schools, and after being soundly rejected everywhere, I was offered the MAPSS program at Chicago instead, which I took (and I don't recommend). Then I've spent five and a half years in my country of focus, and I'm now trying again, this time applying to nine schools. 

I've been accepted to one school with funding (in the country where I'm living), but I haven't heard from any schools in the US or Canada. I've been obsessively hitting refresh on my email, and now this website. 

Fingers crossed for everyone!

Hey KuroNeko, good luck to you. I hope that this round goes your way. 

It's great to hear that you've received an acceptance from an institution in your country of origin! Let me congratulate you on your hard work, I'm sure this bodes well for your other applications. I, too, have yet to hear from universities in either the United States or Canada, so let's keep our fingers crossed for each other.

I've only recently heard of the MAPSS program, but it seems quite divisive. Maybe you can provide us with some insight? It may help those of us who find ourselves in a similar position this application round, having to decided between a gap year or attending a program like MAPSS.

[pyramidstuds]

1 hour ago, pmcol said:

Hey KuroNeko, good luck to you. I hope that this round goes your way. 

It's great to hear that you've received an acceptance from an institution in your country of origin! Let me congratulate you on your hard work, I'm sure this bodes well for your other applications. I, too, have yet to hear from universities in either the United States or Canada, so let's keep our fingers crossed for each other.

I've only recently heard of the MAPSS program, but it seems quite divisive. Maybe you can provide us with some insight? It may help those of us who find ourselves in a similar position this application round, having to decided between a gap year or attending a program like MAPSS.

I am also interested about this. I see there's a separate discussion thread about it, but I hadn't checked it out because I didn't know the acronym.

[pyramidstuds]

3 hours ago, Psyhopeful said:

I think it’s probably just easier to send them to everyone once they know for sure who they’re admitting. Some of the people who interview will also be rejected, and there’s also the slim chance that someone who didn’t interview will interview later or be waitlisted, so they do them all at once once they’ve made their final decisions.

Makes sense! What about programs that don't interview? The programs to which I applied seem to be 50/50 interview or not (and I don't think Illinois interviews).