2020 FALL APPLICATION VENTING THREAD

[lkaitlyn]

5 minutes ago, GradStudentFall2020 said:

From Harvard Chair of Graduate Admission Committee:

"We received close to 300 applications to our PhD program and out of those, we were allowed by the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to make offers to just 10 people."

Yikes, those numbers are scary. But congrats to all the admits!

[webdubois]

1 hour ago, GradStudentFall2020 said:

From Harvard Chair of Graduate Admission Committee:

"We received close to 300 applications to our PhD program and out of those, we were allowed by the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to make offers to just 10 people."

Did you receive this as an acceptance?

[GradStudentFall2020]

32 minutes ago, webdubois said:

Did you receive this as an acceptance?

Yes.

[foxfire123]

1 hour ago, GradStudentFall2020 said:

From Harvard Chair of Graduate Admission Committee:

"We received close to 300 applications to our PhD program and out of those, we were allowed by the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to make offers to just 10 people."

Wow, Brown AND Harvard in a matter of days! Congratulations  

I guess I should set myself up for another disappointing email... Starting to think I won't get in anywhere this cycle. 

[PsyZei]

On 2/8/2020 at 2:45 PM, SOChelp said:

Just looking for some general advice. I RSVP's to a visitation but now have gotten into schools higher on my list so I am thinking about backing out just because I can only take off so many Fridays. Would this be seen as rude? Also any recommendations on how I should word the email. 

My way of viewing it was that it would be ruder to go without any intention of actually considering the school (also, money and time are a thing and traveling is expensive in both money and time). Once I got accepted at one of my top three schools I declined offers for admission and interviews to other schools that weren't the other two of my top three. This is the basis for the emails I sent:

 

[Dr./Etc...],

Thank you so much for your interest in my application and inviting me to [interview for/attend] your program.

I regret to inform you that I will not be [interviewing for/attending] your program, but hope to cross paths with the amazing faculty and students at [University/College] in the future.

 

Best regards,
[Me]

[annetod]

3 hours ago, GradStudentFall2020 said:

From Harvard Chair of Graduate Admission Committee:

"We received close to 300 applications to our PhD program and out of those, we were allowed by the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to make offers to just 10 people."

Damn. Sending out acceptances on a Sunday night? That's a first. 

[passere]

Speculation time: my rejection from Toronto said that they had a particularly strong pool of applicants this year. Could that be making things take longer at other places? Or... it could be something they just say. Who knows. I'm really trying to make these delays make sense XD

[foxfire123]

10 hours ago, annetod said:

Damn. Sending out acceptances on a Sunday night? That's a first. 

Lol I know right? Thought I could put my mind at ease for a couple of days, but I guess this means President’s Day might not be safe either.

[PsyZei]

11 hours ago, passere said:

Speculation time: my rejection from Toronto said that they had a particularly strong pool of applicants this year. Could that be making things take longer at other places? Or... it could be something they just say. Who knows. I'm really trying to make these delays make sense XD

 

1 hour ago, foxfire123 said:

Lol I know right? Thought I could put my mind at ease for a couple of days, but I guess this means President’s Day might not be safe either.

My last admission decision came in the evening. The program had said we'd hear acceptance decisions by end of the week. So when I hadn't heard anything by close of day I assumed I'd been rejected and was like, bummer... Ordered pizza for the family and decided to have a mopey evening. Then boom.

I'm beginning to think admissions and application season in general is just chaotic and there are no rules on when stuff could be sent out or decided (or what could be the tipping point for decisions).

[foxfire123]

36 minutes ago, PsyZei said:

I'm beginning to think admissions and application season in general is just chaotic and there are no rules on when stuff could be sent out or decided (or what could be the tipping point for decisions).

Yeah... I guess so. I just want some good sleep again. I’m on the other side of the world, so I’ve had insomnia for a few weeks now cuz of the nerves. Of course the year I apply would be the one for all the delays ?? 

[socsocssoc]

Congrats who got admitted UMich! This was one of a few schools I applied this year. It seems like they have distributed the acceptance letter already, now I'm waiting for the rejection letter haha. Trying to pretend all good, but you guys know what it feels. Hope get over sooner than not too late. 

[0102030405]

1 hour ago, foxfire123 said:

Yeah... I guess so. I just want some good sleep again. I’m on the other side of the world, so I’ve had insomnia for a few weeks now cuz of the nerves. Of course the year I apply would be the one for all the delays ?? 

This was me too aha! Luckily I heard back from my top school so I’m so longer stressed and don’t bother staying up any more. 

[passere]

I saw this on another social science forum here and thought it could be useful for all of us wondering what's going on from a professor's prospective during admissions.

https://www.reddit.com/r/gradadmissions/comments/ayzqqj/i_was_the_chair_of_the_admissions_committee_heres/

[Brian Jiang]

Has anyone applied to UPenn and still did not see a decision letter on the website? Feel like all decisions are out according to the board, but I haven’t received a final letter or email.

[goodnoodle]

5 minutes ago, Brian Jiang said:

Has anyone applied to UPenn and still did not see a decision letter on the website? Feel like all decisions are out according to the board, but I haven’t received a final letter or email.

Honestly might be a good thing. They could still be considering you for one of the last few spots. (At least this is what I'm telling myself as I wait for a notification from Harvard lool)

[Brian Jiang]

10 minutes ago, goodnoodle said:

Honestly might be a good thing. They could still be considering you for one of the last few spots. (At least this is what I'm telling myself as I wait for a notification from Harvard lool)

Hope this is the case. And good luck to you!!!

[Meylinaless]

Good morning! I hope the waiting time is over or almost over for most of you!! We are almost there!

I was just wondering for those who applied to UChicago and have not heard back yet, does the admission portal now asks you to submit official transcripts? I do not see any decision letter or status change...so I find this a bit puzzling. 

[PoliticalSociology]

Does anyone know when NYU's visit day is? I think they're announcing decisions soon, but I want to go ahead and book flights for other visit days if possible.

[annetod]

3 hours ago, Meylinaless said:

Good morning! I hope the waiting time is over or almost over for most of you!! We are almost there!

I was just wondering for those who applied to UChicago and have not heard back yet, does the admission portal now asks you to submit official transcripts? I do not see any decision letter or status change...so I find this a bit puzzling. 

Yeah, mine also says that. But I didn't even get an interview, so I definitely didn't get in. Probably just a system issue. 

[SOCGRAD2020]

Has anyone else not heard back from Cornell yet? I noticed lots of rejections and a few acceptances posted, but it's only been crickets on my end.

[DeadAccount]

On 2/17/2020 at 11:04 AM, socsocssoc said:

Congrats who got admitted UMich! This was one of a few schools I applied this year. It seems like they have distributed the acceptance letter already, now I'm waiting for the rejection letter haha. Trying to pretend all good, but you guys know what it feels. Hope get over sooner than not too late. 

I was just rejected from my fourth and final PhD application so I feel ya. ? 

[socsocssoc]

7 minutes ago, SocAnth_Lou said:

I was just rejected from my fourth and final PhD application so I feel ya. ? 

haha thanks. I'm waiting for UMich's rejection letter to abandon meaningless hope. 

[lkaitlyn]

42 minutes ago, socsocssoc said:

haha thanks. I'm waiting for UMich's rejection letter to abandon meaningless hope. 

I will never understand why programs torture us by holding out on rejecting us for as long as possible. Arg.

[DeadAccount]

1 hour ago, socsocssoc said:

haha thanks. I'm waiting for UMich's rejection letter to abandon meaningless hope. 

Hopefully you will get better news from somewhere else soon!

[jamieack]

I'm not really sure if this is the right thread to post this in but I'm not sure where else to turn. I've only been accepted to 1 PhD program that was close to the bottom of my list, and all other schools I have heard from have been flat out rejections no waitlist. I'm about to graduate from undergrad, and I would like to go straight to my PhD (I don't know what I'd do if I didn't) but I'm worried with how competitive everything is I won't be able to get a full time job as a professor if I don't get my degree from a top 25 sociology program. If there's another thread this is more suited for please let me know.