2021 Cycle

[HeartOfGlass]

10 minutes ago, lalalalalala123 said:

Hey guys,  i saw some posts said accepted via phone. i am just very curious. if u r an international student, will the grad school call u too? After all, there is a time difference, isn't there?

I think the calling is just a nice gesture to let you know before the official letter is sent out. They will send out the letter by email eventually, and if you are admitted, they will make sure you get the news.

[JimmyR]

12 hours ago, jetsetter said:

I haven't received anything from NYU GSAS. I'm guessing it's a rejection ?

Same here on both counts. 

[iamlia]

14 hours ago, jetsetter said:

I haven't received anything from NYU GSAS. I'm guessing it's a rejection :/

Same here, assuming a rejection but no update on portal, email or anything...

[whyamIhere]

To those who were referred to MAPSS, did you your application portal update? It is not an acceptance/rejection update, it just created a new application for me for some reason. 

[FrigidSky701]

Another week has started. Fingers crossed!

[saffasrass]

I think the most frustrating part of this cycle has been getting stuck in a sort of "limbo" for some schools, where we've seen both rejections and acceptances go out, but heard nothing ourself. It leaves me with a sense of hope, even though I know it's likely that they just haven't gotten around to rejecting everyone. I appreciate the cold efficiency of UT and other schools who send everything out at once/within a few days of initial rejections/acceptances, leaving no ambiguity.

Anyways, good luck to everyone still waiting to hear back from schools, or also stuck in limbo!

[JimmyR]

I just received an email from NYU....

Completely unrelated to my application! A spam-y (GRE-generated, I imagine) invitation to a "Summer Publishing Institute"! 

Verrryyyy poor timing -- I thought that I was finally going to be out of one of my two remaining purgatories! 

Good luck everyone. 

[SleeplessInSomewhere]

I'm starting to think Rutgers is not going to be able to secure the funds for the students they admitted...

[__both__]

1 hour ago, SleeplessInSomewhere said:

I'm starting to think Rutgers is not going to be able to secure the funds for the students they admitted...

It's easier for me to imagine that they're just waiting for things to shake out a bit before they offer the ~four packages they ostensibly already have. But who knows.

[jumpertowest]

My application cycle is almost over now. All rejections but one waitlist...was not prepared for this but it is what it is...Wonder how many people are also waitlisted by UChicago? Honestly I do not have any hope for that now. Need to spend a few days to clear my mind, accept the resutls, and start job hunting now. 

Edited February 23, 2021 by jumpertowest

[donaldduckheim]

1 hour ago, jumpertowest said:

My application cycle is almost over now. All rejections but one waitlist...was not prepared for this but it is what it is...Wonder how many people are also waitlisted by UChicago? Honestly I do not have any hope for that now. Need to spend a few days to clear my mind, accept the resutls, and start job hunting now. 

I'm sorry to hear this  this cycle really has been unforgiving. Seems like everyone is getting fewer acceptances than anticipated. I don't know how many they're waitlisting but I hope UChicago works out for you

 

[saffasrass]

I can now officially say being waitlisted after interviewing feels worse than rejections or being waitlisted with no contact first. Rip. 

[townny]

On 2/16/2021 at 8:35 PM, mikeymiddle said:

 

I can definitely empathize with you here haha. I have been waitlisted three times--two of which were after interviews--and it definitely didn't feel great.

But keep your head up! I got into one of these schools (Stony Brook) shortly after being waitlisted. Being waitlisted means that you are wanted, especially in this crazy window. I'll likely be declining any offer from Texas A&M so that will increase your odds there. Good luck!

Edited February 23, 2021 by townny

[donaldduckheim]

Do schools have to tell you you've been rejected? Or is it common to not get responses at all from some places? 

[LMSoc]

17 minutes ago, donaldduckheim said:

Do schools have to tell you you've been rejected? Or is it common to not get responses at all from some places? 

I have heard from some current phd students and academics that there were cases of never hearing back from some programs (I'm blanking on which, but I know I read it a few times on twitter). I'm hoping that with the chaos of this cycle, programs won't take anything lightly. I'm assuming it's just taking longer to get decisions made. I think a lot of programs are trying to play their odds of getting as many students as they can for decent cohort size (even if it's smaller than their norm) but struggling with funding and/or directives from DGS offices, hence why some people (like me) got offer(s) without guaranteed funding. Not all programs seem to be willing to make offers without funding, and others seem to be making a lot more offers without it.

Fingers crossed people get good news and clarity soon!

[NeckPocket]

5 hours ago, jumpertowest said:

My application cycle is almost over now. All rejections but one waitlist...was not prepared for this but it is what it is...Wonder how many people are also waitlisted by UChicago? Honestly I do not have any hope for that now. Need to spend a few days to clear my mind, accept the resutls, and start job hunting now. 

I was rejected after the 2nd or 3rd wave of rejections. Not saying you should have unwarranted hope, but you're not out of the game yet either. 

[gforgreat]

The most frustrating part about this cycle is that, I wasn't even able to apply to my dream programs because they paused the app process. Thankfully, I was accepted to some programs, but since they are not my top choices, I am debating whether or not I should decline the offers and retry for another year to apply to my dream schools. There is no guarantee I would be accepted to my dream schools next year, so this feels like a gamble at this point.

[saffasrass]

37 minutes ago, gforgreat said:

The most frustrating part about this cycle is that, I wasn't even able to apply to my dream programs because they paused the app process. Thankfully, I was accepted to some programs, but since they are not my top choices, I am debating whether or not I should decline the offers and retry for another year to apply to my dream schools. There is no guarantee I would be accepted to my dream schools next year, so this feels like a gamble at this point.

This is exactly where I stand right now. Besides one program I'm waitlisted at, I feel like I could get into a program with a bitter fit in a more normal cycle. So the question is, do I settle if I do get accepted?

But we also have to consider that who knows what next cycle will be like... some programs might not have gotten over their funding issues, and might keep smaller cohorts in order to prioritize current students. The uncertainty about next year is honestly the thing that's hardest to overcome. But there's still a bit less than two months before final decisions have to be made, so I can try to put it at the back of my mind for a bit longer.

Edited February 24, 2021 by samuelmsafford

[donaldduckheim]

1 hour ago, gforgreat said:

The most frustrating part about this cycle is that, I wasn't even able to apply to my dream programs because they paused the app process. Thankfully, I was accepted to some programs, but since they are not my top choices, I am debating whether or not I should decline the offers and retry for another year to apply to my dream schools. There is no guarantee I would be accepted to my dream schools next year, so this feels like a gamble at this point.

I totally get that too. 

It might not matter in the end, but the one silver lining I could potentially see about this cycle is what smaller cohort sizes/some top schools not accepting could mean for placement down the line. I feel so guilty saying that, though. I think the world needs as many sociologists as possible...

Really hope things work out for you both and you end up where you need to be!

Edited February 24, 2021 by donaldduckheim

[LMSoc]

9 hours ago, donaldduckheim said:

It might not matter in the end, but the one silver lining I could potentially see about this cycle is what smaller cohort sizes/some top schools not accepting could mean for placement down the line. I feel so guilty saying that, though. I think the world needs as many sociologists as possible...

I hadn't even thought of that....but that's a plausible possibility. One of my mentors has been trying encourage me despite the academic job market looking so stark (I really want to teach full-time). He keeps telling me in the next five years there will be a lot of retirement and expansion, so fingers crossed he's right and maybe if this theory is also true we'll have an easier go on the market. Also agree: the world needs more sociologists, of all different types of specialities/focus areas!

[lalalalalala123]

Hello, i am wondering if someone get some new information about Umich. Last week i emailed and they said they already sent out all the offers. 

[cec2021]

Hey y'all. I have to get on a soap box quickly. I really hate the phrase "full funding". I have been seeing people post in the results section that they have been accepted with "full funding". There is no such thing as full funding. There could always be more funding. Could we start saying "standard funding".  I have been told to my face and in writing that a school will try to match my other offers, and one school gave me recruitment funding. Another didn't, but I know they have some that they do give to some candidates. Point is, "full" implies that you can't get more and that it is enough, which is really not true for the standard offer at most programs. 

[letmeindotjpg]

I've been accepted into two schools. Waitlisted on funding for both. How frustrating. 

[socapp21]

4 hours ago, cec2021 said:

Hey y'all. I have to get on a soap box quickly. I really hate the phrase "full funding". I have been seeing people post in the results section that they have been accepted with "full funding". There is no such thing as full funding. There could always be more funding. Could we start saying "standard funding".  I have been told to my face and in writing that a school will try to match my other offers, and one school gave me recruitment funding. Another didn't, but I know they have some that they do give to some candidates. Point is, "full" implies that you can't get more and that it is enough, which is really not true for the standard offer at most programs. 

This a great point. Also "full funding" can vary at each institution in terms of RA or TA workload. The use of "full" further implies that the recipient should be exceedingly grateful when in reality you're accepting a salary that is basically non-negotiable for 5 years.

Edited February 24, 2021 by socapp21

[Planted]

For folks getting admitted but waitlisted for funding - congrats on the admits, and that sounds super frustrating.   I hope your funding comes through soon!!

I'm just curious if these are programs that say they guarantee funding for all admitted students (in normal times)? Or are they programs that don't guarantee funding per se, but do typically provide funding?