Will we hear back later or earlier this year because of the COVID situation?

[StarkDark1]

I was wondering how COVID will affect the timing of the admissions offers.  It seems like most people are saying that fewer people are applying this year to PhD programs, but that the programs also have fewer spots open.  Does that mean we can expect to hear back earlier, since there are fewer applications to review?  In normal years, programs seem to send admits around early or mid February.  

[Sad Politics]

The short answer is that we do not know for sure, but it is clear that the number of applications has increased substantially. In a tweet, Ian Turner (Yale) said that they received around twice as many applications this year. I have read similar things about MIT, so it is safe to say that the number of applications is way up. However, it is unclear how that will affect the timing of decisions, and they have been very constant in previous years.

 

 

 

[brickinthewall]

56 minutes ago, StarkDark1 said:

fewer people are applying this year to PhD programs

I would love to hear back earlier... this wait is brutal! I've been banking on early/mid February for now, though, which seems to be standard from previous years. 

That said, I'm intrigued where you've seen this re: a decrease in applications given the posts in this thread about various tweets suggesting huge increases in application numbers in certain programs. Presuming an increase in app numbers, I was wondering if we wouldn't hear back later than normal (sadly). 

[Sad Politics]

Just now, Alfonso Galicia said:

In a tweet, Ian Turner (Yale) said that they received around twice as many applications this year.

Here is the tweet: 

 

[polisci_gal]

From each of the faculty that I spoke to prior to submitting applications, most of them still stuck by the previous years standard of hearing back anywhere from mid Jan to mid Feb. So i'm hopeful that even with the influx of applicants, we will still hear back in the next few weeks! Im obviously checking my e-mail way too much tho.....cant help it!

[Sad Politics]

1 hour ago, polisci_gal said:

From each of the faculty that I spoke to prior to submitting applications, most of them still stuck by the previous years standard of hearing back anywhere from mid Jan to mid Feb.

This is very useful, thank you for sharing that info.

[irinmn]

8 hours ago, StarkDark1 said:

I was wondering how COVID will affect the timing of the admissions offers.  It seems like most people are saying that fewer people are applying this year to PhD programs, but that the programs also have fewer spots open.  Does that mean we can expect to hear back earlier, since there are fewer applications to review?  In normal years, programs seem to send admits around early or mid February.  

Not sure where you heard/read that there are fewer applications but this would contradict history. Applications usually increase during recessions and decrease when the economy is good. See: https://news.stanford.edu/2015/03/06/higher-ed-hoxby-030615/ Not sure why it would be any different this time. The exception is if the most optimistic of economic forecasts is accurate and we have a fast recovery. 

[BrownSugar]

On 1/12/2021 at 5:40 PM, polisci_gal said:

From each of the faculty that I spoke to prior to submitting applications, most of them still stuck by the previous years standard of hearing back anywhere from mid Jan to mid Feb. So i'm hopeful that even with the influx of applicants, we will still hear back in the next few weeks! Im obviously checking my e-mail way too much tho.....cant help it!

Thanks for sharing! I hope it is the case. Even though I know I won’t receive anything yet, I can’t help but constantly refresh my email as well. Best of luck! 

[icemanyeo]

35 minutes ago, BrownSugar said:

Thanks for sharing! I hope it is the case. Even though I know I won’t receive anything yet, I can’t help but constantly refresh my email as well. Best of luck! 

I'm on winter break until mid-February, so I keep having a heart attack every time I hear the notification sound for my email. It's supposed to be my time to relax but PhD admissions are consuming it. ?

[ovejal]

FWIW, Vanderbilt sent out an email letting applicants know of the decision timeline, which is consistent with past years. 

[StarkDark1]

7 minutes ago, ovejal said:

FWIW, Vanderbilt sent out an email letting applicants know of the decision timeline, which is consistent with past years. 

Nice, when did they say they expect to send out admits?

[ovejal]

Just now, StarkDark1 said:

Nice, when did they say they expect to send out admits?

Week of Feb. 15 or early the following week.

[icemanyeo]

8 hours ago, StarkDark1 said:

Nice, when did they say they expect to send out admits?

I know Chicago sent out an email a couple of weeks earlier stating we can expect to hear back in the first two weeks of March as well, with the caveat that the department might informally notify an applicant earlier than that.

[BrownSugar]

35 minutes ago, icemanyeo said:

I know Chicago sent out an email a couple of weeks earlier stating we can expect to hear back in the first two weeks of March as well, with the caveat that the department might informally notify an applicant earlier than that.

I remember they also mentioned we may or may not be contacted for interviews. Do you know the poli sci department’s approach on this, i.e. do they ever interview? I haven’t seen anything about that 

[Sad Politics]

48 minutes ago, BrownSugar said:

Do you know the poli sci department’s approach on this, i.e. do they ever interview? I haven’t seen anything about that 

According to what has been posted in GradCafe, they don't seem to interview applicants (https://martindevaux.com/2020/11/political-science-phd-admission-decisions/). My impression is that interviews are not common in poli sci admissions, but I may be wrong. Any thoughts on this? 

[Barry B. Benson]

9 hours ago, icemanyeo said:

I'm on winter break until mid-February, so I keep having a heart attack every time I hear the notification sound for my email. It's supposed to be my time to relax but PhD admissions are consuming it. ?

Something that may help: I deleted the email that I used for the applications (my old undergrad email address) from my phone, leaving only my personal email. That way, I only ever can check if I have gotten any response if I use my PC. I thought this out specifically for February, as that will probably be the busiest month for decisions.

[polisci_gal]

11 hours ago, icemanyeo said:

 I keep having a heart attack every time I hear the notification sound for my email.

I feel this big time. Next few weeks are going to be rough lol

[icemanyeo]

9 hours ago, Barry B. Benson said:

Something that may help: I deleted the email that I used for the applications (my old undergrad email address) from my phone, leaving only my personal email. That way, I only ever can check if I have gotten any response if I use my PC. I thought this out specifically for February, as that will probably be the busiest month for decisions.

Unfortunately, I registered using my grad email and am working on a co-authored paper over break, so not having mobile access to that email address isn't possible. I appreciate the suggestion though!

7 hours ago, polisci_gal said:

I feel this big time. Next few weeks are going to be rough lol

One of my coping mechanisms is taking part in PhD meme pages and groups on Facebook ?.

[smug-face]

15 hours ago, icemanyeo said:

Unfortunately, I registered using my grad email and am working on a co-authored paper over break, so not having mobile access to that email address isn't possible. I appreciate the suggestion though!

I feel you! My strategy was to send all the emails from the domains of the programs to which I've applied to a specific mailbox (I did this with Outlook, but I'm sure any client can do that), not my inbox. So I never get notified for PhD-related emails and I need to check manually!