2021-2022 Application Thread

[linabean]

41 minutes ago, kmccorm2 said:

Question for those of you who have made it into your dream schools. First of all, congratulations! It's so great to know that there are colleagues are getting in places, and that we can (hopefully) do that too! 

So a lot of you have said that you worked really hard on refining your statement of purpose. Did you work with professors in the field to do that, or have some sort of service review it? I feel as though it's difficult (at least for me) to refine my SoP, since most of the people that I have looking at it aren't scholars or in the field specifically. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! As we're waiting to hear back from a lot of schools over the next few weeks, feeling like I'm at least doing SOMETHING to make my application package more competitive will (hopefully) help my mental wellbeing lol

For me, I worked on my basic SOP during my summer research program last year at MSU. Then when I personalized it for each program, I had my research program director and my research advisor look it over and provide edits as necessary. 

[ballofstress]

5 hours ago, Hazel C said:

0A/4R/11P So far. Very disappointed. 

Georgetown, Illinois Urbana Champaign, Maryland - released email for acceptance, I haven't received any, means rejection..?  

NW, Cornell, Hopkins, UC Boulder, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Northeastern, SUNY Binghamton - hasn't released any result 

Is this correct? I still want some hope,,, Please let me know if this is incorrect info!^  CP subfield. 

I would probably assume rejection from Illinois Urbana Champaign. They seemingly have already sent out acceptances and waitlists. I'm sorry, hang in there. There is still a lot to go. 

[polyglotaspiring]

56 minutes ago, kmccorm2 said:

So a lot of you have said that you worked really hard on refining your statement of purpose. Did you work with professors in the field to do that, or have some sort of service review it? I feel as though it's difficult (at least for me) to refine my SoP, since most of the people that I have looking at it aren't scholars or in the field specifically. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Personally, I didn't do as much as I could with my SoP, but I ended up getting into a school that I really want to attend. I had one of my undergraduate college's career service advisors look over my SoPs as well as a couple of friends. I submitted after a couple rounds of revisions based on that feedback. I would say if I were to do it again, I would reach out to some of my professors for review as well. Overall, I heard from a lot of professors / people in the field that LoRs mean more than anything else. I hope that helps!

[LatinAmericanFootball]

1 hour ago, kmccorm2 said:

Question for those of you who have made it into your dream schools. First of all, congratulations! It's so great to know that there are colleagues are getting in places, and that we can (hopefully) do that too! 

So a lot of you have said that you worked really hard on refining your statement of purpose. Did you work with professors in the field to do that, or have some sort of service review it? I feel as though it's difficult (at least for me) to refine my SoP, since most of the people that I have looking at it aren't scholars or in the field specifically. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! As we're waiting to hear back from a lot of schools over the next few weeks, feeling like I'm at least doing SOMETHING to make my application package more competitive will (hopefully) help my mental wellbeing lol

I worked a lot on my SOP. I kicked it off following these suggestions by @sloth_girl (an extremely successful applicant from a couple years ago):

https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/122272-results-profile-lessons-2020/page/2/?tab=comments#comment-1058764080

I also asked my advisor to review it and also had it reviewed by some friends from college. I really recommend having at least one professor or academically-oriented friend (if they're already in a PhD in the US, even better) take a look at it. People who are not into academia probably won't know what a good SOP should look like and might end up confusing you or assuming it has to be a personal statement (when in fact it should be mostly about your research).

[honeymoow]

2 hours ago, HJ95 said:

One of the professors also reached out to me, and I am talking to him him tomorrow. I think you need to give them permission to contact you so that they can reach out. (In the first unofficial email it asks if you agree to give permission)

I actually never consented—I believe that's only for them to match you with current graduate students!

[PoliSci_PhDgal]

Omg! Just got into UCLA! Thought all offers had already gone out so wasn't expecting it at all!

CP subfield! 

 

Aslo, just interviewed at UC Santa barbara - they should start sending other interview invites soon too! It's been a great evening for me

 

[DanTheGrad]

Haven't been on in a bit to help ease admissions anxiety but I wanted to share that I received an interview invite from UCSB on Sunday afternoon and had my interview yesterday. I think it went really well but fingers crossed.

 

With that said, knowing that UMD has started sending out acceptances has given me so much more anxiety as it is one of the last chances for me and my partner to go to the same school. So, not only am I keeping my fingers crossed... I am asking anyone who has been accepted to other programs and knows they will not be going to UMD to decline their offers as soon as possible as I really don't want to be separated from my partner for 5+ years. 

 

I am still rooting for all of us during this crazy and anxious time.

[smallcrown]

Anyone of you claiming the acceptance to IU Bloomington? Hell of a GPA.

[LM2022]

I got an acceptance email from JHU just half an hour ago...anyone else got the same thing?

[danni11105]

Claiming an IU Bloomington acceptance (comparative politics)! Given the funding, faculty fit, etc. I most possibly won’t attend so I will decline the offer soon after some thoughts

[Hazel C]

6 hours ago, ballofstress said:

I would probably assume rejection from Illinois Urbana Champaign. They seemingly have already sent out acceptances and waitlists. I'm sorry, hang in there. There is still a lot to go. 

Thanks. Appreciate it. Do you know any school that I can assume rejection at this point on my list? 

[scared_phd]

6 hours ago, LatinAmericanFootball said:

I worked a lot on my SOP. I kicked it off following these suggestions by @sloth_girl (an extremely successful applicant from a couple years ago):

https://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/122272-results-profile-lessons-2020/page/2/?tab=comments#comment-1058764080

I also asked my advisor to review it and also had it reviewed by some friends from college. I really recommend having at least one professor or academically-oriented friend (if they're already in a PhD in the US, even better) take a look at it. People who are not into academia probably won't know what a good SOP should look like and might end up confusing you or assuming it has to be a personal statement (when in fact it should be mostly about your research).

I read the @sloth_girl's profile and I couldn't agree more on everything she said. I wish I found her post before I applied. If I had to do it again, I will take so many pointers from that post and I am sure it will increase my chances. So @LatinAmericanFootball, thank you for sharing such a wonderful resource which is comprehensive enough for almost everything we would want to say. 

That being said, I just want to stress how important revising one's SOP is. In my case, I submitted a very well revised SOP when I applied last year and didn't make it mostly due to weaknesses in other parts of my application. Going into the new cycle, I thought I had my SOP on lock and I couldn't have been more wrong. The SOP I thought was good enough and was reviewed so many times last cycle was reviewed multiple times again this cycle which got it in such a great shape that I felt confident submitting it. I was also lucky enough to have a super involved advisor who helped me review it in both cycles. His comments helped me shape my SOP into a mature writing by someone who seems amply ready for grad school. I also had it reviewed by my other advisor whose different insights added more to its nuance. I would mostly advise against getting your SOP reviewed by someone who is not in the field (unless it is a focused review on grammar and wording as @sloth_girlmentioned in her post). The professors who helped me review my SOP were so knowledgeable about what matters and doesn't to be included in a SOP, things someone who is not involved in the field wouldn't know (I didn't!). 

[scared_phd]

Got funding offer from OSU (something called Distinguished University Fellowship). Sharing because somebody asked about it on the forum recently. 

[at1109494]

15 minutes ago, scared_phd said:

Got funding offer from OSU (something called Distinguished University Fellowship). Sharing because somebody asked about it on the forum recently. 

Congrats! Was it via email?

[second-time]

15 minutes ago, scared_phd said:

Got funding offer from OSU (something called Distinguished University Fellowship). Sharing because somebody asked about it on the forum recently. 

Where did you see this? I haven't gotten the official letter yet

Edited February 17, 2022 by second-time

[catiecatie]

7 minutes ago, second-time said:

Where did you see this? I haven't gotten the official letter yet

I got the same email. It's an email from the DGS today, which mentioned that details will be sent later this week.

[serpentstone]

Okay y'all, dreams really do come true - I applied for ONE school only (I'm painfully first-gen lol) and was getting veryyyy nervous, especially since it looked like their results came out a few days ago, but I was finally offered admission to the University of Washington!! ?

[Avocado_town]

Claiming an acceptance from University of Colorado Boulder! Email to check portal some minutes ago.

[at1109494]

12 minutes ago, catiecatie said:

I got the same email. It's an email from the DGS today, which mentioned that details will be sent later this week.

Just curious, did you reach out to the DGS about funding or did she reach out to you?

[catiecatie]

2 minutes ago, at1109494 said:

Just curious, did you reach out to the DGS about funding or did she reach out to you?

Oh I didn't reach out to them, I just received the email.

[scared_phd]

17 minutes ago, catiecatie said:

Oh I didn't reach out to them, I just received the email.

Same. It is just a heads up email with details to come later.  

[SofaPotato]

Does anyone receive Rochester's official letter? I received an unofficial admission email from a professor last week, but I haven't received the official letter yet.

[staylite]

7 minutes ago, SofaPotato said:

Does anyone receive Rochester's official letter? I received an unofficial admission email from a professor last week, but I haven't received the official letter yet.

I got both an admissions email from a POI as well as an automated "decision is updated on the portal" email. The latter had the actual offer letter. I would check that, and if it's not in yet, it's probably still processing or something.

[SofaPotato]

4 minutes ago, staylite said:

I got both an admissions email from a POI as well as an automated "decision is updated on the portal" email. The latter had the actual offer letter. I would check that, and if it's not in yet, it's probably still processing or something.

I see. Thanks so much!

[IAMK]

I hope today would be a crazy happy day for all applicants!!