2023 Application Thread for Communications Program PhD

[Jade_S]

So I found this today, which means unofficially I am now rejected from 3 unis. Starting to lose hope here. Fingers crossed for USC and Syracuse. If anyone who applied to these has a decision, please let me know. I would love any info you can offer. Thank you!

[k8coms]

2 hours ago, Jade_S said:

I think at this point it is safe to contact them directly, maybe even make a call and be honest about your situation. They will not hurt your chances of going to another university by holding out on the answer. Either you will be rejected and know for sure you can accept the other offer, or you might get an acceptance on the spot (I think I read in some places where this happened upon contacting the program). Good luck!

I ended up getting an extension from the first school so I should be okay for now! Thank you for the advice though!

[Jade_S]

On 2/22/2023 at 10:26 PM, Jade_S said:

So I found this today, which means unofficially I am now rejected from 3 unis. Starting to lose hope here. Fingers crossed for USC and Syracuse. If anyone who applied to these has a decision, please let me know. I would love any info you can offer. Thank you!

Update: got an official rejection now. And seeing more USC acceptances pop up on here, seems like I am not getting one either, or might be waitlisted for future rounds of acceptances. Still nothing from Syracuse. Anxiety at an all time high.

[Comm23Phd]

I commented on this thread about USC and UC San Diego on Feb 13 but now it's Feb 24... and I am still waiting to hear from those two schools. And seeing some USC acceptances this week on gradcafe is a big OUCH... This wait is just too hard

[k8coms]

14 hours ago, Comm23Phd said:

I commented on this thread about USC and UC San Diego on Feb 13 but now it's Feb 24... and I am still waiting to hear from those two schools. And seeing some USC acceptances this week on gradcafe is a big OUCH... This wait is just too hard

also still in the dark about ucsd! hoping we'll hear soon because i'd like to have a definitive answer

[Jade_S]

23 hours ago, Comm23Phd said:

I commented on this thread about USC and UC San Diego on Feb 13 but now it's Feb 24... and I am still waiting to hear from those two schools. And seeing some USC acceptances this week on gradcafe is a big OUCH... This wait is just too hard

Same for USC, pretty bummed about all the acceptances. Hoping I am somewhere on the waitlist, and top candidates go on to choose other better options for themselves. With decision date as early Feb, I honestly thought I would get this letter first. But at this point I was rejected from 3 unis and am losing hope for USC (my top choice).

I wish you luck with all your apps!

[noranja]

Just wanted to let y'all know that UCSD sent out all their acceptances! 

[k8coms]

18 minutes ago, noranja said:

Just wanted to let y'all know that UCSD sent out all their acceptances! 

Thanks for the update. Bummer to hear it this way -- I don't understand why they don't send out rejections at the same time.

[k8coms]

@ UCSD folks: emailed the department and they said that decisions should all be out by the end of this week (March 3).

[Jade_S]

11 hours ago, k8coms said:

Thanks for the update. Bummer to hear it this way -- I don't understand why they don't send out rejections at the same time.

I am in the same position with USC, where it seems I am rejected because acceptances and waitlists have been informed already. However, one of the reasons rejections dont come in at the same time is that if most of the people they picked (accepted and waitlisted) end up choosing other places, they still need to consider other applicants. It is too risky for them to reject everyone, as they might end up enrolling too few students. I am simply counting on this in hopes USC might accept me later, even if its a fools hope, haha.

[Jade_S]

I am so anxious and confused. Aceptances, waitlists AND rejections for USC are now out, but I got nothing. What does this mean(

[k8coms]

6 hours ago, Jade_S said:

I am so anxious and confused. Aceptances, waitlists AND rejections for USC are now out, but I got nothing. What does this mean(

I'd recommend emailing the department!

[spamlikethehams]

has anyone heard from canadian universities? i'm dying waiting for simon fraser university and university of toronto...

[k8coms]

3 hours ago, spamlikethehams said:

has anyone heard from canadian universities? i'm dying waiting for simon fraser university and university of toronto...

I received offers from York and Carleton about two weeks ago. Unfortunately didn't apply to any other Canadian unis so not sure about those!

[Jade_S]

On 3/3/2023 at 3:41 AM, k8coms said:

I'd recommend emailing the department!

I did a while back and still no response.

[Tamachan]

7 hours ago, Jade_S said:

I did a while back and still no response.

I realized that USC sends decisions through a different portal (youSC). You might have already checked there, but, in case you didn't, you may find it there.

[Jade_S]

On 3/4/2023 at 11:43 PM, Tamachan said:

I realized that USC sends decisions through a different portal (youSC). You might have already checked there, but, in case you didn't, you may find it there.

Yeah, thank you, I am checking that twice a day every day, in case they accidentally do not send me a notification about posting my decision.

[spamlikethehams]

On 3/3/2023 at 3:51 PM, k8coms said:

I received offers from York and Carleton about two weeks ago. Unfortunately didn't apply to any other Canadian unis so not sure about those!

thank you! i didn't get any email or update on my file for carleton even though i applied... i think it looks like rejections all across the board for me this round.

[k8coms]

19 minutes ago, spamlikethehams said:

thank you! i didn't get any email or update on my file for carleton even though i applied... i think it looks like rejections all across the board for me this round.

You may hear back soon! Carleton gave me a 21-day deadline to accept my offer, I assume so they could have an idea about how many spots they have to fill and such. I've heard it's pretty common for Canadian schools to send out decisions in waves rather than all at once. I've decided to accept my offer -- hope you hear good news and maybe we'll see each other this fall!

[Jade_S]

On 3/4/2023 at 11:43 PM, Tamachan said:

I realized that USC sends decisions through a different portal (youSC). You might have already checked there, but, in case you didn't, you may find it there.

Thank you again for this rec. I chose to email the depratment and while they haven't gotten back to me, their automatic response mentioned that all PhD letters are out. It seems there is a glitch for me on the portal then, since I neither have the decision letter, nor have I been notified about it.

[Tamachan]

1 hour ago, Jade_S said:

Thank you again for this rec. I chose to email the depratment and while they haven't gotten back to me, their automatic response mentioned that all PhD letters are out. It seems there is a glitch for me on the portal then, since I neither have the decision letter, nor have I been notified about it.

No problem! And I am so sorry that this is happening to you. I can't even imagine how stressful it must be. USC is also for some reason difficult to reach throughout the application process. Their website makes me feel like they deliberately don't want applicants to contact them. I understand that they have a lot of applicants, but the made the process quite dehumanizing. I hope you get your answers soon!

[Jade_S]

18 hours ago, Tamachan said:

No problem! And I am so sorry that this is happening to you. I can't even imagine how stressful it must be. USC is also for some reason difficult to reach throughout the application process. Their website makes me feel like they deliberately don't want applicants to contact them. I understand that they have a lot of applicants, but the made the process quite dehumanizing. I hope you get your answers soon!

Yeah, I think if I wasn't so in love with its Annenberg school, I would notice that more. But all throughout the process I wasn't paying attention to how unreachable they are until I literally didn't get my decision letter.

[BrownBunny87]

Hi... Is anyone admitted to the Institute of Communications Research at U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign declining their admission and going somewhere else?? I was waitlisted.. and my future (as well as my daughter's future) hinges on someone declining their admission.  

I have a background in fine arts and film, so my entry into the communications / media game comes a bit left field. I don't know much about the reputation of different comm programs. 

 

Good luck to everyone else waiting, and deciding!

[Jade_S]

Hey everyone, unfortunately I got rejected from all 5 unis. Decided to take a job promotion which will keep me busy another couple of years, and build up research experience, maybe do independent research in the meantime. Wish everyone who got accepted has a great time with their PhD!

[ruirine]

On 3/4/2023 at 4:20 AM, spamlikethehams said:

has anyone heard from canadian universities? i'm dying waiting for simon fraser university and university of toronto...

Hi there, I applied to 8 Canadian universities and got rejected by 5( Calgary, Concordia, McGill, Simon Fraser, and Western) haven't heard anything from York, Carleton, and Alberta; I got the rejection letter from Simon Fraser tonight