What if all programs I applied to reject me? How to deal with the anxiety waiting for the results?

[Lizesmore]

As an international student who switched from communications to sociology, I have always been worried about whether a "transferred" background will make my application a relatively weak one. I shared my application list on social media and some people replied to me that all these programs were all Tier 0 programs. 

I started to be extremely stressed when I saw some programs were sending interviews.

I received nothing in my email box...

Programs I applied to:

• UW-Madison Sociology 
• UMich Sociology 
• UCLA Sociology 
• UCSD Sociology 
• UCI Sociology 
• Brown Sociology 
• JHU Sociology 
• CUNY Sociology 
• Yale Sociology 
• Northwestern Sociology 
• SUNY Albany Sociology 
• TC columbia Sociology and Education
• Penn GSE Education, Culture and Society

[mole224]

Are those all PhD programs? If you are applying for some MA without fundings, you should be relatively fine I think. I also have a BA in communication studies but then earned a thesis-based MA in Sociology. I only applied for five PhD programs and my targets are Brown and JHU. Good luck! 

[Tia_2023]

I am an international student and last year all programs rejected me. At that time I was a master's student in the US and that was my second cycle. I talked with my mentor and center director as I was so anxious. They gave me more resources than I had ever thought. If your nightmare could come true, which I wish it wouldn't, do check the career center and talk with the program coordinator or director to see if they need a research assistant or program assistant. I do believe your interdisciplinary background could be powerful and fit for lots of positions, and then you may do the application again. I myself could not help but feel anxious, but to think about what I could do if the worst thing could happen could help me.

By the way, if I am wrong please correct me, but I suppose some programs you applied for haven't started sending out interviews, and some don't have interviews.

And even if you are accepted by MA programs with little funding, which are expensive, you can find teaching assistant positions that will generally cover all your tuition. That was what I did.

13 hours ago, Lizesmore said:

As an international student who switched from communications to sociology, I have always been worried about whether a "transferred" background will make my application a relatively weak one. I shared my application list on social media and some people replied to me that all these programs were all Tier 0 programs. 

I started to be extremely stressed when I saw some programs were sending interviews.

I received nothing in my email box...

Programs I applied to:

• UW-Madison Sociology 
• UMich Sociology 
• UCLA Sociology 
• UCSD Sociology 
• UCI Sociology 
• Brown Sociology 
• JHU Sociology 
• CUNY Sociology 
• Yale Sociology 
• Northwestern Sociology 
• SUNY Albany Sociology 
• TC columbia Sociology and Education
• Penn GSE Education, Culture and Society

 

[thirdoneisthewinner]

If rejected, the best option for international students outside Europe (mainly the U.K.) is to enroll in an M.A. This situation is super sad, but it is just the reality for us internationals. Unlike European academia, U.S. academia is particularly focused on itself and networked in the U.S.

 

On the other hand, I do agree somewhat that your list is top tier, but not tier 0. Immo:

T0: UW-Madison, Michigan, UCLA, Yale, Columbia, and Penn

T1: JHU, Brown, Northwestern, and maybe UCSD or UCI.

Also, the universities you have applied to haven't said anything yet.

 

Best of luck!!

[Lizesmore]

7 hours ago, mole224 said:

Are those all PhD programs? If you are applying for some MA without fundings, you should be relatively fine I think. I also have a BA in communication studies but then earned a thesis-based MA in Sociology. I only applied for five PhD programs and my targets are Brown and JHU. Good luck! 

thanks！I received a two-year master of education offer from TC Columbia (even though I did not applied to it..way too expensive..cannot afford it 

[Lizesmore]

2 hours ago, Tia_2023 said:

I am an international student and last year all programs rejected me. At that time I was a master's student in the US and that was my second cycle. I talked with my mentor and center director as I was so anxious. They gave me more resources than I had ever thought. If your nightmare could come true, which I wish it wouldn't, do check the career center and talk with the program coordinator or director to see if they need a research assistant or program assistant. I do believe your interdisciplinary background could be powerful and fit for lots of positions, and then you may do the application again. I myself could not help but feel anxious, but to think about what I could do if the worst thing could happen could help me.

By the way, if I am wrong please correct me, but I suppose some programs you applied for haven't started sending out interviews, and some don't have interviews.

And even if you are accepted by MA programs with little funding, which are expensive, you can find teaching assistant positions that will generally cover all your tuition. That was what I did.

 

Thank you very much for your advice! almost crying..

I graduated from a UK graduate school three years ago so I can barely reach out to any professors or research experts. It was a pity. but I will try my best to see if there is any chance.