PhD Applications Communication Studies Fall 2025 Cycle

[etiennelantier]

Just got rejected from UC Davis. I am waiting for UCLA and Pittsburg.

[CLudmila]

The situation seems to be becoming more and more complex in the U.S. There are programs that have already announced on their websites that they will not admit students for the next cycle and others that haven't posted anything yet but have communicated to their academic communities that they are unsure if they will be able to admit a new cohort in 2026. I only received one admission, but without additional funding, and I am still waiting for responses from five programs.

This process application has been disheartening; feeling like we worked and put in so much effort only to receive a wave of rejections—and without honest feedback from the committees—it’s discouraging.

Hugs to all of you, and I pray that the email with the admission we’re hoping for arrives soon. 

[Martyna]

31 minutes ago, CLudmila said:

The situation seems to be becoming more and more complex in the U.S. There are programs that have already announced on their websites that they will not admit students for the next cycle and others that haven't posted anything yet but have communicated to their academic communities that they are unsure if they will be able to admit a new cohort in 2026. I only received one admission, but without additional funding, and I am still waiting for responses from five programs.

This process application has been disheartening; feeling like we worked and put in so much effort only to receive a wave of rejections—and without honest feedback from the committees—it’s discouraging.

Hugs to all of you, and I pray that the email with the admission we’re hoping for arrives soon. 

Congratulations on your admission. What university is this? Was it supposed to be a fully funded program? Why is there no additional funding? Can they at least fund you after your external scholarship expires?

[CLudmila]

5 minutes ago, Martyna said:

Congratulations on your admission. What university is this? Was it supposed to be a fully funded program? Why is there no additional funding? Can they at least fund you after your external scholarship expires?

Hi, Martyna. I am sending you an DM. Hugs. 

Edited Wednesday at 09:57 PM by CLudmila
spelling

[cmnapplication]

7 hours ago, Martyna said:

We're in the same boat! Also got rejected from them, did you get a generic rejection or did they mention anything about applying for the next year/encouraging you to apply? Which one are you waiting to hear from? I'm waiting for 2 more but apparently UNM doesn't provide great funding, so if I do get in somehow, I don't know how I'd be able to pay for it. 

generic rejection and did not encourage me to reapply lol. it was for rhetoric, media, and publics

[cmnapplication]

3 hours ago, CLudmila said:

The situation seems to be becoming more and more complex in the U.S. There are programs that have already announced on their websites that they will not admit students for the next cycle and others that haven't posted anything yet but have communicated to their academic communities that they are unsure if they will be able to admit a new cohort in 2026. I only received one admission, but without additional funding, and I am still waiting for responses from five programs.

This process application has been disheartening; feeling like we worked and put in so much effort only to receive a wave of rejections—and without honest feedback from the committees—it’s discouraging.

Hugs to all of you, and I pray that the email with the admission we’re hoping for arrives soon. 

yes, it's a fucking nightmare here. i was officially rejected from the last of my programs today, so it's over for me. i was rejected from UVA's PhD program but granted admission to the master's, so i'm considering it. i'm also considering applying to other master's programs closer to my home in new england. rough day overall, and rough year with the stupid cheeto in office

[CLudmila]

I’m really sorry to hear that the last option you were waiting for has closed ☹️. I hope that if they offer you that master’s, it could be a funded route to reach the PhD. Today, I also received my 13th rejection, and while after a few of them you start to become numb, each new email saying “the process was extremely competitive this year” still feels cruel. At least for me, I keep wondering what I did wrong, what I was missing, what they didn’t like about my application. Questions that we don’t even get answers to, because this process is also profoundly subjective. Wishing you the best for whatever comes next! 🫂

[Martyna]

7 hours ago, cmnapplication said:

yes, it's a fucking nightmare here. i was officially rejected from the last of my programs today, so it's over for me. i was rejected from UVA's PhD program but granted admission to the master's, so i'm considering it. i'm also considering applying to other master's programs closer to my home in new england. rough day overall, and rough year with the stupid cheeto in office

As daunting as this cycle is, we're all in a similar boat! I'm waiting for my last one to reject me. At the same time, I was told by one professor from a reputable university that it took them 3 rounds of applications to get in and now he's a well-known professor, so it's just hard but possible! 

[Martyna]

8 hours ago, CLudmila said:

I’m really sorry to hear that the last option you were waiting for has closed ☹️. I hope that if they offer you that master’s, it could be a funded route to reach the PhD. Today, I also received my 13th rejection, and while after a few of them you start to become numb, each new email saying “the process was extremely competitive this year” still feels cruel. At least for me, I keep wondering what I did wrong, what I was missing, what they didn’t like about my application. Questions that we don’t even get answers to, because this process is also profoundly subjective. Wishing you the best for whatever comes next! 🫂

You've not done anything wrong! They have so many qualified candidates for a few spots. It really comes down to luck! For us international students, we can't even go to meet PIs in person to create a decent relationship so it's harder. 

[cmnapplication]

12 hours ago, CLudmila said:

I’m really sorry to hear that the last option you were waiting for has closed ☹️. I hope that if they offer you that master’s, it could be a funded route to reach the PhD. Today, I also received my 13th rejection, and while after a few of them you start to become numb, each new email saying “the process was extremely competitive this year” still feels cruel. At least for me, I keep wondering what I did wrong, what I was missing, what they didn’t like about my application. Questions that we don’t even get answers to, because this process is also profoundly subjective. Wishing you the best for whatever comes next! 🫂

thank you for such a sweet message, i really needed it 🥹 wishing you the best as well!