What were you doing when you received your acceptance?

[ThousandsHardships]

Four years ago when I first applied to PhD programs...I got home from work and checked my email at my desk right by the window and saw an offer letter complete with an invitation to visit the campus. I think the first thing I did was cancel a phone interview with an M.S. program I had applied to in Canada.

Three years ago when I was applying to a concurrent M.A. at the school I was attending, I had been taking classes with the professors in the program so I simply asked one of them and she confirmed that I was in. To her it hadn't really been an issue since I was competent in the field, was doing the work anyway, and was funded by my other department. I never did get an emailed acceptance. It simply showed up on my transcript and records in due time.

This year, applying to different PhD programs, my acceptance came while I was on the train getting home from work. I decided to connect my phone to check my email after reaching the train station, and there I found my acceptance email. I immediately texted my mom and then bought Thai food to gorge on because it meant so much to me to get into this program and redefine my educational experience that I no longer even cared if I got fat.

Edited February 9, 2017 by ThousandsHardships

[Amanda87]

I was at work both times. It was really hard to contain my excitement since my work doesn't know I'm leaving yet (I'm still going to give them 2 months notice, but until then I want to keep it quiet). The first acceptance was for my backup school so I was really happy, but when I got the notification from the second school I was in tears. I grabbed my phone and went to the bathroom to happy-cry and text my mom and everyone else who knows I'm going through the process. I'll probably be at work whenever I hear about the last one too, and jeez I hope it is soon. 

[BellaAung]

For SOAS, I was sitting in bed chilling. My sister was in the same room so I screamed a little and told her the good news right after.

For Simon Fraser, I was talking to my potential advisor on the phone when she broke the news that she is happy to have me at the department. Of course, I thanked her again and again!

[hlsny]

First acceptance a half an hour ago! I was chilling in bed, procrastinating on my problem set. Got an email to check the website, which when I was applying to undergrad usually meant I hadn't gotten in. So it was a great surprise and a huge weight off my shoulders. Not doing this problem set tonight!

[Square49]

In three of the four times I've received an acceptance letter I realized I had an email from a school I applied to right after hitting the snooze button on my phone. Of course, when I saw the email notification each time I had to check it. And obviously I couldn't go back to bed after the excitement kicked in, so, in one case, I put on some jams and danced around my room for probably an hour. 

[NoirFemme]

Both times--driving to or from work. My boss should be happy if that's the magic spark, LOL.

[phyanth]

Can we revive this thread?! I'm hoping I will be able to put a story here in the upcoming months, but I would love to hear from people this cycle, happiness is contagious 

[Carly Rae Jepsen]

Just got one and I was browsing Amazon. I got a gift card for filling out a survey (of which I have no recollection actually but hey) and then out of a sudden I see the email. I screamed and almost gave my mom a heart attack lol

[Excelsior!]

1st acceptance: Watching basketball and a rival team was getting hammered. Such a happy night!
2nd acceptance: Watching FRIENDS episode in which Ross wants to send Marcel (the monkey) at a Zoo and the conversation is exactly like thinking about which uni to apply to.

[siliconchins]

I was in the shower when my girlfriend saw the acceptance pop up in my email. She came screaming into the room, making me think something was wrong and jump out of the tub dripping wet. I got everything wet and scared my cats to death, but it was worth it for the relief of knowing that I'll be getting a PhD from a great program no matter what happens in my future interviews. And then I checked the email again and again to make sure I wasn't misinterpreting it :P. 

[catsareme]

I was sitting at work when I got an email saying that my admissions decision had been updated on their portal. I had no idea if that was good news or bad news, since it was so general. I sat around at work for an hour or two before I got the courage to open it (I didn't want to cry at work). Opened up the portal, opened up the attachment, and there it was. Accepted. I teared up at work anyway I was so excited and I stared at and reread the letter probably 100 times.

[surprise_quiche]

Leaving to go to an interview at another school, definitely a confidence booster

[Fiain]

I had actually just woken up for Northwesterns... Rolled over, checked my phone and my heart dropped when I saw the email... But then I read it and just started bawling, happy tears. Called my boyfriend and family and.. Yeah. XD

[ShewantsthePhD101]

Reviving this thread:

 

Where I was when I got my first acceptance:

Defrosting my car, getting ready to go to the library. My phone buzzed with the email, but it was so early (January 16th), I just assumed it was a professor following up with from an email I sent before I sent in my application, and it was my acceptance to FSU!

 

What I did immediately after:

I called my Dad, then my friend who got me through my first year of my MA, emailed my recommenders, then texted my best friends from undergrad...then went on with my day because I'm still in school lol.

[madamoiselle]

I live in Paris as an English teacher, and took a little weekend trip to Barcelona with the sole intention of running away from admissions decisions (didn't bring my laptop, turned off email notifications, etc.) Well I guess I didn't turn off notifications for my second gmail account, which happens to be my graduate school account, so at 3 AM in a hostel bunk, I got an email that said "Congratulations" in the subject line. I honestly didn't think much of it, I was delirious and super exhausted with a flight in 5 hours, so I opened it absentmindedly and THERE IT WAS! It wasn't until 5 lines down that it explicitly said "Berkeley" and I absolutely lost it. Once I saw that, I started hyperventilating and shaking because I was trying not to wake the other people in the hostel. I may or may not have started sweating? It was a complete blur.

Fast forward five minutes, I'm in the 3:10 AM Barcelona streets in my pajamas and socks with no jacket, calling my mom and crying!

Edited January 23, 2018 by madamoiselle

[rw16202]

First acceptance - was waiting in line in my office building's café while my friend bought a bagel at like 2 pm.

Second & third acceptances - sitting at work actually doing work.

Fourth acceptance - sitting at my desk at work, scrolling through reddit. At first I was peeved that some annoying phone call was disturbing my time wasting, but when I realized that it was one of my top choice programs, I was so happy.

Called my parents & texted my friends after all four. Seriously, getting in to grad school has made my crappy job SO MUCH better - especially now that I have an end date in sight!

[eevee]

So excited to finally get to contribute to this thread!!!

My first acceptance email came in right as I was stepping out of the last PI interview of the day at another school's interview weekend  Obviously it's bad form to freak out about being accepted at one school while you're at an interview for a different school, so I tried my best to keep a straight face and then dashed into the stairwell to call my mom and my SO and scream!!! 

I still feel like I'm dreaming.... I really didn't expect good news after getting super nervous and tongue-tied in the interviews (it was the first school I interviewed with; they got back to me in a week). And I still have more interviews to go, but I'm SO HAPPY that I have a solid choice now and don't have to worry about looking for jobs in my spare time anymore :))))) 

[MealPlanSilver]

Just got CS PhD at UC Irvine. Also got industry offers at the same time.

Talked a lot with professors and phd friends about industry and academia. Still don't know yet. The industry pays so well.

[sherlocked25]

Was watching lions on Nat Geo Wild with my father. A notification popped up and I got the good news. I started laughing since I did not think that I would get an offer that quick. Offered an admission to UC Irvine MS in CS.

The best thing is, my dream has become a plan now. I hope everyone will be happy at the end.

Cheers,

[yeahDraw]

This seems fun. 

First one: I took a 3 hour nap after a day of flying back to campus. I woke up, feeling quite groggy and check my email. Accepted! Tried to call my sister, but she wouldn't pick up.

Second one: Sitting through rehearsal with my University's jazz band. First email: we would like to invite you to visit our campus. Made me rather confused as I hadn't been accepted or interviewed. Then the followup announced the acceptance. 

[madamoiselle]

17 hours ago, yeahDraw said:

This seems fun. 

First one: I took a 3 hour nap after a day of flying back to campus. I woke up, feeling quite groggy and check my email. Accepted! Tried to call my sister, but she wouldn't pick up.

Second one: Sitting through rehearsal with my University's jazz band. First email: we would like to invite you to visit our campus. Made me rather confused as I hadn't been accepted or interviewed. Then the followup announced the acceptance. 

I have 31 unanswered, outgoing calls to my mother from when I got my first acceptance; I know the feeling!  

[jpain3]

Finally got my first 'yes' after two years of applying and interviewing! I've been waiting to respond to this thread for quite some time.

I was on a walk with my young kids around a trail. I was at the far end of the trail when a notification dinged on my phone for a new email. The 'from' line was from a school that said they would get back to me within the next few weeks and the the preview said "I am writing to inform you that..." and then was cut off!

I nearly tipped my kiddo's stroller over getting my phone unlocked and opening gmail. It was good news, and now I'm so very relieved.

Unfortunately, my phone died shortly after calling my wife, so I had to walk the rest of the trail back to our car, and plug in my phone for a bit, before I could tell anyone else in the family! 

[saccheri]

I was lying in bed sick with the flu when I got my acceptance to Wash State with full funding! Still sick but so happy!

[Mise]

I woke up to my cellphone alarm, and when I turned off the alarm, I saw an email notification. That was IT. 

Edited January 31, 2018 by Mise

[TheHessianHistorian]

I saw somebody else on the results page had already gotten an acceptance to University of Alabama and was thinking "Aw man, I haven't heard from them." Then I looked at my cell phone, realized it was on silent mode, and saw that there was a missed call from Tuscaloosa. Opened up my voicemail messages and voila--my first acceptance!