What were you doing when you received your acceptance?

[sneeps]

I got my first acceptance while I was getting my underarms waxed. I got my second acceptance while I was getting a haircut. So, an esthetician and a hair stylist were the first people to find out about my acceptances. Contemplating booking some other personal grooming appointment for this afternoon in hopes that it brings more good news 

[med latte]

2 hours ago, sneeps said:

I got my first acceptance while I was getting my underarms waxed. I got my second acceptance while I was getting a haircut. So, an esthetician and a hair stylist were the first people to find out about my acceptances. Contemplating booking some other personal grooming appointment for this afternoon in hopes that it brings more good news 

Go for a full Brazilian -- maybe that will result in a generous fellowship.  

[sneeps]

36 minutes ago, med latte said:

Go for a full Brazilian -- maybe that will result in a generous fellowship.  

Ha! I'd definitely take 10 minutes of pain if it meant getting a fellowship. This is what the application cycle has done to me.

[Neist]

I was at work for both of my funded offers. 

I work a lot.  

[thingii]

Acceptance email was sent when I was doing Karaoke, but only found out when I got home (~11pm) and could connect to internet. I then closed the doors and windows, and commenced howling.

I don't know how people read these, but given all the adrenaline and nervousness of reading an email like this, I assume many are scanning for keywords such as "welcome", "pleasure" and "accept" for the good and "regret", "unfortunately" and "do not" for the bad.

In my opinion, the place I received acceptance to (ETH Zurich) did not word it in the best way...:

It is our pleasure to confirm that you will be offered a place in the ... MSc programme at ETH Zurich in the Autumn Semester 2016.

The details (e.g. conditions and/or additional requirements) are set out in our official letter. This letter will also contain the registration form and instructions on how to accept your place. We regret to inform you that due to time constraints we will not be able to answer any enquiries before you have received our official letter. However, should our letter not reach you within six weeks, please let us know.

Edited February 26, 2016 by thingii
Added an example of my experience

[cpctc1]

I was waiting on the security line at the airport on my way to an interview. Refreshed my email for roughly the thousandth time and saw an email from one of my schools. It didn't start with a straight up "Congratulations!" so my heart sank for a few seconds, but then I kept reading and realized I was accepted. I kept the tears under control at first but could not wipe the huge smile from my face. I then kept tearing up at random moments when it popped into my head that I was accepted. Walking through the X-ray machine? Tears. Paying for my food at McDonald's (treat yo self)? Tears. 

[MarineBluePsy]

At work desperately trying not to fall asleep because I had nothing to do and was super bored.  I intended to check my email for something not related to applications, but had a new message that turned out to be an admissions offer.  I just kind of sat there blankly wondering if I was reading it correctly.  

[Euler]

4 hours ago, thingii said:

Acceptance email was sent when I was doing Karaoke, but only found out when I got home (~11pm) and could connect to internet. I then closed the doors and windows, and commenced howling.

I don't know how people read these, but given all the adrenaline and nervousness of reading an email like this, I assume many are scanning for keywords such as "welcome", "pleasure" and "accept" for the good and "regret", "unfortunately" and "do not" for the bad.

In my opinion, the place I received acceptance to (ETH Zurich) did not word it in the best way...:

It is our pleasure to confirm that you will be offered a place in the ... MSc programme at ETH Zurich in the Autumn Semester 2016.

The details (e.g. conditions and/or additional requirements) are set out in our official letter. This letter will also contain the registration form and instructions on how to accept your place. We regret to inform you that due to time constraints we will not be able to answer any enquiries before you have received our official letter. However, should our letter not reach you within six weeks, please let us know.

I would be on board if everybody switched to a system wherein all you received was a very large picture of either a thumbs up (everything in the picture being green) or a thumbs down (ditto, but red).

[fernandes]

I was at a red light. I nearly crashed. Recommended. (10/10)

[ibnbattuta]

After 5 rejections in a row I decided to join my friends on a last minute trip to Muscat, Oman (I am currently studying in Jordan for the quarter).  The night of our flight I received an additional rejection.  I then pretty much gave up hope as all of the schools I thought I had a good chance of being accepted to rejected me.  I then spent the next three days driving around the country, swimming into caves, snorkeling off the coast, and driving and spending the night in the desert.  I had no internet connection the whole time until the last night when we had rented rooms through an AirBnB.  I refreshed my email and up popped about 50 new emails, as I scrolled through I noticed an email from PoI with the subject line "Congratulations."  I should say this is my third year applying so I started shaking with excitement.  I almost cried about 10 times on my flight back to Jordan the next day.

[mini monkey]

I was at home, and the acceptance was from my dream university. I thought I had no chance whatsoever of getting on. I was sitting on the couch watching youtube  videos when the email came in. I proceeded to run around the apartment aimlessly. I called my mom, and started sobbing hysterically. My boyfriend came back from work 20 minutes later to find me in the fetal position on the floor sobbing. Haha. Every now and then I break out sobbing because I still can't believe it...

[porcorosso]

3 hours ago, ibnbattuta said:

After 5 rejections in a row I decided to join my friends on a last minute trip to Muscat, Oman (I am currently studying in Jordan for the quarter).  The night of our flight I received an additional rejection.  I then pretty much gave up hope as all of the schools I thought I had a good chance of being accepted to rejected me.  I then spent the next three days driving around the country, swimming into caves, snorkeling off the coast, and driving and spending the night in the desert.  I had no internet connection the whole time until the last night when we had rented rooms through an AirBnB.  I refreshed my email and up popped about 50 new emails, as I scrolled through I noticed an email from PoI with the subject line "Congratulations."  I should say this is my third year applying so I started shaking with excitement.  I almost cried about 10 times on my flight back to Jordan the next day.

Congratulations! You must have some stories considering this is your third year. 

I am so happy for you.

[mbfox125]

In line to donate plasma, I was worried my elevated heart beat was going to cause them to defer me.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

On 2/27/2016 at 9:15 PM, Euler said:

I would be on board if everybody switched to a system wherein all you received was a very large picture of either a thumbs up (everything in the picture being green) or a thumbs down (ditto, but red).

I 100% support this notion!!

[Nicole Gilbert]

I'm ecstatic to add to this thread!

I teach high school. I was in my class with one of my students during my planning period and preparing for the world's most ridiculous meeting when the email came. I couldn't even comprehend it at first--I was shaking and freaking out. I took a deep breath and read it out loud, leapt up and down and freaked my student out, pulled myself together and smiled all the way through the meeting. 

I am so proud and so excited!

[sierra918]

8 hours ago, Nicole Gilbert said:

I'm ecstatic to add to this thread!

I teach high school. I was in my class with one of my students during my planning period and preparing for the world's most ridiculous meeting when the email came. I couldn't even comprehend it at first--I was shaking and freaking out. I took a deep breath and read it out loud, leapt up and down and freaked my student out, pulled myself together and smiled all the way through the meeting. 

I am so proud and so excited!

So you got in!!!! I read your other thread where you assumed you hadn't been accepted, and it was devastating to read. I am SUPER excited for you

[Nicole Gilbert]

5 minutes ago, sierra918 said:

So you got in!!!! I read your other thread where you assumed you hadn't been accepted, and it was devastating to read. I am SUPER excited for you

I'm in! I could simply not be more grateful and excited. My writing sample was focused on my research interests and they were well received. I simply could not be more grateful for the opportunity, the support and comradery from this site. Thank you, Sierra918!

[sierra918]

5 minutes ago, Nicole Gilbert said:

I'm in! I could simply not be more grateful and excited. My writing sample was focused on my research interests and they were well received. I simply could not be more grateful for the opportunity, the support and comradery from this site. Thank you, Sierra918!

You are so welcome! 

[jdot104]

I was in class (I'm still in undergrad) when I got my first email. There were about 10 minutes left, so I just kind of sat there dazed. As soon as it was over, I walked straight to my car so I could sob in relief. 

[Danger_Zone]

I was in the McDonald's drive thru.

[charlemagne88]

nothing, because now I'm quite certain that acceptance emails don't exist. 

[savay]

I got my first acceptance at work. A week before my visit to that school I commented to a coworker about how it would be great if I could hear back from my top choice soon so that I could start making decisions. She said I'd hear back on the 25th of February, though they told me letters go out around March 15th. "That would be nice," I replied.

The 25th comes and I'm a couple of days away from my visit. We're talking about a project and she reminds me that I'll hear back from my top school today. In the afternoon I'm in the lobby of our building talking to another coworker, when I check my email, and there it is, my acceptance to my top choice. I immediately head up to my floor shouting my coworker's name. I had such an adrenaline rush that evening.

Two days later and a voicemail pops up on my phone. It turns out the Graduate Studies Director of my top program had actually called a week earlier to let me know of my acceptance, but for some reason it didn't come through on my phone and the voicemail got very lost.

I prefer to think my coworker is an oracle.

[sfe510]

Can I just say how much I love this thread? All the feels...

I got my first acceptance letter right after I finished working out. I was standing outside the gym waiting for my roommates to come out when I randomly decided to check my email. Wasn't expecting anything as it was a Sunday around 11am but sure enough in all caps was the subject line WELCOME TO ___! It was also my first Ivy acceptance which made it that much sweeter. I immediately started tearing up and called my mom who heard my sobs and said "What's wrong?!". Once I told her both her and my dad started crying.  My roommates came out about 3 minutes later and gave me a big bear hug. 

Funny because 5 years ago I got my acceptance to my undergrad institution as I was about to leave to go to the gym so maybe I should turn into a temporary gym rat in the hopes of receiving more good news in the coming weeks.

There is really no feeling like it. I too wish I could bottle it up and save it for a rainy day but man does it make all those long hours of studying and applying worth it. Congrats to everyone who has been getting acceptances!

[runnernado77]

I was literally going for a jog and had almost given up on my dream school. Ironically it was a really sunny and beautiful day, so I decided just relax and forget about applications for a minute while going for my run. I'd just been told by my close second that I would probably get an offer that week so I didn't really care. The first song that came on was "Don't Look Back" by Boston, which I thought was kind of ironic but shrugged off. Two days earlier I had turned off Gmail push notifications because every time one came through for something dumb I got angry it wasn't admissions so I didn't really look at my phone. Before leaving for class I decided to refresh my email, and there was my flawless offer letter from my dream school. I ran around my house screaming and then tried to show restraint by waiting 27 hours to officially accept the offer. 

[Windmills]

I was just doing my daily status check online and saw that I had gotten in to a safety school at the end of January...

I work from home and one day a few weeks later I got a push notification on my phone and saw an email with the subject line "Admission Decision: Con..." when it cut off. I scrambled to my email and saw that the rest of it read, as it looked, "Congratulations!" I was pretty pumped since this is a highly ranked program and the better version of the safety that I had been accepted to earlier.

Afterwards, I was curious and checked the status page for my top choice school and saw that after months of nothing (it was my earliest deadline too), my status had changed to "Accepted" and the page had a new set of "Congratulations!" and accepted information. This particular program isn't all that popular or selective, but it's at a good, nationally recognized school that I didn't think I'd be able to get into—especially coming from a small, no-name undergrad. I never cry from happiness, but I certainly did then. I went and hugged my dog and told her the good news. Then I composed myself and texted my sister who was at work but immediately called me back to confirm; I couldn't contain myself during the conversation. She seemed just as surprised as I was. I definitely didn't get any more work done that day.

The next day, I was back to work when I got another email on my phone. It was an acceptance to another top program at an even higher ranked school that I thought would be even harder to get into. I was all cried out from the day before, but I think I was more shocked than anything anyway.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Windmills