The waiting is the hardest part

[limeinthecoconut]

man! more people updating every day! I feel like I'm left on the sidelines at a jr. high dance...

I try to take comfort in the fact that none of the updates are in my major. Not helping much, though.

[linden]

Don't worry t_ruth. You may be on the sidelines of the dance right now. But (taking your analogy just a bit further) that gorgeous exchange student (the one who dresses all in black and has a motorcycle) will soon barge in through the doors of the dance hall. And, he will ask you to dance.

[t_ruth]

woo...that sounds exciting, but I'd settle for (and may even prefer, lol), that tall lanky boy with the glasses to come from across the room and ask me to make out in the science lab

Do we have any stats on whether all us type As on this board get in to our top choices (or anywhere at all)?

[katanianQ]

yeah I would also love to see some stats that prob have no relevance because it's something to do!

I just finished my apps yesterday and already I can't sleep at night because I am obsessing over them...

[storiaitaliana]

I get happy when I see more people hearing, because that means I may be next

[ohheygradschool]

I get happy when I see more people hearing, because that means I may be next

Agreed! I feel a weird mix of jealousy and excitement when there are updates on the results page - but I focus mostly on the excitement. Wee!

[miratrix]

Haha, I'll take the gorgeous exchange student, thanks

I know it's going to be a long wait for me. Half of my deadlines haven't even passed yet. Aaaaargh.

[storiaitaliana]

I only applied to two schools, and from the results history, they are remarkably consistent in when they start making the calls. So, I pretty much know I'll have to sit tight until the end of February.

[CAPoliSciPhD]

Yeah, the EARLIEST i've seen from some of the schools I've applied to is end of January but the majority of mine have been mid-Feb to mid-March for the last few years...

[linden]

I have decided that I won't read any decision letters/emails that do not begin with the letter "C," as in the first letter of the word congratulations. (Anything that does not begin with a C will be handed off to a friend for a complete scan, just in case the offer of admission is buried in paragraph 3.)

On the other hand, I would read my rejections letter if the adcoms wrote short, witty, personalized notes on the margins of rejection letters. Such as, "Dear Applicant: Your GPA makes us wonder if you're stupid or just did not care" or "Dear Applicant: The average armadillo scored higher on the GRE than you did." At least I would know I got my money's worth and that they read my application.

Linden

63 days until March 13, 2009

[kdilks]

"Congratulations on compiling a very impressive record. However, due to heavy competition and limited space, we regret to inform you that we are unable to make an offer for admission."

[linden]

kdilks:

Nooooooooooooooo! Bastards! Talk about leading candidates on until the very last minute. In addition, this example has crumbled a carefully-constructed (sure) theory.

Thanks for sharing.

Linden

[IvyHope]

For what it's worth, I did not find out via any letter, but through the admissions website the first time I did this. It was as simple as logging on and seeing "admitted" instead of "pending" or whatever. No long romantic letter to weed through.

The letter came a few weeks later.

[ohheygradschool]

I only applied to two schools, and from the results history, they are remarkably consistent in when they start making the calls. So, I pretty much know I'll have to sit tight until the end of February.

Yeah... From the results page, I might know of an acceptance as early as next week. Well, next week + 3 days. I'm already getting ahead of myself.

[rising_star]

I don't think I had any letters that started with "Congratulations"...

[gadhelyn]

I find it kinda fun to surf around Craigslist, rent.com, and MLS listings of my hopefully, possible future towns/cities to see what kind of homes are within my price range. It at least keeps my mind off of the adcomm for a little while.

[linden]

rising_star:

Oh, no. Please don't poke more holes in my crazy theory.

Actually, I am basing this fantasy on the fact that my first acceptance (and I hope that first is the right adjective) started off with Congratulations!

Next year, I plan to lurk on this board just to read and laugh at all the crazy, anxious applicants!

Linden

[gadhelyn]

I have a confession: To distract myself yesterday I hung out on a local news station's website and picked a fight with someone on one of the articles about Obama, always taking a position opposite of the other guy, and it had a feeling similar to the writing portion of the GRE.

Guh, I'm still not used to waiting yet, though. After spending a lot of time writing and re-writing application materials, I feel as though I'm being lazy and should be doing something.

[t_ruth]

I just need one acceptance w/funding to end this overwhelming panic that I won't get in anywhere. I can't imagine how I would handle having to tell everyone that no, I'm not going to grad school, because I was too lame to get in anywhere.

[linden]

t_ruth:

That was me a month ago, saying that once I had cinched that first acceptance, all my anxiety would vanish. Ha! Right. That first yes only made me hungrier for more.

Good luck!

Linden

[t_ruth]

thanks. but at least you know you are going *somewhere*. Can you picture the shame if you didn't get in *anywhere*?

Where did you hear from, btw?

[CAPoliSciPhD]

I have an advisor who is totally into where I've been applying and he's more excited than I am about everything...I keep having to get his hopes down but it just isn't working! It's killing me bc I'm going to look like a total loser if I get in NO WHERE....it'll be so embarassing...

[storiaitaliana]

You should start thinking about what will happen if you don't get in anywhere. Not that I'm saying that will happen, but you should be prepared in case it does, and decide what you would do then. It's nothing to be ashamed of, nor would it make you look like a loser or actually be one -- you just have to figure out what part(s) of your application wasn't working for people, and then work to change those things for the next application cycle. It wouldn't be the end of the world, nor a negative statement about your worthiness as a human being, if you didn't get in to any of the places you applied this year.

[CAPoliSciPhD]

Clearly, I have already been thinking about it. I've always thought that it's more likely that I'll get rejected from every school than to get into one. I just wish there had been a way for me to apply in secret so everyone else didn't get their hopes up! (Too bad those whole letters of rec things were important as well as all the advice I needed when picking schools to apply to and people to read over my SOP...ha...this was not something I did alone....)

And most of the issues with my application cannot be changed...two schools that aren't great - one random state school for BA with a low ugpa (granted, I have a reason for this that even the most annoyed by excuses cannot overlook -- but I didn't dwell on it bc I had so much more interesting information and positive stuff to put in) an MA with an excellent gpa but also from another school no one's heard of....and gre's that are good (not amazing) but only the second time I took them....so, it really doesn't take a genius to figure out what the reasons could be if I don't get in anyway....

BUT all that negative-ness aside....I do believe my application is more than just numbers so I'm still going to have a bit of hope...but I don't think anyone who's neurotic enough to get on these boards can be completely delusional...I mean, we of all people see the massive competition we're all up against

Luckily, or unluckily, I have a ton of work to do this semester so it should take my mind off this stress eventually bc I'll have other stuff driving me nuts....

[linden]

Oh, I don't want to jinx myself by saying where I got in. I've been dying to post my acceptance on the board, but as superstitious as I am, I am convinced that if I post my info that I won't get in anywhere else. I was actually quite thrilled with the acceptance I received; I think it would be a better fit for me than most of the other public policy programs to which I am applying. I am leaning towards attending this university, but I would like to see where else I get in. To satisfy my ego, I guess. But, I won't hear from any other schools until mid February.

And, I know what you mean about the shame of getting in nowhere. I agonized over that possibility. Yet, the minute I got my first acceptance, that worry was supplanted by the fear that I would only get into my safety schools. And, now I am convinced that is the worse fate. I know it's, irrational. But fortunately for my friends and family this craziness will end in two months.

Linden