Welcome to the 2011-2012 Cycle

[iwouldpreferanonymity]

I claim an NU rejection as well. This one burns a bit. Like blaspheming, I had a letter writer that tried very hard to get me in there. What is more, I have ties to the university,

Ah well, you cannot win them all.

Edited because I am apparently illiterate. Perhaps this is why NU rejected me.

Edited February 18, 2012 by iwouldpreferanonymity

[Jwnich1]

I claim an NU rejection as well. This one burns a bit. Like blaspheming, I had a POI that tried hard to get me in there. What is more, I have ties to the university,

Ah well, you cannot win them all.

I'm sorry to hear this guys. I am still waiting for an up or down vote. Waits killin me.

[Ironheel!!]

I claim an NU rejection as well. This one burns a bit. Like blaspheming, I had a POI that tried hard to get me in there. What is more, I have ties to the university,

Ah well, you cannot win them all.

Can you explain what "a POI tried hard to get me in" entails. Sorry for the hit IWPA.

[iwouldpreferanonymity]

Can you explain what "a POI tried hard to get me in" entails. Sorry for the hit IWPA.

Whoops. I misread blaspheming's post, and then mistyped. I meant that one of my letter writers tried very hard to get me in there. They have a close relationship with a senior faculty member in the department, and they strongly advocated for my admission.

[balderdash]

I checked mine; nothing's changed. Fairly sure it's a rejection, but still.

[balthasar]

I already made my peace with the fact that i can't win them all. It would be nice however to win at least something.

[chaetzli]

I already made my peace with the fact that i can't win them all. It would be nice however to win at least something.

I totally understand you. I haven't had good news so far and believe this will not change.

[Ironheel!!]

Whoops. I misread blaspheming's post, and then mistyped. I meant that one of my letter writers tried very hard to get me in there. They have a close relationship with a senior faculty member in the department, and they strongly advocated for my admission.

Thanks IWPA. Again, sorry to hear about NU.

[ohsnap]

Claiming a rejection from NU.

[blaspheming]

Can you explain what "a POI tried hard to get me in" entails. Sorry for the hit IWPA.

I had several emails back and forth with my POI. In the end, he insisted that he send an informal recommendation to the admissions committee on my behalf. Looks like it didn't do much

Not a big deal, makes my final decision much easier.

[Megan]

Sure! I'm primarily IR, although I applied to Yale at a comparativist because of their specialty in conflict. My interest lies primarily in how media affects state decision-making regarding transnational security issues in the Middle East.

So, I really fall between IR and comparative.

[Edited to include regional focus]

Ooh, I applied to Yale too for comparative and conflict. Congrats! I'm guessing I'm most likely out there, but I'm glad somebody excited and positive is one of their admits for that field! Conflict is so tough. We are ALWAYS on that comparative/IR line. I had trouble with my applications in the opposite way from you. I'm mostly comparative and had to balance that in my applications, because lots of conflict people are IR.

[Jwnich1]

Ooh, I applied to Yale too for comparative and conflict. Congrats! I'm guessing I'm most likely out there, but I'm glad somebody excited and positive is one of their admits for that field! Conflict is so tough. We are ALWAYS on that comparative/IR line. I had trouble with my applications in the opposite way from you. I'm mostly comparative and had to balance that in my applications, because lots of conflict people are IR.

I'm another one on this line. Since I've double majored in economics and took some formal theory classes - I've tended towards a more IR - centric approach. Still a hard line to walk!

[Hotspur]

Not a team like Spurs.......more like a punishment for people from that part of London

Being born and raised in Cleveland, I was unaware until a very late stage in my life that sports teams were supposed to win games. Tottenham seemed to fit the bill until the past few years when they actually became competitive!

[iwouldpreferanonymity]

Thanks IWPA. Again, sorry to hear about NU.

Thanks, Ironheel!!. I appreciate that. Since I have resigned myself to getting a rejection from IU as well, I think that this draws the cycle to a close for me. Now I can more actively root for others to receive acceptances. :-)

[shavasana]

I'm another one on this line. Since I've double majored in economics and took some formal theory classes - I've tended towards a more IR - centric approach. Still a hard line to walk!

Ooh, I applied to Yale too for comparative and conflict. Congrats! I'm guessing I'm most likely out there, but I'm glad somebody excited and positive is one of their admits for that field! Conflict is so tough. We are ALWAYS on that comparative/IR line. I had trouble with my applications in the opposite way from you. I'm mostly comparative and had to balance that in my applications, because lots of conflict people are IR.

I got some advice from my advisors: "Screw what subfield you are. They'll put you where they think you should go if they want you."

So I just kind of applied to whichever subfield I thought the school was strongest in. Not the most exact science, but I still think that my acceptances have a very large component of luck in them.

[Kombucha]

@AdBlanche Did your POI's give any indication re: "official" emails for acceptance from GSAS? Thanks!

[shavasana]

@kombucha They said that the official letter was in the mail, so I guess they sent them out the old fashioned way. I just got a couple of short, informal emails last nights about Yale.

As a side note, I LOVE KOMBUCHA. (Yet another thing that reveals my true nature as a hippie yoga person.haha)

[Anonymouse Bosch]

Hey guys, just saw a flood of Northwestern rejections... So I checked the site and my decision still hasn't been rendered... is.. that... good news?

HA! sorry, I'm lurking more, a number of us haven't changed status yet... went from optimistically pessimistic to pessimistically optimistic

Edited February 18, 2012 by Anonymouse Bosch

[Megan]

I got some advice from my advisors: "Screw what subfield you are. They'll put you where they think you should go if they want you."

So I just kind of applied to whichever subfield I thought the school was strongest in. Not the most exact science, but I still think that my acceptances have a very large component of luck in them.

Well, and perhaps tellingly the only place I'm admitted so far was a place where I said screw it and put one IR and one comparativist as my two POIs. Who knows.

Luck schmuck. One admit is MAYBE luck. Chicago, Stanford, Yale is one impressive application, and you should be really, really proud of yourself. Sure, luck plays into every process, but you worked hard for and earned those offers and you should feel really good about it, imho.

[balledematch]

Well, and perhaps tellingly the only place I'm admitted so far was a place where I said screw it and put one IR and one comparativist as my two POIs. Who knows.

Luck schmuck. One admit is MAYBE luck. Chicago, Stanford, Yale is one impressive application, and you should be really, really proud of yourself. Sure, luck plays into every process, but you worked hard for and earned those offers and you should feel really good about it, imho.

I agree. I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone with this type of record. I can only hope to be a fraction as successful. Hopefully good news will be headed my way some day. Good luck in your future endeavors.

[Megan]

Wait listed at UNC. Didn't look like a mass email as it referenced my place on the list and the likelihood of acceptance later in March.

[wmplax]

Do you guys reply to any of your acceptance emails? I feel like a dick as it occurred to me that I haven't replied back saying thanks or, even for my top choice which I'm now in, that I'll probably be attending.

At this point, how much communication do you have/is appropriate to have with the schools you've been accepted into?

Edited February 18, 2012 by wmplax

[Jwnich1]

Do you guys reply to any of your acceptance emails? I feel like a dick as it occurred to me that I haven't replied back saying thanks or, even for my top choice which I'm now in, that I'll probably be attending.

At this point, how much communication do you have/is appropriate to have with the schools you've been accepted into?

I try to reply to each of them. I think it's only polite to acknowledge it. I know some feel like this may "lead programs on" but given the competitive pool- the prevailing wisdom is that they'll "move on quickly"

[brent09]

I've had a lot of communication with most, actually. I get a lot of e-mails from faculty, updates on funding, and of course e-mails from coordinators about visiting the schools. And I've talked on the phone with people at every program just to ask questions, et ceters. UMd has been completely silent since the first phone call, though. Not a peep from any faculty, no information on if there's a visit weekend, no firm funding letter. Think that's more the anomaly though...

[Megan]

NYU had a faculty member (not a POI) send me an email. I finally emailed back today with questions and she responded SO quickly and thoroughly. I was very impressed. She gave me some names of students to reach out to. I have been unsure, however, whether it is ok to initiate contact with a POI if they haven't emailed me first? I don't want to bother them, but I would kind of like to communicate with one of them in particular. This particular email from UNC I will probably respond to, because it to some degree encourages that specifically.