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Waiting it out 2012... 'I've just submitted my application' thread


fenderpete

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I think I still have a lot of time left, since public policy won't be until March (and today was the deadline for most of my programs). I'm still doing okay; one thing the Peace Corps really did teach me was to be more relaxed about things out of my control. That doesn't stop me from coming on here, of course :)

Honestly, I'm just glad to have the application part done, more or less. It was even more stressful than I could imagine. I wrote my general SOP back in the summer; talked to all my recommenders in August/September and thought that 4 months was plenty of notice... and yet, two of my recommenders sent in a number of my letters in late. Luckily, as others are saying, the schools give you some leeway. I just contacted the department when it became apparent that my recommendations wouldn't make it on time, and they were really cool about it. Last Monday, though, I was more than a bit of a wreck because my recommender managed even to be a day late for the extension I got him. I think there's still one late for today's application, but that school doesn't have online stuff, and the admissions "helper" keeps not telling me if they've received the recommendations or not.

Sigh, it's particularly hard when you're kind of a control freak.

Guess now it's time to start getting my FAFSA together.... (and figuring out how to do all that)

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Whew, thank you @cunninlynguist! That's precisely what I was hoping someone in this forum would say--I've submitted 5 and am holding on to the last 6 applications simply out of fear...what if I feel like I need to change something in the next few weeks? But at this point I just don't see what else can be changed. Gosh, though...we're in for so much wait time. :wacko:

Hey Redheadblueheel... Did you pick out any specific faculty to work with at ASU? I did my undergrad there and can give you some insight on the profs. :) Good luck!

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I got an email from the international office at one of the universities to which I applied, talking about a photo competition for a calendar. It was clearly meant for current studentis, and for a moment I was like "oooh maybe they've accepted me but not let me know!" And then I looked back through my emails, and saw that no decisions will be made until February/March and I deflated inside. :(

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How did you decide which results page will be your home page? Top choice or the school that's known for earliest decisions?

I figured that since I open my browser so often, for now I'd just leave it showing all results. Then, when things heat up, I'll make my search more specific, using the formula they offer:

geog* (uni1|uni2|"university3 with multiple words in name"|uni4|uni5)

That way I can see all the schools I applied to + my chosen field.

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Yes! Now I get to join this list!!!!! I'm moving on from SOP-writing and all that **** to waiting.... yaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!! What to do with all the free time? Will I go party? Will I read fiction? Will I make art? Will I start jogging?

Now you have time to do all of the above!! welcome to the club! :)

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I can't even look at the results page anymore after seeing someone who applied to one of the exact same programs as me get rejected. Sincere hugs and condolences for that person! Apparently, they were contacting the graduate director about something and were informed that their application was not moving to the next stage of admissions. I spent the next couple of days trying desperately to think of an excuse to contact the director before realizing that the news would either be "you didn't make it" or "you made it to the next stage, but we can't promise you're in". Better off just waiting for the final decision, I guess, but AAAAAH! What's even worse is that their GRE scores were waaaay better than mine... *Paranoia paranoia paranoia*

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Nope, although every time my iPhone vibrates, I jump a foot. I'm really starting to resent all of the silly e-mails I get....

I am in the same position, I am regretting the use of my enterprise university account in my applications. Now every time my iPhone vibrates my heart skips a beat. Im sure that will change, there is a long wait ahead!

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good thing I used my generic email address, so I don't get too jumpy but then again I'm going through the waves that I'm sure everyone else is going through. The intense moments of wondering, the creeping moments of despair and then the general "I just don't care anymore" moments.

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I'm having a similar smartphone paranoia problem...my android yells "DROID" every time it gets an email, and I obsessively run to check it, usually to find a coupon or spam, or something I just don't care about. I've thought about unsync-ing my phone, but then I think I'd just sign onto my computer all the time....no rest.

@Spriteling, I hope that your roommate gets good news on Monday instead of bad.

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Spriteling, hoping the best for your roommate.

I received my application fee reimbursement from Brown yesterday -- or, rather, Embark -- and it wasn't as promised. Their financial representative contacted all of the former applicants and said we'd be refunded through the same means of payment (in my case, that'd be my debit card). Instead, they took what I presume is the lazy way out and simply sent the application fee via PayPal to my e-mail address. Of course, PayPal takes a small chunk out and now it'll take 3-4 days to transfer to my bank account. I wouldn't be surprised if a few of my fellow applicants don't even have PayPal accounts.

I'm still out my GRE score report fee and transcript costs, and never received any responses to my inquiries. I suppose it's time to just leave it be.

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I just found out that my flatmate might have cancer; she has to wait until Monday to find out.

Sort of puts my waiting into perspective now, heh.

It's true... We get so wrapped up in our worries and fears about moving forward that we forget how fortunate we truly are to have come so far and accomplished so much already. Virtual hugs and support for your roommate! Hoping for negative results (and positive feelings).

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Okay, I've got to stop rereading my applications and noticing all these tiny little mistakes. Seriously.

The problem is that I was in a severe car accident the day before deadlines, so I ended up submitting some of them, quite literally, from the hospital while half-drugged on morphine. Wasn't able to check over quite as well as I'd have liked.

Moral of this story? Submit early. You never know what will happen at the last second.

I can relate. I'm trying to prevent myself from inflicting this torture on myself, as well. Not as trying as your situation, admittedly, but my app deadlines fell in the middle of 6 exams (worth 30 credits - the system is different here in Ireland: much more concentrated and focused on final exams, as opposed to continuous assessment). Even though I was working on the applications since September, I only got them finished just in time for December 15th. I wrote a 25 page essay for the specific purpose of showing them a writing sample, as per their requirements (all my prior work was only 10-12 pages). I'm a neurotic perfectionist (unhappily, and trying to overcome it) - yesterday I emailed my professor asking her if three tiny mistakes in 25 pages will ruin my application (e.g. forgetting to close scare quotes). She told me not to worry at all, and that it is human. She herself proofread it for me and did not notice them.

I am trying to remind myself that life is too short to go insane over a forgotten scarequote, though it is easier said than done, at times. Best of luck with your application! I've been offered a PhD here, but I do not wish to rot in the west of Ireland for the rest of my days: in the land where Cromwell drove the natives with his motto 'to hell or to Connaught' (it's desolate around here). :)

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