linden Posted January 11, 2009 Posted January 11, 2009 bubotuberpus: Oh, don't be embarrassed... Besides all the forums you mentioned, some of us (I'm sure I am not the only one) are also checking out http://www.admissionsboards.com/ (for the advice the consultants there give other candidates) and TestMagicForums (http://www.urch.com/forums/). My friends make fun of me for constantly being on these forums. But, many of us don't have friends or acquaintances who are applying to grad school. Thus, these forums have been a valuable way to get advice from and commiserate with individuals who are going through the same process. Anyone have any other grad school forums to share? Linden
ridgey Posted January 11, 2009 Author Posted January 11, 2009 Nothing new to share, and thanks for listing those ones Linden - I had stumbled across them ages ago but forgotten them. And, thanks for your post on the applications board, now I "recognise" you from applyingtograd. I feel like those of us who are almost living on these forums should get some advantage in the whole admissions process - we are clearly the biggest geeks and the most obsessed!
younglions Posted January 11, 2009 Posted January 11, 2009 I come in with a 788 according to that formula. I'm a MPP / IR applicant.
linden Posted January 11, 2009 Posted January 11, 2009 Rigdey: I completely agree with you. We do deserve brownie points for being so geeky, anal, and obsessive. We obviously want this much more than the slackers who don't even bother to read a book or informational website about applying to grad school. Linden
Boz Posted January 11, 2009 Posted January 11, 2009 We do deserve brownie points for being so geeky, anal, and obsessive. We obviously want this much more than the slackers who don't even bother to read a book or informational website about applying to grad school. Ditto . Although, I'm also inclined to believe that one of the reasons I spend so much time on these forums is due to certain insecurities I have about the strength of my application. Reading about others' experiences has often taught me that my paranoia is ungrounded, but sometimes I get that little *twinge* of knowing that I'm probably at a disadvantage in some respect. In other words, if I were more self-confident as an applicant, I don't know if I would be so in need of reassurance from the online community. But that's just me--I don't mean to say that applicants who use these forums aren't excellent, amazing, brilliant, etc. scholars (as most of you are, no doubt--the results page speaks for itself). I definitely think that, in helping each other, we all make self-improvements and better-informed decisions about applying. And then, there's the whole support group thing that I also love . Still, I do agree with you guys that our obvious enthusiasm should at least count for something. Seriously.
gadhelyn Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 I'm geeky, anal and obsessive because I know I'm at a disadvantage. I worked 25+ hours a week in a research lab on campus (where I have worked full time for 2 years now, 5 years total) throughout my undergrad since I had no other sources of income, and barely managed to scrape by both financially and GPA-wise. Good GRE scores, research experience, co-author publications (my list has now hit 7!), LoR from world-known experts should overshadow the uGPA, but there's still that nag. Too bad they don't have a place to list your screen-names for sites. I know I'm very new here, but it does help to see others as nervous (I think is the word) as I am. So I thank you all.
t_ruth Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 been checking out applycorner. Not going to put myself out there for a 'rate my chances,' but it is fun to read others... the folks there are pretty harsh - lots of ratings of basically 'fat chance' for applicants who do end up getting into what the raters thought was a big reach. That's somewhat encouraging. Everybody ready for Monday?
Astaroth Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Everybody ready for Monday? Nope, definitely not.
miratrix Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Um what happens Monday? (Or is it just that it's a Monday? I don't know. I work weekends. It's all the same to me.)
Dreams Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Um what happens Monday? (Or is it just that it's a Monday?... I guess some hope the graduate departments will show mercy and post admissions results! Relax folks! Do what I do to kill the time: cook and clean. Well, not so much cleaning here! Bot something to pass the time that will also get you away from the computer
CAPoliSciPhD Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Are none of you in school now? undergrad or grad? I keep thinking about this stuff but I know the EARLIEST I could hear anything, good or bad, is not for another 3 to 4 weeks --- so I'm obsessing even though I have actual WORK to do...which sucks bc I'm not interested anymore...
t_ruth Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 I meant things can start happening on Monday: mail, calls, etc. and I'm not currently in school. I have my own business, which involves a lot of computer time, and am up all hours of the night with my infant.
linden Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 t_ruth: I, too, have developed a real love for Mondays. I also have taken to running around the house singing "Oh, why can't it be March?" (to the tune of the Warner Brothers cartoons intro song). Boz: I think that most (and probably all) applicants have at least some deficiencies or problems related to their profile. We are just big enough to recognize that we are not perfect and to seek advice here. So, again, even more brownie points should be forthcoming for humility. Ha, ha. Linden
fenderpete Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Are none of you in school now? undergrad or grad? I keep thinking about this stuff but I know the EARLIEST I could hear anything, good or bad, is not for another 3 to 4 weeks --- so I'm obsessing even though I have actual WORK to do...which sucks bc I'm not interested anymore... I can definitely empathise with that, as I sit here reading Grad Cafe instead of revising for my Transatlantic Security Relations paper tomorrow... I feel like I'm waiting for this part of my academic career to be over, without knowing for definite that I've got something else to go on to and with a lot of work still to do (including my undergrad dissertation)...
IvyHope Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Are none of you in school now? undergrad or grad? I keep thinking about this stuff but I know the EARLIEST I could hear anything, good or bad, is not for another 3 to 4 weeks --- so I'm obsessing even though I have actual WORK to do...which sucks bc I'm not interested anymore... Ha! I'm currently in school, teach at said school, and work part time for government agency. I also have until March to prepare a paper that was accepted at our big convention in April. I also should be spending time looking for potential funding for the next few years, should I not be accepted anywhere. Yet, I STILL spend time on here everyday!
ohheygradschool Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Iiiiiit's.... Monday! Ok, schools, you can contact me now. I'm awake! Please?
Sonic Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Good luck to everyone who expects to hear something, anything, sometime soon. Most of my schools appear to be Johnny-Come-Lately April Notifiers. I'll pass the time by reading all the incoming results for you molecular biology and chemistry applicants -- I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
ohheygradschool Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 I'll pass the time by reading all the incoming results for you molecular biology and chemistry applicants -- I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! Reading all of those results makes me regret that I'm history of science, not actual science. Maybe I should have stuck with biology after all. Oh well. I hope their interviews go well.
t_ruth Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 So, Monday did bring some news: heard from two schools that my application is now officially in front of the committee. Similar to what I think I read someone else here say, my heart is giving a little flutter knowing that the decision-makers are actually viewing my application now! Weird thought that people are possibly talking about me at this moment.
Dreams Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 my heart is giving a little flutter knowing that the decision-makers are actually viewing my application now! Weird thought that people are possibly talking about me at this moment. Hmm. How nice of them to call you. Who knows, you might even get another call soon with some good news.
t_ruth Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Hmm. How nice of them to call you. Who knows, you might even get another call soon with some good news. No calls, just emails. One an automated thingy from the graduate school and the other a personal email from the department's coordinator, who has been totally awesome w/me (they didn't have my official transcripts, so she let me email pdfs so as to not delay my app).
ridgey Posted January 12, 2009 Author Posted January 12, 2009 been checking out applycorner. Not going to put myself out there for a 'rate my chances,' but it is fun to read others... the folks there are pretty harsh - lots of ratings of basically 'fat chance' for applicants who do end up getting into what the raters thought was a big reach. That's somewhat encouraging. Oooh, that sounds like a good way for me to waste time! I found the website but clicking "rate my chances" doesn't seem to take me to the section you mention. Can you give me directions?. Does anyone else think, when they can't figure out something simple (in this case how to use a website), that this is evidence that they are clearly not good enough to get in?
t_ruth Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 yes, the design of that site is not very intuitive. I've just been clicking on profiles from the lists (like applicants, whogotin, etc.).
linden Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Okay, I vote that we ban the neurosciences/biomedical/molecular biology people from thegradcafe. Or at least prevent them from posting results until late February. It is awful to see them posting their acceptances and interviews all day long. (Yeah, I know I should be happy for them...) Linden
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