take a gamble: predict your own outcome!

[cavedan]

9 applications... $967

1 partial-expense-paid interview weekend... $200

1 acceptance at the dream school... priceless

[Boz]

I applied to 14 schools, all of which have very low acceptance rates. Like many others, I fluctuate between confidence and despair so often that it's difficult to pin down a rational estimate. I also think that I may have fudged up one of my apps, so I'll pretend that I'm already out of the running for that school.

Pessimistic: 1 acceptance, 13 rejections

Realistic: 3 acceptances, 1 waitlist, 10 rejections

(Very) Optimistic: 5 acceptances, 2 waitlists, 7 rejections

I think that for humanities programs such as English, where the WS and SoP often take precedence over the numbers, it's even harder to guess what will happen. Although I think I'm a great "fit" for certain programs, who knows what they'll think :roll: .

[CAPoliSciPhD]

cavedan - what exactly is your field?

[cavedan]

Broadly, Religious Studies, specifically, origins of Christianity. As far as I can tell, the departments I'm applying to take 1-2 students per year in my subfield =/ So, I'm holding out hope that I can be The One for at least one school.

"Being the One is like being in love. No one can tell you you're in love, you just know it. Head to toe. Balls to bones." Best advice I've gotten so far... if only it were that easy. 8)

[MacDuff]

Okay, what the heck...

8 apps:

1 acceptances

1 waitlist

6 rejections

...and a partridge in a pear tree.

[ec86]

I'll be the pessimistic one here and predict rejections across the board: 0/5

I figure if I have this negative mentality, I won't be as depressed when I DO get all rejections.

[drpsych]

Ahh, defensive pessimism.

In any case, I was trying my hardest not to come to this thread, but alas, I can no longer hold out.

I guess for everyone, the worst and best case scenarios are all rejections or all acceptances, but here are my more realistic ones:

Optimistic:

6 acceptances

3 rejections

Realistic:

4 acceptances

5 rejections

Pessimistic:

2 acceptances

7 rejections

... but I'm ok with my pessimistic one as long as my worst case scenario doesn't happen! :\ Let's hope my realistic predictions are actually realistic!!

[Phonologist]

No way am I doing this. Of course I've done it in my head multiple times, but I'm not putting it in writing.

I'm not superstitious, just a little stitious.

[MAN]

by Phonologist on Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:47 pm

I'm not superstitious, just a little stitious.

My wife and I quote The Office all the time. That's one of our favorite lines.

[Phonologist]

My wife and I quote The Office all the time. That's one of our favorite lines.

Ah! I knew I got that from somewhere! I watch so much TV these days it's hard to keep track. I like that line especially because it's a clever example of what's called a back-formation in linguistics, like the way the noun "teen" came from "thirteen, fourteen," etc.

[number35]

10 Applications...

Realistically:

4 Acceptances

2 Waitlist (1 successful, 1 rejection)

4 straight Rejections

Optimistically:

6 Acceptances

3 Waitlist (2 succesful, 1 rejection)

1 straight rejection

GHA! that sounds awful and its totally possible to just get into 1 or 2. ahhh! this whole waiting game is a joke, i'm gonna lose it. haha

[sabana15]

i would say

9 apps:

2 accepts

2 possible accepts

3 i have no freakin' ideas

2 rejects

[ErinM]

2 acceptances, one with funding and one without

3 rejections

That would make deciding where to go pretty simple, at least...!

Now I'm having "why did I only apply to five schools??" panic time. Aghghgh.

[academiccricket]

7 applications - my predictions.

2 - on the fence / could go either way (and these are the two I want the most), due entirely to a really great LOR and not really to my stats

2 - acceptances with partial funding (but not full funding)

1 - put me into the M.A. and not Ph.D....with partial funding

2 - flat out rejections

[jesso21]

6 applications:

2-acceptances with $

2-acceptances without $

2-rejections

[seunghwane]

11 applications

8 interviews

3 non-interview rejections

7 acceptances after interviews

4 rejections total

So far: 5 interviews, 1 non-interview rejections

So far: 8 interviews, 1 acceptance, 1 non-interview rejections

[IvyHope]

So far: 8 interviews, 1 acceptance, 1 non-interview rejections

Congrats on the acceptance. Way to go...

[Louiselab]

I predict rejections across the board. The exciting part though is that I don't remember about 1/2 the schools I applied to, So it will really be like Christmas opening up rejections from schools I don't even remember applying to and then suddenly thinking, "oh, wow, did I really apply to UPenn? Was I smoking crack at the time?"

[Emma2003]

Okay, I am not superstitious OR a little stitious so here goes...

4 schools

Optimistic:

2 acceptances with full funding

2 no funding

Realistic:

1 acceptance with funding

1 acceptance partial funding

1 no funding

1 rejection

Mildly pessimistic:

1 partial funding

1 no funding

2 rejections

Pessimistic:

1 no funding

3 rejections

Very pessimistic:

4 rejections

[saritapie]

I think one of my programs will accept me, but I am not confident that they'll fund me.

I am 98% certain that one of my programs will not fund me, and I think I stand an excellent chance of being outright rejected.

The third program is a wild card; my best guess changes daily.

In each case, my assessment is based mostly on the "vibe" I got from faculty, staff, and grad students, and has less to do with the fit between me and the program, how good my application was, and my credentials

[ridgey]

Okay, I am not superstitious OR a little stitious so here goes...

4 schools

Optimistic:

2 acceptances with full funding

2 no funding

Realistic:

1 acceptance with funding

1 acceptance partial funding

1 no funding

1 rejection

Mildly pessimistic:

1 partial funding

1 no funding

2 rejections

Pessimistic:

1 no funding

3 rejections

Very pessimistic:

4 rejections

Hey, that's not a prediction, that's nearly every possible outcome! The universe will prove you aren't pescient with 4 funded acceptances, and even though you'll be gutted at not having picked it, you'll be consoled by the 100% success rate.

[Emma2003]

LOL...

Okay, here's my best guess...

1 acceptance with at least partial funding, hopefully full.

1 no funding

2 rejections

Does this mean I'm pessimistic or realistic, i forget.

[saritapie]

We're going to need a new thread where we report outcomes.

So far, I'm on track: The program I guessed would accept me with funding did that; the one I thought would accept me without funding has accepted me but hasn't told me about funding; and the one that I thought would reject me hasn't reported back. The upshot: If all the current blanks are filled in with bad news, I'm 3 for 3

[GirlattheHelm]

3 Rejections - UMass Amherst, Cornell University & College of William and Mary

1 Accepted OR Wait listed- University of Montana

2 Great Acceptances - Binghamton University & University of Vermont

I don't know if I have a snowball's chance in hell at the University of Vermont, but I really want to get into their Historic Preservation program (since I most certainly won't get into Cornell's). I'm so nervous right now I might chew off my arm! I'm going to take a vicodin. Yay! for chronic pain and prescription opioids!

[saritapie]

1 Accepted OR Wait listed- University of Montana

PM me if you want to talk about UM