Boz Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Don't despair, fenderpete! Everything will be all right in the end. I, too, have been considering what I'll do if I don't get in this time around--and it *is* hard to imagine taking yet *another* year off when a PhD takes so long in the first place. However, I've heard stories of many applicants getting in *nowhere* on their first try and then getting into all the Ivies on their second go. So, as much going through this process again sounds dreadful, take heart! I'm really praying now that someone at Princeton, Stanford or Penn has somehow (against seemingly insurmountable odds) taken a shine to my application and will offer me some funding and a spot... I really hope that things work out for you! Incidentally, I'm applying to those three schools as well. With any luck, we'll be colleagues in the next few months! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saritapie Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Have you guys heard of Swaptree? (Check it out. It is rad.) I just swapped someone for The Long Emergency and it arrived in the mail today. It is actually helping me a lot: I am thinking about a post-peak-oil breakdown of society-as-we-know-it. It occurs to me that if it comes to this, the skills one gains in a social sciences PhD program will not be in high demand; they do not quickly and easily translate to the production of food, potable water, or shelter, nor to the successful treatment of serious medical problems. Maybe if I get across-the-board-rejected, or across-the-board-rejected-in-effect (read: accepted sans money), I will learn how to grow and preserve food and make a strawbale house off the grid and survive the horrors described in my new book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miratrix Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I'm actually not feeling negative about the admissions process...I'm feeling negative about what happens AFTER grad school. I'm sure everyone, especially in the humanities and social sciences, has heard how hard it is to work in academia, and I'm pretty nervous about whether government or industry jobs will look positively on a graduate degree. The idea of going through several more years of school and finding myself less employable than I was with just a BA really terrifies me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAPoliSciPhD Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I've thought of that but everytime I find myself worrying about that I'm afraid I'm sending vibes out to the universe -- giving it a reason to reject me from all my schools. I really can handle only one problem at a time. It keeps from losing (what's left) of my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louiselab Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 As someone who has been rejected across the board (for phd programs at least, I'm getting an MA now), I will say this to those are fretting about what will after such a catastrophic event: The world actually doesn't fall apart. Well, okay, for a few minutes when it sinks it it kind of does, but other than that the world goes on, the sun still shines (granted shining suns made me want to puke). Although the economy tanking did happen to closely follow the rejections, I'm sure the two events are not related. or are they? It's nothing to be embarrassed about, either. I was mortified telling people until one of my TAs said "oh yeah, because no one ever gets rejected from YALE." I actually found out that a few of my TAs were second (or third) round admits, so that's helpful. And here I am, still plodding along. It sucks having to reapply, and be unable to get in on the first try, but c'est la vie. Although after hearing the things some profs say to grad students, learning to accept rejection gracefully and be able to bounce back is a valuable lesson. Naturally this does not preclude me from sitting at night with my fingers and toes crossed, eyes closed chanting "please god, make SOMEONE TAKE MEEEE!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katanianQ Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I'm actually not feeling negative about the admissions process...I'm feeling negative about what happens AFTER grad school. I'm sure everyone, especially in the humanities and social sciences, has heard how hard it is to work in academia, and I'm pretty nervous about whether government or industry jobs will look positively on a graduate degree. The idea of going through several more years of school and finding myself less employable than I was with just a BA really terrifies me. right on, miratrix.. just a minute or two of reading the chronicle (or worse, the bizarro posts on auto admit) is enough to make me save that crusty dunkin donuts cup for street beggin after the phd. if i get in anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domanda Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 i have been negative for a long long time....i'm even feeling how lucky i am to be in a mfa program with a gpa this low. i have been told recently that i'm just not a good student and don't care enough of being a good student (otherwise i will study really hard for GRE and wouldn't have wound up with such a low undergrad gpa blahblah)....and i'm thinking that's actually true....maybe i don't deserve to be a phd student....now i'm self-destructive enough to be able to deal with rejection fine i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willtherebestars Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Yes...! I could only afford to apply to five schools, and although my stats aren't anything to be ashamed of (except, perhaps, GRE verbal), sooooo many students are applying with similar stats and who knows? Their research interests might align PERFECTLY with the professors that I want to work with. Oh jeez. The prospect of getting results is consuming my thoughts. Luckily I'm taking a somewhat easy semester so that I can focus on my thesis... ha! This forum has probably saved me from going insane / getting severely depressed (for more than a couple of hours at a time, anyway). :!: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridgey Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I don't get this whole plan B thing. Is it really that easy for people to come up with a change in career motivation?? bc I can't - and I've been trying AND I worked after college for a couple years trying to figure it out then and this is what I found out I wanted to do so the negative thing, yes, I feel it -- I just need to find god maybe? start praying? I just need to ONE freaking acceptance (w funding of course). In my case, it's not a change in career motivation at all - certainly not giving up the dream. Long term, I want to research things that are interesting to me. Need a PhD to get to set my own agenda. In the meantime, though, I am fortunately well qualified for positions doing research that other people find interesting. I really want to travel, and it just so happens that there tend to be lots of research jobs located in a couple of cities around the world that make for good travel hubs. So, given that whether I am admitted this round is now out of my hands (well, accept for that last application that I'm undecided about submitting at all) I need to have a plan B that allows me to: 1) fill in at least one year of my life, preferably doing something that I will enjoy, and 2) strengthen my application for the next time I apply. I'm actually convinced now (and should have listened to the people who tried to tell me this) that my applications this round aren't as strong as they will be in a year. I'll have my Masters in hand, my recommenders will know me better and will be able to write stronger letters, I'll have some publications (hopefully!), my writing sample will be a polished exerpt from my thesis rather than a hurried first draft of a chapter. Of course, I'm incredibly impatient and applied this round anyway. But it is not at all unlikely that plan B will come into play for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderpete Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 Don't despair, fenderpete! Everything will be all right in the end. I, too, have been considering what I'll do if I don't get in this time around--and it *is* hard to imagine taking yet *another* year off when a PhD takes so long in the first place. However, I've heard stories of many applicants getting in *nowhere* on their first try and then getting into all the Ivies on their second go. So, as much going through this process again sounds dreadful, take heart! I really hope that things work out for you! Incidentally, I'm applying to those three schools as well. With any luck, we'll be colleagues in the next few months! Thanks Boz I think it just worries me a bit that I'll be hitting the job market at 30 with no real experience other than academic work! I hope things work out for you too, it'd be great to end up grabbing coffee somewhere and laughing about how paranoid we were being lol. I'm pleased this thread is letting people vent some of their deepest darkest fears - and also pleased that there's such an atmosphere of mutual support. I think the hardest thing in all of this is that everyone is fairly used to being good at what they do relative to their peers/cohort and now for the first time in 3-4 years (or longer if you've been out of academia for a while) we're all on our own, judged against people we don't know, using criteria we don't fully understand. I'm hoping that some tiny detail on my CV or personal statement will end up mattering to a prospective supervisor than my quantitative GRE or date of birth... To fill up my time I've started writing a really negative autobiography of my experiences with the education system. I'll save plenty of space for the grad admissions chapter lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemo Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Yes *sigh*. Ive been feeling extremely negative about my chances of getting into any of the four ridiculously prestigious schools that i applied to (which are, for the record, berkeley, UCLA, Columbia and NYU). Rationally, it is entirely conceivable, if not positively likely, that I will be rejected across the board, not because my application is bad but simply because competition is astronomically high for all four. For a few weeks I berated myself for not having applied to any safety schools, but my measured conclusion is this: i applied to only the places I desperately wanted to go to. The enormity of a five-year PhD course is too significant to make any compromises on. I absolutely completely and utterly want to do this PhD but if this doesnt work out, life will lead me down another course, which is also not a compromise (just a different solution). Maybe if I get across-the-board-rejected, or across-the-board-rejected-in-effect (read: accepted sans money), I will learn how to grow and preserve food and make a strawbale house off the grid and survive the horrors described in my new book. Maybe rejection will give me the courage to travel around the world being a freelance journalist. That's always been a little daydream of mine. And then again, maybe, just maybe, i wont be rejected across the board! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnlikelyGrad Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I think it just worries me a bit that I'll be hitting the job market at 30 with no real experience other than academic work! If it makes you feel better, even if I get in this year, by the time I'm done with my Ph.D. & the all-but-mandatory-for-scientists post-doc, I'll be 45 or so. Getting a tenure-track position in academia is going to be a little rough for me in any case. If I have to push it off another year...meh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohheygradschool Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I was feeling negative, but then I decided that no matter what happens, Obama is now my president. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saritapie Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I was feeling negative, but then I decided that no matter what happens, Obama is now my president. Yes, yesterday cheered me up considerably! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadhelyn Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Yes, yesterday cheered me up considerably! I wish I could have seen it, I was working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linden Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 It was the marching music that did it for me. I was thinking, if there was only a parade on TV every day, it might keep my mind off admissions decisions. Marching music makes me feel better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohheygradschool Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I wish I could have seen it, I was working. Youtube! It will brighten up your day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnlikelyGrad Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 It was the marching music that did it for me. I was thinking, if there was only a parade on TV every day, it might keep my mind off admissions decisions. Marching music makes me feel better. Get a CD of Sousa marches from the library and march around the house. Seriously. I like cleaning to Sousa; it makes even unpleasant tasks so much better. Also, my kids have been known to put on impromptu parades when the marching music is on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonologist Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 For a few weeks I berated myself for not having applied to any safety schools, but my measured conclusion is this: i applied to only the places I desperately wanted to go to. The enormity of a five-year PhD course is too significant to make any compromises on. I absolutely completely and utterly want to do this PhD but if this doesnt work out, life will lead me down another course, which is also not a compromise (just a different solution). Exactly. I've only applied to four programs, all in the top 5. A lot of people are surprised to hear that I don't have a safety, and for a while I was deciding whether or not I needed one. I don't. Like you said, a PhD is too much of a sacrifice and commitment to do it someplace where your research won't be completely supported or the faculty in your area aren't top-notch, etc. And all that work just to enter a shitty job market, even from a top program? No, if I'm really going for a PhD, it's got to count. Though I wish I had your optimism regarding the compromise vs. different solution thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadhelyn Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 My PI and Co-PI have now demonstrated why I want to leave this lab: I got a tongue lashing from my PI for not knowing information my Co-PI has not told me. My Co-PI generally avoids me because she does not like our PI and hence does not want to be associated with his work. I mean, yeah, I want to study bioinformatics and get my degree and start my own research, but I have to get out of here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabana15 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 In my case, it's not a change in career motivation at all - certainly not giving up the dream. Long term, I want to research things that are interesting to me. Need a PhD to get to set my own agenda. In the meantime, though, I am fortunately well qualified for positions doing research that other people find interesting. I really want to travel, and it just so happens that there tend to be lots of research jobs located in a couple of cities around the world that make for good travel hubs. So, given that whether I am admitted this round is now out of my hands (well, accept for that last application that I'm undecided about submitting at all) I need to have a plan B that allows me to: 1) fill in at least one year of my life, preferably doing something that I will enjoy, and 2) strengthen my application for the next time I apply. I'm actually convinced now (and should have listened to the people who tried to tell me this) that my applications this round aren't as strong as they will be in a year. I'll have my Masters in hand, my recommenders will know me better and will be able to write stronger letters, I'll have some publications (hopefully!), my writing sample will be a polished exerpt from my thesis rather than a hurried first draft of a chapter. Of course, I'm incredibly impatient and applied this round anyway. But it is not at all unlikely that plan B will come into play for me. I'm with you. I would be devastated if I got flat-out rejected and I would definitely sulk about, but life goes on. I'd move to one of my top-choice cities and start taking classes as a non-degree student to try and bulk up my experience and to make myself known to the faculty. Besides, I feel better knowing that I have some form of plan in place for my life after my current job ends 6.01. If not, it would be the great unknown for me, something my SO finds a bit disturbing/concerning/ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
academiccricket Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I'm with you. I would be devastated if I got flat-out rejected and I would definitely sulk about, but life goes on. I'd move to one of my top-choice cities and start taking classes as a non-degree student to try and bulk up my experience and to make myself known to the faculty. Besides, I feel better knowing that I have some form of plan in place for my life after my current job ends 6.01. If not, it would be the great unknown for me, something my SO finds a bit disturbing/concerning/ridiculous. I did this. I moved to Boston with $200 to my name, am currently auditing classes in my dream dept., etc. Will I get in? Probably not. I was already rejected once, so doubling my efforts in the past year (presenting, adding a research language, going on a summer program with the dept...) and then getting rejected will REALLY suck. All my friends in the dept. are convinced I'll get in...I'm not. My bf in the dept had a 1580 GRE, publications, presentations, and the "outstanding student" (like the valedictorian...apparently) from his state college. My stats aren't even CLOSE to that, and it will be hard saying "no, I actually didn't get in. I have to adjunct and eat more ramen until next year." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderpete Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 Well I didn't get the Thouron scholarship, so looks like it's now down to getting acceptance and funding directly from the departments I applied to. I really really hope I end up somewhere now :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadiana Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Well I didn't get the Thouron scholarship, so looks like it's now down to getting acceptance and funding directly from the departments I applied to. I really really hope I end up somewhere now :cry: fenderpete, I know how you feel! I just received an email informing me that I was rejected a very well-known national scholarship award for which I had applied. It's discouraging, isn't it, to see a rejection like that and wonder whether you'll get in anywhere? That sinking feeling when I read "I regret..." in the letter haunts me, even though I like to think that I've espoused a devil-may-care attitude since submitting my last application in December. Hang in there! Hope there's good news for you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonights Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Hang in there! Hope there's good news for you... I am hoping for good news for all of us. This is a terribly stressful process! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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