0% Confidence of Acceptance

[chaucerettescs]

Ok, so, I just checked my UNC application and suddenly it's listing my application as "incomplete", saying that I never paid the application fee and I swear I am actually about to have a stroke. I submitted a fee waiver long before the application was due and the admissions office is either supposed to mark your application as "paid" OR contact you, telling you to fork over the dough. They apparently never did either (I just SCOURED my e-mail looking for something I might have missed and there's nothing).

 

 

Edited February 19, 2013 by chaucerettescs

[It's (Not) About Me]

Our experiences seem very similar it's (not). I almost didn't get a Saturday test for the GRE because I had to coordinate with my bills, lol. I avoided the subject test completely. If have to apply again I might try to re-take the general, but I'd really have to weigh if it was worth all the time/money/stress. I'm not gonna lie, I may or may not be paying off a few Christmas presents I had to charge to make those 12/15 and 12/31 app payments.

Seriously!!!!! It's going to be bad enough telling people I bombed at apps, but my parents may kill me if I don't get in anywhere (they paid for a couple apps for a Christmas present and I wasn't able to fly home for Christmas or Thanksgiving because I had to work on apps). Not to mention my relationship... I'm pretty sure if my bf and I would be in serious trouble if we didn't live together. The thought of locking myself away every weekend for six months to work on apps with a 2% acceptance rate is daunting to say the least.

Haha, we really did have similar experiences! I had to take the Subject test in my hometown because the Chicago test was full by the time I was able to register (which wasn't that late, I thought, but oh well). And yep, I took the General on a Friday night, coming straight from work. What a day that was. It worked out OK, though! My Christmas presents were all purchased after 12/15ish. I was in a weird position--I have a very strained/distant relationship with my parents, and I didn't feel comfortable telling them that I'm applying to grad school, but I also feel pressure to give nice gifts to my family because anything less convinces them that I'm "struggling" without them. Oy. I do feel worried about spending so, so much and having nothing to show for it. But I've discussed this with friends and I always come to the conclusion that I'd rather try and fall flat on my face than not try and allllways be wondering what might've happened. I won't regret applying. But damn, my savings are pathetic.

 

No probs. I think it's most difficult right now because there has been so much news already, but so many schools haven't really even started doing any notifications yet. All you need is one! I think you'll get more, though. Darkest before dawn and all that, eh?

Wonderful cheering words! I know you were talking to girlwhowearsglasses, but it helped brighten things up for me, too.

[collikl]

Sorry to be a downer all, but I just have to vent for a minute. Yesterday was my birthday and while I had a lovely day (thanks to my fella), I got rejected from the school he's attending, shutting the door to us being in the same place for the next 5-6 years. I also seem to have implicit rejections from another three, including a top choice whose wait list I didn't even make. That leaves me at 8/11.

By this time last year I had two wait lists(including my dream school), and I only applied to 4 schools. Now I'm 8/11. This is my third cycle (as I applied to PhDs and MAs my first time and got an MA). I'm now at 21 rejections total with very little hope, despite a strong MA, recs, CV and what I thought was a much improved SOP and writing sample. (And I have a publication under review after being asked to revise and resubmit.) Sigh.

I'm sorry to be bringing the chat down, but it's hard to talk to friends about this and I needed an outlet.

[collikl]

Scratch that: another rejection. 9/11.

[waparys]

Scratch that: another rejection. 9/11.

I've been long distance with my guy for the past 18 months or so and my acceptances to PhD programs will also dictate whether or not that continues. I basically have to stop myself from thinking about it before I have all the pieces of the puzzle...because there's no use worrying about something that might not be a problem. 

 

Are any of your other schools close by? Could you commute? 

[InHacSpeVivo]

Haha, we really did have similar experiences! I had to take the Subject test in my hometown because the Chicago test was full by the time I was able to register (which wasn't that late, I thought, but oh well). And yep, I took the General on a Friday night, coming straight from work. What a day that was. It worked out OK, though! My Christmas presents were all purchased after 12/15ish. I was in a weird position--I have a very strained/distant relationship with my parents, and I didn't feel comfortable telling them that I'm applying to grad school, but I also feel pressure to give nice gifts to my family because anything less convinces them that I'm "struggling" without them. Oy. I do feel worried about spending so, so much and having nothing to show for it. But I've discussed this with friends and I always come to the conclusion that I'd rather try and fall flat on my face than not try and allllways be wondering what might've happened. I won't regret applying. But damn, my savings are pathetic.

 

Well you definitely have something to show now! Even if nowhere else pulls through, a WL at UNC is NOTHING to scoff at! And you still have a good shot at getting off the WL from the sound of things!

 

 

Scratch that: another rejection. 9/11.

 

I don't think you have to worry about bringing the chat down (it is the 0% confidence thread after all). That being said. I'm sorry to hear about the rejections. I also worry that I squandered my first app cycle (the program I was admitted to was for MA/PhD, but I didn't get funding so I decided to go terminal MA), and now I'm not sure what's going to happen at this go-round. I really don't want to be a 40 year old grad student. :-/

[collikl]

I've been long distance with my guy for the past 18 months or so and my acceptances to PhD programs will also dictate whether or not that continues. I basically have to stop myself from thinking about it before I have all the pieces of the puzzle...because there's no use worrying about something that might not be a problem. 

 

Are any of your other schools close by? Could you commute? 

 

Thanks for the note, and I hope this year works out for you.

 

I'm completely on board with you about there being no use worrying, but it's so hard not to worry, haha.

 

Luckily, my last two schools I am waiting to hear from are commutable distances, so if I got in to either, it would be a marvelous situation for me (versus others schools I applied to and was rejected from that were quite far away).

 

The only upside to not getting in anywhere is that I get to live with my guy for another year. But either option hurts (school and long distance/ no school and live together).

 

I enjoy my life: I finally got a job, got a great guy and a cat, so being in this situation for another year would be fine. It's just not what I want to be doing, as I've always known I wanted to get a PhD and teach at the college level. So it's hard to have to wait on those plans since I know they're the ones I want (and cause my boyfriend already started his PhD this year-- we had hoped to stay on a similar time track so we could go on the job market together).

[waparys]

Thanks for the note, and I hope this year works out for you.

 

I'm completely on board with you about there being no use worrying, but it's so hard not to worry, haha.

 

Luckily, my last two schools I am waiting to hear from are commutable distances, so if I got in to either, it would be a marvelous situation for me (versus others schools I applied to and was rejected from that were quite far away).

 

The only upside to not getting in anywhere is that I get to live with my guy for another year. But either option hurts (school and long distance/ no school and live together).

 

I enjoy my life: I finally got a job, got a great guy and a cat, so being in this situation for another year would be fine. It's just not what I want to be doing, as I've always known I wanted to get a PhD and teach at the college level. So it's hard to have to wait on those plans since I know they're the ones I want (and cause my boyfriend already started his PhD this year-- we had hoped to stay on a similar time track so we could go on the job market together).

 

Consider yourself lucky you can live and work legally in the same country as your guy! Good luck to you, too. 

[It's (Not) About Me]

Sorry to be a downer all, but I just have to vent for a minute. Yesterday was my birthday and while I had a lovely day (thanks to my fella), I got rejected from the school he's attending, shutting the door to us being in the same place for the next 5-6 years. I also seem to have implicit rejections from another three, including a top choice whose wait list I didn't even make. That leaves me at 8/11.

By this time last year I had two wait lists(including my dream school), and I only applied to 4 schools. Now I'm 8/11. This is my third cycle (as I applied to PhDs and MAs my first time and got an MA). I'm now at 21 rejections total with very little hope, despite a strong MA, recs, CV and what I thought was a much improved SOP and writing sample. (And I have a publication under review after being asked to revise and resubmit.) Sigh.

I'm sorry to be bringing the chat down, but it's hard to talk to friends about this and I needed an outlet.

BIG HUGS. I'm so sorry to hear that it's been a crappy week so far. Don't ever apologize for being a supposed downer--especially on the "0% confidence" thread. This is an excruciatingly stressful experience, and you're allowed to have feelings! And to express them! I hope that things start looking up soon. Your prospects are not all gone yet. And although commuting wouldn't be ideal, it IS doable. People do it all the time... I knew a couple that got married after their MAs and one did a PhD at UChicago while the other stayed in a different program at Berkeley or something. They're still together, so, yay for long-distance/commuter romances?

 

And yo, dude, you already have a lot to be proud of! An MA! A good CV! A prospective publication! Lots of people who believe in you! Awesome taste in movies (re: the quote in your signature)! Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You lived another year! 

 

 

 

(...Am I helping or being annoying? Sorry.  )

[collikl]

Waparys and It's (Not) About Me-- you're seriously cheering up my day; thank you!

[Marie-Luise]

Waparys and It's (Not) About Me-- you're seriously cheering up my day; thank you!

 

That's what this website is *actually* for.

[pomoisdead]

Anyone read how that waitlist at Brandeis happened? "Other" is such a terrible option, especially considering how neurotic we are in the first place.

[cicada123]

Anyone read how that waitlist at Brandeis happened? "Other" is such a terrible option, especially considering how neurotic we are in the first place.

That Brandeis waitlist was me. I'm really sorry about that "other" and for causing anyone anxiety. I realize it was vague, but the way I found that out was through an email correspondence. I don't think they are releasing the waitlist information officially yet. At least, I'm not sure if they are, because I was the one who prompted their response email.

[cicada123]

Anyone read how that waitlist at Brandeis happened? "Other" is such a terrible option, especially considering how neurotic we are in the first place.

They sounded really positive about my chances of admittance--so, part of me thinks they wait to release waitlist information for a while so that they can just admit people off of it instead of telling them they were originally waitlisted. I'm not sure I'm making sense?

[practical cat]

That Brandeis waitlist was me. I'm really sorry about that "other" and for causing anyone anxiety. I realize it was vague, but the way I found that out was through an email correspondence. I don't think they are releasing the waitlist information officially yet. At least, I'm not sure if they are, because I was the one who prompted their response email.

Thanks, cicada. I figured it had to be something like that (or a mistaken click but this is better to hear). Congratulations and good luck!

[pomoisdead]

They sounded really positive about my chances of admittance--so, part of me thinks they wait to release waitlist information for a while so that they can just admit people off of it instead of telling them they were originally waitlisted. I'm not sure I'm making sense?

Anyone in particular you contacted? I want to send some emails, but know how burdensome it can be.

[DontHate]

I've been waiting all month for news, like a goon, and I really feel like I should probably just start figuring out my strategy for re-applying. Maybe this is because I'm an incredibly impatient person. I just feel like so much silence, by now, equates to so many rejections. The results board is also silent, but it gives me no comfort because my discipline is so tiny (comp lit). Oh the humanity!

Seriously though, I've only seen 1 acceptance from Yale and 1 from NYU. Should I count those two schools as implicit rejections if I haven't heard anything? My applications for them weren't my strongest (and my writing sample in general wasn't very strong).

 

Oy vey.

[Marie-Luise]

You might be surprised. Maybe you'll hear tomorrow (today in my time zone).

[thestage]

I've been waiting all month for news, like a goon, and I really feel like I should probably just start figuring out my strategy for re-applying. Maybe this is because I'm an incredibly impatient person. I just feel like so much silence, by now, equates to so many rejections. The results board is also silent, but it gives me no comfort because my discipline is so tiny (comp lit). Oh the humanity!

Seriously though, I've only seen 1 acceptance from Yale and 1 from NYU. Should I count those two schools as implicit rejections if I haven't heard anything? My applications for them weren't my strongest (and my writing sample in general wasn't very strong).

 

Oy vey.

 

You got in-person interviews.  Schools don't just bring people in like that for fun.  There's no guarantee you're in, of course, but you are at the least very close, which should give you good prospects for whatever schools you haven't heard back from yet.

[JeremiahParadise]

Out at Michigan State. Looking bleak, folks. Already planning next year's materials. HATE that I cannot just walk away from this.

[dazedandbemused]

Out at Michigan State. Looking bleak, folks. Already planning next year's materials. HATE that I cannot just walk away from this.

 

Sucks; I'm sorry. How many schools are you still waiting on?

[Panabelle]

Out at Michigan State. Looking bleak, folks. Already planning next year's materials. HATE that I cannot just walk away from this.

 

How many are you still waiting on, JP? There's hope yet!

[JeremiahParadise]

Thanks, guys -- 6 more haven't officially rejected me. Unfortunately, a few of those (UMass, Penn St, Brandeis, Irvine) have already started notifying, and I've gotten nothing. Disappointing, I tell you. Tough to look ahead but it sort of helps with the dejection. Woof. Thanks for the support, though -- I really do appreciate it.

[dazedandbemused]

Thanks, guys -- 6 more haven't officially rejected me. Unfortunately, a few of those (UMass, Penn St, Brandeis, Irvine) have already started notifying, and I've gotten nothing. Disappointing, I tell you. Tough to look ahead but it sort of helps with the dejection. Woof. Thanks for the support, though -- I really do appreciate it.

 

Well, I hope you hear some good news really soon. I don't know if this is your first cycle or not, but I think a lot of us here have been prime examples that second time's the charm. Good luck!

[Panabelle]

Thanks, guys -- 6 more haven't officially rejected me. Unfortunately, a few of those (UMass, Penn St, Brandeis, Irvine) have already started notifying, and I've gotten nothing. Disappointing, I tell you. Tough to look ahead but it sort of helps with the dejection. Woof. Thanks for the support, though -- I really do appreciate it.

 

Yeah, I'm counting UMass in my rejections too, and I'm waiting on Penn State as well, so I can relate. But even though there have been a few notifications, I still think there are definitely some for Penn St that haven't gone out yet! I'm not counting them as a rejection until I get my "thanks but no thanks" letter. OPTIMISM!