AccountingPhD2014 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I applied to 21... got rejected by 1, advanced to on-campus interview with another, got accepted by 1, and waiting to hear from the other 18... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microarray Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I applied to 21... got rejected by 1, advanced to on-campus interview with another, got accepted by 1, and waiting to hear from the other 18... Hrm your post does not really fit in with this thread.... starofdawn, EngineerGrad and PsycD 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phdapp Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsmat Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I applied to 21... got rejected by 1, advanced to on-campus interview with another, got accepted by 1, and waiting to hear from the other 18... Just out of interest, how much did you end up spending on the 21 applications? I felt ripped off after 3 but now regretting not putting in the effort to do more. Oh well, I think have a sort-of acceptance now so it should be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountingPhD2014 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Including application fees, standardized exam scores (some schools wanted official score reports), and transcripts from two different schools.... around $3,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittyk Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Wow, I actually only applied to two schools, and am becoming quiet nervous now. I see people applying to 5 and more, and I'm starting to panic. Why didn't I apply to more schools!? I had initially planned to apply to 4 but ruled out the other two because they weren't offering exactly what I wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeingeyeduck Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 (edited) I have to disagree with the whole idea of safety schools for grad school. It makes sense for undergrad where you might do more exploring but for something as focused as grad school it seems a bad idea to apply to schools that you don't really want to go to. I would think it's be a better strategy to work hard for a year and reapply. At least that's what I would be tempted to do. I applied to three because I wanted to stay in my area and wanted somewhere with almost full funding. There were four more that I was considering but one turned out to be a very expensive degree mill with little funding (as in more expensive than undergrad!), one was completely narrow and not what I was focused on, another was my alma later and I wanted to make new connections elsewhere, and the last is the only one I wonder if I should has applied to. But I'm happy with three. I'd be okay with going to any of them, though of course I'd love to get into my top school. I am felt okay about the number since one of my profs has been very encouraging and believed I was a good candidate, and during my research I spoke with faculty from one of the schools and he confirmed this after looking at my portfolio. I'd encourage anyone who is tempted to apply to so many schools to actually try to get some feedback about what your chances are at certain places. There is no point in spending a grand and you would've gotten into your top choice easy, or if you don't even have a shot. I felt like anything over $400 was too much for me at this point, so I didn't apply to the two schools I was on the fence about. I figured if the lack of funding made it impossible for me to go anyway, why torture myself with the knowledge of what could've been? Plus I think at this point you've gotta have enough perspective on and initiative in your life that you're not lost if you don't get in. I think it's good to think about other options and a back up plan during app season. Life isn't over if you don't get into grad school! You could do self directed research or get into relevant volunteer opportunities or apply to grants even if you don't get into school. Edited February 5, 2014 by iomarch marsmat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakalamba Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I guess the notion of "safety school" is different for everyone. I applied to 7 Universities this year, and I can actually see myself at any of them. Of course, certain programs have a better fit with faculty members, and my off-campus life would be more interesting in some cities above others. For my undergraduate, I only applied to two schools, I got in to both my desired University and the "safety" school. I had a great experience, but I still wonder what would have happened if I extended my reach, if only slightly. I think the idea of safety schools work for people who would only be happy at a few Ivy League institutions, or have a field where the options for their particular type of research are very limited. I'm in a pretty small field, but I still cherry picked from about 14 Universities to apply to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltaqsquared Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I applied to 8 universities, 9 programs (I applied to a related A.M. as well as their PhD), got my first rejection (Berkeley) yesterday. I am getting rather worried as well, thinking I should have applied to more, maybe some in the UK as well. In regards to safety schools, I applied to one, but am getting worried about that as well. Alas, all we can do is wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihatechoosingusernames Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I started off with a list of 20 PhD programs and a master's program. My "final" list had 8 PhD + 1 MA. By the time I actually applied, I was down to 4 PhDs and decided not to apply to the MA program. I really felt like the schools I ended up dropping weren't a great fit. They may have been good, but certainly not great. My first notification from a program was a rejection, and at that moment I really felt like I should have kept the MA in the mix. I still haven't heard back from the other schools, though I'm certain I'm either rejected or wait listed at Vanderbilt, but I don't know...I mean, why spend money to attend a program if it isn't going to be a good fit. On the other hand, maybe I've been too specific and too focused with my research interests, and maybe it's going to cost me in the long run... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PsycD Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I started off with a list of 20 PhD programs and a master's program. My "final" list had 8 PhD + 1 MA. By the time I actually applied, I was down to 4 PhDs and decided not to apply to the MA program. I really felt like the schools I ended up dropping weren't a great fit. They may have been good, but certainly not great. My first notification from a program was a rejection, and at that moment I really felt like I should have kept the MA in the mix. I still haven't heard back from the other schools, though I'm certain I'm either rejected or wait listed at Vanderbilt, but I don't know...I mean, why spend money to attend a program if it isn't going to be a good fit. On the other hand, maybe I've been too specific and too focused with my research interests, and maybe it's going to cost me in the long run... Our situations are very similar. I had a long list of Psyc PhD programs to apply to, but I felt like I was trying to force a fit in most places, so I decided to only apply to 3 Psyc programs. Fortunately, one of my professors suggested that I look into communication programs instead, considering my research interests. I had a much easier time putting together my Comm applications. So, I did 3 Psyc and 3 Comm. There was no way I was going to spend the next 4-5 years in a program with a bad research fit. I would have been miserable. I may feel differently if I end up getting rejected from all of them, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EngineerGrad Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I was feeling confident until I was told by phone that I didn't make it to the admissions list. Now I'm like: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EngineerGrad Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I should've applied to 50 schools omegamarkxii and ereissoup 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backslash Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I applied to 6, rejected by 2, still waiting on the others. Definitely wishing I applied to more, but I also agree with what a lot of people have said here: when it comes to grad school you it's probably better to work, gain experience, and try again next year rather than go to a school that doesn't really fit. a PhD is a long haul if you don't have relevant faculty members of don't really feel like you fit in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa19 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Nope - but I have an acceptance already so that helps with the anxiety. However, if I applied to more schools it wouldn't have been anywhere I would have actually wanted to attend. I actually wish I applied to less. If I could do the application process all over again, I only would have applied to 3 of my 5. One of the schools isn't a good fit but I applied to as a back up, and one of the schools is so competitive that I wish I didn't apply and saved my money instead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doingthings Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Regretting like crazy right now, but there are only a few(3-4) professors in the US who specialize in what I want to research. (I only applied to two programs.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeRadical Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Yeah, it's a little unnerving that it's the third week in February and I still don't have an acceptance. I don't have any rejections either, but I would have expected to hear something by now. EngineerGrad 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smartypants14 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 im definitely regretting not applying to more schools. Some more safety schools. I now think i'll probably be one of the people who has to apply a second time..What am I going to do with my life?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kb1234 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I do not regret applying to more schools but I am however a little disappointed that I lost out on deadlines with Caltech , UCB and Cornell. EngineerGrad 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DantheMan Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I had time constraints that contributed to me only applying to three schools, but even then after thinking about it some more I think I really only want to go to one of those. My research field is very specific though, and I was limiting my search to well known US schools. I think if I don't get into my first choice this year I will aim closer to home and do more research and campus visits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikos Evangelos Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) Since in the end I applied to 14 programs, my answer is no. If I had to do it again, I’d probably omit a couple and try a different mix of departments. Also, I’d focus more precisely on “fit.” Practice really did make perfect, and the last few were far superior to the earliest ones. This was one reason to do many, and to hit Ivies with early deadlines even though I figured I had no chance. I also tried different mixes of writing samples and research proposals, even of recommenders. As for the many different departments, the fact is my interests are the same in each case but can be approached via several disciplines. That’s the way of the social sciences with their sometimes artificial distinctions. I will benefit from mastering any one of these disciplines and its methodology. What’s amusing me here is that anyone believes there is such a thing as a safety school! This can only be the product of delusion, arrogance, or weak definition. Example of delusion: I saw one poster here upset about a rejection by the excellent and highly competitive Pittsburgh Anthro program, because this was supposed to be the safety school. Definition issues: If you define the consolation prize of an unfunded Masters (perhaps with paid tuition!) as acceptable, then yes, there is such a thing as safety. If so, however, please don’t take out loans to do this, because that’s not safety; it’s a lifetime of debt, ruin and misery. Not to be misunderstood: Masters in the professions are worth acquiring. But in the Arts and Sciences, these are “safe” only to independently wealthy hobbyists. An unfunded Ph.D. may be even worse. In the 2014 economy, in the Arts and Sciences, the only thing that counts is admission to a Ph.D. program with funding. The least competitive of these are still rejecting to fund six applicants for every admission with funding, and a 9:1 ratio seems to be far more common. So there is no safety school. Not even if you have 99/99 on the GRE, a 4.0 GPA, prior publications in the field, and a recommendation from Paul Krugman. (If you do, however, just apply to four schools and you’ll be admitted to at least two.) The closest thing to safety is in applying to many programs. However, you’re not the only one who has that idea. Edited February 17, 2014 by Nikos Evangelos gorki, Kaitri and KingKazama5 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mux127 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Applied to 9 schools, admitted 3, no heard 4, rejected 1, interviewed 1. I would also have applied 2 more schools, which are better. I definitely regret that after I am admitted to the schools easily... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marina CM Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Noo!! Too much money spent on transcripts and application fees.... and on mailing the documents in extremis so that they arrive on time! I applied for 5 and if I don't get into any of them, next year I will only apply for one. It is either that school or no school at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meep15 Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I feel like I should have applied to one or two more schools. I felt like I was asking professors and other references for too much by asking for more letters though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deci:belle Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Yess!! I wish I applied back to my Alma Mater and one or two more Kicking myself because I applied to schools all in the cold except for San Diego and thats so far fetched coming from NYC. I avoided the South at all costs, but now I wish I could have tried at least one school Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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