Acceptances/Rejections/Decisions

[RugglesPygge]

As soon as I posted this I see that someone posted a Temple acceptance with funding! Who wants to claim it?!?!?

I see two on there now. Both recommended for Fellowships. Maybe those of further down the ladder will hear in a few days.

[lovenhaight]

Washington hasn't sent out all of their acceptances yet.

[sociology476]

I'm one of the Temple acceptances. I don't know if they've sent out the full range of acceptances, though they have set up a visit day on March 16th. I'd say it's a decent sign if only fellowship people have posted on here; perhaps they have not sent out all of the acceptances out yet.

E-mail came in the night, like 11 eastern time. Night owls, they must be.

[RugglesPygge]

I'm one of the Temple acceptances.

Congrats on the acceptance, sociology476!

[Mamba42]

Washington hasn't sent out all of their acceptances yet.

That is odd. I would think that they would have sent out all of their acceptances by now since their visit days are the end of this week right?

Who knows? Either way I would like some closure on those schools! You were accepted to Washington, right Lovenhaight?

[wmnshlthsoc]

I'm one of the Temple acceptances. I don't know if they've sent out the full range of acceptances, though they have set up a visit day on March 16th. I'd say it's a decent sign if only fellowship people have posted on here; perhaps they have not sent out all of the acceptances out yet.

E-mail came in the night, like 11 eastern time. Night owls, they must be.

Congrats to you!!! Hope to hear from them soon but this is great news for you!!!

[lovenhaight]

That is odd. I would think that they would have sent out all of their acceptances by now since their visit days are the end of this week right?

Who knows? Either way I would like some closure on those schools! You were accepted to Washington, right Lovenhaight?

Their visit days are the end of this week, but they still haven't sent out all acceptances. This is info from their graduate coordinator. I'm in the same boat with you though, I'm waiting for some kind of response.

[kbirch]

I'm accepted at Michigan State! I got my "unofficial news" last week from my POI and then the email from Dr. Gold came today. Yayayay! First acceptance in two years. They haven't figured out funding yet but should be able to give everyone accepted 3 years.

[sociologyplease]

Congrats Kbirch!! That is awesome!

[sociology476]

I'm accepted at Michigan State! I got my "unofficial news" last week from my POI and then the email from Dr. Gold came today. Yayayay! First acceptance in two years. They haven't figured out funding yet but should be able to give everyone accepted 3 years.

Congrats kbirch! Do you know if they've sent out all their acceptances? Makes sense that they would have, but it's worth asking, I reckon.This is one of the last places I haven't heard a thing from.

[kbirch]

@476, I don't know if they have but I wouldn't be surprised at all if they haven't. I was told initially they would send out acceptances on March 1st, so maybe they just got a head start? Good luck! Who's your POI there?

[sociology476]

@476, I don't know if they have but I wouldn't be surprised at all if they haven't. I was told initially they would send out acceptances on March 1st, so maybe they just got a head start? Good luck! Who's your POI there?

Thanks kbirch. I'm interested in urban and global things and my POI is Dr. Neal.

[princesspi]

I'm accepted at Michigan State! I got my "unofficial news" last week from my POI and then the email from Dr. Gold came today. Yayayay! First acceptance in two years. They haven't figured out funding yet but should be able to give everyone accepted 3 years.

Congrats!!!!

[ANLstyle]

Congrats on this thread getting over 20,000. It's quite an accomplishment for an online community of under 50 sociologists... We're all obsessed!

[wmnshlthsoc]

Okay so I've been thinking. A lot of us are waiting to hear from schools that we're their next tier of acceptances or have been waitlisted. But truthfully we can't get a call of acceptance until the people who've already been accepted have offically accepted or declined the offer for admissions. So a note to those who have been accepted (or have at least narrowed down your choices) maybe it's time to start notifying the programs you def are NOT interested in so they can extend an offer to someone who is sitting at home waiting...

idk... just a suggestion maybe.. what do you think? I know it's not all so black and white

[felicidad]

Nobody should really have applied to any programs that they are definitely not interested in. Most places have not even had their visit days yet, so realistically, I think anyone who is waiting should not expect a spot to open up before the end of the month.

Okay so I've been thinking. A lot of us are waiting to hear from schools that we're their next tier of acceptances or have been waitlisted. But truthfully we can't get a call of acceptance until the people who've already been accepted have offically accepted or declined the offer for admissions. So a note to those who have been accepted (or have at least narrowed down your choices) maybe it's time to start notifying the programs you def are NOT interested in so they can extend an offer to someone who is sitting at home waiting...

idk... just a suggestion maybe.. what do you think? I know it's not all so black and white

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

Nobody should really have applied to any programs that they are definitely not interested in. Most places have not even had their visit days yet, so realistically, I think anyone who is waiting should not expect a spot to open up before the end of the month.

That's not necessarily true. There are people who apply via an acceptance hierarchy. I have had conversations with people who received a top 20 acceptance and because of that immediately withdrew their applications or turned down the acceptances they received from a 50-60 ranked program. It doesn't mean they wouldn't want to go to those higher ranked programs if they were admitted it just means that realistically since they got into a more favorable school they already know they aren't going to trade a #5 ranked program for a #65 even though they might like the cities, programs, professors, etc. from both. That is a selfless thing to do in my opinion because that quickly opens up a spot for someone else; it also allows those people who might have been on a waitlist to be bumped up to an acceptance and then be invited to an invitation weekend. I think it is kind of selfish if you knew off the bat you weren't going to go to the 65 ranked program but just used them to go check out the campus for a free visitation weekend - especially when that trip would have been way more valuable to someone who would actually accept the offer from the program to attend.

Edited March 2, 2012 by ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

rejected from university of chicago's phd program but accepted into the masters program

Hmmm...

[thatsociologist]

rejected from university of chicago's phd program but accepted into the masters program

Hmmm...

Same here. Though no aid.

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

Same here. Though no aid.

I got 1/3 tuition aid

bleh

[wmnshlthsoc]

That's not necessarily true. There are people who apply via an acceptance hierarchy. I have had conversations with people who received a top 20 acceptance and because of that immediately withdrew their applications or turned down the acceptances they received from a 50-60 ranked program. It doesn't mean they wouldn't want to go to those higher ranked programs if they were admitted it just means that realistically since they got into a more favorable school they already know they aren't going to trade a #5 ranked program for a #65 even though they might like the cities, programs, professors, etc. from both. That is a selfless thing to do in my opinion because that quickly opens up a spot for someone else; it also allows those people who might have been on a waitlist to be bumped up to an acceptance and then be invited to an invitation weekend. I think it is kind of selfish if you knew off the bat you weren't going to go to the 65 ranked program but just used them to go check out the campus for a free visitation weekend - especially when that trip would have been way more valuable to someone who would actually accept the offer from the program to attend.

AGREEEDDDDDD!!! That's what I think should be happening but I'm not sure if some applicants are just waiting still and holding all their acceptances just waiting to see what's next. But my thing is if you know you don't want to do there (because you have a better offer based on funding and/or location) please let someone know... we all know the waiting game is no fun.

[SheWrote]

^^^some people do that. An accepted person at my school just cancelled a visit because he accepted an offer from John's Hopkins

[Chuck]

rejected from university of chicago's phd program but accepted into the masters program

Hmmm...

My unsolicited advice: Unless you are independently wealthy, and/or this is your absolute only option and you know you absolutely have to start grad school in the fall, don't do it. MAPSS is a notorious cash cow for the university. Even if they offer you a 1/3 or 1/2 (or full) scholarship, you're still looking at private school tuition, fees, and living expenses. Unlike the option of investing in a professional masters, an MA from MAPSS is a purely academic degree. It's not going to do a lot for your employment prospects if you end up not going on to finish a PhD. MAPSS is an 'onramp' with a lot of risk, expense, and no guarantees.

Chicago is not an especially nurturing school, and MAPSS students are at the bottom of a steep graduate school hierarchy. They have to fight harder than first year PhD students for the attention and respect of professors. Most people in the MA cohort are hoping to use the program as a stepping stone for admission to top-20 PhD programs, and they're investing good money to ensure that outcome - there's a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and animosity with other students who are perceived to be competitors more than they are colleagues.

That said, those who do come out on tops in MAPSS are successful in gaining admission into top PhD programs, so I'm sure you'll find some students for who will speak highly of the program on the basis of that outcome. To anyone who is seriously considering MAPSS, take care to do your due diligence in determining if it's going to be an environment where you can thrive and be well prepared to achieve your goals. It's certainly not for everyone. I should say that I am speaking here not from first-hand experience, but through the received wisdom of a number of friends and colleagues who are PhD students (and one MAPSS student) at Chicago.

[Darth.Vegan]

@Chuck. I definitely understand the words of caution, but their placement record in PhD programs can't be beat!

[Chuck]

Here is a really fabulous post from the Political Science forum:

The admissions process from the perspective of an admissions committee member

Main Points:

1) We are dealing with a massive oversupply of qualified candidates. We make mistakes, I am sure of it. I'd say that at least 80% of the total applicants in our pool this year were plausible candidates for admission, meaning that I would have been happy to admit them.

2) Our goal is to find people--and this is important, so read carefully--who can successfully complete our program and secure a tenure-track job. That is the outcome that we are trying to achieve; we are not trying to admit the smartest, the most unique, or even the most interesting students (although we do want these people too!).

3) The challenge is that it is really difficult for us to tell what kind of applicant will be able to do this. We know that you will have to be bright, you will have to be creative, and you will have to be highly motivated. ... We have to make a bet based on imperfect information.

4) So what does it come down to? At the end of the day, it's seemingly minor things like "fit," or "interest," or "promise." Most of these are beyond your control as applicant.