Acceptances/Rejections/Decisions

[jacib]

This is less common in sociology, but the most frustrating case scenario for large public universities is something along the lines of what happened to my ex who was applying to creative writing programs. Iowa, the most prestigious school in the field, let in a bunch of people in February, so my ex assumed that she had been rejected. As the rejections, even from mediocre places, rolled in, she became really disheartened. She had a crisis of conscience--"Oh my G-d is this field right for me? Am I delusional about my abilities? If I don't do this, what will I do? I f I don't do this, who am I?" etc. Finally, at the very end of March she gets waitlisted at Virgina, generally considered the second best fiction program, and for the first time in two months doesn't feel crazy. Even though she probably won't get in off the waitlist, she feels validated. She works on Plan B. And then on Plan C. Then, at the very beginning of April, she hears from Iowa, and they say, basically, "Oh, yeah sorry--we knew we were accepted you in February, but we didn't know exactly what funding we were going to give you so we waited. The people whose fellowships are through Iowa Review heard in February, but people like you with teaching experience, we needed to figure out exactly what you were going to teach, and in which department (Lit or Creative Writing), before we informed you of your acceptance."

It's rare, but of the 13 or 14 places she applied to, my ex got into only one (the most highly ranked), and waitlisted at one more (the second most highly ranked), and got 11 or 12 rejections before she heard from either of them. I only got into one of the sociology programs I applied for, but it was much more highly ranked than some of the programs that rejected me. More importantly than its ranking, it was the best program for me: best for my interests, best in terms of resources for my interests (okay maybe second best in terms of resources for my interest), place where my research interests were most au courant in the department at large, one of the three departments that fit my interests regionally, and definitely best in terms of advising for my particular project.

And see, that's the nicest thing about applying to graduate school: rejections don't matter. You really just need one school to see potential in you, that's all.

[sociology27]

Northwestern reject here. Just checked website. bummerrrr.

[Mamba42]

Who's the Washington State acceptance? Anyone wanna claim it?

[kbirch]

Boston College waitlist! First news I've gotten and last year I was rejected everywhere, so this is good news for me!!

[avee]

Congrats Kbirch! I haven't heard anything from BC yet... keeping my fingers crossed but I also messed up on my letter of interest and listed a professor who is emeritus status and likely does not do research with students anymore

[lovenhaight]

Not all the large programs send everything in one day. There are some that trickle out a handful of acceptance letters, then wait a bit to send the rest of the admits and wait lists. In my experience, on the day they do that, there will be a deluge of acceptances/wait lists/rejections because they will finish the process all at once.

[quantitative]

Heard from one of my top schools: rejection. Ughhh. The worst part is that I didn't hear anything for a bit, so my hope was kept up.

Crawling back into bed was the best decision I've done today.

Edited February 17, 2012 by quantitative

[Mamba42]

Heard from one of my top schools: rejection. Ughhh. The worst part is that I didn't hear anything for a bit, so my hope was kept up.

Crawling back into bed was the best decision I've done today.

Keep your head up amigo! At least you have 4 programs to choose from already!!

[socieconomist]

Accepted - UC Davis.

[sciencegirl]

@socioeconomist... CONGRATS!!! Is that where you'll wind up going? Did you get into the other place you applied?

[quantitative]

Keep your head up amigo! At least you have 4 programs to choose from already!!

Thanks Mamba, you're right. I was just upset by the news. I'm getting a picture of which school I'll be attending in fall.

Congrats socioeconomist!!

[sociology27]

I read a really apropos quote today that I just want to share with you all (especially those of you who've been rejected)...

"I discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing. They teach a writer to rely on his own judgement and say in his heart of hearts, 'To hell with you.'"

-Saul Bellow

[socieconomist]

@Sciencegirl - I got nixed from Princeton along w/most - lol - but I TRULY had no desire to spend the next 4-5yrs in NJ (nor did my partner... even less than me) - I wanted to be at Davis from go. So strategy successful. Applied to two schools (thus saving a lot of money), get into one, happened to be the one I wanted. Time to finish my Phd with wonderful weather, surrounded by some great friends and w/some profs who I really enjoy. Couldn't have worked out better, truly.

In short - Thank you! hehe

Edited February 18, 2012 by socieconomist

[RunMilw]

I got invited to the open house at UC-Boulder

[wmnshlthsoc]

So I just got an email from the financial aid office of the school that rejected me yesterday.... They need to communicate better. Don't send me financial aid information when you don't even want me! JEEZ!

[surefire]

*Posted to a few other threads, just want to make sure that anyone tracking this school/department can see the info*

Okay, so even though I did not expect to hear for some time yet, I just got an acceptance offer from the University of Toronto for the PhD program in Sociology! Just thought I'd let the gradcafers know! Wow, my head is spinning!

App was due Jan. 23rd. I got the e-mail on Friday evening, but was out of town and beyond wifi reach (I self-imposed a 48 break for the sake of my sanity - ha!) so I just saw the e-mail now! Official letter to follow, but the e-mail (from the Associate Chair of the Department) stated that they wanted to let me know right away!

Lemme see, 3.9 GPA, some conferences, a few years in the NGO sector conducting relevant research and a POI who guaranteed supervision and an RA-ship (my impression is that she fought hard for me).

Shout at me if there are any pertinent details that you want that I've neglected!

U of T... holy smokes!

Good luck all!

[allhandsonthebadone]

Hey surefire and congratulations! Any news on the Toronto MA front? Have they made their decisions?

[surefire]

Hey surefire and congratulations! Any news on the Toronto MA front? Have they made their decisions?

Hey allhands! Thanks!

The beginning of the e-mail says as follows:

"Dear [surefire]

I am delighted to tell you that the Graduate Admissions Committee of the Department of Sociology is recommending that you be admitted as a full time student to our doctoral program beginning in September 2012. The Committee met Wednesday to choose among more than 200 applicants. We enthusiastically endorsed your application. Congratulations!"

So, It says that the committee met on Wednesday, but it's unclear whether or not the decision making (or, indeed, the 200+ applicants) is applicable to/including the MA. The letter goes on to encourage me to contact them promptly if I have already accepted elsewhere, which gives insight as to why I maybe got the e-mail so quickly. I CAN tell you that I was rejected from their MA program a few years ago, and I heard about that at the end of April. Hang in there and good luck!

[nwebb22]

I was accepted into Virginia Tech for the Master's program in Sociology. They informed me by email on February 10th and by letter on February 15th.

I applied to six schools — Bowling Green State, Clemson, Florida State, Ole Miss, and Tennessee being the others — and the only other school that I've heard from is Tennessee, my alma mater, and they have invited me to attend a prospective student visit.

For reference, my stats are:

Total GPA: 3.28

Last Two Years GPA: 3.65

Sociology GPA: 3.62

GRE: V-152, Q-151, AW-4.0

Good luck to all.

[socieconomist]

@ nwebb2 - Does location play into your decision? Bowling Green is in the middle of nowhere... yikes! My partner is a prof at University of Detroit Mercey but our home is in Cincinnati, so I literally pass Bowling Green on rt75 2x every other week or so... Bowling Green also helped draft the section of SB5 (anti-worker legislation in Ohio that mirrored WI) that tried to take away union rights of state university professors. Booo! (it wasn't their sociology dept that drafted it though!)

Congrats on V-Tech!

[penpen]

Anyone heard from Johns Hopkins yet?

[nwebb22]

@ socieconomist - I applied to BGSU as a backup school. They expressed a lot of interest in me, I was flattered, so I decided to apply. You're right though, I could never see myself living in that part of the country.

But I am really stoked about VT. I'd love to study at FSU, too. We'll see what happens.

Also, I wish there were more non-top-fifteen posters on here. My schools look like preschools compared to these other institutions lol. I need some company.

[socieconomist]

@ socieconomist - ....

Also, I wish there were more non-top-fifteen posters on here. My schools look like preschools compared to these other institutions lol. I need some company.

"Preschools" -- > lol ---> grad school is challenging wherever you go. def not preschool... that said, i think it's hilarious that you said that - i literally laughed out loud.... Anyway - UC Davis (where I'm headed) not top 15. I couldn't be happier about living there for the next how many ever years - I have no question about the rigor of the program - it's just a great fit - so... Pleasure to meet you! I'm good company (I may be bias - but that doesn't make the claim inaccurate! )

[avee]

"Preschools" -- > lol ---> grad school is challenging wherever you go. def not preschool... that said, i think it's hilarious that you said that - i literally laughed out loud.... Anyway - UC Davis (where I'm headed) not top 15. I couldn't be happier about living there for the next how many ever years - I have no question about the rigor of the program - it's just a great fit - so... Pleasure to meet you! I'm good company (I may be bias - but that doesn't make the claim inaccurate! )

I don't know too much about the program, but I lived in Davis for a little while and I love it there. Be sure to go to Mishka's Cafe. Also, Davis has one of the best Peet's Coffee's, in my opinion. It's such a great town... you'll be surprised how many unpretentious intellectual peeps you'll meet there. Davis Food Co-Op---go there too. You are close enough to Berkeley and Standford to network with other sociologists.

[SocHope]

Another slow week. This blows!