My heart stopped...

[Triple Tall Cappuccino]

So, I don't know about you guys, but I talk myself down from some school ("yeah, I'll never get in there") as some sort of defense mechanism to not fall into a deep depression (I guess?).

So even though Georgetown is my #1, Harvard is in my top 4. And as much as I made myself believe that I didn't care if I got a call from them, today, when I got a call from a number in MA, my heart stopped. Then I realized it was someone from Amnesty international. I almost cried.

So, has this happened to anyone else? Does taking yourself down from a school actually work?

[unitname]

While its possible you could get rejected from all schools, its also possible that you could get accepted to all of them as well.

Since anything is possible, focus on the positive!

And if the worst case scenario comes true...you'll endure the pain and become stronger and more fit for the future.

Sorry to go all Wayne Dyer on you but...its true!

[Triple Tall Cappuccino]

Actually, that's great advice. Thanks!

[Grunty DaGnome]

So, I don't know about you guys, but I talk myself down from some school ("yeah, I'll never get in there") as some sort of defense mechanism to not fall into a deep depression (I guess?).

So even though Georgetown is my #1, Harvard is in my top 4. And as much as I made myself believe that I didn't care if I got a call from them, today, when I got a call from a number in MA, my heart stopped. Then I realized it was someone from Amnesty international. I almost cried.

So, has this happened to anyone else? Does taking yourself down from a school actually work?

F*&^% Amnesty International!!!! They just undid years of good works in my eyes!!!!

[socihealth]

Stay positive! But yes, "false alarms" are stressful!

[Athenrein]

Ack, that sounds awful. I wouldn't recognize area codes, but I'd jump at any non-local call.

I kind of talked myself down from Harvard a little bit. Harvard has been my dream school forever, but Berkeley's linguistics department is probably the best fit for my interests. But it only helps a little because then I start freaking out about my chances of getting into Berkeley.

Not worrying too much about any one school but just trying to be positive and think "I'll get in somewhere, and I'll be happy at any of the schools I applied to" is pretty much all I can do.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Athenrein

[surefire]

So, has this happened to anyone else? Does taking yourself down from a school actually work?

I've got two apps pending with a prestigious Canadian school. I had myself pretty convinced that I was probably going to get rejected and ppfft! whatever, I don't want to go there anyway.

Then I had a REALLLY positive phone interview with a POI from one department... and I thought, well what if...?

Then I got an e-mail from the OTHER department with the subject line "Welcome to the Department of _______..."

When I opened it, the full subject line read: "Welcome to the Department of ______'s Seminar Series Listserv", which I applied to be added to recently on the advice of the department head that I met last month.

Yeah, had a heart attack in spite of myself.

I am actually flummoxed by these feelings, I really thought that I'd put the prospect of this school out of my mind.

[TypeA]

Several weeks after submitting an application to the University of Michigan--which I shouldn't hear back about until March; it's a professional master's program without interviews--I got an email from "U-M Rackham Admissions" with the subject line "Admission Notice to UM Rackham Graduate School."

So yeah, I had a moment of heart-stopping panic before I opened that ("They rejected me ALREADY?!").... and then when I did, it was a query about my status as an in-state resident.

[TypeA]

haha I enjoyed this post.

Michigan really needs to work on email titles. I'm currently a UMICH masters student applying to continue to a Ph.D. program and I always receive heart stopping emails from the Rackham Graduate School only to find out it's an invitation to a grad student karaoke mixer.

Bahaha. I did my undergrad there, so half the time when the ominous (1) shows up in my GMail tab and I have a half-second freakout, it's just quasi-spam from the Alumni Association/U of M Club of Greater Detroit.

I don't remember the undergrad application process being nearly this torturous with the emails... I think that Wolverine Access was also better about keeping you apprised of your actual application status--just seeing a word like "pending" SOMEWHERE on WA would put my mind at ease.

[Grunty DaGnome]

I recieved an email entitled "IE Admissions" but it was a bogus spam mail from someplace called the "IE business school" inviting me to an informational seminar on getting an MBA. Thanks for the heart attack. Yeah, thanks for nothing.

[hope4fall2012]

I recently got a book I had ordered from the US in the mail(I'm an international student and out of country mails are really rare!!) and this was just a few days after an interview I had.. The feeling at that instant is beyond words.. It's not a nice feeling and I dont want that to repeat.. I hate grad school already!!!!

[PhDreams]

haha I enjoyed this post.

Michigan really needs to work on email titles. I'm currently a UMICH masters student applying to continue to a Ph.D. program and I always receive heart stopping emails from the Rackham Graduate School only to find out it's an invitation to a grad student karaoke mixer.

Penn did this to me yesterday! The email was only a calendar of events for February. And Michigan sent me an email last week from Student Affairs. They need to get it together and not send these random emails from Jan-March. I'm seriously going to have a heart attack.

[fetusmuffins]

This has happened to me twice now.

The first time, I received a thick, unmarked letter from Columbus, OH. Of course I thought it was from Ohio State. It was my credit card company reissuing me a new card before the original expired.

The second time was more of my own fault. I got an email from Indiana State University. It was one of those you-took-the-GRE-now-here-is-a-bunch-of-spam emails. However, since my email window was squished, I only saw "Indiana" in the subject line, assumed it was from Indiana University, and proceeded to ignore everything else but the body of the message which told me that based on my credentials (GRE scores), they would love to have me in their department. It wasn't until the final line that I read something along the lines of "Please consider applying to our program" that I was tipped off that it wasn't from IU. Sad day.

[PhDreams]

Oh yeah, then there was the actual mail. Envelope from Loyola...scramble to open the thing up...spread the letter out on the kitchen table ...and.....

"Hi. I am a current student in the program you applied to just writing to tell you how awesome it is. You should come here too..blah..blah..blah... "

Omg. I nearly passed out. Um, I'd consider your school if they gave me a decision already. My heart is not going to make it through this process.

[Amogh]

Maybe the department admins are just trolling, and hence the subject lines.I can almost see them sitting there having a good laugh.

[kgumps2012]

Does anyone ever wonder if this whole grad school admissions process is just part of one big and twisted experiment? How many times can we check our emails, mailboxes, and gradcafe without having our behavior rewarded in order to cause us to just give up?

Hilarious I wonder if someone IS secretly collecting information from websites like this and producing hilarious statistics for admissions committees to laugh over as they reject our applications. I would be interested to read their findings for a good chuckle of my own at how pathetic we all tend to sound sometimes (this includes myself).

Edited February 1, 2012 by kgumps2012

[Crystal@clear]

My poor heart just about gave out when I saw the words "Re: Graduate school application" on the email title. With shaking hands I clicked on the email.........................

and it was a reply from the graduate school that I attending now, telling me that my application for graduation this spring had been approved.

I nearly had a heart attack just seeing that!! Why couldn't the school give a more concrete title like "your graduation approval" or something.

Edited February 1, 2012 by Crystal@clear

[aberrant]

i think it works for people who know themselves really well, so well that they know where they positioned in reality.

to be more specific, I know I am not a competitive applicant and therefore, I expected for the worst scenario when I get rejections only. Hell, I even have a plan B already before I submit my applications - I'll just go back to my home country after I get my bachelor degree and reapply for next cycle. Nothing will stop me from going to grad school and do what I wanted to do (and get the hell away from my home country.) that is why I treasured every moment that I have in real life, especially invitation for interviews

good luck to you all!

Edited February 1, 2012 by aberrant

[contretemps]

I recieved an email entitled "IE Admissions" but it was a bogus spam mail from someplace called the "IE business school" inviting me to an informational seminar on getting an MBA. Thanks for the heart attack. Yeah, thanks for nothing.

HAHA. me too! apparently, they got our e-mail from the GRE database. These days, any e-mail with the words "Admissions" or something like that on the subject line gives me mini-heart attacks.

[Sociology/Crim Lady]

I had used this defense mechanism for months. I told everyone (and myself) that a certain school was my top choice because I was fairly certain I could get into it and that I would never get into my actual top choice. HOWEVER, the only school I have heard from so far was my actual top choice and I got in with funding! So don't sell yourself short like I did! You may be pleasantly surprised

[hope4fall2012]

I had used this defense mechanism for months. I told everyone (and myself) that a certain school was my top choice because I was fairly certain I could get into it and that I would never get into my actual top choice. HOWEVER, the only school I have heard from so far was my actual top choice and I got in with funding! So don't sell yourself short like I did! You may be pleasantly surprised

Congratulations!!! Thats really awesome..

[codersarepeople]

I know the feeling. UW is my #1 school, and today I got a call from the Seattle area code; it was Amazon asking about an internship -___-

[hope4fall2012]

I know the feeling. UW is my #1 school, and today I got a call from the Seattle area code; it was Amazon asking about an internship -___-

Thats not too bad isn't it?? .. As long as they're offering something useful, it's a silver lining..

[cokohlik]

I had used this defense mechanism for months. I told everyone (and myself) that a certain school was my top choice because I was fairly certain I could get into it and that I would never get into my actual top choice. HOWEVER, the only school I have heard from so far was my actual top choice and I got in with funding! So don't sell yourself short like I did! You may be pleasantly surprised

Wow!!! That's really inspiring! Congratulations!

[NoMoreABD]

This probably happened to others here too:

Got an email from ASU, subject: Important Update

It turned out to be a generic email saying they has some security issues and everybody needs to change their password on the ASU website.

Did that.

Logged in.

App status: still under review...