Starting to accept the inevitable

[Supernovasky]

Well, I am starting to accept the inevitable. UT turned me down, Washington acceptances seem to be going out, Ann Arbor is a galaxy away as far as reaches go, and UC-Boulder does not match my research interests, save for ONE professor that I made contact with. LSU is probably the only one that will accept me, and they are my local state school, which means I'll be staying here in Baton Rouge for a while. If I stay in LSU, I'm probably just going to get my Masters degree and reapply next year. It's not looking good.

I applied to Brandeis university as a last ditch hope, because I do match well with a few professors there, and my LOR writers were very acomidating. Getting my transcripts sent today.

As of the end of the month, I'm moving with my girlfriend to Austin until I can get this sorted out and figure out what next. I have 300 dollars a month in student loans, 100 dollars in car insurance, and then whatever rent costs. Car Sales have been the only way I've been able to stay afloat but I am tired of the job, its not really what I was meant to do, I was meant so much more for education and learning...

I can't seem to find a job that will make getting into graduate school any easier. Best I can hope to do is study my butt off all year to get a higher GRE, work harder on my PS, and try to connect with my LOR writers again next year, while saving up enough money to apply to 15 universities. I think that might be my only real hope if I can't get accepted.

Crossing my fingers on Brandeis right now, and about to fill out the FAFSA. UC Boulder I suppose is still in the mix (they are not top 20), but I just have a bad feeling that my research interests won't go well with theirs.

I'm kind of at a loss right now and venting.

Congrats to all of you who DID make it though.

[Darth.Vegan]

I think you're freaking out prematurely to say the least. You have only been rejected from one school, everything else is pure speculation and it sounds like it's not helping. Spend 60 bucks and go get a massage or something to relax.

Edited February 2, 2012 by xdarthveganx

[MashaMashaMasha]

Agreed. Super premature, although I know we are all holding our breath and crossing our fingers. I highly recommend taking a personal day, stepping away from your email for a day, and getting some activity and fresh air. This process can be really unhealthy for a lot of us, and it's good to get perspective.

[rising_star]

This is ridiculously premature. Stop freaking out. My department (Jan 15 deadline) doesn't send out acceptances until March 23rd or so each year.

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

Worst case scenario: If you move to Austin then try and familiarize yourself with UT's department. Volunteer in some labs and/or try publishing something else. Go to conferences as well! If you have to wait another year, or if you go the masters route, start attending and presenting at conferences (even if they're really small regional ones). I certainly agree this is quite premature still, as everyone else said, but I feel that if you have to re apply then you can strengthen your application in ways other than the gre. Your gre is enough to get pass most of the informal "cuts" (which tends to be 1200 in top 40 departments). In the future, if you're in constant contact with professors and you strengthen your application by demonstrating that you've already began your trek down the path of becoming a professional sociologist then I think you can sell yourself better than improving a gre by 100 points. Grad school is kind of job-training - if you demonstrate you're familiar with the job requirements (publishing, attending conferences, etc.) then I think that would benefit as well.

Anywho, long story short, tell your girlfriend you're a nervous wreck and see if she can help calm you down with a massage or something. Or plan a little outing to get your mind off of it.

On the plus side, at least you didn't break up with your girlfriend already right? haha

[socscholar]

When I feel stressed about stuff like this, I try to remember that I am whole person. My mind/career are not the only aspects of who I am. In fact, they are only two parts of who am, and they aren't even the most important ones.

Think about all the parts of you that have nothing to do with graduate school, your career, and esp what a bunch of strangers on adcoms have to say.

You will figure it out.

I also agree with above posters that you REALLY shouldn't count your chickens before they hatch (is that how the saying goes....). It's definitely possible that you're only accepted to one out of five schools. Who's to say that you won't get four rejections before one acceptance?

Try to chill out. Spend some time on aspects of your life and yourself unrelated to this admissions madness. And good luck Super!!

[sociologyplease]

I totally related to this- it is really hard not to get discouraged when you see schools you applied to showing up on the results survey and you've heard nothing. I agree with ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid though. You have some chances for admission left, and you also have some options for strengthening your application. Take a break from this forum (easier said than done) and spend time with your girlfriend thinking about how great Austin is going to be.

[Sociograd]

I think the more you worry and say "I'm not getting in", the more you are going to create that. Sounds "new-agey" but maybe try saying "I'll get in somewhere". Slumgullion has a good idea too...move to Austin and introduce yourself to the UT faculty if need be.

[sleepycat]

This is ridiculously premature. Stop freaking out. My department (Jan 15 deadline) doesn't send out acceptances until March 23rd or so each year.

I have a feeling I applied to your department and not looking forward to the wait, although if I get it on 03.24.12 then it should be amazing news.

While I am freaking out about waiting forever for one response, things should be coming out in two weeks (15th or so). If you don't get in this round, you have options like getting your MA or taking courses at UT-A in the department, so they get to know you. I know that I can't say the magic words to make you feel better, so take a day off and just forget about grad school. That is what I did after being rejected the first four times and then the fifth time. I found I was even more motivated to get into graduate school each time. Sometimes life needs to happen before everything goes our way.

[Supernovasky]

I really think the most likely scenarios now are

A) Staying in Austin for a year, making money, and saving a 2000 dollar fund to apply to 20 schools and make sure I get accepted SOMEWHERE.

Staying in Austin for 5 months, going to get my MA at LSU, then reapplying 2 years from now.

C) Staying in Austin for a month, then moving to Boulder in a month if by some miracle I get accepted there.

D) Staying in Austin for 3 months or so, then moving to Massachusetts to go to Brandeis.

In order of preference for me, C, D, B, A.

[giacomo]

i don't tend to think lsu is any easier to get in. you could very well be accepted at wash and mich and not get in at lsu in this thing.

[lovenhaight]

Don't freak out yet. There are too many unknown variables at play to feel defeated at this point. If you want to be in Austin, have you looked at Texas State - San Marcos? They have an MA program, the application deadline is March 1st, and they are 40 minutes from Austin. With terminal master's programs, the name recognition isn't as big a deal. Get in, kick ass, and apply to PhD programs when you're done.

[Supernovasky]

Gotcha L&H.

Just sent some emails to Boulder faculty... turns out I match their research much more than I thought I did!

[maximus82]

Gotcha L&H.

Just sent some emails to Boulder faculty... turns out I match their research much more than I thought I did!

this is kind of funny.. why did you apply there if you didn't think it was such a good fit?

also, make sure you don't stalk faculty at the schools you've applied to. There's a fine line between being proactive (which I think most graduate programs value) and being a needy stalker.

[Supernovasky]

No stalking, just sent a few long emails regarding some of their research and how it affects my life and my own research, etc.

[abc123xtc]

I know this is hard to do, but you need to take a deep breath and calm down. It's hard to stop myself from freaking out about these things too (to the point where I have mild insomnia as a product of my anxiety), but you're not doing yourself any favors by obsessing over something you have no control over. You did the best you can, and now you can only hope for the best.

[shiner]

OP, relax and have a mojato!

[maximus82]

OP, relax and have a mojato!

or two or three

[DustSNK]

Well, I am starting to accept the inevitable. UT turned me down, Washington acceptances seem to be going out, Ann Arbor is a galaxy away as far as reaches go, and UC-Boulder does not match my research interests, save for ONE professor that I made contact with. LSU is probably the only one that will accept me, and they are my local state school, which means I'll be staying here in Baton Rouge for a while. If I stay in LSU, I'm probably just going to get my Masters degree and reapply next year. It's not looking good.

I applied to Brandeis university as a last ditch hope, because I do match well with a few professors there, and my LOR writers were very acomidating. Getting my transcripts sent today.

As of the end of the month, I'm moving with my girlfriend to Austin until I can get this sorted out and figure out what next. I have 300 dollars a month in student loans, 100 dollars in car insurance, and then whatever rent costs. Car Sales have been the only way I've been able to stay afloat but I am tired of the job, its not really what I was meant to do, I was meant so much more for education and learning...

I can't seem to find a job that will make getting into graduate school any easier. Best I can hope to do is study my butt off all year to get a higher GRE, work harder on my PS, and try to connect with my LOR writers again next year, while saving up enough money to apply to 15 universities. I think that might be my only real hope if I can't get accepted.

Crossing my fingers on Brandeis right now, and about to fill out the FAFSA. UC Boulder I suppose is still in the mix (they are not top 20), but I just have a bad feeling that my research interests won't go well with theirs.

I'm kind of at a loss right now and venting.

Congrats to all of you who DID make it though.

Listen, best you can do is take non-degree classes once you move. Take two classes within the department, bust your ass- get to know everyone-show you're a good student, then apply again and this time you will have GRAD experince and can have letters written from faculty within the very school you want to study at.

[lovenhaight]

Listen, best you can do is take non-degree classes once you move. Take two classes within the department, bust your ass- get to know everyone-show you're a good student, then apply again and this time you will have GRAD experince and can have letters written from faculty within the very school you want to study at.

That is only if the department allows non-degree students in their graduate classes. Some don't.

[sociolog86]

There are a couple R1 schools in Florida with funded MA's-- UCF and USF come to mind. UCF is rather quant, and USF is rather qual, but they're both pretty large departments.

[sociolog86]

Gotcha L&H.

Just sent some emails to Boulder faculty... turns out I match their research much more than I thought I did!

I was invited to visit Boulder a couple years ago. I enjoyed most everything about it, but I didn't end up going there.

[Supernovasky]

Thank god Brandeis waived my application fee because I was in Americorps.

[sciencegirl]

@Supernovasky... yay!! Now you are learning... I think with all challenges you have faced/are facing, it shouldn't be hard to get your application fees waved at man places...

[Supernovasky]

In other good news, I am in dialogue with a few professors right now whose research greatly interested me and who I emailed...

I don't think all hope is lost right now.