The Waiting Game - Fall 2013 - Share your progress!

[radiomars]

Hey guys,

Just wanted to start a thread relevant to this cycle for people to share their progress, the programs they're applying to, and any questions they have about the process.

I just finished submitting apps to all four of my schools (UCLA, Yale, UBC, UCSB) for biological anthropology. The earliest I can hear back is mid-January for UBC's early decisions. Keeping my fingers crossed! Also applied to NSF GRFP.

I'm a little nervous about only applying to four schools, but I made it a point to interview/meet personally with potential advisers from all the programs, so I'm hoping that pays off.

How are you doing?

[Allouette]

Thanks for starting this thread, radiomars!

I'm still in the throes of my SoPs (jesus christ will they ever END), but they're the last part left of my applications.

I'm applying to seven schools; CUNY, Chicago, Michigan, Wisconsin-Madison, UC Davis, Yale, and Harvard for biological anthropology. I'm hoping to push out the CUNY application by tonight, actually.

[Platysaurus]

radiomars, you've done ALL your submissions? Here I was thinking I was on top of things, and I haven't finished a single one. Although it's just losing sleep over SoPs, getting some transcript chaos sorted and harassing flaky recommenders to go.

I'm Cultural Anthro, applying for nine schools: Berkeley, Columbia, NYU, Cornell, Brown, Harvard, Vanderbilt, Princeton, Yale.

Good luck everyone, rest assured I will be venting my paranoia here soon enough.

[radiomars]

I'm applying to seven schools; CUNY, Chicago, Michigan, Wisconsin-Madison, UC Davis, Yale, and Harvard for biological anthropology. I'm hoping to push out the CUNY application by tonight, actually.

Good luck with apps! May I ask who you're applying to @ Yale and Harvard / if you have an intended sub-specialty in bio. anthro? Always good to meet more bio folk.

radiomars, you've done ALL your submissions? Here I was thinking I was on top of things, and I haven't finished a single one. Although it's just losing sleep over SoPs, getting some transcript chaos sorted and harassing flaky recommenders to go.

Yeah, but I put in the extra time early on to get all my stuff done because I've been travelling for the past three months (currently doing field work in Morocco). It'll all come together soon and then you'll never remember the prep anxiety again

[Allouette]

May I ask who you're applying to @ Yale and Harvard / if you have an intended sub-specialty in bio. anthro? Always good to meet more bio folk.

My sub-spec is primate behavioural ecology. I'm applying to Watts at Yale and Hinde/Wrangham at Harvard... I don't know if I have a snowball's chance in hell at either, but hey, why not try, right?

What about yourself? Who are you applying to at Yale?

[whirledpeas13]

I'm working on applications for the following:

Berkeley, medical anth

U of Washington, cultural anth

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, cultural anth

Michigan, cultural anth

Toronto, cultural anth

Harvard Regional Studies -- East Asia AM

U of Washington, MA Korean Studies

Currently revising SoP and SoPH for Berkeley and Illinois... **sigh**

I also applied for NSF GRFP.

[socanth]

I am starting to feel exhausted... 5 down, 4 to go. Oof.

[Allouette]

Sigh, socanth, I feel you there. 4 down, 3 to go for me, and I want to bang my head against the keyboard whenever I open my SoP. Just... one... more... revision...

[redsparrow]

Everyone talks about the waiting game (for decisions), but I'm really just waiting for all my apps to be submitted, and then I can move on with my life!

[mp429]

UMichigan, CUNY, and NYU for me. A few others possibly on the back burner that I am going back and forth on, but those three for sure. Biological Anthropology.

[parsley]

Submitted my application for 6 schools. U Chicago, Stanford, U Michigan, Columbia, Emory, and UIUC. Just begin to wait!

[PhDreams]

I'm still in the throes of my SoPs (jesus christ will they ever END), but they're the last part left of my applications.

LOLOLOL Yes.... THIS.

Good luck everyone, rest assured I will be venting my paranoia here soon enough.

These forums got me through the app season last season. Best of luck to all of you. This process is rough...

[PhDreams]

Sigh, socanth, I feel you there. 4 down, 3 to go for me, and I want to bang my head against the keyboard whenever I open my SoP. Just... one... more... revision...

I feel the same way. If you keep looking at it, you will keep revising. It's a curse. Good luck!

[anthropologygeek]

Good luck to all of this years applicants. Quoting a recent movie, may the odds forever be in your favor. I found this website useful when I was applying and once you turn in all your apps try to relax. I know that's easier said than done. One thing you can do is go to the results page and see about when the schools have previously sent out the responses. Schools generally follow the same time schedule year after year but every year there are exceptions so don't read to much into it.

[socanth]

Well managing to have a slightly calmer weekend after realising Michigan wouldn't in fact work, but this is quite draining!

Good luck to all...

[PhDreams]

Well managing to have a slightly calmer weekend after realising Michigan wouldn't in fact work, but this is quite draining!

Good luck to all...

I had to stop looking into programs. LOL I found myself trying to convince myself to apply to more.

[Allouette]

socanth, you dodged a frustration bullet with Michigan. I can't be the only one who thought their application had the most painfully awkward set up ever, what with the having to click through the whole thing whenever you wanted to edit something towards the end.

[PhDreams]

I remember Michigan last year. Yep... Stanford is sorta like that too. :/

[socanth]

socanth, you dodged a frustration bullet with Michigan. I can't be the only one who thought their application had the most painfully awkward set up ever, what with the having to click through the whole thing whenever you wanted to edit something towards the end.

Unfortunately I didn't quite - I set it all up with the application (worst set up I've seen, as you say!), had my personal history statement ready to go (which was quite an effort, and felt really strange after most of the advice saying to avoid longer personal sections in the sop) and then was just coming to sorting out my statement of purpose and realised that while there are quite a few overlaps, no single match was ideal in any way. I'd looked a few months ago and was super excited, but since refining my project and looking again at the faculty I'd noted down, I decided I wouldn't accept myself so didn't expect them to! So I at least saved myself a little money - but kicking myself about the transcripts and gre. Oh well, live and learn...

[mp429]

Just curious - does anyone know if interviews always happen? Would there be a situation of acceptance without an interview? I know I'm a few months early, but just thinking ahead!

[anthropologygeek]

Mp- some places interview, some Skype interview and others don't interview at all

[PhDreams]

I don't think Harvard interviews.

[mp429]

Great, thanks. I want to organize visiting the places I have applied, but was wondering if I should wait until I hear back about interviews before making plans.

[PhDreams]

I know everyone is starting to wrap up their last applications, so I just wanted to wish every one good luck! Let the interview offers begin!

[radiomars]

Bah, I think I have at least one more month until I even hear back about potential interviews, and probably something like two until the first offers come around. I wish there was an early decision option for my schools!