Acceptance Freakout Thread

[NowMoreSerious]

Does anyone else have a March that looks totally insane? All the schools want us to visit at the same time! I originally wanted to go on a lot more visits, but there's no way I can be out of state every weekend and keep up on my current course work. 

 

Are you all planning visits? How many? How on earth are you finding time to go on them? Besides fondness for the program, what other determining factors influence your decision to visit or not (like expenses, especially if the programs can't fund visits)?

My March is shredded, yes. But luckily for me none of them land on the same days. I can go to Minnesota, then directly to Virginia without missing anything, for example.

And yes it is expensive but I am mostly getting reimbursements and I have saved up money for this possibility.

Edited March 4, 2013 by NowMoreSerious

[dmmar]

And yes it is expensive but I am mostly getting reimbursements and I have saved up money for this possibility.

 

Some of my programs are funding visits, some aren't. But I'm getting married in June, so, you know, most of my money is going toward that, haha. 

[NowMoreSerious]

Some of my programs are funding visits, some aren't. But I'm getting married in June, so, you know, most of my money is going toward that, haha. 

Married? Well, I am not obligated to condone or reason with such errors of judgement.

I'm kidding, of course (?). Congrats on that and on your acceptances. What a great year this is shaping up to be for you.

[dmmar]

Married? Well, I am not obligated to condone or reason with such errors of judgement.

I'm kidding, of course (?). Congrats on that and on your acceptances. What a great year this is shaping up to be for you.

 

hahahaha, I like the lingering question mark. 

 

Congratulations to you too! You have a nice pile of acceptances there. 

[ProfLorax]

Does anyone else have a March that looks totally insane? All the schools want us to visit at the same time! I originally wanted to go on a lot more visits, but there's no way I can be out of state every weekend and keep up on my current course work. 

 

Are you all planning visits? How many? How on earth are you finding time to go on them? Besides fondness for the program, what other determining factors influence your decision to visit or not (like expenses, especially if the programs can't fund visits)?

My March and April are totally insane. In two weeks, I am flying from California to Baltimore, then from Baltimore to Champaign, and then from Champaign to California... all within five days. The next week, I'm flying to Cincinnati for Miami's open house. During the first week of April, I'm flying to Boston (Amherst) then directly to Tucson. So, yeah. Crazy!

 

I only applied to schools where I could absolutely see myself, so I am equally torn among all of them. Visiting is hugely important; since placement, faculty, and fit are all awesome, atmosphere and my gut reaction are probably going to be the deciding factors. Two schools are funding the visits, one is hooking me up with a couch to crash on, and the other two I am completely on my own for. Fortunately, my partner and I both work right now, so our dual income plus my frugal trip planning skills are making these trips possible. 

 

 

Some of my programs are funding visits, some aren't. But I'm getting married in June, so, you know, most of my money is going toward that, haha. 

Congrats! I got married last August, so I can empathize about how much of a time, money, and energy vacuum wedding planning can truly be. That being said, I wouldn't change anything about my wedding or the months leading up to it!

[sebastiansteddy]

Yes, it almost feels like the insanity is just beginning. So much traveling.

[Gwendolyn]

I guess I was lucky to be able to visit 5 of the 9 schools I applied to already. Rejected from one of the four I didn't visit, declined 2 of them, and I haven't heard from the 4th, but it's extremely unlikely I'll be going. Far too worried about my thesis for Senior Seminar to mix in a bunch of visitation dates. I think I'd go insane. 

Edited March 4, 2013 by Gwendolyn

[Swagato]

Reading all this makes me glad I basically have to decide whether to visit two places, or just one. And both are within reasonable distances. 

[ComeBackZinc]

It'll all be worth it in the end.

[dmmar]

My March and April are totally insane. In two weeks, I am flying from California to Baltimore, then from Baltimore to Champaign, and then from Champaign to California... all within five days. The next week, I'm flying to Cincinnati for Miami's open house. During the first week of April, I'm flying to Boston (Amherst) then directly to Tucson. So, yeah. Crazy!

 

I only applied to schools where I could absolutely see myself, so I am equally torn among all of them. Visiting is hugely important; since placement, faculty, and fit are all awesome, atmosphere and my gut reaction are probably going to be the deciding factors. Two schools are funding the visits, one is hooking me up with a couch to crash on, and the other two I am completely on my own for. Fortunately, my partner and I both work right now, so our dual income plus my frugal trip planning skills are making these trips possible. 

 

Congrats! I got married last August, so I can empathize about how much of a time, money, and energy vacuum wedding planning can truly be. That being said, I wouldn't change anything about my wedding or the months leading up to it!

 

That's an insane schedule! Visiting seems so important, though, so I'm sure it'll be worth it. Wedding planning is SUCH a time suck, but I'm really lucky to have a fiance who's willing to take up doing more than half the planning so I don't go totally insane. He works full time, but has way more time than I do—I'm in a MA program with a teaching assistantship AND converting to Judaism in less than a week. 

 

I applied everywhere thinking that I would get in nowhere, so some of my acceptances are from schools that I'm less enthusiastic about (although if those had been my only acceptances, my perspective would be totally different), so I'm definitely trying to prioritize where I actually go visit. Right now I have plans to visit U of M on the admitted students day (since I live in downtown Ann Arbor, I'm, you know... just walking there) and to visit Iowa toward the end of the month. I'd like to visit Rochester, but their student visit days don't work for me, so I haven't figured out if I'm going to do an individual visit there or not. 

 

I'm undecided about whether I should visit Case Western and Purdue. I actually really like their programs, and they've both been very welcoming and enthusiastic about my scholarship. But, I've been offered significantly more in funding elsewhere; their funding packages aren't bad at all, it's just I've been given really phenomenal packages elsewhere. And funding obviously isn't the only determining factor here, but it is really important—especially when it comes to funding conference and research travel, fellowships that don't involve teaching for two or more years (first year and dissertation years), etc. My professors have encouraged me to contact them and ask if they can make their funding packages more competitive, which I'm still planning to do, but at the same time, I'm aware that they simply have fewer funding resources than places like U of M. SO, there's that. 

 

I'm also just worried about being able to get work done while going on these visits. My semester ends early—April 17th—so I'm already starting to hit the craziest part of the semester. 

 

A few of my programs that can't fund for visits have also offered grad student couches to crash on, and I can't decide whether I think this is way cool, or if it would be really awkward. 

Edited March 4, 2013 by dmmar

[ErnestPWorrell]

Does anyone else have a March that looks totally insane?

Insanely drunk. SPRING BREAK 2013 WOOOOOOT!!!!!

[jazzyd]

Does anyone else have a March that looks totally insane? All the schools want us to visit at the same time! I originally wanted to go on a lot more visits, but there's no way I can be out of state every weekend and keep up on my current course work. 

 

Yeah, I've got Chicago this week, LA to Providence next week, then driving down to PCB (spring break festivities). From there I'm working on finding a flight to high tail it out early to make it to Michigan's visiting days, and then it's back to Champaign.

 

But from it looks like, others have much crazier March schedules than I!

[ProfLorax]

But, I've been offered significantly more in funding elsewhere; their funding packages aren't bad at all, it's just I've been given really phenomenal packages elsewhere. And funding obviously isn't the only determining factor here, but it is really important—especially when it comes to funding conference and research travel, fellowships that don't involve teaching for two or more years (first year and dissertation years), etc. My professors have encouraged me to contact them and ask if they can make their funding packages more competitive, which I'm still planning to do, but at the same time, I'm aware that they simply have fewer funding resources than places like U of M. SO, there's that. 

I'm in a similar predicament. The school with the best fit and resources for my research is severely impacted by the state's budget issues. This school made it clear that I am their top applicant, but their hands are tied. Not only is it the smallest stipend, but it also has the highest teaching load (2/2). They are nominating me for a university-wide fellowship, but it's incredibly competitive, and I am really not sure if I qualify. Sigh. 

 

I don't want money to be a factor, but it's hard not to consider it when I am in love with all the schools. 

[BrookeSnow]

I got into SUNY Buffalo (MA)...  but now I don't know what to do.....

[skybythelight]

Have any Washington admits received funding info?

Nope, nothing. Has anyone e-mailed them? I'm considering it if I don't hear anything from them soon. Just to be like "Hey... I saw you accepted me... so that's cool..."

[dorotheabrooke]

Nope, nothing. Has anyone e-mailed them? I'm considering it if I don't hear anything from them soon. Just to be like "Hey... I saw you accepted me... so that's cool..."

 

I just emailed them. I'll post any update I hear

[muchado]

After two solid weeks of radio silence from the rest of my programs, I got an offer from University of Houston today! Super pumped and also super overwhelmed by options. 

 

Hope this weeks proves to be exciting for everyone!

[skybythelight]

I heard back from Washington... I was told that the meeting for funding decisions is happening on March 18th and students will be notified after that time. Also, there are no scheduled visiting days, but students are welcome to visit the department at their convenience during the week.

[dmmar]

I'm in a similar predicament. The school with the best fit and resources for my research is severely impacted by the state's budget issues. This school made it clear that I am their top applicant, but their hands are tied. Not only is it the smallest stipend, but it also has the highest teaching load (2/2). They are nominating me for a university-wide fellowship, but it's incredibly competitive, and I am really not sure if I qualify. Sigh. 

 

I don't want money to be a factor, but it's hard not to consider it when I am in love with all the schools. 

 

I don't think money should be the factor, but certainly a factor—I mean, you have to live on your stipend. Starving brains aren't studious brains. 

[ishmael]

I have a bittersweet acceptance-- I was denied PhD at Maryland, but accepted to MA. Unfortunately, the inside scoop is that UMD doesn't take any MA students into their PhD program... and it's totally unfunded. So, hooray for acceptance, boo for the circumstances.

[pomoisdead]

Well, an oddly bittersweet moment for me as I've been denied PhD acceptance at BC (not officially) but accepted into the MA! Pretty cool, despite already having an MFA. Sad part is, though, no funding right now. I cannot spend another dime on my education, so here's to hoping everyone turns down the tuition remission and it gets to me!

 

Does anyone know how long credits are good for? I completed 1 year of an MA in 2006-2007 but never finished because I got into the MFA. Anyone think some of those credits could be applied over?

[bfat]

Does anyone know how long credits are good for? I completed 1 year of an MA in 2006-2007 but never finished because I got into the MFA. Anyone think some of those credits could be applied over?

 

It depends on the school. In the University of Maryland system, for example (where I worked for a while) transfer credits could not be older than the "time limit" for the degree. So if your class was from 2006, and the max time allotted for degree completion was 10 years, you would need to graduate with those transferred credits before 2016, or they would "expire." Of course, sometimes exceptions were made, and it's probably different for each school/system.

[aw crepe]

Yeah this is my question too. I keep getting such awesome funding details/notifications lf awards and emails from fantastic professors expressing interest to work with me :/ I already know I don't want to go to these schools but I don't know how to express it while still being professional and assuring profs that I respect their work and would still love to meet and collaborate in the future if possible...any tips?

 

I'm sure the professors will appreciate receiving a polite decline as soon as you've made your decision. What you said above about respecting their work, hoping to collaborate, etc, sounds appropriate.

 

Don't be surprised if they ask where you decided to go and why. It helps them to understand their competition and better communicate to University higher ups the need for better funding packages, faculty hires in a particular area, etc, to win over top picks for admission.

[ProfLorax]

Holy crap. I just found out that there is no Trader Joe's near Urbana/Champaign... I'm ashamed how much this fact may influence my decision-making process.

[asleepawake]

Holy crap. I just found out that there is no Trader Joe's near Urbana/Champaign... I'm ashamed how much this fact may influence my decision-making process.

 

Haha, don't be. Is there at least a Whole Foods or a co-op? I've already checked that there is one near Buffalo (there's not; however, they're building one because I might be coming). I've also scoped out burrito availability and Indian food in the cities of my schools...