roll call for those losing the application battle

[frankdux]

format:

0. name

1. number of years you've applied

2. number of schools applied to

3. number of rejections so far

4. what do you think went wrong?

5. will you apply next year?

6. if yes, how will you improve your app? if no, why not?

7. what will you do in your off year/the rest of your life?

********

0. frankdux

1. 2 years

2. 11 this year. 2 last year.

3. 3 this year but more expected. 2 last year.

4. little research experience, a mediocre gre subject score (although i only sent it to 4 schools)

5. yes

6. try to get some research experience. retake the gre subject test.

7. not sure. maybe teach.

[lostandconfused]

Lost and Confused

1. first year

2. 7

3. 1

4. my overall GPA is sorta average, however I thought the rest of my app could compensate

5. yes

6. yes, retake a couple classes, do some more research, maybe travel?

7. haha (read above?) Im not sure still trying to come to terms with everything sighhh

[illinoisellie]

Illinoisellie

Number of times applied: 1 - This is my first! (unfortunately the sacrifices of virgin applicants don't look any better on grad apps than the sacrifices of regular applicants - maybe grad committees need some dragons or something)

Schools: 8 +2 (see below)

Rejections: 5(probably 6 - people just don't like telling you you're rejected, jeez!)

What I did wrong: I think one of my recommenders didn't help my app at all. My personal statement needs more revision (I look at it now-what was I thinking?). I need more backups.

Improvements: Hopefully, if I don't get in (which I don't think I will) - I'm currently frantically applying for two more schools with later deadlines ( I have four days to apply! )

Life goals: If I do apply again - maybe I'll take the psych gre. I'll improve my personal statement and make sure I get good recommenders.

I want to get a job as a research assistant. But basically, I just want to go where life takes me. (hopefully towards a job with the government) Though a friend of mine told me that we could both get jobs as cops if nothing else panned out. I work out every, well, bimonthly maybe?

[zoberg]

0. zoberg

1. Only one

2. Only five

3. Only three, two more to go

4. My personal statement and writing sample weren't revised enough.

5. Yes.

6. Revise, revise, revise. Finish translating the book.

7. Teach abroad with Fulbright if I get in, au pair in France, German or Austria, or move to some random city and find a job at a publishing firm / I want to teach German or English writing at a university and translate Austrian literature on the side. Maybe work as an editor for a publishing company or a literary magazine.

[cath2024]

0. cath2024

1. 1

2. 8

3. 2 (with more to come, I'm sure)

4. personal statement could've used some revision, better work samples, should've spent more time on apps, and gotten my shit together early enough to apply to more schools

5. no

6. I'm looking to go to an MFA program with funding and that is EXTREMELY difficult. I don't see it getting any easier, and I'm ready to put the idea of school out of my mind if it doesn't go well this year.

7. hmm. I just got laid off, so look for a new job in my field, try to figure out how to pay down some debt, really commit to working on some of the projects I have been putting off.

[waitingforgodot]

0. Waitingforgodot

1. First time applicant

2. Applied to 7 schools

3. Rejected from 2

4. Trying to go back to school after 3 years of professional work experience; applying to a field not related to my major; mediocre GRE Subject Test score

5. Will apply again next year; will probably apply in a couple of different fields

6. Try to do some evening courses in Math; retake the Subject GRE; apply to lower universities than I did this time

7. Continue working and save some money

[ridgey]

0. Ridgey

1. Just this year

2. 6 applications

3. 3.5 rejections so far (the 0.5 - acceptances have been posted on the results board from last week, but I haven't heard anything)

4. Writing sample. GPA. ? 1x lukewarm LoR.

5. Probably wait two years to reapply.

6. Polished writing sample. Publish.

7. Find a research job doing what interests me, not whatever happens to be around. Travel.

[Jakrabite]

0- jakrabite

1- 1st time for PhD. Finished Master's in Fall'08.

2- 10 (I have a round number fetish...no seriously)

3- 4 rejects as yet

4- Applied for interdisciplinary stream. No published papers. Perhaps not enough experience to demonstrate tangible talent for research.

5- Yes I will apply again. Though it might be two years before the next app.

6- Might take gre subject test since my supposedly excellent gre general test scores have not brought me much luck. Try to finagle a research gig, though thats easier said than done in my country.

7- Haven't thought about Plan B. Will probably see after a couple of more rejects.

[OnceAndFutureGrad]

0. RecycledV

[anthcat]

0. anthcat

1. 1

2. 9

3. 6

4. not enough contact with POIs, primarily

5. yes

6. email people at every school and get some dialogue going, more research on lower-ranked programs, convert my honors thesis into an article and try to get published

7. well, this is my second off year. if I can keep my job, I'll work, get an apartment with my girlfriend, cook a lot, and adopt a cat. also read journals.

[fortiesgirl]

0. fortiesgirl

1. 2-I've been accepted in previous years but had to decline offers for personal reasons

2. 9

3. 3 rejections, 1 acceptance (hoping for funding)

4. The rejections came from top ten schools in my field, so I expected it. The other schools range from more tangible to safety, so hopefully the news will be positive.

5. not sure if I can.

6. I won't have the funds and I'm not getting any younger! Also, I've been accepted to one program already that I would be happy to attend. If I get funding there, then I will probably go.

7. I've been teaching adjunct for two years now so I'll keep doing that. I'll probably have to eventually find another pt job though.

[mylstisr]

format:

0. name

1. number of years you've applied

2. number of schools applied to

3. number of rejections so far

4. what do you think went wrong?

5. will you apply next year?

6. if yes, how will you improve your app? if no, why not?

7. what will you do in your off year/the rest of your life?

********

0. frankdux

1. 2 years

2. 11 this year. 2 last year.

3. 3 this year but more expected. 2 last year.

4. little research experience, a mediocre gre subject score (although i only sent it to 4 schools)

5. yes

6. try to get some research experience. retake the gre subject test.

7. not sure. maybe teach.

don't give up hope yet. you still have to hear from a lot more schools.

but...that being said,

have you been networking? reading up on your area of interest? what about your statement of purpose? Do you think you could improve that? never underestimate the importance of brown-nosing and sucking up to a professor way before applying.

[schr]

0. schr

[mentalyoga]

0. mentalyoga

1. First time-finishing up undergrad now.

2. 5 programs; all English PhD, but one joint MFA/PhD

3. 3 rejections; 1 waitlist; 1 waiting

4. GRE scores middling; not finished with undergrad/thesis; SOP could be better

5. Yes yes yes, assuming I don't make it through the one waitlist (which is pretty much my current outlook)

6. SOP; use thesis for my writing sample; letters will be stronger (since I'm TA'ing with one of my recommenders now, and all three will be on my defense committee, which I'm thinking will be a really shining moment for me); re-take GRE and subject; research different programs and apply to more

7. Drudgery. Didn't want to take a year off, because I have no backup plan, no money to do anything interesting, no time to apply to internships/fellowships/etc--really counted on grad school a bit too much. Now I'll be stuck waiting tables, saving money to apply to more programs (couldn't afford it this year). Probably catch up on a lot of 'traditional canon' works, seeing as I'm pretty specialized (perhaps too much so) in 19th/20th century women writers, who for the most part aren't as established in conventional English programs (with the exception of Austen, the Brontes, Woolf).

[Abiogenic Gas]

0. klew12

1. first

2. nine

3. four

4. list was way too top-heavy, poor UGPA (math/physics grades for sure), SoP needed cleaning up

5. possibly or the year after

6. retake math courses and take physics GRE

7. either: take the six figure job offer and buy myself a benz, or do PhD at my current university en route to poor job prospects in academia

[nandelle]

0. nandelle

1. 1 year

2. 5 schools

3. 2 rejections

4. not a strong enough pure math foundation (my statistics degree is in business), a demonstrated lack of computer programming skills

5.yes and no. If I don't get into Oregon with funding, i'll face a tough decision between Minnesota w/o funding, or applying to Auckland.

6. I may take Analysis and another computer programming course over the summer/in the fall

7. keep working, save up money...as if I don't get a funded admit, the less I have to take out in loans, the better.

[ridgey]

0. nandelle

1. 1 year

2. 5 schools

3. 2 rejections

4. not a strong enough pure math foundation (my statistics degree is in business), a demonstrated lack of computer programming skills

5.yes and no. If I don't get into Oregon with funding, i'll face a tough decision between Minnesota w/o funding, or applying to Auckland.

6. I may take Analysis and another computer programming course over the summer/in the fall

7. keep working, save up money...as if I don't get a funded admit, the less I have to take out in loans, the better.

Auckland, pffft. Otaaaaaaaaaagoooooooo!

[blue]

1. number of years you've applied: 2

2. number of schools applied to: Only 4 programs...

3. number of rejections so far: 1 official, waiting for more...

4. what do you think went wrong?: I'm too awesome for them.

5. will you apply next year?: Yes, but not to the same schools.

6. if yes, how will you improve your app? if no, why not?: My applications were already good. The second time around I improved them already but it's not just about that.

7. what will you do in your off year/the rest of your life? I still have hopes for one program, I'm crossing my fingers for it... and my toes! I don't want one more year off. But I'm not giving up. Not this year, not the rest of my life. I've gotten through so many obstacles in my life and those rejections, as painful as they feel, are one big nothing in the grand scheme of things.

[Dontuse]

1. number of years you've applied: 1st

2. number of schools applied to: 9

3. number of rejections so far: 2 but could be 4 [nyu has never said anything; just found out i'm probably, most likely rejected from my top since i chatted with someone who i interviewed with [different program/same weekend] & that person got accepted ages ago... [about to cry]]

4. what do you think went wrong? [shrug] couldn't be lack of enthusiasm. i LOVE what i do.

5. will you apply next year? honestly... right now i don't know at all. im taking this worse than i thought.

6. if yes, how will you improve your app? if no, why not?: i was accepted elsewhere for a masters. perhaps after that id reapply.

7. what will you do in your off year/the rest of your life? attend the program that wants me. funding will be a HUGE issue now however.

[habu987]

0. habu987

1. This is the first

2. Two (only enough money for two applications)

3. One, and one more probably coming my way

4. Didn't contact faculty at schools, UGPA not stellar (3.57), kinda shitty SOPs, not my best writing sample, verbal score on the GRE wasn't what I hoped it'd be

5. Yup, sure will

6. Retake the GRE til I get the verbal score I want, redo SOPs and pick a better writing sample, kiss ass with the professors at the various schools, APPLY TO MORE SCHOOLS

7. Work (if I can find a job...) and earn money, something I have a bad habit of not doing

[GirlattheHelm]

• Intro: Hello, my name is Girl at the Helm, I am a possible Graduate admissions reject.
  
  About my Application Process: This is my first year applying. I am finishing up my BA in Anthropology as we speak; I will graduate in May, assuming I do not have a mental breakdown before then...
  
  Number of Schools Applied To: I applied to 6 Schools. See my signature.
  
  REJECTED: One Official from SUNY Binghamton & 2 Unofficial - one from UMass Amherst which all ready called out acceptances according to the rumor mill and then University of Montana which lost my GRE scores. The whole Montana issue is odd, since I sent them out the scores a month prior via ETS but they still never arrived - I emailed copy of official receipt to Montana with no response; sent two new official score reports but they may not be received in time for review which means my application will be tossed.
  
  What Went Wrong?My god awful GRE scores.
  
  Will I apply Next Year? Maybe.
  I might apply next year if all my proverbial ducks are in order; retake the GRE the maximum number of times I can in a year. But then again I might not if circumstances change dramatically and I must stay in the working world.
  
  What will I do in my year off/the rest of your life if I am totally rejected? Ride horses. Drink heavily. Read a lot. Work a ton... and just have a life for once.
  
  What if I get in somewhere? I might pass out, but that'll just be the initial response.

[whateverneveram3n]

0. name: see sidebar

1. number of years you've applied: this is round two

2. number of schools applied to: five

3. number of rejections so far: three

4. what do you think went wrong? realizing half-way through the process that actually I'm a better fit for an applied math program

5. will you apply next year? nope

6. if yes, how will you improve your app? if no, why not? because I was recently turned down for a promotion at work that I was told I would've had if I "wasn't planning on grad school in the fall". i'm not going to screw over my earnings like that for another full year, especially in this economy.

7. what will you do in your off year/the rest of your life? beats me. maybe go work for a quant financial company and at least comfort myself with an eventually sweet salary. i've always found economics to be interesting anyway.

[LadyL]

0. name: colleen

1. number of years you've applied: 2

2. number of schools applied to: 5

3. number of rejections so far: 0 official, 2 unofficial

4. what do you think went wrong? Applied to only highly competitive schools, don't have any publications (just posters), trusted my letter writers faith in me too much

5. will you apply next year? Probably, though the possibility of going through this a third time is terribly depressing.

6. if yes, how will you improve your app? if no, why not? I will try to get on some papers and cast a wider net in where I apply.

7. what will you do in your off year/the rest of your life? Hopefully my lab will find funding to keep me on another year. Otherwise hopefully find an equivalent job. Maybe sell my soul to big pharma if academia rejects me again.

[fields&charts]

1. number of years you've applied: 2

2. number of schools applied to: 5 programs

3. number of rejections so far: 2, waiting on one more

4. what do you think went wrong?: My academic record is ok. I think my writing sample could've been slightly better, but all in all I think I just don't have a very competitive list of accomplishments outside of my grades. Stronger foreign language background could be good too.

5. will you apply next year?: No, I've been accepted to two MA programs, possibly three. I suppose I'll go to one of them, but it just seems like I only got accepted to places that seem to take anyone which is kind of, not to be a baby about it, depressing.

6. if yes, how will you improve your app? if no, why not?: My applications were already good. The second time around I improved them already but it's not just about that.

7. what will you do in your off year/the rest of your life? Either go for an MA somewhere, even though I'm going to have to pay through the nose (again I feel this is kind of a rejection in a way) and try again in a year or two.