Anyone else starting to plan out reapplying next year?

[CP3]

3 rejections, no interviews, no acceptances, not even a wait list. 

 

Waiting to hear from 5 schools, most are a reach for me.

 

So, with that being said, I am already beginning my plans for next year's application cycle.

 

Making a new, bigger list of schools, preparing to study for the GRE to retake this summer, etc etc etc.

 

Is anyone else preparing for next year already?

 

I still am waiting to hear from 5 schools, but I figured while I wait, I may as well starting planning for the future.

 

AM I THE ONLY ONE BEING CRAZY??? 

 

 

[AGradStudentHasNoName]

I have one acceptance but have decided that staying in my current job and reapplying is a better option. I have several that I'm still waiting on with one somewhat good possibility that I would definitely take. But after 4 rejections I decided that I should have applied to more computational biology specific programs instead of mostly pure cs. I sell much better as computational biology (have an MD).

 

So I started planning on which programs to apply to next round. This time I have 11 on the list and might add one or two lol. Seemed like a decent way to waste some time. Gives me the feeling of some sort of control over my situation.

[RubyBright]

I'm not sure what I'm doing. I had honestly gone into this whole thing expecting to be rejected everywhere, and to reapply next year. Instead, I have an acceptance and a waitlist. But the acceptance so far isn't offering me any money (admittedly, that could still change) - no way I can afford it without funding. If I get the waitlisted school, I'll be ecstatic, and definitely take it, but if not, that may be it for me this year. I'm not sure if I will go another round as I originally planned to. It would be a little weird to reject an acceptance, then reapply next year (with a note that says, "but please only accept me this time if you have funding!"). 

[CP3]

I'm not sure what I'm doing. I had honestly gone into this whole thing expecting to be rejected everywhere, and to reapply next year. Instead, I have an acceptance and a waitlist. But the acceptance so far isn't offering me any money (admittedly, that could still change) - no way I can afford it without funding. If I get the waitlisted school, I'll be ecstatic, and definitely take it, but if not, that may be it for me this year. I'm not sure if I will go another round as I originally planned to. It would be a little weird to reject an acceptance, then reapply next year (with a note that says, "but please only accept me this time if you have funding!"). 

I understand the funding issue. I purposefully applied to schools with great funding because I didn't want to borrow money to work on a PhD. The problem with this is that most of these schools are BIG reaches for me. I applied to a few that I have a better chance of getting accepted, BUT, they don't offer very good funding. So, if I do get accepted into a low-funding school, I will probably have to turn it down and reapply next year.

 

We shall see....

 

I have one acceptance but have decided that staying in my current job and reapplying is a better option. I have several that I'm still waiting on with one somewhat good possibility that I would definitely take. But after 4 rejections I decided that I should have applied to more computational biology specific programs instead of mostly pure cs. I sell much better as computational biology (have an MD).

 

So I started planning on which programs to apply to next round. This time I have 11 on the list and might add one or two lol. Seemed like a decent way to waste some time. Gives me the feeling of some sort of control over my situation.

Yeah, I agree, planning out where/when I will apply next year makes me feel better about rejections, it's helping me keep my mind off of my current situation.

[RubyBright]

I understand the funding issue. I purposefully applied to schools with great funding because I didn't want to borrow money to work on a PhD. The problem with this is that most of these schools are BIG reaches for me. I applied to a few that I have a better chance of getting accepted, BUT, they don't offer very good funding. So, if I do get accepted into a low-funding school, I will probably have to turn it down and reapply next year.

 

The funny thing is that I applied to this school with the expectation that they had good funding. That's what's implied on their website, at least. I don't blame them, per se, since the website didn't say outright that everyone is fully funded, and I understand fluctuating funding from year to year, but I wasn't really expecting to have this problem. 

[Counterpointer]

3 rejections, no interviews, no acceptances, not even a wait list. 

 

Waiting to hear from 5 schools, most are a reach for me.

 

So, with that being said, I am already beginning my plans for next year's application cycle.

 

Making a new, bigger list of schools, preparing to study for the GRE to retake this summer, etc etc etc.

 

Is anyone else preparing for next year already?

 

I still am waiting to hear from 5 schools, but I figured while I wait, I may as well starting planning for the future.

 

AM I THE ONLY ONE BEING CRAZY??? 

 

Hey fellow composer.. if you apply again next year, in what way can you improve your application?

I only have an undergrad degree in composition and I have never applied for grad degree in composition, so I'm not so familiar with the process but I would like to know how you think you can improve your application.

 

Certainly, writing more impressive piece of music would be helpful, but if you're out of school already, then getting the performance is very difficult...

GRE shouldn't matter that much, perhaps you can get more work experience and revise personal statement.

 

Sorry that your applications are being rejected... In a way, it's kinda unfair, judging compositions is heavily based on the taste.

I have seen scores of people who got into Columbia, Brown and Princeton, their scores all have triplets inside quintuplets and stuff...

Although I listen to a lot of complex music myself, I could never write rhythmically complex pieces, as it is already hard to get a good performance with pieces in 4/4. 

 

I've always thought that judging compositions is quite stupid, so I have been applying to music theory degrees, but so far I'm getting all the rejections. I got an interview at Temple, for MM degree.. So, after I finish my MM, I'll apply to PhD programs again.. So I guess for me, it would be technically applying again, 2 years later. Do you have a masters yet?

[St Andrews Lynx]

I still am waiting to hear from 5 schools, but I figured while I wait, I may as well starting planning for the future.

 

AM I THE ONLY ONE BEING CRAZY??? 

Constructively planning a re-application cycle is going to be better for your general wellbeing than full-time angsting about your outstanding applications. 

If you do get an offer this time around...well, then the planning hasn't done you any harm.

If you don't get an offer...you're already sorting out a Plan B (as everybody says, you need a lot of time to prepare a good grad school application)

[CP3]

Hey fellow composer.. if you apply again next year, in what way can you improve your application?

I only have an undergrad degree in composition and I have never applied for grad degree in composition, so I'm not so familiar with the process but I would like to know how you think you can improve your application.

 

Certainly, writing more impressive piece of music would be helpful, but if you're out of school already, then getting the performance is very difficult...

GRE shouldn't matter that much, perhaps you can get more work experience and revise personal statement.

 

Sorry that your applications are being rejected... In a way, it's kinda unfair, judging compositions is heavily based on the taste.

I have seen scores of people who got into Columbia, Brown and Princeton, their scores all have triplets inside quintuplets and stuff...

Although I listen to a lot of complex music myself, I could never write rhythmically complex pieces, as it is already hard to get a good performance with pieces in 4/4. 

 

I've always thought that judging compositions is quite stupid, so I have been applying to music theory degrees, but so far I'm getting all the rejections. I got an interview at Temple, for MM degree.. So, after I finish my MM, I'll apply to PhD programs again.. So I guess for me, it would be technically applying again, 2 years later. Do you have a masters yet?

Greetings. Yes, I do have a Masters in Composition. 

 

I know that the GRE is not super important in music. but if you have a sub-par GPA like I do, then a high GRE score can help offset grades.

Also, some committees use the GRE score as a way to "weed" out applicants. 

 

The most important aspect of the comp application is the music. But as you said, it is very subjective. Some schools look for very complex rhythmic music. Others like jazzy stuff. Some prefer heavy electronic or electro-acoustic music. I chopped good schools off my list because they were really into electronic music, I write purely instrumental music. 

 

Most schools like complex music (like you said, tuplets inside quintuplets etc) But this isn't always the case. 

 

Some schools like to see accomplishment in regards to competitions, awards (the only awards I have come from the University I studied at)

 

Sometimes it is very political, if you have connections with a University before applying, this can increase your chances of getting accepted, just like with jobs.

 

The whole point is that this process is a complete crapshoot, especially for composers. We don't have publications and specific research goals that fit perfectly with different schools. Everyone writes different music, so it is virtually impossible to find a "perfect fit"

 

Good luck to you with your applications/interviews