Fall 2014 applicants??

[shortstack51]

I've been accepted to Carnegie Mellon's MA program! So I at least have somewhere to go if nowhere else works out for me, which is something of a relief, and I'm hoping it's a good sign that my application might help me into a few of the other MA programs that I applied to, and give me some options. Of course, at this point, CUNY would be ideal, and I felt like there were quite a few professors there to make it a good fit for me.

One of the really dumb things that stresses me out is that on my application status page it notes that my GRE scores were not received until Dec 20th, when I actually had them sent a few months prior to that, and CUNY in particular seemed to emphasize the importance of their Dec 15th deadline.

Yes, I have the same problem. It says I paid for my application on the 15th but then it says it wasn't created until the 17th, which is weird. I am also worried because they wanted you to mail transcripts in one envelope with a very specific formatting on the front, but I sent both of mine to straight from my school. I have no idea if that will impact me negatively.

Congrats on Carnegie Mellon!! I'm happy to hear that! Where else have you applied and are still waiting to hear back from? I'm sure you will hear more good news from MA programs.

[mmorrison]

Do schools typically finalize their decisions at about the same time every year? I've noticed that there haven't been any notifications from the schools I'm still waiting on, so I assume that they are all still deciding. I am thrilled to have a few acceptances already, but I am eager to be dealt my full hand and see where I stand.

[andromache]

Yes, I have the same problem. It says I paid for my application on the 15th but then it says it wasn't created until the 17th, which is weird. I am also worried because they wanted you to mail transcripts in one envelope with a very specific formatting on the front, but I sent both of mine to straight from my school. I have no idea if that will impact me negatively.

Congrats on Carnegie Mellon!! I'm happy to hear that! Where else have you applied and are still waiting to hear back from? I'm sure you will hear more good news from MA programs.

 

I'm still waiting to hear from almost everywhere...but assuming several rejections. I still have actual hope for CUNY, Boston U (PhD programs) and Case, Fordham, Denver, and Washington for the MA.

 

And it makes me a feel slightly better that our app statuses seem to be similar, so maybe it's just how their system is and not any fault on our part. Their application process was ridiculously convoluted compared to everywhere else I applied.

[Aztecson23]

Hey everyone. It is common for departments to accept some people early. When I was waiting to hear back from schools, I got four acceptances via phone early on - the professors I'd discussed in my SOP were the ones who called. When I posted my results on the results page, some people questioned their veracity because of their "ideal" timing. This was a quite natural response, I think. I was surprised myself. But, yeah, some schools call certain individuals about acceptances a lot sooner than expected. I know this probably doesn't quell the anxiety at all, but maybe it eases suspicions about the character of those early acceptance posters. They're probably telling the truth. Good luck all.

 

Boulder was one of the schools that called early on. Please don't make me go back to check the date...

Edited February 16, 2014 by Aztecson23

[Fiz]

Ha! Now isnt this funny..

Edited February 16, 2014 by Fiz

[ComeBackZinc]

Professors do go off script sometimes and call particular applicants early. I mean, if you're a bigwig with tenure and you want to call or email a student or two early, who's going to kick up a fuss about it? Although I do in general advise skepticism about the results board. Anybody can post anything at any time.

[Strong Flat White]

To Aztecson23 and ComeBackZinc, I'm pickin' up what you're puttin' down...and in fact, I get a bit of a kick out of how people use the results board to try to gauge the exact moment when notifications begin, or else begin early, or else begin late, as if departments somehow are required to do the same thing year to year. As if they might never change what they do, or else change nothing and simply do whatever they want.  I get that.  In this case, however, we have something going unclaimed and a Fiz mysteriously making noise about it. We have someone who presumably uses the results board but doesn't use the discussion threads. We have me providing concrete communications from the department in question. And that communication was very recent. And that communication was unsolicited and cautioned against the inaccurate posts of last year. In my mind this makes the so-called Boulder acceptance of a different kind altogether - to me, it's the difference between founded and unfounded speculation.

 

Nothing to get too caught up in, for sure. And of course the possibility remains that CU English felt the need to give me inaccurate info on the topic of inaccurate info, and that Fiz's noise signifies nothing, and that the likelihood of someone using the results board but not the discussion forum, is a confluence of seemingly suspicious factors but is in fact mere coincidence. It is possible, I give you that. But for the many who seem eager to know CU's decision, what I'm saying is that even if the Boulder post is real, hope remains alive until March if we put any stock in what the department says. And to my thinking, it's a big IF anyway...this is reasoned hope for Boulder applicants.

Edited February 16, 2014 by Strong Flat White

[ComeBackZinc]

Yeah, I mean I would just say generally that anyone should take the results board with a grain of salt even under the best conditions, and that you just have to wait for good or bad news to come officially from the departments, although I certainly understand the desire to not have to wait.

[Nemo1]

Maybe this is a question for a new thread (or maybe it's already been discussed at length somewhere -- if so, sorry) but what do people think about emailing schools to request feedback, after a rejection? If it's done politely, surely they won't take offence, and the worst they'll do is just ignore the request.... right?

 

After a wave of official rejections and now several more "implied" ones, I'm reasonably certain that I haven't gotten in anywhere this year. So between now and the next cycle, I'll be trying to pinpoint the weaknesses in my applications - and it seems like feedback from schools, however brief, would be the most helpful way to do that. At the same time, I obviously don't want to alienate these people!

[Horb]

I just got a phone call from Tufts University! First acceptance. Beyond excited.

[cbttcher]

I just got a phone call from Tufts University! First acceptance. Beyond excited.

 

Congratulations!!!

[Gauche]

Maybe this is a question for a new thread (or maybe it's already been discussed at length somewhere -- if so, sorry) but what do people think about emailing schools to request feedback, after a rejection? If it's done politely, surely they won't take offence, and the worst they'll do is just ignore the request.... right?

 

After a wave of official rejections and now several more "implied" ones, I'm reasonably certain that I haven't gotten in anywhere this year. So between now and the next cycle, I'll be trying to pinpoint the weaknesses in my applications - and it seems like feedback from schools, however brief, would be the most helpful way to do that. At the same time, I obviously don't want to alienate these people!

Do it. They are happy to give you feedback if you ask for something. At least that was my experience last year. You should also consider that they might (and probably will) tell you to contact them later after they've accepted everyone and are sure of who is in just because they're super busy right now. Contacting them about feedback in around mid-April is probably the best time.

[oldmangandhi]

How accurate do you guys think the posts here and those on the results page are? Do you think some anonymous people are blatantly lying to create an insidious and cruel joke? 

[purpleperson]

I got into Rutgers! !! I can't believe it!

(Lying, obviously)

I think some people are lying.

I did get into Michigan State with very uncertain (likely no) funding, though.

I still have ten schools that are wide open. I promise y'all I won't lie on here or the results board about acceptances, rejections. I wonder what the point of doing so is. ...??

[purpleperson]

Oh ...I don't mean lying on the forum. I mean on the results board. And maybe not most, but some.

[andrewcycs]

Horb, congratulations!! So happy for you!

[bennoarchimboldi]

i think in any group of more than 5 humans, at least 2 are going to be giant dongs. 1 is probably a nice person who's acting out and hurting others because of some internal trauma. 1 is a boring person. what's left over is honest. 

 

at least some people are putting up nonsense on the results board to freak others out. at least some programs don't want applicants to know exactly how they're deciding things, if only to maintain some recruiting edge because they're super competitive. 

[toasterazzi]

Maybe this is a question for a new thread (or maybe it's already been discussed at length somewhere -- if so, sorry) but what do people think about emailing schools to request feedback, after a rejection? If it's done politely, surely they won't take offence, and the worst they'll do is just ignore the request.... right?

 

After a wave of official rejections and now several more "implied" ones, I'm reasonably certain that I haven't gotten in anywhere this year. So between now and the next cycle, I'll be trying to pinpoint the weaknesses in my applications - and it seems like feedback from schools, however brief, would be the most helpful way to do that. At the same time, I obviously don't want to alienate these people!

 

I haven't done it myself, but from what others have posted, it seems like most schools don't respond especially negatively. Some don't respond at all, but some others have given people really useful feedback.

 

How accurate do you guys think the posts here and those on the results page are? Do you think some anonymous people are blatantly lying to create an insidious and cruel joke? 

 

I think it's the Internet and some people will always take the opportunity to lie and mess with people online. But I feel like the great majority of people on here are probably being truthful.

[MedievalMadness]

i think in any group of more than 5 humans, at least 2 are going to be giant dongs. 1 is probably a nice person who's acting out and hurting others because of some internal trauma. 1 is a boring person. what's left over is honest. 

 

at least some people are putting up nonsense on the results board to freak others out. at least some programs don't want applicants to know exactly how they're deciding things, if only to maintain some recruiting edge because they're super competitive.

This gave me a good chuckle. I've been under so much stress that reading 'giant dongs' actually made me laugh. Thanks for that! (Also, I agree with the point made here.)

[ComeBackZinc]

I think it's the Internet and some people will always take the opportunity to lie and mess with people online. But I feel like the great majority of people on here are probably being truthful.

 

My thoughts as well. As more posts go up and people come on the board to corroborate, you can feel more and more confident that the results board is telling the truth.

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

Miami Ohio MA acceptance?

I hope they get ahold of me.

[Horb]

Congratulations!!!

 

 

Horb, congratulations!! So happy for you!

 

Thank you!

[NowMoreSerious]

I just got a phone call from Tufts University! First acceptance. Beyond excited.

 

Congrats! Great school and program.  I went to their visiting week last year so feel free to PM me if you have any questions.  

[WendyWonderland]

I just got a phone call from Tufts University! First acceptance. Beyond excited.

Congrats!!!

[Kamisha]

Am I crazy? I still have 10 schools to hear back from, but I have essentially decided that I’m going to reapply next year no matter what. Is that insane?