Fall 2014 applicants??

[toasterazzi]

Can you imagine asking the same profs for 28 recs? My god. They'd kill me. 

 

Yeah I've seen where people applied to like 20 schools, and I've always wondered if they used the same profs for all the recs. Like I felt bad enough for hassling my profs about 6 apps, nevermind three or four times that amount.

[Jocko]

Kamisha, I  just read your post. If you were really desperate (like me), you would ask friends and relatives to call and ask general questions. (I figure the different voices will throw them off). True, you don't get specific results, but you get the bonus of asking your sister 15 thousand questions about the conversation. (But how did she sound when she said no acceptances had gone out? Do you think she was lying?). It is that bad. I should be shot.

[Kamisha]

Kamisha, I  just read your post. If you were really desperate (like me), you would ask friends and relatives to call and ask general questions. (I figure the different voices will throw them off). True, you don't get specific results, but you get the bonus of asking your sister 15 thousand questions about the conversation. (But how did she sound when she said no acceptances had gone out? Do you think she was lying?). It is that bad. I should be shot.

 

Haha I don’t think I’m smooth enough to pull that off. At this point, 6 of my schools are reporting and I’m assuming rejection from all of them. As much as I hate waiting, I’m kind of hoping to just hear back something positive before they all start to notify me of my rejection. 

[Horb]

Having not heard back yet form UVA, idk how to feel....good, bad? do they normally do rejections all at once? Gah!

[semicolon2013]

I'm wondering about UVa as well. It's maddening! I don't want to get my hopes up.

[Horb]

Yeah that is pretty much it. I'm convinced no one wants me, so waiting is terrible.

[andromache]

First official rejection, from Northwestern. Ugh. This feels AWFUL.

[despejado]

I see that Northwestern is sending out rejections now... Should be getting mine soon, I assume.

[Megeen]

So, Northwestern has finally started sending out rejections. Right now, I'm wondering how masochistic I am for constantly refreshing my email just for that...

[despejado]

So, Northwestern has finally started sending out rejections. Right now, I'm wondering how masochistic I am for constantly refreshing my email just for that...

 

Hahaha I'm doing the same thing. Megeen, we applied to a lot of the same schools!

Edited February 5, 2014 by despejado

[Megeen]

First official rejection, from Northwestern. Ugh. This feels AWFUL.

 

Hugs! I'm probably in the same boat soon.

[despejado]

Yeah... went back and checked last year. NW doesn't seem to waitlist... ugh.

[Megeen]

Well, there we go... Subject line starts "with regrets"...

[andromache]

Well, there we go... Subject line starts "with regrets"...

 

At least it was a kind form email....

[despejado]

Still refreshing like a madman for mine.

[Megeen]

The next one I'm waiting for is Vanderbilt, but they seem to be using a different acceptance/rejection strategy this year...

[Kamisha]

It seems like Vanderbilt’s MO is to inform all accepted and wait listed candidates and then wait about three or four days before sending out their rejections. We should all be hearing before the end of the week, I’d guess. Berkeley is the same way. 

[despejado]

Well, hopefully today's news is about run out. Had two rejections today and am not keen on hearing of a third haha

[andromache]

I'm just thinking I made a mistake applying to so many prestigious programs, considering my background from a low-tier public university.

 

My GRE scores are good, GPA is good, and I was proud of my writing sample--but I feel like that means nothing coming from Nowhere University with no conferences or publications.

 

I'm just getting disheartened already, and terrified of working in retail/customer service for the rest of my life (which is what I'm doing now, and I don't think I can take another year of this.)

 

/whining

[Megeen]

It seems like Vanderbilt’s MO is to inform all accepted and wait listed candidates and then wait about three or four days before sending out their rejections. We should all be hearing before the end of the week, I’d guess. Berkeley is the same way. 

 

Well, last year they rejected most people on Feb 1, send out acceptances on the 3-4th, and waitlists on the 6th. The few ones that seem to have come later probably forgot to fill in the notification dates. Still, they seem to have a different MO this year, so you're probably right.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Megeen

[jazzyd]

It seems like Vanderbilt’s MO is to inform all accepted and wait listed candidates and then wait about three or four days before sending out their rejections. We should all be hearing before the end of the week, I’d guess. Berkeley is the same way. 

 

Fwiw, Berkeley didn't send out rejections until mid-March last year. Though, that doesn't necessarily have any bearing on what they do this year.

 

Keeping my fingers crossed that this week ends on a good note for everyone. Fridays seem lucky in my mind...

Edited February 5, 2014 by jazzy dubois

[grubyczarnykot]

I'm just thinking I made a mistake applying to so many prestigious programs, considering my background from a low-tier public university.

 

My GRE scores are good, GPA is good, and I was proud of my writing sample--but I feel like that means nothing coming from Nowhere University with no conferences or publications.

 

I'm just getting disheartened already, and terrified of working in retail/customer service for the rest of my life (which is what I'm doing now, and I don't think I can take another year of this.)

 

/whining

I feel exactly the same. I have an almost perfect GPA, have studied abroad twice (once on a scholarship award), my GRE verbal is 96th percentile, and I have won just about every award that one can win at my university. But my university is one that no one cares about. Oops. 

[rhetoricus aesalon]

I feel exactly the same. I have an almost perfect GPA, have studied abroad twice (once on a scholarship award), my GRE verbal is 96th percentile, and I have won just about every award that one can win at my university. But my university is one that no one cares about. Oops. 

 

In my experience, this doesn't really matter. While these things may be important for breaking ties between great potential students and meeting graduate school requirements set by the university itself, what admissions committees are really looking at is your statement of purpose, writing sample, and letters of recommendation. (Of course, we can never really know this, but I just mean you shouldn't give up hope yet ... especially since IT'S STILL SO EARLY!!)

[Horb]

I'm hitting this point with UVA where I'm like, just reject me because hoping for your awesomeness is just too much because I know you'll reject me and I'll be so sad. I know it is silly, because they just started notifying today, but still...

[Strong Flat White]

For me that number is so obviously less than 28 because as a grad student that would bankrupt me. Even 14 was a struggle. 

I appreciate it, but it sounds as if the issue becomes less about fit, then? And more about what's financially feasible in a single application cycle? I guess I am just not the regular sort of applicant, but my ability to pay for application fees has nothing to do with fitting into a department, or thinking or wishiing or hoping or applying to fit into a department.