Why is this so tense?

[vccanada]

yeah i agree. before apply i checked my email, once maybe twice a day. now its probably more like 50 times a day. at this point i have one school i am considering going to, and still haven't heard back. am starting to get really worried. and it doesn't help that i got an email about applying for graduate housing 'just in case' i end up getting in. of all the cruel things. just tell me already and be done with it, don't string me along with false hope and excitement of moving to the city.

I got the same type of email from University of Toronto. Nearly had a heart attack when I saw the e-mail in my inbox until I realized it meant nothing. The waiting continues...

[JungWild&Free]

Actually : it's not even guaranteed whether professors will even read your email before you apply. They're overwhelmed with emails generally so unless you built a Death Star yourself or he/she knows you personally, there's really not much you can do. Except maybe cross your fingers but that doesn't generally help. It never worked for me.

 

In my field it is crucial to email because some POIs are not taking students so you would basically be wasting your time and money.  11 out of 13 professors responded to my emails and I did not build a Death Star.  This is not the case for all fields but people should definitely determine if it is the case in theirs.

[MikKar]

In my field it is crucial to email because some POIs are not taking students so you would basically be wasting your time and money.  11 out of 13 professors responded to my emails and I did not build a Death Star.  This is not the case for all fields but people should definitely determine if it is the case in theirs.

 

Fair enough, it is indeed field-dependent. In my field it doesn't look like it is highly critical but the few I tried to reach by email never answered me back. The others I thought about contacting clearly stated in their personal web pages that they receive millions of emails and as such : their standard policy was to not answer them, so... That's that.

 

Back on topic though : yes the waiting process is tense but then again, if you weren't tense then it would mean you don't really care, which is generally not true. It's part of the game, one where we are not in control of things

[child of 2]

It looks like UC Davis is sending out some rejection letters today. HOLD MY HAND!!!!! PLLLLEAAASE GOD! DON DO IT!!

[child of 2]

Basically the absence of knowledge and inability to control the proceedings leads to anxiety. When I had applied for graduate study last fall, I was a nervous wreck the whole time, especially around February. And then I would receive the "We regret to inform you" email the one day I somehow forgot to check my email. Those days I wanted to smash the university to pieces and set off nukes, though I also realized my application needed more time to mature it's probably what killed me.

 

 

Actually : it's not even guaranteed whether professors will even read your email before you apply. They're overwhelmed with emails generally so unless you built a Death Star yourself or he/she knows you personally, there's really not much you can do. Except maybe cross your fingers but that doesn't generally help. It never worked for me.

 

Death Star you say? say I think I just might do that. Blow up some planets while I'm at it.. I mean shit, I need a hobby.

[sansao]

Congratulations, Sansao! Enjoy the release of emotional pressure...

Thanks. To top it off, I got my fourth acceptance when I checked my status today. Talk about late surprises. I feel like I won the lottery today... Two admits in a row. Choosing in less than two weeks is apparently my new source of stress. It's a much kinder stress.

It looks like UC Davis is sending out some rejection letters today. HOLD MY HAND!!!!! PLLLLEAAASE GOD! DON DO IT!!

I hope you made out ok.