Welcome to the 2013-2014 Cycle

[Orlien]

I have never wanted a Monday to come this badly xD

[TheGnome]

This week we are expecting to hear from UCLA, Michigan, Chicago, and NYU right?

 

I also see Pitt, Iowa, and Notre Dame as possibilities based on the previous results. Last but not least, we will probably hear more of Illinois, TAMU, Penn State, and FSU

 

I think we are reasonably certain that Stanford, Rochester, and UCSD is not going to be this week, based on the posts of people who are privy to some insider info.

 

What am I missing?

[catchermiscount]

We have a rush date saved now, but I don't know how that maps into whether we have a list.  I'll do some snooping.

[steedyue]

This week we are expecting to hear from UCLA, Michigan, Chicago, and NYU right?

 

I also see Pitt, Iowa, and Notre Dame as possibilities based on the previous results. Last but not least, we will probably hear more of Illinois, TAMU, Penn State, and FSU

 

I think we are reasonably certain that Stanford, Rochester, and UCSD is not going to be this week, based on the posts of people who are privy to some insider info.

 

What am I missing?

MIT maybe? They might send out the offers in the middle of the week via postal service.

And seriously, i suppose we cannot fully rule out UCSD.

[timeless90]

man...

this wait is terrible. 

At least if I am told of the release date, I can mentally prepare....

But continuous speculation and yearly variations are adding far more anxiety to this process than necessary! 

[anxious2151]

If nothing pops up on the admissions board from UCLA tomorrow, we are all going to be so confused/crushed 

[veritaserum]

This week we are expecting to hear from UCLA, Michigan, Chicago, and NYU right?

 

I also see Pitt, Iowa, and Notre Dame as possibilities based on the previous results. Last but not least, we will probably hear more of Illinois, TAMU, Penn State, and FSU

 

I think we are reasonably certain that Stanford, Rochester, and UCSD is not going to be this week, based on the posts of people who are privy to some insider info.

 

What am I missing?

 

MIT maybe? They might send out the offers in the middle of the week via postal service.

And seriously, i suppose we cannot fully rule out UCSD.

Possibly Berkeley too, maybe? On Friday, perhaps?

 

On the note of MIT and postal service - would they only snail mail to applicants currently located in the States, or international as well? *scurries off to check past results* (I wonder if they ever worry about mail getting lost... Although hearkening back to the Materials Sciences (?) fiasco earlier this cycle, if anything, it's a lot harder to accidentally send out acceptances through post, if someone has to physically stuff letters into envelopes and all that.)

 

man...

this wait is terrible. 

At least if I am told of the release date, I can mentally prepare....

But continuous speculation and yearly variations are adding far more anxiety to this process than necessary! 

I know what you mean! For undergrad, because the date was set for April 1st, 5pm (more or less), there was at least the opportunity to mentally get ready one way or the other. But this...this is just constant suspense. Also quite worried that I'm going to get shut out this cycle. 

[Orlien]

I think the fact that the process is so drawn out makes it really rough. I'm sure you guys will be hearing good news soon

Edited February 3, 2014 by Orlien

[sylark]

man...

this wait is terrible. 

At least if I am told of the release date, I can mentally prepare....

But continuous speculation and yearly variations are adding far more anxiety to this process than necessary! 

 Unless you are me and still haven't received a notification even though the decision date was set to "by the end of January". Whereas most others seem to have been accepted or rejected already. AHHH! It makes you rather paranoid. Is it a good sign I am being considered in the second round of admissions, or am I forgotten/has the committee not had time to get back to me about my already decided rejection? So many thoughts and flighty conclusions; being prepared for any decision has only made me neurotic with no decision. The downfall of having expectations, when nothing in life is a guarantee (other than simple theoretical principles of mathematics/logic) for a variety of reasons! 

 

Gawd. This is cynicism at it's best/worst? Whichever. 

[IRToni]

Just got a phone call from an international number... Telemarketing!

[IRToni]

Thinking I didn't get the scholarship I applied to, and interviewed for last weekend. They said, they would send out email notifications first thing in the morning, and it's already 12pm. Too bad :-/

[aecp]

Thinking I didn't get the scholarship I applied to, and interviewed for last weekend. They said, they would send out email notifications first thing in the morning, and it's already 12pm. Too bad :-/

Don't lose hope!

[IRToni]

Don't lose hope!

 

Thanks! This admission season is definitely a lesson in patience for me... As you can see, I am not a patient person AT ALL!

[xuejia]

I know that we've had some discussion of rank vs. fit on the board, but has anyone given similar consideration to rank vs. money? Sure I'm jumping the gun somewhat, since I have but one choice. But it never hurts to prepare, and a number of you do have choices (congrats!).

 

The cost of living at some of the top-ranked coastal schools is 150% of the national average, while at some Midwestern schools it's just barely above the national average, and finally some southern schools boast a cost of living below the national average.

 

Assume two schools of equivalent fit, one is ranked a tier higher, the other throws you an additional five grand (after accounting for cost of living). Which do you choose? Taking future job prospects and salary into account, how much more must a lower ranked school offer before it became your sensible choice?

 

As for myself, I'm still unsure. I gather that the higher the ranking of the program I attend, ceteris paribus, the brighter my future prospects. However, my partner and I hope to start a family soon, so avoiding pauperdom in the near term is a must. (Surely this discussion would be easier if I actually had two monetary offers to compare...maybe someone else can throw numbers down?) Thoughts?

[TakeMyCoffeeBlack]

I know that we've had some discussion of rank vs. fit on the board, but has anyone given similar consideration to rank vs. money? Sure I'm jumping the gun somewhat, since I have but one choice. But it never hurts to prepare, and a number of you do have choices (congrats!).

 

The cost of living at some of the top-ranked coastal schools is 150% of the national average, while at some Midwestern schools it's just barely above the national average, and finally some southern schools boast a cost of living below the national average.

 

Assume two schools of equivalent fit, one is ranked a tier higher, the other throws you an additional five grand (after accounting for cost of living). Which do you choose? Taking future job prospects and salary into account, how much more must a lower ranked school offer before it became your sensible choice?

 

As for myself, I'm still unsure. I gather that the higher the ranking of the program I attend, ceteris paribus, the brighter my future prospects. However, my partner and I hope to start a family soon, so avoiding pauperdom in the near term is a must. (Surely this discussion would be easier if I actually had two monetary offers to compare...maybe someone else can throw numbers down?) Thoughts?

 

I'd say if the schools fall outside of the same tier, the better rank would probably win. Meaning, 28 on US News vs. 22 on US News will be a matter of fit and money (I know a lot will disagree with me). But 10 on US News vs 25 on US News is a bigger difference in rank. Keeping methodological training and job prospects in mind, it makes sense to take the lower funded offer.

 

Edit: my brain was/is broken. Blame the Superbowl...

Edited February 3, 2014 by TakeMyCoffeeBlack

[rchlm_618]

Now that I have evidence that people are actually looking at my applications and seriously considering them, I'm going a little bit crazy--it was easier assuming my file wasn't under review yet. So forgive me if I'm glued to TGC this week. Here's my two cents on the following questions (though, I suppose, the post is a day old).

 

Out of interest, and to kill the wait, I'd like to put a few questions out.

- How important is a school's location for you? Of course, it makes a huge difference whether you move to LA or to Ithaca, but what role does this play for your decisions?

- How many of aspiring political scientists have a background in another discipline? Any sociologists, anthropologists, economists, physicists, philosophers, statisticians, mathematicians, econometricians among you?

- Any Americans who applied outside the US, and who would like to take up a job abroad at some point?

(I'm aware some of these questions have been addressed elsewhere, but this forum is too quiet for the regularity I check for news.)

 

Location means approximately nothing to me at this point. I'm kind of a wandering soul, so I want to live in as many different places as possible to truly experience all that's available to me. That might be what's so appealing about becoming an academic. That said, I mostly applied to programs in urban centers (NYC, Boston, St. Louis, DC, etc.) because, after having been a rural gal for 18 years and living in the city for 4, I've learned to love the city life. 

 

My background is political science and gender studies, so there's not a ton of disparity between what I studied and what I intend to study. In fact, my interests in political science sort of marry the two disciplines, in some regards. 

 

I lived abroad for a semester a couple of years back and loved it, so I wouldn't be adverse to moving abroad to teach some day, though I'm an Americanist so I'm not sure how many foreign opportunities there would be. I only applied to American schools, though I considered LSE. 

 

 

As we begin this week, godspeed. We'll make it through somehow. 

[IRToni]

Congrats to WashU. Anyone willing to claim?

[veritaserum]

Thinking I didn't get the scholarship I applied to, and interviewed for last weekend. They said, they would send out email notifications first thing in the morning, and it's already 12pm. Too bad :-/

It's not over 'til it's over. They could just be a bit delayed in sending out notifications, hang in there!

[boazczoine]

Looking at the results pages, UPenn also seems likely this week.

[strangepeace]

I wish the results page had more specific time stamps.. It's only 7am on the west coast so I will be on pins and needles all day waiting to see if UCLA releases it's results.

[IRToni]

I wish the results page had more specific time stamps.. It's only 7am on the west coast so I will be on pins and needles all day waiting to see if UCLA releases it's results.

 

If you're willing to go the extra mile, you could check last year's threat for time stamps... Not that I ever did this... ;-)

[mv0027]

I feel like a significant amount of this forum's credibility is riding on whether UCLA releases today...

[strangepeace]

If you're willing to go the extra mile, you could check last year's threat for time stamps... Not that I ever did this... ;-)

....I don't know why that didn't occur to me before. Thanks for killing my productivity for the next 30mins or so IRToni

[anxious2151]

I wish the results page had more specific time stamps.. It's only 7am on the west coast so I will be on pins and needles all day waiting to see if UCLA releases it's results.

 

They did it around 5pm-ish EST last year

[IR IR IR PhD]

Looking at the results pages, UPenn also seems likely this week.

 

God I hope so! But, I can tell you living in the vicinity, we've been absolutely destroyed by the snowpocalypse this year - another 6+ inches today alone. I wouldn't be surprised if they are behind the historical schedule.