Waitlist Agony - 2014 Edition

[dh790]

So, I think I've been rejected by Stanford (my dream school) because I've seen quite a few people from my major saying they've been accepted. No rejections so far. I know I should I keep a positive mindset but I guess this is me preparing for what's to come...lol. Either way I'll say I don't regret applying. Officially, I have two admits and zero rejections so far.....albeit no funding as yet. Hoping for something good to come soon.

[smpalesh]

I got an email today notifying me I am on the waitlist for Laurier.  Still waiting on my other choice (website says people will be notified by mid-March).  I am slightly excited because I know of 6 people in my program I'm in right now that got outright rejected.  So it does give me a bit of a sense of accomplishment.  But I am also wondering whether there is even a chance that I will get off the waitlist.  So I guess I am tentatively optimistic but we shall see!

[LexHex]

I got accepted in Virginia Tech's English MA program but waitlisted for funds. As this pans out, I'm crossing my fingers that someone found a better deal somewhere else.

[ihatepencils]

I got my fourth waitlist. I am a waitlist magnet! 

[FCP]

wait-listed at my top choice. It's been about a month and no movement. 

[fasboo]

I got wait listed at stanford and they said 'there is some likelihood' they can offer place with funding and told to wait unt il around April 15th. But no ranking provided. Someone told me they about 3-5 max on waitlist.

I wonder if others get some thing that says 'strong likelihood' and I'm the some likelihood dude:(

[novacancy]

Hello out there, has anyone heard back from any of their waitlist programs yet?

[MPAallday]

Hey guys! Just wanted to give y'all some advice: be proactive on the waitlist! Consider sending letters of support and regularly contacting your POC (assuming you aren't pestering them). Requesting interviews might also be a good idea (it couldn't really hurt).

 

I've been waitlisted at two schools so far: UT Austin and Virginia. This is a good article on the subject for all those who are interested: http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/graduate-school-road-map/2013/02/22/how-to-handle-being-wait-listed-for-graduate-school

[RunnerGrad]

Hey guys! Just wanted to give y'all some advice: be proactive on the waitlist! Consider sending letters of support and regularly contacting your POC (assuming you aren't pestering them). Requesting interviews might also be a good idea (it couldn't really hurt).

 

I've been waitlisted at two schools so far: UT Austin and Virginia. This is a good article on the subject for all those who are interested: http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/graduate-school-road-map/2013/02/22/how-to-handle-being-wait-listed-for-graduate-school

 

Interesting.  The one program that waitlisted me specified in their email that they could not provide us any information about our position on the waitlist or potential waitlist movement, and that we should not send any additional materials as they would not be looking at them, etc.  So I think it really depends on the university and the program.

 

I was waitlisted by my #2 choice, but then received admission from my #1 choice the next day, so I was able to email my #2 choice back and tell them that they could remove me from the waitlist.

[doobiebrothers]

waitlisted at harvard in religion; felt like it was the end of the world and a sure rejection, but I've been in contact w/ my POI today and she seemed super hopeful and nice and encouraging. Not sure if it will work out this year, but I will do my best to get a few extra rec letters in, write a letter of renewed interest, and cross all my T's. Worst comes to worst, inshallah next year!

Edited March 10, 2014 by doobiebrothers

[PsychGradHopeful14]

Hey guys! Just wanted to give y'all some advice: be proactive on the waitlist! Consider sending letters of support and regularly contacting your POC (assuming you aren't pestering them). Requesting interviews might also be a good idea (it couldn't really hurt).

 

I've been waitlisted at two schools so far: UT Austin and Virginia. This is a good article on the subject for all those who are interested: http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/graduate-school-road-map/2013/02/22/how-to-handle-being-wait-listed-for-graduate-school

I'm not sure this should be considered a safe strategy for all graduate programs indiscriminately, unless the condition of being wait listed mentioned in the blog really IS the case at that individual program (which for any I have applied to, it is not).  In many instances, things like that CAN actually hurt.  Proceed with caution.

[MPAallday]

I'm not sure this should be considered a safe strategy for all graduate programs indiscriminately, unless the condition of being wait listed mentioned in the blog really IS the case at that individual program (which for any I have applied to, it is not).  In many instances, things like that CAN actually hurt.  Proceed with caution.

Definitely. It's important to know your program. If they gave specific instructions that discouraged contacting them at all, it's obvious you should take heed to that. But some programs are less strict, and for those I'd recommend considering some of the article's advice.

[blahblahgenericname]

Help! I need advice/encouragement. 

 

I've been wait listed to x university (top 10 school for chemistry) for a chemistry Ph.D. program. It looks like a few bloggers on here have gotten into the program off of the wait list recently (March 4th. Sadly, I have not been accepted but I am encouraged that people are coming off of the wait list recently.

 

Fortunately/not-so-fortunately, I'm going to a big conference this weekend, where a PI that I am super interested in, is presenting a poster in the same session as me. This PI is very popular in the field and does cutting edge work.

 

I figure, that maybe if I stop by her poster to hear the research being carried out in her lab, maybe/potentially she will ask who I am and what year I am in in my undergrad. Then, I can mention I'm a senior and I'm applying to graduate schools, and oh hey, I've been wait listed by your program. Further, I could kindly invite her to stop by either of my posters, if she has a couple minutes to spare, then have a great day and what-not. The two posters are on separate days. She's in the same poster session as me because I have two posters and my other one is in the undergrad session already.

 

What do you think everyone? Bad idea, good idea, doesn't matte/won't matter. By the way, she probably isn't on the admission committee anyways, because she's a badas* who's time is probably better spent doing research stuff. 

[PsychGradHopeful14]

^ It could not hurt, but I would be careful about mentioning you are wait listed so as not to put her on the spot.  Just tell her you applied to work with her and are extremely interested in seeing her recent findings, check out the poster, and mention you are presenting as well.... if the conversation goes well who knows, she may dig up your application to take a closer look.

 

However, wait lists in PhD programs often are due to limited spots and once you are on, it is completely contingent on whether or not someone else takes the offer, so it is likely that it is completely out of her hands and probably out of the admissions committee's hands too so avoid anything that comes off as petitioning/campaigning for admission.  Really, any mention of your application should be brief.  Also, it sounds like she has never met you.  Were you wait listed after interviewing?  Does that program have interviews?  If the program has interviews and you were not invited you may be way back there, and being a top 10 would make it virtually impossible for them to get to you on that wait list

Edited March 11, 2014 by PsychGradHopeful14

[KomalG]

This thread has been incredibly helpful. I have also been wait-listed to my top program (UT Austin -- Philosophy), and am now debating whether or not to contact my POI (for the second time; the first time was before application) and the Graduate Program Coordinator who sent me the email. The email was quite friendly and I've already replied saying I am still interested in the program (this happened on February 24th and 25th).

 

At the moment I am inclined to send the emails, since there is no prohibition on asking for more information and the uncertainty is becoming too painful for me. I'm going to start crafting the emails now...

[Nautiloid]

Ugh. Not even work can keep my mind off this special kind of purgatory. March is quickly becoming my least favorite month. 

[literaryhopeful]

I feel like I am going insane!! I am restless and not focused on work AT ALL! Please end the agony!!! Come on emails!!!

[blahblahgenericname]

PsychGradHopeful14, thanks for the constructive response! Yeah, I was just going to make a quick blurb if she were to ask me anything about it. I really like the idea about mentioning that I applied to work with her and was very interested in seeing the lab's recent findings, because it shouldn't put her on the spot. I definitely want to avoid the possibility of leaving a negative interaction with her, because I could still apply to work for her as a postdoc fellow after graduate school. Most graduate schools in chemistry, do not conduct interviews. I have some friends in psychology that are applying to graduate schools and it seems that interviews are more common place in the subdisciplines of psychology. I did have to interview for one school. Decisions in chemistry are usually based on letters, research experience, personal statements and grades, with some GRE stuff floating around. Then the committee members get the information and will assign a couple of reviewers to each student's file. Then provide a recommendation to the committee regarding a student's application. After an acceptance/rejection is given, the accepted students visit the school on the university's funds to see if it's a good fit. Essentially, it's a competition against the other schools that have accepted you. After an offer of admission is given, it cannot be rescinded unless there some sort of deception happening, i.e.lying. 

[mswaney]

Is anyone on a waitlist for UPenn? I hadn't heard anything from them, so I emailed the department last week to find out my status. I was told I was waitlisted. (They also apologized, as they thought I had been contacted...nope.) I haven't really seen much activity on the results page for my program (NELC), so I have no clue when they may have sent out their acceptances & rejections. Any info would be much appreciated!

 

Also, yes, being on a waitlist is agony! I've been accepted at another program, which I am incredibly grateful for, but they are sort of pressuring me for a response, and I don't want to keep them waiting too long. How do you know when to just give up? 

[lasercats11]

I have only been on a waitlist for two days and it is driving me absolutely crazy. I can't seem to focus on anything and am distracted by everything! Not super conducive to working on my thesis so that I will actually be ready to go to grad school in the fall.

 

On the plus side, I know what position I am on the waitlist as they were nice enough to let us know, which I really appreciate. At least I think it's a plus side, as it hasn't really stopped me from stressing. I just need one person to decline their offer - ONE person!!

 

I do have another acceptance to a school I really like as well, so it's not all bad. However, I do feel kind of guilty just waiting in this limbo as I am sure they have a waitlist as well and there is someone else just waiting for me to accept or decline. And I can't!

[when]

I have only been on a waitlist for two days and it is driving me absolutely crazy. I can't seem to focus on anything and am distracted by everything! Not super conducive to working on my thesis so that I will actually be ready to go to grad school in the fall.

 

On the plus side, I know what position I am on the waitlist as they were nice enough to let us know, which I really appreciate. At least I think it's a plus side, as it hasn't really stopped me from stressing. I just need one person to decline their offer - ONE person!!

 

I do have another acceptance to a school I really like as well, so it's not all bad. However, I do feel kind of guilty just waiting in this limbo as I am sure they have a waitlist as well and there is someone else just waiting for me to accept or decline. And I can't!

That's an interesting situation that intrigues me. Is there going to be some sort of scramble on the April 15th when most decisions are due? Or, even worse, a potential stalemate i.e. if someone is holding their breath for a place at their dream school, at which school someone else already has an offer but is holding their breath for THEIR dream school, at which school there is someone else with an offer who's holding out for THEIR dream school, and so on and so on, surely there could be a scenario where come the 15th they just all accept the offers they already have because no one wants to make a move, never knowing how they're narrowly missing out on getting their top choice.

[psychpei]

I have a couple of waitlist questions. This is my first year applying to grad schools. A couple of days ago I received an application status of low alternative from one of my programs.The program director said there were 49 completed applications and only 9 spots open. Do I even have a chance? I would feel better about this if I was a high alternative.

 

My other question is that I have not heard back from a program that had an application deadline of early December. When I check my status online it says: submitted. However, the school recently sent me an email about university housing saying: We look forward to assisting you in the transition to your new home here at X University. Does this mean anything? Could I be waitlisted?

 

Other than these 2 schools, I am still waiting to hear back from one other which stated that a decision would be made mid to late March. I am basically driving myself crazy obsessing over all of the possibilities. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

[GradApplicant201420]

Waitlisted at two programs...one of which I REALLY like. 

[ihatepencils]

Waitlisted at 5 programs...5 of which I like...hahaha

[DeafAudi]

Sigh. Being wait listed with no acceptance offers yet is my own personal hell...