Daisy123 Posted April 16, 2014 Posted April 16, 2014 i just wanted to start this post for those of us who have been rejected from everywhere but will try again next year. What were your experiences, what did you learn , what will you do differently?
colalalala Posted April 16, 2014 Posted April 16, 2014 well I am definitely going to contact POIs as early as possible, rewrite my SOP to make it more detailed and personal, maybe get a editor to oversee it for me, apply to more MA programs, work as a RA in my old lab to get some publication...etc btw, can I PM u to ask about how u ask for feedback?
Daisy123 Posted April 16, 2014 Author Posted April 16, 2014 well I am definitely going to contact POIs as early as possible, rewrite my SOP to make it more detailed and personal, maybe get a editor to oversee it for me, apply to more MA programs, work as a RA in my old lab to get some publication...etc btw, can I PM u to ask about how u ask for feedback? of course, go ahead and PM me
NerwenAldarion Posted April 16, 2014 Posted April 16, 2014 Guys, have faith. Last year I was rejected across the board and it killed me. I did a few things differently such as contacting POI's in August, visiting the campuses and rewriting me SOP, it'll get better.
AKCarlton Posted April 17, 2014 Posted April 17, 2014 well I am definitely going to contact POIs as early as possible, rewrite my SOP to make it more detailed and personal, maybe get a editor to oversee it for me, apply to more MA programs, work as a RA in my old lab to get some publication...etc btw, can I PM u to ask about how u ask for feedback? I'd be more than willing to help you and anybody else edit their SOP...even though I'm no longer in journalism, I still absolutely love to edit my friends' papers...shoot me a PM whenever!
Daisy123 Posted April 18, 2014 Author Posted April 18, 2014 I'd be more than willing to help you and anybody else edit their SOP...even though I'm no longer in journalism, I still absolutely love to edit my friends' papers...shoot me a PM whenever! Thank you so much for the offer, i will be sure to do that.
NerwenAldarion Posted April 18, 2014 Posted April 18, 2014 I'm not an english major but I'm happy to look anything over and offer advice or just moral support, been there too. It gets better
colalalala Posted April 18, 2014 Posted April 18, 2014 I'd be more than willing to help you and anybody else edit their SOP...even though I'm no longer in journalism, I still absolutely love to edit my friends' papers...shoot me a PM whenever! Thank you so much! I would love that! I definitely need as much help as I can get.
AKCarlton Posted April 18, 2014 Posted April 18, 2014 Thank you so much for the offer, i will be sure to do that. Colalalala Thank you so much! I would love that! I definitely need as much help as I can get. Most welcome. I look forward to it!
hipposhippos Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 I, too, had a pretty devastating rejection sweep 2 years ago. In the end, it was all for the best. I wasn't ready to begin a PhD program. Take the time to delve deeper into your interests and be sure to familiarize yourself with the questions that are actively being asked within that topic. Knowing the literature and how you plan to contribute makes a huge difference, especially if you are already well-qualified in the GRE and GPA departments. Apply to NSF--It not only shows that you're serious, but it's a great exercise in putting together a real research proposal. Better yet, it's due in November, so you'll have a great proposal written far before your first PhD app. aaannnthroling and smg 2
Daisy123 Posted February 12, 2015 Author Posted February 12, 2015 hey i just saw this ! Thank you for all of your comments, new and old. Following these tips, i got my first acceptance yesterday! daykid, grad_wannabe, NOWAYNOHOW and 5 others 8
have2thinkboutit Posted February 13, 2015 Posted February 13, 2015 Daisy!!!! That's great news! I read your other thread and really felt for you (and anyone else in that situation) - to hear that you now got an acceptance is brilliant! CONGRATS!
annwyn Posted February 14, 2015 Posted February 14, 2015 Daisy, I'm SO excited for you! High five from another second year applicant! sweetpearl16 1
Daisy123 Posted February 14, 2015 Author Posted February 14, 2015 thank you all so much! I am so exited at the thought that we will be colleges even from other schools!
AKCarlton Posted February 16, 2015 Posted February 16, 2015 hey i just saw this ! Thank you for all of your comments, new and old. Following these tips, i got my first acceptance yesterday! Congrats Daisy!
nexus8793 Posted February 19, 2015 Posted February 19, 2015 I know the OP from one of the interviews, but I didn't realize we were in the same boat! Congrats again. Anyway, I was rejected/never received any response from 3 schools last year. I had a MA already but had dropped out of a PhD program with some baggage, and I originally thought that this baggage may have carried over. Turned out to be mostly funding issues at the schools and other surrounding issues that no one had made me aware of. I applied again this year and was accepted at all 5 schools I applied with funding everywhere, so there is certainly hope. Now I'm faced with the opposite dilemma of last year...too many choices! Which it turns out is actually really stressful in itself haha
WrinkleInTime Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Considering applying next year - I think I really botched my options this round. Only one school was a really good fit for my interests, so I sort of screwed myself for when I didn't get in. I'm also in a mild panic - I'm about to finish undergrad, so I'm going to lose my rec letter options (or at least 1-2 of them) and the potential for building lab experience in my current setting. I don't know where to go from here. Would love some input on programs that are strong in the Bio Anth realm; I'm interested in combining osteology and genetics, and I want to apply smarter next year.
museum_geek Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 I'm about to finish undergrad, so I'm going to lose my rec letter options (or at least 1-2 of them) I don't think you are necessarily losing options for LoR's. I finished my undergrad in 2013 and moved across the country but I was still able to get some great letters from former professors in my old department. If you made strong connections with faculty then there is no reason to think that they would not be willing to write you a letter next cycle. I communicated solely through email with two out of three of my letter writers - neither of whom I had spoken with in person since summer 2013 - and both wrote strong recs that helped me get some good offers. WrinkleInTime 1
smg Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 I don't think you are necessarily losing options for LoR's. I finished my undergrad in 2013 and moved across the country but I was still able to get some great letters from former professors in my old department. If you made strong connections with faculty then there is no reason to think that they would not be willing to write you a letter next cycle. I communicated solely through email with two out of three of my letter writers - neither of whom I had spoken with in person since summer 2013 - and both wrote strong recs that helped me get some good offers. MG is right on. You don't lose LOR after a year or two of being away from school. The last class I took from one of my LoRs was in 2005. My other two where from post-undergrad research. WrinkleInTime 1
WrinkleInTime Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Thanks museum_geek and smg -- super reassuring on both counts! I'm perusing the research assistant options at the moment, so that will certainly help if I can get something nailed down! I wasn't expecting to go through this twice, but frankly, it's going to be a very good thing. I have a track record of making questionable application decisions (that have all worked out, thankfully), so I'm sort of excited to give this another go!
smg Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Thanks museum_geek and smg -- super reassuring on both counts! I'm perusing the research assistant options at the moment, so that will certainly help if I can get something nailed down! I wasn't expecting to go through this twice, but frankly, it's going to be a very good thing. I have a track record of making questionable application decisions (that have all worked out, thankfully), so I'm sort of excited to give this another go! This is my second attempt since dropping out so I've applied to graduate programs three times now. I think it's really normal right now to apply more than once to get into a good program. If you want I can check out your SOP for round 2 and make some suggestions.
WrinkleInTime Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 This is my second attempt since dropping out so I've applied to graduate programs three times now. I think it's really normal right now to apply more than once to get into a good program. If you want I can check out your SOP for round 2 and make some suggestions. I might take you up on that. Right now, I'm working on finding programs that I'd fit better 3 rounds is impressive. That is persistence and tenacity at its finest.
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