Fall 2015 Applicant Thread

[Dedi]

I know it is way early to start thinking about this, but does anyone have a plan to gift their recommenders after all the process is over? I'm thinking of a hand-written card with a small gift.

I'm thinking of an incentive system--the more letters my recommenders send in, the more expensive the gift. I'd start with a ~10 dollar gift + a card for the first letter and add 5 dollars for each additional letter.

 

I keep having dreams of my interviews. Right now, they are neutral dreams--last night I dreamed that I was trying to put a lab coat back into the POI's lab during the interviews, but I forgot my access card. So I had to use the doorbell. Then the POI's grad students came out and it was a lovely reunion. That's all I remember.

[MonnyBon]

I feel like a dope for asking, but how do I add that list of "Applied, Accepted, Rejected, Attending" to my posts?

[Rose Tyler]

Go to your settings and then from the items on the left click "Signature."

[FinallyAccepted]

I feel like a dope for asking, but how do I add that list of "Applied, Accepted, Rejected, Attending" to my posts?

My Profile. Edit Profile. Edit Signature.

Or something real close to that.

[MonnyBon]

Thanks shana.teacher and Rose Tyler!

[Tolman's Rat]

Yes!! I've been a fan of David Poeppel for years, I'm really excited

Perhaps you received the same message, but I finally heard back from Prof. Poeppel today. He was very apologetic about having not responded sooner, but said that the last few months have been hectic with negotiations on a new position at the new Max Planck Institute in Frankfurt. So he's not taking new students this year or for the foreseeable future at NYU. 

[Owlet]

Got another one of those annoying Happy Holidays emails, this time from NYU.

 

You want to give me a happy holidays? Well, then give me an interview invite!

 

Just wondering, when does the holiday break end in the US? Are the dates the same for each state?

 

 

 

I know it is way early to start thinking about this, but does anyone have a plan to gift their recommenders after all the process is over? I'm thinking of a hand-written card with a small gift.

 

I sent one of my recommenders a thank-you email attached with some Matlab codes I wrote that I thought would be handy for his lab (he seemed glad to have received it). 

[CleverUsername15]

Just wondering, when does the holiday break end in the US? Are the dates the same for each state?

 

 

 

 

I sent one of my recommenders a thank-you email attached with some Matlab codes I wrote that I thought would be handy for his lab (he seemed glad to have received it). 

It's differs from school to school, not state to state.

[Rose Tyler]

Just wondering, when does the holiday break end in the US? Are the dates the same for each state?

 

Classes for me start back up on January 12th, but as said it varies from school to school.

[isilya]

Perhaps you received the same message, but I finally heard back from Prof. Poeppel today. He was very apologetic about having not responded sooner, but said that the last few months have been hectic with negotiations on a new position at the new Max Planck Institute in Frankfurt. So he's not taking new students this year or for the foreseeable future at NYU.

I actually ended up not mentioning him in my statement - I mentioned 2 POIs who are more related in their research to things I've done in the past. Sad to hear he's moving though!

[constant_wanderer]

0daughterbeloved: I guess I cope by keeping busy with other things. I have a fairly stressful part-time job in a mental health setting, a bunch of volunteering gigs, and some semblance of a social life that keeps me distracted from dwelling on the anxieties of the waiting game too much... avoidant coping? Although I am also a compulsive email-checker, for sure.

On the topic of sending thank-you notes to my references: I only sent them the Christmas cards this season, but will be sure to follow up with a card and maybe some neutral gift like a potted plant in April, once I know if/where I'll be accepted to. I'm not too sure: would sending chocolate or alcohol be not an appropriate gesture in an academic setting, especially if the receptients are of a different gender?

[psych face]

Just wondering, when does the holiday break end in the US? Are the dates the same for each state?. 

 

Our break here ends on January 12 (when school starts back up). Someone else commented that it isn't the same across a state, but my state does shift holidays as a state. For example, this year the date was moved up over a week, and this was statewide. The reason my state does that is to keep colleges and K-12 in step, for parents who are also in college. This means that when college dates are shifted, K-12 dates are shifted, and vice versa. This is pretty smart planning, in my opinion.

[Samuca]

Hi,

 

Thanks to all of you writing here and good luck to all!  I have applied to 10 different schools in psychology.  I have a question.  My GRE general test was taken in the fall of 2009.  I have already sent out all my applications.  I know that schools want the scores to be within five years, and I naively assumed that applying five autumns later would be within reason.  However, I just received a letter from one department saying that the scores were not valid because they technically expired exactly five years after I took the test (October 2014).  I am now wondering if all of my applications are invalid bc of expired scores!  I did not expect them to take these expiration periods so literally!  Any and all comments are welcome....thanks everyone...

[Applemiu]

 I am now wondering if all of my applications are invalid bc of expired scores!  

 

There is no way to know that... you need to contact the schools. If they haven't told you anything though, maybe they consider them valid. I would not assume that the schools consider the scores not valid. 

[aidalb]

Hey everyone, I have a few questions which I was wondering if anyone could try and clear up for me?

 

1. Does everyone have a phone interview before proceeding to official interviews? Or, is this only used to kind of clear up information from the statement of purposes? Should you be worried if you haven't had one?

 

2. Do departments tend to send out invitations on mass at the same time or day? Or do individual POIs send out invites whenever they are ready? I guess there would be a deadline but before the deadline can they come in dribs and drabs?

 

Thanks everyone!

[FinallyAccepted]

1. Does everyone have a phone interview before proceeding to official interviews? Or, is this only used to kind of clear up information from the statement of purposes? Should you be worried if you haven't had one?

Depends on the school or department. Some schools have a phone interview before inviting you to an interview weekend. Some just invite you to the interview weekend or have a phone interview. One or the other. And I've heard of some that don't interview, although I think that's definitely the exception rather than the rule.

So don't be nervous.

2. Do departments tend to send out invitations on mass at the same time or day? Or do individual POIs send out invites whenever they are ready? I guess there would be a deadline but before the deadline can they come in dribs and drabs?

Thanks everyone!

Again it depends on the school. Some schools send out invitations department-wide, and in some schools, POIs may be the ones to send out individual invites. Edited December 30, 2014 by shana.teacher

[aidalb]

Depends on the school or department. Some schools have a phone interview before inviting you to an interview weekend. Some just invite you to the interview weekend or have a phone interview. One or the other. And I've heard of some that don't interview, although I think that's definitely the exception rather than the rule.

So don't be nervous.

Again it depends on the school. Some schools send out invitations department-wide, and in some schools, POIs may be the ones to send out individual invites.

Brilliant, thanks so much for your help! Its so nerve wracking! I'm trying to steer clear of the results page as its freaking me out! Do you know if the phone interview stage can be POI specific too? I saw a few from Universities which I applied to but it obviously doesn't say which POI, etc. Gah! The results page! Its a blessing and a curse

[FinallyAccepted]

Brilliant, thanks so much for your help! Its so nerve wracking! I'm trying to steer clear of the results page as its freaking me out! Do you know if the phone interview stage can be POI specific too? I saw a few from Universities which I applied to but it obviously doesn't say which POI, etc. Gah! The results page! Its a blessing and a curse

No problem. It seems like everything can be POI-specific. So unless you know that your POI has been interviewing people on the phone, you shouldn't be too concerned. I have seen results on that page to schools for which I applied, but know people in that POI's lab who tell me they haven't started looking at applications yet.

So yes, that page is a blessing and a curse. But I'd rather be sad and have closure than continue to have unjustified hope. Before I received each rejection last year, I already knew to expect it because of that page. I have a friend from high school who's applying for programs in a completely different field who has sworn off that page until March. To each her own.

[aidalb]

No problem. It seems like everything can be POI-specific. So unless you know that your POI has been interviewing people on the phone, you shouldn't be too concerned. I have seen results on that page to schools for which I applied, but know people in that POI's lab who tell me they haven't started looking at applications yet.

So yes, that page is a blessing and a curse. But I'd rather be sad and have closure than continue to have unjustified hope. Before I received each rejection last year, I already knew to expect it because of that page. I have a friend from high school who's applying for programs in a completely different field who has sworn off that page until March. To each her own.

Ah brilliant, thank you for putting my mind at rest!

[EastCoasting]

I think these days almost everyone pre-screens. Out of 6 interview invites I pre-interviewed at 5.

[Samuca]

There is no way to know that... you need to contact the schools. If they haven't told you anything though, maybe they consider them valid. I would not assume that the schools consider the scores not valid. 

thanks.  that was my instinct, but i will follow up with departments about this, especially those that have application deadlines in January 2015.

[Generis]

Soooo how bad is it to have LORs come in 4 weeks after due date? One of mine waits until the last possible moment, then disappeared over break.

[BuzzinAround]

Soooo how bad is it to have LORs come in 4 weeks after due date? One of mine waits until the last possible moment, then disappeared over break.

 

It depends on the school, but I had the same exact thing happen to me. She missed two deadlines (i.e. 5 applications) and emailed me after she got back from break to say that she was rapidly trying to upload letters. If you can, I would just type up a quick template and ask someone else to do it. However, this isn't always possible, so I would just contact the schools and let them know what's happening. Since application season overlaps with the holiday season, most schools are understanding. I was even told by one school that my application was considered complete, even though that last letter was still missing.

[Tolman's Rat]

Ahhhhhhhh I received such an exciting email today! One of the few POIs (at Binghamton University) that I didn't get in touch with prior to the application season (really can't remember why, she's awesome) "was excited about [my] application" and "plans to advocate inviting [me] for an interview." She then proceeded to describe all the ongoing projects, etc. I just submitted my application about a week ago, and the cognitive group will be meeting to schedule interviews on Jan 14.

[VulpesZerda]

Ahhhhhhhh I received such an exciting email today! One of the few POIs (at Binghamton University) that I didn't get in touch with prior to the application season (really can't remember why, she's awesome) "was excited about [my] application" and "plans to advocate inviting [me] for an interview." She then proceeded to describe all the ongoing projects, etc. I just submitted my application about a week ago, and the cognitive group will be meeting to schedule interviews on Jan 14.

 

Congrats, that is awesome and so exciting! 

 

I also received an exciting email when I was at work last night. Pretty similar - my POI at one of the programs said that I'm on the short list! I'm hoping this leads to an interview invite! I totally wasn't expecting this so early, or at all from this particular program lol.