2015 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[Deepwater]

If anyone from oil&gas is interested

http://online.stanford.edu/course/reservoir-geomechanics

[turbidite]

Looking by the previous years results, OSU/OU will start sending invites late in March. Good luck to both of us.

I quickly checked my old emails, and I got my invite to visit and acceptance to OU last year on March 13th, FWIW. 

 

Anecdotal, yes, but you might hear back sooner than you think.

[Deepwater]

I quickly checked my old emails, and I got my invite to visit and acceptance to OU last year on March 13th, FWIW. 

 

Anecdotal, yes, but you might hear back sooner than you think.

I wish I do. In fact I wrote to my POI as well as graduate assistant 10-12 days back and none of them replied. And they have been really good at replying

I don't really want to bug my POI, but I have mailed the graduate assistant again yesterday and yet to hear from her.

[MechRxn]

I am still waiting to hear from my POI at Colorado (Boulder) who I was in constant contact with for ~2 years. He's been silent for several months now. I anticipate my GRE scores are holding me back (150/155/5.0).

 

FWIW my CV is absolutely phenomenal. I've taught 2 labs (Full TA), SI for 8 courses (10 after this semester), 5 abstracts 3 invited research conferences, TONS of outreach (fills up a whole page), lots of research experience (3 years), minor in geochemistry, and have received 3 scholarships: 2 from NASA and 1 from an oil donor at my school.

 

 

Not trying to brag, just hoping that this CV puts my lower GRE and GPA (3.3) into perspective for my POIs/Programs I applied to. I also have applied to 4 schools now, got into 1 with no funding, wait-listed at another.

 

This waiting is awful!!

[ssynny]

I totally caved. I emailed both my POIs today. The FSU one said the ranking committee is meeting today and sent them an email about the results since he's out of the country. He plans on updating me, but I'm really nervous. I can't imagine applying to schools for a third time. (Well, I can imagine it, but I still don't want to do it). Let's see what Dartmouth says...

[virtua]

• Guys, do you email to advisors asking about the status of your application? Isn`t it impolite?

 

• I haven`t mailed my official credentials yet, how do you think, guys, can this have a bad impact on funding considerations? I mean, can they not fund (not offer TA/RA/GA) my education because of that?

[turbidite]

 

• Guys, do you email to advisors asking about the status of your application? Isn`t it impolite?

 

• I haven`t mailed my official credentials yet, how do you think, guys, can this have a bad impact on funding considerations? I mean, can they not fund (not offer TA/RA/GA) my education because of that?

 

1) I wouldn't say it's impolite to ask advisors about your application status; I'm sure most people do it at some point. Being impolite is if you're sending him/her a ton of emails. No one likes to be pestered.

 

2) I'm not sure what "official credentials" entails, but I would definitely send the school/department everything they ask for. Not completing all parts of the application can jeopardize your chances of admission/funding.

[talkcherty2me]

I am still waiting to hear from my POI at Colorado (Boulder) who I was in constant contact with for ~2 years. He's been silent for several months now. I anticipate my GRE scores are holding me back (150/155/5.0).

FWIW my CV is absolutely phenomenal. I've taught 2 labs (Full TA), SI for 8 courses (10 after this semester), 5 abstracts 3 invited research conferences, TONS of outreach (fills up a whole page), lots of research experience (3 years), minor in geochemistry, and have received 3 scholarships: 2 from NASA and 1 from an oil donor at my school.

Not trying to brag, just hoping that this CV puts my lower GRE and GPA (3.3) into perspective for my POIs/Programs I applied to. I also have applied to 4 schools now, got into 1 with no funding, wait-listed at another.

This waiting is awful!!

I haven't heard anything from CU-Boulder either. We're definitely not applying to the same POI since mine is a woman lol. I also haven't seen anything geosciences posted in the results.

[ssynny]

I totally caved. I emailed both my POIs today. The FSU one said the ranking committee is meeting today and sent them an email about the results since he's out of the country. He plans on updating me, but I'm really nervous. I can't imagine applying to schools for a third time. (Well, I can imagine it, but I still don't want to do it). Let's see what Dartmouth says...

He just got back to me. He was only accepting two students and I ranked third. The committee thought I was an excellent candidate, but the two people ahead of me already had masters. Trying hard not to cry.... I really liked this program

[fromchaos]

I am still waiting to hear from my POI at Colorado (Boulder) who I was in constant contact with for ~2 years. He's been silent for several months now. I anticipate my GRE scores are holding me back (150/155/5.0).

 

FWIW my CV is absolutely phenomenal. I've taught 2 labs (Full TA), SI for 8 courses (10 after this semester), 5 abstracts 3 invited research conferences, TONS of outreach (fills up a whole page), lots of research experience (3 years), minor in geochemistry, and have received 3 scholarships: 2 from NASA and 1 from an oil donor at my school.

 

 

Not trying to brag, just hoping that this CV puts my lower GRE and GPA (3.3) into perspective for my POIs/Programs I applied to. I also have applied to 4 schools now, got into 1 with no funding, wait-listed at another.

 

This waiting is awful!!

If you go to the site your GRE scores just barely make the cutoff (upper 50%)...your Verbal 45% Quant 60%...average 52.5%. The vast majority of applicants are going to have much higher scores in both GRE and GPA. Many of them probably have similar CVs (these are the best applicants in the nation). Why would you think you have a realistic shot at CU? It is unlikely but possible you could recover from either low GPA or GRE but both are much lower than the average of applicants at the CU. I don't mean to pick on you but I think a lot of people on here have over inflated views of their grad profiles (a few have underinflated views). When a school has hundreds of applications they use GRE and GPA to widdle down the number they take a serious look at. There are plenty of schools I am sure you would have a good shot at but CU is a top school and your GRE scores barely make the cutoff at far inferior schools and your GPA is just ok.

 

If CU is your pie in the sky reach school then fine but hopefully you didnt think this was a place you were likely to get into.  Again I apologize if it seems like I am picking on you but it is kind of annoying when people apply to schools they have no shot at getting into and then whine about it. I hope for your sake you applied to a safety school.

[geographyrocks]

He just got back to me. He was only accepting two students and I ranked third. The committee thought I was an excellent candidate, but the two people ahead of me already had masters. Trying hard not to cry.... I really liked this program

That really sucks!  Wasn't he the one who kept encouraging you to apply for the last year? 

[idiochromatic]

I don't mean to pick on you but I think a lot of people on here have over inflated views of their grad profiles (a few have underinflated views).

fromchaos--I appreciate your point of view. When I decided last summer to apply to grad school, I had an inaccurate view of my credentials--thought I would get in nowhere, and that just wasn't the case. So what are your guys' perspectives on what makes a profile good or bad? I'm curious so I can give good advice to folks in the future.

 

The thing with GRE/GPA is that... good scores do almost nothing for you (they won't get you in) while bad scores CAN be overcome but can also keep you out. Research experience, etc., means wildly different things different places. And ultimately, LOR mean more than probably most other things and it's hard to evaluate those over the internet.

[ssynny]

That really sucks! Wasn't he the one who kept encouraging you to apply for the last year?

Yeah.... He said he told me my ranking so that I wouldn't feel bad and knew that I was a competitive applicant. But I think knowing is worse. I was so close.... I sent an email asking if I'm flat out rejected or if there's hope of someone dropping out.

[fromchaos]

fromchaos--I appreciate your point of view. When I decided last summer to apply to grad school, I had an inaccurate view of my credentials--thought I would get in nowhere, and that just wasn't the case. So what are your guys' perspectives on what makes a profile good or bad? I'm curious so I can give good advice to folks in the future.

 

The thing with GRE/GPA is that... good scores do almost nothing for you (they won't get you in) while bad scores CAN be overcome but can also keep you out. Research experience, etc., means wildly different things different places. And ultimately, LOR mean more than probably most other things and it's hard to evaluate those over the internet.

idiochromatic

 

Yes there are some who have the reverse issue (great profile dont think they can get in anywhere). The point is that I know plenty of people with far better profiles applying to lesser schools who are getting waitlisted or rejected. I think a lot of people feel entitled. Also realistically you can apply to a relatively good school with somewhat fewer applicants. By doing this you increase the likelyhood that a low GRE/GPA will be overlooked. Instead everyone insists on applying to Stanford, MIT, and CU no matter what their profile looks like.

 

GRE just gets you in the door. 320 I think people have mentioned as the score elite schools look at, although you can certainly get in with a 315 maybe even 310 if you are outstanding in other areas. 290 and 305 won't get you in to these top schools especially if you have a questionable GPA.

 

Maybe we are all being trolled but I have really had it with the unreasonable expectations.

[geographyrocks]

Here are a few stories related to scores and admissions.

Person 1: Perfect GRE scores (seriously 170/170), 4.0 GPA 1 year paid ($50,000) internship at Harvard.  Gets in at all the elite schools...except for Harvard!

 

Person 2: Near perfect GRE scores (165/165), near perfect GPA, 3 years research experience, admitted to Stanford.

 

Person 3: Mid-150s GRE scores, 3.5ish GPA, 3 months research experience, admitted to Stanford.

 

Person 4: Great GRE scores, near perfect GPA, lots of experience, rejected at mid-ranked school.

 

I think that alone should tell you that luck plays a very HIGH part in admissions.  That's why people with less than stellar scores apply to places like CU Boulder and why people with amazing scores are afraid to apply at mid-ranked schools.  I'm halfway convinced that the reason I was admitted was because I chose the perfect advisor at the perfect time.  You never know if an advisor has funding (or will get the funding they're hoping for), if their students will graduate on time, if they took on too many students last year, so on and so forth. 

 

Point is, I would never advise an applicant that has an amazing application with only average GRE/GPA to not apply to places like Stanford and CU.  Scores only mean so much and you'll never know when they'll mean more or less. 

Edited March 6, 2015 by geographyrocks

[fromchaos]

Here are a few stories related to scores and admissions.

Person 1: Perfect GRE scores (seriously 170/170), 4.0 GPA 1 year paid ($50,000) internship at Harvard.  Gets in at all the elite schools...except for Harvard!

 

Person 2: Near perfect GRE scores (165/165), near perfect GPA, 3 years research experience, admitted to Stanford.

 

Person 3: Mid-150s GRE scores, 3.5ish GPA, 3 months research experience, admitted to Stanford.

 

Person 4: Great GRE scores, near perfect GPA, lots of experience, rejected at mid-ranked school.

 

I think that alone should tell you that luck plays a very HIGH part in admissions.  That's why people with less than stellar scores apply to places like CU Boulder and why people with amazing scores are afraid to apply at mid-ranked schools.  I'm halfway convinced that the reason I was admitted was because I chose the perfect advisor at the perfect time.  You never know if an advisor has funding (or will get the funding they're hoping for), if their students will graduate on time, if they took on too many students last year, so on and so forth. 

 

Point is, I would never advise an applicant that has an amazing application with only average GRE/GPA to not apply to places like Stanford and CU.  Scores only mean so much and you'll never know when they'll mean more or less. 

Maybe our definition of average is different. Also sure go ahead and apply to a few "reach" schools, but please don't whine when you don't get in to said "reach" schools especially when others with much better profiles are getting rejected and waitlisted. Certainly there is some lucky involved but there are some on here who are delusional.

 

Maybe person 4 was an ahole I don't know. Person three has a significantly better profile than a couple of others on here who think they are a lock to get into a top ten school.

[AKGeo]

Here are a few stories related to scores and admissions.

Person 1: Perfect GRE scores (seriously 170/170), 4.0 GPA 1 year paid ($50,000) internship at Harvard.  Gets in at all the elite schools...except for Harvard!

 

Person 2: Near perfect GRE scores (165/165), near perfect GPA, 3 years research experience, admitted to Stanford.

 

Person 3: Mid-150s GRE scores, 3.5ish GPA, 3 months research experience, admitted to Stanford.

 

Person 4: Great GRE scores, near perfect GPA, lots of experience, rejected at mid-ranked school.

 

I think that alone should tell you that luck plays a very HIGH part in admissions.  That's why people with less than stellar scores apply to places like CU Boulder and why people with amazing scores are afraid to apply at mid-ranked schools.  I'm halfway convinced that the reason I was admitted was because I chose the perfect advisor at the perfect time.  You never know if an advisor has funding (or will get the funding they're hoping for), if their students will graduate on time, if they took on too many students last year, so on and so forth. 

 

Point is, I would never advise an applicant that has an amazing application with only average GRE/GPA to not apply to places like Stanford and CU.  Scores only mean so much and you'll never know when they'll mean more or less. 

Agree with this.  I shot really high considering my numbers (3.2 gpa, 155/158 Q/V GRE) and pretty much heard back from everywhere except UCSC, where they had already told me they didn't have funding.  I think luck plays a huge part in the process and sometimes it's just fit, not so much your GPA/GRE

[turbidite]

He just got back to me. He was only accepting two students and I ranked third. The committee thought I was an excellent candidate, but the two people ahead of me already had masters. Trying hard not to cry.... I really liked this program

Damn, sorry to hear that. Hopefully one of the two ahead of you gets a really good offer from another school and jumps ship.

[ssynny]

Damn, sorry to hear that. Hopefully one of the two ahead of you gets a really good offer from another school and jumps ship.

 

I'm hoping so too. I sent him a follow up email to ask because at the end he say's " I'm sorry I can't take you on as a student this Fall ". I'm wondering if I'm just flat out rejected or can be put on a waiting list if they have one. Only applied to two schools and this one was my best shot... Ahhhhh grad school admissions suckkkkk  

[fromchaos]

I'm hoping so too. I sent him a follow up email to ask because at the end he say's " I'm sorry I can't take you on as a student this Fall ". I'm wondering if I'm just flat out rejected or can be put on a waiting list if they have one. Only applied to two schools and this one was my best shot... Ahhhhh grad school admissions suckkkkk  

Sounds final to me. Maybe he mispoke, but all the waitlists I got they left the door open that things might work out (specified that it wasn't rejection but also noted a spot might not open up and if it does it might be after April 15). I would ask for clarification on if there is a chance a spot would open up, but that statement sounds pretty final.

[MechRxn]

If you go to the site your GRE scores just barely make the cutoff (upper 50%)...your Verbal 45% Quant 60%...average 52.5%. The vast majority of applicants are going to have much higher scores in both GRE and GPA. Many of them probably have similar CVs (these are the best applicants in the nation). Why would you think you have a realistic shot at CU? It is unlikely but possible you could recover from either low GPA or GRE but both are much lower than the average of applicants at the CU. I don't mean to pick on you but I think a lot of people on here have over inflated views of their grad profiles (a few have underinflated views). When a school has hundreds of applications they use GRE and GPA to widdle down the number they take a serious look at. There are plenty of schools I am sure you would have a good shot at but CU is a top school and your GRE scores barely make the cutoff at far inferior schools and your GPA is just ok.

 

If CU is your pie in the sky reach school then fine but hopefully you didnt think this was a place you were likely to get into.  Again I apologize if it seems like I am picking on you but it is kind of annoying when people apply to schools they have no shot at getting into and then whine about it. I hope for your sake you applied to a safety school.

It was 100% my pie in the sky school. I am by no means a "typical" applicant which can explain my lower gpa / gre. I expect to be rejected. I haven't whined about the school, I have stated that waiting is awful and that I haven't heard back from them or my POI there yet and asked questions on how to respond to said situations.

[virtua]

I have received an email about Skype interview invitation from one of the uiniversities I applied for, I`m a bit worried. guys, what is usually asked on an interview? How long does it usually last? Does the interview invitation mean something about chances to be admitted or to get scholarship or it is just interview and that`s all?

[sjoh197]

Lol... The social skills are ripe on this board.

Everyone can stop picking fights with one another... It does no good to people who are stressed.

[ssynny]

For anyone following my posts, my POI said one of the two people that were offered spots informally accepted. So if the second person declines, I would get the spot. I don't think I've ever hoped for someone else to get an acceptance at another school so bad before haha. I wish I knew what schools they applied to

[teddybrosevelt]

For anyone following my posts, my POI said one of the two people that were offered spots informally accepted. So if the second person declines, I would get the spot. I don't think I've ever hoped for someone else to get an acceptance at another school so bad before haha. I wish I knew what schools they applied to

I am in the exact same position at one of the schools I applied to so I totally get it!