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Communication/Media Studies Ph.D Fall 2015--Apps, Decisions, and Waiting...


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Well, I caved a little and sent small follow up emails to my internal reference and the POI asking for any advice they can offer. I won't do anything more than that, even if it does just help to keep my name in mind. Nothing to do now but kick back and wait it out. 

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I also haven't heard anything.

Freaking. out. 

Are you still waiting too? I saw a few more rejections went out yesterday and today. It's reassuring to know someone is in the same boat.

 

Ugh, the waiting game this weekend would be much more bearable if there were some admits on the results page - I even looked around on Twitter to see if there was anyone celebrating, just to get an idea of what the adcom is up to. In the past it seems like they sent both notices out at the same time, and the thought of them sending rejections out before admits seems odd. Maybe they'll be following the undergrad Pi day tradition for some reason? Maybe the Boston blizzard set back the schedule, even with the meeting on Monday? Maybe this is all a practical joke and there is no class of 2017? Jeeze.

 

And thanks thegnuguy and Shoelle for the encouraging thoughts! Long time lurker but it's very welcoming here. 

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Hey guys, has anyone applied to Comms Phd at Carleton U in Ottawa? I have not heard anything and the wait is killing me. They said they'll make a decision in early March (which, for me, should be March 1 :)). I emailed them about a week ago inquiring about the status and still nothing.

It's the only school I applied to (crazy, I know) and I am so done with waiting.

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Are you still waiting too? I saw a few more rejections went out yesterday and today. It's reassuring to know someone is in the same boat.

 

Ugh, the waiting game this weekend would be much more bearable if there were some admits on the results page - I even looked around on Twitter to see if there was anyone celebrating, just to get an idea of what the adcom is up to. In the past it seems like they sent both notices out at the same time, and the thought of them sending rejections out before admits seems odd. Maybe they'll be following the undergrad Pi day tradition for some reason? Maybe the Boston blizzard set back the schedule, even with the meeting on Monday? Maybe this is all a practical joke and there is no class of 2017? Jeeze.

 

And thanks thegnuguy and Shoelle for the encouraging thoughts! Long time lurker but it's very welcoming here. 

 

I got my rejection on Thursday :( Best of luck, I hope this is a good sign for you!

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Admitted to the Oxford Internet Institute. 

 

 

Congrats!! 

 

So I went for a campus tour this week and met with my potential advisor. I couldn't be more impressed (although I probably made the worst impression I've ever lol). His past advisees from the last 10 years have been emailing me telling me how awesome he is. Super excited! 

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I got my rejection on Thursday :( Best of luck, I hope this is a good sign for you!

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that! If it's any consolation in any way, I've gotten pretty much no sleep this weekend and am preparing myself for the inevitable rejection.

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Its been over three months since I've applied but I haven't heard anything from Drexel. I see a couple of you have already been accepted, and I think I saw one rejection as well, all of which were made during the first week of February. Anybody on the same boat as me? Contacted them a couple of weeks back, they said my application is in review. Also, anybody here planning on officially accepting the offer from the University of Maryland?

Edited by argeniter
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And oh, is it true that most programs accept more PhD candidates than the number of seats on offer, and the waitlist kicks in only after that? (admitted in one, waitlisted in another)  

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>most programs accept more PhD candidates than the number of seats on offer

 

My understanding is, they offer seats to exactly as many as they can afford to bring in. The waitlist kicks in when those preferred candidates turn the offer down. 

Edited by grad_wannabe
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And oh, is it true that most programs accept more PhD candidates than the number of seats on offer, and the waitlist kicks in only after that? (admitted in one, waitlisted in another)  

I've never heard of more being admitted than the number of seats, unless you mean admission with funding. Sometimes more are admitted than schools will fund, but the waitlist only kicks in if there are seats made available by applicants who don't choose to attend a specific program.

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I've never heard of more being admitted than the number of seats, unless you mean admission with funding. Sometimes more are admitted than schools will fund, but the waitlist only kicks in if there are seats made available by applicants who don't choose to attend a specific program.

 

^ Exactly. So I'm waitlisted in a program that offers guaranteed funding. They said I was on the top of the waitlist and there is only one waitlist (i.e, the list is not divided based on tracks). Does it mean that I will get picked off the waitlist if only one person decides to not attend? I might be overthinking here but since this is my top choice, I'm a bit concerned about the odds of me getting in. Thanks!

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If you are the top person on the waitlist, then if one person declines you should get in. If you're on the top with a couple other people, then that becomes a guessing game.

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^ Exactly. So I'm waitlisted in a program that offers guaranteed funding. They said I was on the top of the waitlist and there is only one waitlist (i.e, the list is not divided based on tracks). Does it mean that I will get picked off the waitlist if only one person decides to not attend? I might be overthinking here but since this is my top choice, I'm a bit concerned about the odds of me getting in. Thanks!

 

Honestly, it's pretty difficult to know what schools mean when they talk about "being at the top" of a waitlist.  If you have an acceptance elsewhere at a decently ranked program then you might use it as leverage to ask exactly where you are on the waitlist, especially if it gets into April and you haven't heard anything.  I hope that it all works out for you! 

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Wait listed at Michigan State. I'm not really sure how to feel, I'd almost prefer a definitive decision either way. I'm happy with the choices I already have, but throwing this wrench into the mix so late makes things difficult. I feel like I have to wait it out and see but I probably wouldn't even have the opportunity to visit should I get in later, which is a huge con.

 

Now I'm at their mercy

Edited by mikeman591
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For everyone who got into the Oxford Internet Institute or other English schools (I'm looking into UCL) what are some tips for making the transfer across the Atlantic? My family is English, so culturally I'm fine, but I don't know anything about the academic differences (I'm the first college graduate in the family).

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Honestly, it's pretty difficult to know what schools mean when they talk about "being at the top" of a waitlist. If you have an acceptance elsewhere at a decently ranked program then you might use it as leverage to ask exactly where you are on the waitlist, especially if it gets into April and you haven't heard anything. I hope that it all works out for you!

Thanks a bunch! On her first Email, my POI said I was "on the top of the list" and when I asked her if the list was track specific, she wrote back saying "you are first on our wait list regardless of the area". In any case, I realized its best if I go into hibernation until April. Edited by argeniter
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re: number of students admitted

 

I'm at a top program and visited several programs ranked between 1 - 20. I know that my program has a number in their head of how many students they want their average cohort to have (about 12). But they know that based on previous years, about 70% accept. So to get about 12 students they admit more like 17. If most accept, we have a large cohort (e.g. 15 instead of 12)- so to balance it out next year they aim to have a cohort of 10. So they might only admit like 14 that year. 

 

If fewer than 12 accept, they start using the wait list. I think this is the norm - its not they've extended so many admittances that they'd have to rescind them if everyone accepted, but at the same time, its not like they are counting on every student accepting. Programs know what percentage of students usually accept their offer and plan around that. I think the exception would be programs that wouldn't be able to fund their students if too many accepted, in which case the ceiling of how many students would be lower (although again, I think it would mean that if they are aiming for 12 they accept 14). 

 

Based on how some of have described it, it seems that its being alluded that a program such as mine that wants 12 students would accept 12 and then have a wait list. And that if someone in the 12 turns it down someone from the wait list moves up. But I don't think that is how it works for most programs (or at least from what i've seen at top programs). For one thing, it would be unrealistic for a program to think that all of their admitted students are going to enroll - and they would prefer not to rely on a waitlist which is hard on students and can hurt relationships with the student. For another, doing it this way would really complicate visitation weekends (e.g. would they just invite admitted students? And then count on wait listed students accepting their offer without visiting the school?).

 

My advice to waitlisted students would be to just write a professional email to the grad advisor. Be polite but firm that you are very interested in attending their program if you are offered admittance but are considering other offers. Then ask them a couple of questions to clarify when you should expect to hear back from them and whether in their experience someone in your position is likely to move off the waitlist. 

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