gingin6789 Posted December 26, 2014 Posted December 26, 2014 (edited) @breaks0: I just got done with my semester about a week ago, but I'm finally back on Grad Cafe! Best of luck, everyone! PS: this time next year, I'll be participating in the waiting game once again! I'm in a terminal MA program, so PhD apps are just a year away! Edited December 26, 2014 by gingin6789
sluggerotoole Posted December 27, 2014 Posted December 27, 2014 I've completed my applications to 9 schools, and wasn't sure if it was allowed or frowned upon to contact potential advisors or faculty, so I didn't. Is this going to be a significant disadvantage to my application? And should I do it now (better late than never kind of thing...)?
Anonymona Posted December 27, 2014 Author Posted December 27, 2014 We talked about e-mailing professors a few months ago in In addition to us applicants, a faculty member who sometimes posts on this board gave us her perspective. I think you'll find it a relief. I wouldn't stress out about sending e-mails at this point - instead, congratulate yourself for finishing your apps and find a fun distraction until the end of January.
sluggerotoole Posted December 29, 2014 Posted December 29, 2014 Awesome. Thanks Anonymona! Good luck to you!!
breaks0 Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 Email the profs definitely! I have a kind of formula I'm using for those emails. 2 short paragraphs is probably sufficient.
uselesstheory Posted January 1, 2015 Posted January 1, 2015 I had two nightmares about the quality of my SOP this week - Needless to say, my anxiety dreams cannot change anything about my acceptance/rejection chances now. Re: emailing profs: wouldn't it be seen as too late now, and perhaps as a "last ditch effort" to get a possible advantage in the admissions process? If I am wrong, please ignore this, as I do not want to hurt anyone's chances of getting in touch with a POI!
SocInTheCity Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Just completed my 11th application! Currently on a research trip in South Africa and hoping all of the amazing energy I'm feeling translates to some positive results. Good luck everyone!
rjparson Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Decided to stop lurking now that there's a decisions thread up - I've got 11 apps out with an interest in econ soc, stratification, development, and East Asia.
Anonymona Posted January 8, 2015 Author Posted January 8, 2015 How is everyone dealing with the struggle of waiting for decisions to be delivered? Netflix? Reading? Research? Obsessively checking e-mails and application statuses even though you know the school isn't likely to respond for a while? It's such a struggle. I've been forcing myself to go to the gym more often, and as a result, I haven't been that stressed out. Just impatient. I've been filling my other free time with working overtime and hanging out with friends as much as possible. I feel like the days are moving unusually slowly. What about you?
grad_wannabe Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 Only about 2 weeks left of waiting before I hear from my first school (if it's good news). According to the results search, one of my top programs sends out early acceptances: end of Jan/beginning of Feb. These two weeks to go seem both interminable and uber-fast at the same time.
breaks0 Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 Disaster. I just got my course grade from the prof who's written my 3rd reference for a sociology seminar and she gave me a b+. Her ref is based entirely on my performance in this 1 class and I'm pretty sure this'll torpedo all my apps. I have an ma and am reapplying after last year's failed apps. I have nearly a phd program's worth of graduate credits, somewhere around 60 from 3 diff universities and in all that time I never pulled worse than an a- , partly because I've heard for years you don't wanna get less than that. A grade like this might be tolerable if I were already in a phd program, but I'm not thats the whole point. I'm so beyond screwed financially if I don't get a funded offer, this leaves me pessimistic about my prospects since multiple other areas of my apps are weak.
anna_M Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Breaks0, don't overthink it. Grades are very subjective and maybe she is a hard grader. A B+ doesn't mean that she wrote a bad letter of reference. We are all stressed out about applications. Hang in there!
jalison Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 I had a really good interview with one school and then this morning I heard from one of my top choices and I got in!!! Before this I actually wasn't convinced I would get in anywhere - now (assuming I get in to other places since I got into this place that is fairly highly ranked) I guess I have to start to weigh my options between school ranking and research interest....
uselesstheory Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) Do you mind if I ask where you got in (since it's not up on the results search, I think)? Edit: Congratulations!!! Edited January 14, 2015 by uselesstheory
anna_M Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Congratulations! Now, I am curious too! Please tell us!
jalison Posted January 15, 2015 Posted January 15, 2015 Thanks guys I got into the University of Glasgow - I am only applying to schools in the EU/UK - many of them have rolling admissions which is awesome since I got my apps in pretty early
anonymous_soc Posted January 17, 2015 Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) How is everyone dealing with the struggle of waiting for decisions to be delivered? Netflix? Reading? Research? Obsessively checking e-mails and application statuses even though you know the school isn't likely to respond for a while? Lots of golf and snowboarding. And some reading. Edited January 17, 2015 by anonymous_soc
uselesstheory Posted January 17, 2015 Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) Lots of golf and snowboarding. And some reading. Exercise is always a good distraction, and I've been reading a lot too. As soon as I start to work on projects, though, or get too bored, I find myself on here scouring the results search and checking my email five times a minute. I'm dying to hear back, good or bad (but hopefully the former). Edited January 17, 2015 by uselesstheory
anonymous_soc Posted January 17, 2015 Posted January 17, 2015 Exercise is always a good distraction, and I've been reading a lot too. As soon as I start to work on projects, though, or get too bored, I find myself on here scouring the results search and checking my email five times a minute. I'm dying to hear back, good or bad (but hopefully the former). Thankfully my e-mail pushes to my cell, so I just get notified when I get one instead of having to refresh. The anxiety definitely lingers in the back of my mind though. Hopefully more decisions start coming in soon. Best of luck to you this admissions season! To where did you apply?
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