nightfarmer Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 So of course I imagined that the prof has made a dummy profile so they could request the paper on the down-low. And yes, I sent it. Did you go down and talk to carol in HR? But really this story sounds like it is actually the prof. Doesn't sound like you're over-thinking it at all MathCat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ani92 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I just got an email from one of my top choices, cue the mini-heart attack. Turns out it was just notifying me, your application is ready for departmental review. Does that mean its gone through the admissions committee and reached the department or does the department review it before the admissions committee. Either way, I'm gonna hear the decision... "soon" to quote the damn email. Kill. Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ritapita Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 So I got an email from a POI two days ago that wanted me to contact the DGS to ensure my app was good to go, as they were reviewing and he wanted my name to be fresh on their minds. When he emailed me, he (i believe) unintentionally fwd'd me the email from the DGS to the faculty talking about how he/she(DGS) wanted them(faculty) to comment on certain apps and that they were making final funding and admit decisions in two days. Having that internal email has now driven me bonkers....I know I am not supposed to have it, but it has given me GREAT insight into their scheduling. What it has also done is made me go totally mad trying to figure out if he sent me that email because he didn't see me on the review list, or if he was just being extra diligent in ensuring I get recognized, or, or, or, or......ugh! And today is the day the DGS stated they are making final decisions, so of course I am checking my email every 2 minutes, and having heart palpitations every time my email dings, and constantly analyzing the time difference between the school and where I live....save me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.letmeinplz// Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I guess my over-analyzed email is one from the graduate coordinator asking if I would like my application changed from MS to MS/PhD because they can only offer funding for MS/PhD applicants. I said yes w/ explaining why I only applied to MS in the first place, but there hasn't been a day that I haven't reread those emails trying to figure out if it is a good sign or just a "oh by the way we only fund MS/PhD students". I mean... is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juiceboxrampage Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 This is the cyclical thought process I get myself into: If I couldn't get into Santa Barbara, there's no way I'll get into Michigan because it's higher ranked. If I couldn't get into Emory, there's so way I'll get into Stony Brook because apparently I'm not qualified for Women's Studies. And if I couldn't get into those schools, there's no way I'll get into my last school, Santa Cruz, since I've been rejected everywhere else and thus am obviously unworthy of grad school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excruciated Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I finally heard from a school! And it was the one school I thought would totally just throw out my application and laugh at me: MIT. I'm supposed to talk to a really cool professor this weekend. By "cool professor" I mean he does awesome research. I don't know anything about him IRL. I'm simultaneously excited and terrified and have had just about every thought mentioned in this thread over the past seven hours. Good luck, all! Are you able to find information about his research online? Knowing his possible interests/dislikes could help you to steer the conversation - toward areas of interests, and away from contentious subjects. I say this because I talked to the dean (wasn't aware of that, ugh!) from a department I'm interested in, and he suggested that I apply for grad school elsewhere. He concluded I wouldn't be a good fit with their school based on our brief discussion about our discipline. I googled him after the chat and realised that I brought up certain positions and developments in our field that he disagreed with publicly. I'm really kicking myself over it now, but I guess I'd have a difficult time at a school with staff that aren't open to debate anyway. I hope everything goes well for you, best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thissiteispoison Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Are you able to find information about his research online? Knowing his possible interests/dislikes could help you to steer the conversation - toward areas of interests, and away from contentious subjects. I say this because I talked to the dean (wasn't aware of that, ugh!) from a department I'm interested in, and he suggested that I apply for grad school elsewhere. He concluded I wouldn't be a good fit with their school based on our brief discussion about our discipline. I googled him after the chat and realised that I brought up certain positions and developments in our field that he disagreed with publicly. I'm really kicking myself over it now, but I guess I'd have a difficult time at a school with staff that aren't open to debate anyway. I hope everything goes well for you, best of luck! Yeah, I know what he does, and it's really neat stuff. And there's not much to disagree upon in my field, unless "I think this is cool" and "I don't" is what you mean by disagreement. He has two specific questions, one about some of the work I've done and one about my research interests. The thing about my research interests is that I have a lot of them. I have a tendency to sound like I don't know what I want because of that, or like I haven't thought about it that much, but really, I could name about seven very specific fields within computer science that I would be happy doing research in. It's because for me it's more about the underlying theme: I like mathematics as it applies to computer science. So any subfield with math as its backbone is going to appeal to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enhydra Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Yeah, I know what he does, and it's really neat stuff. And there's not much to disagree upon in my field, unless "I think this is cool" and "I don't" is what you mean by disagreement. He has two specific questions, one about some of the work I've done and one about my research interests. The thing about my research interests is that I have a lot of them. I have a tendency to sound like I don't know what I want because of that, or like I haven't thought about it that much, but really, I could name about seven very specific fields within computer science that I would be happy doing research in. It's because for me it's more about the underlying theme: I like mathematics as it applies to computer science. So any subfield with math as its backbone is going to appeal to me. Start with your theme! If you start by saying you are interested in the application of mathematics to compute science, which leads you to several possible research directions, you come across as someone who knows what they want to study (math applied to cs) but still retains some flexibility. It's all in how you phrase it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostsBeforeBreakfast Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 A POI e-mailed me basically to just apologize for not answering my initial e-mail from way back when and to let me know they've begun reviewing applications. She then said she'd take a careful look at mine. Does this warrant a reply? I thought we weren't supposed to e-mail them during the decision making process? I'm afraid to reply. grad_wannabe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enhydra Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 A POI e-mailed me basically to just apologize for not answering my initial e-mail from way back when and to let me know they've begun reviewing applications. She then said she'd take a careful look at mine. Does this warrant a reply? I thought we weren't supposed to e-mail them during the decision making process? I'm afraid to reply. I would reply to say thanks and that you look forward to hearing from them. The prohibition on emailing them doesn't include responses to their emails. Just keep it short, enthusiastic and professional. grad_wannabe and whosthat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grad_wannabe Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 A POI e-mailed me basically to just apologize for not answering my initial e-mail from way back when and to let me know they've begun reviewing applications. She then said she'd take a careful look at mine. Does this warrant a reply? I thought we weren't supposed to e-mail them during the decision making process? I'm afraid to reply. Definitely reply! The stigma against emails to POIs is for cold, unsolicited emails. I'd reiterate what Enhydra said -- thank them, say you look forward to hearing from them. I'd also note to the POI that you're ready to supply any other materials they'd like to see, and are available any time if they'd like to speak. whosthat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostsBeforeBreakfast Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I e-mailed them back with a simple professional response, along the lines of the above suggestions. Thanks, guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thissiteispoison Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I was so nervous! It made it really hard to think! Now I keep thinking of things I could have explained much better, or small mistakes I made. I don't know what to do with myself right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElDudeBrothers14111 Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 - "Anyone that hasn't been accepted past x date, can just assume they're rejected" - "i have a 2.7 gpa and i got into mit lol" ... I hate the internet sometimes... Those two in particular kill me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cogsciphdreams Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Here's a new one: I had been communicating with POI (at one of my top choices) for a couple of months, and emailed them back in November right after I submitted the application. They emailed back about a week later thanking me for the info, and said they would contact me once they had more information about what recruitment would look like. I have not heard anything in two months... Surely I have been rejected, right?? I know only one thing for certain: I am terrible at the waiting game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thissiteispoison Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Here's a new one: I had been communicating with POI (at one of my top choices) for a couple of months, and emailed them back in November right after I submitted the application. They emailed back about a week later thanking me for the info, and said they would contact me once they had more information about what recruitment would look like. I have not heard anything in two months... Surely I have been rejected, right?? I know only one thing for certain: I am terrible at the waiting game. More likely, they forgot because they're human I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to follow up on emails at work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnagiForever Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Here's a new one: I had been communicating with POI (at one of my top choices) for a couple of months, and emailed them back in November right after I submitted the application. They emailed back about a week later thanking me for the info, and said they would contact me once they had more information about what recruitment would look like. I have not heard anything in two months... Surely I have been rejected, right?? I know only one thing for certain: I am terrible at the waiting game. Not necessarily. I'd say wait until mid-February. Hopefully by then you'll have some good news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cogsciphdreams Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 More likely, they forgot because they're human I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to follow up on emails at work! Not necessarily. I'd say wait until mid-February. Hopefully by then you'll have some good news I sure hope that's the case! If I don't hear back by mid-Feb. I think will check them off my list and try to move on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoh197 Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 "The POI I contacted 5 months ago said he had already received 40 emails from other potential students, for 1 spot. Clearly those other 40 people had better applications than I did, since they had already contacted him before me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoggyAnhinga Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 "The POI I contacted 5 months ago said he had already received 40 emails from other potential students, for 1 spot. Clearly those other 40 people had better applications than I did, since they had already contacted him before me." Whew, 40 students for 1 spot... a couple labs I applied to were only accepting 4 people but the POI received over whopping 150 applications People who received their PhDs in sciences quite a few years ago don't understand how competitive admissions to PhD labs have become nowadays... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjoh197 Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Whew, 40 students for 1 spot... a couple labs I applied to were only accepting 4 people but the POI received over whopping 150 applications People who received their PhDs in sciences quite a few years ago don't understand how competitive admissions to PhD labs have become nowadays... And that was in September. Imagine how many people contacted him in the weeks to follow. I am so screwed lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoggyAnhinga Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 And that was in September. Imagine how many people contacted him in the weeks to follow. I am so screwed lol. Perhaps more people emailed him, but you can't make a final prediction just yet! Those people who contacted your POI before you probably did simply because they started their application process early (doesn't mean their apps are better than yours). Your POI was telling you that number just to give you an idea of your competition. If he's a really good and a reasonable POI, he will probably go through every email and look at every students' potential (not just grades and GRE scores), and you never know if you become one of the finalists to be interviewed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grad_wannabe Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 (edited) Whew, 40 students for 1 spot... a couple labs I applied to were only accepting 4 people but the POI received over whopping 150 applications People who received their PhDs in sciences quite a few years ago don't understand how competitive admissions to PhD labs have become nowadays... Even my friends who are in PhD programs NOW are confused when I mention GRE prep courses, making POI connections, analytics, web sites, and interviews. "You spent the summer in a GRE course AND you paid for an online prep service? Gees I studied, like, the night before." "Why did you email all the professors months before the application was due? Wait, you VISITED? Why in the world did you do that? I didn't do that and I got in just fine." "I didn't have to interview. What do you mean you have to interview? Well, if they invite you to interview I'm sure you're already a shoe-in." "What do you mean you built a personal website and you're following your visitor analytics? I didn't do that ... is that required?" Edited February 1, 2015 by grad_wannabe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOWAYNOHOW Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 (edited) Even my friends who are in PhD programs NOW are confused when I mention GRE prep courses, making POI connections, analytics, web sites, and interviews. This is SO true. Rampant professionalization in PhD programs has trickled down into the application process and then some. I'm sure a lack of funding across almost all disciplines is also to blame. I have a friend who is a student rep on an admissions committee this year in a humanities discipline at a top university and they were blown away by applicants with not just research experience, but also major publications in key journals for the field. My friend and their cohort doesn't even have that many publications yet! The department where I work just started interviews last year, partially because they heard other programs were doing it too. If it is like this now, can you imagine what applying to jobs will be like? Adjuncts will have to have like 2+ books. More hoops to jump, I guess. Edited February 1, 2015 by NOWAYNOHOW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathCat Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Even my friends who are in PhD programs NOW are confused when I mention GRE prep courses, making POI connections, analytics, web sites, and interviews. "You spent the summer in a GRE course AND you paid for an online prep service? Gees I studied, like, the night before." "Why did you email all the professors months before the application was due? Wait, you VISITED? Why in the world did you do that? I didn't do that and I got in just fine." "I didn't have to interview. What do you mean you have to interview? Well, if they invite you to interview I'm sure you're already a shoe-in." "What do you mean you built a personal website and you're following your visitor analytics? I didn't do that ... is that required?" Are they in the same field as you? None of these things would be expected in math (well, the GRE prep course would depend on the person - I just studied on my own), so if they're not in the same field, that could explain it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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