Let's Overanalyze Together

[shadowclaw]

I e-mailed a POI the other day to remind him to submit a sponsorship letter to the grad school and the department secretary (I need a major advisor in order to be admitted to the program like most EEB programs). I started the email with something along the lines of, "All of my application materials are finally in. The graduate school just needs your sponsorship letter." He responded with "Thanks for the update. I'll take care of the letter." I feel like that's a very unenthusiastic way to respond, which might indicate that he has better prospects or is just neutral. On the other hand, would he provide a sponsorship letter to all of is applicants, or just the one he really wants? So much overanalyzing. I also wonder how many people applied for his lab. The due date for applications was January 15, and he put out an ad for the position on January 5 (one of his grad students dropped out suddenly after last semester, which I think gave him a last minute opening). How many people would have found the ad in that 10 day period?

[FoggyAnhinga]

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?"

Yep, I definitely heard some of these... when I mention how some POIs receive over hundred emails for one lab position, many older scientists with PhD respond "whoa... really? Wow, that's somewhat more competitive than back in my application days..." You bet it is!! 

[shadowclaw]

Oh, I know the subject's been mentioned before (I think somebody mentioned their Academia.edu profile), but I've been getting a lot of hits on my ResearchGate profile in the past few weeks (and by a lot, I mean 3 or 4 per week). I know two were fellow classmates who decided to follow me, but there's no reason for anyone else to look. I don't have any accepted papers yet, so it's not like anyone's looking for a paper to download. I keep hoping it's various adcomm members looking for more information, but at the same time, there really isn't any new information for them to find. However, the idea that they might be googling me at least gives me hope that they are seriously considering me.

[TransferFunction]

I got an email today saying they reviewed my application for admission but were unable to proceed because they did not have my transcript. It then instructs me to send my transcript to their office.

Would they ask for my transcript and then subsequently reject me? I hope its not a formality for them to have a complete app before they can issue a rejection. I would just hate to send in my transcript and then right after get denied.

[ineedanak]

I got an email today saying they reviewed my application for admission but were unable to proceed because they did not have my transcript. It then instructs me to send my transcript to their office.

Would they ask for my transcript and then subsequently reject me? I hope its not a formality for them to have a complete app before they can issue a rejection. I would just hate to send in my transcript and then right after get denied.

I don't think so, since they reject people with incomplete applications all the time.

[wuglife427]

From the graduate admissions director for a school at which I seem to be shortlisted:

"Given your interests in [subfield], I’d be very happy to be your '[supplementary program] advisor'…"

Very happy. Also, volunteering to advise me in this extra program, totally unprompted. This is good, right? It seems good.

[mars.tina]

I wish I could just be put in cryogenic refrigeration until April.

Ditto

[TXInstrument11]

I had a phone interview with my POI and the Grad Director at one of my top choices this afternoon.  After the interview I sent a quick thank you note via email to both, and my POI replied with "Great talking with you!  More soon : )"

 

HE USED A SMILEY FACE AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE!  WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!?!?!? I feel like I'm thinking way too hard about this emoticon...

Oh God. Interpreting the tone of POIs is the worst. At the end of it, you either feel like that they LOVE you, HATE you with the passion of a thousand suns, or that you are suffering from chronic social incompetence and can't properly interpret basic social interactions or read simply emails. 

 

I've kept my emails to POIs very short and to-the-point because profs at my school overwhelmingly prefer those kinds of emails, and this has had some very mixed results.

 

One of my POIs responds likewise, but uses exclamation points, "thank you"s, and smileys, so I always feel encouraged when I receive communications from him.

 

The other one I've contacted, however, keeps her emails even more ridiculously terse with absolutely zero cues as to what she's thinking. She may simply be keeping with the unofficial email format I started and is probably efficient and/or lazy, but I can't help assuming she hates me or is an Ice Queen. Either way, it's truly doing a number on my nerves. If she calls and ends up being really sugary sweet, I'm either calling bullshit that I've been trolled, suspecting she's a manipulative psychopath, or passing out from the shock. 

 

This isn't overanalysis. This is WWII, I'm Alan Turing, and her emails are the German Enigma Code. 

Edited February 2, 2015 by TXInstrument11

[1Q84]

This isn't overanalysis. This is WWII, I'm Alan Turing, and her emails are the German Enigma Code. 

 

Hehe thanks for the giggle.

 

[TXInstrument11]

Hehe thanks for the giggle.

 

I thought about adding a pic or GIF of Benedict Cumberbatch to my post, but it appears your beat me to the punch, LOL. 

[-hermes-]

From the graduate admissions director for a school at which I seem to be shortlisted:

"Given your interests in [subfield], I’d be very happy to be your '[supplementary program] advisor'…"

Very happy. Also, volunteering to advise me in this extra program, totally unprompted. This is good, right? It seems good.

 

Yes! I had an interview with two of my POIs in which they said "we could both be your co-advisors". That's good, right?! They're envisioning a hypothetical scenario in which I'm admitted and they're choosing to advise me. It has to be good (please let it be good).

[thissiteispoison]

Oh God. Interpreting the tone of POIs is the worst. At the end of it, you either feel like that they LOVE you, HATE you with the passion of a thousand suns, or that you are suffering from chronic social incompetence and can't properly interpret basic social interactions or read simply emails. 

 

I've kept my emails to POIs very short and to-the-point because profs at my school overwhelmingly prefer those kinds of emails, and this has had some very mixed results.

 

One of my POIs responds likewise, but uses exclamation points, "thank you"s, and smileys, so I always feel encouraged when I receive communications from him.

 

The other one I've contacted, however, keeps her emails even more ridiculously terse with absolutely zero cues as to what she's thinking. She may simply be keeping with the unofficial email format I started and is probably efficient and/or lazy, but I can't help assuming she hates me or is an Ice Queen. Either way, it's truly doing a number on my nerves. If she calls and ends up being really sugary sweet, I'm either calling bullshit that I've been trolled, suspecting she's a manipulative psychopath, or passing out from the shock. 

 

This isn't overanalysis. This is WWII, I'm Alan Turing, and her emails are the German Enigma Code. 

 

If you're Alan Turing, you're in the wrong field!

[raggy]

I added Google Analytics to my private website which I linked in my SOP, so whenever someone from a University visits it, I can find out. Someone visited it from Arlington, VA, which happened to be around the time of an NSF panel located there(so, a bunch of profs from different schools were in Arlington, VA at that time). Now, I have no way of identifying which University it was 

[jamesy1116]

Got an email from one of my top choices about...financial aid.

 

That's good right? RIGHT?

[museum_geek]

I just got an email from a program requesting that I fill out an anonymous survey about my application experience.  They requested that I fill out the survey by February 13.  Surely this means decisions will be coming out on or shortly after February 13, right?!?!??

[TXInstrument11]

I just got an email from a program requesting that I fill out an anonymous survey about my application experience.  They requested that I fill out the survey by February 13.  Surely this means decisions will be coming out on or shortly after February 13, right?!?!??

IMO, I would actually assume the opposite, especially if they just want to ask stupid questions about the website design and/or their instructions. Has anyone else had experience with these surveys before?

[museum_geek]

It was an anonymous survey and the questions were mostly about the importance of certain factors in our decision to apply, how we found out about the program, etc.  They also asked us where else we applied and how far up our list the program is.  Based on the results search they sent out acceptances mid-February last year so the 2/13 deadline had me thinking they might start sending out decision the week of 2/16...

[thissiteispoison]

So I have implicit rejections (heard nothing when most acceptances are in) from Berkeley and CMU, but MIT bothered to interview me. Why? 

 

I'm starting to feel like I'm not going to get in anywhere. 

[1Q84]

A DGS who called me to inform me I was on the wait list said he would email me with his office # so that we could "keep in touch" during the application process. This was on Jan 27. I didn't hear back at all from him so I emailed him Feb 1 with my office # and asked for his in return. Still no reply. I'm assuming he's very busy at this period but I can't help but think they silently withdrew me from the wait list and now just don't want to bother telling me.

 

What should I do?! Email again? Give the department a call? I don't want to pester the guy...

[ballwera]

Interview / Recruitment day invite from one of my top choices came yesterday... Worded as such (pararphrased) : a recruitment weekend w/ a tour of facilities, meet and greet w/ students and faculty, along with an opportunity for an informal interview. Does that sound weird to anyone else?

[TransferFunction]

A DGS who called me to inform me I was on the wait list said he would email me with his office # so that we could "keep in touch" during the application process. This was on Jan 27. I didn't hear back at all from him so I emailed him Feb 1 with my office # and asked for his in return. Still no reply. I'm assuming he's very busy at this period but I can't help but think they silently withdrew me from the wait list and now just don't want to bother telling me.

 

What should I do?! Email again? Give the department a call? I don't want to pester the guy...

I wouldn't think calling the dept or e-mailing him again after some time is out of line. He did say to keep in touch! Don't lose hope

 

So I just got an e-mail from the graduate school of admissions and they told me they've reviewed my application but they couldn't proceed as there were missing my official transcript. I've already gotten an e-mail from the department before requesting the transcript and I sent, by their request, the unofficial transcripts for them to review. I believe I may be over-thinking this but since the second notice was coming from the graduate school, not the department, would it be safe to assume that a decision has been made and they're are just waiting for the transcript to notify me of their decision?

[.letmeinplz//]

I wouldn't think calling the dept or e-mailing him again after some time is out of line. He did say to keep in touch! Don't lose hope

 

So I just got an e-mail from the graduate school of admissions and they told me they've reviewed my application but they couldn't proceed as there were missing my official transcript. I've already gotten an e-mail from the department before requesting the transcript and I sent, by their request, the unofficial transcripts for them to review. I believe I may be over-thinking this but since the second notice was coming from the graduate school, not the department, would it be safe to assume that a decision has been made and they're are just waiting for the transcript to notify me of their decision?

Perhaps they cannot finalize their decision until the application is marked as complete (if your official transcript is the only item left to complete your app). The official transcript might be a University wide requirement before any action (I assume a positive action since a rejection comes to incomplete applications as well) can be taken on the application.

 

That said, weird that they want an official transcript. All of my applications except for one wanted just a scanned version of the official and I would only need an official transcript if I was accepted (and accepted their acceptance). Something about saving trees I imagine.

Edited February 4, 2015 by <ian>

[Zoethor2]

Perhaps they cannot finalize their decision until the application is marked as complete (if your official transcript is the only item left to complete your app). The official transcript might be a University wide requirement before any action (I assume a positive action since a rejection comes to incomplete applications as well) can be taken on the application.

 

That said, weird that they want an official transcript. All of my applications except for one wanted just a scanned version of the official and I would only need an official transcript if I was accepted (and accepted their acceptance). Something about saving trees I imagine.

 

And maybe kindly saving money for us applicants - geez louise my undergraduate university has got a racket going on official transcripts.

[FoggyAnhinga]

Whenever a POI says "thank you for your interest", that always sends chills down my spine... not that it's a harmful statement or anything, but since I've always associated that sentence with concluding remarks in most rejection letters in the past... 

[chrissysparkle]

Cannot stop reading this email over and over and over again...WHAT DOES IT MEAN I CAN'T STOP PARSING IT FOR CLUES HALP ME.

 

"I am contacting you with regard to your application to the (insert program here).  Your application for funding is currently under consideration and will undergo a shortlisting process over the next few days, in terms of the funding you are eligible for. Please note that you might be contacted to attend an interview on or shortly after 4^th February. If your application is shortlisted, the interviews will take place on Monday 9th, Tuesday 10th and Thursday 12th of February, with a possibility of conducting them via phone or Skype."

 

...so...wait. Why would they be considering me for funding if they haven't made a decision about the applications yet? OR is this telling me that they HAVE decided and I'm in and they're now just working out whether or not to give me money? OR is my getting in or not getting in contingent on me getting or not getting funding?

 

UGH HATING THIS