TOMORROW IS MARCH

[normajeane]

AND STILL NOTHING

 

Someone please tell me what this means???  Is it normal for letters to wait to roll in 2 1/2 - 3 months after you've applied?  The wait is excruciating, I'm normally a very social individual;  I go out with my friends and enjoy my weekends but since beginning this process I have no desire to do anything except lay around and play video games or Netflix/HBO binge and WAIT.  I keep reading that no news is good news and I also read that if you've made it to March without rejection, you're probably in the clear.  Is this true?  Please share your experience so far or tell if you're in the same boat mentioned above.  NO LETTERS THRU MARCH PEOPLE UNITE!!

[pascal_barbots_wager]

...I keep reading that no news is good news and I also read that if you've made it to March without rejection, you're probably in the clear...

 

No news is better than a rejection, but at least in Computer Science most schools will send out most of their rejections in mid-late March once they have a good idea of which accepted students will actually matriculate.

[BeatrizBear]

AND STILL NOTHING

 

Someone please tell me what this means???  Is it normal for letters to wait to roll in 2 1/2 - 3 months after you've applied?  The wait is excruciating, I'm normally a very social individual;  I go out with my friends and enjoy my weekends but since beginning this process I have no desire to do anything except lay around and play video games or Netflix/HBO binge and WAIT.  I keep reading that no news is good news and I also read that if you've made it to March without rejection, you're probably in the clear.  Is this true?  Please share your experience so far or tell if you're in the same boat mentioned above.  NO LETTERS THRU MARCH PEOPLE UNITE!!

Has anyone posted acceptances to the departments you've applied to?

[EnfantTerrible]

I'm sort of in the same boat - have one acceptance, but have heard nothing from the other three places I applied to (one of which I interviewed at). My sense is I'm probably on a waiting list. Would be great to hear from people who went through this in previous years!

[BeatrizBear]

I'm sort of in the same boat - have one acceptance, but have heard nothing from the other three places I applied to (one of which I interviewed at). My sense is I'm probably on a waiting list. Would be great to hear from people who went through this in previous years!

 

I'm at the waitlist for Pittsburgh but they did not notify me. If you see people posting rejections and acceptances and it's been a while since then, I would go ahead and email someone about it because you might very well be on a waitlist. I emailed the DGS at Pittsburgh and he told me that I was on the waitlist when I asked about the status of my application.

[normajeane]

Has anyone posted acceptances to the departments you've applied to?

Yes, just LSU but I have received no feedback from them since I visited them early December

[rodd5268]

I've applied to 4 schools: Baylor, UT Houston, UT southwestern, and University of Oklahoma HSC.

 

Interviewed at Baylor and heard back mid February. Interviewing at OUHSC, haven't heard a thing from the other two. UT Houston posts the dates of their interview weekends, and the last one is next Thursday and Friday, so, since I haven't heard anything from them, I'm assuming I'm rejected. UT Southwestern, I'm not sure what to think

 

Do you guys think that some schools will just not contact you at all?

[Vandiemenlander]

I applied to two masters programs. One has several acceptances posted. the other does not.. I've made peace with the likely rejection.

 

At best my chances are slim and growing moreso.

 

I DID email both programs. One says I'll know by late march. The other, 'you're under review'

[AnomalousApplicant]

While I have heard back from 6 psychology programs already(all bad news), for the remaining ones I have left, it is painful. Hopefully, everyone hears something soon!

Edited March 1, 2015 by JLS912

[Faipang]

If you see people posting rejections and acceptances and it's been a while since then, I would go ahead and email someone about it because you might very well be on a waitlist. 

 

Can anyone else confirm how likely this is? 

[Holly44]

Can anyone else confirm how likely this is? 

 

From what I have seen, most schools send out rejections at the same time. So if you've seen a bunch of people posting about rejections and/or acceptances, it could be possible that you're on a list. It wouldn't hurt to call your program and ask. 

[shadowclaw]

I'm thrilled that tomorrow is March. I got a few rejections early on (beginning of January), but I haven't heard a peep out of my remaining programs. Two of my 5 remaining programs do interviews, and sadly, I was not invited. Having not been rejected, I am likely on a waitlist (though they didn't tell me). I don't expect to get an official rejection until April (or perhaps a last minute miracle offer if a bunch of people decline their offers), which is what most of my prospective PhD programs did last time I applied.

For the programs that don't interview, I am expecting news sometime in March, although FIU does have some results for April. But I'm hoping they'll get everything settled in March! It would be fitting to get an acceptance letter during spring break, since that's when I got my acceptance to my masters program 2 years ago.

I'm also eagerly awaiting the results of the NSF GRFP, which has been sending out letters anywhere from March 30 to April 10. Winning the fellowship would likely get my suspected waitlists turned into acceptances, plus would provide me with substantially more funding than what these schools typically offer.

So March is an exciting month for me. I'm really hoping for some good news.

[pisces92]

I am almost in the same boat. I applied to eight universities, have gotten rejection from 1 only.. Have seen people getting acceptances and rejections from almost half the 5/7 programs I applied to.

 

Fingers crossed 

[floatingmolecule]

Some of the schools I applied to conduct interviews for which I was not invited. There is no indication that there is more than one round of interviews (one school explicitly lists its interview dates), so I fail to understand why those not invited were not rejected immediately?  If they already have a wait list, what do they need the rest of us for? 

 

As an international applicant I am likely facing even more complications, due to the preference of domestic or in-state students and the higher degree of funding required to sustain me.  I wonder if these elements are prolonging the wait as well?

It is so agonizing to think I might just be on some mailing list that gets a round of rejections sent out come March/April, without any further word, because I wasn't even important enough for an update.  It is strange how initially some of the schools showed interest, requesting further references, telling me I am under consideration and then, all of a sudden, fell silent, not even bothering to reply when I wrote them a message.  I still hope and dream that maybe I still have a chance, but every week that passes seems to deflate that possibility.

Edited March 1, 2015 by floatingmolecule

[HistoryGypsy]

I just wish they would say something -- even just a form email that says, "Sorry, we still have no idea whether or not we want you." Anything is better than complete silence.

[floatingmolecule]

Yes, the complete silence leaves too much room for speculation.  At least "we have no idea" tells you:  You can still dream, everything is possible, whereas complete silence has me oscillating from "they want you, but have to wait on funding", to "they might want you, but you aren't a top choice" to "you're just another statistic on the rejection mailing list" to "they think you are so worthless they forgot about you".  The rollercoaster goes from an absolute high to a low in a matter of minutes and it makes me feel terrible.  I can't heal from the rejection or properly feed on my hope or do anything, really, except carry this anxiety around with me wherever I go.  

To think, at the beginning of the year, I was hardly thinking about the status of my applications, figuring I'd know most of the answers by the time February rolled in.  And now?  The first thing I do every morning is check for notifications and come here.

Edited March 1, 2015 by floatingmolecule

[LYJ]

while i started hearing painful rejections from early Feb, it is still more painful to remind myself that out of 11 schools I applied to, I was rejected from 10 schools....Only 1 left.....and haven't heard anything.

im thinking i overestimated myself a bit too much....now im mainly just trying to maintain serenity in my mind...which means i have mostly given up.

[floatingmolecule]

@LYJ (Sorry, the "quote" function isn't working on my computer at the moment)

You are international too, so you are probably dealing with the same problems that I am facing.  Every program I applied to indicated that only a small number (if any) international students will be accepted.... it is perhaps, a consolation to know that we are dealing with a much more competitive selection process, BUT, it does not change the fact that complete rejection means a further year of stalling, waiting and going through everything all over again.
I am sorry that you have had to deal with 10 rejections - I have only had one and it stung badly enough.  I hope that your last school is just waiting on funding or something else less ominous and that you will get an acceptance this year.
Let's (continue) to keep our fingers crossed.

[Cpt Jo]

You are international too, so you are probably dealing with the same problems that I am facing.  Every program I applied to indicated that only a small number (if any) international students will be accepted....

It's strange they aren't more concerned by internationals. That's not the feeling I have in the UK, where they boast their 'international outlook'.

Funding them is a different matter.

 

[floatingmolecule]

It's strange they aren't more concerned by internationals. That's not the feeling I have in the UK, where they boast their 'international outlook'.

Funding them is a different matter.

 

I have often wondered how my target universities would have reacted to me had I come packaged with external funding.  The institutions I applied to are all "state" universities, since I did not have the publications, prizes or conference experience to make me competitive enough for most private schools. I imagine that my lack of funding plays a large role in their lack of enthusiasm to accept me, since it is much cheaper to accept American students in a similar position. 

[Cpt Jo]

I have often wondered how my target universities would have reacted to me had I come packaged with external funding.  The institutions I applied to are all "state" universities, since I did not have the publications, prizes or conference experience to make me competitive enough for most private schools. I imagine that my lack of funding plays a large role in their lack of enthusiasm to accept me, since it is much cheaper to accept American students in a similar position. 

Why didn't you apply to private unis then?

 

It's the same in the UK, oversea fees are much higher and therefore difficult to fund. My PhD in History costs £4,600 at KCL for EU students, but £16,600 for internationals... No funding for them obviously... in central London...

[floatingmolecule]

Why didn't you apply to private unis then?

 

It's the same in the UK, oversea fees are much higher and therefore difficult to fund. My PhD in History costs £4,600 at KCL for EU students, but £16,600 for internationals... No funding for them obviously... in central London...

 

 

I didn't apply to them because I am quite impoverished and only had a limited source of funds at my disposal for application fees.  I observed that the typical candidate being accepted by private institutions had more illustrious credentials than I (publications, conferences and awards) and so I figured that it was safer to place my bet on middle and lower tier public universities that offered full funding for those in need in case of acceptance.  I chose those institutions that had interesting programs that would make a great fit and hoped for the best.

It seems my wager did not pay off, as I have not received a single acceptance. 

 

Do you receive internal or external funding? 

 

Edited March 1, 2015 by floatingmolecule

[Cpt Jo]

I didn't apply to them because I am quite impoverished and only had a limited source of funds at my disposal for application fees.  I observed that the typical candidate being accepted by private institutions had more illustrious credentials than I (publications, conferences and awards) and so I figured that it was safer to place my bet on middle and lower tier public universities that offered full funding for those in need in case of acceptance.  I chose those institutions that had interesting programs that would make a great fit and hoped for the best.

It seems my wager did not pay off, as I have not received a single acceptance. 

 

Do you receive internal or external funding? 

 

Ah yes, application fees. We don't have that in the EU.

I don't really know about the USA, but in the UK, Oxbridge have several subject/country bursaries for which competition is much less fierce, so it is sometimes easier to get funding from there than from less famous unis.

 

I haven't received funding yet, decisions will be given in April. I'll see if my strategy was the best one.

 

Try again next year perhaps.

[floatingmolecule]

Ah yes, application fees. We don't have that in the EU.

I don't really know about the USA, but in the UK, Oxbridge have several subject/country bursaries for which competition is much less fierce, so it is sometimes easier to get funding from there than from less famous unis.

 

I haven't received funding yet, decisions will be given in April. I'll see if my strategy was the best one.

 

Try again next year perhaps.

Do you finance yourself through a job or savings? I will be trying again next year and rethinking my flaws and room for improvement. Maybe I will have better luck then.

[Cpt Jo]

Do you finance yourself through a job or savings? I will be trying again next year and rethinking my flaws and room for improvement. Maybe I will have better luck then.

I'm still a student in France. Education is free there and I have benefits from the State; on the other hand it's impossible to find a real job. I won't go to the UK unless I receive funding.

 

Take a look at Oxford funding database and see if there are some funding for you in case you still want to do a postgrad degree. Some bursaries have a small pool of applicants. For instance, this one is reserved to students from Cyprus who can enrol at Brasenose college; if you fit the requirement, it's certainly easier to get that one than a Rhodes scholarship. Check other wealthy unis if you find similar scholarships. Usually they have been created after a gift by an alumni from said country