WINE, WAIT, AND WHINE THREAD

[raaawr]

1 hour ago, pterosaur said:

Does your brother really not care, or not know how to express it? My brother isn't great at communicating, but after 23 years and a lot of hardship we've gone through together, I know that his apparent lack of emotion isn't a reflection that he doesn't care. Not knowing anything about your situation, though, that may just be asinine to try and interpret a relationship I know nothing about. I really hope you can find someone to talk to, but no matter what know that people care about you!

He was actually the only one I really talked to about my application out of my 3 siblings so I guess I kind of expected more from him. You're probably right though about him not knowing what to say/express himself cause he is still taking his undergrad right now so he hasn't dealt with gradschool apps. I guess I also feel kind of weird saying I'm rejected out loud as well cause now it's really sinking in. I'm still clinging to the hope that I will get accepted but still no interview so it's really unlikely that I would get accepted. Gradschool app season is painfullllll!!! lol.   

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

30 minutes ago, FoxAndChicken said:

And then of course five minutes later I get back

k

sent from my iPhone

Yes!! SO MUCH THIS. 

[Neist]

27 minutes ago, raaawr said:

He was actually the only one I really talked to about my application out of my 3 siblings so I guess I kind of expected more from him. You're probably right though about him not knowing what to say/express himself cause he is still taking his undergrad right now so he hasn't dealt with gradschool apps. I guess I also feel kind of weird saying I'm rejected out loud as well cause now it's really sinking in. I'm still clinging to the hope that I will get accepted but still no interview so it's really unlikely that I would get accepted. Gradschool app season is painfullllll!!! lol.   

This sounds a little horrible, but I've avoided talking to my family about my school. It's difficult for them to understand; None of my family members and very few of my extended family members have college degrees (not even sure if I can think of any, actually..).

Good thing we have Gradcafe, right?  

[The Interdisciplinarian]

28 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Yes!! SO MUCH THIS. 

OMG YES, @FoxAndChicken! Although I have been guilty of the "k" as well. I remember having this insanely complicated email back and forth one late afternoon (after working hours) between myself, my department chair, and another faculty member, all consisting of a bunch of "k" type responses on our phones. I was in the grocery store and the whole thing was stressing me out. I now have a "if this string is making me want to rip my hair out, I will only reply to it sitting down at a computer" policy. But for those quick things, yeah. Eesh, I should stop that.

***

In other news, I'm hoping for good things for those of us still waiting! I'm presenting a paper at a small symposium tomorrow and figured out my admission committee is liking meeting around the same time as my talk. Hoo boy. Like, that is some pressure, yo. If I think POSITIVELY, I suppose it's some sort of cosmic serendipity that can only mean good things. It might also keep me from being nervous at my talk (as in, man, whatevs, I got this paper DOWN; the real stress is happening at that other school, where I am being judged in absentia). If I think negatively, however, it's like two roomfuls of people are deciding whether or not I suck, and both may say "Yep. This lady is pretty dumb all around."

[raaawr]

3 minutes ago, Neist said:

This sounds a little horrible, but I've avoided talking to my family about my school. It's difficult for them to understand; None of my family members and very few of my extended family members have college degrees (not even sure if I can think of any, actually..).

Good thing we have Gradcafe, right?  

I avoid talking to anyone about grad school too. I just did with my brother but he's apparently the wrong person to talk to about it with. You're right, good thing we have gradcafe. lol. I would've lost my sanity awhile ago if not for this thread. 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

4 minutes ago, The Interdisciplinarian said:

 

In other news, I'm hoping for good things for those of us still waiting! I'm presenting a paper at a small symposium tomorrow and figured out my admission committee is liking meeting around the same time as my talk. Hoo boy. Like, that is some pressure, yo. If I think POSITIVELY, I suppose it's some sort of cosmic serendipity that can only mean good things. It might also keep me from being nervous at my talk (as in, man, whatevs, I got this paper DOWN; the real stress is happening at that other school, where I am being judged in absentia). If I think negatively, however, it's like two roomfuls of people are deciding whether or not I suck, and both may say "Yep. This lady is pretty dumb all around."

Yikes! Another way to think of it is "I'm sorry, I was too busy presenting my own research to worry about you peasants meeting to discuss whether or not you like me." 

 

Seriously though, good luck on both fronts

 

[anthrostudentcyn]

I'm going so crazy, still haven't heard from the place where I interviewed, and I caved and emailed my POI this morning. On another note, I've been in contact with professors at two others schools who keep insisting to me interviews aren't being conducting and decisions are still being made AS I SEE: interviews and acceptances on the board. So frustrating. 

[raaawr]

6 minutes ago, anthrostudentcyn said:

I'm going so crazy, still haven't heard from the place where I interviewed, and I caved and emailed my POI this morning. On another note, I've been in contact with professors at two others schools who keep insisting to me interviews aren't being conducting and decisions are still being made AS I SEE: interviews and acceptances on the board. So frustrating. 

how do you guys choose your POI? I'm curious. lol. are the posts you see in the same program?

[anthrostudentcyn]

@raaawr Well this POI was someone I had met with a few months ago to discuss current research I'm doing. This university is in my city, so it was easy to set something up, he encouraged me to apply to their program, and voila. And yeah two programs people have been interviewed at least and one interviewed and accepted and I just keep getting told "we're still making decisions"

[raaawr]

4 minutes ago, anthrostudentcyn said:

@raaawr Well this POI was someone I had met with a few months ago to discuss current research I'm doing. This university is in my city, so it was easy to set something up, he encouraged me to apply to their program, and voila. And yeah two programs people have been interviewed at least and one interviewed and accepted and I just keep getting told "we're still making decisions"

ohhh! so it would be weird if I just randomly emailed the head of the department I applied to now and say, "Ms. Pikachu, I choose you! .. as my POI, so accept me now." lol! is the interview portion not written on the application requirement details on the website of your programs? that's confusing. but at least you have communication with them so it's not so bad, i think?

Edited February 18, 2016 by raaawr

[Neist]

3 minutes ago, anthrostudentcyn said:

@raaawr Well this POI was someone I had met with a few months ago to discuss current research I'm doing. This university is in my city, so it was easy to set something up, he encouraged me to apply to their program, and voila. And yeah two programs people have been interviewed at least and one interviewed and accepted and I just keep getting told "we're still making decisions"

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm leery of absolutely trusting the results. You never know if things have been fabricated or represent highly unusual outliers. Maybe the acceptances are national fellowship awardees and accepting them was a no-brainer.

It's hard to know anything about these applications. It feels so arcane.

[anthrostudentcyn]

@raaawr It's basically who you mention in your SOP. Those get read VERY carefull I've noticed, so do not, by any means, ever, casually throw someone in. 

 

And @Neist I usually don't, but the cases I'm talking about are large amount of interviews/acceptances sent out at the same time and confirmed by current students!

[raaawr]

1 minute ago, anthrostudentcyn said:

@raaawr It's basically who you mention in your SOP. Those get read VERY carefull I've noticed, so do not, by any means, ever, casually throw someone in. 

I didn't namedrop anyone on my SOP. I hadn't known about POI until I got here which was 2 weeks after application deadline. lol.I wish I could randomly hit up a faculty right now but it's so weird I guess.

[Neist]

Just now, raaawr said:

I didn't namedrop anyone on my SOP. I hadn't known about POI until I got here which was 2 weeks after application deadline. lol.I wish I could randomly hit up a faculty right now but it's so weird I guess.

In a few of my applications I stated how I respected a specific faculty member's work and would like their feedback on my current and continuing research.

I don't think you necessarily have to touch bases with POI before applying, but I definitely think one should exercise some finesse when mentioning them. I structured their casual mentions as interesting, potential mentors, but it's tacit that I might have not yet spoken to them.

6 minutes ago, anthrostudentcyn said:

And @Neist I usually don't, but the cases I'm talking about are large amount of interviews/acceptances sent out at the same time and confirmed by current students!

Hm. Weird. 

[raaawr]

4 minutes ago, Neist said:

In a few of my applications I stated how I respected a specific faculty member's work and would like their feedback on my current and continuing research.

I don't think you necessarily have to touch bases with POI before applying, but I definitely think one should exercise some finesse when mentioning them. I structured their casual mentions as interesting, potential mentors, but it's tacit that I might have not yet spoken to them.

Hm. Weird. 

I'll keep that in mind for my next application season. lol. I have 1 year to prepare now.

[Neist]

Just now, raaawr said:

I'll keep that in mind for my next application season. lol. I have 1 year to prepare now.

There's always the possibility that I overthought it, but I'd put hundreds of hours into my applications, so I started getting a little... specific with my self-critiques.  

[nightfarmer]

So tired of seeing that I have an email, which turns out to be a promo from turbotax.

I STOPPED USING YOUR STUPID SERVICE YEARS AGO STOP EMAILING ME

[raaawr]

2 minutes ago, Neist said:

There's always the possibility that I overthought it, but I'd put hundreds of hours into my applications, so I started getting a little... specific with my self-critiques.  

Do you think I could ask the same LOR writers to write LORs for me again for the next cycle? hmmm.. 

[FoxAndChicken]

OMG ADMITTED TO CMU'S MA PROGRAM. SORRY NOT SORRY FOR CAPS. 

[nightfarmer]

1 minute ago, raaawr said:

Do you think I could ask the same LOR writers to write LORs for me again for the next cycle? hmmm.. 

Absolutely. This is my second year applying, and I used 2 of the same rec writers from last year. The only thing that changed was my 3 month long summer research assistantship last summer - I had my supervisor/mentor from that place write me one this year. But if it weren't for that assistantship, I would have used the same 3 people.

[rosali]

@raaawr I think we're in the same boat. I'm fairly certain I got rejected from everywhere I applied, and now I'm worried about asking for LoRs next year. Also, I did no name-dropping either, which I think was a mistake. Ah, well. At least I learned things!

[The Interdisciplinarian]

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Yikes! Another way to think of it is "I'm sorry, I was too busy presenting my own research to worry about you peasants meeting to discuss whether or not you like me." 

 

Seriously though, good luck on both fronts

 

Thank you! And yes, I like your way of framing it better, PFB.

[Neist]

5 minutes ago, raaawr said:

Do you think I could ask the same LOR writers to write LORs for me again for the next cycle? hmmm.. 

Yup! Perfectly acceptable.  

[raaawr]

1 minute ago, FoxAndChicken said:

OMG ADMITTED TO CMU'S MA PROGRAM. SORRY NOT SORRY FOR CAPS. 

Yay! congratulations fox!

1 minute ago, nightfarmer said:

Absolutely. This is my second year applying, and I used 2 of the same rec writers from last year. The only thing that changed was my 3 month long summer research assistantship last summer - I had my supervisor/mentor from that place write me one this year. But if it weren't for that assistantship, I would have used the same 3 people.

That's good to know  I have to still use the same writers even for next year cause I run my own business so there's no one else to write my letter for me other than undergrad professors. lol.

1 minute ago, rosali said:

@raaawr I think we're in the same boat. I'm fairly certain I got rejected from everywhere I applied, and now I'm worried about asking for LoRs next year. Also, I did no name-dropping either, which I think was a mistake. Ah, well. At least I learned things!

you haven't heard any news from your schools yet? what made you assume the rejection? my speculation is based on my lack of interview and my less than stellar portfolio. :/ let's hope for the best this cycle and if we don't make it let's do better for next year!

[nightfarmer]

1 minute ago, rosali said:

@raaawr I think we're in the same boat. I'm fairly certain I got rejected from everywhere I applied, and now I'm worried about asking for LoRs next year. Also, I did no name-dropping either, which I think was a mistake. Ah, well. At least I learned things!

I'm in history, so I think we're in the same humanities boat as far as academia goes. I wouldn't think of it as 'name-dropping' - you're not sucking up to them or anything. You're more saying that the work you intend to do (read: the 'conversation' you want to 'join') fits in perfectly with scholars x, y, and z. You like the work that they do and think they would be a perfect mentor as you research/write about your own areas of interest (which ideally will more or less align). I would recommend, however, making sure you're not coming across as though you think you're already equals with those profs . Sometimes a fine line to tread.