WINE, WAIT, AND WHINE THREAD

[hippyscientist]

Ahhh I just got my exam grade back from one I did a few weeks ago, and I aced it  

Aaaaannnnddddd breathe. 2 more exams to come back until I know for certain how fall term grades look. I'd love to be able to send these into my PhD applications, as they're so much more reflective of my potential than my undergrad grades. Plus I've definitely refined my research interests since applying, same area just more theoretical and statistical than 100% experimental.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

@piglet33 Congrats  I'm sure that few weeks of waiting didn't help the anxiety any!

 

Also, @rosali I was also told to apply to some safety schools. I went to go visit an Ivy League (hahaha!) since it was close to a school where I have an ACTUAL chance, and they told me that I might want to look into a school that isn't even ranked in the top 200. THANKS BRO

[gingin6789]

*paces around thread*

Woke up to - - no, not an acceptance - - NO Internet!! What!! I thought, for sure, that I had missed *THE* email because of no Internet access, so I tried to busy myself by using the super slow 3g, having breakfast, getting dressed, and fixing my hair. 

Got Internet back, and... Of course I missed nothing at all haha! I know I'm going to get some kind of notice (acceptance, Interview, rejection) whenever I'm *not* obsessing about this process. It'll just show up when I'm taking out the trash or taking a nap etc. I know it! 

[haltheincandescent]

The friend I applied with and I both got notifications about interviews with Duke today! We both work in different departments at the library, and when he got his, he ran upstairs: "Hey! Check your email!" And there it was. (It's supposed to be quiet on my floor, but...oh well; lots of excited chattering) Because: an interview with Fredric Jameson (who, for those not in lit/cultural studies, is a huge, huge figure in the field). Excited & terrified in equal parts.

[hippyscientist]

@haltheincandescent congrats! (and congrats to anyone else's acceptances/interviews I might have missed). 

I was supposed to have an interview either this week or next (Skype) but the POI still hasn't got in touch about specifics. I'll give them til tomorrow then email again and ask to know when it will be, as time differences mean I will have to shuffle my schedule around and the more notice I have the better. 

[rosali]

2 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Also, @rosali I was also told to apply to some safety schools. I went to go visit an Ivy League (hahaha!) since it was close to a school where I have an ACTUAL chance, and they told me that I might want to look into a school that isn't even ranked in the top 200. THANKS BRO

Isn't it the worst? When the implication is "Uhhhh, no, you're definitely not going to cut it." Ugh, it's awful. As a result, I'm afraid I thought too highly of my abilities when I applied to schools...I'm so worried I'm not going to get in anywhere, and then I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself. I'm not qualified for anything!

[rosali]

@Neist But now I'm obsessing over it, and how I overestimated my abilities, and I'm not qualified for anything!

[hippyscientist]

Just now, rosali said:

 I'm afraid I thought too highly of my abilities when I applied to schools...I'm so worried I'm not going to get in anywhere

Oh god this. The lowest ranked school I applied for was top 10...

[rosali]

@piglet33  At least we know we're not alone haha.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

@rosali You definitely ARE qualified. If you weren't, no one would have written you a letter of recommendation.

 

[genderboi]

2 hours ago, haltheincandescent said:

The friend I applied with and I both got notifications about interviews with Duke today! We both work in different departments at the library, and when he got his, he ran upstairs: "Hey! Check your email!" And there it was. (It's supposed to be quiet on my floor, but...oh well; lots of excited chattering) Because: an interview with Fredric Jameson (who, for those not in lit/cultural studies, is a huge, huge figure in the field). Excited & terrified in equal parts.

Congrats @haltheincandescent! I didn't get an email  Going to hold off until 5 before I lose hope. Do you know if they interview all potential applicants? 

Edited January 21, 2016 by genderboi

[haltheincandescent]

3 minutes ago, genderboi said:

Congrats @haltheincandescent! I didn't get an email  Going to hold off until 5 before I loose hope. Do you know if they interview all potential applicants? 

 Sorry to hear you didn't hear from them.

For the rest, all I know is what I managed to find on these forums from the last couple of years--if it's the same, they interview ~15-20 by skype, then ~8 of those get invited to campus for a second interview, then ~6 of those are admitted, with the others from the 8, and some(?) from the original round also on the wait list--overall, a really intense process. (Who knows if it's the same this year, though) I guess in the case that enough turn them down, they'd go back and pull from those not interviewed--though, I really hate to say, I don't know how likely that would be to happen.

Here's hoping for better news for you in the next few weeks-

[genderboi]

8 minutes ago, haltheincandescent said:

 Sorry to hear you didn't hear from them.

For the rest, all I know is what I managed to find on these forums from the last couple of years--if it's the same, they interview ~15-20 by skype, then ~8 of those get invited to campus for a second interview, then ~6 of those are admitted, with the others from the 8, and some(?) from the original round also on the wait list--overall, a really intense process. (Who knows if it's the same this year, though) I guess in the case that enough turn them down, they'd go back and pull from those not interviewed--though, I really hate to say, I don't know how likely that would be to happen.

Here's hoping for better news for you in the next few weeks-

Thanks! Yes, hopefully better news to come. 

I find this admission statistics chart really useful, too! https://gradschool.duke.edu/about/statistics/literature-phd-admissions-and-enrollment-statistic

[rosali]

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny Woah, you have no idea how much better that made me feel. Thank you!

[Neist]

26 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

@rosali You definitely ARE qualified. If you weren't, no one would have written you a letter of recommendation.

I agree!

My bigger concern was whether I accurately portrayed my abilities and potential within my application materials. I spent a good deal of effort preparing them, so I think I have.

Even if I did portray myself accurately, there's probably a dozen reasons why I wouldn't be accepted. Those reasons have nothing to do with me (applicant pool size, quality, etc.).

Let's just hope that all of us get really lucky.  

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

When I had a phone call with a professor from UIUC, I said "You probably know more about me than I do myself after reading my application, my whole life is on there!"

Could I have said anything stupider?

[rosali]

2 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

When I had a phone call with a professor from UIUC, I said "You probably know more about me than I do myself after reading my application, my whole life is on there!"

Could I have said anything stupider?

I think it's kind of cute (for lack of a better word)! You're really dedicated to/excited about your work!

Also, I feel the same way about my applications. My writing sample was my undergrad thesis, and it took me close to two and a half years to write.

[intellect954]

How do any of you have any results yet? Is Anthropology just that slow?

GRE:

V161

Q157

AWA5.5

I did the Peace Corps in China for two straight years, I'm rather fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and I hope to pursue a cultural anthropology PhD with a focus on women and sexuality in western China. I think the schools I chose are a bit out of my league, and UW is the only MA I applied for -- the rest are all PhDs. Ugh, I am so nervous. I hope to start hearing SOMETHING back by the end of February, but I am so nervous!

[gingin6789]

1 minute ago, intellect954 said:

How do any of you have any results yet? Is Anthropology just that slow?

GRE:

V161

Q157

AWA5.5

I did the Peace Corps in China for two straight years, I'm rather fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and I hope to pursue a cultural anthropology PhD with a focus on women and sexuality in western China. I think the schools I chose are a bit out of my league, and UW is the only MA I applied for -- the rest are all PhDs. Ugh, I am so nervous. I hope to start hearing SOMETHING back by the end of February, but I am so nervous!

*raises mug of coffee to you* things have been slow over here with your sister discipline, sociology. Some sociology programs have sent out acceptances, but not many. What keeps me going is that the longer wait means they're taking their time to really go through each application. But it's so hard to keep the patience, I know! 

[haltheincandescent]

6 minutes ago, intellect954 said:

How do any of you have any results yet? Is Anthropology just that slow?

From what I can tell from these boards, I think most humanities/social sciences programs notify a little later than the hard/life sciences, etc.--& especially those that don't do interviews. My one solid acceptance is surprisingly early--for mine that don't interview, late Feb/early March is about when they say they'll send out decisions.

Edited January 21, 2016 by haltheincandescent

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

Also, real talk... what do you say in an interview when asked "Tell me about yourself?"

[intellect954]

I just want to get into a PhD program where they throw a bunch of money at me -- is that so much to ask for? ;P

[hippyscientist]

I think /most/ acceptances/notifications come out mid-Feb, early March so we've all got a bit more waiting to do! 

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny "Tell me about yourself"

Gosh where to begin, I applied here because I'm really interested in knees and how they respond to surgery. This is because when I was an international athlete I saw so many of my friends, teammates and competitors undergo reconstructive surgeries at ages as young as 12. Also, being an athlete exposed me to a whole world - I got to travel lots, experience a variety of cultures as we normally stayed with locals, I loved seeing all of this and it fuelled my passion for travel. I've been around the world twice alone at 18 and 20 respectively, went to martial arts camp in thailand which was an incredible experience, went surfing/hiking/meditating in Bali for a month. It was amazing as I got to work as a freelance journalist at that time writing about what I saw and experienced.  I used to play the flute, and was in choir which led me to performing at the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall.  I realised I couldn't be an athlete, and a musician and a good student so something had to give. It was my music, but I still love it! I'm really keen about bands...

I then quite often get asked more about whether I still compete and go into detail about a couple of serious injuries that meant I transitioned out of my main sport and into martial arts and weightlifting. It's awesome because these are super related to what I want to do. I normally throw in that I was in a plane crash as that's pretty memorable!

 

I never really go into my family, or home situation. It's all about my interests, how they've shaped me and why I am where I am today. This was a very brief slapdash answer while I'm cooking (oohh could have mentioned my foodie tendancies too), but it kinda gives an example.

Edited January 21, 2016 by piglet33

[johnnycomelately]

I have been silently waiting and agonizing along with you all. So first congrats to all with good news-be it interviews or acceptances. 

I thought I would go mad from anxiety, and that I would be resoundingly rejected from all 5 programs--I spent the last few weeks/months agonizing over my low quant score, an irritating typo in one SOP, leaving a sentence in my writing sample that read "black-and-shite" instead of black-and-white--and yet, as I checked my email this morning I was struck dumb to find out that I have been "recommended for admission with full funding" to an amazing program with amazing an equally amazing advisor. 

[7-11 Coffee]

4 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Also, real talk... what do you say in an interview when asked "Tell me about yourself?"

I think like many interview questions, this is one of that has no "right" or "wrong" answer, except that it would be a good idea to keep the answer succinct, with a natural flow. I would frame an answer in the context of upbringing/background, educational/vocational experiences, and personality traits. Maybe I would take a minute to say where I am from and have lived, then a few minutes on what my passions are and where I would like be professionally/academically in the near future, and another few minutes on how my experiences have shaped the way I think and operate (in the relevant context of the position). The interviewer(s) will probably ask your further questions based on your answer.