WINE, WAIT, AND WHINE THREAD

[hippyscientist]

@Neist agreed. My plan of action is to wait out Feb and if I haven't heard anything from anywhere then I'll enquire, mainly because that's roughly the time-frame I need to start looking at plan B jobs.

 

 

[rosali]

1 hour ago, Neist said:

Yup. Although, I have considered emailing programs asking when they typically make decisions, just to touch base. I haven't contacted some of these programs in months, so it's not as if I'm pestering anyone. However, another part of me says to leave it alone and wallow in my boredom.

I'm guessing I'll probably send a friendly query in a few weeks if there's still no word on the results page or via email.

Here's another thing I think I did wrong in my applications...do people typically contact the departments before applying? Is this a thing? Should I have done that?

[Neist]

Just now, rosali said:

Here's another thing I think I did wrong in my applications...do people typically contact the departments before applying? Is this a thing? Should I have done that?

Some people do. Some people don't. I didn't contact departments unless I had something meaningful to ask. I contacted several departments because I wanted a copy of their graduate student handbook (which covers most things I was curious about).

I wouldn't worry about it if you didn't.

[rosali]

Rejected from Brown! Woohoo, the fun just keeps coming!

[nevermind]

1 hour ago, rosali said:

Here's another thing I think I did wrong in my applications...do people typically contact the departments before applying? Is this a thing? Should I have done that?

I contacted about half (directly to my POI, not to the departments generally). Just basically a "Hey, you aren't planning on leaving any time soon and I'm not throwing away my application fee am I?" email. (Not exactly verbatim.) I told them I was interested in their work, introduced myself/background, and a quick "please for the love of God like me" line at the end. All in all, it was about a short lil' paragraph.

Each professor wrote me back and said that (1) my project seemed interesting and (2) they were looking forward to reading my application and (3) if I found myself wandering about their campuses (on each side of the country...I'm in the midwest) to look them up.

I haven't heard anything from any of the people that I previously contacted. I *have* heard back from one program (for an interview) that I didn't have any prior contact with...and my application made it into the hands of my POI without me apparently indicating my subfield on the application. 

TL;DR: I don't really think it makes a huge difference either way. 

Edited February 4, 2016 by nevermind

[Justwaitingforneuro]

1 hour ago, rosali said:

Here's another thing I think I did wrong in my applications...do people typically contact the departments before applying? Is this a thing? Should I have done that?

I did ask two questions concerning my application material (formal stuff, what they prefer...) I don't think it made any difference...

[hippyscientist]

@rosali it definitely depends. Most of my programs specifically ask for you to contact POIs before submitting applications and one won't even pass it on to the adcom before a professor has agreed to work with you. I think contacting is very field dependent. If it's not required in your field then I wouldn't stress about it.

[gingin6789]

I didn't contact anyone beforehand, and I've been doing well thud application season... So far... One rejection so far though.

Now, I had met many professors before from one of the programs I applied to because that program accepted me for their Master's program, so they already knew me. 

But other than that... No, I didn't reach out to profs! 

I got a really nice email from one of the profs I mentioned in my SOP (I never met him before). He just wanted to congratulate me, said he hoped I'd join the program, and that he looks forward to meeting me... 

*curls up under my blanket and starts getting teary-eyed* I really needed that nice message on a day like today.. 

Edited February 4, 2016 by gingin6789

[123hardasABC]

1 hour ago, rosali said:

Here's another thing I think I did wrong in my applications...do people typically contact the departments before applying? Is this a thing? Should I have done that?

Nope. I didn't email anyone specific, only the admissions regarding logistics (i.e. status of my documents, interview scheduling, etc.). I personally don't think it affected my application chances. 

[Justwaitingforneuro]

Interviews are on the 11th and 12th. I have not heard back yet. I wonder if I should slowly get used to the thought of being rejected...

[Neist]

31 minutes ago, nevermind said:

TL;DR: I don't really think it makes a huge difference either way. 

Yup.

I'm not sure if most people have really dug into specifics, but some admissions committees aren't very large. For example, RPI's STS program only used to have 3 of the 17 faculty members on their adcom (no clue if this is still the case). At OU, where I am now, none of my letter writers are on the adcom, and this is in a department with ~14 faculty members. When you take into account departmental politics, who knows if a POI taking interest in you means anything at all.

I'm sure it doesn't hurt if you did, assuming you didn't pester anyone, but I've heard quite a few stories of people getting accepted into very competitive programs devoid of any previous contact.

[123hardasABC]

This is kind of a stupid question...but I just got an email to reapply for FAFSA. Am I supposed to if I'm intending to start a fully funded program next academic year? 

[Neist]

1 minute ago, 123hardasABC said:

This is kind of a stupid question...but I just got an email to reapply for FAFSA. Am I supposed to if I'm intending to start a fully funded program next academic year? 

To my knowledge, you go ahead and apply and list every school you may potentially attend. You can apply to FAFSA for more than one school.

Someone more knowledgeable might want to verify that.

[Foreveronward]

2 hours ago, rosali said:

Here's another thing I think I did wrong in my applications...do people typically contact the departments before applying? Is this a thing? Should I have done that?

In my field it's pretty common that you reach out. It helps ensure that the professor you'd love to work with isn't on sabbatical and that they're actually accepting students. It also gets them aware of you early. 

I think that contacting a professor early really helped me. I had initially emailed them in hopes to do research with him over the summer. My Master's requires a thesis and an internship but the director agreed to take a summer of research and a thesis given my PhD aspirations. Anyways, they (the PoI) were super nice and told me that they would spending the summer writing but offered to talk on the phone with me instead. We ended up talking for about 30 minutes and they suggested faculty at a school nearby and offered to vouch for me. I also visited them on a break and we discussed their research for about an hour. Lastly, they asked I keep them informed of all my progress and we talked on the phone to discuss the application process to that school. It was extremely useful information- I found out that they encouraged cross disciplinary work and even if a student wanted to work with someone on sabbatical the adcomm would consider them based on their overall fit to the college as a whole. 

Long story short, if it's not going to be seen as weird in your field, I recommend you do it. Other students on here that are in your discipline should know, and you can ask faculty too!

[rhombusbombus]

I contacted 1 to 2 people per school, but we only exchanged a couple of emails. It was more so that they would recognize my name when I applied.

The only poi I regularly talk with is my UCR one, but that seems a little out or the ordinary.

 

 

Note: made it to penn state. took a 3 hr nap. Was invited to trivia, but don't feel like getting lost at night in the cold. ordered cheesesteaks. Now doing some recon for my interviews tomorrow.

Edited February 5, 2016 by rhombusbombus

[Demeter]

@rhombusbombus Hope you have a great interview tomorrow! Thinking of you with good thoughts. 

 

For myself, I am binging TV when I'm not working. My hours have been cut this week, so in the past few days, I've watched: The Age of Adeline, Burnt, The Hundred Foot Journey, The Intern, The Intership, Accepted, Finishing School (1934), Bachelor Mother, Home, Vivacious Lady and the first season of When Calls the Heart. I've also rewatched a few episodes of House, because I needed the background noise. 

I'm running out of movies to watch. I found Accepted to be heartwarming, given that it's like a giant middle finger to the establishment, even if it is farfetched. I need a hobby that makes the waiting easier. 

I should have not gotten a new phone today. All I keep doing is checking my status to "make sure the phone works." 

[rhombusbombus]

I will say this, I'm not as stressed as I was on my first visit here. Maybe because I know I'm already accepted.

It's more about reminding them why they liked me instead of performing for a spot.

[Foreveronward]

I just wanted to thank you all for existing and posting in this topic. I was feeling lonely since my major/concentration has absolutely no posts anywhere else on gradcafe (save for MBAs, which is entirely different than a PhD in Business). You guys have been keeping me sane!

[hippyscientist]

@Foreveronward totally agree with you. My discipline isn't on here (Biomedicine is about the closest I can find and that's not really what I do), and it's awesome to chat with people applying to all different disciplines anyway. I am rooting for everyone!

Have fun @rhombusbombus, please have an ice cream for me! And tell them to let me know if I'm accepted or not...  But hey, have fun - this should be a wooing you visit now! Enjoy the woo (does that even make sense? I just woke up).

[pterosaur]

I got my first official interview invite last night. Er, this morning. 2 am. The director of PhD admissions called and clearly knew my application well but somehow didn't put together that I'm the UK. He seemed kind of embarrassed and I think I heard laughing in the background on his end.  But I think it also means that any awkwardness on my part could be excused by being semi-conscious.

[SLPgradstudent]

2 hours ago, pterosaur said:

I got my first official interview invite last night. Er, this morning. 2 am. The director of PhD admissions called and clearly knew my application well but somehow didn't put together that I'm the UK. He seemed kind of embarrassed and I think I heard laughing in the background on his end.  But I think it also means that any awkwardness on my part could be excused by being semi-conscious.

Oh no!  I mean, congratulations @pterosaur!  Glad you got an interview!  Sorry about the unfortunate timing though.  I'm sure he'll forgive your awkwardness/consciousness, what with him calling you at 2 am!  I hope you are accepted (and that they tell you at a reasonable hour!)

[The Interdisciplinarian]

Well, week one of Februgatory is at a close. I'm wondering if a flurry of activity will happen today, as Friday is a big committee meeting day a lot of places, or if Monday will see a deluge.

I'm going to pretend nothing will happen until Monday. This weekend will be like waiting for that climb up the steps to the gallows...

[gingin6789]

21 minutes ago, The Interdisciplinarian said:

Well, week one of Februgatory is at a close. I'm wondering if a flurry of activity will happen today, as Friday is a big committee meeting day a lot of places, or if Monday will see a deluge.

I'm going to pretend nothing will happen until Monday. This weekend will be like waiting for that climb up the steps to the gallows...

Februgatory! Haha! That's a great one. I'm hoping for some news today, too... But if I have to wait another weekend, it won't be too bad. 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

Today is a big committee meeting day? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SHARE THIS? WHYYYYYY

[gingin6789]

10 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Today is a big committee meeting day? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SHARE THIS? WHYYYYYY

I had an interview a week ago, and my interviewer said they were gonna meet "in a week" to make some decisions, so... I'm running around in circles now, metaphorically. Not really running cause I'm too tired.