WINE, WAIT, AND WHINE THREAD

[Foreveronward]

54 minutes ago, bugabooo said:

Being accepted somewhere is great.... the fact that I have up to three months between that acceptance and final funding decisions is SO NOT GREAT. GUYS. How can I make a decision in April if I might not hear about final funding until MAY?

Hey another person interested in I/O! I switched from planning to pursue an I/O PhD to a Business degree. I'm working on my Master's in I/O and I love the field to bits. Still, since we publish in the same journals, maybe we'll both be famous in 20 years! I still feel like we're in the minority compared to Clincial and Developmental though.

It's odd that you have to wait until May. Has the program that accepted you given any indication of why that happens to be so? I mean, surely they know of the April 15th deadline for decisions. Whatever the reason is, once you hear more from the other schools you applied to, I think your decision should get a bit easier. You can figure out what your top two or three are and send a polite email to the department head explaining your dilemma. 

[Familiar Heron]

1 hour ago, bugabooo said:

Being accepted somewhere is great.... the fact that I have up to three months between that acceptance and final funding decisions is SO NOT GREAT. GUYS. How can I make a decision in April if I might not hear about final funding until MAY?

Is it a master's or PhD program? If it's a PhD program, that is 1) absurd and 2) a bad sign of the program's financial health. If it's a master's program, then it may be a question of how much money is left over after PhD students matriculate. Of course, this depends on what degrees are offered at this school, so I may be off the mark. This is not great advice, but just hope that you get another acceptance with funding, and use that to solicit funding info (and possibly a heftier package) from the original school. 

Good luck, and congrats on the admission!

[bugabooo]

10 minutes ago, Foreveronward said:

Hey another person interested in I/O! I switched from planning to pursue an I/O PhD to a Business degree. I'm working on my Master's in I/O and I love the field to bits. Still, since we publish in the same journals, maybe we'll both be famous in 20 years! I still feel like we're in the minority compared to Clincial and Developmental though.

It's odd that you have to wait until May. Has the program that accepted you given any indication of why that happens to be so? I mean, surely they know of the April 15th deadline for decisions. Whatever the reason is, once you hear more from the other schools you applied to, I think your decision should get a bit easier. You can figure out what your top two or three are and send a polite email to the department head explaining your dilemma. 

It's a definite on the minority front! 

The reasoning is that the university should present its own funding/scholarships to me fairly soon, but that my department won't know the details of their assistantships "until april or even early may." Now, honestly, this is my first choice that I'm talking about and I know I will be getting SOME funding from the university through their merit scholarships. I'm visiting the campus in a few weeks and plan on bugging the financial aid office then, in person.

2 minutes ago, Familiar Heron said:

Is it a master's or PhD program? If it's a PhD program, that is 1) absurd and 2) a bad sign of the program's financial health. If it's a master's program, then it may be a question of how much money is left over after PhD students matriculate. Of course, this depends on what degrees are offered at this school, so I may be off the mark. This is not great advice, but just hope that you get another acceptance with funding, and use that to solicit funding info (and possibly a heftier package) from the original school. 

Good luck, and congrats on the admission!

First, thank you!

Now, it is a master's, but PhD is offered as well. The program director did let me know that there are usually only 1 or 2 assistantships granted each year, though those do cover tuition with a stipend. Assistantships outside the department are also a less awesome option, and this program frequently has internship opportunities outside the university as well. I may mention that I was just interviewed at another university and that I'm visiting a third university in the same area during my trip in a few weeks if I get the feeling it may help. 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

1 hour ago, bugabooo said:

Being accepted somewhere is great.... the fact that I have up to three months between that acceptance and final funding decisions is SO NOT GREAT. GUYS. How can I make a decision in April if I might not hear about final funding until MAY?

Wait... seriously?!?! That's like having someone sign a blank contract... I can't believe that's legal!

[bugabooo]

Just now, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Wait... seriously?!?! That's like having someone sign a blank contract... I can't believe that's legal!

I should know about some funding soon, but I learned that the assistantships (so like, what I really want to know about) might not be finalized until then. I should stress that the program director is being very helpful, and he actually seems frustrated that he has to wait to find out how much funding they'll have specifically for GA spots.

[nevermind]

I just had a paper accepted to a graduate school conference (U Arizona)...should I email anyone (grad coordinators at programs I'm waiting on) to let them know about this? Or does it really matter in the scheme of things (most of my programs notify anywhere between now and next week)? I put it on my C.V. as "under review", but perhaps provide an updated C.V.?

Edited: I emailed the department coordinators with the updated info. Hopefully the string of responses won't be "we've already made decisions, but this wouldn't have helped you anyway. Better luck next time!"

 

Edited February 10, 2016 by nevermind

[iloveOM]

2 minutes ago, nevermind said:

I just had a paper accepted to a graduate school conference...should I email anyone (Grad coordinators) to let them know about this? Or does it really matter in the scheme of things?

I really think you should, especially for some school in which you are on the middle of two sides. Who know this news can make or break, so just do it ( word by Shia LaBeouf with no plagiarism purpose )

[hippyscientist]

8 hours ago, iloveOM said:

The schools with Dec deadline are usually late ( or does it implies that I am rejected?), I received 2 interview from schools with 15 Jan deadline but haven't heard anything about the school with 15 Dec deadline.

On the other hand, I bombed my Northwestern interview today... yay..... Considered come back to binge eating As an international student, I do not have the luxury of having a pet. So sad. I think a cat/dog might help me through this difficult time.

My plan, if I get accepted, is to foster dogs. That way I can have the companionship, do something awesome and get around the fact that I may not be able to stay after my programme. Maybe look into that? I hear you, nothing from my January schools, although I had an interview at a November deadline school and a fellowship nomination from a March deadline school! Bizarre. 

I'm also frustrated because when I submitted applications/had my interview my research project was still a "who knows" topic, as we have to pick from a list (don't worry I didn't say that) from advisors. As such I thought I would have to do a crappy project based solely on my departments focus. As it turns out I have an awesome project totally related to what I want to do with PhDs but know that emailing them and saying "hey, you know I said I was going to do XYZ? Well I'm actually doing ABC that is 5million times cooler" isn't going to help anything. Sitting and waiting is hard.

Best of luck everyone.

Edited February 10, 2016 by hippyscientist

[pterosaur]

2 hours ago, nevermind said:

I just had a paper accepted to a graduate school conference (U Arizona)...should I email anyone (grad coordinators at programs I'm waiting on) to let them know about this?

 

I emailed an update to my schools when I became a finalist for a particular fellowship. (The fellowship even recommended doing so.) For one school I got an email the next day about a Skype interview, and an acceptance a week later. Possibly a coincidence, but like suggested, it may tip the scale if you're on the edge. 

Edited February 10, 2016 by pterosaur

[adrienned]

On February 8, 2016 at 10:43 AM, adrienned said:

I've been waiting 8 days. This is tough.

I've been accepted to Cultural Studies PhD at Claremont Graduate University! I submitted on January 31st. Found out informally yesterday. 

 

[Foreveronward]

1 hour ago, adrienned said:

I've been accepted to Cultural Studies PhD at Claremont Graduate University! I submitted on January 31st. Found out informally yesterday. 

 

Congratulations! May all applicants be blessed with such quick turn around times.

[gingin6789]

Hey all *curls up in the thread and settles in*

Got 2 acceptances yesterday which was great, but I learned just how much someone resents me for even applying to these programs. And they said some very mean and hurtful things about me like how I'll *for sure* choose a program without letting my husband know, leaving him behind and destroying our marriage. It was a punch to the gut. This person said they loved me, and now they peg me as some she-demon who would leave her husband behind? 

The important thing is that, while the person who said this means a lot to me, my mom, my husband, and my siblings are all on my side, and they're the ones who are most important. 

So, this person turned my happy champagne into sad champagne last night. Ugh. 

 

Anyone else experience something like this? 

[Neist]

So, in my boredom, I'm looking up relevant YouTube videos.

The internet is weird.

[nightfarmer]

8 hours ago, nevermind said:

I just had a paper accepted to a graduate school conference (U Arizona)...should I email anyone (grad coordinators at programs I'm waiting on) to let them know about this? Or does it really matter in the scheme of things (most of my programs notify anywhere between now and next week)? I put it on my C.V. as "under review", but perhaps provide an updated C.V.?

Edited: I emailed the department coordinators with the updated info. Hopefully the string of responses won't be "we've already made decisions, but this wouldn't have helped you anyway. Better luck next time!"

Since you already acted on this, I guess my advice is for other people reading this with a similar dilemma. I would advise against doing something like this. A grad conference, no offense, is not a big deal. I'd say there's almost no way it would make or break your application in the minds of an admissions committee - especially in mid-February. While not 100% of profs can be expected to react this way, contacting them with this kind of information may elicit the proverbial (or even literal) eye roll or 'so what' response from several of them. The thing is that every single applicant who can reasonably expect to be admitted to a competitive PhD program has a rapidly evolving CV. If you had won a Pulitzer, then maybe making sure they're aware would be beneficial. So again, I'd say it's best not to chance damaging a potentially good impression of you the "delicate geniuses" of the department may have in their mind. (Seinfeld anyone?)

PS: I really hope this didn't come off abrasive or unfriendly, I have just had too many schools/jobs pass me over in recent years - some perhaps due to little mistakes I've made like this. I'm just trying to give people the advice that has been given to me after it was already too late. 

[FoxAndChicken]

Two of the programs I applied to have posted some acceptances. Eep. Doesn't look good for me, sadly. I haven't heard anything official yet, but these two were probably best fit programs for me.  

[nightfarmer]

24 minutes ago, gingin6789 said:

Anyone else experience something like this? 

That really sucks. I don't have the exact same problem as you, but applying last year and reapplying this year almost exclusively to programs requiring me to move far away has, at this point, killed a relationship of 3 years. So, I am also being put in the difficult position of either pursuing my dreams or staying at home with no career prospects. All I can do is wait and hope the one local program comes through and maybe I can fix things. 

So that's adding to the stress of waiting... Again, I'm not actually married and it's not nearly the same problem, but I feel ya. Hang in there.

[Neist]

3 minutes ago, nightfarmer said:

PS: I really hope this didn't come off abrasive or unfriendly, I have just had too many schools/jobs pass me over in recent years - some perhaps due to little mistakes I've made like this. I'm just trying to give people the advice that has been given to me after it was already too late. 

Do you know why specifically you were rejected? If we're just assuming, there's no telling.

I honestly don't think it'll hurt you terribly, and if it does, perhaps that school isn't the place you'd want to spend the next 5-6 years. As long as you're polite and brief, the school or faculty member can politely ignore anything you email to them. A person would have to be fairly volatile to respond to an applicant negatively for a relatively harmless email.

Just my two cents, and I could be wrong.

[nightfarmer]

Just now, Neist said:

Do you know why specifically you were rejected? If we're just assuming, there's no telling.

I honestly don't think it'll hurt you terribly, and if it does, perhaps that school isn't the place you'd want to spend the next 5-6 years. As long as you're polite and brief, the school or faculty member can politely ignore anything you email to them. A person would have to be fairly volatile to respond to an applicant negatively for a relatively harmless email.

Just my two cents, and I could be wrong.

Yes, I totally agree and that is my opinion as well. Why would a simple email saying "where are we in the application process?" or "just an FYI, I was accepted to XYZ conference" be such a big deal? At this point in my life, I have pretty much only ever been on this side of the table. However, I am told by others that these kinds of things come off as impatient and make people seem weird and desperate. I totally agree with you, but I'm just telling you what I've been told by people who have been on the other side of the table - these things seem to be "you can only hurt your chances" situations unfortunately... And as for turning down a program based on that characteristic, you may not get a choice.

[Neist]

5 minutes ago, nightfarmer said:

And as for turning down a program based on that characteristic, you may not get a choice.

If hostile environments were my only options I'd probably reconsider going to graduate school.

I can only speak for myself, but I'm going to graduate school because I want to learn, and I want to wherever I go to be the ideal place to learn. To me, an ideal place to learn is not one where I'm constantly worrying about the volatility of those around me. I'd much rather go to a low ranked school where I'm skillfully mentored than a place where I'm always on edge.

[nevermind]

55 minutes ago, nightfarmer said:

Since you already acted on this, I guess my advice is for other people reading this with a similar dilemma. I would advise against doing something like this. A grad conference, no offense, is not a big deal. I'd say there's almost no way it would make or break your application in the minds of an admissions committee - especially in mid-February. While not 100% of profs can be expected to react this way, contacting them with this kind of information may elicit the proverbial (or even literal) eye roll or 'so what' response from several of them. The thing is that every single applicant who can reasonably expect to be admitted to a competitive PhD program has a rapidly evolving CV. If you had won a Pulitzer, then maybe making sure they're aware would be beneficial. So again, I'd say it's best not to chance damaging a potentially good impression of you the "delicate geniuses" of the department may have in their mind. (Seinfeld anyone?)

PS: I really hope this didn't come off abrasive or unfriendly, I have just had too many schools/jobs pass me over in recent years - some perhaps due to little mistakes I've made like this. I'm just trying to give people the advice that has been given to me after it was already too late. 

I agree that a graduate student conference isn't a "big deal" and certainly not on par with national conferences for one's discipline, publishing in top-tier journals, or other impressive things other candidates have. However, if a program is going to ding me by trying to better myself / improve professionally (in this case, getting feedback on a paper that I'd eventually like to present to a national conference and possibly publish), that's their choice and I probably wouldn't want to attend an environment that "eyerolls" at minor achievements. I've been out of graduate school for 3 years (working professionally) and saw this as a chance to get "back into the game" so to speak. 

FWIW, I emailed the graduate coordinators with the update (not DGS or POI), as I assume they know whether or not adcoms have met/made decisions. I simply stated that I had an update to my application but understand that it's so late in the cycle that it might not matter but that I wanted to err on the side of caution knowing I've provided the most comprehensive information (to date) for the committee. I feel like that's a reasonable request and not a "desperate" move. 

Edited February 10, 2016 by nevermind

[FoxAndChicken]

14 minutes ago, Neist said:

If hostile environments were my only options I'd probably reconsider going to graduate school.

I can only speak for myself, but I'm going to graduate school because I want to learn, and I want to wherever I go to be the ideal place to learn. To me, an ideal place to learn is not one where I'm constantly worrying about the volatility of those around me. I'd much rather go to a low ranked school where I'm skillfully mentored than a place where I'm always on edge.

I kind of enjoy being around condescending people. I put myself in a lot of hostile environments, because it often pushes me to do better. I hang around a bunch of undergraduate math majors who think my field is a hand-wavey version of what they do. It's good because it keeps me from getting complacent, and it makes me think about why what I do is useful. Which are good skills to have if you ever want to interview for anything. Also, I take a lot of the things they say like "IS THAT A CHALLENGE?" 

But also, there are different kinds of hostile environments, and some of them I definitely wouldn't want to be in. 

[Effloresce]

a professor at the university I was accepted to called me this morning and it reminded me of how sweet everyone was in that program. i wish i could give them a decision but my other top choice program's interview is mid-march! there's so much time in between! 

[Neist]

1 hour ago, gingin6789 said:

Anyone else experience something like this? 

I've gotten a bit off comments from family members that I'm going to be in school forever and there's no point to my education. I've also gotten comments akin to what you've described. I've largely tried to ignore them. None of my family has college experience so it's difficult for them to see the value in what I'm trying to do.

My wife is on my side, and ultimately that's all I really need.

[zachkelley64]

I think I win. In my waiting time I've watched 12 seasons of greys anatomy..... so good. and I like cheap sweet wines since I'm the girliest man ever. much prefer beer though

[Neist]

14 minutes ago, FoxAndChicken said:

I kind of enjoy being around condescending people. I put myself in a lot of hostile environments, because it often pushes me to do better. I hang around a bunch of undergraduate math majors who think my field is a hand-wavey version of what they do. It's good because it keeps me from getting complacent, and it makes me think about why what I do is useful. Which are good skills to have if you ever want to interview for anything. Also, I take a lot of the things they say like "IS THAT A CHALLENGE?" 

But also, there are different kinds of hostile environments, and some of them I definitely wouldn't want to be in. 

Hey, if you like it, than more power to you.  I completely admit I might be unique. I just want to get paid to bury myself in a couple hundred books and produce some decent scholarship. I'm trying to minimize everything that would inhibit that.