2017 Applications Thread

[heyDW]

My statuses were changed in the middle of the night for Minnesota. I woke up at like 6 one morning to "final review" and then my acceptance was posted at 2am the next day. I actually took some sleeping pills to pass out so I wouldn't have to go through the agony of waiting for my letter to be posted (big mistake-- apparently they cause restless leg syndrome for me, oh god). Since Minnesota is our top choice I am more obsessively checking my partner's application status than the rest of mine (Comm at University of Denver, American Studies at Iowa and Bowling Green State). On the positive side, its def helping me with my DietBet challenge! I can barely eat anything I'm so anxious.

[DBear]

@heyDW I can only imagine! Argh - my empathy gene is very strong so I'm feeling anxious now too, why won't they hurry up and update your partner's status?? And why in the world was the system updated at those hours??

Did you both apply to all the same schools? Maybe I should take a sleeping pill, too (haven't had any side effects yet) my brain won't shut off!

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

Bah, none of the programs I applied to have started sending out admission decisions. 

Two usually start sending things out last week of January (sometime between 25th and 29th), one first week of February, one last week of February, and one is kinda random.

I know I shouldn't be anxious yet about the last 3, but the first two? No one's reported anything on this website regarding interviews or admission decisions and now it's basically the weekend. BAH

[heyDW]

@DBear He applied to Denver, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Bowling Green (comm studies), and Minnesota. Also UPenn on a whim, bahahaha. We love Denver's program but they only fund a few students and we don't know if even if we both got funding that it'll be doable with how high cost of living there. The stipend at Minnesota is pretty good for the area and everyone admitted is guaranteed funding (as it should be-- On principle, I appreciate the program all the more for it). Plus we LOVE the Twin Cities. Sorry, I'm rambling. I can't find anywhere else to talk about PhD where people give a hecky.

Sleep has been my only respite from this agony! I can't imagine if I had interviews and such with the programs you've had. Cryogenic freezing would be better.

[heyDW]

@GreenEyedTrombonist

That is HELL. UMN has had admissions in the past as early as January 13th, so for a good ten days I was reloading my status like literally every 5 minutes. I'm sorry! I hope you hear SOMETHING soon.

[DBear]

Ugh... @GreenEyedTrombonist and @heyDW I hate when the schools are later than they were last year... the suspense is just so cruel!!! Why can't they let us all know sooner?? I mean, some schools have managed to do it, why can't they all?? 

I was typing out this response when I got an email from Wisconsin Madison for my second interview. Apparently they like to have at least 2 members of the faculty talk to the candidates. I was told another professor would be in touch during my first interview and have been waiting for an email for the last couple of days. GEEZ this process is hard. Especially trying to arrange a time that works since I'm on the other side of the planet. My first interview ended up happening at 4:30 am. So I get to be a nervous wreck all day one more time! So those of us here waiting on Wis Mad, be prepared for some torture  

and @heyDW don't apologize for "rambling" (which you didn't even do) that's the whole purpose of this place, isn't it? At least that's what I think it is  Your partner and I overlap in a couple of our schools! It sounds like you're really feeling MN, so I hope you guys can end up there together! That's the best case scenario, right? Denver,,,, yeah, I'd not want to live there as a grad student unless I had a trust fund. 

[heyDW]

@DBear That is nerve-wracking but simultaneously SO EXCITING! Most people I know who have applied haven't even gotten an interview (or they went so poorly they didn't tell me bahaha.) Any idea when it'll happen yet?

[ejpril88]

@heyDW that's so funny about cryogenic freezing  I really hope you two will end up in Minnesota together! I'm not sure what my problem is but I tend to go through life pretty much not getting upset about anything (I think I will end up having a stroke in 10 years from now LOL). Like when we found out my husband has won the Green Card Lottery and that we will move to another continent and our lives will change completely, my reaction was "yay, great!" and of course I was worried about everything but I never had trouble sleeping or eating.

Now I just accepted that I will go to Purdue and my attitude is - if something else comes up, great, if not, that's ok too. Again, probably I will end up having a major meltdown in the future

@DBear I hope it won't be in the middle of the night again.  

Edited January 27, 2017 by ejpril88

[heyDW]

 Haha @ejpril88 or you will live and long and happy life while I die of a heart attack at 35...time will tell hahaha. I'm on anxiety/depression medication (started in November) and I don't even want to THINK about my mental state had I not gotten the prescription just in time! Yeet.

[DBear]

@heyDW The professor asked to speak on Tuesday, but that is like the ONE day I can't talk since I'm going to be on a long haul flight. So I've sent her some alternate dates and waiting to hear back. From what I can gather, it doesn't seem like they have a particular system for when they interview people. If you look at the results page, the interviews are really scattered randomly date-wise. Also, the interview time lines are specific to the particular degree concentrations so people who didn't apply to Rhetoric, Politics, Culture track shouldn't freak out that I got an interview and they didn't. Even those who did apply to the same track shouldn't freak.. it really does seem a bit random.

@ejpril88 OMG I know, right? hahaha luckily the times she suggested were a bit earlier at night. 

[ejpril88]

1 hour ago, DBear said:

The professor asked to speak on Tuesday, but that is like the ONE day I can't talk since I'm going to be on a long haul flight. So I've sent her some alternate dates and waiting to hear back.

Well if that doesn't work out, parachute is always an option (with a risk of ending up in the ocean). We gotta give our best, right?  

[The Shade King]

16 hours ago, DBear said:

That sounds like the information that was provided in the canned email they send out when your application is complete. Hopefully we'll know way before mid Feb, but judging from last year's results, we might have to wait a whole month. 

Hopefully you'll get better news from the remaining 3 Comm programs. I know that there are other people here that have also applied to other departments as well and was wondering, if you get into your top pick for Communication and your top pick for.. I think it was American Studies (sorry if I'm wrong), which do you think you'd go to if all the conditions were pretty much the same (funding etc)? 

 

Oh well of the Comm, urbana had the least amount of fit. I just applied because I liked the African American Studies, History and Anthro program tbh. I am cool with that. As far as the rest two would be great fits and they have a great job placement. The fourth would be cool because they also produce great sport studies scholars. Now as far as deciding between them and American Studies. I have a few heavy hitter programs that I would love to get in that I would lean more toward overall. But I kind of look at things holistically like the place, how far stipend can go, the housing, adjacent departments and if they have a good record of alumni getting jobs.

[The Shade King]

5 hours ago, heyDW said:

@DBear He applied to Denver, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Bowling Green (comm studies), and Minnesota. Also UPenn on a whim, bahahaha. We love Denver's program but they only fund a few students and we don't know if even if we both got funding that it'll be doable with how high cost of living there. The stipend at Minnesota is pretty good for the area and everyone admitted is guaranteed funding (as it should be-- On principle, I appreciate the program all the more for it). Plus we LOVE the Twin Cities. Sorry, I'm rambling. I can't find anywhere else to talk about PhD where people give a hecky.

Sleep has been my only respite from this agony! I can't imagine if I had interviews and such with the programs you've had. Cryogenic freezing would be better.

 

You have many wanting to go to Minnesota so bad. I was waitlisted for another program there. So if I get off I would happily go.

[heyDW]

Good luck @The Shade King! Was talking to a friend of mine who said he got off the waitlist in March after a lot of folks rejected their offers (people seem v turned off by the cold)...which is a long time...BUT STILL! Hope for you yet.

[The Shade King]

9 minutes ago, heyDW said:

Good luck @The Shade King! Was talking to a friend of mine who said he got off the waitlist in March after a lot of folks rejected their offers (people seem v turned off by the cold)...which is a long time...BUT STILL! Hope for you yet.

 

thanks it's my own fault. I had an interview and it was meh. I had just had another with another school for 45 mins and trying to get the mojo for a short 10 mins was not happening. I am happy that I was not outright rejected tbh.  I am also happy that two different fields liked my application. It gives me hope for other programs. I have noticed based on contacting faculty, that either you click or you dont with them.Sadly the faculty that really clicked with me is on sabbatical and is not the admission committee lol but we shall see. I at least knew I am a contender for my other schools. As far as the cold, I live in cold climate currently and I survived 3 NYC winters. I am good, because I love wool and cashmere so the cold is not an issue.

[heyDW]

Random update: a friend of mine received an acceptance from Arizona State University today, no word on funding yet 

[DBear]

10 hours ago, ejpril88 said:

Well if that doesn't work out, parachute is always an option (with a risk of ending up in the ocean). We gotta give our best, right?  

lol that's so funny - the professor will be like "what's that splashing sound??" and me, "oh, that's just me trying to swim away from the sharks."

@The Shade King That's the thing that makes this whole process so hard - between clicking, credentials, professors being on sabbatical or otherwise not involved with admissions, competition from other candidates... - there are so many factors that we can't prepare for. I think that's the main reason I was fixated on my GRE scores for such a long time because that was the only thing that I felt like I had some control over and that I could objectively assess. Hopefully you and your dream school will find each other!

@heyDW Thanks for the "random update" on ASU - I love the info exchange even if I haven't applied for that program  

[ejpril88]

7 hours ago, DBear said:

lol that's so funny - the professor will be like "what's that splashing sound??" and me, "oh, that's just me trying to swim away from the sharks."

@The Shade King That's the thing that makes this whole process so hard - between clicking, credentials, professors being on sabbatical or otherwise not involved with admissions, competition from other candidates... 

LOL ?

Speaking of other candidates, I wonder how other grad students will behave once I start my studies. Will I find some close friends or they will consider me as competition... I guess this has a lot to do with luck (and of course my attitude towards them). I know a lady who made some great friends during Phd. Then again, I know a guy who told me that people from his cohort were terrible and didn't want to help him at all, not even share some information.

I wish we could all go to the same school guys

Edited January 28, 2017 by ejpril88

[phdthoughts]

@ejpril88 Agree with that sentiment! Wish we could all attend the same school. I actually had a disappointing experience with my cohort in my MA program. Not sure if it was the city, the university or my particular group or a combo of factors, but the atmosphere was unsupportive and rather cold. I did find a group of cool people eventually but it was only after some time. I'm curious if I do get in somewhere, what the atmosphere will be like in a PhD program.

[ejpril88]

@phdthoughts can you tell us more about "unsupportive and cold" please? I am really worried about this. I mean, I can't imagine a situation where I ask someone about a class or something, and they just don't want to answer.

[phdthoughts]

@ejpril88 it was more of a cliquey atmosphere. To make a long story short, my particular program and faculty leadership seemed to favor those who went to the same program in undergrad, as well as those who were not working. I worked the entire time, so I think was seen as a less "serious" student. It's not as if people were not friendly, more like you were either "in" or "out."

I'm the only one in my cohort as far as I know, who is continuing to go to conferences, pursue publishing and trying for a PhD which is kind of ironic, and I'll admit a little bit vindicating. :). 

I think part of it for me, is that I met such close friends in undergrad pretty much immediately, I optimistically thought that grad school would be the same. I guess it was kind of a shock when I discovered the opposite. That aside, I do think that it was the atmosphere of that particular program and not all grad schools in general. I eventually found a great group of people there who I still am in touch with today, including my thesis committee! 

Knowing what I know now, I if I get in I will be visiting the program and students to get a feel for the atmosphere overall before I accept. 

[DBear]

Meeting new people - and finding a close friend or two - in a new place really is a challenge. I think, though, like @phdthoughts said, it's really an issue of the school and its atmosphere. I think in some schools, there's a lot of drama among the faculty and that kind of sets the tone for the department. Also, in some cases, there might be a lot of competition for scarce resources. If we get the luxury of being accepted to more than one program and have to choose, then definitely going to the welcome weekend would be a great time to assess this. Also, I think it's good to talk to current students as well. I think I mentioned this before here, not sure.. but most schools would gladly put you in touch with a current student or two. Even if you can't ask them directly "does everyone get along?" I think how they answer questions from prospective students can say a lot. I've talked to current students and alum from 4 of the programs I applied to and one of the students said, "our school is generous to its students" but she didn't say, "it's a great program" or "you'll learn a lot" or "you'll get a lot out of it" etc. So it kind of made me hesitate. Students will say things about the program and their time there that will give you clues as to the atmosphere.. so definitely reach out. 

[phdthoughts]

@DBear nicely put. Leadership/faculty sets the tone for programs, like any workplace really, and I'm paying attention this time to that more than I did before. Live and learn! @ejpril88 I also believe the students will reveal a lot about the program, even if they are not explicit about it. 

[ejpril88]

@DBear that's a great advice. I will wait to find out all the decisions and then I will contact some current PhD students and ask them some questions.

[heyDW]

Someone once told me to watch how the grad students interact with each other & talk to you about the program like, they should be a LITTLE bitter, not overly complimentary but not miserable either. In a group there should be a little mutual commiserating but with good humor-- these all indicate the students trust each other and have a mutual understanding and that they're not trying to oversell. It's helped me!