Who is the first person you'll tell?

[soda pop]

interesting thread...

if the news is good:

1. whoever revives me from fainting!

2. best friend who has listened to endless hours of application anxiety

3. mom and dad

4. quickly call siblings before my mom gets to them

5. other 3 best friends

6. LOR writers

7. some co-workers (don't want to let the cat out of the bag that i'd be moving away to soon to boss-types)

8. facebook and gradcafe results

bad news:

1. Best friend who has listened to endless hours of application anxiety

2. mom and dad.

3. people who ask.

4. LOR writers (via email)

[St. Jude]

Good:

Before I call anyone I am going to read and reread the letter to make sure I didn't make a mistake. Then run around screaming for a couple of minutes.

1. Husband

2. Mom and Dad

3. My three best friends

4.LOR writers

5.Grad cafe

6.Facebook

Bad:

1. Husband

2. Mom and Dad

3. Probably just one or two of those friends then later on the other best friend.

4. Grad cafe

5. My therapist

[Deleted]

It would be interesting to later have a thread "who is the first person you told" and compare the initial intentions with the actual thing.

As for me, I have not told anyone I was applying (except the LoRs of course). So if it is bad I won't have to tell anyone (except LoRs), and if it is good I will still keep it quiet for a while because of my job for I do need to earn as much as possible before the hypothetical PhD.

[SuddenlyParanoid]

Good news

1. Everyone within earshot

2. Parents

3. Sisters.

4. Friends

5. Frenemies

6. Facebook Although I don't know if it will be as "STANFORD!!!!" as my status or as "Suddenly Paranoid might be in Palo Alto next year"

7. GradCafe

8. Advisor

Bad News

1. Sisters

2. Mother

3. GradCafe

4. Friends

[Akshay]

any of my frnds. or my parents----> whoever is accessible first

[JohnBom]

My undergrad advisor.

[Dith Vader]

After reading about across-the-board rejections recently, I'm trying not to imagine what I'll do if (IF!!!) I get accepted since I only applied to 5 schools. Could be my worst mistake ever sigh. But if I don't get in anywhere, here are the people I'd tell first --after having a good cry by myself:

1. My parents

2. My sisters

3. My two best friends (to whom I'll weep and marathon chic flicks and eat ice cream from the tub a la breakup therapy)

4. My LoRs

And I'd answer to whoever else asks about it but I'd never go out of my way to tell them. I think the list for good news would preeetty much be the same. I like keeping good news to people close to me, too.

[kismetcapitan]

Good: I'll call my dad, he's footing the bill. He will cry - tears of joy, or the fact that he's not only looking at my grad school expenses, but my brother's as well (who's applying to MBA programs at the same time). Then emails to my recommenders. Then....start to freak out over all the planning I have to do - I've been out of the country for seven years. My wife will celebrate (no, our marriage isn't on the rocks, she wants me to get my masters and has been an instrumental part in getting me out of my comfort zone and better myself, strive to make my life more extraordinary), but I'll probably cry when I hold my little son, barely a year old, and he'll be going on three when I get back. I know it's all for the best, and Skype is pretty damned effective at feeling in touch over long distance, but emotions are emotions, and I love him totally to death.

Bad: I'll call my dad, let him know he's off the hook for a huge chunk of change! Then emails to my recommenders to thank them again for their time. Then...wonder if I should despair over not getting to study what I've been wanting to, or relax and celebrate over the fact that I won't be separated from my wife and baby son for 1-2 years.

[PastHistory]

First will be my mommy then the rest of the family. I don't know that I have anyone else (other than my LOR writers) who would be interested in the news.

[DJLamar]

For good news:

First I'll probably yell it out to all the people around me, perhaps even if I'm in the middle of a lecture...

Then I'll call my mom and post a Facebook status (ha!)

Then I'll probably email my undergrad research advisor (with whom I'm still working since I'm applying as an undergrad)

For bad news:

I'll probably just call my parents I guess...

[biofreak]

I don't have anyone that I can call dear.. so whatever is the outcome remains with me..

[skada]

Good/Bad

1. Two of my friends .. who are overseas and may be fast asleep when i get the result

2. Mommy

3. Work people. Esp. manager ... he was one of the recommender. If it is Bad I can say "I am still with you "

Edited January 17, 2010 by skada

[limeinthecoconut]

Definitely my letter writers - they are such a supportive bunch.

Edited January 21, 2010 by seahistory

[tskinner]

I called my boyfriend first. Poor guy. He got back from work at like 4am the night before and I woke him up. He didn't sound too thrilled because of how exhausted he was. Later that day he asked if he dreamed it and acted appropriately when I told him that he didn't.

[lurkingnomad]

aww I like this thread I like it so much that it made me come out of my lurking (for the past...3 months..)

Good: parents, massive online spamming (emails to LORs, etc. fb status would be along the lines of "omgomgomgomgomgomgomg=D=D=D=D" and then wait for comments like "what happened?" "good news?")

Bad: commit online suicide (i.e.turn off my internet) and probably not tell anyone for the next month until I recover

[LiteratureMajor]

My parents, who've been amazingly patient with me during this entire stressful process.

[rogue]

Now that I've actually gotten my first acceptance (woohoo!), I can say that my initial list was probably a little off. It actually went more like this:

1. ex-gf (who desperately wants me to move to the city where I got accepted, because she's moving there... I know, twisted)

2. parents

3. BFF

4. current gf

5. brother, grandmother, rest of family

6. via text, all the friends who'd be pissed I didn't tell them before telegraphing it to the rest of the world

7. all my friends on Facebook

8. everyone at the bar where I went to have celebratory drinks

9. GradCafe

[RockEater]

First, my parents.

Second, the rest of my family - aunts and uncles and cousins (especially if they live in the area that I might be going to. It's important to have that family connection to mooch off of.)

Third, those who wrote my LORs - and they will be receiving tokens of gratitude.

Fourth, Facebook. Easy to get the word out.

Fifth, here.

[moralresearcher]

I'll probably be at work when I find out. I have tons of time to hang out on the net at work so my order is this:

1) GradCafe results page

2) Email rec writers (after writing 15 recs each they surely deserve to know)

3) Email fav undergrad professor

4) Post on Myspace and Facebook

5) I'll probably see my friends after work so I'll tell them.

6) When I finally get home at the end of the day i'll tell Mom and Dad.

I'll never tell anyone at work until it's two weeks before I leave to actually go. When I do tell them I can't wait! I hate my job and telling them "I'm outta here" is going to be better than any PhD acceptance letter.

......I'm guessing you don't have any work friends on Facebook then.

[mouse]

Good:

1. My coworker. We share an office.

2. My boss (who happens to be one of my letter writers)-- Actually, he'll probably hear me screaming from down the hall

3. Group email to my boyfriend and three best friends

4. My parents

5. Facebook, ha

6. Results page!

7. Letter writers

Bad:

Well, it'll take me a few weeks of moping, but...

1) Boyfriend

2) Best friends

3) Parents

4) Letter-writers.