How many programs are you applying to?

[JessicaLange]

I'm honestly just curious to know. I've seen a few people saying they're applying to 15 programs, which is so brave, because that's such an undertaking. And I've seen people saying they're only applying to two, which is equally brave. I'm applying to 8 PhDs and 1 MA. So, how many are you applying to?

[Dr. Old Bill]

Thirteen.

 

[piers_plowman]

Seventeen - anxious terror about not being accepted drove me to send more to spread the risk. My girlfriend and friends staged an intervention to get me to stop.

Unfortunately we're the perfect subset of people to overdo this kind of thing - perfectionists who build complex projects over time by adding a wealth of detail slowly but steadily. When your paper needs revisions, you add a source here, a footnote there, rephrase this or that sentence. Anxious energy is normally very productive, but in this case it isn't - since the outcome is so opaque and random, after a certain point that anxiety just drives you against a wall.

[biyutefulphlower]

Five PhD.  What I want to study is a wee bit...niche? Up and coming, perhaps? So, there isn't an over abundance of schools with more than 1 scholar and that's in a place where I actually want to live for the next 4-5 years. 

[Yanaka]

Yeah, the location is really important, so that reduced my choices too!

I'm applying to 7 programs, which is less than average I think! And I'm already exhausted after 3!

[CoffeeFueledAnxiety]

I am applying to a total of 8 programs. I think applying to 10+ will drive me totally crazy and I'll be anxiety-ridden mess. 

[Dr. Old Bill]

Location is a very underrated component.

I really, really wanted to be able to justify more applications to California schools, but there just weren't any good fits. Conversely, there might have been a couple of good fits in New York City, but I have a strong dislike of public transportation, and the NYC lifestyle (and cost!) isn't very appealing to me. Same goes for Boston. Before I applied to Alabama, I made absolutely certain (through asking former graduates) that the environment isn't overtly racist or otherwise prejudicial -- and it's not. But for me, that was a valid concern that transcended other "fit" factors.

With a couple of mild exceptions, the programs I applied to are in places I would be comfortable living. Most are in colder climates than I prefer, but I suppose there have to be some tradeoffs...

[Yanaka]

Being used to not having my car with me where I live, I can only picture myself where there is public transportation! That will probably change, though... Even in Cali it's impossible to survive without a car! I'm mainly afraid of racist and conservative locations. Given current events and as a woman, I'd like to know my contraception and all other options are available!  

Edited December 7, 2016 by Yanaka

[unræd]

9 minutes ago, Yanaka said:

Even in Cali it's impossible to survive without a car!

That may be true for UCLA, but at Berkeley very, very few of the graduate students have cars, and pretty much everything is accessible via a good public transit system. Never fear, you can still go carless in Cali!

[Yanaka]

Ah, that's good news @unræd! Indeed, I was in LA for ten days a couple years ago, and I exclusively used the bus. It was terrible. We never knew when it was going to arrive, there were no screens indicating ETA or anything. I have waisted a few hours waiting for that thang!

[biyutefulphlower]

Location is a def. an important factor, especially when you bring family into the mix.  (Starting one, or bringing family members along.)

I was actually looking to apply in California as well, but my school of interest was in Southern Cali, which I'm (personally) not the biggest fan of.  Plus, the whole drought situation is not very appealing... 

I can understand the cost of living in NYC not being appealing.  (It's expensive out here!)  One of my top choices is in the heart of the city though, so I'm hoping I'd just stay in Jersey and take the good ole' NJ Transit train across the water if I get in.  Though the rent in NJ isn't great, still better than NYC.

[Yanaka]

The NJ transit <3

That's true, I hadn't thought of the Californian drought and how I would be adding to the issue if I moved there. 

[AnimeChic101!]

As many as my credit cards (and fee waivers) will cover lol. I'm like @piers_plowman, the more the merrier to ease any nerves I may have. 

[anxiousphd]

I applied to eleven Ph.D. programs. People outside of academia tend to be astonished by that number. Fellow academics simply nod.

[Caien]

7 PhD programs in the US, 3 Masters courses in Europe. So 10 but sort of 11 as I'm considering my BC application a dual application.

[angel_kaye13]

Location is definitely important, but, for me, the biggest concern was my field: what schools have the strongest programs for my field? Granted, I know that means that ups the chances of rejection. But, if I can get into a stronger program, that also ups my job prospects, from national/international to regional options. I may get rejected, but dang it if I'm not going to try for the best! *^^* (I applied to 10, a mix of regional and international reputations, according to my aforementioned concerns.)

I think...I'm not sure it always matters the quantity of applications as the quality and how much thought you put into it. Last year, one of my friends told me she applied to 7, and she regretted not doing more, or applying to programs she thought she wouldn't have a chance at. But some have gotten in by only apply to 3 or less, and several of my applying colleagues are doing just one. I'm an "odds" kind of person, so I went a higher number this time around, which I think is the old standard, at least: apply to more for PhD, less for M.A. (I only applied to 3 my first cycle.) If I can do as well, odds-wise, as I did last time, I'd be very pleased.

All this to say: if you've thought hard about your choices and done your research? Your numbers will make sense to you, and comparison doesn't matter.

[erosanddust]

I applied to 12.

Over the summer, I put together a list of the "top" 75 programs, and then went through every faculty bio at those schools to narrow it down to a shortlist of 20. Then I looked at those 20 more holistically (funding, placement, location, other resources, etc) and decided upon 9 that I definitely wanted to apply to.

But there were 3 more that I kept finding myself drawn to even though they were slightly less perfect fits, so I decided to apply to them as well because  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[phdthoughts]

I am applying to 4 PhD programs. I was originally going to do 6, but reevaluated fit for the other two. Like other posters here, the current political climate makes me nervous about certain locations, which narrows my choices a bit unfortunately. My research is also in an up and coming/niche topic which makes it harder.

I have good job now so if I don't get in this round, there's always next year. At least that's what I'm telling myself to make myself less nervous as I turn in my apps!

[museum_geek]

After finalizing a shortlist of about 30 programs by the end of the summer, I ended up applying to 12 schools.  I'm happy with my list but I still have to occasionally ignore that little voice in the back of my head that tells me to apply to just one more school!

[Yanaka]

I really wouldn't have the energy or the time to apply to so many schools. I don't know how you do it!

[Dr. Old Bill]

22 minutes ago, museum_geek said:

After finalizing a shortlist of about 30 programs by the end of the summer, I ended up applying to 12 schools.  I'm happy with my list but I still have to occasionally ignore that little voice in the back of my head that tells me to apply to just one more school!

Yep, I hear that same voice. (Or it might be a different voice saying the same thing. Or perhaps it is the same voice, which might just prove the existence of god. Then again, that can't be the case because we're grad students and nothing providential ever happens to us.)

Either way, I gave serious thought to adding UW-Madison, U of Toronto, and Stanford to my thirteen, but vetoed all of them for various reasons despite them being good "fits." I could justify the expense, but for me, going beyond a dozen or so felt a bit impractical. I know that odds are odds, but in a very real sense, if I'm not cutout for the thirteen places I applied to, I'm probably not Ph.D. material. It's a harsh possibility that I won't believe until I have to, but "it stands to reason" as they say.

 

[angel_kaye13]

2 minutes ago, Wyatt's Terps said:

"...if I'm not cutout for the thirteen places I applied to, I'm probably not Ph.D. material..."

Or maybe there's something better/more right out there that you couldn't conceive?? I have no doubt you're the proper material, what little I know of you on here. Just like with so many of us, there are choices made, timing, numbers...a MILLION reasons why PhDs don't happen. But I doubt that comments on yours or anyone else's self-worth! (Sorry if I'm Little Miss Daisies this year - I just...after year one of grad school, I realized how much we all stake our self-worth on these things...and we obviously REALLY want them. But there are a million other wonderful things, if we get redirected. So I try to keep in mind.^^)

 

[Dr. Old Bill]

1 minute ago, angel_kaye13 said:

Or maybe there's something better/more right out there that you couldn't conceive?? I have no doubt you're the proper material, what little I know of you on here. Just like with so many of us, there are choices made, timing, numbers...a MILLION reasons why PhDs don't happen. But I doubt that comments on yours or anyone else's self-worth! (Sorry if I'm Little Miss Daisies this year - I just...after year one of grad school, I realized how much we all stake our self-worth on these things...and we obviously REALLY want them. But there are a million other wonderful things, if we get redirected. So I try to keep in mind.^^)

 

Aww. Thanks. I didn't mean it in a self-deprecating sense, however -- just a broad, realistic sense. I went through the cycle two years ago and was very fortunate to get a M.A. offer (that turned out to be a great option)...but that was one offer out of seventeen Ph.D. applications. In retrospect, I can think of a hundred things I did poorly during the last cycle (this despite being a regular on GC...hint hint), but the fact remains that even if I've learned a lot more in the past two years, if my writing sample isn't wowing adcomms, and my statement of purpose isn't really selling me as a scholar, then it's hard to see a future path to Ph.D. study and an academic life.

All of this needs to be underscored by the fact that I feel very strongly about my application. Enough knowledgeable people have read my writing sample for me to know it's both good and unique, and enough people have seen my statement of purpose for me to know that it paints a strong picture of me as a scholar (and it works with my WS). My GRE scores are a bit lower than the most competitive applicants, though my GPA for both my B.A. and M.A. are quite high. I'm older than average, but some will likely see that as an advantage, just as some will see it as a detriment. In other words, I'm a strong enough candidate that I feel there's a good chance that I'll get in somewhere. But if I don't? After all of my learning and all of the preparation that has gone into these applications, I'm not sure trying again and again year after year is prudent. It's really not a self-value judgment, but a question of whether I'm the right kind of potential scholar these programs are looking for.

Fortunately, however, I won't have to make that pronouncement for a few months, if I have to make it at all!

[Warelin]

3 minutes ago, Wyatt's Terps said:

Aww. Thanks. I didn't mean it in a self-deprecating sense, however -- just a broad, realistic sense. I went through the cycle two years ago and was very fortunate to get a M.A. offer (that turned out to be a great option)...but that was one offer out of seventeen Ph.D. applications. In retrospect, I can think of a hundred things I did poorly during the last cycle (this despite being a regular on GC...hint hint), but the fact remains that even if I've learned a lot more in the past two years, if my writing sample isn't wowing adcomms, and my statement of purpose isn't really selling me as a scholar, then it's hard to see a future path to Ph.D. study and an academic life.

All of this needs to be underscored by the fact that I feel very strongly about my application. Enough knowledgeable people have read my writing sample for me to know it's both good and unique, and enough people have seen my statement of purpose for me to know that it paints a strong picture of me as a scholar (and it works with my WS). My GRE scores are a bit lower than the most competitive applicants, though my GPA for both my B.A. and M.A. are quite high. I'm older than average, but some will likely see that as an advantage, just as some will see it as a detriment. In other words, I'm a strong enough candidate that I feel there's a good chance that I'll get in somewhere. But if I don't? After all of my learning and all of the preparation that has gone into these applications, I'm not sure trying again and again year after year is prudent. It's really not a self-value judgment, but a question of whether I'm the right kind of potential scholar these programs are looking for.

Fortunately, however, I won't have to make that pronouncement for a few months, if I have to make it at all!

As someone who has read most of your posts over the past two years, I think the right program will accept you for you. If a school is so hyperfocused on grades that they can't see your potential as a scholar just because you're 10 points under their preferred score, chances are you wouldn't be happy there.

I can't speak for any universities. But if your writing style is anything similiar to what you portray here, I think a lot of universities will be interested. Your writing style is very similiar to a few of the English PHD students I had class with and I know that this school is on your application list.

Regardless of outcome, I think everyone deserves a well-earned break. Rejections don't even mean you weren't good enough; it could also mean that they may be transitioning away from your focal area due to it being overrepresented in the previous cohorts.

Worst come to worst, there are so many other ways you can showcase your degree for employers who do genuinely care.

[Quickmick]

8, including my MS granting institution. I looked seriously at around 20, got it to 12 thought I might pare it to 5 but settled on 8. While there are a couple more I wouldn't have minded applying to, I wanted to be cognizant of the message I would send to my current group if I asked them for scads of letters...I applied to different types of programs then where I am (where I am happy) so it wasn't really a competition, per se, but I didn't want it to be funky with them if I stay...if that makes sense lol.