SSHRC 2010

[waitinggggg]

I say go ahead and call...they should expect us to be pains in the ass by now. They said April and now it's May. I'm calling in the morning. I'll let you know what I learn...

I kind of want to call them tomorrow afternoon to ask if the letters have been sent out, but probably shouldn't be such a pain in the ass, lol.

Over the next two days I need to finish a major paper (and I have another 10 pages of dense social theory to write, blarg), and then I'm off to Toronto for a few days. What do you want to bet the letter will arrive immediately after I've left? *sigh*

Edited May 4, 2010 by waitinggggg

[Canuckonomist]

It's a rough week for me mail wise, and a terrible tease. I'm waiting on 11 separate guitar-parts shipments that should all arrive by next wednesday, (2 arrived today), my tax return, and it just so happens my partner's birthday is tomorrow, and mine is next tuesday. So every day the mailbox is stuffed with envelopes and blister-packs of all sizes. Really bad week to start all these projects... (Oh, and did I mention, studying for comps that are the first and second week of June?)

Canuck

[blue71canoe]

OK. I'm coming out of lurk mode to make a quick comment. My reading of announced as in "the results will be announced in mid May" is that refers to a public announcement which need have nothing to do with the letters leaving Ottawa Thursday. We're all anxious and clearly there are thousands of us lurking about checking this forum on a regular basis. Personally, I check in here daily because I'm using this forum as my DEW (distant early warning) system as I figure the folks in the east will get their letters ahead of those of us in the west. But at this point, envelopes in the mail Thursday seems pretty credible and aligns with the "start of May" word that came last week. OK. I'm going back into lurk mode.

[waitinggggg]

Your post made me laugh for some reason. Could be the bit about 11 separate guitar parts. (My boyfriend also has a habit of ordering random guitar parts...and bike parts). Also, the fact that you have so much mail flooding out of your mailbox yet no envelope from SSHRC, though this should keep you somewhat satiated as you continue to wait. (Though it could be addictive! I find receving lots of mail in a short time frame leads me to want more mail). I'm also waiting for my tax return and my paycheck (I'm down to my last $2). Seems like waiting is all I do these days. I should be a professional........waiter.

It's a rough week for me mail wise, and a terrible tease. I'm waiting on 11 separate guitar-parts shipments that should all arrive by next wednesday, (2 arrived today), my tax return, and it just so happens my partner's birthday is tomorrow, and mine is next tuesday. So every day the mailbox is stuffed with envelopes and blister-packs of all sizes. Really bad week to start all these projects... (Oh, and did I mention, studying for comps that are the first and second week of June?)

Canuck

[waitinggggg]

I agree - envelopes in the mail Thurs does seem credible. Hopefully it's earlier though. The "mid May" interpretation could be checked by someone more obsessive than me. (Check whether there was a public announcement last year shortly after the results were mailed.)

OK. I'm coming out of lurk mode to make a quick comment. My reading of announced as in "the results will be announced in mid May" is that refers to a public announcement which need have nothing to do with the letters leaving Ottawa Thursday. We're all anxious and clearly there are thousands of us lurking about checking this forum on a regular basis. Personally, I check in here daily because I'm using this forum as my DEW (distant early warning) system as I figure the folks in the east will get their letters ahead of those of us in the west. But at this point, envelopes in the mail Thursday seems pretty credible and aligns with the "start of May" word that came last week. OK. I'm going back into lurk mode.

[caterinacanadese]

You're right, greygardens. I am officially freaking

Seriously though, at this point I'm trying to convince myself that it really doesn't matter much one way or the other. I won OGS, I think I have a solid application (minus the publication and work experience, though, as I posted before, I'm hoping my grades, awards, and LORs make up for that), and this is my first time applying for a doctoral SSHRC, so it's no huge loss if I don't get it.

Of course, thus far self-delusion isn't working very well! I'm super, super nervous.

[Wellington]

I agree - envelopes in the mail Thurs does seem credible. Hopefully it's earlier though. The "mid May" interpretation could be checked by someone more obsessive than me. (Check whether there was a public announcement last year shortly after the results were mailed.)

There was a public announcement made for NSERC about a month back, so I assume the same will hold true for SSHRC. I need the doctoral results to come out soon. I am dying over here.

Edited May 4, 2010 by Wellington

[Canuckonomist]

Your post made me laugh for some reason. Could be the bit about 11 separate guitar parts. (My boyfriend also has a habit of ordering random guitar parts...and bike parts).

I would have ordered the parts all from the same place, but being an economist, I decided to optimize between shipping costs and buying from one or two places. This turned out to be the winner. It doesn't help minimize shipping when these are parts for 6 different guitars, either. But you're right, mail should keep me satiated, but it really doesn't help when the parts arrive in reverse order from when you need them. The two that arrived yesterday are the last to go on one of the builds.

[Herman]

I don't understand why SSHRC still communicates results by surface mail. But that also says a lot my biases. For some reason, email seems more reliable to me than surface mail now (I've rarely sent letters since I started using email for almost everything, about 2 or 3 years ago). I'm also wondering why SSHRC doesn't inform universities first about their decisions this year, which wasn't the case before. It creates a situation where annoucements might not be received at the same time, often even for students who live in the same city. And it makes me worry about what's in my mailbox for the first time in a long while.

[waitinggggg]

Haha. Well at least you have something to occupy your thoughts. Maybe I should take on a new project to get my mind off SSHRC...

I would have ordered the parts all from the same place, but being an economist, I decided to optimize between shipping costs and buying from one or two places. This turned out to be the winner. It doesn't help minimize shipping when these are parts for 6 different guitars, either. But you're right, mail should keep me satiated, but it really doesn't help when the parts arrive in reverse order from when you need them. The two that arrived yesterday are the last to go on one of the builds.

[bad breath]

I don't understand why SSHRC still communicates results by surface mail. But that also says a lot my biases. For some reason, email seems more reliable to me than surface mail now (I've rarely sent letters since I started using email for almost everything, about 2 or 3 years ago). I'm also wondering why SSHRC doesn't inform universities first about their decisions this year, which wasn't the case before. It creates a situation where annoucements might not be received at the same time, often even for students who live in the same city. And it makes me worry about what's in my mailbox for the first time in a long while.

too true. especially since grad students, by and large, change addresses often, live in temporary lodgings, share places with people they don't know well, or spend their summers travelling and doing fieldwork!! i remember doing my MA and checking a friend's mailbox for weeks after she had moved home because she was waiting for important documents to arrive. i don't trust surface mail at all, and it does seem like a colossal waste of money and paper (close to 8000 envelopes!). if not email, then why not just set up a secure site like OGS to check results?

all this waiting has turned me into an expert complainer.

[mudlark]

I don't understand why SSHRC still communicates results by surface mail. But that also says a lot my biases. For some reason, email seems more reliable to me than surface mail now (I've rarely sent letters since I started using email for almost everything, about 2 or 3 years ago). I'm also wondering why SSHRC doesn't inform universities first about their decisions this year, which wasn't the case before. It creates a situation where annoucements might not be received at the same time, often even for students who live in the same city. And it makes me worry about what's in my mailbox for the first time in a long while.

They usually release the results to a secure server that awards admin workers have access to. Snail mail is just to confirm and make things official by sending you the piece of paper you need to prove you won. This year, the server is apparently having problems. So much for the reliability of electronic communications!

[waitinggggg]

Just talked to a program officer....today or tomorrow!!!! I was asking him about my situation (having a deadline of next friday to get back to people at my school regarding another award) and he was very skeptical that I would not get the letter by then, even though I'm in the US. He said (regarding my situation), "It won't take 8 days to get there. If the letter goes out this afternoon...you'll probably get it by Monday....if it goes out tomorrow then you'll get it Mon or Tues....worse case scenario, if it goes out friday, but it won't be friday, so don't worry..." I don't trust his judgment about how long it will take to get here, but I do think we can now be VERY optimistic that the letters are going out today and/or tomorrow. He didn't say anything about Thursday.

Finally!!!

Edited May 4, 2010 by waitinggggg

[Phalène]

He didn't say anything about Thursday.

That probably means they're coming out Thursday.

[hbaert]

Just talked to a program officer....today or tomorrow!!!! I was asking him about my situation (having a deadline of next friday to get back to people at my school regarding another award) and he was very skeptical that I would not get the letter by then, even though I'm in the US. He said (regarding my situation), "It won't take 8 days to get there. If the letter goes out this afternoon...you'll probably get it by Monday....if it goes out tomorrow then you'll get it Mon or Tues....worse case scenario, if it goes out friday, but it won't be friday, so don't worry..." I don't trust his judgment about how long it will take to get here, but I do think we can now be VERY optimistic that the letters are going out today and/or tomorrow. He didn't say anything about Thursday.

Finally!!!

That would be nice... just when I am about to leave for a week!!!! AAAHHHH

I am the same boat.... in US and I kinda want to open the envelope myself and not let my roommate read me the news.

Will we get an email or something from the university here in the US as well or only the letter?

[waitinggggg]

Haha...But seriously, if you think about it, it's totally consistent with the earlier info. I got the sense that letters were definitely going out today, which means that they will likely go out in 2 mailings, today and tomorrow. He said "friday" as a hypothetical in my case, but then kept saying "[your results] will go out today or tomorrow". I think worst case scenario some letters will remain to be mailed out Thurs, but since he didn't mention it, I'm guessing not. I wonder if they will send out the first half of the alphabet first?

That probably means they're coming out Thursday.

[waitinggggg]

I'm pretty sure we'll only get a letter. My grad coordinator said that she's never had any info relayed to her regarding SSHRCs in the past, and there are a few students in our dept who have it.

That would be nice... just when I am about to leave for a week!!!! AAAHHHH

I am the same boat.... in US and I kinda want to open the envelope myself and not let my roommate read me the news.

Will we get an email or something from the university here in the US as well or only the letter?

[Tropes]

I'm in the US too and I wouldn't be surprised if they did arrive by the end of the week or Monday if they get sent out today or tomorrow (especially considering the postal service works on Saturdays here). I'm often quite shocked at how quickly things arrive in and from Canada.

Guys, I have two 20 page papers due Monday and Tuesday, a whole bunch of undergrad grading AND I leave for a 4-day trip to Chicago next Friday. SSHRC better get here before then! I need to make decisions about my apartment this summer and living arrangements for the fall, ALL of which depend on SSHRC.

[homebrew]

Just talked to a program officer....today or tomorrow!!!! I was asking him about my situation (having a deadline of next friday to get back to people at my school regarding another award) and he was very skeptical that I would not get the letter by then, even though I'm in the US. He said (regarding my situation), "It won't take 8 days to get there. If the letter goes out this afternoon...you'll probably get it by Monday....if it goes out tomorrow then you'll get it Mon or Tues....worse case scenario, if it goes out friday, but it won't be friday, so don't worry..." I don't trust his judgment about how long it will take to get here, but I do think we can now be VERY optimistic that the letters are going out today and/or tomorrow. He didn't say anything about Thursday.

Finally!!!

Thanks for calling and for posting this. Kind of a relief to here they are going in the mail soon. Although now that I am all worked up a rejection will sure hurt.

[waitinggggg]

Thank goodness for Saturday postal service! I wish I could find a really reliable estimate of how long mail takes to get from Ontario to midwestern USA...but I'm optimistic that early next week I have the letter. Good luck with your other deadlines!

I'm in the US too and I wouldn't be surprised if they did arrive by the end of the week or Monday if they get sent out today or tomorrow (especially considering the postal service works on Saturdays here). I'm often quite shocked at how quickly things arrive in and from Canada.

Guys, I have two 20 page papers due Monday and Tuesday, a whole bunch of undergrad grading AND I leave for a 4-day trip to Chicago next Friday. SSHRC better get here before then! I need to make decisions about my apartment this summer and living arrangements for the fall, ALL of which depend on SSHRC.

[waitinggggg]

No prob. I like that I was able to get a more direct/clear answer by taking an indirect approach and presenting my dilemma...hehe. I agree, rejection will hurt, given all this anticipation, but...better to know than to be in the dark! Anyway, fingers crossed!

Thanks for calling and for posting this. Kind of a relief to here they are going in the mail soon. Although now that I am all worked up a rejection will sure hurt.

[Phalène]

I called (I couldn't help myself, lol!) and was told they will mailed out tomorrow. I guess this means we'll start 'hearing' results on Thursday or Friday.

[waitinggggg]

did they say the all get mailed out at once?

I called (I couldn't help myself, lol!) and was told they will mailed out tomorrow. I guess this means we'll start 'hearing' results on Thursday or Friday.

[Phalène]

^^ He kind of hung up on me - definitely did not want to stay on the phone. I think they may be getting a bit flustered by the amount of work + phone calls + whatever else it is they do.

[waitinggggg]

LOL...maybe they'll learn from this and do things better next time. They should have one person designated to answer phone calls from frantic students. I'm still hopeful that at least some letters will go out today....

^^ He kind of hung up on me - definitely did not want to stay on the phone. I think they may be getting a bit flustered by the amount of work + phone calls + whatever else it is they do.