Relief by Rejection

[poco_puffs]

Got my first notification of ANY sort from Duke today, via form rejection on the website. Why is it a relief, you ask? Because I apparently feel a whole lot better knowing my status than drifting in some foggy limbo of misguided hope. In my head, it seemed like everyone was getting notifications but me.

The school email that I'm currently using does not have a junk mail folder, so the complete lack of word from schools made me worry that everything was being directed to the non-existent junk-mail folder and thus into another foggy limbo parallel to the one I was occupying. I resisted the urge to email my school tech support people, though (so proud of myself), and today my irrational fears were blown aside by Duke's little downer.

For those of you swimming in acceptances, I congratulate you wholeheartedly. For the others who are a.) swimming in rejections or b.) not swimming in notifications at all, I vote we get some fresh air, eat some good chocolate, stop checking our emails 30k times a day, and get our heads out of this crazy psychological maze.

[hadunc]

Got my first notification of ANY sort from Duke today, via form rejection on the website. Why is it a relief, you ask? Because I apparently feel a whole lot better knowing my status than drifting in some foggy limbo of misguided hope. In my head, it seemed like everyone was getting notifications but me.

The school email that I'm currently using does not have a junk mail folder, so the complete lack of word from schools made me worry that everything was being directed to the non-existent junk-mail folder and thus into another foggy limbo parallel to the one I was occupying. I resisted the urge to email my school tech support people, though (so proud of myself), and today my irrational fears were blown aside by Duke's little downer.

For those of you swimming in acceptances, I congratulate you wholeheartedly. For the others who are a.) swimming in rejections or b.) not swimming in notifications at all, I vote we get some fresh air, eat some good chocolate, stop checking our emails 30k times a day, and get our heads out of this crazy psychological maze.

Did you apply to the English or the Literature department? I feel like I'm the last person still waiting on Duke, and it's getting very frustrating. I wish they'd just post my rejection, since interviews are at the end of this month and I didn't get an invite.

[strokeofmidnight]

Got my first notification of ANY sort from Duke today, via form rejection on the website. Why is it a relief, you ask? Because I apparently feel a whole lot better knowing my status than drifting in some foggy limbo of misguided hope. In my head, it seemed like everyone was getting notifications but me.

The school email that I'm currently using does not have a junk mail folder, so the complete lack of word from schools made me worry that everything was being directed to the non-existent junk-mail folder and thus into another foggy limbo parallel to the one I was occupying. I resisted the urge to email my school tech support people, though (so proud of myself), and today my irrational fears were blown aside by Duke's little downer.

For those of you swimming in acceptances, I congratulate you wholeheartedly. For the others who are a.) swimming in rejections or b.) not swimming in notifications at all, I vote we get some fresh air, eat some good chocolate, stop checking our emails 30k times a day, and get our heads out of this crazy psychological maze.

I completely understand. I've been waiting on Duke as well (I was also rejected), and although I saw this coming, it was a relief to officially cross them off my list. The rest of this week, if gradcafe results histories are any indication, should bring a lot of activity particularly among the top schools. I'm looking forward to definitive answers, even if it means more rejections.

Just watch. After that little speech, I'm going to end up waitlisted at every single one of my remaining programs

[ratiocinator]

It seems counterintuitive, but I just got my first actual rejection, and it is kind of a relief. It's tough not knowing where you'll be next year, and while it's never pleasant to reluctantly remove a possibility from your mental list, the tension is lessened somewhat as the choices begin to fall into place.

[poco_puffs]

Did you apply to the English or the Literature department? I feel like I'm the last person still waiting on Duke, and it's getting very frustrating. I wish they'd just post my rejection, since interviews are at the end of this month and I didn't get an invite.

I picked English, and I bet you'll get an email in the next day or two.

[American in Beijing]

I just got my first rejection today too (from Harvard). I'm definitely relieved it's over with, and even though I'm still waiting to hear from two schools I'm definitely a lot calmer now than I was before. A good chunk of the uncertainty is gone now, at least.

[mosquito0016]

It seems counterintuitive, but I just got my first actual rejection, and it is kind of a relief. It's tough not knowing where you'll be next year, and while it's never pleasant to reluctantly remove a possibility from your mental list, the tension is lessened somewhat as the choices begin to fall into place.

: ( sorry about UCLA. Let's hope we BOTH get into Johns Hopkins!

[Tall Chai Latte]

I'm waiting to hear back from 3 schools too. After a while, I really want to get this whole process over with and move on with my life, but I can't without all of my options lined up. I'd be relieved too even if I heard rejections. I met a girl today at work, who is also applying to grad schools, said that she heard back from my top choice and "no you are not gonna hear back from them, because they offered me interview". However we didn't apply to the same program... So I didn't take her words.

After being in school for so long, and will remain in school for the next 5 years, I just want to do something I like and get paid for it.

[ratiocinator]

: ( sorry about UCLA. Let's hope we BOTH get into Johns Hopkins!

Thanks! Don't worry—with a newly-acquired serenity, I can say confidently that it's okay; in retrospect, UCLA wasn't the best fit for my interests. And, again, congratulations! You must be thrilled. I'll keep my fingers crossed for Johns Hopkins and for all of our yet-to-notify schools. It looks like we've applied to a number of the same programs, so it should be a big week for both of us.

[crutch]

Thanks! Don't worry—with a newly-acquired serenity, I can say confidently that it's okay; in retrospect, UCLA wasn't the best fit for my interests. And, again, congratulations! You must be thrilled. I'll keep my fingers crossed for Johns Hopkins and for all of our yet-to-notify schools. It looks like we've applied to a number of the same programs, so it should be a big week for both of us.

Duke rejected me last week, apparently before most of the other rejects. Some guy on the committee must have shouted, "Get that despicable application out of my sight now!" and someone rushed off to notify me immediately. My application was just too poor to put it off any longer.

Duke wasn't one of my top choices, but I would have been thrilled to have been accepted. Now I'm looking at an official rejection from Duke and implicit rejections from Chicago, JHU, and UVA... if I don't get some positive news from somewhere soon, I may start panicking.

Still, I agree that it is nice knowing I will not be in Durham next year. It takes a little bit of stress off my mind, as I no longer have to do the basic "what-if" planning for the move there.

[hinesaj]

Duke rejected me last week, apparently before most of the other rejects. Some guy on the committee must have shouted, "Get that despicable application out of my sight now!" and someone rushed off to notify me immediately. My application was just too poor to put it off any longer.

Duke wasn't one of my top choices, but I would have been thrilled to have been accepted. Now I'm looking at an official rejection from Duke and implicit rejections from Chicago, JHU, and UVA... if I don't get some positive news from somewhere soon, I may start panicking.

Still, I agree that it is nice knowing I will not be in Durham next year. It takes a little bit of stress off my mind, as I no longer have to do the basic "what-if" planning for the move there.

I know this is not necessarily in the spirit of this thread, but don't give up total hope on UVA. A few had mentioned in the UVA thread, and rightly so I think, that the best marker of a program done with sending out offers are waitlist spots. Of course, UVA may not have a waitlist, but we've only seen two acceptances (and heard of a third) and NO waitlist activity.

Limbo, what a place.

[tortola23]

I still haven't heard from a single school, and I feel like it's driving me MUCH crazier than getting a rejection ever would. Somehow this stress is worse... hopefully we'll all get news soon!

[callmelilyb]

I have to agree that the finality of rejection provides relief. I think that "No" is something I can digest and move on with, while silence, or not hearing keeps me on this emotional up and down rollercoaster that vacillates between kicking myself in the brain for being presumptuous enough to even apply to some of these places and trying to cultivate that tiny seed of hope that just *maybe* I'll squeek in somewhere. It's the up and down that kills me. I've been rejected at two places officially and after recieving each notification I went through this, "Okay, now I can move on" moment that actually felt really good.