Cognitive Psychology

[madisonstarr]

Hey all,

I'm eagerly awaiting hearing from anywhere. No acceptances yet, and from browsing the other topics, this isn't a good thing at this point at all. I originally thought it was still rather early, but I guess not?

Here is what i've heard so far:

UPenn - rejected

Rutgers - interview weekend

NYU - absolutely nothing

WUSTL - online has no decision yet

USC - online has no decision yet

UMass- online has no decision yet

So really, I have on interview and one rejection.

Should I start panicking a little that I haven't heard from four places? Should I start contacting them or is it still rather early? Any advice is greatly appreciated. I'm definitely a worrier. Any advice on what I can do since I haven't yet? Should I contact them or is it too early to be a pest about it?

Thanks in advance

[lucere]

I was panicking in a similar situation until I was accepted (by email from a prof) to Illinois (Urbana-Champaign, obv) today.

My stats:

Good -

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - accepted, haven't asked about funding

University of Pittsburgh - attended interviews last weekend, will find out admission this weekend, haven't asked about funding (heard everyone gets stipends)

SUNY Buffalo - accepted via email BUT no funding (= not going there...)

Bad -

UPenn - rejected (woo)

MIT - nothing (all invites already sent out == implicit rejection)

CMU - nothing (their visiting weekend was last weekend == implicit rejection)

Rochester - nothing (sleuthing says their interview/visiting weekend is March 5-7 and invites have gone out == implicit rejection?)

Brown - nothing, but not expected to hear for a while

Stanford - nothing (== implicit rejection? unsure.)

A prof at Pittsburgh said that they had a BOX of applications from students who were well-qualified and should be interviewed but would not be due to higher competition this year. GAH. (Pittsburgh and Buffalo were supposed to be my safeties...) When I was visiting Pittsburgh EVERYONE (even those who were interviewing at CMU) had been rejected from Michigan. Yikes.

My uncle's on an adcom at BU and he is insisting that they have until the deadline specified to make decisions, so at least silence is better than being part of the immediately-rejected crowd. Small consolation. He also said that this is the time to contact the schools and pester (unless they say not to somewhere) so that you're not forgotten.

I don't know if this is what you were hoping to hear...

[pewtered]

I can only speak to a couple schools you've mentioned.

NYU has already sent out their interview invites, I'm pretty sure interview weekend is next weekend.

UMass Boston (I'm not sure which you were referring to, Boston, Amherst, etc) has sent out their interview invites, and interviews are the first week in March.

Brown has notified prospective students of interview weekend next week.

Stanford has sent out interview invites and I think has already had their interviews.

I think most of these schools only admit some of the interviewees, so I'd expect that those people interviewed and not accepted would be wait-listed. You can contact the grad secretary, they might just reiterate what the website says, but they might be able to tell you more.

Sorry if this brings bad news! Personally I think it's better knowing than not. And you've both been offered interviews/acceptances at other good programs, so congrats!

[electricfan]

I was panicking in a similar situation until I was accepted (by email from a prof) to Illinois (Urbana-Champaign, obv) today.

My stats:

Good -

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - accepted, haven't asked about funding

University of Pittsburgh - attended interviews last weekend, will find out admission this weekend, haven't asked about funding (heard everyone gets stipends)

SUNY Buffalo - accepted via email BUT no funding (= not going there...)

Bad -

UPenn - rejected (woo)

MIT - nothing (all invites already sent out == implicit rejection)

CMU - nothing (their visiting weekend was last weekend == implicit rejection)

Rochester - nothing (sleuthing says their interview/visiting weekend is March 5-7 and invites have gone out == implicit rejection?)

Brown - nothing, but not expected to hear for a while

Stanford - nothing (== implicit rejection? unsure.)

A prof at Pittsburgh said that they had a BOX of applications from students who were well-qualified and should be interviewed but would not be due to higher competition this year. GAH. (Pittsburgh and Buffalo were supposed to be my safeties...) When I was visiting Pittsburgh EVERYONE (even those who were interviewing at CMU) had been rejected from Michigan. Yikes.

My uncle's on an adcom at BU and he is insisting that they have until the deadline specified to make decisions, so at least silence is better than being part of the immediately-rejected crowd. Small consolation. He also said that this is the time to contact the schools and pester (unless they say not to somewhere) so that you're not forgotten.

I don't know if this is what you were hoping to hear...

How did the interview at Pitt go? Anything catch you off guard?

[madisonstarr]

Is it at all common to be accepted without having an interview invite yet? Just trying to keep my hopes up, you know?

Also, I applied to UMass Amherst, not Boston. Are you certain NYU invites have gone out? I haven't seen anything about that on the results page of this website. Where did you find that information?

Any advice on how to find out the status of my applications without sounding like a complete pest?

[pewtered]

Is it at all common to be accepted without having an interview invite yet? Just trying to keep my hopes up, you know?

At the schools I responded about, no.

Also, I applied to UMass Amherst, not Boston. Are you certain NYU invites have gone out? I haven't seen anything about that on the results page of this website. Where did you find that information?

Amherst has also sent theirs out and are also early March I believe. There are a couple posts about it on the results page, and I also know someone with an interview. I'm sure about NYU invites, a person who works there told me.

Any advice on how to find out the status of my applications without sounding like a complete pest?

I'd just e-mail or call an administrative person and ask if all interview invites have been sent out or the status of your application. I'd be hesitant e-mailing a PI about it.

[lucere]

How did the interview at Pitt go? Anything catch you off guard?

Three of the interviews went well and the fourth was strange. I learned later that the professor really does just like to present his research to people without much expectation for replies, but at the time I was feeling rather like a tool saying, "Wow, how impressive!" all the time. Granted, it really was cool, but I'd like to have had something more substantial to contribute. The grad students laughed a good amount when I told them of my experience because apparently he is exactly the same during classes, so I'm not overly concerned about it (esp considering I'm not looking to be a student in his lab and everyone knows it).

A primary reason I felt comfortable in my other interviews was because I had printed off a number of recent papers for each PI I was going to interview with and studied them all for hours on the plane and the nights before the trip. Fortunately, we had been forewarned with an interview schedule and faculty names making the preparation possible, but otherwise I would have been stuck guessing based on the names I dropped in my SOP. I don't think the other students actually read the papers, though. Paranoia FTW.

Good luck with interviews!

[hellopsy]

Yay -- we finally have a cog psych thread for this year!

Anyone have any news from these schools?

Indiana: POI said I'm on his shortlist, but then nothing after that, not even an interview...

Maryland: Nothing

CMU social and decision sciences: Nothing

WashU: Nothing, probably implicit rejection since the invites were out early on the results board

[Crystalizedjade]

I applied to CMU psych. Nothing yet, but I saw a post on the forum that interview weekend is end of feb, so I'm pretty much out I guess

[cray20]

Columbia - interview next week

Rutgers, Newark- interview in March

WUSTL- nothing

Harvard- nothing

[lucere]

I applied to CMU psych. Nothing yet, but I saw a post on the forum that interview weekend is end of feb, so I'm pretty much out I guess

CMU Psychology (and related fields, it was implied) had at least one huge visit Feb 11-12. I was there for Pitt (which unofficially accepted me yesterday! celebrations.), but there was a lot of student overlap to tour the CNBC program and brain imaging labs at CMU. Everyone involved acted like it was THE visiting weekend. It was a little sad/frustrating to be touring those facilities with the students who were actually getting interviews, but I didn't tell them I'd applied. Awkwaaaard.

If anyone is curious about these schools, the cognitive psychology programs at Ohio State and North Carolina (Chapel-Hill) already had their visiting weekends. Also, UW-Madison accepted one of my (new-from-Pittsburgh) friends a couple days ago and invited her to their visiting weekend.

Implicit rejections are seriously annoying because there's always the (false?) hope that you're just sitting on the wait-list...

[madisonstarr]

Implicit rejections are seriously annoying because there's always the (false?) hope that you're just sitting on the wait-list...

Agreed 100%. I just want to know what's going on with my future. I wish they would send an email saying "Hang in there-you're still in the running" or "Sorry kid, we've moved on, maybe you should move on, too"

[laro]

Thanks guys for creating this topic! I applied to Cognitive Psychology programs. I am just worried as it appears as it is getting pretty late in the process

Has anyone heard from the following schools other than what I have heard?

1) Brown Psychology

2) WUSTL Psychology

3) CMU Psychology - I emailed the Director around Jan. 22 and she said they were still making decisions

4) Johns Hopkins - Psychological and Brain Sciences - Again, emailed the grad coordinator and she said they have until "april 15" to make a decision

5) University of Chicago - Psychology - Got the email saying my app was forwarded to committee, does this mean my app went on to the next stage?

6) Stanford Univ - Psychology

7) Harvard Psychology

? Dartmouth - Psychological and Brain Sciences

9) Cornell University - Human Development

10) UT Southwestern - Division of Basic Sciences

Any news/information with regards to these schools in terms of if they have had interviews or not would be greatly appreciated.

[Crystalizedjade]

I heard CMU Psych already had their interview weekend. I saw on the results search that interview weekend at UChicago is end of feb...

[madisonstarr]

I just keep getting more and more nervous when I don't see any information about the schools that I applied to showing up on the results forum. Seriously, I see nothing about acceptances or rejections or even interviews. I don't know if I should be worried or content about that. Grad School Cafe as introduced a whole new level of neurotic into my life

[liszt85]

I just keep getting more and more nervous when I don't see any information about the schools that I applied to showing up on the results forum. Seriously, I see nothing about acceptances or rejections or even interviews. I don't know if I should be worried or content about that. Grad School Cafe as introduced a whole new level of neurotic into my life

I've heard that NU (Psych) makes decisions much later..don't know about the other places. Don't lose hope. Almost every single one of my friends last year (who all have better credentials that I do) heard from schools only in March. If you don't hear by the end of March, you should be worried. There's still time! Keep the hopes up.

[skazanas86]

I just keep getting more and more nervous when I don't see any information about the schools that I applied to showing up on the results forum. Seriously, I see nothing about acceptances or rejections or even interviews. I don't know if I should be worried or content about that. Grad School Cafe as introduced a whole new level of neurotic into my life

I completely agree -- especially because half of my deadlines were Dec. 1st and I still haven't heard back from 10/11 schools. UGH!

Any updates on:

1. Stony Brook
2. Albany
3. Pitt
4. CMU
5. Penn State
6. Lehigh
7. UMD
8. Johns Hopkins
9. UDel
10. GWU

I had an interview at Binghamton last weekend that (I think!) went really well so that's helping me stay positive. When is an acceptable time to email a POI or grad coordinator about an admissions decision?

[hellopsy]

Almost every single one of my friends last year (who all have better credentials that I do) heard from schools only in March. If you don't hear by the end of March, you should be worried.

Hmm... were your friends interviewed before March? Or were they just notified of acceptances then? Now I'm wondering if there are schools which don't interview, because it seems like most cog psych programs do.

[liszt85]

Hmm... were your friends interviewed before March? Or were they just notified of acceptances then? Now I'm wondering if there are schools which don't interview, because it seems like most cog psych programs do.

Ah you're right.. my friends were applying to Physics programs and since we're int'l students, we rarely have interviews. Though I studied Physics with them, I ended up applying to Cognitive Psych PhD programs instead of Physics. My current adviser interviewed me over skype. That was sometime in March (but the school had already made its decisions in February..I was more of an add on to that because of this professor).

However, I have heard that some schools take more time. For instance, U Minn (cog sci) kept me on a waiting list and didn't tell me about it until I emailed them with "I have offers now and I have to make a decision by next week.. let me know what my status is at U Minn". I got a nice reply that said that they were looking for funding but haven't yet found a source. There's a lot of activity in March, esp towards the end. If you haven't heard from so many palces, I'm sure you must be on some waiting list at least at some of these places. which is why I ask you not to lose hope.

[electricfan]

I completely agree -- especially because half of my deadlines were Dec. 1st and I still haven't heard back from 10/11 schools. UGH!

Any updates on:

1. Stony Brook
2. Albany
3. Pitt
4. CMU
5. Penn State
6. Lehigh
7. UMD
8. Johns Hopkins
9. UDel
10. GWU

I had an interview at Binghamton last weekend that (I think!) went really well so that's helping me stay positive. When is an acceptable time to email a POI or grad coordinator about an admissions decision?

Pitt conducted interviews already.