PhD applicants: Fall 2018

[NotSoPatientlyWaiting2018]

17 minutes ago, Acf09 said:

Can we assume an “unofficial” acceptance to be a sure thing? I got an email that I was accepted to a PhD program and they said the official letter would be sent out soon. Im not sure what goes into the process of offering someone an official acceptance, but can we assume we’re definitely in before the official letter comes? I know it sounds nonsensical, but I can hardly believe I got in!

I went through the same thing with Berkeley and had the same concerns. Basically your admittance just goes to the official stamp and sign and then they send you the official thing. I got my official letter from Berkeley roughly a week after the unofficial letter. I hope and assume this is the same for you!

[eek_]

9 minutes ago, Pennk said:

Just rejected from Columbia Sociomedical Sciences (sociology sub-concentration)!  Oh well....expected!  Good luck y'all!

Sorry to hear that! Did it come through an email? Or did you check the portal?

[Pennk]

40 minutes ago, eek_ said:

Sorry to hear that! Did it come through an email? Or did you check the portal?

Email to check the portal. 

[B_behavioral_11]

32 minutes ago, Pennk said:

Email to check the portal. 

Me too. Any good news from other programs? 

[Pennk]

57 minutes ago, B_behavioral_11 said:

Me too. Any good news from other programs? 

I got in at UTHealth but really put off by their communication!  Also got accepted to UW-Milwaukee and will likely to attending tho funding is touch & go.  Still waiting for NYU and U of Memphis.  I have heard nothing from them since I applied!  All Social behavioral health concentrations.

You?

[linnbear]

I just got my rejection email from BU. I was waiting for it since I wasn't invited to prospective student day. So that's 4/8 rejections and 4/8 radio silence haha.

I think I just wasted my money applying and don't think I'll be trying for another cycle. Before I applied, I struggled with whether I should apply at all. My career is going well otherwise and doing a PhD would just be more of a financial burden. Since PhD programs have the same hesitation about me, it's now more affirmative that I shouldn't pursue a PhD. 

[yc2018]

4 hours ago, HSRWannabe said:

Hi all!

Another lurker here. Thanks to everyone who replies to this thread-it's one of the few things that kept me sane throughout this process haha. Just want to claim the acceptance to the PhD program in Health Services Research and Policy at Pitt! Still waiting on GW.

Good luck to everyone out there!

I was admitted by Pitt for HSR as well! I know it's a small program. Would love to hear from other potential incoming students.  

[FrozenFreshMeat]

1 hour ago, linnbear said:

I just got my rejection email from BU. I was waiting for it since I wasn't invited to prospective student day. So that's 4/8 rejections and 4/8 radio silence haha.

I think I just wasted my money applying and don't think I'll be trying for another cycle. Before I applied, I struggled with whether I should apply at all. My career is going well otherwise and doing a PhD would just be more of a financial burden. Since PhD programs have the same hesitation about me, it's now more affirmative that I shouldn't pursue a PhD. 

I'm so sorry to see your post…just want to give you a big e-huge. Don't feel bad since you don't know what will happen before the infamous April 15th. 

This is my application cycle #2. At the time when I got full rejections, I was determined to try again. It was not until I had been rejected did I realize how much I want to pursue a PhD. So…on the other hand, it may be a good sign for you to pursue the real life you want. A PhD is never equal to susccessful careers anyway.

Hang in there & Don't take rejections too hard & Glad you are figuring out your choice by this exploratory journey & my e-hug

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2018 by FrozenFreshMeat

[HIVEpiHopeful]

59 minutes ago, linnbear said:

I just got my rejection email from BU. I was waiting for it since I wasn't invited to prospective student day. So that's 4/8 rejections and 4/8 radio silence haha.

I think I just wasted my money applying and don't think I'll be trying for another cycle. Before I applied, I struggled with whether I should apply at all. My career is going well otherwise and doing a PhD would just be more of a financial burden. Since PhD programs have the same hesitation about me, it's now more affirmative that I shouldn't pursue a PhD. 

4/7 here in my first application cycle. Something could still happen, especially since it seems like UNC hasn't told a fair amount of applicants yet?

[linnbear]

17 minutes ago, FrozenFreshMeat said:

I'm so sorry to see your post…just want to give you a big e-huge. Don't feel bad since you don't know what will happen before the infamous April 15th. 

This is my application cycle #2. At the time when I got full rejections back to 2 years ago, I was determined to try again. It's not until I had been rejected did I realize how much I want to pursue a PhD. So…on the other hand, it may be a good sign for you to pursue the real life you want. A PhD is never equal to susccessful careers anyway.

Hang in there & Don't take rejections too hard & Glad you are figuring out your choice by this exploratory journey & my e-hug

 

 

 

Thank you for the encouragement. My first reaction was to apply for another cycle if I got rejected this round, but then I realized not much about my application would change. If anything my application would be even weaker 1 or 2 years down the road as my career becomes more "corporate". I left my research job 1.5 years ago because of finances and from a graduate program perspective, I can't imagine this being looked at favorably no matter what my reason was. Being in NYC also doesn't help haha. 

[linnbear]

5 minutes ago, HIVEpiHopeful said:

4/7 here in my first application cycle. Something could still happen, especially since it seems like UNC hasn't told a fair amount of applicants yet?

Best of luck to you ! I'll see how the rest of this cycle turns out for me, but I am doubtful I will be applying again.

[HIVEpiHopeful]

3 minutes ago, linnbear said:

Best of luck to you ! I'll see how the rest of this cycle turns out for me, but I am doubtful I will be applying again.

Meant to also mention 3/7 with radio silence haha. Best of luck to you too.

[gallimimus]

Is it worth it to reach out to programs for an update/timeline? I'm waiting on 3 programs, although only 1 would  potentially replace my current top choice based on where I've already been accepted.

[rsbmore]

Has anyone heard from Columbia Epi? Interview or otherwise?

[eek_]

12 minutes ago, gallimimus said:

Is it worth it to reach out to programs for an update/timeline? I'm waiting on 3 programs, although only 1 would  potentially replace my current top choice based on where I've already been accepted.

I reached out to one program because I have one deadline before April 15th.

[epi_aspire]

5 minutes ago, rsbmore said:

Has anyone heard from Columbia Epi? Interview or otherwise?

I interviewed with a member of the doctoral committee about 2 weeks ago, but have not heard from them since then.

[B_behavioral_11]

3 hours ago, Pennk said:

I got in at UTHealth but really put off by their communication!  Also got accepted to UW-Milwaukee and will likely to attending tho funding is touch & go.  Still waiting for NYU and U of Memphis.  I have heard nothing from them since I applied!  All Social behavioral health concentrations.

You?

Congrats! I've been accepted to UMaryland, so that is probably where I am headed also health behavior concentration. Still waiting to hear back from Upenn that's it. 

Edited February 27, 2018 by B_behavioral_11

[B_behavioral_11]

3 hours ago, linnbear said:

I just got my rejection email from BU. I was waiting for it since I wasn't invited to prospective student day. So that's 4/8 rejections and 4/8 radio silence haha.

I think I just wasted my money applying and don't think I'll be trying for another cycle. Before I applied, I struggled with whether I should apply at all. My career is going well otherwise and doing a PhD would just be more of a financial burden. Since PhD programs have the same hesitation about me, it's now more affirmative that I shouldn't pursue a PhD. 

Linnbear, hey I totally get that. Keep in mind though you applied to essentially top 10 schools. And I get that strength of program, funding and status can be large factors, but it's insanely hard to get into those schools. Kudos for applying even. 

[gallimimus]

2 hours ago, eek_ said:

I reached out to one program because I have one deadline before April 15th.

Did they give you any sort of update or at least a harder date that you'd hear back by?

[GradNYC]

I think for most programs next week/next month is the deciding month. I reached out to all my schools at it's between March 2- Mid March. 

[eek_]

31 minutes ago, gallimimus said:

Did they give you any sort of update or at least a harder date that you'd hear back by?

Not really! They had mentioned I'd hear back in late February or March and asked me to provide an update if anything changes or if I have an upcoming deadline. So I let them know about the upcoming deadline I have for another school.

[gallimimus]

5 minutes ago, eek_ said:

Not really! They had mentioned I'd hear back in late February or March and asked me to provide an update if anything changes or if I have an upcoming deadline. So I let them know about the upcoming deadline I have for another school.

Got it. I don't have a real deadline upcoming, my top program just said I have until April 15th, but that they'd like to hear back sooner than that if possible, so I don't think that's a valid enough reason to reach out. 

Thanks!

[rsbmore]

2 hours ago, epi_aspire said:

I interviewed with a member of the doctoral committee about 2 weeks ago, but have not heard from them since then.

Oh boy! I didn't get an interview. Hopefully that's not a necessary step towards admission!

Columbia stated in the original email that a decision should be expected by late February. It's getting pretty late!

 

[HopefulHPM2018]

Hi everyone, long time lurker here! Any health policy/ services research applicants here? I’m still waiting on some schools! Harvard, yale, NYU, and UW are radio silence and heard from ucla, Minnesota, and Michigan. I feel like if I haven’t heard anything then it’s a drawn out rejection. Anyone have any insights on these schools?

[epi_phd2018]

41 minutes ago, gallimimus said:

Got it. I don't have a real deadline upcoming, my top program just said I have until April 15th, but that they'd like to hear back sooner than that if possible, so I don't think that's a valid enough reason to reach out. 

Thanks!

Just wanna chime in y'all - I reached out to another program once I heard an acceptance with a really quick turnaround, and they basically told me they are waiting to hear back from their first group of admissions before sending out additional admits. I was told I am on the list of qualified applicants, but they don't know if they could offer me admission without hearing back from their initial offers. Anyone get the sense funding is super tight this year?? I mean obviously, but I think it's affected quite a bit of our experiences.

I declined one of my previous fully funded offers with the hope that the karma would transfer to this other school (which is the only program potentially able to overtake my current top admission) but still no such luck. Hang in there, y'all! We will make it out of this somehow!