PhD Applications Fall '18 Season

[msdb]

Question: Do schools typically send an email when your application status changes in their application portal? I've been checking my application status for a few applications, but I saw people saying they had received emails telling them to check their status because it had recently changed -- so perhaps my checking regularly is unnecessary?

[ugh2017]

51 minutes ago, msdb said:

Question: Do schools typically send an email when your application status changes in their application portal? I've been checking my application status for a few applications, but I saw people saying they had received emails telling them to check their status because it had recently changed -- so perhaps my checking regularly is unnecessary?

I think it depends on the school. 

[Cioaba]

Accepted to UT Austin (Ancient Mediterranean Religions)

[bijou2017]

25 minutes ago, Cioaba said:

Accepted to UT Austin (Ancient Mediterranean Religions)

Congrats! I was also just accepted, see you at recruitment weekend!

[SunshineYogi]

Hey y’all. Frequent lurker, first time post(er). Really grateful for this thread in this waiting season.

Any idea when Emory will send out decisions? 

[xypathos]

I forget when Emory's interview weekend is but I'm pretty sure it was last weekend. If you weren't invited to the interview weekend, it's safe to presume you were rejected.

If you attended the interview weekend then you'll know your fate 1-2 weeks later - they tend to notify really quickly.

[SunshineYogi]

10 minutes ago, xypathos said:

I forget when Emory's interview weekend is but I'm pretty sure it was last weekend. If you weren't invited to the interview weekend, it's safe to presume you were rejected.

If you attended the interview weekend then you'll know your fate 1-2 weeks later - they tend to notify really quickly.

Yep, I was there last weekend. I guess I’m just hoping the turn around is sooner rather than later. Alas, the wait continues...

[msdb]

52 minutes ago, SunshineYogi said:

Yep, I was there last weekend. I guess I’m just hoping the turn around is sooner rather than later. Alas, the wait continues...

I just heard from Emory (HB). I imagine different areas notify at different times, though. Hope it’s good news for you!

[Shmandy]

Anyone else going to Baylor preview this weekend have any idea about dress? I'm having an 11th hour freakout over what I'm wearing.

[xypathos]

45 minutes ago, Shmandy said:

Anyone else going to Baylor preview this weekend have any idea about dress? I'm having an 11th hour freakout over what I'm wearing.

I always advise to err on the side of caution and dress formally for anything that constitutes an interview. I don't know how Baylor specifically schedules their interviews but if there's an official interview, I'd certainly dress formally for that. If there's a social event I'd probably stick to business casual for those. Save the showing up in blue jeans and a hoodie for when you're officially in.

[ShewantsthePhD101]

3 hours ago, SunshineYogi said:

Yep, I was there last weekend. I guess I’m just hoping the turn around is sooner rather than later. Alas, the wait continues...

I just heard back! Wait-listed...

[sd_waco]

4 hours ago, Shmandy said:

Anyone else going to Baylor preview this weekend have any idea about dress? I'm having an 11th hour freakout over what I'm wearing.

I can't make clothing recommendations, but I'd be happy to grab a pint with anybody coming to Baylor preview weekend. I did a Religion undergrad at Baylor and am finishing up at Truett Seminary here (which is the only reason I didn't apply to Baylor PhD), so I've been around the department and living in Waco for 8 years and would be happy to do my best to shed light on any intangibles people might be wondering about. 

Shoot me a direct message if you're interested, I should be pretty open most of the weekend.

[Epaphroditus]

4 hours ago, Shmandy said:

Anyone else going to Baylor preview this weekend have any idea about dress? I'm having an 11th hour freakout over what I'm wearing.

I just re-read the email from Baylor and the email specifically says business casual will be fine for all activities, so I don't think you need to wear a full suit (I know I won't).

[Shmandy]

10 minutes ago, Hopeless_Academic said:

I just re-read the email from Baylor and the email specifically says business casual will be fine for all activities, so I don't think you need to wear a full suit (I know I won't).

See, I thought I read that, but I went back through the various emails and couldn't find it. Thanks, friend.

[ugh2017]

Hey @sd_waco have you heard anything about funding at Cambridge? Have you been accepted by a college yet? 

[Almaqah Thwn]

5 hours ago, xypathos said:

I always advise to err on the side of caution and dress formally for anything that constitutes an interview. I don't know how Baylor specifically schedules their interviews but if there's an official interview, I'd certainly dress formally for that. If there's a social event I'd probably stick to business casual for those. Save the showing up in blue jeans and a hoodie for when you're officially in.

Crap, I just flew into Waco and only packed blue jeans and hoodies for the entire duration of this trip...

Edited February 9, 2018 by Almaqah Thwn

[sd_waco]

7 hours ago, ugh2017 said:

Hey @sd_waco have you heard anything about funding at Cambridge? Have you been accepted by a college yet? 

No word on funding yet. As best I can tell, it will be at least mid-March before those decisions are made (the Cambridge Trust scholarships as well as the college scholarships don't close until March 1). And I'm accepted at St. John's.

I also applied in early October so that I could apply for a Gates Scholarship (which I didn't get), so all of my admissions decisions were made in Michaelmas term. Are you still waiting on acceptance and/or a college?

[ugh2017]

2 hours ago, sd_waco said:

No word on funding yet. As best I can tell, it will be at least mid-March before those decisions are made (the Cambridge Trust scholarships as well as the college scholarships don't close until March 1). And I'm accepted at St. John's.

I also applied in early October so that I could apply for a Gates Scholarship (which I didn't get), so all of my admissions decisions were made in Michaelmas term. Are you still waiting on acceptance and/or a college?

Nice on St. John's! that was my top choice. I was also accepted in the Michaelmas term for Gates, which I also didn't get. I was offered a spot at St. Edmund's the international phd college, which disappointed me. I actually haven't told them if I'm going to take the spot that they've offered me. I'm not sure if another college would make an offer if I said no to St. Edmund's, but I'm not sure that's necessary either. Thanks for the info on funding. That's good news. 

Edited February 9, 2018 by ugh2017

[sd_waco]

18 minutes ago, ugh2017 said:

I'm not sure if another college would make an offer if I said no to St. Edmund's, but I'm not sure that's necessary either. 

My best understanding is that unless you have a profoundly valid reason for declining a college offer and can make a case for it, you basically remit your university offer. But that would definitely be worth following up on/clarifying.

[_ 0 _]

I am a semi-finalist for a research Fulbright in Germany and am interested to know if anyone thinks it would be worth accepting in lieu of a funded Ph.D. offer.

[KA.DINGER.RA]

4 minutes ago, Adelphos_CS said:

I am a semi-finalist for a research Fulbright in Germany and am interested to know if anyone thinks it would be worth accepting in lieu of a funded Ph.D. offer.

It depends on a lot of factors. To where have you been accepted? Can you defer acceptance?

[_ 0 _]

14 minutes ago, KA.DINGER.RA said:

It depends on a lot of factors. To where have you been accepted? Can you defer acceptance?

No doctoral acceptances yet, only an interview at Cambridge coming up next week and a couple M* acceptances. The doctoral programs to which I've applied include Oxford, Cambridge, Rice, and UT Austin. I'm not sure if these allow deferrals. 

[ShewantsthePhD101]

I just found out my top choice school doesn't have one of my transcripts!!! How screwed am I? Will this have kept them from even considering my application? I've emailed them to try and figure out what's going on...

[fides quarens intellectum]

Oh man I'm so sorry! If you had the rest of your application in and you can somebow document that you requested the transcripts on time you may have a slim chance. But I wouldn't expect much as it will likely depend on how human the admissions people are. I realized two days after my Yale app was due that apparently I sent the GRE score to Yale Div. instead of Yale University and when I called they were absolutely like well, hey, guess you have an incomplete application then. I was furious especially since I had submitted everything else and paid their stupid $100 fee.  But I suppose I probably had no chance there anyways.

Edited February 10, 2018 by fides quarens intellectum

[KA.DINGER.RA]

6 minutes ago, fides quarens intellectum said:

Oh man I'm so sorry! If you had the rest of your application in and you can somebow document that you requested the transcripts on time you may have a slim chance. But I wouldn't expect much as it will likely depend on how human the admissions people are. I realized two days after my Yale app was due that apparently I sent the GRE score to Yale Sic. instead of Yale University and when I called they were absolutely like well, hey, guess you have an incomplete application then. I was furious especially since I had submitted everything else and paid their stupid $100 fee.  But I suppose I probably had no chance there anyways.

That's almost borderline criminal. Grad students have no money and so many people spend so much money in application fees. It even costs money to send GRE scores. I honestly would have been tempted to issue a charge-back on my card.