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2018 App Crunch Time


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Hi, I am not sure if this is the right place to post this question and I am new to grad cafe, but I was looking through past years' threads and I saw that some schools interviewed people before making their final decisions. Is this common? Does anyone know which schools are planning to interview this year? My apologies if this has already been asked and answered. (:

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16 minutes ago, mads47 said:

Hi, I am not sure if this is the right place to post this question and I am new to grad cafe, but I was looking through past years' threads and I saw that some schools interviewed people before making their final decisions. Is this common? Does anyone know which schools are planning to interview this year? My apologies if this has already been asked and answered. (:

Most schools do not interview. It's much much common practice in the sciences.

 Schools that have (traditionally) had interviews (in English) in recent years are: Duke, Notre Dame, Emory, Maryland and Chicago.

Massachusetts has also held interviews for TA positions. For them, that's a separate process.

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14 minutes ago, Warelin said:

Also, congratulations to the individual who got accepted into SUNY Buffalo!

Somebody's January sure just got real! Congrats as well!

Edited by FreakyFoucault
Edited for congrats
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20 hours ago, a_sort_of_fractious_angel said:

Today is a day of letters, I see - two of my schools are missing one letter (12/15 deadlines). Both schools said they'd notify me after Jan 1 if I was missing any materials - did your program indicate anything like that? I know some schools start reviewing right away, but they're usually up-front about the importance of the deadlines (I'm pulling only from my experience here, though.) 

Since you're missing both the letter and the GRE, I think you're in the clear to call the department - if this is a school that starts reviewing mid-January, you have to time to get this in order (alternatively, they may very well have all your things and a glitch could be preventing you from seeing it). They may also give you a more direct way to submit (i.e., the email address of an academic coordinator). *Speak and they listen, I guess - one of my problem schools literally just emailed me requesting that last letter by January 15th and they are asking for it to be sent via email to the dept admin, not via the portal.*

Best of luck - this is so stressful and largely out of your control, but it seems like you're doing everything you can. I'm sure you'll get it in order soon. 

The missing school is Columbia; any chance that's one of yours? Yeah, I had already emailed them about the gre ages ago. Looks like I get to hound them down some more!

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1 hour ago, unicornsarereal said:

The missing school is Columbia; any chance that's one of yours? Yeah, I had already emailed them about the gre ages ago. Looks like I get to hound them down some more!

Sadly no - Rutgers was the department who emailed me yesterday. Hopefully you'll get some clear answers from them soon - I know they're swamped but I think it is important to reach out for stuff like this (better than them hunting you down to say, "where is this thing we requested?")

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So...I am a huge planner/overthinker, and the fact that I have no idea where I'll be living seven months from now is really starting to wear on me. Ugh. I just want some answers, so I can start planning visits, housing, envisioning myself living in the town, etc. How is it only January? -cry face emoji-

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FWIW: if you're still interested in schools, the following are still accepting applications:
Case Western (Jan 15)
Ohio University (Jan 15)
Nevada- Las Vegas (Jan 15)
Nevada-Reno (Jan 15)
University of Houston (Jan 15)
Tennessee (Jan 15 for MA)
Kentucky (Jan 15)
New Mexico (Jan 15)
University of Delaware (Jan 31 for departmental funding)
Binghamton (Feb 15  for MA and PHD)
Southern Mississippi (Feb 15)
Villanova (March 1 for MA)


 

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2 hours ago, katie64 said:

So...I am a huge planner/overthinker, and the fact that I have no idea where I'll be living seven months from now is really starting to wear on me. Ugh. I just want some answers, so I can start planning visits, housing, envisioning myself living in the town, etc. How is it only January? -cry face emoji-

I'm generally a Fuck-It-We'll-Do-It-Live kind of guy, but I'm beginning to worry about the whole move thing, too, especially if I have to go somewhere expensive. Granted, I've historically had good luck with random roommates (several of whom are now close friends), but I'm worried that the karmic forces of the universe might balance out all my past good-roommate fortune with some psycho, or worse, a *hipster... Buhhh! 

 

*I kid, I kid! 

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Today at 4:54 pm, I was called by an unknown number. The area code matched an area code for one of the schools to which I have applied - I know this since I made all list of all the possible areas codes for all the schools to which I have applied and I keep it on my person at all times because Constant Vigilance.

So, I have my phone in my right hand and my list in my left and I realize that the first 3 numbers in the phone number are the same as the first 3 numbers of one phone number on the page.

I reject the call, naturally, because I am scared. 

I then stare at my phone, waiting for the voicemail notification, and think to myself - after about 15 minutes - "wow this is a really long voicemail, they must be really excited for me. maybe I got a double scoop of funding."

It is now 5:59 pm - I will admit there is no voicemail notification, but I'm just not confident that there is no actual voicemail. It's probably stuck, like a text, and is on its way. 

While I wait for it get unstuck, I'm going to fashion a "One Week of Waiting" chip for myself out of two beer bottle tops and a glue stick. 

Semi-related, hello and welcome to the deadzone, @Dogfish Head - I made it one week before collapsing into the third rail. May you make it at least 8 days. 

Edited by a_sort_of_fractious_angel
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59 minutes ago, a_sort_of_fractious_angel said:

Today at 4:54 pm, I was called by an unknown number. The area code matched an area code for one of the schools to which I have applied - I know this since I made all list of all the possible areas codes for all the schools to which I have applied and I keep it on my person at all times because Constant Vigilance.

Same thing happened to me yesterday, but Google revealed that the number is of a known spammer. I've never been so disappointed to have been spam called! Sad face :( 

 

Edited by FreakyFoucault
prepositions, prepositions, prepositions...
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20 minutes ago, FreakyFoucault said:

Same thing happened to me yesterday, but Google revealed that the number is of a known spammer. I've never been so disappointed to have been spam called! Sad face :( 

 

I think you're within your rights to spam call back. Repeatedly. 

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1 hour ago, FreakyFoucault said:

Next time:

"ARE YOU PRINCETON? NO?" click.

You've given me an idea for every time my mother calls. 

1 hour ago, WildeThing said:

English programs call? That’s convenient seeing as I’m out of the country. I bet every single program has already selected me but becsuse I’m not picking up they’re moving on.

11/10 agree you're selected to all. 11/10 believe they are staring at the phone during the weekdays - waiting, hoping, praying you'll call back. Have you gotten any voicemails of just breathing? I'm assuming several. Nerves, you know - crazy things.

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My final application is sent (had the LOVELY opportunity of reducing an already reduced writing sample by nearly a third of its length to satisfy the word (yes, word, not page) limit). All the letters are in, now we wait.

Does anyone know how important or useful the Fall reports are? My university has not responded about mending a course misspelling on my transcript so I have been waiting on that before sending them in.

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20 hours ago, a_sort_of_fractious_angel said:

Semi-related, hello and welcome to the deadzone, @Dogfish Head - I made it one week before collapsing into the third rail. May you make it at least 8 days. 

Thank you for the warm welcome, I look forward to checking my email until my fingers fall off.

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Longtime lurker here! I am glad I am not the only one who is politely excusing myself from dinner with friends or family to check my emails in the bathroom on a Sunday, when I know d--m well there has been no action on my app that had a Jan 1 deadline. I have never answered so many spam callers in my life!

How do I get through the next few weeks?

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On 1/17/2018 at 1:28 AM, WildeThing said:

English programs call? That’s convenient seeing as I’m out of the country. I bet every single program has already selected me but becsuse I’m not picking up they’re moving on.

I'm also abroad. I'm just glad to not have Phone Anxiety on top Email Anxiety and Results Page Anxiety. 

9 hours ago, FreakyFoucault said:

Booze helps. 

A+ life advice.

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