Post here to whine about rejections

[ozmusicbird]

yep. for some reason after that first one...I have lost the ability to emote. I guess I will just do the I-am-a-failure-lingering-depression-workaholic thing for a while...

[Cornell07]

Even without any acceptances, my second rejection was much easier to take than my first.

[canadiana]

Yes, I just got my first outright rejection. I hope you guys are right, and that it gets easier over time.

[Louiselab]

My best rejection came from my prof for independent study.

"You've read her book, haven't you?"

"Yeah. I applied to work with her."

"I talked to her about that... I wouldn't get too excited about working with her."

"oh, um, ok."

"She's not that good and a bitch anyway."

[canadiana]

I have a question: now that the rejections have started rolling in, is it appropriate to send short thank you notes to the professors at various universities with whom you were interested in working? Or will that seem too arrogant, as if assuming that they actually read your application?

[Cornell07]

[quote name="Louiselab

[Minnesotan]

I have a question: now that the rejections have started rolling in, is it appropriate to send short thank you notes to the professors at various universities with whom you were interested in working? Or will that seem too arrogant, as if assuming that they actually read your application?

That seems inappropriate, if you ask me.

[lucifer2]

I have a question: now that the rejections have started rolling in, is it appropriate to send short thank you notes to the professors at various universities with whom you were interested in working? Or will that seem too arrogant, as if assuming that they actually read your application?

Like you said, you don't even know if the professors had read your applications. I don't think your thank you notes will come across as arrogant but I am sure they will look odd.

[crossedfingers]

first rejection: Stanford. and I'm actually relieved. is that bad?

[canadiana]

first rejection: Stanford. and I'm actually relieved. is that bad?

Not necessarily. Maybe the waiting is the worst part for you, which is good in the long run, since it's temporary. I'm sorry to hear about your rejection, though.

[canadiana]

Like you said, you don't even know if the professors had read your applications. I don't think your thank you notes will come across as arrogant but I am sure they will look odd.

Yeah, I figured it's more appropriate for a job interview situation. Thanks for the feedback, lucifer2 and minnesotan!

[rider of rohan]

Hi guys!

I just discovered this website! It gives me a lot of relief to find so many tormented souls like me!

As for my results, they have definitely started on the wrong foot. The scoreline as of now reads 0-3, with my dream school MIT giving me a reject this week.

I have 7 more to go, and all i can say is -

We will not quietly into the night

We will not vanish without a fight

We're going to live on

We're going to survive

Today we celebrate our acceptance day :?

[frankdux]

I have 7 more to go, and all i can say is -

We will not quietly into the night

We will not vanish without a fight

We're going to live on

We're going to survive

Today we celebrate our acceptance day :?

i prefer this version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEbPq-pJTco

[milktea]

My friend and I talked about the chance of applying next year if we can't get satisfactory offer. I suddenly found that finding a job, or re-application is not a bad idea, as I could use the whole year to make myself better prepared, not only in work or research experience, but also in knowing about what i really want and excel.

Guys, we have underwent and suffered a lot all through the application process, nothing seems to be so difficult now.

[britishstudent]

Coming from abroad I really don't know where I went wrong with my applications. I've been rejected by 3 and I suspect the other two will be as well as many have already had offers it seems. I'm at Cambridge, and came top of my year within my subject with strong grades last year (including a starred first in one paper - very rare). I submitted a strong piece of work that had been graded a first and is the basis for a journal article that is currently being written. I scored 630V 720Q and 6.0A and had excellent references. I had also contacted faculty at most universities that I applied to who thought I was a good match with the program. I submitted everything on time (albeit close to the deadline and two late references in the post but only by a few days). I'm at a loss to see where I went wrong. In Britain we write very different proposals to those in the States and I had a hard time writing my statements of purpose in an "americanised way" but I had help from faculty members who had taught and studied in America.

I do have an awesome offer from Cornell which I am more than happy to take ($24,000 stipend + tuition ahd health insurance) and I'm concentrating on that. But I can't help wondering if I am cut out for research at the top level with so many rejections and equally I really want to know where I went wrong. I wasn't expecting a clean sweep and I know how competitive it is but I'm still a bit surprised. I'm not alone in thinking that either - Grad schools in Britain are less competitive than the states of course, and this is what most faculty in my department have experience with but most of them are surprised I didn't get more offers.

Sorry this isn't very coherent. Just wanted to write it and get it off my chest.

[firecolon]

bririshstudent, I am suprised too with all of the rejections, but Cornell is an incredibly good school and it looks like you're going to be alright. The schools that turned you down (UC Berkeley, UCLA, Wisconsin-Madison) are three of the most selective state schools in the country. It is especially tough to get into graduate school in your area of concentration. The last thing you should be worried about now is if you are ready for graduate school, I am sure you will do fine. Good luck with your other schools.

[JordanJames]

Coming from abroad I really don't know where I went wrong with my applications. I've been rejected by 3 and I suspect the other two will be as well as many have already had offers it seems. I'm at Cambridge, and came top of my year within my subject with strong grades last year (including a starred first in one paper - very rare). I submitted a strong piece of work that had been graded a first and is the basis for a journal article that is currently being written. I scored 630V 720Q and 6.0A and had excellent references. I had also contacted faculty at most universities that I applied to who thought I was a good match with the program. I submitted everything on time (albeit close to the deadline and two late references in the post but only by a few days). I'm at a loss to see where I went wrong. In Britain we write very different proposals to those in the States and I had a hard time writing my statements of purpose in an "americanised way" but I had help from faculty members who had taught and studied in America.

I do have an awesome offer from Cornell which I am more than happy to take ($24,000 stipend + tuition ahd health insurance) and I'm concentrating on that. But I can't help wondering if I am cut out for research at the top level with so many rejections and equally I really want to know where I went wrong. I wasn't expecting a clean sweep and I know how competitive it is but I'm still a bit surprised. I'm not alone in thinking that either - Grad schools in Britain are less competitive than the states of course, and this is what most faculty in my department have experience with but most of them are surprised I didn't get more offers.

Sorry this isn't very coherent. Just wanted to write it and get it off my chest.

You have a great offer, and I'm pretty sure Cornell wouldn't be accepting you if they didn't think you had great potential as a researcher. I don't know if you play hold'em poker, but I feel like the grad ap process in America is kind of like it. You can calculate the pot odds, know how to play each hand in what way and in which position, you can spot a bluff, and you can accurately read the other person's hand, but nevertheless, you could find yourself out of the tournament if you play a monster hand strong and it's broken by a worse hand. The point is, you do what you can do and you can be better than the people your competing against, but there is an element of luck involved. It seems like you have good cards to play with, but the board has been unkind. It happens, but the odds are generally in your favor, so you keep playing your hand. Don't judge your ability as a researcher based on how one round of apps went.

Anyways, if that's the only acceptance you get, you should still be happy. That's a good school and a terrific stipend. There are plenty of people praying for the opportunity that you have at Cornell.

[Cornell07]

As a Cornellian, I wholeheartedly support going to Cornell. PM me if you have any questions!

[rising_star]

bririshstudent, I am suprised too with all of the rejections, but Cornell is an incredibly good school and it looks like you're going to be alright. The schools that turned you down (UC Berkeley, UCLA, Wisconsin-Madison) are three of the most selective state schools in the country. It is especially tough to get into graduate school in your area of concentration. The last thing you should be worried about now is if you are ready for graduate school, I am sure you will do fine. Good luck with your other schools.

I would add that state schools often have limits on the number of international students they can accept, which can make things even more competitive.

[atlas]

The director of the graduate school basically said "The department didn't like you, and, frankly, I don't either." Sheesh! I just hope it was a form letter rather than a personalized dis.

That's funny!!

I got a rejection email yesterday and even though I know it's a form letter (and sent to hundreds of other rejected candidates) it does feel a little personal (!!). And I have to admit for a second I was slightly tempted to hit reply with something like....

"What you think you're so great!!!!??? Actually this was my last (last) choice school and I agonized whether or not I should even throw that 100 bucks away for the application fee (of a second rate school). So thanks for making my life easier! I agree that I can do better than your school and that I couldn't possibly fit in."

But instead I took a deep breath and a few hours later I totally wrote the whole thing off...It's really no big deal! It's the luck of the draw.

[britishstudent]

Thanks, and sorry for the whiney post. I am really excited by the Cornell offerand going to the states. I;ve got applications in here to LSE and Cambridge (put in recently) but the atmosphere and the longer course structure is awesome. In Britain your funding isn't decided until your final grades so I'm almost certain to come to the states (at cambridge your final result in sociology is completely dependent on 3x3 hour exams and a dissertation, nothing up to that point counts, so one slip up can screwup funding). I think a few rejections in a row has just hit hard and I'll get over it... If anyone else is heading cornell way PM me

[canadiana]

Oh, UPenn, you've been placed on such a high pedestal that your rejection really stings. I am both hurt and relieved that a decision was made so quickly...probably my terrible GRE scores.

[LanthyPhair]

Got rejected by Arizona in a letter that was less heart-stomping than some I've seen. Sociology PhD.

Oh well, their like-minded faculty were all out of the country when I tried to contact them, so I never got a good feel for what they wanted. Fine, be that way! 3 down, 6 to go: current count, 1-2.

[Cornell07]

Dinged again! Let's see... I'm down to two safeties and two reaches. (Three reaches if you don't count the unofficial rejection from Pton)

[nina gorman]

Got rejected by U of Arizona pol sci. Only took 8 out of 70 this year, but yet on website say they took 10 of 12. Turnaround between deadline of 2/1 and decisions by 2/12 was swift. Too often in ap process right hand didn't know what left was doing sometimes in grad office and dept. administratively, (but I screwed up too by mailing transcripts to grad office instead of dept0 GREs and a transcript misplaced by grad office. I got replacements in by the skin of my teeth for consideration I was told.