What now?

[WildeThing]

So, there are still some apps left to submit but I assume that for most of us at least some, if not most, of the apps are submitted. So... what now? I know that now we just wait to hear back from programs and that this will probably mean waiting for 2-3 months, but can anyone who has applied in the past able to illuminate exactly what the proceedings are like now? Do we get automated offers/rejections, contact by Grad admissions, email, physical letters, etc. Just curious as to what to expect exactly.

[TeaOverCoffee]

It really depends upon the school or the program, but if you haven’t heard back by the beginning of April, I just considered it a rejection. I actually didn’t even hear back from one school last year. You’ll mostly receive emails (so turn off those alerts on your phone or you’ll go crazy), and some will send a follow up snail-mail letter to reject/accept you, which is really lovely. With one school, I received a rejection via email, a letter in the mail from the department, and then another rejection letter from the graduate school. 

I tell everybody this, but please stay off thegradcafe until you receive your first acceptance (or maybe even set a specific date like March 15 or something). You’ll drive yourself crazy if you hear that others got accepted to the same program you applied to but you haven’t heard anything yet. I received this same advice applying to master’s programs, but I didn’t listen. Needless to say, I had a few mental breakdowns in February and March 2015.

Best of luck! 

[xolo]

It was impossible for me to stay off of thegradcafe! Good advice though, if you can do it. I'll just reiterate TeaOver and say it really depends. One professor sent me an email in late January with advance notice, which officially came through in February. On the other hand, a different school never notified me. I finally asked in April and after several emails the department chair sent me an blunt email saying I had been rejected. So it all depends. Try to keep in mind they are only human, they are really busy, and there is quite a bit of bureaucracy. 

[Assotto]

Between now and April you will either get acceptance offers or interview invites via email/phone, rejections via email, or waitlist offers via email. Expect for these to happen at any time between now and April 15th.

The months between submitting my applications and waiting to hear back seemed like the longest waiting period of my life. I had things like work and vacation to distract me but I did check TheGradCafe and my email several times each day for about three months straight. At some point though I stuck with a regimented schedule to only check the app portals and my email like twice a day.

I actually do not think staying off the TheGradCafe necessarily decreased my anxiety of waiting. You'll be anxious whether you check this site or not. TheGradCafe really for me was a rich source of information during the wait. You can look back to the Results board from previous years to get a sense of when to hear back from programs and average cohort sizes, etc. There are so many lively discussions that take place during the wait period that honestly got me more excited about getting accepted. Quite honestly, aside from peers that were also applying to graduate programs, no one else outside of academia really seemed to understand the agony of waiting and what awaits on the other side after being accepted (funding, insurance, resources, etc.) Despite the collective anxiety, this site was one of the few places where everyone understood the pain of waiting and the high stakes of being accepted.

The most painful part was of course seeing other folks post acceptances via email/phone from programs I had yet to hear back from. The rejection does hurt for a bit but after receiving two rejections in the same day it becomes a tad humorous. Honestly just keep reminding yourself that each day is a new day to possibly get accepted to one of your top choices.  

Edited December 19, 2017 by Assotto

[cypressknee]

I found that once I submitted all of my applications, I felt an initial relief. However, once the end of January rolled around, I became increasingly obsessed with checking my email for any news from programs. One thing I found helpful (though others might find this anxiety-producing) was look on the results board to get a sense of when the programs I applied to sent out acceptance/rejection notifications, so I knew when to anticipate hearing back from each program. I made a list with the dates and tried my hardest not to refresh my email or the results board every hour. I didn't stay away from GradCafe; like @Assotto said, it's a nerve-wracking process no matter what and the rejections certainly sting, but having an online community that innately understands what you're going through was really cathartic for me.