Let’s just TALK about it...

[pataka]

On 1/15/2018 at 10:24 AM, bluebird8 said:

Same  I am still waiting to hear from most of the schools I applied to. I'd like to at least have options in case I screw up my only interview.

I'm in this exact same boat; I feel like I'm drowning in all of the anxiety surrounding having just one interview. One one hand, I feel bad complaining because I do have an interview, and it's for one of my top programs, and I'm truly excited to have gotten this far.... on the other hand, I'm worried sick about what it means if I don't hear from any other schools and it feels like I'm putting all of my eggs in one basket. I'm not much of a gambler. This sucks 

[TheScienceHoney]

3 minutes ago, cashewmilk said:

I'm a literal ball of nerves at this point. Every time my phone buzzes my stomach drops. This cant be healthy!

Same!! Especially if I glance at it and it's clearly an email notification. Mini heart attack every time.

And as far as the crazy expenses of applying to grad school goes...yeah it's kind of ridiculous. I spent around $800, which included taking the GRE, sending scores, sending transcripts, and application fees. I really wanted to apply to more than 5 schools but I literally could not afford it. I had to ask a family member for help paying my rent during the month I applied, and I still have to pay that back, plus student loans are a real b*tch. Ugh. Plus a lot of schools have a weird process with fee waivers and tax status. 2017 was the first year that I was not a dependent of my parents, and a lot of schools ask for 2016 tax info, where I was claimed as a dependent and would not have qualified for a waiver due to my parents' income (but I would have qualified had 2017 taxes been filed.) My parents were supportive of me applying to grad school, but they have two other kids in college right now and couldn't really afford to help me apply for a second degree. 

If I don't get in this round and have to do it over again, I will definitely be more proactive about directly asking for fee waivers. I think that had I asked departments directly instead of just applying for the waiver online I would have had a better chance of getting one. Lesson learned, for sure.

[spamhaus]

I just got the worst feeling. My backup plan just fell through... just got the rejection email. I wasn't sure I would be accepted to my backup program, but they didn't even require a LOR until further in the process. I was cut before even getting to that point. That really hurts. Now I'm super worried about my application to the various PhD programs. I'm starting to feel I'm much less competitive than I thought I was. Ugh!

[surprise_quiche]

24 minutes ago, spamhaus said:

I just got the worst feeling. My backup plan just fell through... just got the rejection email. I wasn't sure I would be accepted to my backup program, but they didn't even require a LOR until further in the process. I was cut before even getting to that point. That really hurts. Now I'm super worried about my application to the various PhD programs. I'm starting to feel I'm much less competitive than I thought I was. Ugh!

I'm so sorry. There's more schools and better yet time for a new backup. 

[eevee]

I know this is probably my anxiety rearing its ugly head, but I'm going to my first interview tomorrow (!!!) and am suddenly consumed with existential dread. Most of this is along the lines of knowing that I'm a good writer and I was proud of my SoP, but I tend to be awkward in person and I never feel confident in one-on-one conversations, especially interviews. I'm just terrified that these professors will be expecting something good based on my SoP and will be so disappointed when they meet me in real life. D:  

[deleteaccount]

31 minutes ago, spamhaus said:

I just got the worst feeling. My backup plan just fell through... just got the rejection email. I wasn't sure I would be accepted to my backup program, but they didn't even require a LOR until further in the process. I was cut before even getting to that point. That really hurts. Now I'm super worried about my application to the various PhD programs. I'm starting to feel I'm much less competitive than I thought I was. Ugh!

Out of curiosity, what program was this? Just curious, as the LOR process sounds similar to something I applied to. But I'm sorry and I feel you. I'm trying to figure out back up plans, and I feel like I'm going to have to scramble something together if I don't get in. It's just hard because I feel like everything I'd want to do is decently competitive, so there's no sure-fire safety for me.

[spamhaus]

@eighty8keysGoogle AI Residency Program

[khigh]

Two people have posted acceptances for the one program I applied for and I haven't heard anything yet.  It's more stressful than I ever thought it would be.

[GarbledGeyser]

9 minutes ago, khigh said:

Two people have posted acceptances for the one program I applied for and I haven't heard anything yet.  It's more stressful than I ever thought it would be.

Good luck. Keep calm and hit F5...

[senorbrightside]

20 minutes ago, khigh said:

Two people have posted acceptances for the one program I applied for and I haven't heard anything yet.  It's more stressful than I ever thought it would be.

Don't lose hope!

Two people have posted acceptances for my #2 program...and I haven't heard anything...so I understand exactly how stressful it is. Just keep the faith  

[khigh]

It looks like, looking at the past years, that they do acceptances over a few days and then rejections later. So, it's going to possibly be a week of feeling like this.  F5 is my friend.

[deleteaccount]

46 minutes ago, spamhaus said:

@eighty8keysGoogle AI Residency Program

That was one of the ones I applied to. I'm surprised that they sent out some rejections at this point. But I wouldn't worry about it too much. With the amount of schools that you applied to and the fact that you seem like a decently competitive candidate, I feel like you'll definitely end up somewhere. 

[spamhaus]

29 minutes ago, eighty8keys said:

But I wouldn't worry about it too much. With the amount of schools that you applied to and the fact that you seem like a decently competitive candidate, I feel like you'll definitely end up somewhere. 

It's very kind of you to say that I'm a decently competitive candidate, but to be honest I'm really starting to doubt that. Especially since the schools I applied to are highly ranked schools in the disciplines I care about (when looking at csrankings.org). My concern is that the field is overly competitive now, so I stand little chance, especially since I have been out of school for over a decade and struggled to find a professor to conduct research with to help boost my application.

[raul.carmo]

5 hours ago, spamhaus said:

I just got the worst feeling. My backup plan just fell through... just got the rejection email. I wasn't sure I would be accepted to my backup program, but they didn't even require a LOR until further in the process. I was cut before even getting to that point. That really hurts. Now I'm super worried about my application to the various PhD programs. I'm starting to feel I'm much less competitive than I thought I was. Ugh!

Don't freak out, you're reading the reply of someone who was rejected to 3 terrible MS programs (they didn't even make it to the rankings) and admitted to a world's top 50 MS program with a full scholarship. Sometimes backup schools (lower tier) end up being the hardest to get into since they usually have less funding and are not able to accept many students. Top schools have much more money to accept incoming students so they are able to pick up more people, so that's why it is quite common to see people with below average credentials (GREs, LOR, GPA etc) get into top schools (at least in chemistry it happens a lot).

[FluffyPancakes]

On 1/12/2018 at 2:43 PM, PsychedSloth said:

I asked the program director to look into it and sent a screenshot showing when my letters were submitted. I got an email this morning saying they have the missing letter after all! Now I'm back to the waiting game, but this is reassuring. Thanks! 

That is wonderful!  Good luck!!!

[raul.carmo]

5 hours ago, eevee said:

I know this is probably my anxiety rearing its ugly head, but I'm going to my first interview tomorrow (!!!) and am suddenly consumed with existential dread. Most of this is along the lines of knowing that I'm a good writer and I was proud of my SoP, but I tend to be awkward in person and I never feel confident in one-on-one conversations, especially interviews. I'm just terrified that these professors will be expecting something good based on my SoP and will be so disappointed when they meet me in real life. D:  

neuroscience is full of awkward people so you should feel like home (just kidding  )

[PsychedSloth]

26 minutes ago, FluffyPancakes said:

That is wonderful!  Good luck!!!

Thanks! I'm still in freak out mode because I think this backup plan will become my main goal. I don't think I'll get into SDSU's MA Psychology-Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience program. I won't know anything until late February/early March. 

[PsychedSloth]

28 minutes ago, raul.carmo said:

neuroscience is full of awkward people

Can confirm! Lots of quirky people are in neuroscience (nothing wrong with that). 

[GarbledGeyser]

My undergrad institution has an introductory neuroscience course that I really regret not finding the time to take. Brains are just too neat.

[littlemy]

14 hours ago, WatchfulWombat said:

Well, of course I'm not really an authority on graduate literature programs, but still! 

Out of curiosity, which schools have you applied to?

Some of the schools I've applied to that I'd be so excited to go are Texas A&M, U of Pittsburgh, and Purdue.  

[TheScienceHoney]

Got my first rejection this morning. Really bummed about this one, it was my second choice and I was feeling good about my chances. Now I'm spiraling down the rabbit hole of panic thinking that I won't get accepted to any and I'm not ready to face that yet  

[surprise_quiche]

2 hours ago, TheScienceHoney said:

Got my first rejection this morning. Really bummed about this one, it was my second choice and I was feeling good about my chances. Now I'm spiraling down the rabbit hole of panic thinking that I won't get accepted to any and I'm not ready to face that yet  

There is still time! It's normal to feel depressed about it, but just know that you've accomplished so much already just going through this process.

[rooguild]

Thanks for this post! I applied to MFA programs this year, which tend not to notify until February or March, so this waiting game feels it'll stretch on forever. I also applied last year and didn't get in (even while my friends, even one student of mine, got into MFA programs), which was really humiliating and painful. I ended up wishing I hadn't told anyone I was applying. But this year I told even more people! I know it shouldn't matter, but I'm dreading having to potentially explain to other people that yes, I was rejected from 9 schools... At least this year I'm slightly more prepared for it.

[TheScienceHoney]

3 hours ago, surprise_quiche said:

There is still time! It's normal to feel depressed about it, but just know that you've accomplished so much already just going through this process.

Thank you!! Yeah I think it's just hard because it's the first one. I love your quote about winging it by the way <3 

[sross43]

I'm starting to give up hope. Which I intellectually know doesn't make sense because there's still another month where people in my field get accepted, but still. No rejections so far, but no acceptances. Maybe I'll just stay at my home university.