Fall 2018 Acceptances/Interviews/Rejections Thread

[SociologyFanatic]

13 minutes ago, qualsoc2018 said:

I really feel like I won't get in anywhere now (since I have a less than stellar profile), and I have no desire to try again next year (for a lot of reasons, plus I don't feel like there's any way I can "improve" my application in any significant way, since I suspect that if I take the GRE again, I'll score just as badly on math as I did this time; I got 150). I feel at a loss about what I should do now. I know it's early but I've basically given up at this point. 

Awwwww!!! I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. I can relate. My quant score was 146 if it makes you feel any better! I can’t remember—do you have your Masters? Feel free to pm me but I’m sure I’m not alone in saying if this is what you want, go for it and keep trying! It couldn’t hurt to take time off from applying if you don’t get in. How many schools are you waiting to hear from?? All the best of luck!

[CandideCoating]

48 minutes ago, qualsoc2018 said:

I really feel like I won't get in anywhere now (since I have a less than stellar profile), and I have no desire to try again next year (for a lot of reasons, plus I don't feel like there's any way I can "improve" my application in any significant way, since I suspect that if I take the GRE again, I'll score just as badly on math as I did this time; I got 150). I feel at a loss about what I should do now. I know it's early but I've basically given up at this point. 

I got a generic rejection letter from Emory on Tuesday. My other two schools are UNC Chapel Hill and UT Austin. Both have 8 admits to the program each on the results page. Congrats to all the happy admits. But I feel like that's a big no for me. Total despair has set in. I scored in the 160s on both quant and verbal, and had strong recs. I don't know what I could do to improve my portfolio so I really don't see myself applying again. This throws a huge wrench in my life plan, and at 33, that's a not great feeling.

 

I'm trying so desperately to hold out hope that they haven't sent me a no yet but 8 admits is quite a few....

[mfafiction2019]

22 minutes ago, CandideCoating said:

I got a generic rejection letter from Emory on Tuesday. My other two schools are UNC Chapel Hill and UT Austin. Both have 8 admits to the program each on the results page. Congrats to all the happy admits. But I feel like that's a big no for me. Total despair has set in. I scored in the 160s on both quant and verbal, and had strong recs. I don't know what I could do to improve my portfolio so I really don't see myself applying again. This throws a huge wrench in my life plan, and at 33, that's a not great feeling.

 

I'm trying so desperately to hold out hope that they haven't sent me a no yet but 8 admits is quite a few....

I feel you, re: the implied rejection from UT Austin (I applied there as well). And yeah, same, I was pretty much planning my near future based on being admitted to a PhD program and moving to a new city in the fall. 

@SociologyFanatic I applied to 7 schools and I haven't heard from any of them officially, but like I said above, there's an implied rejection from UT Austin since apparently acceptances went out today (congrats to those who were admitted btw), and something just tells me that my stats aren't good enough or that the adcoms don't have enough confidence in my math ability. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by qualsoc2018

[pinoysoc]

6 hours ago, SociologyFanatic said:

I’m feeling pretty certain I didn’t get into Minnesota. I’m sad bc it was the only program I applied to. I’ve been out of school for a while (got MA in Soc in ‘09). Just venting ? Seems like a supportive group. 

I feel you. I stopped logging on during work hours because it's made my anxiety worse... as in I started overeating again (which is the sign I'm having an anxiety attack). 

[SociologyFanatic]

2 hours ago, pinoysoc said:

I feel you. I stopped logging on during work hours because it's made my anxiety worse... as in I started overeating again (which is the sign I'm having an anxiety attack). 

Thanks. I’m glad you stopped checking as often. I agree, my anxiety was getting out of control so I needed to seek support from others going through the same thing. I haven’t told many people bc I didn’t want to jeopardize my work. I’m rooting for you! GREs are only 1 piece of the puzzle. Take care. 

[SociologyFanatic]

2 hours ago, qualsoc2018 said:

I feel you, re: the implied rejection from UT Austin (I applied there as well). And yeah, same, I was pretty much planning my near future based on being admitted to a PhD program and moving to a new city in the fall. 

@SociologyFanatic I applied to 7 schools and I haven't heard from any of them officially, but like I said above, there's an implied rejection from UT Austin since apparently acceptances went out today (congrats to those who were admitted btw), and something just tells me that my stats aren't good enough or that the adcoms don't have enough confidence in my math ability. 

Uggg!! Waiting is the hardest part. I understand what you’re saying. I so hope you get in somewhere!!! They’ve got to be able to see past test scores, they’re sociologists, ya know?! 

[abenz]

It’s probably not much consolation right now, but if you look at some of the dates of results from 2017 on the results page, you see some people get admitted (off waitlists) right up until the deadline of April 15th - we shouldn’t lose all hope just yet, even if you think there are implicit rejections (and I know I’m being a bit hypocritical based on all my recent posts!)

This waiting is so nerve wracking and hard, so please everyone be kind on yourselves and each other. We will get through it!

Also for people worrying about GRE scores - it’s so hard to know the cut-offs! I called a grad administrator at one of my top schools who said that anything above 50% would be fine but they’d consider lower too. So really it isn’t just scores they’re looking for x

[socihk]

40 minutes ago, abenz said:

It’s probably not much consolation right now, but if you look at some of the dates of results from 2017 on the results page, you see some people get admitted (off waitlists) right up until the deadline of April 15th - we shouldn’t lose all hope just yet, even if you think there are implicit rejections (and I know I’m being a bit hypocritical based on all my recent posts!)

This waiting is so nerve wracking and hard, so please everyone be kind on yourselves and each other. We will get through it!

Also for people worrying about GRE scores - it’s so hard to know the cut-offs! I called a grad administrator at one of my top schools who said that anything above 50% would be fine but they’d consider lower too. So really it isn’t just scores they’re looking for x

Oh, I always thought grad school won't answer questions about scores and gpa as they seem to be "sensitive."

Before starting my application, I had done some estimation on the cut off scores and gpa and added this (totally stupid) estimation into my consideration of school choices.

Berkeley was a rather straightforward reference as their sociology department mentioned average gre and gpa on their webpage.

My estimation goes like this:

Berkeley's admitted students' average gre was 161 verbal, 154 quant, 5 aw, and gpa 3.82

as this is average, the cut off should be lower than that, without any evidence and informed standard I simply roughly guess the cut off would be like 151-155 verbal, 144-149 quant, 4-4.5 aw, and 3.7-3.75 gpa (i.e. about 5 to 10 scores below the average verbal and quant, 0.5 to 1 mark below average aw, and a gpa somewhere higher than 3.5 and not significantly lower than 3.8)

And since Berkeley is a top 10 school in sociology so I thought I would at least get a chance to be considered after the cut off in some top 10 to 20 schools if I got scores and gpa falling into these ranges.

But after visiting thegradcafe seeing all the acceptance results I now know I f__ked up my apps with all these nonsense and stupid estimations.

 

[xyz234]

9 hours ago, CandideCoating said:

I got a generic rejection letter from Emory on Tuesday. My other two schools are UNC Chapel Hill and UT Austin. Both have 8 admits to the program each on the results page. Congrats to all the happy admits. But I feel like that's a big no for me. Total despair has set in. I scored in the 160s on both quant and verbal, and had strong recs. I don't know what I could do to improve my portfolio so I really don't see myself applying again. This throws a huge wrench in my life plan, and at 33, that's a not great feeling.

 

I'm trying so desperately to hold out hope that they haven't sent me a no yet but 8 admits is quite a few....

I didn't apply to UT-Austin, so I don't know about that, but as one of the UNC admits, please don't think too much of it. I was freaking out the first couple days results got posted and thought I definitely didn't get in. UNC is informing accepted applicants by phone calls from professors they listed on their applications, so it all depends on the professor's schedule and when they have a free block of time to call you.

Edited January 26, 2018 by xyz234

[Goldie]

I think everyone should keep in mind that a lot of the strongest candidates will be admitted to multiple programs, but they can only pick one! More spots will open up as those decisions are made. Additionally, many schools don't start sending acceptances until February. Don't reexamine your entire career trajectory until at least the third week of April.

Also, I suggest you ask yourself if you're getting anything useful from these forums and the results page. If it's truly helpful, great, but if it's sending you into a tailspin everytime you check it, consider blocking the site (I use an app called Self Control for this). The truth is, no one here can tell you if you'll be accepted or not, or what you can do to improve your application, because we just don't know. Looking at this site will not change your status, your application, or your chances, and it also can't give you any information about your standing. It can only bring you additional info with which to compare yourself to others. If you find that to be self-harming rather than motivating (does anyone actually find it motivating?), you may want to protect your sanity and emotional stability by staying away until you get some concrete responses.

Also, your acceptance and/or rejection is not a reflection of your intelligence or worthiness or future success in this field or in life in general. The admissions process is opaque and idiosyncratic, and it's nowhere near done. 

[mfafiction2019]

5 hours ago, socihk said:

Oh, I always thought grad school won't answer questions about scores and gpa as they seem to be "sensitive."

Before starting my application, I had done some estimation on the cut off scores and gpa and added this (totally stupid) estimation into my consideration of school choices.

Berkeley was a rather straightforward reference as their sociology department mentioned average gre and gpa on their webpage.

My estimation goes like this:

Berkeley's admitted students' average gre was 161 verbal, 154 quant, 5 aw, and gpa 3.82

as this is average, the cut off should be lower than that, without any evidence and informed standard I simply roughly guess the cut off would be like 151-155 verbal, 144-149 quant, 4-4.5 aw, and 3.7-3.75 gpa (i.e. about 5 to 10 scores below the average verbal and quant, 0.5 to 1 mark below average aw, and a gpa somewhere higher than 3.5 and not significantly lower than 3.8)

And since Berkeley is a top 10 school in sociology so I thought I would at least get a chance to be considered after the cut off in some top 10 to 20 schools if I got scores and gpa falling into these ranges.

But after visiting thegradcafe seeing all the acceptance results I now know I f__ked up my apps with all these nonsense and stupid estimations.

 

Also I believe that Berkeley states that they only calculate the GPA from the last 2 years of undergraduate coursework + any graduate coursework an applicant might have.

[capslock]

42 minutes ago, Goldie said:

I suggest you ask yourself if you're getting anything useful from these forums and the results page. If it's truly helpful, great, but if it's sending you into a tailspin everytime you check it, consider blocking the site (I use an app called Self Control for this). The truth is, no one here can tell you if you'll be accepted or not, or what you can do to improve your application, because we just don't know. Looking at this site will not change your status, your application, or your chances, and it also can't give you any information about your standing. It can only bring you additional info with which to compare yourself to others. If you find that to be self-harming rather than motivating (does anyone actually find it motivating?), you may want to protect your sanity and emotional stability by staying away until you get some concrete responses.

Also, your acceptance and/or rejection is not a reflection of your intelligence or worthiness or future success in this field or in life in general. The admissions process is opaque and idiosyncratic, and it's nowhere near done. 

This this this SO MUCH THIS! Yes yes YES! SelfControl is a great app, as is this Freedom app that kindly reminds you that you are free from the anxieties that certain habits can exacerbate. @Goldie's words are wise. The fact of the matter is that the process is now out of our hands and beyond our control. It's like when you hand in an exam and spend the next three days perseverating over what your grade is going to be. You submitted what you submitted and no amount of worrying is going to change what is already submitted.

Also, here's some real talk. I have been accepted into a program and yet I still feel the crushing weight of anxiety when I think about my future. The day after I received my acceptance I found myself once again stalking the results page and refreshing these forums mindlessly, simply because I had been doing so for so long that it had become an ingrained habit. And I found that just the act of being on this page made me feel anxious, inadequate, and foolish for even thinking that I could have a chance of getting into grad school. It's as if I had forgotten that I had received an acceptance; the habits of anxiety and worry that I had created had grown so strong as to overpower that fact. Getting that acceptance email will not be a silver bullet in curing feelings of inadequacy, nor will getting a PhD, nor achieving tenure, nor any number of external markers of success.

Y'all are beautiful and brilliant and strong and good, and your worth is not tied to an acceptance or rejection. I can promise you that.

Edited January 26, 2018 by capslock
typo. because nobody's perfect. :)

[Madelene]

29 minutes ago, capslock said:

Y'all are beautiful and brilliant and strong and good, and your worth is not tied to an acceptance or rejection. I can promise you that.

Ugh, bless you! This site was so helpful until acceptances started coming in! I'm going to peace out for a while and remember that I'm a human and not just an application. 

[KevinJHa]

wow look at this sea of green. Congratulations guys 
 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2018 by KevinJHa

[travelmug1Q84]

 49 minutes ago, capslock said:

Y'all are beautiful and brilliant and strong and good, and your worth is not tied to an acceptance or rejection. I can promise you that.

23 minutes ago, Madelene said:

Ugh, bless you! This site was so helpful until acceptances started coming in! I'm going to peace out for a while and remember that I'm a human and not just an application. 

I've been continuously amazed by how unyieldingly supportive everyone on this forum is. Y'all are awesome. I'm glad I found this site and all of your to navigate this arduous and lengthy application process with. 

[Inti]

Anyone can claim the Stanford acceptance?

[coffeentv]

I just received an email from CUNY asking for an interview. It took me so long to finish undergrad, and my GPA is horrible. My GRE scores are not that great, either. I have no research experience. My jaw dropped when I saw the email. Keep your head up, everyone!

[KevinJHa]

8 minutes ago, coffeentv said:

I just received an email from CUNY asking for an interview. It took me so long to finish undergrad, and my GPA is horrible. My GRE scores are not that great, either. I have no research experience. My jaw dropped when I saw the email. Keep your head up, everyone!

OMG, first off congratulations, secondly im so jealous!

[xyz234]

41 minutes ago, Inti said:

Anyone can claim the Stanford acceptance?

I can claim one, received an email this morning. Have not been posting on the results board though because honestly I feel it just contributes to the anxiety and stress of this forum. Happy to answer any questions if that's helpful though.

[SociologyFanatic]

Being able to vent and receiving support and positivity from this thread has been so helpful! I agree with @Goldie and @capslock. Our self-worth is not tied to a degree. I woke up today with the expression "Life is good" on my mind. I had dreamed it! It is simple but it made me smile. I hope that positive outlook can be passed to you all as we wait it out until April. All the best to everyone! 

[latemeg]

13 hours ago, CandideCoating said:

I got a generic rejection letter from Emory on Tuesday. My other two schools are UNC Chapel Hill and UT Austin. Both have 8 admits to the program each on the results page. Congrats to all the happy admits. But I feel like that's a big no for me. Total despair has set in. I scored in the 160s on both quant and verbal, and had strong recs. I don't know what I could do to improve my portfolio so I really don't see myself applying again. This throws a huge wrench in my life plan, and at 33, that's a not great feeling.

 

I'm trying so desperately to hold out hope that they haven't sent me a no yet but 8 admits is quite a few....

 

2 hours ago, Goldie said:

I think everyone should keep in mind that a lot of the strongest candidates will be admitted to multiple programs, but they can only pick one! More spots will open up as those decisions are made. Additionally, many schools don't start sending acceptances until February. Don't reexamine your entire career trajectory until at least the third week of April.

Also, I suggest you ask yourself if you're getting anything useful from these forums and the results page. If it's truly helpful, great, but if it's sending you into a tailspin everytime you check it, consider blocking the site (I use an app called Self Control for this). The truth is, no one here can tell you if you'll be accepted or not, or what you can do to improve your application, because we just don't know. Looking at this site will not change your status, your application, or your chances, and it also can't give you any information about your standing. It can only bring you additional info with which to compare yourself to others. If you find that to be self-harming rather than motivating (does anyone actually find it motivating?), you may want to protect your sanity and emotional stability by staying away until you get some concrete responses.

Also, your acceptance and/or rejection is not a reflection of your intelligence or worthiness or future success in this field or in life in general. The admissions process is opaque and idiosyncratic, and it's nowhere near done. 

 

1 hour ago, KevinJHa said:

wow look at this sea of green. Congratulations guys 
 

 

 

I know, right?  I was shocked when I got online this morning! 

42 minutes ago, coffeentv said:

I just received an email from CUNY asking for an interview. It took me so long to finish undergrad, and my GPA is horrible. My GRE scores are not that great, either. I have no research experience. My jaw dropped when I saw the email. Keep your head up, everyone!

Congratulations! Sounds like you have something special in your application--maybe your writing sample or personal statement.  

33 minutes ago, xyz234 said:

I can claim one, received an email this morning. Have not been posting on the results board though because honestly I feel it just contributes to the anxiety and stress of this forum. Happy to answer any questions if that's helpful though.

Congrats!! 

I think it's good for everyone to keep in mind how beneficial or detrimental this forum is to them personally. I'm kind of an obsessive person--I like having ALL the information, it makes me feel in control--but a lot of people find the overload overwhelming and that's no good. So everybody share away, but remember self care

[pinoysoc]

2 hours ago, xyz234 said:

I can claim one, received an email this morning. Have not been posting on the results board though because honestly I feel it just contributes to the anxiety and stress of this forum. Happy to answer any questions if that's helpful though.

Oh man, congrats! I swore I wasn't going sign into the forum (I keep mixing up my password!). 

Who contacted you? I've been religiously checking my e-mail and empty. Lol.

[X.G]

I've been feeling confident until when I saw the Austin offers  I think at this point I am really wishing for nothing but a department that will give me a funded offer. Please, any school ! So stressed out! Congrats to everyone who got in! 

[ThePastelCalico]

34 minutes ago, X.G said:

I've been feeling confident until when I saw the Austin offers  I think at this point I am really wishing for nothing but a department that will give me a funded offer. Please, any school ! So stressed out! Congrats to everyone who got in! 

This is exactly how I feel right now. I’m fortunate enough to have been offered a spot at NCSU, but seeing everyone getting into better schools still makes me feel like I’m not good enough to actually be a professor or anything like that. 

[academicirl]

7 hours ago, Inti said:

Anyone can claim the Stanford acceptance?

My friend who goes to Spelman got it! She was in my Princeton cohort this summer--4 other soc undergrads did fellowships at Princeton this summer. We all applied to top 15 programs. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by academicirl