patientagony

I know. I'm not fooling anyone. I'm really happy about the places I've been accepted to so far, but Rutgers was kind of my number one choice. I'm going to let myself be sad until the end of the day and then I'm moving on. No time to mourn.

O.k. Rutgers, I see how it is. You don't want me. I'm alright*. *alright- (adj) to curl up in bed and sob uncontrollably

Honestly, I think that admissions committees probably care more about your verbal score than your analytic writing score. I got a 4.0 on my writing portion and I've managed to get into good schools so far. I think the only reason the analytic writing exists is that fields which aren't writing based need some sort of test of an applicant's writing. I mean, why does an English adcom care about your ability to write a thirty minute essay about some vague inconsequential topic? Does this even remotely replicate anything you will be required to do to get a Ph.D? No. The English field cares way more about your writing sample because it shows your ability to do research and think critically about literature, which the analytic writing section cannot test.

Judging from the results board, Rutgers has been pretty consistent at notifying applicants on Friday or Saturday, so if you don't hear from them by then it's probably a rejection, which is more than I can say for other schools which roll add admits little by little. That's even worse. I will continue to tell myself this to feel better as I wait in agony.

Thanks for the info, but UGH!! Monday? I wonder if they received more apps than usual this year...

Very well put Bluecheese. The idea that people are somehow doing something wrong or desperate by apply to 10 schools is strange. This process is very random and when trying to succeed in such chaos it only makes sense to apply to many places. Every professor I've ever spoken with about grad school has suggested no less. And while you make an excellent point about picking the best faculty and funding from your wide array of options, you've forgotten about one overlooked aspect of picking among your acceptances, which is negotiating. I don't think that anyone has mentioned this here, but I'll just post the advice my mentor e-mailed me below, with emphasis on the strategy: You have so many options-- my advice: try to visit as many as you can. Then you'll have the opportunity to talk to profs and grad students and get the lay of the land and figure out where you want to work, live, and be happy! You have the opportunity to get exactly what you want by playing all of these places off each other, so do it!!! You can have summer money, guaranteed no teaching, etc. I'm not an indecisive person by any means, but I certainly don't plan on declining any offers until I've had a chance to visit each campus, speak with professors and current grad students, negotiate funding and teaching, and get a feel for exactly what I'll be committing to for the next 6 to 7 years of my life. It sucks if that means some people on the waitlists are going to be kept waiting, but that isn't my business.

Seriously!! It's the only school left that I haven't heard from without it being an assumed rejection. I swear, it has to be this weekend though. They seem to notify most people on Saturdays and a few on Friday though, so we should know in the next two days whether or not we made the cut.

Congrats!!!!

I think we can definitely expect Rutgers to send out acceptances by this weekend. They usually send them out the 3rd weekend of February, but this year they must be doing it the fourth weekend since the third weekend was relatively early in the month.

Congrats Porridge!! Don't put yourself down either, try and enjoy it =)

I'll definitely visit one way or another =) So far my interactions with the campus have just been one informal visit in high school for prospective undergrads, and drinking with my best friend who did his undergrad at UCR, but I'd love to experience the real academic side of it. BTW, there is excellent KBBQ in Riverside if you know where to find it.

You've got to be kidding me. I'm supposed to go on to New York to visit friends I haven't seen in two years that week!! I haven't booked tickets yet, but it's literally my only vacation time. Maybe I won't go to the welcome weekend and go another time instead. Ahhh!!!! Decision overload!!

Thanks! i'm at work right now and I can't freak out formally, so I am taking to GC to express my feelings =) I don't know when visiting day is yet, but yes! I live mere minutes from Riverside so it couldn't be more convenient.

I got into UC Riverside guys!!! I was not expecting this!!!! I called them this morning when the check next to the box that says, "application is under review" mysteriously disappeared, and the grad secretary said, I'd know my status in a month or two, so I assumed that was an implicit rejection. I am in shock.