Graduate School Application Results and Strategies - Fall 2008

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The discussion centers on graduate school applications, particularly in mathematics and related fields. Participants share their experiences applying to prestigious programs, expressing anxiety over waiting for admission decisions. Many have applied to a wide range of schools, from top-tier institutions like MIT and Harvard to more accessible options, highlighting the competitive nature of admissions. Some applicants discuss their specific research interests, emphasizing the importance of aligning their applications with faculty expertise at each institution. Concerns about the GRE scores and the impact of application essays are prevalent, with some participants reflecting on their preparation and the necessity of tailored statements for each school. The conversation also touches on the emotional toll of waiting for decisions, with rejections from high-profile schools leading to feelings of discouragement. Overall, the thread captures the uncertainty and strategic considerations involved in the graduate school application process, as well as the shared experiences of applicants navigating this challenging journey.
  • #31
JasonJo said:
Hey guys, here is a great site to check which schools started giving grad decisions, thegradcafe.com.

I just got my rejection email from Princeton and I see on thegradcafe.com that Columbia, Berkeley, John Hopkins, Wisconsin-Madison, Chicago, Cornell, Duke, MIT and UCSD (all math phd) have been starting to roll out decisions.

Coincidentally enough, I applied to almost all the schools that have been rolling out admissions and I am actually starting to think I might not get into any grad schools.

Ah...getting a rejection letter as your first letter I am sure is discouraging, but it is Princeton! They let in like 5 to 6 people and I would think that those people are as bright as could be.

Also, grad schools don't make all their decisions at the same time. The people the absolutely want will probably be first but there is a whole second round of decisions to make as I understand it.

I actually suspect you will get into a very good school as you sort of bombarded the top 15 list of schools. But, then you will have to decide if that type of place is the kind of place you want to go to.
 
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  • #32
got accepted to arizona state for the PhD in electrical engineering and I got accepted into U of Michigan's master's program (it said "master's only" on the bottom of the acceptance letter :frown: ). No info on fin aid yet.
 
  • #33
They both exclaimed that "quals" at Stanford are the hardest and most arbitrary tests you could imagine.
I've heard the same thing about Stanford's EE department. From what I understand, they admit about twice as many master's students as they have Ph.D. slots for.
 
  • #34
Manchot said:
From what I understand, they admit about twice as many master's students as they have Ph.D. slots for.

Do you think Michigan is the same way? I got into the master's program but I was rejected from the PhD program.

Do you think funding will be nonexistent? If they want to fund me for a master's then I will do my master's degree there and then when I finish that I will apply for a PhD.
 
  • #35
leright said:
Do you think Michigan is the same way? I got into the master's program but I was rejected from the PhD program.

Do you think funding will be nonexistent? If they want to fund me for a master's then I will do my master's degree there and then when I finish that I will apply for a PhD.

Have you looked into the details of the masters program? Perhaps you can transfer into the Ph.D. program before completing your masters if you meet various requirements, are doing well, etc. I'm not sure if it would be like that in the US since they do admit directly into the PhD program, but in Canada you can transfer into the Ph.D. program before completing your masters (but Canadian universities only admit directly for masters if you don't have a masters yet, so that might make things different).
 
  • #36
Mute said:
Have you looked into the details of the masters program? Perhaps you can transfer into the Ph.D. program before completing your masters if you meet various requirements, are doing well, etc. I'm not sure if it would be like that in the US since they do admit directly into the PhD program, but in Canada you can transfer into the Ph.D. program before completing your masters (but Canadian universities only admit directly for masters if you don't have a masters yet, so that might make things different).

I will look into that.

BTW, I got another acceptance! Got into Penn State for EE (PhD). So far I have been admitted to Arizona State (PhD), Penn State (PhD), and Michigan (Master's). Still waiting on Cornell, MIT, and Texas.
 
  • #37
Congrats Leright!
 
  • #38
Cyclovenom said:
Congrats Leright!

thanks man! still crossing my fingers about the funding situation though. :rolleyes:
 
  • #39
bump! Would relaly like to know the outcome of your applications
 
  • #40
Oerg said:
bump! Would relaly like to know the outcome of your applications

I got rejected from MIT. Other than that, I have no further news to provide.
 
  • #41
Reading all these threads makes me almost scared enough to change my major...
 
  • #42
This thread is interesting. I remember my rejection letter from MIT. I should have framed it. Incidentally, for the people that applied to Texas' math program, don't worry too much. I got in, and compared to most of the people in the program I'm an idiot.
 
  • #43
I haven't yet received any official rejections, so I hope that means I'm on some internal waiting lists. Still, my only official acceptance so far is USC.
 
  • #44
Mystic998 said:
This thread is interesting. I remember my rejection letter from MIT. I should have framed it. Incidentally, for the people that applied to Texas' math program, don't worry too much. I got in, and compared to most of the people in the program I'm an idiot.

what was your rejection letter about ?
 
  • #45
Mystic998 said:
This thread is interesting. I remember my rejection letter from MIT. I should have framed it. Incidentally, for the people that applied to Texas' math program, don't worry too much. I got in, and compared to most of the people in the program I'm an idiot.

I really hope I get into Austin. I am getting a bunch of rejection letters. Even more alarming is that I am hearing that a lot of the schools I'm still waiting for have already made a bunch of admissions decisions.

Rejections:
MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Duke

Waiting to hear from but have already started making admissions:
UCSD, Berkeley, Rutgers, NYU (off thegradcafe.com)

Waiting to hear from:
Yale, Stanford, Texas, UPENN
 
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  • #46
Oh, it wasn't anything special. Just "we don't think MIT would suit you" or something along those lines. I just love how the rejection letters are so patronizing. As though I pinned all my hopes as a rather unremarkable math student on getting into a university that probably wouldn't even accept the top 5 mathematicians at the school I went to.
 
  • #47
I haven't heard anything new since acceptance to UIUC, but to be fair about four of the schools I applied start the admission process a little latter, USC never got my transcript, and I am probably not going to get into Duke and Rice. So, I don't really think it means all that much. I really want to hear about support for UIUC though, and it is taking a long time for them to let me know whether or not they are giving it to me.
 
  • #48
Mystic998 said:
This thread is interesting. I remember my rejection letter from MIT. I should have framed it. Incidentally, for the people that applied to Texas' math program, don't worry too much. I got in, and compared to most of the people in the program I'm an idiot.

Is this for undergrad or grad?
 
  • #49
Duke (really really impressed me with the emphasis they place on geometry and physics)

I know one of the professors at the Duke center for geometry and theoretical physics, Ronen Plesser, and he is a very intelligent man with a wonderful gift for explanation.
 
  • #50
wbclark said:
I know one of the professors at the Duke center for geometry and theoretical physics, Ronen Plesser, and he is a very intelligent man with a wonderful gift for explanation.

Too bad they rejected me.
 
  • #51
It seems like every school is accepting a small class this year. I've heard it from Berkeley, UCSD, Penn, Cornell, etc.
 
  • #52
I have been rejected by Duke. That wasn't all that big of a surprise though. I am now on a waiting list for a TA at UIUC. They say they won't know if they will give me support for a few more weeks. So, probably they want to see how many of the people they accepted with definite support decide to go there. Anyway, it would have been nice to go to duke because it is close to home, but I never really expected to be admitted anyway.
 
  • #53
eastside00_99 said:
I have been rejected by Duke. That wasn't all that big of a surprise though. I am now on a waiting list for a TA at UIUC. They say they won't know if they will give me support for a few more weeks. So, probably they want to see how many of the people they accepted with definite support decide to go there. Anyway, it would have been nice to go to duke because it is close to home, but I never really expected to be admitted anyway.

Where are you from? I lived in Durham and now I'm an undergrad at Chapel Hill.
 
  • #54
I grew up in sanford and I am an undergrad at NC State.
 
  • #55
JasonJo said:
Is this for undergrad or grad?

Grad. Don't ask me how I managed it. I personally vote for black magic.
 
  • #56
Mystic998 said:
Oh, it wasn't anything special. Just "we don't think MIT would suit you" or something along those lines. I just love how the rejection letters are so patronizing. As though I pinned all my hopes as a rather unremarkable math student on getting into a university that probably wouldn't even accept the top 5 mathematicians at the school I went to.

Probably wouldn't accept any students from your school. Think about it.

They are hundreds of universities across the country and hundreds overseas where students are applying to MIT. They can only take so many of them. Taking 3 from each school is not reasonable.
 
  • #57
So, I got my official rejection from Stanford today. They were polite and not patronizing. They didn't make any comments about whether Stanford is "for me"; they just said that they could not admit me.
 
  • #58
Same here for Stanford. I'm wondering who they did let in, as I have a couple friends who got into either MIT or CalTech but were denied by Stanford as well!
 
  • #59
Quick update

Rejects: Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, Stanford, Princeton, Chicago, Yale, NYU, Columbia, Cornell, UPENN, Duke

Waiting on: Texas, Rutgers, UCSD

I called UCSD and they said my application is on hold, but it doesn't seem like I am that high on their waiting list to begin with. I know Rutgers is a far shot and my only realistic chance is Texas-Austin.

I am already considering staying a 5th year to bolster my application and apply for not 2009, but 2010 admissions. I know it's a long way away, but I want to get into graduate school.
 
  • #60
today i heard from berkeley and stanford. got into berkeley. got rejected by stanford. :/

my status (physics student, here):

accepted with fellowship:

uiuc
u chicago

accepted with teaching assistantship:

cornell
ucsb
berkeley

rejected:

stanford

waiting on:

MIT
harvard


don't think i got into MIT, since they haven't contacted me yet. :/
 

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