Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

evilclaw2321 · Post by **evilclaw2321** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:02 pm

why do places wait to send out rejection letters!? I mean if they know they dont want em can't they just let me know now instead of giving false hope and then waiting till the last minute and being like oh we never wanted you. Its just cruel.

justin · Post by **justin** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:26 pm

Anybody else put on the Yale waitlist (physics)?

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:59 pm

evilclaw2321 wrote:why do places wait to send out rejection letters!? I mean if they know they dont want em can't they just let me know now instead of giving false hope and then waiting till the last minute and being like oh we never wanted you. Its just cruel.

because they might hold on your app so see the response they get and then decide if they might still need you.

happymonkey · Post by **happymonkey** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:00 pm

So that they can torment us unceasingly until the very end of their admissions period.

I sometimes feel like you do. Why if I have next to no chance of getting in somewhere aren't they sending me a rejection notice, but of course the positive POV is that there is a chance that they will give us a spot, most likely at the last minute, when they find that they have an available seat for us poor tier 2 folk.

evilclaw2321 wrote:why do places wait to send out rejection letters!? I mean if they know they dont want em can't they just let me know now instead of giving false hope and then waiting till the last minute and being like oh we never wanted you. Its just cruel.

happymonkey · Post by **happymonkey** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:05 pm

I guess I have no chance. Minnesota rejected me this morning. So now two rejections and no admits, just pain.

coreycwgriffin · Post by **coreycwgriffin** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:06 pm

Got my first notification today -- rejected by e-mail to University of Minnesota

naseermk · Post by **naseermk** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:51 pm

Same here, rejected from Minnesota.

Got a message today claiming that the rejection was a mistake. Further consideration on my application.

robertson · Post by **robertson** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:41 pm

My first one! Harvard doesn't love me. I found out asking about the open house by email. It doesn't hurt that much when you know that you'll probably enjoy their grad courses going to MIT

All the best for the rest of people!

bosem · Post by **bosem** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:02 am

Rejected by Caltech.

pd · Post by pd » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:05 am

bosem wrote:Rejected by Caltech.

How did you find out? I still have no word.

nathan12343 · Post by **nathan12343** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:19 am

bosem wrote:Rejected by Caltech.

Same here, if you haven't gotten a rejection, I'd guess that you're on the waiting list. This e-mail came from the graduate school, not the department.

clytze_pp · Post by **clytze_pp** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:19 pm

Rejected by Brown..Not suprized...
The prof. never reply my Email..

sterculus · Post by **sterculus** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:38 pm

Harvard rejection after I e-mailed Sheila asking for my status. Eh, I liked MIT better anyways. Why they can't just e-mail us when they decide I don't understand.

babazula · Post by **babazula** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:30 pm

Chicago... In response to my inquiry.

bryanwitha_y · Post by **bryanwitha_y** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:33 pm

I don't know if I'm reading into this too much, but does anyone else think that it's a trend that if you inquire about your status, they're more inclined to deny admittance?

Or is it more reasonable to assume that they have made a decision and haven't emailed people?

Discuss.

G01 · Post by **G01** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:38 pm

bryanwitha_y wrote:I don't know if I'm reading into this too much, but does anyone else think that it's a trend that if you inquire about your status, they're more inclined to deny admittance?

Or is it more reasonable to assume that they have made a decision and haven't emailed people?

Discuss.

It is most likely that they have made the decisions, but don't consider sending out the rejections a priority. Thus, they hold them until all acceptances are out unless someone calls and specifically asks for their status.

Also...

Rejects from Cornell today by email.

grae313 · Post by **grae313** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:40 pm

Don't worry, they aren't rejecting people because they call up and ask.

a13ean · Post by **a13ean** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:59 pm

Rejected from MIT EECS... but it's no real bummer since Harvard Physics is way cooler for a boston school...

Maxwells_Demon · Post by **Maxwells_Demon** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:04 am

rejected from Yale's Applied Physics

.............

Maxwells Demon

confused_p · Post by **confused_p** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:26 am

Rejection from Cornell.

PhysicsPdx · Post by **PhysicsPdx** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:59 pm

Wisconsin Applied Math by email on 02/25. Bummer.

spershog · Post by **spershog** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:33 pm

just got a rejection from Harvard...
So far have no acceptances (((

slugger · Post by **slugger** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:56 am

rejected by princeton. totally expected.

bryanwitha_y · Post by **bryanwitha_y** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 12:02 pm

First rejection from none other than the great Princeton University

My status bar has shifted slightly to the left:

Evil Genius |-----l-O----l-----| Ethical Scientist

babazula · Post by **babazula** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 1:10 pm

just got the rejection from Princeton. I dont like the letter, by the way:

"Indeed, many departments consistently have applicants who would be admitted without hesitation if the resources were available."

What resources? i am self-funded, and did not ask for financial support.

"Our decisions take into account not only the applicants' merits, but also the suitability of the department's programs to the candidates' expressed interests"

My thesis was mainly based on one of Dr. Polyakov's articles, "String Dilaton and the Least Coupling Principle". Besides, I spent last summer at ICTP, working on AdS/CFT. So I do believe my research interest coincide with departments'.

I am getting sick of these non-sense letters. Non of the reasons above apply to me. They charge $75 for application, but don't want a transparent process. I don't know if I should ask for the real reason for the rejection?

aristotle · Post by **aristotle** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 1:21 pm

Just got the rejection from Princeton as well.

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 1:27 pm

babazula wrote:just got the rejection from Princeton. I dont like the letter, by the way:

"Indeed, many departments consistently have applicants who would be admitted without hesitation if the resources were available."

What resources? i am self-funded, and did not ask for financial support.

"Our decisions take into account not only the applicants' merits, but also the suitability of the department's programs to the candidates' expressed interests"

My thesis was mainly based on one of Dr. Polyakov's articles, "String Dilaton and the Least Coupling Principle". Besides, I spent last summer at ICTP, working on AdS/CFT. So I do believe my research interest coincide with departments'.

I am getting sick of these non-sense letters. Non of the reasons above apply to me. They charge $75 for application, but don't want a transparent process. I don't know if I should ask for the real reason for the rejection?

that is at least a better letter than that yale send me.... i got a generic "we had 9500 applicants" and I am like, do I CARE how many applicants you had in total i applied for astro not biology

slugger · Post by **slugger** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 2:14 pm

i actually dont mind it being a generic form letter. it sorta feels less painful when i know its just a computer writing my rejection, and no human is even interested. I get freaked out over the idea that admissions committees are sitting around flipping through applications like "woah, look at this moron...took freshmen english 3 times?!?!" or "retook a 1-credit lab?!?! you have to be kidding...DENIED!!!!". I mean come on, i'd be saying stuff like that.

babazula · Post by **babazula** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 2:33 pm

slugger wrote:i actually dont mind it being a generic form letter. it sorta feels less painful when i know its just a computer writing my rejection, and no human is even interested. I get freaked out over the idea that admissions committees are sitting around flipping through applications like "woah, look at this moron...took freshmen english 3 times?!?!" or "retook a 1-credit lab?!?! you have to be kidding...DENIED!!!!". I mean come on, i'd be saying stuff like that.

the problem is that i am not convinced that my application was considered carefully.
i got a rejection letter from Chicago which indicates that the committee was unable to offer place to all qualified applicants due to limited places available. I can accept this since the number of available seats has nothing to do with my funding, or research interest.

However, if i am told that the main reasons are funding and unmatched research interest, and if these reasons are not fit in my case, then i reckon i should think that they didn't even see my application.

fastones3 · Post by **fastones3** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 2:41 pm

the problem is that i am not convinced that my application was considered carefully.
i got a rejection letter from Chicago which indicates that the committee was unable to offer place to all qualified applicants due to limited places available. I can accept this since the number of available seats has nothing to do with my funding, or research interest.

However, if i am told that the main reasons are funding and unmatched research interest, and if these reasons are not fit in my case, then i reckon i should think that they didn't even see my application.

Calm down, "resources" refers to a lot more than just money. Even if you're fully funded via outside sources, there is still a question of available advisors in your field. The letter sounded decent enough, *** happens, and life moves on.

I'm sure your application was reviewed carefully, but with an acceptance percentage of about 10%, I'm sure many people, perhaps more qualified than you and also with outside funding, had to get turned down as well, due to the limited number of spaces. Whether the letter is sugarcoated or not, the message is the same. They made a list, drew a line on it considering qualifications/availability of advisors in your fields of interest (HEP it sounds like, even tougher)/funding/etc, and unfortunately had to turn down a number of very well qualified students. Sorry you're disappointed but that's just how it goes sometimes.

sterculus · Post by **sterculus** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 3:11 pm

It would also be pretty time consuming to individually tailor each rejection letter as well.

robertson · Post by **robertson** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 3:32 pm

Here is another one fully funded international student rejected from Princeton. HEP theory is all about Strings there, so my interests do not match very well with the faculty. I first thought that the letter was personal, but now I see it isn't. It is not the end of the world guys!

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:33 pm

STANFORD started.... and I got REJECTED

babazula · Post by **babazula** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:37 pm

rejection from Stanford!

bosem · Post by **bosem** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:40 pm

babazula wrote:rejection from Stanford!

Me tooo..

a bucket · Post by **a bucket** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:44 pm

same here.

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:45 pm

damn the board is 0-4 on stanford.... guess they have little money

babazula · Post by **babazula** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:48 pm

Helio wrote:damn the board is 0-4 on stanford.... guess they have little money

i am self-funded

i guess i am just hopeless

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:54 pm

babazula wrote:
Helio wrote:damn the board is 0-4 on stanford.... guess they have little money
i am self-funded i guess i am just hopeless

0-5.... WTF are they doing?

tmc · Post by **tmc** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:56 pm

Rejected here as well

ffalieri · Post by **ffalieri** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:00 pm

Rejection from Princeton

expected, but still hurts...

valentino · Post by **valentino** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:04 pm

stanford rejection

sterculus · Post by **sterculus** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:07 pm

Wow, lots of Stanford rejections. Nothing here yet.

bryanwitha_y · Post by **bryanwitha_y** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:09 pm

I feel like making the tiniest violin out of energy strings for this thread.

robertson · Post by **robertson** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:20 pm

Add another one, and this one hurts! Guess I might say goodbye to the sun! Nice day

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:23 pm

robertson wrote:Add another one, and this one hurts! Guess I might say goodbye to the sun! Nice day

you still have caltech you know

PhysicsPdx · Post by **PhysicsPdx** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:32 pm

Rejected from U. Michigan, Ann Arbor via email on 02/26. Pow!

So far:

1 Acceptance
1 Wait-list
2 Rejections

It's beginning to look like I'm not going to have that tough of a time deciding where to go!

aristotle · Post by **aristotle** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:04 pm

Rejected from Stanford as well. That's two in one day!

techodestructo · Post by **techodestructo** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:06 pm

i wonder what's going on with stanford applied physics. i really want to get the bad news and squelch out this false sense of hope!

rockwhj · Post by **rockwhj** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:27 pm

rejected by Princeton this morning.