Still Waiting 2009.... Share your ambivalence!

Excalibur1986 · Post by **Excalibur1986** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:36 am

Here is my personalized "losing hope" schedule for my "no decision" schools.

UCSD, UCSB, and Boulder---Mar. 1; UC-Irvine---Feb 20 (adjusted from prev. post to 2 weeks). After these dates, I will be expecting a terse REJECTION letter

Luckily on the 8th day, God created beer and safety schools.

On a more serious note, if you are rejected from every school on your list, talk to your physics professors. You'd be surprised how far a few phone calls to various institutions can get you. I heard of someone getting rejected to boulder due to a ~500 PGRE. One of the professors at my school called CU, they flew the student out for a presentation and an interview. Voila! Accepted.

happymonkey · Post by **happymonkey** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 2:16 am

Beer for me, to cool my racing head. Ya thanks for the stabalizing words. I'm so tired of over analyzing but I just can't stop. another beer, maybe it will do some good. best

coreycwgriffin · Post by **coreycwgriffin** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:29 pm

Excalibur1986 wrote:On a more serious note, if you are rejected from every school on your list, talk to your physics professors. You'd be surprised how far a few phone calls to various institutions can get you. I heard of someone getting rejected to boulder due to a ~500 PGRE. One of the professors at my school called CU, they flew the student out for a presentation and an interview. Voila! Accepted.

An interview I could deal with, but a presentation? Hopefully not one of those, "show us what you know," kind of deals. I think that would be more nerve wracking than taking a year off and doing the PGRE again.

naseermk · Post by **naseermk** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 3:56 pm

Excalibur1986 wrote: On a more serious note, if you are rejected from every school on your list, talk to your physics professors. You'd be surprised how far a few phone calls to various institutions can get you. I heard of someone getting rejected to boulder due to a ~500 PGRE. One of the professors at my school called CU, they flew the student out for a presentation and an interview. Voila! Accepted.

That's very true. My former advisor told me of a student who was rejected from all the schools he applied to, but, based on a few phone calls from her got into one .

Ren · Post by **Ren** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:24 pm

an acceptance e-mail/phone call would really made my day today

I just got told by one of my prof that I have to do a better job or just drop the class. (The class I'm taking w/ him is a so-sci seminar I need to graduate with university honor.)

and I got an angry e-mail yesterday from another prof. Apparently I attached my assignment and sent to her in the e-mail after she told us earlier in class and on the syllabus NOT to do that.

Of course it's then I realized that 'yeah, she did say that...'

Anyone having trouble concentrating this semester?

sign. I need a break.

evilclaw2321 · Post by **evilclaw2321** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:26 pm

I am also quite distracted, espicially at work. It takes me 5 horus to do something that should take 2 because i'm constantly checking my email or just mind is wandering.

coreycwgriffin · Post by **coreycwgriffin** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:29 pm

I spend hours reading wikipedia pages on random crap. Right now I've been at work (at this math/cs/physics "quantitative resource center") for two and a half hours and I've helped no one (weekday afternoons are usually slow). Instead of doing homework I just looked up articles on busses and light rail lines on wikipedia because I think they're neat. I have a quantum assignment due tomorrow at 10 AM that I haven't even started yet.

Thinking about checking my mail one more time once I get out of here...

dsperka · Post by **dsperka** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:52 pm

I spend about 5 hours a day on google maps doing street view of areas around campuses, and figuring out how long it takes to get somewhere from campus. I spend probably another 2 hours reading about the actual physics departments. This leaves little time for any actual work, ha.

dmahler · Post by **dmahler** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:58 pm

Haha ya I spent a while today looking at the MIT general physics exam part 1.... wholy crap, the first thing you do when you go to orientation week is hear "Hello, welcome to MIT. Now sit down and write this 5 hour exam."
Sounds fun....
Who am I kidding though? I still want to get in more than anything haha

Excalibur1986 · Post by **Excalibur1986** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:04 pm

Irvine,

Why haven't you called or emailed me? I have been waiting by my computer day night waiting to read your sweet, soothing words. You know I'll treat you right. You know I'll stand by your side forever. Well, maybe not forever. It's true that I would spurn you for your hotter, sexier sisters (UCSB and UCSD), but 7's have to stick with 7's, 8's with 8's, and 9's with 9's. I love you, Irvine. Won't you reciprocate? Won't you love me back? I get fuzzy inside when I think about your warm coastal breath and tanned body. We could share something special, something great. E-mail me.

XOXOXO,
Excalibur1986

trani · Post by **trani** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:13 pm

Excalibur1986 wrote:Irvine,

Why haven't you called or emailed me? I have been waiting by my computer day night waiting to read your sweet, soothing words. You know I'll treat you right. You know I'll stand by your side forever. Well, maybe not forever. It's true that I would spurn you for your hotter, sexier sisters (UCSB and UCSD), but 7's have to stick with 7's, 8's with 8's, and 9's with 9's. I love you, Irvine. Won't you reciprocate? Won't you love me back? I get fuzzy inside when I think about your warm coastal breath and tanned body. We could share something special, something great. E-mail me.

XOXOXO,
Excalibur1986

and still laughing... Such love should not remain unrequited. Good luck!

dsperka · Post by **dsperka** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:44 pm

Ha ha, nice. Denitely the best post on this board I have ever read.

quizivex · Post by **quizivex** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:56 pm

Haha!

Here's one I wrote last year with a similar theme... we were talking about suck mails to profs, so I suggested writing an e-mail like this to a prof at your reach school:

quizivex on 10/6/07 wrote:Dear Dr. XYZ,

I am a student at XYZ university highly interested in condensed matter physics. I plan to dedicate the rest of my life to the marvels of BECs. Where do you think the field will be heading in the next 5-10 years? I have nothing but high hopes for this fascinating area of science. I am thus dreaming of becoming your graduate student next year, and would appreciate any advice you could give me on succeeding in the admissions process.

Sincerely,
XYZ

P.S. - In short, I'm trying to use you for brownie points to get me into this damn school. I couldn't care less about you or your work. I sent this to you since by that strange hat-like thing you wear in your picture, I think the rest of the department must consider you a god. If you use your influence to get me in, I just might take your hideous daughter to the prom next year as long as you remove her awful picture and life story from your departmental webpage.

Ulquiorra · Post by **Ulquiorra** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:42 am

quizivex wrote:Haha!

Here's one I wrote last year with a similar theme... we were talking about suck mails to profs, so I suggested writing an e-mail like this to a prof at your reach school:

quizivex on 10/6/07 wrote:Dear Dr. XYZ,

I am a student at XYZ university highly interested in condensed matter physics. I plan to dedicate the rest of my life to the marvels of BECs. Where do you think the field will be heading in the next 5-10 years? I have nothing but high hopes for this fascinating area of science. I am thus dreaming of becoming your graduate student next year, and would appreciate any advice you could give me on succeeding in the admissions process.

Sincerely,
XYZ

P.S. - In short, I'm trying to use you for brownie points to get me into this damn school. I couldn't care less about you or your work. I sent this to you since by that strange hat-like thing you wear in your picture, I think the rest of the department must consider you a god. If you use your influence to get me in, I just might take your hideous daughter to the prom next year as long as you remove her awful picture and life story from your departmental webpage.

Goshhhh !!! Ha Ha Ha this is very funny!!!

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:18 pm

Well UIUC should be the next big one tomorrow or the day after lets see what will happen

isobelojalvo · Post by **isobelojalvo** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:37 pm

So does anyone know who does acceptances by snail mail and who does it by email? I haven't been worrying about my snail mail because I figured no one was using it anymore for preliminary acceptance announcements.

I might have to start going home at lunch to check my mail....

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:42 pm

isobelojalvo wrote:So does anyone know who does acceptances by snail mail and who does it by email? I haven't been worrying about my snail mail because I figured no one was using it anymore for preliminary acceptance announcements.

I might have to start going home at lunch to check my mail....

cornell does snail mail, MIT partially, CU Boulder APS does

some do online status, some call, some email and it can change from year to year (like Madison did this year)

Imperate · Post by **Imperate** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:13 pm

I haven't read the full thread so apologies in advance if it's been mentioioned, but have UCLA/UCSD sent out yet? does anyone know when this usually is?

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:59 pm

Imperate wrote:I haven't read the full thread so apologies in advance if it's been mentioioned, but have UCLA/UCSD sent out yet? does anyone know when this usually is?

UCSD accepted someone:

http://www.physicsgre.com/viewtopic.php ... 847#p15557

UCLA Is still quiet.... really too quiet for my taste

Ren · Post by **Ren** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:29 am

isn't there a way to just skip the next two weeks ?

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:30 am

Ren wrote:isn't there a way to just skip the next two weeks ?

be continuously stoned for the next two weeks? Wait midterms coming up

cato88 · Post by **cato88** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:31 am

peyote and the desert

PoincareSection · Post by **PoincareSection** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:41 am

Ren wrote:isn't there a way to just skip the next two weeks ?

I was thinking about that today.

MacCutcheon60 · Post by **MacCutcheon60** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:43 am

You guys think you have it tough... I won't hear from any grad schools until next year, and I'm already on edge. That's a lotta peyote and a lotta desert.

cato88 · Post by **cato88** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:45 am

next year? have you applied yet?

MacCutcheon60 · Post by **MacCutcheon60** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:48 am

Nawh, I'm a junior. It's never too early to start sweating grad school admits though.

cato88 · Post by **cato88** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:06 am

doesnt count. You still have time and could study for PGRE.

sterculus · Post by **sterculus** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:10 am

Yeah, by that argument we've all been waiting for a year already

happymonkey · Post by **happymonkey** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:26 am

I guess you can mock myself and others who are borderline cases. We don't know if we will be admitted to a single program. You know what if it makes you happy please continue to make light of our situation. What can I say. If it makes you happy, why not?

noojens · Post by **noojens** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:48 am

Aw. If it makes you feel any better, I heard from four of my six schools after April 10 last year

(The other two were early rejections.)

WhatCanYouDoFermi? · Post by **WhatCanYouDoFermi?** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:54 am

Waiting for acceptances/rejections to come in is the most miserable Poisson process imaginable!

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:37 pm

Interesting UWash changed my online status to:

You will receive notification of acceptance or denial by email or postal mail. Application Complete: The department has confirmed that it has received all necessary application information including letters, transcripts, test scores, and other required items.

From just:

Application Complete: The department has confirmed that it has received all necessary application information including letters, transcripts, test scores, and other required items.

And this from a UIUC email from today 02/11

Applications are being reviewed and decisions should be ready the end of the month.

slugger · Post by **slugger** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:12 pm

UWash changed my status too--fingers crossed its an acceptance. They are one of my top picks. C'mon David Baker lab!

murs · Post by **murs** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:58 pm

I have the same. Do you think that means a decision has been made?

happymonkey · Post by **happymonkey** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 4:07 am

The only thing I know is that I've been rejected by one school. That is most of you dudes have nothing on me, except a couple of you who understand. "Will I get into my 4th choice" I don't understand that? I want to be admitted to one school. That's all I need.

karan · Post by **karan** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:08 am

U Wash changed my status too

coreycwgriffin · Post by **coreycwgriffin** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:30 am

Another week...still nothing. This really sucks when it feels like your only reason to wake up everyday, hah.

dsperka · Post by **dsperka** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:05 am

U Wash changed my status too, I doubt it means anything. I hope I'm wrong though.

WhatCanYouDoFermi? · Post by **WhatCanYouDoFermi?** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:46 am

coreycwgriffin wrote:Another week...still nothing.

Last week there seemed to be a lot of activity on Friday. Let's hope for the same today!

PoincareSection · Post by **PoincareSection** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:43 pm

If last year is any indication, we should hear something from NYU soon.

alo · Post by **alo** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:53 pm

Has anybody tried to contact with UW. My account has changed too. The worst thing is that it has mentioned by email or mail. Well I am an international student and it takes at least 4 weeks to get their mail!

Helio · Post by **Helio** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:28 pm

PoincareSection wrote:If last year is any indication, we should hear something from NYU soon.

they have started.. check the acceptance thread

alo wrote:Has anybody tried to contact with UW. My account has changed too. The worst thing is that it has mentioned by email or mail. Well I am an international student and it takes at least 4 weeks to get their mail!

From last year it seems as if it depends what you applied for CM is email, HEP experiment is mail, HEP theory is email, etc.

isobelojalvo · Post by **isobelojalvo** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:01 pm

Okay, so I've seen that a few people have gotten responses from UCSB. Does anyone know if those responses have been rejections or acceptances??

Yeah, I've been refreshing my email about once every 10 minutes.

tmc · Post by **tmc** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:30 pm

AFAIK, UCSB hasn't sent out its first wave yet. Only one person claims to have gotten an email from them.

PoincareSection · Post by **PoincareSection** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:17 pm

Hi all.
So here is what I'm wondering: All of the schools that I applied to have already accepted some students (Rutgers, Columbia astro, UPenn and NYU). Obviously, I'm not in the first wave of acceptances. Do most people that are accepted get in during the first wave, or is the second wave the majority of acceptances? How long does the second wave happen after the first, assuming there is even a second wave?

Sorry for the dumbass/paranoid questions. I'm really starting to freak out over the idea of not going to school next year.

Thanks.

evilclaw2321 · Post by **evilclaw2321** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:47 pm

so i found the cure to worrying about grad school all day long: a real bad hang over. Get so drunk the night before the whole next day you wont care about grad school only thinking about not trying to throw up.

tmc · Post by **tmc** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:31 pm

None of the 8 American universities I've applied to have started sending out results...I'm getting impatient

happymonkey · Post by **happymonkey** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:55 pm

Almost did that to myself yesterday, but alas with today's morning my brain was functional and I just had a pain that went away with the 1st cup of coffee. On the bright side I already feel like throwing up, as many of the schools I've applied to have already sent there first wave of acceptances which did not include one for me. I hope your experiment is useful for you nonetheless.

evilclaw2321 wrote:so i found the cure to worrying about grad school all day long: a real bad hang over. Get so drunk the night before the whole next day you wont care about grad school only thinking about not trying to throw up.

misterme09 · Post by **misterme09** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:02 pm

Everyone talks about the constant checking of email. I find it better to just use Mozilla Thunderbird so that it constantly checks your email for you and lets you know when you get something. Made things easier for me.

coreycwgriffin · Post by **coreycwgriffin** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:06 pm

misterme09 wrote:Everyone talks about the constant checking of email. I find it better to just use Mozilla Thunderbird so that it constantly checks your email for you and lets you know when you get something. Made things easier for me.

Well yeah. Outlook on my PC and my Blackberry constantly check my e-mail, but I also walk to my mailbox a good 4 or 5 times a day to check to see if I got anything physical. The times when the people actually put mail in your box vary here on campus, so that can be a pain...

I actually think it's worse that I have a Blackberry that checks my e-mail once every few minutes, because it'll buzz in class and since I'm a good student I won't take it out and look at it and instead will wait in agony for the class to finish.

So far it has always ended up being some kind of PizzaHut.com coupon deal or some other spam