FALL 2008 rejections

  • This has become our largest and most active forum because the physics GRE is just one aspect of getting accepted into a graduate physics program.
  • There are applications, personal statements, letters of recommendation, visiting schools, anxiety of waiting for acceptances, deciding between schools, finding out where others are going, etc.

DigitallyCrazy
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:40 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by DigitallyCrazy » Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:32 pm

I'm in Southern California. I got a letter mailed to me today (3/2). It's dated 2/26. It could've arrived on 2/29 because I wasn't able to check my mail.

VT
Posts: 314
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 12:30 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by VT » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:06 pm

rejected from MIT 3/2 mail. good news. :D

DigitallyCrazy
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:40 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by DigitallyCrazy » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:09 pm

...HOW is this good news??? I would prefer to be accepted everywhere, even places I don't want to go.

User avatar
dlenmn
Posts: 578
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:19 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by dlenmn » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:12 pm

Because the shroud of doubt was lifted?

VT
Posts: 314
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 12:30 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by VT » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:12 pm

I gues I'll leave on to you to figure out why that is a good news. :P

EDIT : exactly, dlenmn!

marten
Posts: 134
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:21 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by marten » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:21 pm

Rejected from Bryn Mawr, by mail last Friday 2-29. It's a tiny program, accepted 0/6, and 2/3 applicants in the last 2 years that I found data. Now that just leaves Temple and Drexel for me...

Marten

excel
Posts: 257
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:33 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by excel » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:19 pm

just saw ur post on grad cafe results page, marten. cheer up, marten, u probably dont want to go to Bryn Mawr anyway :roll:

VT, congrats on the good news :D wish harvard seas ud hurry up too and decide one way or the other... their admission committee have a meeting tomorrow...at least for my graduate program (which isnt applied physics)

Edit: Bryn Mawr, huh? Now, we know your gender!...unless you applied there by mistake :)

User avatar
zxcv
Posts: 402
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:08 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by zxcv » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:34 pm

Bryn Mawr's grad program is definitely co-ed. A recent PhD graduate from there was a visiting prof at my school last year. He turned out to reflect quite well on the institution.

excel
Posts: 257
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:33 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by excel » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:41 pm

is it coed really? :o wow, i thought it is a women's college :!:

User avatar
zxcv
Posts: 402
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:08 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by zxcv » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:47 pm

excel wrote:is it coed really? :o wow, i thought it is a women's college :!:
Undergrad is all women, but there are (a few) male grad students.

User avatar
butsurigakusha
Posts: 293
Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 8:05 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by butsurigakusha » Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:19 pm

I just got two rejections in the mail: MIT and Stanford Applied Physics. It actually is a relief, because I felt that if I got accepted to MIT, I would have to go, but I really have no desire to live on the east coast. But at least I applied and got rejected, so now I can choose to live in California with a clean conscience.

calphys
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:22 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by calphys » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:53 pm

For anyone curious to know a little more about how admissions at U Chicago work, I just got this email from the Assistant to the Chairman for Graduate Affairs after asking her about my application status:
Dear [my name],

I am very sorry to have to tell you that you were not admitted this year, and a letter to that effect was sent out to you a couple of days ago.

You received 2A's from our reviewers for your excellent application and academic record to go with it. However, a theory applicant had to have received at least one
A+ and one A to be admitted. This year's admissions committee consisted of 5 experimental faculty, 2 theory faculty, and six top-rated graduate students. Unfortunately, many A/A students had to be turned down although the reasons varied from student to student. If I remember correctly, only one theory student from [my university] was admitted; all the rest were either experimental or undecided students at your level.

With your stellar record (from [my university]) and with such an excellent application, surely you must have gotten into many schools. I am sorry Chicago will not be having you as one of our graduate students.
If I really had such a "stellar record (from [my university]) and ... such an excellent application", you'd think I could've squeezed out that one A+, but no.

Oh well. Here's waiting for Harvard and Caltech.

User avatar
fermiboy
Posts: 437
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:41 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by fermiboy » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:59 pm

WTF? That rejection letter is the strangest thing I have ever seen. I'll tell you one thing, if I could go back and do it over I would lie and say that I wanted to do experiment, even though I'm dead set on theory. It seems easier to get in that way.

excel
Posts: 257
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:33 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by excel » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:07 am

@ calphys: Wow, to be undecided is better than to know that you will do theory and with the background to show that you can do it! What is the world coming to!! Thank goodness I am not applying to pure physics. I can say that I will do theory, and actually have that going as an advantage for me. :mrgreen:

At least, the prof was nice in writing you a personal e-mail and being transparent about their admission process. Your post should help some applicants next year.

calphys
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:22 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by calphys » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:11 am

For the record, even after my heady string of rejections, I still wouldn't lie and tell them I wanted to do experiment if I could do it again. At least now I know that wherever I do get in, I'll have the chance to do theory there -- with so much competition and jockeying for spots even after admission, it's tough enough for someone who was admitted to do theory to do exactly what they wanted, much less someone who the university expected to do something else.

Put yourself in the professor's perspective. You've already got way more students than you can take fighting for a spot in your group, and all of them were admitted to be theorists. Why would you choose an experimentalist over any of them?

User avatar
fermiboy
Posts: 437
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:41 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by fermiboy » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:35 am

Because you work harder and show you're better than them?

ler1
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:55 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by ler1 » Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:27 am

I might be playing the devil's advocate but if the school wanted a student to to become a theorist they would have admitted a student despite showing interest in theory. I dont know how a professor would be able to react to work harder and show you're better because all they would have to go on as a entering graduate student are the exact same information that was given during the admissions process. All they would have to go on is your word. The also have already thought about the amount of theorist and experimentalist they would fund when they made the decision. If you would act undecided i suppose they would assume you might need funding as a theorist but I doubt they assume all undecided admits will become theorist and I'm pretty sure they wouldnt have funded labs with that in mind.

User avatar
dlenmn
Posts: 578
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:19 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by dlenmn » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:56 pm

No UCSB for me. Looks like I'm going to Madison!

calphys
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:22 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by calphys » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:25 pm

And the award for coldest shoulder goes to ... Caltech.

I emailed to see if I was already rejected, and got the reply: "Thank you for your mail. You are going to get an email by April 15."

I should *** well hope so.

hpharty
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:36 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by hpharty » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:28 pm

Unable to offer you admission....

to Columbia University

Balls. For some reason this is so much worse than the Yale rejection. Maybe it is because I have been having the worst *** day already. ***!

Swearing is so much more fun with the filter on.

User avatar
fermiboy
Posts: 437
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:41 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by fermiboy » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:52 pm

Rejected by UCSB. Rats!

User avatar
fermiboy
Posts: 437
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:41 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by fermiboy » Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:31 pm

Just called Ms. Sakima at Berkeley. I'm rejected, big surprise. She said email rejections are going out starting tomorrow.

peder
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:01 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by peder » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:10 pm

Rejected from Berkeley as well. Cheers, mate!

vroomfondel
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:47 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by vroomfondel » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:46 pm

congrats to everyone on this thread -- we are learning to take rejection well early in our careers. it will help down the road with post-doc rejections, tenure denials, breakups, divorces, estranged children, terminal diseases etc.

rejected from berkeley, sb, stanford today. happy birthday. guess it's shoveling snow in urbana for the next 6 years

myass
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:40 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by myass » Thu Mar 06, 2008 4:01 am

Harvard rejected me. I'm happy that others didn't reject me and they have good programs in what I'm interested in. I should have listened to my supervisor's advice...

Me: "I decided to apply to Harvard."

My Master: "I thought you agreed that Harvard doesn't have good experimental program in your interest and you wouldn't go there if you get into any of other top schools (Stanford, Berkeley, CalTech, M.I.T., Princeton for me at that time)."

Me: "Well, I think graduate admission is sort of like a lottery, so why not applying to Harvard by paying a bit more money? Besides I'm international so I want to have more possibilities. $90 is nothing if I think of having no grad school to join in future..."

My Master: "You shouldn't apply for Harvard if you are not interested in. It's very unlikely to see that you get in Harvard but rejected from all other top schools."

ler1
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:55 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by ler1 » Thu Mar 06, 2008 4:03 am

Rejected Harvard and UCLA by e-mail. Crap oh well

donkey
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:24 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by donkey » Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:40 am

myass wrote:Harvard rejected me. I'm happy that others didn't reject me and they have good programs in what I'm interested in. I should have listened to my supervisor's advice...

Me: "I decided to apply to Harvard."

My Master: "I thought you agreed that Harvard doesn't have good experimental program in your interest and you wouldn't go there if you get into any of other top schools (Stanford, Berkeley, CalTech, M.I.T., Princeton for me at that time)."

Me: "Well, I think graduate admission is sort of like a lottery, so why not applying to Harvard by paying a bit more money? Besides I'm international so I want to have more possibilities. $90 is nothing if I think of having no grad school to join in future..."

My Master: "You shouldn't apply for Harvard if you are not interested in. It's very unlikely to see that you get in Harvard but rejected from all other top schools."
PFFF. That's all!

User avatar
will
Posts: 399
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2007 3:26 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by will » Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:37 pm

Well Madison just said no, and made sure to tell me how talented their admits are.

Thanks Wisconsin.

User avatar
fermiboy
Posts: 437
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:41 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by fermiboy » Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:19 am

That sucks will, trust me I know how you feel.

User avatar
jdhooghe
Posts: 204
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:28 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by jdhooghe » Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:25 am

Ditto :(

deyton
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:34 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by deyton » Fri Mar 07, 2008 3:10 pm

Well, I found out why my MIT rejection was taking so long to get here... They just wanted it to come on the same day as my Columbia rejection. Oh well.

now
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:30 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by now » Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:57 pm

UCSD rejection today... e-mail...

marten
Posts: 134
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:21 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by marten » Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:05 pm

just saw ur post on grad cafe results page, marten. cheer up, marten, u probably dont want to go to Bryn Mawr anyway
Hey excel, yeah, I think that Lehigh will be a better fit for me anyway. Looking at the photos on the Bryn Mawr physics web site, I only see pictures of males in the graduate program. I wonder what the ratio really is.

Marten

LucasWillis
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:38 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by LucasWillis » Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:11 pm

The Bryn Mawr grad program in physics is all guys, I believe. There are something like 4 grad students, two of them having graduated from my school. It isn't a bad program though, really. You take your advanced classes at U Penn and the research that they do is great, just limited in scope. If you're into AMO, it is a very good place. However, you TA all girl undergrad classes...

excel
Posts: 257
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:33 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by excel » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:44 am

However, you TA all girl undergrad classes...
:!: :twisted: :lol:

User avatar
jdhooghe
Posts: 204
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:28 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by jdhooghe » Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:01 pm

physics PhD = Babe magnet

Seriously...it's like Axe body spray except that it actually works and only smart people use it.

I don't even have one and girls are already looking at me when I walk by, absolute madness!

TheHawkBat
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:58 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by TheHawkBat » Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:12 pm

So Berkeley has already sent out rejections? Was this via e-mail? I have not recieved one yet, but I was under the impression that they had already sent out their acceptances. I guess I may be wait-listed...

astrofan
Posts: 140
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:55 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by astrofan » Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:31 pm

jdhooghe wrote:physics PhD = Babe magnet

Seriously...it's like Axe body spray except that it actually works and only smart people use it.

I don't even have one and girls are already looking at me when I walk by, absolute madness!
What universe do you live in? I am sure that there is one that this is true in, but not ours.

christopher3.14
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 2:19 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by christopher3.14 » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:47 pm

Ahh, I knew the streak had to end. First rejection from...UCSB. From the people they are rejecting, I'm in good company.

Quantinfo
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:43 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by Quantinfo » Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:03 pm

Got my first rejection.... Rejected from University of Rochester by email...

DigitallyCrazy
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:40 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by DigitallyCrazy » Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:26 pm

Rejected from UCSB - apparently I had missing materials that I never noticed!!! (Edit: They never told me about the missing materials either, unlike Caltech, UCLA, U of Chicago, and U of Florida!!! :shock: ) Oh well. No big deal, I have other places that I was more interested in.

...does anybody know what it means that I haven't heard from Caltech Physics yet?? I think I may be on some sort of waitlist?? I know people who've been rejected... Any insight anybody???

KB
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2007 12:03 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by KB » Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:58 pm

Rejected from U Chicago Astro by e-mail after inquiring about my status. Also sent them an e-mail a week and a half ago asking the same thing to which I never received a reply. Slowpokes. Oh well.

User avatar
zxcv
Posts: 402
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:08 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by zxcv » Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:10 pm

I asked one of my advisers to get in contact with someone he knew at Caltech to check on my status. It sounds like Caltech has made it's final decisions and I didn't get in. So no word from them should probably be considered a "no".

Quantinfo
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:43 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by Quantinfo » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:16 am

Got the my second rejection... :( and on the very same day.... Rejected from CMU via email... (Hey, rejection email from both CMU and rochester look the same... :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: )

User avatar
jdhooghe
Posts: 204
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:28 pm

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by jdhooghe » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:07 pm

Rejected from Stony Brook today... :(

christopher3.14
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 2:19 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by christopher3.14 » Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:16 am

Just got the UCLA rejection.

berkphys
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 6:01 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by berkphys » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:43 pm

stupid caltech. why dont they just tell us if weve been rejected? i also havent heard anything from harvard yet. these schools sure are taking their sweet time.

myass
Posts: 34
Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:40 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by myass » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:30 pm

At least, Harvard is kind enough to let you know your rejection (if you are rejected) if you inquire. It only takes a few hours for them if you send within their business hours. Be careful that you should email to the physics department. Not the graduate admission.

jburkart
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:28 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by jburkart » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:42 am

ahh. R from cornell. apparently they sent me a letter ten days ago. just inquired over email. bah

hpharty
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:36 am

Re: FALL 2008 rejections

Post by hpharty » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:08 pm

Has anyone e-mailed Penn or Maryland about their status? If so, and you've had any luck getting information, do you want to PM me some contact info? It's about time I start e-mailing someone at these schools. My first attempt at e-mailing Penn failed.



Post Reply