Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

  • 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.

evilclaw2321
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:51 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:24 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

Anybody else put on the Yale waitlist (physics)?

User avatar
Helio
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:11 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:47 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:47 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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.

User avatar
coreycwgriffin
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:28 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

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

User avatar
naseermk
Posts: 93
Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2008 8:47 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 10:23 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 12:07 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

Rejected by Caltech.

pd
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 1:11 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 249
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:34 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:27 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

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

sterculus
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:16 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:59 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

Chicago... In response to my inquiry.

User avatar
bryanwitha_y
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:33 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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.

User avatar
G01
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:54 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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.
Last edited by G01 on Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

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

User avatar
a13ean
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:24 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 101
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:09 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

rejected from Yale's Applied Physics :(.............

Maxwells Demon

confused_p
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:50 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

Rejection from Cornell. :|

User avatar
PhysicsPdx
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:59 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

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

User avatar
spershog
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:18 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

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

slugger
Posts: 96
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:12 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

rejected by princeton. totally expected.
Last edited by slugger on Thu Feb 26, 2009 12:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
bryanwitha_y
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:33 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

First rejection from none other than the great Princeton University :cry:

My status bar has shifted slightly to the left:

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

babazula
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:59 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:25 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

Just got the rejection from Princeton as well.

User avatar
Helio
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:11 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 96
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:12 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:59 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:02 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:16 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 10:23 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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!

User avatar
Helio
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:11 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

STANFORD started.... and I got REJECTED

babazula
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:59 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

rejection from Stanford!

bosem
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 12:07 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

babazula wrote:rejection from Stanford!
Me tooo..

a bucket
Posts: 60
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:02 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

same here.

User avatar
Helio
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:11 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

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

babazula
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:59 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

User avatar
Helio
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:11 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 111
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

Rejected here as well

ffalieri
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 2:22 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

Rejection from Princeton

expected, but still hurts... :cry:

User avatar
valentino
Posts: 48
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:29 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

stanford rejection

sterculus
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:16 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

Wow, lots of Stanford rejections. Nothing here yet.

User avatar
bryanwitha_y
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:33 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 10:23 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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 :)

User avatar
Helio
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:11 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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 :P

User avatar
PhysicsPdx
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:59 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:25 pm

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

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

techodestructo
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:50 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:38 am

Re: Rejection 2009.... Share your pain!

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

rejected by Princeton this morning.



Post Reply