Physics GRE Discussion Forums

Just curious on what people think if an applicant haven't heard as much as a squeal at this point form schools. Also if they are still reviewing applications. Just seems like between this site and gradcafe everyone's getting all of these emails, but I haven't heard anything. I figure not to worry till end of Feb. but I am pretty sure that all of the visitation weekends happen in march, earl to end of march. I applied only to mid tier schools and have pretty good application (GPA, General GRE, Research experience) just real low PGRE. I haven't considered myself out just yet (except 1 school I am assuming rejected). Any comments or anyone else not hear anything yet. I guess the good side is I haven't been rejected yet, a lot of people have already been told NO on gradcafe.

If you haven't heard anything yet, it's probably for one of two reasons:
(1) Your schools haven't even started reviewing applications yet
(2) Your not one of the "super students" getting accepted early on and you'll hear back later, one way or another

I know one of my schools, as well as the fellowship I applied for, won't be looking at applications until at least next week. There are still a lot of schools that also have yet to pop up on gradcafe or this forum, so I'd really not worry about it.

Where's your profile?

Honestly, it would depend on your profile. Since you haven't posted it, we can't really comment. I wouldn't be too worried yet. If mid-March rolls around and you haven't heard anything, then I'd start worrying. How low of PGRE are we talking? I had a 550 last year when I applied. That hurt my application pretty badly. If you're saying "low" and you got a 700 and you're American, then just stop talking now. 700 is more than sufficient for American applicants for most programs. If you got a 500-600, that's pretty rough. Mid-600 is okay. It won't make you a stellar applicant, but it could be worse.

I had been anxious because I hadn't heard anything from Ohio State and they had sent out acceptances. I just got an email today accepting me. So just because the programs have sent out offers doesn't mean you won't get one.

Now go post your profile!

Look at last year's thread at the decision dates. Many (perhaps most?) schools haven't even sent their first acceptance yet. I didn't hear anything from my favorite schools until the 2/20's. I got into my first school (safety) almost exactly 1 year ago today. 2 of the schools seemed to send all of their decisions on one day (one on 2/21 and one on 3/1). Others staggered them for whatever reason.

The informal consensus is that if you're still waiting in March (and others have already been admitted), that's when things are bleak, but even then there are surprises.

It really is still early in the season. It doesn't make sense to start worrying (more) until other people have been admitted to the school you're waiting for. Even then, many schools group applicants by research interest and the corresponding faculty make decisions on their own. Or they send acceptances in waves or whatever. So your chances aren't even necessarily lower anyway. You still have a chance as long as you haven't been rejected.

my pgre was in the low 500's. I take it geshi that since your applying this year you didnt get in anywhere last year. my regular GRE was a combined 1300. gpa around 3.35

thanks for the vote of confidence ppl, appreciate it

chewy wrote:my pgre was in the low 500's. I take it geshi that since your applying this year you didnt get in anywhere last year. my regular GRE was a combined 1300. gpa around 3.35

Yes, I'm a reapplicant because last year I got 7 rejections from 7 programs. I have turned that around and gotten into 5 programs and an interview at a 6th program this year. So even if you don't get any acceptances this year, it might end up for the best. Honestly, last year I was ready to go anywhere even if I was unhappy there. Around the end of February I started looking for more programs to apply to. In retrospect, I'm glad things have turned out the way they did because I've gotten into at least 2 programs that I have a very strong interest in (due to paranoia, I won't mention WHICH two).

I have 1130 combined regular GRE and last year I had a 550 PGRE with a 3.35ish GPA (my GPA went up to 3.45ish because of senior year grades). Honestly, depending on where you applied, you still have a chance to get into some programs. I had 3 or 4 waitlists last year that didn't turn into rejections until late March or so. I wouldn't start sweating yet if I were you. I have a friend who had a 600 (even I think) on the PGRE and didn't get in anywhere until the first or second week of March (he got into UT-Austin and Ohio State). If you have a solid analytical writing score and verbal regular GRE, that can help a lot (schools don't give 2 craps about quantitative GRE).

Hang in there!

Thats a very nice thread.. somehow pacified me again.. but really whats wrong with the schools is really beyond my comprehension.. somehow till now it seems around 95% of the acceptances are to the domestics, by domestic I mean the ones who have done their UG in US. The rest of us (truly intls) are simply kept on a hold.. neither acceptances nor rejections.. speaking of 2009, many intls got their decisions by early feb with decent profiles.. Considering my somewhat ok-ish profile I am hoping to hear from my safety school Syracuse first... but when? is the question..

also U of Florida claims in their website that they give out decisions in mid feb.. its almost mid.. but where is there response..??

Dont panic blackcat, with your profile you will asolutely get acceptance from UFL, this is just my opinion. I also didnt get anything from 7 schools I applied. Still waiting... I hope next week people will at least get an acceptance from somewhere.

newt11 wrote:Dont panic blackcat, with your profile you will asolutely get acceptance from UFL, this is just my opinion. I also didnt get anything from 7 schools I applied. Still waiting... I hope next week people will at least get an acceptance from somewhere.

Thanks a lot newt11 for cheering me up. I sure hope next week things come up for us.. best wishes to all of us..

I am in a very similar situation here: haven't heard anything. I had some bureaucracy problems in my current university to receive my transcripts and ended up losing several deadlines. I was only able to apply to 5 universities, and haven't heard from them so far (2 of them have already poped up on gradcafe).

Hope everything works out right for all of us.