ok, now I can panic?

  • 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.

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betelgeuse1
Posts: 116
Joined: Sat May 09, 2009 10:14 am

ok, now I can panic?

Post by betelgeuse1 » Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:14 pm

now is a good time to panic... :(

Mataka
Posts: 160
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 10:05 am

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by Mataka » Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:20 pm

Well, maybe not panic, but worry yes. Give yourself another month before starting to panic.

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

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by grae313 » Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:52 pm

For domestic applicants, it is time to panic.

For international applicants, I'd be very worried but would give it another week or two before panicking.

geshi
Posts: 200
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:01 am

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by geshi » Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:09 pm

Now is a good time to join the "Worry Club." They have cookies.

Panic time is when you start getting rejection after rejection in mid-March (I've been there and done that, it's fun :( ).

jmason86
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 6:14 pm

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by jmason86 » Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:25 pm

I started calling around.
UW aerospace engineering's final review is this afternoon.
UNM physics was hoping to be done by march.. but aren't. No real time frame.
Berkeley physics emailed me and told me that final decisions will be made by March 15.
Montana State physics application was only due on 1/31 so they probably need more time anyway.
CU aerospace eng is still making decisions but have already invited people to open house even for those not accepted.
I'm checking on BU astro next.

betelgeuse1
Posts: 116
Joined: Sat May 09, 2009 10:14 am

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by betelgeuse1 » Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:14 am

last time I applied they gave the decisions only on April 15... hope they're going to change that habit now!

blackcat007
Posts: 378
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:14 am

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by blackcat007 » Tue Mar 02, 2010 5:24 am

I think we should start emailing the respective profs.. its way too late :x ....

betelgeuse1
Posts: 116
Joined: Sat May 09, 2009 10:14 am

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by betelgeuse1 » Tue Mar 02, 2010 8:15 am

the first that e-mails a prof please post your answer! :shock:

blackcat007
Posts: 378
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:14 am

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by blackcat007 » Tue Mar 02, 2010 8:44 am

here is one from a prof from UPenn (quite an anticipated fact that I will get a rejection)

Dear Mr. abc,

We have begun our process and have made some initial offers. Unfortunately we did not make you an offer at this time. Our process is ongoing and will continue until we have filled our places, and so this is not the final answer, merely a statement of where we are with our process. However, I should point out that there are limited places, and if our current offers are accepted we are unlikely to make more.

Best wishes,

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

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by grae313 » Tue Mar 02, 2010 1:24 pm

blackcat007 wrote:here is one from a prof from UPenn (quite an anticipated fact that I will get a rejection)

Dear Mr. abc,

We have begun our process and have made some initial offers. Unfortunately we did not make you an offer at this time. Our process is ongoing and will continue until we have filled our places, and so this is not the final answer, merely a statement of where we are with our process. However, I should point out that there are limited places, and if our current offers are accepted we are unlikely to make more.

Best wishes,
Guys, emailing profs is really just going to piss them off. You need to wait. Schools have hundreds of applicants. Do you really think they want to answer questions from all of them asking about their application status?

geshi
Posts: 200
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:01 am

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by geshi » Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:17 pm

It's a little early to be emailing schools about your status. A lot of programs haven't had their Open House yet. A lot of people are holding onto offers and not making decisions until after they visit the programs. As grae has pointed out in a couple threads, pestering them is probably just going to piss them off.

sravanskarri
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2008 10:19 pm

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by sravanskarri » Tue Mar 02, 2010 3:05 pm

yeah guys take a break, :D I know its difficult to keep cool but you should be optimisitc as there are no rejections atleast from your hopeful schools.

matonski
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 5:03 pm

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by matonski » Tue Mar 02, 2010 3:05 pm

Also, I've noticed that practically every time there is a "responded to email about status" under notes in gradcafe, the result was rejected. I know its most likely correlation and not causation, but still, I'm not going to be emailing anytime soon.

quark314
Posts: 33
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2010 6:53 pm

Re: ok, now I can panic?

Post by quark314 » Tue Mar 02, 2010 4:59 pm

to matonski,

I feel like it may be causal, but the other way around from what you're thinking. I only called/emailed to inquire about schools I was fairly certain had rejected me. Belief that I had probably been rejected caused the call. Not the call caused my rejection.

But that's just me.


Also, of course most of these places are rejecting well over 90% of their applicants, so you expect even from a random sample that the vast majority of inquiries will result in rejection. Especially when you correct for the time-bias of acceptances (acceptances are more likely to go out early, before people get impatient, making rejection even more likely in a random sample once it gets late enough for people to be antsy enough to call).

But, we all knew that. Because we're all nerds here. :)



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