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[kbatulli]

Advanced apologies if I post this in the wrong category.
I applied to graduate programs in a Humanities discipline. Many classmates have heard from programs early on, and I know that most schools send out "invitations" for visits. If I did not get one of these invitations, and if I have not been contacted by schools (knowing that they've contacted other students), does this most likely mean that I am in the reject pile?

[voxprincipalis]

You will probably want to repost this in the "Grad-School Life" forum, or maybe the mods can move it there...

VP

[2nd_career]

It is much to early to start worrying (or so my professors tell me).

Some schools, like the University of Virginia, invite their very top prospects early, as part of the competition for big time fellowships. Obviously every program wants to tie down their best applicants as early as they possibly can.

But fact is that the top prospects at School A will also likely be the top prospects at School B. So after that first spasm of offers and campus visits things settle down for a while until programs know how many places they still have to fill.

And of course, some schools are just plain slow. I'm applying for Classical Archaeology and based on the various grad app. websites, all my schools were still accepting people as late as mid-March last year.

So... try to relax. Its a good three weeks yet before we can start to get really bummed out.

[englitprof]

I would add that I don't think "most" schools necessarily invite grad applicants, though certainly applicants are welcome to visit.

[hypnotoad]

None of my seven schools invited me for a visit, I was admitted to four.  I'm in the humanities. 

Now, if you are a desired candidate in the sciences, this might be a different story.  I know a woman who applied for admission to a very specific hard science field where there are very few female grad students.  She was flown around the country and wined and dined for several weeks during the admission process.

[roarheels]

My guess is decisions are already made, but that does not mean you will not get a good result. You should just email the DGS and ask if decisions have been made. In my experience they will offer up the answer pretty willingly and most will tell you if you have been admitted as well. I got two phone calls, two emails, and one school I had to write to ask. The school to which I had to write was my first choice and it was noticibly after their normal deadline. I had in fact gotten in but no one had remembered to call. This does happen, so it was good I wrote because I received my answer three weeks before the offical letter. As to clas arch, 2nd Career, and that post. I know of one top flight program in Classical Arch that is notorious for not making decisions before the normal april 15th deadline. I have heard of first admissions offers from that school going as late as May 1st, which seems ridiculous given the tardiness. You have to ask. Particularly if you are applying to an interdepartmental program things can get bogged down because faculty have responsibilites to their home departments as well. You paid the 100 bucks, the least they can do is give you an answer. So ask away in my opinion. Also, for ancient/clas arch this is dead middle of the season in my experience, and by March 15th I would be getting worried if I had heard nothing. My program offered last week and had its visits this week, but I saw a mass of rejection letters still at least two weeks from completion. There is some definate lag. Most schools who have listed you for a backup will contact you by then to say something to that effect.

[doppelganger]

When I was applying back in the last century, I was rejected from a few places in February, had one on-campus interview for the creme de la creme school in the field in the first week of March, and did not hear anything else until spring break.

I was eventually admitted to five places and waitlisted at one.  None of this happened before March. 

Put your feet up, get a good movie and a beer, and ride out the wait.  Practice now to develop the skills that will keep you sane for the rest of your career.   I can promise you that you'll get good at waiting on fickle people who are deciding the outcome of your future. 

Academia is one long wait for other people who will decide things for you.  (Grad admissions, funding decisions, grants, journals, scholarships, jobs, tenure, promotion, publications, fellowships, lectures, etc.)  Once the doc is in the mail, it is out of your hands.  Focus on making that doc perfect, and then crack open that beer and pop in that movie. 

Good luck. 

[chachacha]

Put your feet up, get a good movie and a beer, and ride out the wait.  Practice now to develop the skills that will keep you sane for the rest of your career.   I can promise you that you'll get good at waiting on fickle people who are deciding the outcome of your future.

Academia is one long wait for other people who will decide things for you.  (Grad admissions, funding decisions, grants, journals, scholarships, jobs, tenure, promotion, publications, fellowships, lectures, etc.)  Once the doc is in the mail, it is out of your hands.  Focus on making that doc perfect, and then crack open that beer and pop in that movie. 

Good luck. 

I nominate this for Best Advice Ever.

[kbatulli]

thank you all for the sound advice!

[acrimone]

Put your feet up, get a good movie and a beer, and ride out the wait.  Practice now to develop the skills that will keep you sane for the rest of your career.   I can promise you that you'll get good at waiting on fickle people who are deciding the outcome of your future.

Academia is one long wait for other people who will decide things for you.  (Grad admissions, funding decisions, grants, journals, scholarships, jobs, tenure, promotion, publications, fellowships, lectures, etc.)  Once the doc is in the mail, it is out of your hands.  Focus on making that doc perfect, and then crack open that beer and pop in that movie. 

Good luck. 

I nominate this for Best Advice Ever.

Well you know what you should do with posts that you think are that good, don't you?

[punchnpie]

I'm on the SC at my school. We recently decided on the immediate accepts and rejects. Those folks will get letters sooner than the other applicants. Everyone else will need a case-by-case review, with a some number of that group being admitted.

So, don't worry yet. You may be in the pile at which they will take a closer look. 

[chachacha]

Well you know what you should do with posts that you think are that good, don't you?

No, actually.  What?

[olive]

Well you know what you should do with posts that you think are that good, don't you?

No, actually.  What?

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