It stings a little, doesn't it? You've spent months (or years) immersed in your work, yet a colleague, a reviewer, or even a friend in a different field sums it up in one crisp sentence that makes everyone nod. So back to you guys, Is that a sign your idea is so strong it translates effortlessly OR 😬 a warning that you've lost the plot in your own details?
Second year applying, no acceptances, no post bacc acceptances, no RA acceptances, and no job acceptances. I’m giving up on PhD applications and I have decided to work whatever minimum wage job I can find while living in my parent’s basement. Some of us don’t get in phd programs and our dreams don’t come true. My heart cannot handle applying again. I applied to 30 programs this year and I know that I’m a qualified candidate. Unfortunately, I cannot control the fact that there’s barely any funding in my field. I know I will live the rest of my life with regret, but there’s nothing else I can do at this point. I am tired.
There are winners and losers, and I am most definitely a loser.
I got in fr fr this time!!!! actually almost lost it cause i got an email saying "check your status" so I thought I was cooked. Thank you to whoever denied their acceptance holyyyyyy.
I’ve been on this sub for a while, but lately the hostility toward MS degrees seems to have gone up another notch, and it’s been pretty disheartening to see.
Yes, MS programs are often expensive since many aren't funded. But reading some of the comments here, you’d think they're invariably scams or worthless, which doesn't reflect the reality that plenty have gotten great outcomes out of the degree.
I personally applied only to MS programs (in engineering) because my undergrad was not in the US, I didn't have many opportunities to get deeply involved in research during undergrad, and my grades were solid but not exceptional. I'm prepared to take a loan and pay for the MS in return for a stronger profile that may allow me to get into a good PhD program or a research position in industry, just like how plenty of people take on loans for college. A lot of people have successfully walked this path, so I don't get all the people here deriding the degree and all who didn't manage to get into a PhD right out of college.
I have also seen people claim that MS programs accept basically everyone, which is clearly not true. Many programs have acceptance rates well below 20%. They may not be as selective as the top PhD programs, but they are far from the “open door” that some comments make them out to be.
And perhaps many Americans do not know this, but getting an MS is still the norm for stem students in many parts of the world (Europe, East Asia, etc). I went to a school ranked in the T100 globally, and over 90% of undergrads in engineering go directly on to get MS degrees and do research. The minority who don't mainly go into less technical careers like banking and consulting.
Of course, the message behind some of the comments have merit in that, yes, the schools use MS degrees to make money. But they're not completely worthless for the student. It's simply more akin to undergrad in that you're paying for a chance to learn rather than getting paid to do a job like PhD students are.
still haven’t heard from 2, but seems like rejection at this point. i’m gonna be a doctor (of philosophy) one day 🥹 (assuming i don’t fail quals, prelims, and my defense 😝)
I applied to 4 schools for MA in ethnomusicology; rejected from 3, but on April 1st I received an acceptance from the fourth and final school. I read and re-read the acceptance letter and hoped it wasn't an April Fool's joke! It's a school I'd *love* to attend because of the opportunities where it's located, but the reality is that there probably won't be any funding. I need a significant amount of financial aid in order to attend.
Applying again next year is always an option, but I just turned 50, so the odds aren't in my favor between my age and my stats. I'll throw my hat in the ring for any and every scholarship that might still be available, but real talk, I need a miracle.
Thanks for reading if you got this far!
Applied to 3 masters programs: University of Victoria, University of British Columbia and Stanford…. And was rejected from UVic and UBC but accepted at Stanford with a stipend AND 30k tuition scholarship LMFAO 🤷♀️🤷♀️
Go trees?
Just found out I was accepted at my top choice for my masters in clinical psychology (Cal State Long Beach) and am so unbelievably relieved. I’m just finishing undergrad this May and am so glad I won’t have to take a gap year!! It was such a tough application cycle, but never give up hope!
Background
Current undergrad at Ivy Bio major/CS minor. Student athlete. Mid GPA. 4 year lab experience. 3 Pubs.
Applied while in sport season so was very intentional with applications to balance time constraints (do not recommend if no constraints, apply everywhere you're interested in regardless of prestige!) Weill Cornell was my dream program for the specific niche I want to do!
Interview Advice
My biggest advice for interviews is to not focus on memorization of recent publications! PIs will not expect you know little details, and often won't probe you much on their research. Oftentimes, the first half of the interview will consist of them asking you about yourself, so I would recommend having a loose (but not scripted) spiel about yourself that encapsulates both your personal scientific intrigue/journey/why you want to do a PhD and then your research itself. A lot of the times they will then start to ask questions about your projects where then you can go into full detail (be sure to know the full details bc they will ask a lot of questions). Then, usually I would ask a semi-niche question about their research that piqued my interest and let them go on their talk about it. ASK QUESTIONS DURING THEIR TALK ABOUT THEIR RESEARCH!! I think being able to ask pointed questions on the fly is something that they look for to see how your mind operates and see some creativity on the fly.
Most importantly is not to be too nervous! I think keeping things conversational and showing genuine excitement and curiosity for the field is what they are looking for because a PhD is a big commitment. At the end of the day it is more of a conversation rather than a interview interview per se.
Hope this helps and good luck everyone!
If anyone is going to be at Weill Cornell feel free to reach out!
i received this email on the 26th of march from the graduate admissions office of stony brook university in response to an email i sent them asking about my position on the alternate list for the english phd program. it’s the 4th of april today and since its been a couple of days already and i haven’t heard from them, i was wondering if anyone could shed some light on whether there’s any hope that this will work out at all?
When I was making my portfolio I looked for other ones online and it helped a lot! I practice a lot of different mediums and was applying for a lot of different kinds of programs, so I created a whole show from scratch that maintained somewhat of a consistent theme through out to have some sense of unity as that wasn’t created through my medium or technique. I edited out some of identifying information to post online, but they obviously weren’t edited when I submitted my portfolio.
I kept seeing people post that the work isn’t as important as being able to see how you engage intellectually with your work, but Also to try not to write too much. So I worked for a while on the balance of intelectual engagement, personal expression, and length of writing.
I ended up getting eight interviews and accepted into four programs (2: 50% funding, 2: full funding) and told I would have been accepted into one more program but they’re pausing their MFA program for the foreseeable future —and I officially accepted an offer yesterday.
I hope visualizing an “accepted” portfolio is helpful for people applying in the future! I thought I needed to create 20 specific pieces of work originally, after I began searching for examples, I realized that wasn’t necessarily the case and that seeing detail shots, or shots of gallery layout could be helpful too! I know you technically aren’t supposed to add together multiple pieces, but I kind of bent the rules for pieces I felt were meant to be viewed together. This allowed me more room for detail shots. I also had two video pieces I submitted with some of my applications. They aren’t viewable here.
Hello, I got my first acceptance for Adelphi’s Online Part time MSW Program. Which has me shocked bc I was recently rejected by Bing for their FT program… I sent in my essay yesterday and they got back to me today.
I am still waiting on Stony Brook, since I applied to their Online FT MSW program. Stony Brook is also my top choice because it is 2x cheaper than Adelphi around 30k+ total tuition (Adelphi’s is around 60k+) and is only two years rather than 3.
I applied to Stony Brook during their priority deadline and sent everything in February 20 prior to the March 1st deadline. I believe I made a post here before, but now that I got one acceptance I am wondering when I should write Stony Brook again.
I wrote Stony Brook Admissions March 24th and they said this
“Thank you for your email. We are currently still in the process of reviewing applications and plan to release updates over the next couple of weeks. We appreciate your patience in the meantime.
If you have any questions or need additional support, please let us know!”
I am wondering when I should write them again bc Adelphi needs a deposit so I need to know when that deadline is, but also still waiting to hear from Stony Brook. I am thinking about writing them again on the seventh, but not sure if that’s too soon since my last email.
Also if anyone else got into Adelphi Part Time online MSW I would love to get to know you :)
Hi all,
I wanted to say thank you for the advice I received here! This is my final Sankey for the CS PhD fall 2026 cycle!
I am sending my luck to everyone in the final days before decision day! :) <3
- Soon-to-be-PhD-student
Finally, a fully funded PhD offer! I had been waitlisted for this program and it was one of my top choices, so I’m thrilled.
For those of you who are waitlisted and feeling like it’s time to start planning for the next cycle, it’s not over!
I am still waiting to hear about one waitlist, and on information about funding from a third program (which offered admission but no funding so far), so I’m not making a decision yet. But no matter what I hear from the other programs, I’m doing a PhD!
Hi everyone,
I’ve been accepted to a PhD program in the US with a 3-year funding guarantee. However, I’m also a Fulbright scholar, and the department wants Fulbright to cover the first 2 years of my stipend. This means for those 2 years, the department isn't paying me a dime, and I won't have TA/RA duties.
Here is the catch: Fulbright only covers 9 months, and my department's offer doesn't include summer funding. I come from a low-income background (first-gen student) and going back home or relying on family isn't an option—in fact, I'm the one supporting them.
Since the department is essentially "saving" two years' worth of stipend thanks to my Fulbright, is it reasonable to negotiate for guaranteed summer RAs or fellowships for those first two years? How should I approach the DGS about this without sounding ungrateful?
Has anyone successfully negotiated summer support in exchange for bringing in external funding?
Hey, guys. I am considering attending JHU this fall for MSE in CS. I would like to talk to other people who are considering it as well. Also if there are any students who is already in the program would like to ask some questions. Please drop a comment or dm.
It’s late in the game and most of my other offers require a response April 15th, I’m still waiting to hear from a few schools. Other people on this sub and gradcafe are also waiting for these programs so I’m hoping it’s not just a ghosted rejection. Should I email them?
I only have a waitlist for my top choice program, and if I get rejected I need to reapply next cycle😭.
Does anyone know how many people are typically on the waitlist if the program only admits two people?
It’s a PhD program and I know they interviewed 5 people, and there are currently two people holding the offers.
everyone,
I’ve received two PhD offers in Geography and need some advice:
• CUHK (Hong Kong, QS \\\~32) well-known supervisor, strong global ranking
• Tokyo (Japan) good program, but much lower QS ranking
My goal is to build a career in academia/research.
I’m unsure what matters more long-term:
• University ranking vs supervisor reputation
• Research output/network vs institution prestige
CUHK seems stronger on paper, but I’ve heard PhD success depends more on publications and supervision.
What would you choose and why?
Would going with a lower-ranked university hurt my chances in academia?
Both are fully funded positions
I received an offer from a master’s program with no funding. They gave me a deadline later in the summer, but mentioned it’s appreciated if I decide earlier.
The thing is, I’ve already accepted another program and will most likely attend there, but I still want a bit more time to think things through (mainly financial considerations).
Would it be okay to hold onto this unfunded offer for a few more weeks and then decline around late April or early May? Or is that considered bad practice?
Curious what others have done in similar situations.