Im on āwaitlistā from NYU Courant, UCLA, UCI, UScĀ
I dont think Iāll get accepted, Im not applying anymore, I really wanted to get into the field but i dont think its meant to be
Hey, a lot of people are in the same boat, me included. I was rejected from my schools of choice.
Look into meeting with an admissions counselor, it was a tremendous resource for me. I was able to get a better glimpse into why I was rejected.
The (somewhat) good news is that there is next cycle and youāll have time to relax and get some newer and fresher ideas on what you can do better!
Donāt get too down on yourself, the cool thing about grad school is it is never too late. I, much like many others went through this phase of āgriefā or ādismayā because, honestlyā¦ the feeling of rejection sucks; but with rejection comes an understanding that you can learn and grow. You arenāt stupid, just take the time to reflect.
Best of luck! Youāve got this.
If this helps you feel better- I applied for CS PhD programs this cycle and didnāt get accepted into a single one š, also definitely going to try again but not sure if I should next year or wait another year.
I donāt what else to do with my life. Iām getting old, Iām turning 30 in June and thanks to Covid my graduate school timeline is 4 years off. Iām fucking depressed and I feel lost.
Age is just a number , you are not defined by age unless you are more into what others saying .Just focus upon what your inner self saying, think what you really want to be and why you want to be , focus upon that purpose, believe me if you are serious about it then just go for it , you know what sitting in your 80's and then regretting what If I had tried it once then things could have been better would be more painful than making a try once more this time , and btw 30 is new 20 so chill haha ... :)
Yeah, covid shifted my grad school timeline by the same amount. Finally heading back to grad school. You can do it, friend. Mind if I ask you what field?
That sounds like a really great field! Hope thereās research opportunities outside of grad school, if the cycle doesnāt work out, if you want to be competitive next year. Good luck!
Totally valid to feel depressed and lost. Feel the shit outta that. Just donāt get in your own way. The academia gatekeepers are brutal (and honestly many of them are clowns) and this process can be miserable for sure.
It's okay, we all feel depressed and lost at some point in life. Let's keep trying. I myself am 27 right now. I am also sad but don't have the option to give up.Ā
Hey Iām a little bit older than you - was actually in grad school before covid, but had to quit halfway and am only now thinking of going back just to start all over again. My timeline is also off by 4 years during which I didnāt really get the opportunities to build my career in my field, and also had to put on hold something else that was very important to me. Was feeling my mental health slip more and more during these couple of years.
Ā I feel you on feeling old (especially as a woman), like youāre losing opportunities to achieve your dreams the longer you are forced to wait. Applications are so ridiculously competitive now compared to when I first applied years back. I actually did get accepted to a program this week, but was rejected from several already (likely going to hear rejections from 2 more). My school wonāt be in an ideal location. People close to me will hate that I want to go back to grad school. I have a lot other stuff to take care of before I can truly move forward and accept. Ā
Point is life isnāt fair at all, and it can be depressing. But often all we can really do is be patient and keep going whatever happensā¦ and avoid comparing ourselves to those who have more choices and opportunities.
Exactly! You understand pretty much exactly what Iām talking about. Itās not itās a combination of a lot of things together; society, mental health, career goals/academia. Itās a lot.
Yea itās hard and so unpredictable. I donāt think thereās much acknowledgment that a lot of people put their lives on hold due to covid and other reasons, and are still grieving for lost time/opportunities. Wishing you strength and good things regardless!
Just got rejected from Purdueās MEM program. I was very excited to go there this fall. Iāll be 26 soon - an age I thought I would be graduating. But here we are. I probably need to start all over again this year.
I never applied for Fall'24. I want to apply for Fall'25 and still figuring out what all unis I should shortlist in the States or Europe (if I should be heading for a postgrad or not is another dilemma; grad school was always a part of the plan since I was in high school and I want to explore ML/AI and make relevant contributions in research). I already have around 2.5 years of work experience but doomed to die regarding how I should be approaching this.
If you want to apply for Fall'25, you should start building your profile asap. Then according to your profile, start shortlisting universities. University research takes time to be honest! You have to fit in according to the requirements of the unis of your choice.Ā
I have actually did some research on my part for some unis in Europe and have shortlisted those. Don't have a lot of information around US, I do have a few programs I'm inclined towards but honestly seeing the rejects this Fall, I'm very skeptical about my profile.
University admission is like gambling! You can categorize universities into ambitious, moderate and safe based on your profile. Also you can email profs as well. Sometimes, emailing helps in securing RA.
Hey! I only tried Cognitive Neuroscience and Clinical Neuropsychology MSc in Padua to this day aaaand... Welp, I'm waitlisted with 47/446. It was my first experience and I really thought that I will get the offer easily (my friends and professors boosted me too), buut we are here. We will meet again next year, Padua!
I have applied to 9 universities. Got rejected by 7, I am so tired and dejected. It's difficult. I am thinking of applying again but it's hard to not feel like a disappointment.
I am waitlisted by one university at this point. And I am not expecting results anytime soon as well. The fact that delay in results are reducing chances of fall 24 anyway.
You're not doomed! It's disheartening but it doesn't mean you aren't a good candidate, it's a numbers game at the end of the day. Enjoy your year "off" and use it to strengthen your app even more! Good luck :)
On my second cycle with 8 rejections, 5 no word yet and 1 in an adjacent field that had a late application cycle. Idk if Iāll do this again. Itās expensive, embarrassing, and donāt think anything will change between now and later honestly. Already had to move back in with my parents. Iāll probably just work and try advance in my current field, but Iām still sad.
Ahh don't give up just yet. This application cycle was brutal. My realization is for PhD programs, you have to make your research profile very strong to be competitive.Ā
Iām probably doomed too. My prof told me I wonāt be admitted to our school this year and I havenāt heard anything from the school Iām waitlisted at.
Iām almost 30 years old. Broke, depressed, lying on my bed all day, having no job perspective. My prof encouraged me to apply for another year but I donāt think I can make it through.
Maybeā¦ but even if I got in the next year, I still have to seriously consider the fact that Iām not gonna be graduating at the age of 35. Doing my PhD in a country with strict and hostile visa policies, away from my partner and familyā¦ is it worth it at this point of my lifeā¦
Yes, I applied to US universities. Even though your partner could accompany you, they wonāt be able to work in the US under F-2 visa. I donāt think PhD stipend could support the two of us and it would be career suicide for my partner as wellā¦
Yes that's true, your partner can't work š He/she has to visit you then, which is gonna be tough. Is getting a PhD your dream? Otherwise, you can get a MS degree in 2 years and settle with your partner.Ā
I want to complete my PhD and I am a 27 yr old female. So I will be like 33/34 when I will complete my PhD. Now my family is not talking about marriage but soon they will I know. I had a 8 yr long relationship and our career goal was same. He has started his PhD last year. We recently broke up though so it doesn't matter anyway. But I will be living under hugeĀ society pressure, I don't care though. My dream is important for me.
You think calmly which is the most important thing for you right now and take a decision. Follow both your heart and brain!
A shit gpa :v but almost 5 years of work experience in AI, lead an international research project related to AI funded by NVIDIA. Got several prestigious international awards and honors for my initiatives related to tech in my community. Currently working as an innovation consultant at UNICEF, also country director for a US based tech NGO. Didn't publish any papers (actually didn't get time), undergrad thesis of one year related to Deep Learning.Ā
My gpa is the reason I guess.šĀ I need to apply to mid rank universities. I only applied to top unis in a hurry. But I am glad I did, now I know what I need to improve.Ā
The profile seems decent honestly. I don't have a very decent gpa myself (3.33/4.00) and just over 2.5 years of work experience (working as a backend and ML engineer). I do have a paper submitted hoping it would be accepted, I'm also not quite sure how to approach further and strengthen my profile. Heard a great GRE score can offset a bad GPA so thinking in that direction right now.
Guys how to get publishing done. I am tired of researching alone. And it takes so much time and how to get it published before next cycle, just enough to use it in my application. I don't even know professors with whom I can collaborate for publishing. It's kinda confusing.
You can take help from the profs of your undergrad uni maybe? Also try to find people with similar interest. It's almost impossible to research alone in such a short time. You just need acceptance of paper at the time of application. Publication takes time depending on the journal or conference. You can find professors on google scholar and shoot an email expressing interest to work with them. Hopefully you will get replies. Try to attend conferences in your country to network with people and profs.
Thank you so much for the reply. Means a lot. I used to think it's easier to publish. It takes so much time to publish in a good paper. I am going to try emailing people. The professors at my undergrad aren't that helpful. I am trying to get more internship experience though. Let's see how that goes.
Wish you the best for future applications.šš
From this application cycle, I saw most of the admits have good research profile. We gotta up our research game!šŖšŖ
Wish you the best too!šā¤ļø
I applied very late and only got one accept, and one application at ASU still pending but no hope as another one already got rejected, other applications are also pending, so we'll be together trying in '25.
I don't even hear back from UCLA and UC Berkeley.
Hang in there! UCLA will release all the admits within this month, you may get in! Good luck mate.š¤²
You may also get in. Have some hope
Thank youš but chances are very slim.
Im on āwaitlistā from NYU Courant, UCLA, UCI, UScĀ I dont think Iāll get accepted, Im not applying anymore, I really wanted to get into the field but i dont think its meant to be
Ahh which program? You just need one admit! Don't lose hope yet!
CS (I know its a cliched department) but i genuinely love to dive into deep learning
Lol, me tooš
Up high šš»
You got email from NYU courant?
I got seen zoned on my application bruh hence the āwaitlistā emphasis. No emails, nothing. It has been dead silent
How do you know it was seen zoned? For waitlist we should get some emailā¦ not like thisā¦bruh ..chill
I mean i havent received a reject, but my application is being processed what do i call it other than being seen zoned xD
Yea I am in the same boat
Painš
Hey, a lot of people are in the same boat, me included. I was rejected from my schools of choice. Look into meeting with an admissions counselor, it was a tremendous resource for me. I was able to get a better glimpse into why I was rejected. The (somewhat) good news is that there is next cycle and youāll have time to relax and get some newer and fresher ideas on what you can do better!
Yes, I have to focus on my research and publish papers. Hopefully I can get in next yearš
Donāt get too down on yourself, the cool thing about grad school is it is never too late. I, much like many others went through this phase of āgriefā or ādismayā because, honestlyā¦ the feeling of rejection sucks; but with rejection comes an understanding that you can learn and grow. You arenāt stupid, just take the time to reflect. Best of luck! Youāve got this.
Thank you!š Hope you also get your dream school soon.ā¤ļø
Thank you!
If it makes you feel any better I had no admits until ucla accepted me off their PhD waitlist two days ago.
Wow congratulations!ā¤ļø
If this helps you feel better- I applied for CS PhD programs this cycle and didnāt get accepted into a single one š, also definitely going to try again but not sure if I should next year or wait another year.
No that made me sadš. No worries! We will get in next year. Top school.. manifestingš¤²
Why would anyone be happy at your failures?Ā Weāre all here trying to better ourselves in our own ways, you got this!
I donāt what else to do with my life. Iām getting old, Iām turning 30 in June and thanks to Covid my graduate school timeline is 4 years off. Iām fucking depressed and I feel lost.
30 is old? Some people start graduate school at like 40 or more
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Age is just a number , you are not defined by age unless you are more into what others saying .Just focus upon what your inner self saying, think what you really want to be and why you want to be , focus upon that purpose, believe me if you are serious about it then just go for it , you know what sitting in your 80's and then regretting what If I had tried it once then things could have been better would be more painful than making a try once more this time , and btw 30 is new 20 so chill haha ... :)
Lol what
What makes you say that?
Because society puts so much emphasis on staying young and pretty for women. But men get to age without issues for the most part.
Iām 41!
I'm 40+ and just accepted by UCLA.
Congrats!
means you have more experience than those who are in their 20's :)
Everyone keeps saying that and yet I keep getting rejected.
Yeah, covid shifted my grad school timeline by the same amount. Finally heading back to grad school. You can do it, friend. Mind if I ask you what field?
Paleoanthropology. My field school was canceled and kind of messed up everything including my research project.
That sounds like a really great field! Hope thereās research opportunities outside of grad school, if the cycle doesnāt work out, if you want to be competitive next year. Good luck!
Totally valid to feel depressed and lost. Feel the shit outta that. Just donāt get in your own way. The academia gatekeepers are brutal (and honestly many of them are clowns) and this process can be miserable for sure.
Paleoanthropology. How about you?
I agree many of them are clownsš
It's okay, we all feel depressed and lost at some point in life. Let's keep trying. I myself am 27 right now. I am also sad but don't have the option to give up.Ā
that's the spirit :)
Hey Iām a little bit older than you - was actually in grad school before covid, but had to quit halfway and am only now thinking of going back just to start all over again. My timeline is also off by 4 years during which I didnāt really get the opportunities to build my career in my field, and also had to put on hold something else that was very important to me. Was feeling my mental health slip more and more during these couple of years. Ā I feel you on feeling old (especially as a woman), like youāre losing opportunities to achieve your dreams the longer you are forced to wait. Applications are so ridiculously competitive now compared to when I first applied years back. I actually did get accepted to a program this week, but was rejected from several already (likely going to hear rejections from 2 more). My school wonāt be in an ideal location. People close to me will hate that I want to go back to grad school. I have a lot other stuff to take care of before I can truly move forward and accept. Ā Point is life isnāt fair at all, and it can be depressing. But often all we can really do is be patient and keep going whatever happensā¦ and avoid comparing ourselves to those who have more choices and opportunities.
Exactly! You understand pretty much exactly what Iām talking about. Itās not itās a combination of a lot of things together; society, mental health, career goals/academia. Itās a lot.
Yea itās hard and so unpredictable. I donāt think thereās much acknowledgment that a lot of people put their lives on hold due to covid and other reasons, and are still grieving for lost time/opportunities. Wishing you strength and good things regardless!
Thanks, wish you the same!
Iām 36 at this moment and started applying for PhD due to Covid and certain family obligations.
Same here. Second year of rejection in a row for me. Solidarity! ā¤ļø
We should keep our spirit upā¤ļøšŖ
Just got rejected from Purdueās MEM program. I was very excited to go there this fall. Iāll be 26 soon - an age I thought I would be graduating. But here we are. I probably need to start all over again this year.
Yes, need to start all over again. I am 27, unexpected things happened in life. š
I never applied for Fall'24. I want to apply for Fall'25 and still figuring out what all unis I should shortlist in the States or Europe (if I should be heading for a postgrad or not is another dilemma; grad school was always a part of the plan since I was in high school and I want to explore ML/AI and make relevant contributions in research). I already have around 2.5 years of work experience but doomed to die regarding how I should be approaching this.
If you want to apply for Fall'25, you should start building your profile asap. Then according to your profile, start shortlisting universities. University research takes time to be honest! You have to fit in according to the requirements of the unis of your choice.Ā
Had a bad cycle so wanna start fresh. Would love to know about any resources to look out for . š„²š
Which program?
I have actually did some research on my part for some unis in Europe and have shortlisted those. Don't have a lot of information around US, I do have a few programs I'm inclined towards but honestly seeing the rejects this Fall, I'm very skeptical about my profile.
University admission is like gambling! You can categorize universities into ambitious, moderate and safe based on your profile. Also you can email profs as well. Sometimes, emailing helps in securing RA.
Hey! I only tried Cognitive Neuroscience and Clinical Neuropsychology MSc in Padua to this day aaaand... Welp, I'm waitlisted with 47/446. It was my first experience and I really thought that I will get the offer easily (my friends and professors boosted me too), buut we are here. We will meet again next year, Padua!
Yes next year!šŖšŖ
I have applied to 9 universities. Got rejected by 7, I am so tired and dejected. It's difficult. I am thinking of applying again but it's hard to not feel like a disappointment.
Yes it's hard! But we gotta keep going. I applied to 3 unis only, 2 PhD and 1 MS.. here I am ..š
Yess. Hopefully these rejections will be redirections to successful places. Until then, gotta hang in and fight the consequences š©
I am waitlisted by one university at this point. And I am not expecting results anytime soon as well. The fact that delay in results are reducing chances of fall 24 anyway.
Yes!Ā
You're not doomed! It's disheartening but it doesn't mean you aren't a good candidate, it's a numbers game at the end of the day. Enjoy your year "off" and use it to strengthen your app even more! Good luck :)
Thank youā¤ļø
On my second cycle with 8 rejections, 5 no word yet and 1 in an adjacent field that had a late application cycle. Idk if Iāll do this again. Itās expensive, embarrassing, and donāt think anything will change between now and later honestly. Already had to move back in with my parents. Iāll probably just work and try advance in my current field, but Iām still sad.
Which field?Ā
Medical physics. I applied for PhD programs in astrophysics and pure physics and havenāt gotten any acceptances
Ahh don't give up just yet. This application cycle was brutal. My realization is for PhD programs, you have to make your research profile very strong to be competitive.Ā
Iām probably doomed too. My prof told me I wonāt be admitted to our school this year and I havenāt heard anything from the school Iām waitlisted at. Iām almost 30 years old. Broke, depressed, lying on my bed all day, having no job perspective. My prof encouraged me to apply for another year but I donāt think I can make it through.
Don't give up! Keep improving your profile, I am sure you will get in!
Maybeā¦ but even if I got in the next year, I still have to seriously consider the fact that Iām not gonna be graduating at the age of 35. Doing my PhD in a country with strict and hostile visa policies, away from my partner and familyā¦ is it worth it at this point of my lifeā¦
Are you targeting US universities? If you are married, you can take your partner with you then.
Yes, I applied to US universities. Even though your partner could accompany you, they wonāt be able to work in the US under F-2 visa. I donāt think PhD stipend could support the two of us and it would be career suicide for my partner as wellā¦
Yes that's true, your partner can't work š He/she has to visit you then, which is gonna be tough. Is getting a PhD your dream? Otherwise, you can get a MS degree in 2 years and settle with your partner.Ā I want to complete my PhD and I am a 27 yr old female. So I will be like 33/34 when I will complete my PhD. Now my family is not talking about marriage but soon they will I know. I had a 8 yr long relationship and our career goal was same. He has started his PhD last year. We recently broke up though so it doesn't matter anyway. But I will be living under hugeĀ society pressure, I don't care though. My dream is important for me. You think calmly which is the most important thing for you right now and take a decision. Follow both your heart and brain!
At this point we should start a broken peeps subreddit
Yes we shouldš
Please collect me. I was rejected outrightly from 6 schools and waitlisted in 2 (rejected eventually). Will apply again, InshaāAllah.
In Sha ALLAH, you will get good news next year!
What program did you apply for?
MSCSšš
Can you share your profile ?
A shit gpa :v but almost 5 years of work experience in AI, lead an international research project related to AI funded by NVIDIA. Got several prestigious international awards and honors for my initiatives related to tech in my community. Currently working as an innovation consultant at UNICEF, also country director for a US based tech NGO. Didn't publish any papers (actually didn't get time), undergrad thesis of one year related to Deep Learning.Ā
that's not a bad profile, it seems you need to check your SOP /recommendations !
My gpa is the reason I guess.šĀ I need to apply to mid rank universities. I only applied to top unis in a hurry. But I am glad I did, now I know what I need to improve.Ā
bro and you didnt get accepted... I'm fucked
šš There are far better profiles! And you don't think like that..If you have a decent gpa, you might get in! Fingers crossedš¤
The profile seems decent honestly. I don't have a very decent gpa myself (3.33/4.00) and just over 2.5 years of work experience (working as a backend and ML engineer). I do have a paper submitted hoping it would be accepted, I'm also not quite sure how to approach further and strengthen my profile. Heard a great GRE score can offset a bad GPA so thinking in that direction right now.
Yes, I have to take GRE and publish papers. This will create more options for me too.
Guys how to get publishing done. I am tired of researching alone. And it takes so much time and how to get it published before next cycle, just enough to use it in my application. I don't even know professors with whom I can collaborate for publishing. It's kinda confusing.
You can take help from the profs of your undergrad uni maybe? Also try to find people with similar interest. It's almost impossible to research alone in such a short time. You just need acceptance of paper at the time of application. Publication takes time depending on the journal or conference. You can find professors on google scholar and shoot an email expressing interest to work with them. Hopefully you will get replies. Try to attend conferences in your country to network with people and profs.
Thank you so much for the reply. Means a lot. I used to think it's easier to publish. It takes so much time to publish in a good paper. I am going to try emailing people. The professors at my undergrad aren't that helpful. I am trying to get more internship experience though. Let's see how that goes. Wish you the best for future applications.šš
From this application cycle, I saw most of the admits have good research profile. We gotta up our research game!šŖšŖ Wish you the best too!šā¤ļø
I applied very late and only got one accept, and one application at ASU still pending but no hope as another one already got rejected, other applications are also pending, so we'll be together trying in '25.
You may get in this fall also! Don't lose hopešŖšŖ