Highly competitive school....waiting to hear.....nervous

Graduate School
1

Hello all!

I need some advice.

I applied to a PhD program in December 2019. The school is highly competitive and difficult to get accepted into. However, I feel like my application was incredibly strong for the following reasons:

  1. My research proposal was well thought out, novel, and in great need.
  2. Leading from 1, I have secured to collaborators who wish to assists/be part of the work pending I get accepted. They aren’t providing financial assistance but are providing other important collaborative efforts.
  3. I applied to several external grants/funding opportunities, as well as identified several other fundings and grants that would benefit our work.
  4. The professor and I have been emailing, phone calls, texting, and meeting at conferences and at events to discuss the work and collaborator. Both the professor and I get along and have the same vision and idea for the project.

However, I am still worried. Due to the highly competitive nature of the program, it’s impossible to tell. I’ve also texted him recently to check-in and he was friendly but essentially told me that they are still looking into decisions and the applicant pool is extremely competitive this year especially.

I feel like my resume and experience is strong. I have internships, a great undergraduate with research experience, and a foreign masters that is entirely research-based from an excellent university and under a great supervisor.

Essentially, I’m wondering if I should be concerned/am worrying too much? I don’t have much insight into the application process or selection process but I honestly don’t know what else I could have done to improve or strengthen my application.

Insights would be completely welcome!

2

“they are still looking into decisions and the applicant pool is extremely competitive this year”

All you can do is wait it out.

Do you have any other potential offers? If so, what have their responses been so far?

3

Essentially, you - and every other student waiting for an application decision- are anxious. There is no quantifying it, except that it is ‘too much’ when it starts paralyzing you or taking over your life. Put it aside. Distract yourself. Fretting won’t change anything: you’ll either get an offer, or you won’t. There is no way to read these tea leaves.

Good luck.

4

The application is in. There is nothing you can do at this point.

Put it aside until you hear and go do something fun.

5

you can go onto Grad Cafe forum to see how your preferred school conducts interviews. Interview (group) weekend? Each professor calls applicants to interview 1 by 1?

For example, my D is a 4th year PhD student at a highly competitive program and their dept has an interview weekend (this week). So, all invites are out. If not invited to interview, admission chances go to near zero (as they make offers only to those who are invited to interview weekend).

But every Uni and every Dept run things their own way.