<p>My goodness! I feel like the ultimate neophyte compared to many on this board!</p>
<p>All the questions, all the intracacies, all the differing views on what works, what doesn't, etc.</p>
<p>And to see how many folks with great credentials still get rejected!</p>
<p>This feels like a game that has rules, but the foundation for these rules is unadulterated jello!</p>
<p>Maybe we should have our heads examined! At this point, I'm starting to feel like a major reason to get into a PhD program is to ultimately get a professorship at a top 20 school so maybe I can sit on a committee and ask, "what in the hell are we doing?"</p>
<p>I just saw a friends acceptance letter to a top 5 poly sci jprogram and he had a 630V, 680q! what the hell?</p>
<p>He can't even tell me what was special about his app and doubts he could replicate the feat!</p>
<p>Well, unfortunately (or fortunately?) I know absolutely nobody who is applying to the same types of programs that I am... :( I know these people exist, just not at my university and not within my groups of friends.</p>
<p>I just wish I had somebody to whom I could complain and they respond with "I KNOW! Gah" and we would add nothing to the process but it would be a momentary relief of all the anguish and stress that comes with waiting.</p>
<p>Yes, my head is spinning. This isn't what stress was designed to help with. I wish that apcoms could give you comments as they review your applications--I applied to MIT, but don't expect to be admitted or asked for an interview (GPA too low, GREs not low enough...it screams slacker). I wish they would I would at least get an email along the lines of:</p>
<p>From the Desk of the Admissions Committee:</p>
<p>Dear Idiot,</p>
<p>You suck.</p>
<p>Regards,
MIT</p>
<p>but that's probably just wishful thinking. At least it would collapse the infuriating waveform of indeterminacy into an austere "NO WAY" so I could quit worrying.</p>
<p>Know that grad school admissions is worse than undergrad when it comes to making decisions because it's all much more subjective. At this point, you probably wished that you were a HS senior all over again trying to apply HYPS instead of being a college senior (or adult) applying to top PhD programs that don't have clear guidelines of what it takes to get in.</p>
<p>Know that you've done what you thought you could. If you need more reassurance, ask your LOR writers to smack you.</p>