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Didn't get in anywhere :( What now?

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:02 pm
by carokann
Hi everyone,

I didn't get into any of my schools I applied to, not even my safeties. I am feeling discouraged; maybe math is not for me after all. What should I do now? Should I go into industry?

Re: Didn't get in anywhere :( What now?

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:49 pm
by lebesgueboy98
You should PLEASE apply again next cycle, don't feel discouraged. This year was brutal.

Re: Didn't get in anywhere :( What now?

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:16 pm
by 5IsTheLargestInteger
This was a strange cycle due to COVID. Applying next year has a high chance of working out better for you. Talk to your letter writers and ask if they can pinpoint weaknesses in your application that you can improve by next cycle. If you still wish to apply next cycle, the time off is a good time to get savings before grad school and get some research done.

I was personally in a similar situation last year. I ended up doing a few months of research with one of my recommenders, posted a super short paper on the arxiv, and took a temporary job as a SWE. This cycle I got four acceptances (despite the increased chaos) and also have a modest financial cushion should I need it as a grad student.

Re: Didn't get in anywhere :( What now?

Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:04 am
by pkzrd
carokann wrote:
Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:02 pm
Hi everyone,

I didn't get into any of my schools I applied to, not even my safeties. I am feeling discouraged; maybe math is not for me after all. What should I do now? Should I go into industry?
Don't be discouraged. Try again next year.

I know someone in my school (top private) who applied to 10 schools and didn't get into any of them (his safeties were Florida State, Washington State and Iowa State). Luck play some part too because every committee member have different criteria and that alone can make or break, especially for someone on the waitlist.

Re: Didn't get in anywhere :( What now?

Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:04 pm
by bmuent1
I don't have any advice on this, but I know of a lot of people who had similar experiences but had a lot of success when they re-applied a year later! Keep your head up, treat yourself to some ice cream or something, and just keep looking forward. This year was brutal, but everything will work out in the end.

Re: Didn't get in anywhere :( What now?

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 2:35 am
by saucy_marmalade
I also am likely not going to be excepted anywhere, so I hope I can be of some console as I am in the same situation. First, it's understandable to feel discouraged in this situation; however, remember that no one can measure your worth as a mathematician (or as a person). I wholeheartedly believe that being rejected from anywhere does not mean you have no future as a mathematician. Of course, not everyone can make a career as a mathematician, but one can not accurately say who can and cannot, and the fact that you made it this far is nothing to shake one's head at. If getting a Ph.D. in mathematics is truly your dream, then just trying perseveringly is cool in my books, and I think it worthwhile.

That said, after having seen my trajectory of future rejections, I naturally began to consider my other options. Through this exploration, I realized that grad school might not actually be what I want to do; this is fine. There is nothing wrong with going into industry or another field. If you have gone through this process and are still unwavering, then it's a decent chance that you do really want to go to grad school, and you should keep trying.

If you do choose to reply again next year, there are many resources for ways to improve your application. I know a few people who've had much more luck their second year applying. Although I am not in any position to be giving advice on this, I think it would be a good idea to talk to you letter recommenders about your application's potential strengths and weaknesses. For example, I know from getting feedback on the NSF-GRFP that the reviewers penalized me for my lack of tutoring/mentoring experience. Another example, a friend of mine had a weakness in course experience in the field he was applying to and took some classes over the next year and had much better results the second attempt.

To summarize my long a** post, if it's what you want to do, try again. Perseverance is its own strength! :wink:

Re: Didn't get in anywhere :( What now?

Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:07 am
by Weil98
Is it a good idea to reapply to the coming spring semester? Or wait till the next fall?
They say It's always better to apply to Fall semesters, but why is that?

Re: Didn't get in anywhere :( What now?

Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2021 1:50 pm
by TheBlackMathGuy
Weil98 wrote:
Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:07 am
Is it a good idea to reapply to the coming spring semester? Or wait till the next fall?
They say It's always better to apply to Fall semesters, but why is that?
Because most schools only admit for Fall semester

Re: Didn't get in anywhere :( What now?

Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 1:51 am
by rondondon
5IsTheLargestInteger wrote:
Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:16 pm
This was a strange cycle due to COVID. Applying next year has a high chance of working out better for you. Talk to your letter writers and ask if they can pinpoint weaknesses in your application that you can improve by next cycle. If you still wish to apply next cycle, the time off is a good time to get savings before grad school and get some research done.

I was personally in a similar situation last year. I ended up doing a few months of research with one of my recommenders, posted a super short paper on the arxiv, and took a temporary job as a SWE. This cycle I got four acceptances (despite the increased chaos) and also have a modest financial cushion should I need it as a grad student.
This is exactly what I am going to do: get some money, discuss the weak points of my application with some professors I know, raise GPA in this last semester, finish and publish some research. I am already accepted into one of my safety schools, but I intend to reapply the next cycle anyway (the department is totally cool with this as there is more funding than PhD students).