A huge congrats to all who were accepted at GSD!

I have a 5-year undergrad in Landscape, so I’m on the 1.5 yr GSD track. Definitely looks like they make 2 and 3 year decisions first.

Im in the 1.5 year track as well

anti-

hmmm...this could be bad news pending for me. i'm on the 1.5 but haven't heard a peed from GSD. they either a) are sending acceptances in waves, or b) sent all acceptances last week with rejections to come this week (?)

i'll continue to nervously/anxiously check my mail box each day after work.

Right there with ya, buddy. Nothing today, I think I freaked the mailman out real good as I opened the door as soon as I heard him coming up the steps. I'm out on the west coast. Figure it would have got here through the weekend if it existed.

I'm focusing on the fact that I have options and that this will only help clarify my decision.

Nice that they do the traditional mail thing..super beats an email. Although Cornell's phone call was very charming.

I wouldn't fret yet. I got it Sat. and Im on the East Coast. Good luck.

rejection letters are sent after all slots are spoken for. so they won't all show up for a while. Not getting an acceptance letter in the first wave doesn't mean you're out either, just that you weren't in the first pool sent out. Remember that admissions isn't a science or judgment on your abilities. it's an imprecise art, even a guess on what your potential to contribute to the learning environment will be.

Maybe your background is similar to another candidates - diversity is often sought after, so if somebody else graduated from XYZ school in your major with a similar GPA, you might not win the coin toss. Or maybe there are too many folks applying with # years professional experience in starchitecture offices - can't have too many sycophants in a class.

Also, just because you get into your first choice, there is no guarantee that will you get the most appropriate education for your aptitudes and interests. Most applicant's don't know enough of the profession to make a mature choice in programs.

treekiller - though i expressed enough of an idea of what my goals are in my essay for schools to accept me, i know for a fact that i don't know enough about the profession to make the best choice in grad programs. do you have any advice on how to educate myself? in say a week or so?

i've been looking up all the names (arch's and firms) that you drop in your comments and am going to buy some books and journals off of some suggested reading lists i've found, but are there one or two things you think i MUST do to make sure i choose the right program?

also, i'm trying to compile questions to ask at upcoming open houses if you have any suggestions.

everyone else - do you think we really have to wait until the 23rd for PENN? seems like acceptances have come out earlier than the stated deadlines for all the other schools. i'm still holding out hope that the finance email they sent out actually meant something. just seems cruel to say what it said to someone that was later going to get rejected.

tk-

as always, thanks for your thoughtful retoric. i have taken most of what you said into account, which makes the process a bit m ore frustrating, but easier to swallow in the end.

flueron-

totally agree w/you on the letter from Penn. seems like a lot of folks received the same letter, but i've been trying to dig some glimmer of hope from it. they did say that "acceptance" packages would be mailed out on the 23rd - not "decisions". Hmmm...

if everybody posting to this thread keeps it up, we'll be the 'landscape archinecteurs'.

Yeah, it's hard to know what you want to study before you start studying. Best way to choose a program is to visit a bunch of them during open house and then trust your gut as to where you'd find the most challenges and engagement to push towards your professional goals. Ask lots of question. there is the rhetorical question of do the students make the program or do the programs make the students. I tell my students to be pro-active, be provocative, and question everything.

When I was visiting programs, each school had a distinct flavor that made it easy to figure out where I fit in. I'm happy that Penn was my only choice, as I had gotten the impression that it had the most diverse range of students compared to the other top programs - and I certainly didn't quite feel like a yale or gsd kid by that point. ten years earlier when I first graduated from my bs arch, I desperately wanted to go to the gsapp - didn't enroll and I'm happier to have taken the long path to grad school.

(ps, I might be teaching at the U of MN next fall).

Fleuron- I can relate, I felt exactly like that a few months ago when I was writing my essays...crash course now! How do you express you want to do something really bad, and better than 150 other people, that you ultimately don't know much about?

Anyway, I found Theory in Landscape Architecture: A Reader by Simon Swaffield and like it a lot because it contains excerpts of several seminal writings and doesn't really steer you in one direction...like for instance, Waldheim's Landscape Urbanism reader. Which don't get me wrong, is great, but at the beginning it tends to read like 'the gospel' and is much better understood after reading the Swaffield book and now that I have a greater understanding of more current writings place in history. That's also the way I learn best.

I took every LA book out of the local library and I'm lucky cause there were some good ones - The Dan Kiley one, especially. While I haven't read them all they have been good to scan and see what I like and don't like.

Also the Penn Design, UW and Berkeley sites have reading lists that have been helpful, not only in figuring out what to check out at the library but in gauging the difference between programs and what they value :
http://www.design.upenn.edu/new/larp/recreading.htm
http://www.caup.washington.edu/larch/Programs/reading/reading.php
http://laep.ced.berkeley.edu/admissions/booklist


I'm new to this so I may be off the mark with some of these suggestions but that's my 2 cents, like I said I can relate. Although now that I know I'm going to be doing this for 3 years I think I'm going to spend the summer reading Jane Austin.

Ultimatley TK is right though...i think it will all work out and you should go where you feel comfortably challenged. My friend gave me some good advice that there will never be a perfect choice and that took some pressure off. Of course I'm still frantically trying to figure it out.

dontlookback-
Those readings are used many programs. Swaffeild is a good start along with Jim Corner's anthology on landscape theory. Also check out Spirn's language of landscape & Bargmann has a romantic appeal to many, along with Beardsley's dated Earthworks and Beyond...

Anti - I also was accepted into the GSD MLAII program. Are you going to the open house on April 3rd?

Regarding Penn acceptance, I'm still waiting to hear. Don't fret yet, Orbital. I have a friend that got into both the GSD and Penn programs and didn't hear from Penn until a week and a half later.

just got the call from penn! now i really have to make a decision...uva, penn, or gsd? and the elusive ccny.

seems like several people have discussed the merits of playing to weaknesses and balancing out their education in their decision. for example, i have an art & design background, so maybe i should go to a school that focuses more on the science / environmental side of things. or, should i play to my strengths and continue with a design heavy school? thoughts?

Fleuron - they called you? Congrats. And I would worry less about your so called strengths and weaknesses and just follow your interest. You don't need to be completely well rounded - its such wide ranging profession that you can find your own niche. Make sure its one you like...

paintr642- I am planning on attending the open house. Ill rock the architecture sucks tshirt.

Just got UPenn acceptance (yay free books) in the mail. No one called like some other applicants have reported. Much less money than GSD (plus an extra semester). Will probably still attend open house before deciding.

Anti - haha I don't have any cleverly worded shirts so I'll have to find you. I also applied to Penn and hopefully will hear good news from them next week. Although if I am accepted there I would still lean towards the GSD for the same reasons (great program, more aid, fewer semesters).

got the package from Penn today. much more $ from GSD than Penn for me as well. Penn is having a new york reception at the same time as GSD's. too bad i have to go my parent's anniversary party and will miss both of them.

fleuron, I can try to answer any Penn Qs you have and direct your GSD ones to knowledgeable folks if you send me an email since you can't make the open house. you should try to get to philly and boston just to visit the students.

(I've known Penn to match offers from the GSD if you really, really want to be in philly and if Jim really, really wants you to be part of the class).

It would be really funny if all archinecting 'scape students end up at the same school.

thanks treekiller. i am attending the open houses at the schools, just not the new york receptions at oma and field operations.

i have a few general questions for you that i'll post here in case they help out someone else on the forum.

how important would you say location of the school is for where you'll end up practicing? i'm not quite clear on how licensing works and start having serious commitment issues when i think that i won't be able to move about freely as a practicing landscape arch. how does that work for national and international projects?

as far as asking schools to match financial aid packages, how does one go about that without sounding like an ass? and who do i ask - the financial aid contact or go straight to jim?

i'm seriously considering a dual urban planning degree. do you think the additional job opportunities would be worth the extra cost?

by the way, when did you graduate? were you in class with my friend rosa m. by chance?

School location and practicing are not tied at all, unless you consider job availability/proximity. You can take your licensing exam in any state - Im registered in Delaware even though Ive never lived there. Once registered in any state, you can apply for reciprocity in whatever state you end up living/working in. Internationally, licensing has no impact (other than reputation, and even that is small). For national work, you will either partner with a local firm or get reciprocity to that state.

Penn is appealing for a dual degree MLA/MFA - but Im not sure if I want to spend 3+ years there.

fleuron,
your questions are terrific ones, and should be helpful to other applicants.
while treekiller has great advice, here's my perspective.

don't let licensing get in the way of thinking about your choices for graduate school. currently, you do take the laab (licensing exam) in one state, often where you are living. but it is very easy to then apply to clarb (http://www.clarb.org/) for reciprocity in another state. so when a firm gets a commission in another state whoever is stamping the drawings in the office (principals usually) will apply to clarb for reciprocity in another state. keep in mind that many people in an office will be licensed (also called registered). but, usually the principal stamps the construction drawings. international projects are different beasts. many firms have affiliations with firms in another country in order to get around licensing issues. that usually happens on a project by project basis.

bottom line--go to a school because of its curriculum and faculty. if you flourish there, you can get a job anywhere, with anyone (of course, i am assuming you are talking about a "top" program).

as for "financial aid." you have to stop thinking about grants and fellowships as need based. graduate school grants and fellowships are merit awards. they are about recruiting the top ranked candidates. they have to assume that all adults are needy. who can really afford the cost of graduate study? no one.

still, schools have different procedures for allocating their funds. in some grad schools, the entire process is managed by the professional staff (assoc deans of admissions and financial aid). in others, the dept chair controls the allocations. regardless of who holds the power, just be honest. if a school is your first choice, and you have a counter offer, be direct about what you would need to make it work for you. if a school really wants you, they will try to find the money. but it may not happen within a week or two. what usually happens is that grad schools offer more merit awards than they actually have. they assume they will "share" their top ranked applicants with several competitor schools; hence all the grant money will not be tied up, and there is some room for negotiations with lower ranked applicants later on when it is clear who is accepting which offers. it is never a bad idea to ask for more funding with the dept chairs, admissions committee chairs, or professional staff. all they can do is say no. and they might say yes.

a quick response about the planning degree. all the creative talent in the world cannot produce a built landscape if you do not realize that many factors impact what happens--from politics to policy. you can learn some of that by taking electives in planning. if you are a pragmatist, you will figure that out on your own over time. if not, a dual degree may be very valuable. i imagine the dual MLA and MUP degree will also open up some possibilities in govt agencies, city planning or parks depts, and non-profits. that versatility can't hurt in a slow economy.

good luck over the next month as contemplate your choices for next year.

getting a MLA/MUP will be worthwhile in the long term of your career. short term, there is the extra expense of another year, and then confusion in the job search process immediately after graduating.

If all you care about is initial licensure, then an Ivy education is a waste of time and money. get a degree from a cheap state school that teaches to the test and not one that pushes the boundaries of the profession. That said, being able to think can be a hindrence to passing the LARE, but not too much (re: my repeat of section C). You'll get all the critical technical information and the skills to learn what ever information that wasn't directly covered with a degree from UVA, Penn, GSD, et al.

I'll second Muck's approach to asking for a bigger package. don't play the system, just be honest about your interest in the program and the financial offer from elsewhere. THere are always ways to pay for that grad education, even if it's hocking your future with student loans.

thanks for your replies treekiller and muck-raker. very helpful.

i certainly care about much more than initial licensure, or i wouldn't even be considering the ivies. i also spent my undergrad at a state school that i didn't feel was challenging enough and i'm ready to get my butt kicked.

for the dual urban planning degree, i am considering it because i actually completed a year of nonprofit management and urban policy graduate classes and have been working in the urban agriculture / food policy / sustainable development field nationally and internationally for a few years, which is why i think i had success with my applications. i am pursuing landscape arch so i can pull my graphic design and fine arts background together with the work i've been doing in urban ag. i'm interested in non-traditional landscape arch, edible landscapes, vertical farms, urban food systems, environmental justice and food security within cities, etc. and also have been thinking about teaching as part of what i want to do eventually. i'm probably on the older end of the landscape grad spectrum, so i'm pretty clear at this point on what i'm good at, not good at, and interested in. i think that being older, i am also putting a little more weight into where i go to school, location wise. moves seem a bit more daunting and permanent to me than they probably do to someone in their early 20's. and i have a lot more furniture :)

for the finance piece, i'm very clear on the difference between merit awards and need based aid. all the schools gave me pretty equivalent need based aid, and i got merit awards from all as well. but harvard's merit award was much larger than penn's. penn's and uva's were equivalent amounts, but as a percentage of tuition, uva's was larger. i'll talk to the programs at the open houses i guess.

so, i'm going to go to the open houses with my giant list of questions and if all else fails, flip a coin. wait, i have three choices. guess i'll draw straws.

thanks for everyone's input.

F-
most grad schools have a few folks in their 30s and even into their 40s every year. there are even older folks back for a third/forth career who show up for MLA every now and then.

If I was going to go back for a 3rd masters or even heaven forbid a PhD, public policy is calling me. Don't worry about being surrounded by 20-somethings. they only comprised 50% of my class at penn.



I graduated in '05, I recall a Rosa in the class behind me...

Lots of great information here in this thread. Here's my status now that I've heard from all of my schools:
Accepted to UOregon and RISD
Wait-listed at Penn
Rejected from Berkeley and UWashington

Here are some of the things floating around in my head: UofO was my "safety school" so it should be obvious that RISD is my easy decision. What do I do about Penn? I'm going to the RISD open house April 2nd and to Penn's on the 6th. That's where I will ask questions. We sure do have a short time frame to figure all of this stuff out. How are other people dealing with making the decision?

falon - i'm totally freaking out about the decision, that's how i'm handling it.
making spreadsheets, pro/con lists, researching endlessly, etc.

i don't know what chances are with the wait lists if school intentionally over-accept, but seems to me like many people get into the same schools, so many people must have to turn down spots. i for one, have a one in three chance of turning down my penn spot...maybe for you.


tk - my professor that wrote one of my recommendations has an MLA from oregon and now works in food an agriculture policy. i worked with him at the UN commissions on sustainable development last spring and it was really interesting. my point is, maybe you can do some policy work without piling on more debt.... and, i'm not THAT old :)

Received a package from Penn today (accepted). I will be at the open house April 6th.

Right now I’m trying to make the tough choice between University of Washington and Penn for a first professional MLA. Any grads or prospective students have thoughts on either program or in the same boat as myself? I'd like to make sure I have a correct handle on the pros and cons of each program. I haven’t heard too much about UW’s MLA program on the forums, especially in comparison to Penn.

Background: I’ve lived in Brooklyn, NY and Portland, OR (currently) and love both; however, I’m pretty sure I would like to practice in Portland after grad school. I’ve worked as a print graphic designer since graduation (2004). I’d like to pursue an urban design/cultural placemaking specialization, supplementing this focus with classes from the planning department, a certificate in urban design and a possible dual degree in city planning. I have varied interests, ranging from redeveloping undervalued urban spaces such as brownfields and greyfields, to counteracting sprawl and socio-economic segregation through multi-modal landscapes that favor pedestrians, bicyclists and mass transit users over automobiles. I find I work best in supportive/cooperative environments and I want access to interested professors (not just TAs) who are good at connecting with students.

I haven’t visited either school, but I will be in the coming two weeks. I find it unfortunate that UW doesn’t have an open house for accepted students…

UW sounds like a better fit: however, I’ve been told the design aspect of the UW's program is a bit weak, especially in comparison to Penn. UW’s seems very interdisciplinary among the M.Arch, LA and MUP students—they talk/work together quite a bit. The department is also doing some interesting things in the Green Futures Lab and the department has quite a few female professors, which is interesting.

Penn is, of course, Penn. The design aspect of the program is incredible.

Pardon the novella post. Thanks for your insights and good luck with your own decisions.

Congrats Glasgow, I am in Portland as well. I Didn't get into UW but they do have that informational meeting on April 23rd. Probably would host you to a studio review and all you want if you're accepted, no need for an open house so to speak if you just want to visit.

Thanks, DLB. Good to know there's a fellow stumptown kid out there.

I saw that informational meeting notice. I hope to fit in a visit before April 10 (when decisions are due). It's a little nerve racking to have so little time to decide, but I'm definitely aware this is a good problem to have.

Where are you considering?

Well...new to the site, but I've read a majority of the posts thus far.

To include myself I'll say:

GSD: Waiting
U Oregon: Waiting
U Colorado-Denver: Waiting
U Virginia: NO (MLA II)
Berkeley: YES (Urban Design)
RISD: YES (MLA II)

But, it seems like most of the "yes" letters have gone out already, so I'll most likely be deciding between Berkeley and RISD, which in my book isn't a bad thing to have to do.

I know that GSD has sent out their packages for both MLA I and II, East and West Coast (along with self-published books from last years GSD students) to their prospective students...same with Penn. (James Corner even sent out personal books to their students.) So, i don't really have any expectations there since it's already been over a week since someone I know has received their "YES" package.

But, if anyone else here is going to Berkeley or RISD...maybe we'll make acquaintance at one the upcoming events.

Best of luck, and congratulations, to all of those who applied.

for MLA II
UWA: no
UVA: no
RISD: yes
PENN: yes
GSD: waiting

Like danielmiller said, I'm assuming it's a No from GSD as well. I'm going to both open houses for RISD and Penn, but I'm pretty set on Penn.
I would say to anyone on the fence about where to go-really go with your gut. It seems as if, with grad school, in this field, what you put in is what you're gonna get. Ultimately, you need to choose a school for its program and not price, location, etc.

my final(ish) list for MLA I

UVA: yes
GSD: yes
PENN: yes
Cornell: yes (declining offer)
CCNY: ?
SUNY ESF: ?

going to the UVA, GSD, and PENN open houses and hopefully my choice will reveal itself to me. see some of you there..

For MLA II:

GSD: yes
Penn: yes

Going to the GSD open house on April 3rd, not sure about my attendance at the Penn open house as I attended their orientation in the fall.

Hey. I am new to this forum, but i was reading everyone's comments. I am currently enrolled in the Undergraduate Professional Degree of LAndscape Architecture at Florida International University. I would like ot apply to another school to possibly continue my MLA II and/ or another field, such as MArch and MFA. I am finishing up my second to last year, and i am having a very hard time looking and deciding what to do with my future.

I have a reall good GPA >3.5 and great skills in design, and semi- good skills in computer rendering. I enjoy art and the concepts that are generated. I enjoy mostly working with FORM and process that goes into making form, while practicality tends to come last.

I am interested in UPENN, UOregon, RISD, CORNELL, UWashington, Maybe UC Berkley, UMASS, and maybe even Havard/ Columbia, really for any of their design programs.
I am turned off by the practical uses of Architecture, but love the framework, and structural forming and ideas that go into making such. I am contempt with Modern Landscape Architecture, but saddened by the fact it is so underestimated.

My question for all of the people here, who have been accepted, and seen what the school offers is:

Is it even remotely Possible for me to get into the Schools listed above, when i will hold a BLA, have a Decent Portfolio (with Studio Abroad Design), A Recommendation from a Professor I worked with for a semester whom graduated from Columbia, and then a Recommendation from my boss, in the Resident Assistant Office, ( as i am an RA).

I ask, for i am not sure if it is even smart to start graduate school immediately after Undergrad, or is the economy that bad, it would be smart to go straight into it. (finding job is difficult?)

Also one last thing, : my school is making a new 5 year MLA, and letting me have the option to stay here two more years, from now, to get that degree... should i stay, or get out there and try other schools.(Money is kind of an Issue) and try and become a professor with a degree from a bigger name school?

I am a florida Resident.

Hey. I am new to this forum, but i was reading everyone's comments. I am currently enrolled in the Undergraduate Professional Degree of LAndscape Architecture at Florida International University. I would like ot apply to another school to possibly continue my MLA II and/ or another field, such as MArch and MFA. I am finishing up my second to last year, and i am having a very hard time looking and deciding what to do with my future.

I have a reall good GPA >3.5 and great skills in design, and semi- good skills in computer rendering. I enjoy art and the concepts that are generated. I enjoy mostly working with FORM and process that goes into making form, while practicality tends to come last.

I am interested in UPENN, UOregon, RISD, CORNELL, UWashington, Maybe UC Berkley, UMASS, and maybe even Havard/ Columbia, really for any of their design programs.
I am turned off by the practical uses of Architecture, but love the framework, and structural forming and ideas that go into making such. I am contempt with Modern Landscape Architecture, but saddened by the fact it is so underestimated.

My question for all of the people here, who have been accepted, and seen what the school offers is:

Is it even remotely Possible for me to get into the Schools listed above, when i will hold a BLA, have a Decent Portfolio (with Studio Abroad Design), A Recommendation from a Professor I worked with for a semester whom graduated from Columbia, and then a Recommendation from my boss, in the Resident Assistant Office, ( as i am an RA).

I ask, for i am not sure if it is even smart to start graduate school immediately after Undergrad, or is the economy that bad, it would be smart to go straight into it. (finding job is difficu

Would anyone(everyone) on here who was accepted to GSD mind posting the date you received your acceptance packet. I know they went out as early as Friday the 13th, but I just wanted to know if anyone else had received any letters from there recently?

RISD, Berkeley and GSD are my 1a, 1b, and 1c...in no particular order, and since I've been accepted to the other 2, I would like to possibly be able to make a decision. I guess if anyone has received a "YES" package from GSD in the past few days or so, there would still be a glimmer of hope that mine may still come. But, until I hear from them I'm stuck in neutral.

We basically all have about 22 days to decide our futures...and everyday that mailman fails to bring a package/letter from GSD I get a little more uneasy.

Thanks...

hi danielmiller19 -
MLA I - GSD acceptance march 14. and i'm in brooklyn. why don't you call them, i would if i were you?

heard from UOregon (accepted) a few days ago via email and then a letter—nice to finally get some award money.

still haven't heard from the GSD. i'm guessing if i haven't heard at this point it's a big NO. not too worried though.

still trying to puzzle out UW vs Penn. i've had trouble getting a hold of anyone at UW—is it spring break perhaps? i'm hopeful a visit to all these schools will reveal a final choice.

looks like harvard is sending out waitlist letters now. im on the west coast and received mine today.

glasgow - thanks for that. i guess now i can complete the cycle of anxious, acceptingly disappointed, now to anxious again...then back to fully disappointed.

I stopped by Harvard back in November and met with someone there to discuss GSD and surprisingly she said that "almost everyone we accept comes." So really, being wait-listed is just another way to give us all ulcers before ultimately being let down again.

Daniel - no worries. You still got accepted to 2 exceptional schools! Deciding between RISD and Berkeley is not a bad position to be in...they both have stellar programs for their own reasons.

paintr- I know...and thanks for the extra reassurance. I'm really excited about the possibilities of either one.

At this point, I just really want to get a definite YES/NO from everyone I applied to. Closure I guess...

BTW paintr - congratulations on the GSD II acceptance. My girlfriend got in as well. GSD and Penn actually. Are you planning on attending the big meet-n-greets in NY next month?

Thank you. I don't think I can make it to the NY event but I'll be at the Open House event at the GSD on April 3rd. Will she be there as well?

glasgow-

Got into UBC & Cornell for MLA I. Cornell is where I'm headed for sure, based on the fact that I can co-opt the preservation program as a concentration which is really where I (for now) see myself headed - Landscape-wise (I'm a library science/archivist at heart). I've been in contact with professors there and think it would be a good match, everyone's been really receptive and I'm pretty excited about it. As well I thrive in a 'rural' environment having lived in Vermont for awhile and can't wait to get back. Now that you mention the GSD waitlist though...Right there with you, DM - I'm a little nervous about the mail again. Glasgow, thanks for the update. I was extremely impressed with what I saw when i visited in September.

UO sent my portfolio back in my SASE last week. no letter...kinda leaves me feeling sour. Especially cause I spent a lot of time there hanging out with profs and attending studio reviews. I understand they're busy but you think they'd wait til they sent out rejections first. De-icing the cake. Not sure it was the place for me. If I had nickel for everyone in Portland I've met who moved out here thinking they'd get into the program at UO...

Anyway, congrats to everyone. I feel so lucky and inspired to be entering the field among such an awesome community.
We all got it made.
DLB

Sounds like the wait is almost over for most people now, you all can ween off your xanex.

I'm an MLA II at the GSD, if anyone has specific questions about the program, feel free to ask. You will be receiving a list of e-mails soon with additional contact persons, after, I believe next years class is decided.

With your acceptance you should have also received an invitation to join the Ecological Urbanism conference starting Friday night after the open house. I'd really encourage all of you to go if you can. It will be an wonderful chance to meet visiting lecturers and professors.

Happy to meet any of you at the open house.

a

atenbrin - Thanks for the helpful advice! I look forward to meeting you at the open house. How will we know who you are?

let me page through my calender to see what my wardrobe choice is for that day... ... ... okay, looks like jeans and an mward shirt, grey. i'll keep an eye out for the mlaII name tags.

andrew

I'll be wearing a leaf costume. See you then!

Congrats to everyone. Sorry to be the harbinger of disappointing news regarding Harvard and wait list letters, but I thought you'd all be interested. i wasn't too concerned about Harvard from the beginning as I didn't think the program was a great fit in terms of academic culture, but I understand the anxiety of simply not knowing. And hell, you sort of have to apply to that program right?

DBL, stoked to hear you've made a decision on Cornell. Sounds like an excellent fit for your interests and goals. Sorry UOregon gave you the cold shoulder. They honestly might not have their sh*t together. You think you'll stay East Coast after school or come back to Portland?

I'm still leaning towards UW (instead of Penn). Might think I'm crazy, but I was able to get a hold of Assoc. Prof Jeff Hou at UW, who actually attended Penn for his grad studies. Good talk.

Anyone else considering/accepting UW's offer?

Good luck on your decisions everyone and I'll see some of you at the Penn open house.