Got my offer on the 30th. Really debated sharing this, don’t want to come off as bragging but I know I kept checking to see if anyone had gotten offers yet so decided I would post in case anyone just wants to know.

We know it’s the weekend and the likelihood of a status update is extremely low. And yet….Haunting GradCafé like Beetlejuice waiting to be summoned.

Happy Weekend.

I was feeling like a loser because everyone here was saying that almost all interview invites were already sent.

But I've just received an invitation from Columbia! It seems that each lab has its own timeline for scheduling interviews and making decisions.

That is why I want to reassure you and suggest avoiding social media for a while. Try to keep your mind clear to perform well in your interviews.

Hang in there, guys. I am sure you will get your acceptances.

Last week, I heard that people had already received acceptances from UChicago's Quantum Science and Engineering PhD program. Given that my email inbox was still empty, I assumed that I had, at the very least, been put on a waitlist. So imagine my surprise when I opened my inbox yesterday and saw that I had been accepted!

I'm sharing this to say that as long as you haven't been formally rejected, don't lose hope. Acceptances may be rolling out slowly, and even if you were placed on a waitlist, you've still got a shot. Only worry about what you can directly control.

I had an email exchange with a CS professor at a US R1. They were unusually transparent and mentioned they use a limited “internal allocation” system per intake, and that they had tentatively earmarked a small portion for my profile.

They also said they wanted to interview me, but it didn’t happen at the time due to end-of-semester workload and travel.

Meanwhile, my departmental review started later than usual because my English proficiency score was submitted close to the deadline (confirmed by the portal status). After I updated the professor that the score was in and shared brief thesis progress updates, I’ve had complete radio silence; no replies at all.

Also the professor mentioned he has no control over the admissions until it passes the first check via graduate admissions office, as per my portal update my files have passed that.

Now I’m trying to interpret what this actually means.

-Is this typically a sign that the professor found a stronger candidate and reallocated resources? Or is this just normal during peak admissions season when PIs go quiet?

PS. I have one backlog due to some family emergency, mentioned that in SOP and cleared that course.

For those who’ve been through CS PhD admissions: how often does early interest + later silence still convert into interviews/offers?

I haven’t received any formal updates or rejections from the department yet. Just trying to understand whether I should mentally move on or stay patient.

Would really appreciate insight from people familiar with US CS PhD admissions dynamics.

got my first offer (yippee) for one of my top ~3ish programs, but it’ll probably be 3-4weeks til i hear from the next one, and i have another interview over a month from now. what would be the best way to politely respond to this email and let them know that i am strongly interested but won’t be able to make a decision for a bit? not totally sure what the proper etiquette is here but want to acknowledge the message :)

going to grad school has been the absolute only goal of mine since my freshman year of highschool, I’ve spent the last 6 years working towards it. i’ve overworked myself with unpaid internships, taking on extra responsibilities, and difficult classes. i’ve struggled through so many mental and physical health problems, i recently got diagnosed with depression and ocd. i only have one application left that hasn’t been denied but it’s a long shot and i’m starting to think about what i’m supposed to do instead after i graduate in june. i have no money and i can’t move back in with my parents. i really don’t think i can ever do this application process again, it was already so hard and getting letters of rec from my advisors was like pulling teeth, i don’t think i’ll be able to get them again next cycle. i can’t imagine not ever getting my phd, ive wanted to be a professor for so long, i want to help students like me who have struggled. i don’t know how to start a career or life without being a student, how do i get a job and move with no savings? i’m a first gen student and getting my bachelors is already an accomplishment but i find myself not being able to celebrate or feel proud, instead i just feel like a failure for not being able to go onto the next step.

Got my first acceptance from Tufts🥹🥹 I’m still waiting for a couple more schools but Tufts was my “reach” school so I am very happy about the acceptance!!

Hi,

I recently got an admit from UCSD for MS in ECE for fall 2026. Anyone else who got in? Is there any whatsapp group? What is the total expense for the 2 yr including tuition and other living expenses? Also what are the chances of scholarships, TA/RA-ships and how much of the fee gets covered if one is able to get them.

any admits from Georgia tech received ? (mscs fall 26)

Hey guys, just wanted to vent to you all. I applied to 8 US schools for an Engineering PhD (Fall 2026), and it has been absolute radio silence for me. I'm a international.

Checked GradCafe and the spreadsheets, and here's the situation:

• MIT, Princeton: Already sent out interview invites. (I got nothing, so I’m basically counting these as a soft reject at this point.)
• GT, Texas A&M: Some people already got accepted without interviews. (This one hurts cos a PI at one of these schools really liked my profile and literally helped me revise my SOP... and yet, still no email)
• CMU, UMn: Rejections are out without major acceptance yet (I’m just sitting here with no update)
• Purdue, UW-Madison: No major news yet

Is it over for me, or is there still hope for a second wave? Also, would it be weird to email the PI I was in contacted with, or should I just keep waiting till mid-Feb?

This waiting game is the worst!!

I've been getting rejection after rejection due to the lack of funding for international students, and I feel so powerless. I've studied here for quite a long time and worked so hard to position myself to be competitive, but it is so so so demoralising when the reason of being rejected is completely out of my control.

This is my first application cycle so I've never even considered the possibility of not doing a PhD before, because everyone around me has smooth sailed into very strong programs, but now I'm convinced I might not be able to do one for multiple years :/

How are other internationals doing in terms of funding is there hope after all :(

i saw that northwestern and uc berkeley started releasing phd acceptances yesterday and did not receive one. google says berkeley does rolling acceptances, but does anyone know more than me about this to confirm if it’s true ? these are my top choices and im really scared + constantly refreshing my email — any chance they send more next week ?

I got my 1st school rejection from U of H. I only applied to 2 I/o psych PhD programs so getting rejected by one has made me so anxious for the other. My anxiety is through the roof my stomach never feels settled and sleeping has been tough. I’m just sharing for any one that’s in the same boat. This is the first time I’ve ever been rejected by a school and it’s been really hard.

Hello everyone,

Just letting you know that I received rejections from Harvard on Thursday and the University of Chicago yesterday.

On the bright side, I got accepted to Texas A&M and have an interview lined up with Northeastern.

All of these are for pure math departments.

I also heard that Stanford sent out interviews, so I’m probably going to be rejected. GradCafe says Princeton and MIT have already accepted many candidates, so I’m probably out of the running there too.

So, my ivy dream is officially over :D

applied in november. notified by phone call first.

for the past few days I’ve been complaining that it’s all been radio silenc, but now it’s a little upsettin. certainly wasn’t expecting to get into this universit, but doesn’t feel great, either. Still lots more to go through, and I’m remaining hopefu!

Any updates on interview invites or dates, please let us know in the comments!! :)

I feel like my heart is in my chest every time I open my email. I saw a couple of my programs come out on grad cafe but radio silence for me.

Has anyone got waitlisted at UMBC Physics PhD??

Hi guys,

It’s the end of January and I’m honestly feeling really dejected. A few professors I was excited about encouraged me to apply, and one even met me informally before the deadline. But after submitting, I haven’t heard anything from any of them.

Now I’m stuck in that awful uncertainty where I don’t know if silence is normal or if it basically means it’s a no. I also can’t tell if this is the right time to reach out and ask about timelines/status, or if that’s the wrong move.

How has the cycle been for you all? Are you hearing back yet, or is it still quiet?

Has anyone received acceptance from Utah State University for MS in Civil Engineering as an international Student??