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There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when — after all the blood, sweat and tears you put into your application — you click on your decision letter only to read, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Put simply, it’s pretty awful.

Scenario 1: You Loved Your Dream School, But You’d Be Interested in Going Somewhere Else

Most schools have a second application deadline in January or February, and some programs even accept applicants on a rolling basis well into late spring. So, if you really want to start school in the fall, there’s still time to get back into research mode and find a few more programs that are a good fit.

Scenario 2: You Really Don’t Want to Go Anywhere But Your Dream School

Scenario 3: You Got Put on the Waitlist

With each passing year, marketers must come up with new ways to engage their customer base.

Immersive Experiences

Zombie Apocalypse: Experience a Zombie Apocalypse in Manila thanks to Outbreak Missions. In the live action survival experience, victims are challenged to problem-solve and find a cure for the outbreak.

The Rain Room: In 2013, visitors to the Museum of Modern Art in New York could control the rain in this special exhibit. Falling raindrops would pause within immediate distance of the human body.

Oculus Rift: A virtual reality gaming headset allows players to watch and play as if they're inside the game screen. The product is due for release in 2014.

Nike's "The Art of Science of Feeling": In New York City, this exhibit used sensory technology to simulate barefoot running on various surfaces. This was to promote the Nike Free Hyperfeel shoe.

Do You Speak Visual

Taco Bell and frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles, have been sending disappearing, 10-second coupons and new product teasers to consumers using Snapchat.

Sony's "Pin it To Give It" initiative donated a dollar to charity every time a Pinterest user re-pinned from the board. Donations went to the Michael Phelps Foundation.

Tinder, the most popular visual-only dating app, paired with the USA Network to offer sneak previews of the show "Suits" when users liked a photo of a "Suits" cast member on the dating app.

Proudly Imperfect

Culinary Misfits: Some European businesses are promoting imperfect produce as a way to avoid food waste. Culinary Misfits is a small catering company in Berlin that uses only "ugly" vegetables. In Germany, the Rewe Group launched a private-label line of "nonconformist" produce, and another retailer, Edeka, has tested selling ugly produce at a discount, branded as "nobody is perfect."

Ugly Selfies: Ugly Selfies have become a counter to the glamorous self-portraits that proliferate on social media, including #badhairmondays and #nomakeup moments.

The End of Anonymity

The creation of Mondelēz, a "smart shelf" that analyzes shoppers in the vicinity. Mondelēz collects data to determine which demographics veer toward which products and whether brands are placed well.

Facial recognition technology: NEC IT solutions developed a facial recognition system called NeoFace, and the company is selling it to retailers to help salespeople recognize VIP customers.

Countersurveillance fashion and accessories are on the rise for those who don’t want their data collected. OFF Pocket, designed by technologist Adam Harvey, blocks GPS, Wi-Fi or cellular signals from reaching mobile phones.

Raging Against the Machine

In Amsterdam, Kit-Kat launched Wi-Fi-free zones for people to "have a break."

As a Valentine’s Day promotion, Spanish telecom operator Movistar created an "I Off You" app that lets people give significant others the ability to disconnect their phones.

Remixing Tradition

Pope Francis, widely seen as more progressive than his predecessors for shaking up Catholic traditions, is also the first pope with a Twitter account.

In an effort to accommodate those who are unable to attend funerals, more of them are being live-streamed.

The World Muslimah Pageant serves as a showcase for Muslim women and helps to infuse Islam into the more popularized Western beauty pageant.

Traditional holidays such as Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) are being embraced in countries outside of its origin, such as the United States, which has created dolls for the celebration.

Mobile As Gateway To Opportunity

iCow, a mobile application that helps cattle farmers in Kenya optimize milk production and provides tips to keep the animals healthy. The app also keeps track of milk production, breeding and gestation.

MAMA (Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action) aims to cut mortality rates for expecting mothers in Bangladesh, India and South Africa by sending personalized text messages that detail each stage of pregnancy.

Telepathic Technology

In 2012, artist Yahu Duenyas designed an interactive exhibition in a Brooklyn warehouse that enabled visitors to levitate using their brainpower. Participants were strapped into a harness and had EGG sensors on their foreheads.

In order to raise awareness about driving safety, JWT Australia designed a car that uses neurotechnology to make it "go" when drivers are paying attention and "slow" when they're not.

The power of brain science could help assist armies during a war; U.S. and Japanese armies are looking to develop helmets that could read brain waves and allow soldiers to transmit code words to each other with their minds.

Mindful Living

Google holds a bimonthly series of silent “mindful lunches.”

Marketers are providing a counter to FOMO, the fear of missing out — which drives consumers to multitask and feel stressed about their choices — by highlighting JOMO, the joy of missing out.

A few companies are tapping into this disruptive technology to create apps that help facilitate a state of mindfulness. Headspace's meditation app provides daily meditation sessions, and random "mindfulness buzzers" that prompt users to "check in" with themselves.

The Age of Impatience

Thanks to Netflix releasing full television series all at once, consumers can now binge-view their favorite TV shows and learn the fate of characters within hours, rather than weeks or months.

Users can get what they want when they want it with eBay, Google, Amazon and grocery services, including Walmart To Go offering same-day delivery in certain markets.

Most of us have worked with great colleagues, bosses and employees over the years who we’d be happy to recommend on LinkedIn (or anywhere, really) in a heartbeat if asked.

1. Start With a Knockout Line

"It’s rare that you come across standout talent like Mike.”

"Few people have the opportunity to report to a manager who is also a coach and mentor— but I did when I worked for Susan.”

"‘Ridiculously efficient’ is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about Tim.”

2. Describe Your Relationship

"I had the pleasure of working with Jim for two years at the Smith Company, collaborating on several project teams.”

"I hired Carrie as a freelance designer in 2011 after seeing her online portfolio, and she’s completed six flawless projects for me since then.”

"Mark expertly filled the role of social media coordinator for my company’s marketing team for just over a year.”

3. Share a Standout Trait

"I was particularly impressed by Kelly’s ability to handle even the toughest clients — and effortlessly. That skill often takes years to develop among customer service professionals, but it seemed to come perfectly naturally to her.”

"I was always in awe of Fred’s ability to command a room and get people on board with ideas — even people who were initially on completely different pages.”

"Matt’s ability to juggle multiple projects was unlike any I’ve seen before and made a dramatic difference in the productivity level of our team.”

4. Add a Touch of Personality

"Oh, and she made sure our Monday morning staff meetings were never without bagels and coffee. Talk about motivating a team!”

"And we still miss her on the office softball league!”

"No matter how tense a meeting, Annie made sure everyone left with a smile.”

5. End With Your Solid Recommendation

"Allison would be an asset to any team.”

"As a team member or a leader, Steve earns my highest recommendation.”

"Any employee would be lucky to have Michelle as a manager.”

Try It

[Descriptive phrase] is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about [name]. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing [name] for [length of time], during which [description of your working relationship]. Above all, I was impressed with [name]’s ability to [description of what makes person really stand out]. And, of course, his/her [personality trait]. [Name] would be a true asset for any positions requiring [1-2 skills needed for position] and comes with my heartfelt recommendation.

Product Name: Cubebot Puzzle
Image: Flickr, Sebastian Sälzle

The Internet gives us the ability to experience things in real time, so it's no surprise that live blogging has become increasingly popular. Users log onto Tumblr in the middle of big events, fingers ready to type out instant reactions in text posts, sharing their thoughts with the rest of the world.

1. Indicate the event you're participating in or watching.

2. Tag your live blog correctly.

3. Use reaction GIFs for full effect.

4. Be detailed but genuine.

5. Don't spam your followers' dashboards.

6. Check out other live blogs, too.

7. Know when and where it's OK to live blog.

It was crowded on the sidewalks in Hong Kong. Early morning commuters, shoulders tightly pressed against the strangers walking next to them, moved in a sluggish blob through each crowded intersection.

Personalization algorithms are often helpful, but not without fail — buy a gift for a friend on Amazon and suddenly you feel like a stranger in your own account.

Google Doodles have often catered to the mathematically and scientifically savvy, but now there's one for word nerds.
Friday's doodle salutes the 100th anniversary of the crossword puzzle, an anniversary that will occur on Saturday. The first such puzzle appeared in the New York World on that date in 1913.

The doodle is an interactive puzzle; you can click on it to start filling in the clues.
For veteran puzzlers, the version on Google's homepage isn't too hard — perhaps on par with a Tuesday puzzle in the New York Times. The Times' crossword puzzles get harder throughout the week.
Of course, the puzzle includes a clue for Google fans, too: "Google's realm, with 'the'" (70-Down, three letters). After you solve the puzzle, you can share it on Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus.

All of the Northern Hemisphere on Saturday will experience the darkest day of the year. Specifically, at 12:11 p.m. ET, we will witness the winter solstice. In the U.S., we'll have just nine hours, 32 minutes of daylight. For many this time of year, that means leaving home and returning from work in darkness.
For those who are not fans of winter, take heart. From here on out, the days will get lighter and lighter. For winter lovers, there's good news also: The coldest temperatures are still to come.

Here are a few facts you may have not have known about the winter solstice.

1. It happens at a specific time

The winter solstice isn't the full day of Dec. 21, but rather occurs at a specific time. At that point, the sun is shining farthest to the south, directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. There's no duration to the event, per se. Paul Stokles, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration refers to the winter solstice as a "single event."
Of course, the sun isn't actually moving, the Earth is. At 12:11 p.m. ET, the North Pole is tipped about 23 degrees away from the sun. When summer rolls around, the South Pole is tipped 23 degrees away from the sun. During the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the Earth is not tilted in either direction.

2. It happens at a different time each year

The winter solstice doesn't always occur on Dec. 21. Sometimes it comes on Dec. 22, which will happen again in 2015. The hour of day also fluctuates. Last year, the solstice came at 11:12 a.m. ET. Next year, it occurs at 11:03 p.m.

3. The meteorological winter began three weeks ago

If it feels like winter has already begun, you are correct. Meteorologists consider Dec. 1 the start of the meteorological winter and March 1 the start of the meteorological spring. That's because December, January and February are the three coldest months of the year. By the time the Spring Equinox rolls around on March 20, 2014, average temperatures in most areas will have already started rising. The winter solstice isn't the coldest day of the year, either — that comes later.

4. Last year at this time, some people thought the world was ending

Remember how the Mayan calendar supposedly said the world would end on Dec. 21, 2012? That was based on a reading of the end date of the Mayans' 5,126-year-long Mesoamerica Long Count Calendar, which corresponded to certain astronomical events, including the winter solstice.

5. There's no biblical justification for celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25

Though we picture the Three Wise Men visiting the baby Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem in the dead of winter, that's just a popular interpretation. There's nothing in the Bible that states what time of year that event occurred. Instead, some believe the Christian church chose the date to offset Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti celebrations that revolved around the winter solstice.
The ancient name for Christmas, Yule, may also have been derived from jól, the Scandinavian winter solstice festival that pre-dated Christmas. Christmas has also been celebrated in the past on March 28 and May 20, among other dates.

6. In some regions, the winter solstice is a short day, indeed

Nine and a half hours may seem like a short period of daylight, but consider the winter solstice in Iceland, where it doesn't get light until 10 a.m. and starts getting dark at 4:49 p.m. — that's about seven hours of daylight. Of course, in places further north, like Barrow, Alaska, there is no sunrise. In Nome, Alaska, sunrise comes at noon, and then there's four hours of light until sunset. If you want consistency, move to the equator, when sunrise and sunset are at around 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively, all year round.

7. There's no proof that this is the most depressing time of the year

Many scientists believe that the paucity of sunlight during the winter months makes your brain deplete its stores of serotonin by requiring the pineal gland to convert it into melatonin, which makes you sleepy. However, some studies have found there aren't higher instances of winter sadness in countries like Norway vs. the U.S.
Though there's an urban legend that the suicide rates are highest in Scandinavian countries, the actual list shows that — although the sparsely populated Greenland is No. 1 — South Korea, Guyana and China are far ahead of Norway, Sweden and Finland. Denmark, rated the happiest country in the world, also has just seven hours of daylight this time of year.

8. This isn't the day of the earliest sunrise and latest sunset

Most U.S. locations see their earliest sunset a week or so before the solstice and see their latest sunset sometime in January. For instance, in New York City, sunset came at 4:28 p.m. on Dec. 7, and then started occurring later. On Dec. 29, sunrise will come at 7:20 a.m. — the latest of the year. It won't start getting lighter earlier until Jan. 11.