After 8 years of graduate school, I made it to the other side. Because of anonymity I'm not going to share the school with everyone, but I'm beyond excited about it. It's in a dream location for my family and an ideal environment for my research and teaching. This forum definitely got me through the whole process of applying and even through the first few years of my program. I know I haven't posted much recently, but I still check up on the site every day.
Good luck to those of you applying and to those of you in programs, keep your heads down and work hard. Further, and I can't stress this enough, a PhD is not for everyone. Leaving academia is not a failure. I know of a ton of people who left and are happier because of it. I also know of a ton of people who didn't leave and really wish they did. Industry is not a failure regardless of what you think and perhaps what your faculty will tell you. It's your life, you only get one, don't do something that makes you miserable.