Fong Sai Yuk Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 So decions go out with the snail mail.... Will there be an additional admitted student day for international students? I don't expect the snail mail to reach me long before August.. Is there another way to learn about your decision, besides the snail - backward, medieval - snail mail? This sucks.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandsomeNerd Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 lol sai yuk. aren't you in at SIPA and SFS already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanJ Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I live in Utah and still haven't heard anything. I'm dying over here!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j bre Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I live in California and received my acceptance via snail mail on 17th. I am actually surprised I heard from them so soon... I applied to the dual NRSD program so both AU and UPEACE admissions committees had to review my app. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yabanci Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I got my acceptance packet on Friday, and I live in Northern Virginia, right outside DC. I think it took about a week from when the letter was dated to when I received it though. However, I didn't get any funding, just the $21k in loan support that others got. Is it even worth going if you have to take out tons of loans? It's the highest ranked, and has the best reputation, of the schools I got into, but is also the most expensive. I can go to public schools for 1/2 to 1/3 of the cost, but at a loss of reputation. Is anyone planning on financing the SIS program themselves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael..1 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Anyone going for american foreign policy? yeah yabanci it is pricey, do not know if I will go due to that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoliticallyAff Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I wish they'd just e-mail us... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal83 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I wish they'd just e-mail us... You know when I heard that Elliot does the emailing thing I thought that that would be like cruel and unusual punishment because you get that email then you have to go to your account then click the link and wait for it to pop up, sort of like waiting for your GRE scores to pop up on the screen after the test. I do NOT like that. But now, after all of this waiting and reading these posts where lots of people are getting their acceptance packets I actually would like to be put out of my misery. I read somewhere around here that they send them out in waves and from what I've seen so far only one person on the west coast has heard, but it was for some special dual program or whatever. I'm kind of glad the weekend is just about over, things will get going again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robtastic Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 So i figured I'd follow up. I just got my Acceptance envelope this past Friday (3/18) and I live in Los Angeles, which is about as far as you can get from DC outside of AK/HI. So I was accepted, but I didn't hear anything about funding, which I need to find out about soon since Dukes MIDP program is offering 12k, and Durham is a lot cheaper than DC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etoile9 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I got my acceptance packet on Friday, and I live in Northern Virginia, right outside DC. I think it took about a week from when the letter was dated to when I received it though. However, I didn't get any funding, just the $21k in loan support that others got. Is it even worth going if you have to take out tons of loans? It's the highest ranked, and has the best reputation, of the schools I got into, but is also the most expensive. I can go to public schools for 1/2 to 1/3 of the cost, but at a loss of reputation. Is anyone planning on financing the SIS program themselves? Awesome, another NoVA member I already posted about getting my letter, but I'm surprised it took that long considering we're so close. I hope everyone doesn't get too stressed out waiting! I'm on a waitlist so I don't know if there's even a decision to be made, but if not I'm going to SIS and I will be funding it myself via loans, a part time job, and any scholarships I can get. It'll be tough but I think it'll be worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkovach05 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I got my acceptance packet via snail mail on March 16 (dated March 10th). I live in Cleveland. I didn't get funding, just the same $21k that you all mentioned as well. Need to decide between taking this and risking possibly getting funding in 2nd year or taking a 40% scholarship at The New School that only covers tuition. Crazy thing is cost of living in New York almost completely offsets the scholarship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanJ Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Still nothing. I emailed the admissions office today to ask about my status. Hopefully they get back to me soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal83 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I'm also emailing them, but not specifically to ask about my own status. I don't know if I can handle a "oh sorry, you didn't get in" email. So I just asked if all decisions have been made and sent out yet, particularly out west since it seems that almost all of those posting here with decisions are from the eastern half of the country. I just need to get a better handle on when to expect. The waiting is driving me nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalSeeker Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I finally got my acceptance packet today (in California). Zero funding, which I have to admit surprised me. Since I could pay less and go to SAIS, American is definitely off the list of possibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal83 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 This is the response I just got from SIS...."Admissions decisions are still being made and all decisions will be sent via first class mail. You can anticipate hearing from us by the first week in April. Please let us know if you have any further questions." And I specifically asked about the western part of the country...so obviously they're not just mailing in waves but also making decisions. Ok, that makes me feel a little better. Hope that makes things a little easier for those also out here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snbrown82 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Just called and the woman put me on hold to look up my information and said that I should be getting a letter in the mail in a week to two weeks because I was in the 2nd batch. Apparently they mail out in 3 batches. I assume mines is a rejection because when I asked her would I get the letter before the April 15th deadline she hesitated and said yes, though she said that the batches do not correspond to acceptance/rejection. Does anyone know if they also send rejections out through the mail? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanJ Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I also just got an email from them saying my file's still under review and I will receive my letter in early April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal83 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Maybe the batches correspond to the time your application was submitted and then processed. They always say the sooner you get it in the better. I submitted the last week of December which wasn't all that far from the deadline and one of my recommenders didn't get my letter in until literally 7 hours before the deadline, and I received an email saying that my application was incomplete like 2 weeks later even though it definitely was not, the lady told me it wouldn't push my application back or anything but that could have landed me in the last batch. So who knows, but the fact remains that they said decisions are still being made and I don't have to assume that because I didn't hear last week like a lot of people have already that I'm on the reject list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAC16 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 In with a Full Ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanJ Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 In with a Full Ride Congrats! Do you mind if I ask what your GRE scores and GPA were? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAC16 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Undergrad GPA: 3.96/4 M.A. Politics GPA: 3.87/4 GRE Q: 750 GRE V: 650 AW: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snbrown82 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 @ Mal83: I'm sure you are right. My application was done at the beginning of December because I wanted my school to hold my transcript because of the classes I took last semester. I still am not confident in the answer from American because all of my other letters have been rejections. I think I may need to work for a year and then apply again. I have heard of people being rejected by everywhere but getting into American...hopefully that's me, but I'm preparing myself for the worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal83 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 @ Mal83: I'm sure you are right. My application was done at the beginning of December because I wanted my school to hold my transcript because of the classes I took last semester. I still am not confident in the answer from American because all of my other letters have been rejections. I think I may need to work for a year and then apply again. I have heard of people being rejected by everywhere but getting into American...hopefully that's me, but I'm preparing myself for the worst. Well, you know it just depends on the total package, if you have no work experience but if you have excellent academics and extracurriculars that are relevant than you just might make it in. And of course your recommendations and purpose statement count for something too. How did you do on the GRE? To where else did you apply? Not that I'm some admissions expert but I've been digging around the internet and forums like this for a while to find as much out as possible and some people who've gotten into top schools have surprising stats. Maybe lower GPAs or not so great GRE scores, but they must have had something to set them apart. You just can't tell until you get that letter, I'm always reevaluating my stats and trying to compare myself to others, despite the fact that there's no point to doing that now. I've also noticed that some who have been rejected by this top school or that one have gotten into American. I'm hoping that's me too. I've been waitlisted by the Elliott School so I feel like at the very least if I'm good enough to potentially earn a spot there than I shouldn't be too far off from an acceptance by American. It's a loose connection, but it's all I have to go on right now. I've also applied to George Mason's Global Affairs program, not exactly International Development which is what I really want, but it'll do in lieu of anything else. George Mason is definitely a safety school, but I'm still nervous because there are just so many applicants that some will have to be left out no matter how qualified. They literally just processed my application so it'll be a good 4 weeks before I hear from them. For GW I wasn't confident but I was hopeful only because I was a Peace Corps volunteer and that experience is directly related to ID. But my undergrad GPA (3.35) and a lack of microeconomics are what waitlisted me, I'm sure of it. I'm slightly, and I mean ever so slightly more confident about American because I believe that Peace Corps volunteers receive special consideration for the ID program. I think in general American is more in tune with the Peace Corps than GW, but I'm still really anxious because like everyone else around here I want to be at one of the great schools and I just have nothing to do but wait while post after post pops up about getting accepted. But if decisions are still being made than we still have a chance and within a few weeks we'll all know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snbrown82 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 @ Mal83: I think my Cumulative GPA and my GREs hurt me. My major GPA and the GPA on my last 60 hours is astounding. BUT I used to be a cell biology major and chemistry minor and it killed me. I explained all of that in my SOP, which I feel are very strong. I also believe I had strong LOR. As an economics minor, I have a strong econ background with mostly As in those classes and one B. I'm the treasurer of my school's chapter of the International Economics Honors Society, fluent in Spanish, and I have one study abroad experience. I believe my downfall is low GRE, low cumulative GPA, and little relevant work experience (though I've been working since I was 16). If I don't make it this round, I'm just going to try and find a job in my field and apply again for next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal83 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 @ Mal83: I think my Cumulative GPA and my GREs hurt me. My major GPA and the GPA on my last 60 hours is astounding. BUT I used to be a cell biology major and chemistry minor and it killed me. I explained all of that in my SOP, which I feel are very strong. I also believe I had strong LOR. As an economics minor, I have a strong econ background with mostly As in those classes and one B. I'm the treasurer of my school's chapter of the International Economics Honors Society, fluent in Spanish, and I have one study abroad experience. I believe my downfall is low GRE, low cumulative GPA, and little relevant work experience (though I've been working since I was 16). If I don't make it this round, I'm just going to try and find a job in my field and apply again for next year. yeah, that's a good idea, if you don't make it in you could always ask admissions for ways to specifically strengthen your application. Plus if you do have to apply again next year you might want to choose a safety school. To what specific programs have you been applying to? ID? I know for GW's ID program a background in economics is something they look for. You do have some real positives though, so maybe you can remain cautiously optimistic. I got a C in one of my major classes and it was devastating, I hated the professor and I know he didn't like me and as an upperclassman at a small school you don't really have too many options, so dropping it in exchange for something else wasn't an option. I'm pretty worried about it. Like that letter will send up some sort of red flag. I really don't know how much weight the GREs have, it's different for every school and every program. For some programs it doesn't count for anything and some there's an absolute required score. Then it probably depends on the individual applicant, like a very high score can help to offset a lower GPA or something like that. My scores are just OK, the first time I took the the test it was a disaster, but the second time I did much better, much better being a relatively OK score, although my writing score fits right into these schools' averages. One of my fellow returned Peace Corps volunteers got accepted into GW's Security Policies Studies program last year with a GRE score in the 1000's which is a good 200 points below The Elliott School's average. I don't know what his GPA is but I scored higher on the GRE and was waitlisted. I basically know that if I didn't have the Peace Corps experience I wouldn't have a chance at GW or American so relevant work experience can really push you ahead. Have you thought about PC? With some schools you can do a joint service and Master's degree, American is one such school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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