scampb16

So I was waiting to hear back from my top school, emailed and called at the advice of the graduate admissions assistant. When I called I was waitlisted by the admissions director. When I got a response to my email, I was rejected and accepted. Basically, since I am an international student, they want me to find an external award worth 23k per year to offset the difference between international and domestic tuition by September or else they can't accept me into the program. Anyone have any suggestions? It's this or take a year or so off (which I don't really want to do).

i would think they would send preliminary rejections out to people who definitely didn't meet the criteria, or who they don't think fit. then once they narrow their pool down, who the hell knows what the admissions people think or do. it's all a mystery

Call. It is way too easy to ignore an email. I was a victim. I emailed my first choice grad program three weeks ago and got no answer. If you call, they are on the spot, and you can be much more personable and show your gratitude for an update much more than through an email. In my case I just said I was wondering if I could get an update on my application status. Gave them my last name, and found out I was waitlisted. After which point I was able to thank them for keeping my application in consideration, taking the time to speak with me about it, and told them I appreciate the review and if there is anything I could do to further support my application to please feel free to contact me. The university remained my first choice, and then said goodbye. Overall good experience. Plus I can now stop checking my email fifty times a day

Officially waitlisted at my first choice. Rejected at one, accepted to another (with no funding) which I have since declined. Hoping and praying I get in. Although like many of you, I am coming to peace with the possibility of taking a year off. Maybe I'll travel a little, do some research, fine tune my applications, and take a few fun classes. Maybe that's what will set me apart next year when I reapply, I'll go from second choice to first choice

Thank you so much for sharing your story! I had gone 4 months hearing nothing from my last school (and only option left), finally called today and heard I was waitlisted! The worst part is I am international, and unfortunately they are only taking 2.67 internationals this year (why .67 is beyond me), so it seems my chances are slim, though I am still hopeful that someone out there will decline their offer! Who knows, maybe what happened to you could happen to me as well!

yeah i agree. before apply i checked my email, once maybe twice a day. now its probably more like 50 times a day. at this point i have one school i am considering going to, and still haven't heard back. am starting to get really worried. and it doesn't help that i got an email about applying for graduate housing 'just in case' i end up getting in. of all the cruel things. just tell me already and be done with it, don't string me along with false hope and excitement of moving to the city.

I am so feeling this. First of all, I only applied to one school. I know, I definitely underapplied, but I had trouble finding places that I really felt fit me. So, I applied in the first week in January, got an email from the university the last week in February saying that most decisions won't be made until early April. This is especially true, as I will be an international student permitting I get in. When I visited my POI in January (who is also the program director), I was led to believe I had nothing to worry about. I emailed him the first week in March, just to keep in touch, and he informed me the program is taking less internationals than he originally thought, and it will be difficult to get in. Which ok, I should probably start thinking about plan b now. Anyways, I emailed the admissions office to see what my application status was (as I now have a job offer on the table- felt the need to cover my bases, and if I don't end up getting in, this is the dream job I would want at this point). It has now been two weeks, and still no response. So I'm assuming the worse. Was planning on calling admissions tomorrow, and then I got an email from the admissions department today about graduate housing. It must be some sick joke they are playing to give me false hope. While I know there is still a slim chance I get in, I feel like an acceptance should come before an application for housing. Really hating this limbo, don't really care what the answer is (although I would be ecstatic if I got in!) I just want to know!!!