funkydays

Hey all, I'm planning on emailing my top choice for the status of my application, but was wondering if I could get your opinion on my wording? I don't want to appear pushy, but I want to let them know I'm still waiting to hear back.... "Dear X, My name is "Funkydays" and I am an applicant for the X program. I had attended the X interview weekend. Although I have received acceptances at other institutions, "X institution" remains my top choice. I was wondering if it was possible to know the status for my application to help me make my final decision soon. I would very much appreciate any information you can provide me regarding the admissions committees decision. Thank you very much." Do I need to write more directly about this or should I just call the department instead?

Do they offer the same package in terms of where the stipend is coming from? (e.g. part supported by program training grants, part from TAship, part from RA ship, etc). If the breakdown is different, you can see if there are outside opportunities given by the institution for additional funding. But I think it ultimately depends on how happy you will be in each program. Are you willing to go to a program dedicating many years where there is a chance you might not be happy with the research? Also, how much does Program A not fit into your research interests? If it's significantly different, then probably choosing the better fit might be the way to go.

Ah, so same boat then. Well, bummers that they are so bad at communicating.

Hey ERR_Mocha, I'm seeing that you applied to Tufts ISP... did you ever hear back from them? I got total radio silence after an obligatory "we're reviewing your application" email in January, so it's been a bit frustrating, since they have been so quiet. Curious to know what your experience has been.

I got an offer letter similar to your situation, but the letter also included information about summer RA-ships which are separate from the stipend. Apparently they treat summer stipends differently than school year stipends. I've definitely seen this type of arrangement before, so it's not uncommon for your summer months to be funded by your PI (instead of the program).

Yea, I know what you mean. I feel excited and happy for everyone getting into schools but at the same time it increases my nail biting anxiety since I haven't heard from a few schools.

Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification.

So, hypothetically, if a program is accepting 30 students, then they will send out 30 to the top choices and the rest are waitlisted? Or are some schools sending acceptances to 10 of their top picks and waiting to hear back, then going to the next pool of applicants to fill in the rest of the slots?

I feel the same way... but, I don't know if this is just me wanting to be optimistic (or delusions), but based on the results page, it seems like this year's cycle of acceptances are coming a bit late compared to the last two years, esp. with the biomed programs.

1. project of interest 2. feedback from existing students which include information about how the PIs help students with their future placements in industry or as post doc. 3. brand of the school 4. connections of the faculty -although this sort of ties into #2

You can also try contacting the schools you interviewed with and ask for some feedback. Most faculty members (at least in my past experience) have been willing to help and provide some constructive criticism.

I wish all schools would just send an email to applicants like this. At least give people an idea of where they are with the admission process. Waiting with no information suuuuuuucccccckkkkkkkkssssss...

Anyone who's waiting for BU PiBS post interview, I sent an email inquiring, and they responded back that applications are still under review and they have not completed their selection process. So there's still hope...?

I think it varies. I got responses back from people that I had a great conversation with or who thought I was a good fit for the program, but others, especially faculty that weren't particularly closely related to my field of study, either sent a cursory one sentence response of "Good to meet you too" or no response.

That probably makes the most sense. Thanks! I'll go back to my corner and continue twiddling my thumbs. lol

At what point is it acceptable to call/email to see whether they've reached a decision on your application? I got a lot of "You'll hear from us by March 1st" but haven't heard a peep of accepted/rejected/waitlisted.

Yep. Same boat. Luckily it's been snowing a lot in the NE, so I've been shoveling snow as an escape. I'm actually kind of sad it's all melting now. Need a new distraction.

Thanks for the info. Definitely helps! I feel a little bit more at ease then (but only a fraction, lol).

Thanks! Good luck to you too!

Thanks. Just wondering if I should have heard from them by now or if they waited to send out acceptances/wait list/rejects until after the final interview.

Has anyone heard back from BU PiBS after their interviews? I noticed 2 acceptances on the results page, but was wondering if there were more that haven't posted their results...

Has anyone heard from Tufts Sackler School's Integrated Studies Program?