johnnycomelately

Be honest. Describe the situation, and what you learned from it.

Likely, no. Graduate programs require completion (and proof via transcript) of Bachelors prior to start of program. You should contact the program admin. ASAP.

If you haven't heard anything since April 20th, I don't think there is a problem with reaching out to see where you stand.

It will be a few weeks, minimum, before your application is read by a member of the adcom, the committee meets to discuss applications, the graduate division approves the list of prospective students the adcom decides to accept, and acceptance/rejection letters are drafted and posted to the application website. All this to say, give it a while before contacting the school-unless you had an issue submitting a required document, or another similar issue pertaining to the application itself. Good luck!

You should contact the school. They have worked with students in your situation, and will be better able to answer your questions.

While your grad GPA is ok, your uGPA-for which the graduate divisions at most Ivy League schools require a 3.0 at a minimum-may make it tough for you to get accepted/funding. Each school/program, of course, varies in how stringently they enforce such requirements. There are a few ways to get an idea of whether it is in your best interest to apply to such schools: look at the profiles/stats for recently admitted students-many, but not all, make this information available, but it may take some searching; contact the grad coordinator/program administrator and ask if such info is available; contact POIs you are interested in working with and see what they think. Regardless of your findings, however, I would suggest applying to a range of programs, so that you are not locked out from PhD programs should you only apply to that specific subset of schools. Also, while the Ivy League holds a certain level of attraction for most, there are great programs at peer institutions-some which are even ranked higher than those at Ivy League schools. As for improving your profile: Write well-tailored and absolutely pristine SOPs. Have as many respected advisors and mentors as possible give you feedback on them. Submit writing samples, if required, that show your ability to formulate original and interesting research questions, and that demonstrate your ability to carry out complex and well-crafted research projects. Ask professors you have worked with if they can write you *strong* letters. To that end, ask for recommendations from profs with whom you have worked on major projects, and who can speak to a variety of your experiences/qualifications (research capability, teaching ability, grasp of foundational concepts, your intern experience, etc.). Retake the GRE if you scored below the 90th % in any of the sections. GRE scores, from what I've been told, are very important to Ivy League funding decisions. Most of all, do not wait until the last minute to get started on your supplemental application materials.

While you may be looking at a rejection, I feel you are entitled to a response either way. I would call the grad program director/administrator, explain the situation and ask *politely* when you should expect a formal notice of the depts decision. If they are unable to provide an answer, I would then contact the POI, again, by phone. Things, especially emails, sometimes slip through the cracks, and your POI may be operating under the assumption that you are already aware of the decision, which is why I suggest approaching the situation in a polite and professional manner. Good luck!

I have friends who have recently been accepted at top law programs, and one thing I've learned is that very few of them offer (much) funding to the majority of admitted applicants. Private schools seem to offer more, but the competition is also usually pretty fierce. The things they say think mattered the most were GPA, LSAT scores, and rec letters. The generic advice I can give is to apply to a broad range of programs, and if possible in a variety of regions to improve your chances. Be sure to check out the law forum under professional programs to get info on specific programs.

For US federal student loans (which are usually significantly less expensive than private loans), the accreditation status of the school/program in combination with your/your families tax info. will determine eligibility. Private loans, through your/your families bank are another option, and they usually have less restrictions-personally, I would not go that route, but to each their own. The best place to get info specific to your situation will be the school's financial aid office. See here for more info: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/choosing-schools/consider Something to consider: Will the estimated income from a job this degree qualifies you for be enough to cover living expenses and repayment of your educational loans/other debts? If not, you may be better served taking a year to strengthen your profile and apply to funded programs.

I will be spending this summer working on language training at UChicago before starting in the PhD program this Fall. I had hoped to do some prelim. research as well, but I don't want to get burned out, so I will be spending whatever free time I have reading for fun

From personal experience and reading these boards, it seems relatively common. Admissions committees are made up of faculty who sit on various other committees, and they have some insight as to where an applicant might be successful at gaining admission. If you are at all interested in this proposed department, send an email to the person who notified you and let them know. Send follow up/additional application materials only if requested to do so.

I met her during the prospective students visit, she is very friendly and seems genuinely interested in helping students succeed. My interests are in Medieval German-speaking regions, and I focus on identity formation, gender/sexuality.

It 'could,' but might not. There really is no way of saying with any certainty whether or not the school would find out about those courses either.

You might try improving upon any perceived shortcomings in your profile and try again. I know that most schools, Oxford for instance, does not provide feedback on rejected applications, but I am not sure about Cambridge. Maybe you could reach out to the administrator at Cambridge to see what they say about your application. Personally, I would be apprehensive about reapplying without taking some measure to improve my profile. I know that many people will tell you that one's chances fluctuate from cycle to cycle and a rejected applicant could very well be a strong admit the next go-around, but I would be weary about spending more money on an application to a program from which I was rejected. If you are set on applying again, however, be sure to have at least one trusted advisor review your application in its entirety.

If you used any of the courses for credit at your BA granting institution, the name of the school will very likely appear on that school's transcript (I took courses at a variety of community colleges while in the military and moving around a lot, and because I used those credits at my undergrad school as transfer credits each of those schools appears on my BA transcript). Even if they do not in your case, I would caution you to be upfront and include all transcripts-you can show growth and improvement over time, and explain those extenuating circumstances in brief in your SOP-dishonesty has a way of catching up with one eventually, and the consequences could prove disastrous. Academic dishonesty, which is how omitting those attempts at coursework could be classified, could end up costing you your place in a program or worse depending on the school's policy and how much of an offense they consider such actions to be. Did you take the extension courses at your undergrad institution? Were any of the credits counted towards your degree? Did you take out loans for those courses? A yes to any of those, and the program you apply to could find out about them. On another level, and do not think I am passing judgement as your actions do not in any way impact upon my life, but do you think you would feel good about yourself knowing you made that type of a decision?