jujubea

I am happy to commiserate with you via PM. And share wedding ideas. Even pinterest boards
 
Engaged August 2013, original wedding date was September 2014, new wedding date is May 2015. You want to know about postponing a wedding, I'm your gal. 
 
Granted, I will not be IN grad school when the wedding happens, but, I was transitioning from overseas back to US, moving in with a new family, leaving a full safety net and awesome job, starting a new business, dealing with multiple hospitalized (Critical) family members, preparing grad applications/researching grad programs, and planning for my Fall wedding at the same time.
 
Then something else happened that tipped it over the edge, and I was like, you know, why don't we wait until things are little CALMER.  
 
By May, we will know which school and city we're moving to, our house will be up on the market, the kids will be out of school, the weather will be nicer, and my family will be healthier (ojala!).  
 
I can also tell you this - the less controlling of a person you are, the less stressful it will be. If you want EXACT kinds of flowers, EXACT colors, EXACT times, places, placements, smells, etc... Then you're going to be super freaking out. IF you're like "I want something in the purple-ish zone of color, and my bridesmaids should this general kind of bouquet, and the centerpieces should be basically like this..." you're going to be resting much easier.
 
Just remind yourself what the big picture is, what the wedding is really all about, and don't get too down in the weeds about it. In the words of Elsa, let it go....

These are some things I learned from my visits that were extraordinarily helpful:
 
Look into the lives of the current cohort. Hang out with them if you can and see if you'd actually enjoy working and studying with them for 5-7 years. I didn't get to do this at one school and I really regret it. See what kind of study and work space they are given. Is it controlled access? Are you given a workstation (computer) or do you bring your own? Find out what their work-life balance is like; what they do and don't like about the program. Sit in on a class or two if you can. What is the atmosphere like? Serious? Fun? Casual? Professional? How do you fit in? What is cost of living and how are students getting by? Do most students commute, bike, walk, what? Why? Are classes all over the place or right next to each other? Any issues with getting into the classes they need? Accessing the people they need to? What are their relationships like with their supervisors? What is the building like that everyone is in every day? Are there windows? Does that matter to you? Is it loud or quiet? Hard to get to? Smelly? Flare up your allergies? Talk to as many professors as you can, including non POI's. What are they like? Are they happy are they disgruntled? What about? Do they have research constraints? (Meaning, are they able and allowed to study/research what they'd like to?) How many students do they advise each semester? What are their course-loads like? Are research assistantships ever available in addition to TA-ships? (Or vice versa?). What do people do during the summer? Both faculty, staff, and students? Is there funding available? Research opportunities? Are you expected to be working? On what? Where? How? What are library hours? What unique resources are there? How far is it from your department's building? Do you care?  Do the professors have any recommendations for what area to live in? And why?  
What is transportation like, as relevant to your situation, whether that's public, biking, walking, or private vehicle. Parking. Safety if on foot or biking. Bus routes and times. What are food options like near campus? How about grocery stores in the area? Do you need a Trader Joe's or Natural Grocers nearby? How about a farmer's market?  And food facilities in the department - is there somewhere you can keep your lunch that needs to be refrigerated? Microwave available for everyone's use? Extracurricular
Do they have the kind of yoga/rock climbing/martial arts/book club/game club/other hobby or interest groups at the school or in the area?
What is the environment like? Weather? Terrain? 
Do you have access to the types of places you like to go, whether that's clubs, bookstores, cafes, music venues, sports venues, good bakeries or restaurants? 
Walk around the campus neighborhood, then walk around a neighborhood you might live in. How do you like the feel of each place? What's around? What are the local people like?
 
 
....if you're bringing family, I can give you a whole other list of things to ask and explore

These are some things I learned from my visits that were extraordinarily helpful:
 
Look into the lives of the current cohort. Hang out with them if you can and see if you'd actually enjoy working and studying with them for 5-7 years. I didn't get to do this at one school and I really regret it. See what kind of study and work space they are given. Is it controlled access? Are you given a workstation (computer) or do you bring your own? Find out what their work-life balance is like; what they do and don't like about the program. Sit in on a class or two if you can. What is the atmosphere like? Serious? Fun? Casual? Professional? How do you fit in? What is cost of living and how are students getting by? Do most students commute, bike, walk, what? Why? Are classes all over the place or right next to each other? Any issues with getting into the classes they need? Accessing the people they need to? What are their relationships like with their supervisors? What is the building like that everyone is in every day? Are there windows? Does that matter to you? Is it loud or quiet? Hard to get to? Smelly? Flare up your allergies? Talk to as many professors as you can, including non POI's. What are they like? Are they happy are they disgruntled? What about? Do they have research constraints? (Meaning, are they able and allowed to study/research what they'd like to?) How many students do they advise each semester? What are their course-loads like? Are research assistantships ever available in addition to TA-ships? (Or vice versa?). What do people do during the summer? Both faculty, staff, and students? Is there funding available? Research opportunities? Are you expected to be working? On what? Where? How? What are library hours? What unique resources are there? How far is it from your department's building? Do you care?  Do the professors have any recommendations for what area to live in? And why?  
What is transportation like, as relevant to your situation, whether that's public, biking, walking, or private vehicle. Parking. Safety if on foot or biking. Bus routes and times. What are food options like near campus? How about grocery stores in the area? Do you need a Trader Joe's or Natural Grocers nearby? How about a farmer's market?  And food facilities in the department - is there somewhere you can keep your lunch that needs to be refrigerated? Microwave available for everyone's use? Extracurricular
Do they have the kind of yoga/rock climbing/martial arts/book club/game club/other hobby or interest groups at the school or in the area?
What is the environment like? Weather? Terrain? 
Do you have access to the types of places you like to go, whether that's clubs, bookstores, cafes, music venues, sports venues, good bakeries or restaurants? 
Walk around the campus neighborhood, then walk around a neighborhood you might live in. How do you like the feel of each place? What's around? What are the local people like?
 
 
....if you're bringing family, I can give you a whole other list of things to ask and explore

Don't be talkin' about "too old" on these forums. Lots of us old'uns on here. Even actual old'uns who don't just think they're old because they're no longer 18... myself admittedly included

School A: the graduate director (not the professor with whom I'd interviewed via phone) called my cell and told me over the phone that I'd been accepted, then in the same call told me I'd been awarded a full fellowship and TAship. The call came in the morning, because I remember talking to him from my car, in the parking garage at work. 
 
School B: the graduate director (the person with whom I'd Skyped) called my cell and told me I'd been admitted and that funding information would come later. After a week or so (fuzzy on the details now) a letter arrived in the mail (a single page, not a big package like you'd think) outlining the funding offer. 
 
School C: the email came Sunday evening. There'd been no interview. The graduate director emailed me a fairly short note, something like "Congratulations, I'm very happy to accept you into the program. The funding information will arrive soon." A few days later (again, fuzzy on how many) the letter arrived (again, single page) with the funding offer. 
 
School D: waitlisted via email. 
 
After I made my choice of C, I called the guys from A and B and let them know of my decision.
 
Edit: and for what it's worth, choosing between my top 2 picks was very, VERY hard, even tougher than the applications themselves. They were very different programs, at opposite ends of the country. I felt like an entire possible life was dying for either choice, like a Sliding Doors scenario, I had to choose which life I wanted. That was a tough time, full of apprehension. 

Average 4:17pm, local time of university. This is based on my sample size of n = 2.

So, I can't be the only one who has had dreams/nightmares about admissions. I thought it could be fun to share. I've had two dreams that I can recall:
I dreamed that I was accepted into Cambridge with an amazing full-ride scholarship. But they only gave me two days to decide, which made me mad and I rage-rejected them. I dreamed that I got rejected from my "safer bet" school, but they decided to offer me a job making burgers in their cafeteria instead. LOL!

Few ideas here:
 
1. It's not that you aren't qualified to be an administrative assistant, it's that you're overqualified. People do not want to hire clearly overqualified candidates because they know that person is just waiting around for something better. They'd rather invest in someone long-term.
 
2. It's best to do something even tangentially related to what you want to be doing. Otherwise you're kind of going backwards. Retail's not a good idea, unless with your crim justice degree you're thinking about becoming a loss prevention officer or coordinator or manager or something. Since you're taking lowest-level jobs anyways, why not go work low-level in a social organization of some kind? A non-profit that works on reducing recidivism, or that works with those already imprisoned to help them prepare for life after jail? Such places would take you on as an administrative assistant, because they know you want to be in their field.
 
3. If you can't work somewhere even remotely related, or even if you can, you might also try volunteering somewhere related. For example, there is a nationwide network of organizations that do something called victim-offender reconciliation. Why not become a volunteer mediator there? Or volunteering for a juvenile offender program as a tutor or mentor? Or try interning at a PD instead of becoming a PO. You can also look at the Sheriff's Office not just the PD, and you can also look at the PD training facilities. 
 
4. Reach out to someone in the field who is doing what you want to do. Perhaps that's a Deputy in the field; perhaps that's a researcher profiling criminals; whatever it is, take the time to craft a well thought e-mail and reach out to someone letting them know you're looking for a mentor or at least some short-term guidance.
 
5. Have you thought about going overseas for work? What about being a research at an overseas university? Many countries are developing their police department and security services to come up to higher standards. I'm sure they can use some of your help and expertise. 
 
What do you want to be doing?
What are some of your dream jobs?

I submitted my last application!!!! Yay! It feels so good!
 
I don't know how you people with 20 applications did it! Kudos to you!

Ahahahaha... this looks ridiculous. Just for the record! It was in response to a spam post that repeated the phrase "fond of gaeity in society".... But of course once I reported the spam... it got removed  

Few ideas here:
 
1. It's not that you aren't qualified to be an administrative assistant, it's that you're overqualified. People do not want to hire clearly overqualified candidates because they know that person is just waiting around for something better. They'd rather invest in someone long-term.
 
2. It's best to do something even tangentially related to what you want to be doing. Otherwise you're kind of going backwards. Retail's not a good idea, unless with your crim justice degree you're thinking about becoming a loss prevention officer or coordinator or manager or something. Since you're taking lowest-level jobs anyways, why not go work low-level in a social organization of some kind? A non-profit that works on reducing recidivism, or that works with those already imprisoned to help them prepare for life after jail? Such places would take you on as an administrative assistant, because they know you want to be in their field.
 
3. If you can't work somewhere even remotely related, or even if you can, you might also try volunteering somewhere related. For example, there is a nationwide network of organizations that do something called victim-offender reconciliation. Why not become a volunteer mediator there? Or volunteering for a juvenile offender program as a tutor or mentor? Or try interning at a PD instead of becoming a PO. You can also look at the Sheriff's Office not just the PD, and you can also look at the PD training facilities. 
 
4. Reach out to someone in the field who is doing what you want to do. Perhaps that's a Deputy in the field; perhaps that's a researcher profiling criminals; whatever it is, take the time to craft a well thought e-mail and reach out to someone letting them know you're looking for a mentor or at least some short-term guidance.
 
5. Have you thought about going overseas for work? What about being a research at an overseas university? Many countries are developing their police department and security services to come up to higher standards. I'm sure they can use some of your help and expertise. 
 
What do you want to be doing?
What are some of your dream jobs?

Few ideas here:
 
1. It's not that you aren't qualified to be an administrative assistant, it's that you're overqualified. People do not want to hire clearly overqualified candidates because they know that person is just waiting around for something better. They'd rather invest in someone long-term.
 
2. It's best to do something even tangentially related to what you want to be doing. Otherwise you're kind of going backwards. Retail's not a good idea, unless with your crim justice degree you're thinking about becoming a loss prevention officer or coordinator or manager or something. Since you're taking lowest-level jobs anyways, why not go work low-level in a social organization of some kind? A non-profit that works on reducing recidivism, or that works with those already imprisoned to help them prepare for life after jail? Such places would take you on as an administrative assistant, because they know you want to be in their field.
 
3. If you can't work somewhere even remotely related, or even if you can, you might also try volunteering somewhere related. For example, there is a nationwide network of organizations that do something called victim-offender reconciliation. Why not become a volunteer mediator there? Or volunteering for a juvenile offender program as a tutor or mentor? Or try interning at a PD instead of becoming a PO. You can also look at the Sheriff's Office not just the PD, and you can also look at the PD training facilities. 
 
4. Reach out to someone in the field who is doing what you want to do. Perhaps that's a Deputy in the field; perhaps that's a researcher profiling criminals; whatever it is, take the time to craft a well thought e-mail and reach out to someone letting them know you're looking for a mentor or at least some short-term guidance.
 
5. Have you thought about going overseas for work? What about being a research at an overseas university? Many countries are developing their police department and security services to come up to higher standards. I'm sure they can use some of your help and expertise. 
 
What do you want to be doing?
What are some of your dream jobs?

Few ideas here:
 
1. It's not that you aren't qualified to be an administrative assistant, it's that you're overqualified. People do not want to hire clearly overqualified candidates because they know that person is just waiting around for something better. They'd rather invest in someone long-term.
 
2. It's best to do something even tangentially related to what you want to be doing. Otherwise you're kind of going backwards. Retail's not a good idea, unless with your crim justice degree you're thinking about becoming a loss prevention officer or coordinator or manager or something. Since you're taking lowest-level jobs anyways, why not go work low-level in a social organization of some kind? A non-profit that works on reducing recidivism, or that works with those already imprisoned to help them prepare for life after jail? Such places would take you on as an administrative assistant, because they know you want to be in their field.
 
3. If you can't work somewhere even remotely related, or even if you can, you might also try volunteering somewhere related. For example, there is a nationwide network of organizations that do something called victim-offender reconciliation. Why not become a volunteer mediator there? Or volunteering for a juvenile offender program as a tutor or mentor? Or try interning at a PD instead of becoming a PO. You can also look at the Sheriff's Office not just the PD, and you can also look at the PD training facilities. 
 
4. Reach out to someone in the field who is doing what you want to do. Perhaps that's a Deputy in the field; perhaps that's a researcher profiling criminals; whatever it is, take the time to craft a well thought e-mail and reach out to someone letting them know you're looking for a mentor or at least some short-term guidance.
 
5. Have you thought about going overseas for work? What about being a research at an overseas university? Many countries are developing their police department and security services to come up to higher standards. I'm sure they can use some of your help and expertise. 
 
What do you want to be doing?
What are some of your dream jobs?

I don't know about you guys but I'm pretty fond of gaiety and society

I love my partner but sometimes I think he has way too much faith in me. He thinks there's no way I won't get in anywhere. "They will love you," he keeps saying. To the point that when I begin fretting about the possibility of being reject by all three schools, he chuckles! He thinks it's so outside the realm of possibility!
Guess that's one reason why I'm marrying him, since he thinks the world of me, right?

Few ideas here:
 
1. It's not that you aren't qualified to be an administrative assistant, it's that you're overqualified. People do not want to hire clearly overqualified candidates because they know that person is just waiting around for something better. They'd rather invest in someone long-term.
 
2. It's best to do something even tangentially related to what you want to be doing. Otherwise you're kind of going backwards. Retail's not a good idea, unless with your crim justice degree you're thinking about becoming a loss prevention officer or coordinator or manager or something. Since you're taking lowest-level jobs anyways, why not go work low-level in a social organization of some kind? A non-profit that works on reducing recidivism, or that works with those already imprisoned to help them prepare for life after jail? Such places would take you on as an administrative assistant, because they know you want to be in their field.
 
3. If you can't work somewhere even remotely related, or even if you can, you might also try volunteering somewhere related. For example, there is a nationwide network of organizations that do something called victim-offender reconciliation. Why not become a volunteer mediator there? Or volunteering for a juvenile offender program as a tutor or mentor? Or try interning at a PD instead of becoming a PO. You can also look at the Sheriff's Office not just the PD, and you can also look at the PD training facilities. 
 
4. Reach out to someone in the field who is doing what you want to do. Perhaps that's a Deputy in the field; perhaps that's a researcher profiling criminals; whatever it is, take the time to craft a well thought e-mail and reach out to someone letting them know you're looking for a mentor or at least some short-term guidance.
 
5. Have you thought about going overseas for work? What about being a research at an overseas university? Many countries are developing their police department and security services to come up to higher standards. I'm sure they can use some of your help and expertise. 
 
What do you want to be doing?
What are some of your dream jobs?

Hey there - I'm in a different field, but the same relationship boat .. plus kids.
 
My partner and I had many, many discussions about this. When we met, I was looking at programs already. I delayed applying for a year so that after I moved in (from overseas) to be with him and his kids in the U.S., we would have more than a couple months of living together before also moving together. 
 
He has geographic limits, which are now my geographic limits. That was the first narrow-down. 
Within those limits I found all the programs I would like to apply to (there were about 7 or 8). From that list, he looked at the cities and states and decided which he would be OK with living in or not, and which ones actually had a relevant job market for him. 
 
If it were just us two, we'd live out of cardboard boxes nearly - we really don't care. But when you have little ones involved, the game gets a lot more stressful, and the stakes are a lot higher. 
 
From that list, we looked at which places have decent enough schools.
 
Now we're down to three. And even of those three, there's one he's very uncomfortable with, but he knows it's a dream program, so wants to support me if possible. I think he also feels indebted because I left my supremely posh overseas job to come be with him and help raise his kids. 
 
I had to come to the conclusion and agreement with myself, that if he chokes at the last minute, I will still move forward with my graduate career. I can't put my life on hold forever, and I know I would be resentful and unhealthy if I delayed this one more time. It has been a lifelong goal for me to attend graduate school, and is just about the only thing I am not willing to compromise on. I gave up a really sweet deal, a sweet life, job security and money, to come live in a crappy tiny town (I've never lived somewhere so small in my life), got rid of car because I can't afford it being a freelancer, and gritted my teeth at essentially being a stay-at-home stepparent (something I never, ever wanted... the stay-at-home part). So, I feel like I've given up a lot already. I wont' give up my PhD. I'd lose myself. And I think he knows that.
 
We are tremendously stressed out. I basically just finished moving in, and now we have to start packing up so that we can sell the house. We are also supposed to be getting married in the spring. One of our parents just landed in the ICU. We are under ungodly financial pressure for reasons I won't say here. He has a very well established private practice in town, owns his building and his home, and will have to give all of that up to move himself and his kids to ... we don't even know where yet.
 
With some kind of divine fortune, the kids have been kind of wanting to leave this town anyway, because it is so small and they know it. They are brilliant kids so we have to do right by them as far as schools, and keeping them here would be a really poor choice for them. That said, they are also hesitant and worry about going farther away from their other biological parent (even though they rarely see her as it is - once every two months or so), and are generally, normally, healthily worried about moving overall.
 
What my man and I have realized is that if we are able to endure this s*** all at once right at the beginning of our relationship.... then we are probably going to kick butt as a couple through basically anything that is thrown our way. And that gives us the confidence to go forward.
 
And that's how it is.

Few ideas here:
 
1. It's not that you aren't qualified to be an administrative assistant, it's that you're overqualified. People do not want to hire clearly overqualified candidates because they know that person is just waiting around for something better. They'd rather invest in someone long-term.
 
2. It's best to do something even tangentially related to what you want to be doing. Otherwise you're kind of going backwards. Retail's not a good idea, unless with your crim justice degree you're thinking about becoming a loss prevention officer or coordinator or manager or something. Since you're taking lowest-level jobs anyways, why not go work low-level in a social organization of some kind? A non-profit that works on reducing recidivism, or that works with those already imprisoned to help them prepare for life after jail? Such places would take you on as an administrative assistant, because they know you want to be in their field.
 
3. If you can't work somewhere even remotely related, or even if you can, you might also try volunteering somewhere related. For example, there is a nationwide network of organizations that do something called victim-offender reconciliation. Why not become a volunteer mediator there? Or volunteering for a juvenile offender program as a tutor or mentor? Or try interning at a PD instead of becoming a PO. You can also look at the Sheriff's Office not just the PD, and you can also look at the PD training facilities. 
 
4. Reach out to someone in the field who is doing what you want to do. Perhaps that's a Deputy in the field; perhaps that's a researcher profiling criminals; whatever it is, take the time to craft a well thought e-mail and reach out to someone letting them know you're looking for a mentor or at least some short-term guidance.
 
5. Have you thought about going overseas for work? What about being a research at an overseas university? Many countries are developing their police department and security services to come up to higher standards. I'm sure they can use some of your help and expertise. 
 
What do you want to be doing?
What are some of your dream jobs?

Hey there - I'm in a different field, but the same relationship boat .. plus kids.
 
My partner and I had many, many discussions about this. When we met, I was looking at programs already. I delayed applying for a year so that after I moved in (from overseas) to be with him and his kids in the U.S., we would have more than a couple months of living together before also moving together. 
 
He has geographic limits, which are now my geographic limits. That was the first narrow-down. 
Within those limits I found all the programs I would like to apply to (there were about 7 or 8). From that list, he looked at the cities and states and decided which he would be OK with living in or not, and which ones actually had a relevant job market for him. 
 
If it were just us two, we'd live out of cardboard boxes nearly - we really don't care. But when you have little ones involved, the game gets a lot more stressful, and the stakes are a lot higher. 
 
From that list, we looked at which places have decent enough schools.
 
Now we're down to three. And even of those three, there's one he's very uncomfortable with, but he knows it's a dream program, so wants to support me if possible. I think he also feels indebted because I left my supremely posh overseas job to come be with him and help raise his kids. 
 
I had to come to the conclusion and agreement with myself, that if he chokes at the last minute, I will still move forward with my graduate career. I can't put my life on hold forever, and I know I would be resentful and unhealthy if I delayed this one more time. It has been a lifelong goal for me to attend graduate school, and is just about the only thing I am not willing to compromise on. I gave up a really sweet deal, a sweet life, job security and money, to come live in a crappy tiny town (I've never lived somewhere so small in my life), got rid of car because I can't afford it being a freelancer, and gritted my teeth at essentially being a stay-at-home stepparent (something I never, ever wanted... the stay-at-home part). So, I feel like I've given up a lot already. I wont' give up my PhD. I'd lose myself. And I think he knows that.
 
We are tremendously stressed out. I basically just finished moving in, and now we have to start packing up so that we can sell the house. We are also supposed to be getting married in the spring. One of our parents just landed in the ICU. We are under ungodly financial pressure for reasons I won't say here. He has a very well established private practice in town, owns his building and his home, and will have to give all of that up to move himself and his kids to ... we don't even know where yet.
 
With some kind of divine fortune, the kids have been kind of wanting to leave this town anyway, because it is so small and they know it. They are brilliant kids so we have to do right by them as far as schools, and keeping them here would be a really poor choice for them. That said, they are also hesitant and worry about going farther away from their other biological parent (even though they rarely see her as it is - once every two months or so), and are generally, normally, healthily worried about moving overall.
 
What my man and I have realized is that if we are able to endure this s*** all at once right at the beginning of our relationship.... then we are probably going to kick butt as a couple through basically anything that is thrown our way. And that gives us the confidence to go forward.
 
And that's how it is.

I don't know about you guys but I'm pretty fond of gaiety and society

Few ideas here:
 
1. It's not that you aren't qualified to be an administrative assistant, it's that you're overqualified. People do not want to hire clearly overqualified candidates because they know that person is just waiting around for something better. They'd rather invest in someone long-term.
 
2. It's best to do something even tangentially related to what you want to be doing. Otherwise you're kind of going backwards. Retail's not a good idea, unless with your crim justice degree you're thinking about becoming a loss prevention officer or coordinator or manager or something. Since you're taking lowest-level jobs anyways, why not go work low-level in a social organization of some kind? A non-profit that works on reducing recidivism, or that works with those already imprisoned to help them prepare for life after jail? Such places would take you on as an administrative assistant, because they know you want to be in their field.
 
3. If you can't work somewhere even remotely related, or even if you can, you might also try volunteering somewhere related. For example, there is a nationwide network of organizations that do something called victim-offender reconciliation. Why not become a volunteer mediator there? Or volunteering for a juvenile offender program as a tutor or mentor? Or try interning at a PD instead of becoming a PO. You can also look at the Sheriff's Office not just the PD, and you can also look at the PD training facilities. 
 
4. Reach out to someone in the field who is doing what you want to do. Perhaps that's a Deputy in the field; perhaps that's a researcher profiling criminals; whatever it is, take the time to craft a well thought e-mail and reach out to someone letting them know you're looking for a mentor or at least some short-term guidance.
 
5. Have you thought about going overseas for work? What about being a research at an overseas university? Many countries are developing their police department and security services to come up to higher standards. I'm sure they can use some of your help and expertise. 
 
What do you want to be doing?
What are some of your dream jobs?

Agree! ONLY apply to the schools you really feel are the right fit!
 
I'm only applying to three! 

Jeez... this thread is making me anxious just reading it!
 
It will all be OK everybody! It will all be OK!!!

I'd bet it's not an issue. And since you've already e-mailed there's not much else you can do unless you try phone calls. If you have been in contact with a POI, I might e-mail them, or the Department's Grad Coordinator, to ask what's up.
 
One of my applications is in limbo like this now too and it's driving me nuts. I emailed Grad Admissions to no resolution. Then I emailed the Department, who told me to email Grad Admissions. I waited a few days to see if it would resolve, then when it didn't resolve, I let the Department know what the GA Office's response was (yes, you have submitted the right materials, but we haven't updated our system to reflect that yet). The person at the Department said they'd make sure my application materials were properly forwarded to the Dept in time for their first meeting to review applications. 
 
But the website STILL shows me as missing or incomplete materials. It's driving me a little bonkers. 

I'm specifically interested in how UCSB, CU-Boulder, and UNM notify applicants, but why not share your own schools, too?
 
Does it come by paper mail? E-mail? Do you get a phone call? A singing telegram? Pigeon carrier drop it off? Bat signal in the sky?