cubby

Hi all, I'm looking for some etiquette advice. I was officially rejected from a grad program about a month ago, and today I received an email from the director of the program encouraging me to reapply. I'm not sure how common it is to get emails like this (it's the first one like it that I've received), and the email itself was brief and just nonspecific enough that the same one could have been sent to others. My question is, should I respond? It seems like the polite thing to thank her and reiterate my respect for the program, but if it's a general/automated courtesy that many applicants receive, then maybe a response isn't appropriate. I didn't interview or anything, just got straight rejected. I'd love to hear what others have done in this situation. Thanks in advance!

Have you already tried negotiating with RISD? It's absolutely worth a shot to let them know that you got a better offer elsewhere and are on the fence, and to ask if they can give you more competitive funding. If that doesn't work, I agree with the previous comments. Unless you are significantly more excited about the faculty at RISD, I would vote for UW Madison. I strongly feel that it's not worth going into that level of debt just for the name on your CV. What's much more important is the work you come out of the program with, and it sounds like Madison is a better fit for you and would give you better support for focusing on your work.

Hello! Does anyone know how common it is for schools to give you news/interview invites over the phone? I am going to be abroad with no cell service for the next month and I am wondering if I need to be worried about missing calls. Is it a good idea to email the schools I applied to and let them know that I can't be reached by phone? Would really appreciate any advice!

Hi! I just applied to Penn MFA and I see that they ask all applicants for a recorded video interview. Has anyone done this and can give advice on how to prepare?