cardnav

I give up between 3 pm - 4, that's when my mail comes. I received an email in the morning, so I get less hopeful as the day goes on.

Remember the first rule of baking - share with everyone!

Agreed. We consciously know that most of this is bs, but it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who is waiting with bated breath for the mail to come.

Pretty much the same. I just wait for my Outlook to refresh itself (set to do so every minute) only to be disappointed when I get spam.

Well it's always a good sign if they remember your name. It means there was something in your application that stuck out with hundreds of applications the program receives. With that said, I wouldn't read too much into it. You don't know if the person remembered your name because they were just looking over your file or if they remember it because they were writing your decision letter.

On the embark system? Or some other website?

That's basically the reason. You can get more bang for your buck in other parts of the city.

I applied to more of a niche program, so I couldn't be picky about location. I cared about placement stats and academic reputation. As someone who is applying to an MA program, other factors were less of an issue since I know I can handle them for two years or so.

They'll probably charge an administrative withdrawal fee.

Perfect.

Agreed. Keep in mind in your withdrawl letter you don't have to mention specifics. Try to make it amicable, you never know when you make have to deal with the department again.

If it's not readily visible, try looking in the "for employers" section. Usually the school wants to brag about their success in order to attract more employers.

I stayed on the side of formality and used the proper titles. After I got in, I emailed an Admissions Coordinator and she said in her response to refer to her by her first name. I think it's always better to let them correct you.

That's how I feel...

I visited my top three, but had to pay for the trips myself, granted I arranged them before my application was complete, so they were definitely not going to pay. On my program's websites they listed who to contact -- I believe in all cases is was the graduate coordinator. They were really helpful and told me which hotels were closest to campus and the cheapest so I could minimize expenses like cabs etc. You aren't the first person to go visit so check the site, if it doesn't have any information call up the department and they'll fill you in on how arranging a visit works.

Mine had a generic headline "Name of Program Admissions Decision." It came at 12, my time (Eastern), but was sent at 11 Central Time.

As someone who grew up in Manhattan, I'd recommend avoiding the Lower East Side. The conventional wisdom is to avoid Harlem, but much of it is now gentrified, although if you were going to NYU it would be a long subway ride downtown.

pinkbrontosaurus, thank you for your insights. As a New Yorker, I've been wondering how a potential transition to Minneapolis would be. Also, I heard the Twin-Cities are pretty LGBT Friendly. Is there anyone who has experience with the gay community out there?

Agreed. For what you are going to pay in Newark (and save by not being mugged), you are better off living in Brooklyn or Queens. Manhattan is not cheap, but Brooklyn and Queens are generally more affordable. With the economy the way it is, prices have been falling in those areas. Keep in mind, just like areas of Manhattan there are areas in Brooklyn that you want to avoid.

I knew I was going to grad school, but it was always a question of what for? I ended up getting involved with my Undergrad's career services center and really enjoyed it. From there I became interested in Human Resources, so I decided to apply to grad school for it, so I could have a better grasp on the field.

I submitted 3. I had 1 more waiting the wings, but I got admitted to my first program extremely early (I found out on Halloween), so I decided not to apply to it. Still waiting on the first choice though.

From my understanding, short-listed means that you are on the top of their list, but so are several others. There may be 15 - 30 of you on the short-list and only 3 - 5 spots, so they want to invite you all out there to speak with you so that way they can get to know you as a person and make a more well-rounded decision, rather than just based on the application you submitted. It's obviously a good thing.

I read through most of these before I finally decided to stop and give my point of view. I think we are all in agreement that this is an appalling and unethical action. I would like everyone to remember that beyond forgery, which was previously stated, on all applications it says where you sign your name (either digitally or on paper) that if any of the information submitted is false it is grounds for legal action and removal from the school. I think the best course of action is to send an anonymous letter to the admissions committees as previously stated. It's fulfills your ethical obligation, while simultaneously allows you to publicly distance yourself from this individual.

When I had interviews I wore a suit to the Ivy League school (I'm a male), but wore a slacks an a collared shirt to the others (they were during the summer and a suit in 90 degree weather wasn't going to happen). I don't think you need to wear a suit, but slacks/appropriate length skirt and a nice blouse/sweater should be appropriate. I wouldn't go any less than "business casual".

I completely agree that it doesn't help. I heard from one of my "match level" a little while ago, but until I hear from my Top Choice ["reach school"], I don't think I can feel calm.