Most schools I've applied to are good about returning e-mails. This is what I sent to Columbia and they got back to me 2 hours later.
Dear Sir/Madame,
I am writing to inquire about the status of my submission. I am really sorry to bother you, but my status on my application still says Complete/At Department, and I am getting anxious. If you could please e-mail me back to just let me know where in the process I am I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
You might want to add your contact info. Mine's embedded in my e-mail.<br clear="all">
