jferreir

I recently received notification that I was shortlisted for admission. After requesting clarification, I was told that the shortlist was equivalent to a waiting list, and that things would "work themselves out by mid-April". I then sent one final email requesting my rank/position on the waiting list, but received no response. Both of my emails were short and polite. Is there any reason why I'm being ignored? After reading these forums, most people seem to have positive results from emailing the graduate coordinator. So, in light of this apparent indifference, should I be preparing for the worst? The waiting list is like limbo - I have no idea what my probability for acceptance is.

I applied to two schools on Jan 8 and one school on Feb 3. I've received no official decision from any of the schools, but one school (Jan. app) did notify me through email that I have been placed on the waiting list. No word yet from the other two (still under review, not a delayed rejection).

I chose to email the director of graduate studies and, low and behold, no response. Bummer. I really hate being ignored - especially when I'm paying them to review at my application. Oh well, maybe I'll hit the sauce to get my mind of things.

Nope. Not one bit. While school reputation is important, it's definitely not the whole story. Many things should factor into your decision - proposed supervisor, faculty research, school resources, community, funding, etc. If you're pursuing graduate study simply for the title - which it sounds like you are (no offense) - then I think you're in it for the wrong reasons. Besides, there are still many fine schools within Canada that will provide you with an excellent education (Toronto and UBC come to mind). Personally, while I would have liked to apply to more schools, my financial situation simply did not allow it. Assuming 10 apps costs around $1,000, that is a serious chunk of money for someone already swimming in debt. I have my fingers crossed for at least 1/3!

Yes, I did contact a potential advisor previously, but I don't know if he's on the graduate committee. Since he is a relatively new hire (late 2007), I really don't think he would be able to properly answer those questions. Argh, I'm so afraid of stepping on toes, here. Any suggestions on how to word the request? Ideally, I would like to say that I'm trying to weigh/prioritize competing offers, but truthfully, I haven't heard anything from anyone else. I just need this information so I can sleep at night!

That was very reassuring, thank you! I would be willing to email the graduate coordinator, but I'm still not sure if this school is my top choice. The other front-runner hasn't sent out any notifications and my application is still under review. If you were in my position, would you: 1) Risk being an annoyance and send a cut-and-dry email to the graduate coordinator requesting more information (for the second time in 2 days), OR 2) Wait until you receive a response from the other university and then commit to saying that this school is your top choice, etc. etc.? I don't want to make any unwarranted assumptions, but my other top choice is ranked higher, so I assume my chances for acceptance will probably be lower (i.e. I may receive a rejection). I'm guessing notification will come around late March or early April. Thanks again for the input and sorry about my indecisiveness! I feel like a lost little boy...

Interesting point. I would agree, but I'm not sure if I can trick myself into believing something when I have so many insecurities. I just wish they would give us some indication of what our chances are. For instance, it would be helpful (merciful?) to know how many people are currently on the list, my rank within that list, and how many offers are usually extended to those on such a list (given past records). If I could do it again, I would explicitly request no correspondence other than admitted/not admitted.

My dreams continually change based on status updates! In my first dream, I received a file in the mail that said "REJECTED" in big red letters. If I remember correctly, it was from my backup school (which is where I did my UG - somewhat disheartening). I recently received notification that I'm on the waiting list for my first or second choice (still undecided), which was then followed by yet another perverse dream. In this second dream, I was the first applicant to be offered full admission with funding from the waiting list. My feelings of joy were then eclipsed with the realization that I was the backup. After accepting the offer, I flunked out and spiraled into 10 years of clinical depression followed by poverty/homelessness. In my third dream, I received a polite rejection letter from my final application. I then stood in my driveway, rejection letter in hand, and said "F***, my life is over. I'm never going to find a job." So far, three dreams for three applications. I can't wait until this is over!

Thanks for the replies! One says it's positive, the other says it's neutral. Ahhh, back to square one! I appreciate the suggestion of contacting the admissions offer, but I don't want to be a pain in the ass. Something tells me that he's busy enough... any other thoughts?

I received an email from my first or second choice (still can't decide), and it said the following: "Thank you for your application to School X, Program Y. We have placed you on a shortlist for admission. We will inform as soon as possible if we are able to offer you admission into our program." I thought there was a clear difference between a shortlist and a waiting list, but the final sentence had me wondering. So, I replied via email for clarification and this is the response I received: "Hi. Yes, it is a waiting list. And it is indeed because we only offer funding with admission that we are not now able to admit you. Things will work themselves out between now and mid-April." I know I read into things way too much, but do you think the implied message is that an offer of admission will be made by mid-April? Or conversely, is the admissions officer politely telling me to back off and wait like everyone else? Is there a general probability of acceptance for those on a waiting list? The policy stipulates that official notification is to be sent by post-mail only, so I don't know how significant the first email is. Upon reflection, I really wish I received no correspondence in the first place. I totally underestimated how nerve-racking this whole experience would be!

I need some clarification. I applied for the MA program at UBC and received the following in an email last night: "We have placed you on a shortlist for admission. We will inform as soon as possible if we are able to offer you admission into our program." What, exactly, does this mean? Is the shortlist the "second round", so to speak, where offers of admission are conditional upon previous offers being turned down? Or does this simply mean that they have narrowed down the list of applicants and are now investigating the top prospects? Someone posted that they received email notification of acceptance into the MA program, but I thought the policy was post-mail only. The comments above now have me wondering... I just want to know whether or not I should get my hopes up. Without funding, UBC is nothing more than a distant dream. Damn, this is torture! UPDATE: Apparently, UBC equates "shortlist" with "waiting list". Weird.