Ugh May indeed. Though could you tell if that response was more "yes, we are running behind a bit...notifications won't go out until May" or "as specified on the website, the SSRC will notifiy all applicants of decisions by May?" (out of curiosity/increasing frustration over not knowing)
Yes, I thought it was one batch as well, though I just checked my email from last year, and my request then was Jan 28 -- not the 25th as yours (and many others according to last year's thread) was, Nescafe. The only two explanations I can think of are that I'm towards the end of the alphabet and that my field has a perpetual tardiness problem. (i.e. professors who read these things were late, but both years?) Though I bet it's neither.
I just got a transcript request on Mon Feb 6 at 4:35 pm EST. In case this information is useful to anyone, I had applied and sent in my transcripts last year as well.