Spring Break

[bluellie]

Since March is upon us, those of us still waiting (patiently?) for answers have to contend with the prospect of spring break. Do adcoms take an entire week off from judging us unworthy, and, thus, we are faced with another week of nail-biting silence from the universities or do adcoms use the time normally spent on classes to buckle down and get results out?

Though at this point, it might be nice to prolong the delusion for a little more...

[fuzzylogician]

I'm sure it depends on the school. However, since it's only a week and it's not like people with families are very likely to up and go someplace in the middle of the year, I'd guess that at least some adcom members will be in their offices at least some of the time. Now, if they have committee meetings scheduled for that week--who knows?

[piccgeek]

The thing about spring break is that you're just as likely to receive your decision as any other week in March, however, it's impossible to contact the department and the admin coordinator. At least, that as my experience last round. I went home for spring break, and when I got back there were four decision letters in my snail mail box, three rejects and 1 acceptance, and I know for a fact that the school that accepted me was on spring break when they sent the letter. But when I tried to contact that same school over the break to ask them some question or another, all was silent.

[FoggyAnhinga]

I'm guessing they probably won't send (very few if any) decision emails out during spring break but immediately before and towards the end (around sunday-ish) who knows?

[oldlady]

In my experience, profs don't work over Spring Break, but admins do. So if letters are sent over Break, it's because the content was created by the profs before Break for the admins to send during Break.

[expressionista]

One of the schools I applied to has said several times (on their website, in mass emails, in personal emails, etc.) that they will send admissions decisions by March 13, which is next Saturday, but they're also on spring break all week. Based on previous years' admissions results, it looks like they will actually stick to this deadline, so I guess that means someone is working this week.

Edited March 7, 2010 by expressionista

[FoggyAnhinga]

One of the schools I applied to has said several times (on their website, in mass emails, in personal emails, etc.) that they will send admissions decisions by May 13, which is next Saturday, but they're also on spring break all week. Based on previous years' admissions results, it looks like they will actually stick to this deadline, so I guess that means someone is working this week.

haha i hope you meant march 13, because May 13 will be very cruel time for decisions to arrive.

[expressionista]

Oh man, definitely March 13! May 13 would be horrible! I keep mixing up March and May (like, this is probably the 10th time I've done it in writing already this month). I think it's because I'm so ready for it to be May already.

[Str2T]

It definitely depends on the school. At my current grad program the profs/adcoms are around and meeting during spring break (starting next week) but the administration staff is not. So, even if the adcoms came to an agreement, the notifications wouldn't go out until the department secretary returned the following week. My goal for spring break is to not think about pending phd applications. I have plenty of poetry portfolios to grade, and if I want to get them done I can't be checking my email every couple of hours. I'm going to think of spring break as a brief break from application season as well.

[digits2006]

Yeah one of my schools said that arent meeting over spring break. So it wont be until the 19th or later until i hear something

[rising_star]

I'm guessing they probably won't send (very few if any) decision emails out during spring break but immediately before and towards the end (around sunday-ish) who knows?

I know the spring break at all of my universities (BA, MA, PhD) has not meant that administrators aren't working.

In my experience, profs don't work over Spring Break, but admins do. So if letters are sent over Break, it's because the content was created by the profs before Break for the admins to send during Break.

I think oldlady and I have had opposite experiences here. My professors do work over Spring Break, though it may not be in terms of reading applications. They also expect me to do work, in addition to doing work of their own. I'll probably take a total of 3 days off, out of the 9 days we have.

[FoggyAnhinga]

Well, my spring break is the last week of March, so I REALLY hope I'll receive all decisions before then. Otherwise I'll have to expect unpleasant, or, if I'm lucky, very pleasant gifts after the break.

[Emilee]

It's funny how applications make you dread things that you used to cherish (e.g. winter break, weekends, spring break). I used to love these breaks because they meant that I got to finally relax a bit. Now, they mean I have to wait extra days before I can anticipate getting a response from an adcomm.

[FoggyAnhinga]

It's funny how applications make you dread things that you used to cherish (e.g. winter break, weekends, spring break). I used to love these breaks because they meant that I got to finally relax a bit. Now, they mean I have to wait extra days before I can anticipate getting a response from an adcomm.

brings back memories back in high school senior year when i was waiting for last bit of undergraduate application results... now it looks like i might have to endure that experience AGAIN, unless these admission folks pace it up.

[eastcoastdude123]

Well I called my top choice over their Spring Break and asked when they'd be sending out notifications, and they'd told me they put them in the mail the previous Friday. So I pried a little deeper, and asked if they knew whether or not I got in, fully expecting to get my feelings hurt, and it turns out that I did get in!!!

Edited March 10, 2010 by eastcoastdude123

[nycrican2]

Boy, I am so happy to have found this thread, I had not even thought about how Spring Break might delay my decision admission. Well, I just checked and found out that the college that I applied to does not start their Spring Break until April 4th. Therefore, I am now more confident of hearing something about my admission decision sometime this month.

[nycrican2]

Well I called my top choice over their Spring Break and asked when they'd be sending out notifications, and they'd told me they put them in the mail the previous Friday. So I pried a little deeper, and asked if they knew whether or not I got in, fully expecting to get my feelings hurt, and it turns out that I did get in!!!

Wow, that is great news. Congrats!!

[ootg]

Well I called my top choice over their Spring Break and asked when they'd be sending out notifications, and they'd told me they put them in the mail the previous Friday. So I pried a little deeper, and asked if they knew whether or not I got in, fully expecting to get my feelings hurt, and it turns out that I did get in!!!

Congratulations on getting into your top choice school!