What do you do when you get an email from a school you applied to

[martizzle]

Well this morning, I got an email from CMU titled as such (or something similar) and I knew it was a decision - the subject of the email clearly stated it. - So here is what I did before opening the email:

STEP 1 - I stared at the email for like 30 seconds, without opening it (thank God for email apps that do not show you previews)

STEP 2 - I looked through ALL my other (20 odd) emails

STEP 3 - I prayed for like 2/3 mins

STEP 4 - I got on my knees and thought about my life and how much I needed to get accepted into CMU (Carnegie Mellon Univ)

STEP 5 - I got distracted by random unfocused thoughts (I could not concentrate)

STEP 6 - I did the only logical thing to do: I opened a chinese fortune cookie

STEP 7 - I prayed again (still on my knees)

STEP 8 - I got distracted again

STEP 9 - I Google'd the person who sent me the email (He works in student services).

STEP 10- I prayed some more

Then I opened the email...CMU rejected me. After everything I jut did!!! They rejected me??? Have they no respect for what I just went through to open the email??? FYI: Apparently, rejections suck... lol

If you did anything odd/weird/interesting when you got an email/letter or other such notification from a graduate school you applied to, or you have a ritual you do before reading said notification, please share.

Edited March 11, 2010 by martizzle

[FoggyAnhinga]

when i got email from one of the schools (the only school that has responded so far) I closed my eyes for 5 minutes and thought about how much my life would change, how ecstatic I'll be, etc. but then opposing thoughts such as will I get enough funding, would it be affordable for me to attend there, would I actually like it there started racing around my head. after five minutes of complicated thoughts with eyes closed I made a cup of tea, took slow sips, and clicked the message ever so gingerly, and YAAaaayyyy.....huhhhhhh??? it was a rejection.

[johndiligent]

I was just telling my brother that I was really thankful that when I've received positive decisions via e-mail, the subject line has never been ambiguous. It's been like "Subject: Congratulations!" or "Subject: Good News from School". I'm really glad it's never been something like "Decision Concerning Your Application" because then I still wouldn't have opened it.

[khamylak]

I got 2 letters in the mail on Monday. I tore the end off the first one and then decided the room I was in wasn't "right"... so I moved to the kitchen table. First letter was a wait list. Oh disappointment. Second letter. Second letter is obviously going to be a step up- an acceptance! Deep breath, tore off the end, slowly unfolded, (should have switched rooms- obviously the table was not the right place), and there it was- a rejection. And then I cried and hid the letters in my nightstand drawer thinking I would tell my husband later that night. Still have not told a soul, besides you all.

Today I got another letter. Thinking I've got 1 rejection, 1 wait list, here's my 1 acceptance! Noooooope. Damn wait list again. To the nightstand drawer you go.

I am picturing the day I get my first acceptance letter or my last wait list/rejection letter and how I am going to dump all my other letters on my husband's lap and let him read them himself as I sit and cry (hopefully happy tears of being accepted somewhere).

[glamgal198]

I got 2 letters in the mail on Monday. I tore the end off the first one and then decided the room I was in wasn't "right"... so I moved to the kitchen table. First letter was a wait list. Oh disappointment. Second letter. Second letter is obviously going to be a step up- an acceptance! Deep breath, tore off the end, slowly unfolded, (should have switched rooms- obviously the table was not the right place), and there it was- a rejection. And then I cried and hid the letters in my nightstand drawer thinking I would tell my husband later that night. Still have not told a soul, besides you all.

Today I got another letter. Thinking I've got 1 rejection, 1 wait list, here's my 1 acceptance! Noooooope. Damn wait list again. To the nightstand drawer you go.

I am picturing the day I get my first acceptance letter or my last wait list/rejection letter and how I am going to dump all my other letters on my husband's lap and let him read them himself as I sit and cry (hopefully happy tears of being accepted somewhere).

Hey! I'm also applying to SLP programs! It is so hardest thing ever not checking the mailbox every hour praying for some kind of notification from a school. I honestly prefer to just be out right rejected over being waitlisted, ANYTHING but to be waitlisted!!! Just put me out of my misery now, I can't stand to wait another month to find out i'm rejected, I'm going crazy!!! Good luck to you, I've yet to get an acceptance also, but the moment I do I'm going to by the whole bar drinks, lol.

[origin415]

As a general rule of thumb, ambiguous titles like 'Admissions decision' are bad news, good news will sound like 'official offer of admission' or 'offer letter' or something like that, at least in my experience.

[joro]

I normally open every other email before that particular email.

Here are the titles for the schools I was accepted to:

Decisions Are Available Online

Admission and Fellowship Award

Rejection:

Graduate Application Decision Notification

[mmm35]

I am more of the open as fast as humanely possible school of thought, but before hearing from the top choice school I was very superstitious in that I thought if I had any negative thoughts I wouldn't get in. So I'd walk around the city thinking things like oh wow, that woman is wearing a beautiful dress and that guy was so kind to hold the elevator door for me all the time and correcting myself the second I had a negative thought. I figured that if I thought I would get in I would get in so it was best to think only positive things. On days when I'd had negative thoughts I would hope not to hear anything that day and purposely not check the mail.

I got the e-mail on a Sunday night around 7 with only the school's name in the title and opened it as fast as my shaking hands could then immediately hyperventilated and called my boyfriend and could not even breathe well enough to tell him that I got in, haha. I can't remember if I had had positive or negative thoughts that day though .

[soda pop]

On Tuesday, the group I volunteer mentor with did an exercise where we each (mentors and kids alike) had to say one goal we had and what the conflict was. I said that I was trying to be more patient because I was so anxious about waiting to hear back from grad schools and that the conflict was that I was not expecting to hear for 1-2 weeks more and that it was consuming my thoughts and driving me bananas. The very sweet kids all wished me luck and hoped that maybe by next week I would have my answer.

Back at my office, ONE HOUR LATER, I got an email from my #1 dream school with the subject title: Your (school name) Application. I literally gasped at my office desk. I was in the middle of a project, and I knew that either way, bad or good news would completely take me out of it, so with my heart beating a little faster I spent 20 mintues finishing the project. Then I took a deep breath and with a shaky hand opened the email. The message I received was "Your admissions decision is now available online". My heart started beating so fast I felt like I could hear it. I clicked the link which took me to my online application status. I logged on, now in a frenzy and lo and behold...another link! Now, with my heart practically leaping out of my chest, I clicked on the final link and opened up a letter that started "Dear Soda pop, CONGRATULATIONS..."

oh. my. goodness. I sat in shock, staring at the computer screen. I re-read it just to make sure I didn't get it wrong.

I took a deep breath, printed out the letter and walked to the other side of the office where my best friend in the whole world sits. I know I am very lucky to work in the same office as my very best friend. I asked him to please meet me in the kitchen and my voice was a bit trembly so he followed me there. In the kitchen, I gave him the letter and he read it as I started to cry. It was crazy. Then we hugged it out and he burst out of the kitchen announcing to everyone "Soda Pop just got into Dream School!!!!!!" this was followed by applause and hugs of congratulations.

then I called my parents.

best. day. ever.

[jlee306]

When I got the email, I was in the school's crowded computer lab. The email had the director's name under the "From" and had "Specialist Program" in the subject area. I knew it was the decision because I had been told at the interview that we would be receiving the decision in a email that day with the official letters soon to follow. As soon as I saw the email, I said "Oh my gosh!" out loud. I sat there for about 5 minutes staring and trying to lower my heart rate...it didn't work. I finally opened the email while saying "please, please, please..." to myself. The first thing I saw was "Congratulations!" I gasped really loud, grabbed my heart, and scared the girl next to me. I'm glad the email didn't continue by saying "Congratulations, you have not be selected!" or I would have been really embarrassed!

[coyabean]

Still have not told a soul, besides you all.

Today I got another letter. Thinking I've got 1 rejection, 1 wait list, here's my 1 acceptance! Noooooope. Damn wait list again. To the nightstand drawer you go.

I am picturing the day I get my first acceptance letter or my last wait list/rejection letter and how I am going to dump all my other letters on my husband's lap and let him read them himself as I sit and cry (hopefully happy tears of being accepted somewhere).

Awwww, honey. If I was there and, you know, not some disembodied e-person we'd totally hug this out.

As a general rule of thumb, ambiguous titles like 'Admissions decision' are bad news, good news will sound like 'official offer of admission' or 'offer letter' or something like that, at least in my experience.

Not true for me. I got an email with subject "FW: Decision Notification" that was an acceptance. I thought, with that subject line, that it was surely a rejection.

[martizzle]

And then I cried and hid the letters in my nightstand drawer thinking I would tell my husband later that night. Still have not told a soul, besides you all.

Today I got another letter. Thinking I've got 1 rejection, 1 wait list, here's my 1 acceptance! Noooooope. Damn wait list again. To the nightstand drawer you go.

I am picturing the day I get my first acceptance letter or my last wait list/rejection letter and how I am going to dump all my other letters on my husband's lap and let him read them himself as I sit and cry (hopefully happy tears of being accepted somewhere).

same thing...i didnt tell my gf that i got rejected by four schools until yesterday when she found out my 'secret' website - thegradcafe - that i always go to and saw my profile and comments....actually she saw only three. I got a fourth this morning....I will let her know about that as soon as I get an acceptance...its will probably most likely, definitely, almost assuredly, practically be emotional lol..i know how it feels...this process is emotionally draining...it takes a lot out of us

[JerryLandis]

After waiting this long for these silly emails, I definitely don't dawdle before opening them! I click the link right away. Today, though, I got an email from a program that I've known would reject me since early February, when they notified their admits. Since visiting the campus, I don't even have any interest in ever going there, so I don't really care that they don't want me. By now, I was assuming they just weren't even going to bother notifying the reject pool. But to my surprise, they emailed me today and advised me to click on a link heading to the application page. I wondered to myself, "Maybe I should just not check it. I know they aren't accepting me, so if I don't check it, then I've never really received the rejection and I don't have to feel so insulted..." I ended up just reading the rejection letter in case it said anything informative about the decision, which it didn't. Ah well.

Telling people about rejections is quite annoying because you just know you're going to get that "aw, I'm so sorry" reaction which only makes you feel worse. I've gotten over my rejections very quickly, within seconds (since I knew to expect them), but people's pity when they hear about it makes me feel worse than receiving the actual letter!

[RLJedi]

I saw one in the stack of mail and took it inside. I set it aside as I went through the rest of the mail ... then I opened it to find: Wait List!

A few days later I came home and took the mail out of the mailbox, saw the envelope, dropped the rest of the mail and ripped open the envelope immediately ... then I opened it to find: Wait List!

I've tried it two different ways and have the same result. I'm not sure how or where I'm going to open the next one.

Edited March 12, 2010 by RLJedi

[ootg]

I've realized that you cannot really read into the titles of the emails, unless it is Congratulations or Good News From The School. A number of my emails were on the vein as Admission Decision Is Now Available, and they all turned out to be rejections. So, I am hoping for a letter from the school instead.

[afritz87]

I've been opening emails from schools at lightning speed, preferring to just rip the band-aid off. But maybe when I see an email or an unopened letter from my top choice I'll be a bit more ceremonial about it. I like what some previous posters have said about taking a few minutes before opening to meditate on the meaning of the decision either way.

I guess the only unusual thing for me is that, as a long time non-believer in wishing on things like eyelashes and 11:11am/pm etc., I've actually been wishing for this acceptance. Can't hurt, right

[coyabean]

same thing...i didnt tell my gf that i got rejected by four schools until yesterday when she found out my 'secret' website - thegradcafe - that i always go to and saw my profile and comments....actually she saw only three. I got a fourth this morning....I will let her know about that as soon as I get an acceptance...its will probably most likely, definitely, almost assuredly, practically be emotional lol..i know how it feels...this process is emotionally draining...it takes a lot out of us

I had a real life friend find me here, too. I took down all of my blog posts. I don't know why but I just don't want all of this exposed and spilling over into real life. It's been weird.

[monkeefugg]

When I got the email, I was in the school's crowded computer lab. The email had the director's name under the "From" and had "Specialist Program" in the subject area. I knew it was the decision because I had been told at the interview that we would be receiving the decision in a email that day with the official letters soon to follow. As soon as I saw the email, I said "Oh my gosh!" out loud. I sat there for about 5 minutes staring and trying to lower my heart rate...it didn't work. I finally opened the email while saying "please, please, please..." to myself. The first thing I saw was "Congratulations!" I gasped really loud, grabbed my heart, and scared the girl next to me. I'm glad the email didn't continue by saying "Congratulations, you have not be selected!" or I would have been really embarrassed!

Congratulations, you have not been selected!

[Mmphln]

I have found in my experience that acceptance and rejection letters are vague in their titles, I have received an admission with the title: 'Status of Your Application' and a rejection with the title 'Your Application'. I used to think I could tell if the mail package was big or small, but this year I received three admission letters in little envelopes.

So yeah, in any case, I do everything else that I possibly have on my agenda for the day before I open it, because like was said, you can't concentrate on anything after if you either get in or don't get in. Then I usually sit and stare at it for a minute before screwing up my eyes and clicking on the link or opening the envelope. Then I open it and read it, and either receive the sinking feeling that lasts for a bit, or the irrepressible smile that comes to my face for a while

[Slarti]

I used to think I could tell if the mail package was big or small, but this year I received three admission letters in little envelopes.

Georgia Tech's undergraduate admissions package is huge! It has brochures and all these forms in it and says "Congratulations!!" in big letters on the front.

All the graduate admission letters I've gotten have just been a sheet or two in a normal envelope.

I am more of the open as fast as humanely possible school of thought

Ditto. I woke up one morning and when I was turning off my alarm to go back to bed, I noticed I had an email from Berkeley ("Decision Notification"). I immediately got up and turned on my computer so I could login to the online site, even though I knew it was a reject.

[The Pseudo grad student]

The first email I recieved today from a school told me right in the subject line that I was admitted so I had nothing to fear opening the email there. The second email came stating "Letter from school". I just went for it knowing the result. Except there was some delay because I was trying to open the document in my iPod and when it opened I could hardly read it but I knew just by the shortness of the letter that I was rejected. They could have been nicer about it but no, that's too hard fir them.

It's so f*ing coincidental that the hour I felt bad about not applying to my dream school in the fear of being rejected, I was rejected by my top choice. I guess I know now that if I had applied for my dream school that I would be rejected also because this top school has a lower quality program than my dream school.

I'm trying to hold back the tears and negativity in fear that another letter in the mail might tell me that I'm rejected from another school.

LESSON: don't ever be negative or you'll end up getting a rejection

sorry about my ranting, maybe it's not the best time for me to be on the gradcafe posting in my current condition. Just thanks for letting me vent.

[anxiousapplicant]

The first email I recieved today from a school told me right in the subject line that I was admitted so I had nothing to fear opening the email there. The second email came stating "Letter from school". I just went for it knowing the result. Except there was some delay because I was trying to open the document in my iPod and when it opened I could hardly read it but I knew just by the shortness of the letter that I was rejected. They could have been nicer about it but no, that's too hard fir them.

It's so f*ing coincidental that the hour I felt bad about not applying to my dream school in the fear of being rejected, I was rejected by my top choice. I guess I know now that if I had applied for my dream school that I would be rejected also because this top school has a lower quality program than my dream school.

I'm trying to hold back the tears and negativity in fear that another letter in the mail might tell me that I'm rejected from another school.

LESSON: don't ever be negative or you'll end up getting a rejection

sorry about my ranting, maybe it's not the best time for me to be on the gradcafe posting in my current condition. Just thanks for letting me vent.

My lesson--don't be positive, either. This morning I was excitedly telling my mom I can't wait to hear from the rest of my schools, and I went and checked my email and lo and behold, Brown gave me the big hell no. I wasn't upset though, b/c I wasn't expecting acceptance anyway.

[martizzle]

My lesson--don't be positive, either. This morning I was excitedly telling my mom I can't wait to hear from the rest of my schools, and I went and checked my email and lo and behold, Brown gave me the big hell no. I wasn't upset though, b/c I wasn't expecting acceptance anyway.

it sucks...this irony...you feel so up/confident and BAM! some grad school knocks you down Good luck to you though

[ootg]

My lesson--don't be positive, either. This morning I was excitedly telling my mom I can't wait to hear from the rest of my schools, and I went and checked my email and lo and behold, Brown gave me the big hell no. I wasn't upset though, b/c I wasn't expecting acceptance anyway.

Yeah. I get what you mean. It's amazing how much we stall what we are doing in our lives during these few weeks, as if our whole lives depended on it. I was so much calmer earlier on, when I wasn't fretting over admissions...

[martizzle]

Yeah. I get what you mean. It's amazing how much we stall what we are doing in our lives during these few weeks, as if our whole lives depended on it. I was so much calmer earlier on, when I wasn't fretting over admissions...

same here...now I'm always looking out the window for the UPS/FedEx trucks...checking emails all the time...thinking of all the possible outcomes and such...its crazy.