Temple is really pissing me off

[JackieW]

All right, so I haven't heard anything from Temple University yet. I don't think I've been accepted, and I'm actually fine with that. BUT, they've been pretty douchey to me over the application process.

A few months ago, I got an email from them saying that one of my LoR writers hadn't submitted her letter yet. Perfectly normal, right? Well, they made two mistakes in this email. Firstly, they addressed me as "Bridgette" (as you might be able to guess from my clever username my name, indeed, is not Bridgette), and secondly, my professor HAD sent in her LoR. She had submitted it electronically, and when I logged onto my online application, I was able to see the date and time submitted. My recommender was also able to look at a PDF version of her letter through the system. She did re-send the letter for them, but was annoyed.

And, well, seeing as it's a PhD program, they're supposed to let me know by April 15th if I'm in. It's April 4th, and I haven't heard a word! I've emailed two separate people asking when I will hear something, and I haven't received any sort of response. I know these people are busy, but for a $60 application fee, I could at least get a simple email that says "sometime soon," for god's sake! While I'm sure this means I haven't gotten in, I WOULD like to know.

All right, end of that rant.

[muffinlit]

Haven't heard from them either. I finally emailed them two days ago, but from the sounds of it I shouldn't hold my breath.

BUT know you aren't alone.. I actually haven't heard a peep from a handful of schools, and I finally emailed them all out of sheer aggravation.

[hopefulJ2010]

Haven't heard from them either. I finally emailed them two days ago, but from the sounds of it I shouldn't hold my breath.

BUT know you aren't alone.. I actually haven't heard a peep from a handful of schools, and I finally emailed them all out of sheer aggravation.

temple sent an email saying all funding offers have been made. so you're either out or in unfunded (like me) at this point. muffinlit-- as for northeastern i got invited to apply to the MA but haven't heard back. even though i accepted another offer, i told them to throw my name in the pool for curiosity (i think i told you this all haha). don't look for an updated status pg on their site though-- mine was an email address "NU Admissions Inquiry" and I'm wondering if she just looked me up bc i was asking. good luck guys! penn state also hasn't made a peep in my direction so it is indeed annoying.

[muffinlit]

temple sent an email saying all funding offers have been made. so you're either out or in unfunded (like me) at this point. muffinlit-- as for northeastern i got invited to apply to the MA but haven't heard back. even though i accepted another offer, i told them to throw my name in the pool for curiosity (i think i told you this all haha). don't look for an updated status pg on their site though-- mine was an email address "NU Admissions Inquiry" and I'm wondering if she just looked me up bc i was asking. good luck guys! penn state also hasn't made a peep in my direction so it is indeed annoying.

Where did you decide to go HopefulJ?

[hopefulJ2010]

Where did you decide to go HopefulJ?

Lehigh! can't wait any longer for Penn State or Northeastern to make their decision on the MA app.

[muffinlit]

Lehigh! can't wait any longer for Penn State or Northeastern to make their decision on the MA app.

Congrats! Must feel good to be done.

[hadunc]

All right, so I haven't heard anything from Temple University yet. I don't think I've been accepted, and I'm actually fine with that. BUT, they've been pretty douchey to me over the application process.

A few months ago, I got an email from them saying that one of my LoR writers hadn't submitted her letter yet. Perfectly normal, right? Well, they made two mistakes in this email. Firstly, they addressed me as "Bridgette" (as you might be able to guess from my clever username my name, indeed, is not Bridgette), and secondly, my professor HAD sent in her LoR. She had submitted it electronically, and when I logged onto my online application, I was able to see the date and time submitted. My recommender was also able to look at a PDF version of her letter through the system. She did re-send the letter for them, but was annoyed.

And, well, seeing as it's a PhD program, they're supposed to let me know by April 15th if I'm in. It's April 4th, and I haven't heard a word! I've emailed two separate people asking when I will hear something, and I haven't received any sort of response. I know these people are busy, but for a $60 application fee, I could at least get a simple email that says "sometime soon," for god's sake! While I'm sure this means I haven't gotten in, I WOULD like to know.

All right, end of that rant.

I just found out today that I got accepted to Temple. It says in the email that they will have funding in place "in two weeks." 2 WEEKS??? Are they kidding me? That's past the April 15th deadline! Can they even do that? I didn't even think I was going to hear back from them, and I've already accepted another offer. Their loss I suppose.

[limeinthecoconut]

I am not in Lit, but applied to Temple for another discipline. I noticed that my transcripts were recorded as missing. Emailed the dept, no reply. Emailed the dept, no reply again. Finally emailed again to ask about decision status. Was told that my transcripts didn't arrive. Showed them the Fedex signature of one of their staff members. Was given some crappy excuse, and said my application was not reviewed. I was almost tempted to ask for my money back. But, whatevers.

[hopefulJ2010]

I just found out today that I got accepted to Temple. It says in the email that they will have funding in place "in two weeks." 2 WEEKS??? Are they kidding me? That's past the April 15th deadline! Can they even do that? I didn't even think I was going to hear back from them, and I've already accepted another offer. Their loss I suppose.

hadunc, that's kind of crappy but amazing at the same time. i got my mail letter 3 weeks ago and inquired about funding the next day-- they already knew i had none. then the email on thursday said 2 weeks for funding and i double-checked and the DGS said there was none for me to confirm and that all funding decisions had gone out. they're a bit scattered, to say the least.

[Glossed]

In addition to being scattered, they are not nearly as friendly as many of the schools with whom I've had contact--I know everyone is busy, but a little love goes a long way!

[muffinlit]

Just want to add this little gem to the mix... I emailed asking about my status and this was the response:

Good Day Danielle,

Your application has completed the review process. You should be receiving your letter shortly.

Thank You

Wow. At least I got a good day?

I guess they value brevity and tight writing at Temple.

[JackieW]

hadunc, how did you find out--- email, letter, telepathy?

I've already accepted another offer too (a MA, but it's fully funded!), but now I'm just curious.

[lifealive]

Temple is EXTREMELY douchey.

I applied last year, and they totally jerked me around. I got in in late Feb. but with no funding details. I emailed the department to discover that the department considered me a "great fit" and that I had been nominated for a university-wide fellowship--whoopee! I thought for sure that I had funding locked up. Nope. By this time last year, I still had NO CLUE about funding. So after repeated calls and emails to the department (over the span of a week) I learned that not only had I not gotten this mysterious fellowship, but that I had not received a TA-ship either. I went from being a supposed "fellowship-nominee" to being on a waitlist for a TA-ship. They told me the same thing: that I would have to sweat out the funding game until April 16th. I was told that if I didn't receive funding, I was free to pay my own way. (At Temple, really? Who the hell pays for Temple?)

I was pretty disappointed with the department's lack of follow-up and professionalism. I had taken a day off work and spent $150 to fly to Philadelphia to meet with a potential adviser, but when it came to funding, they would NOT give me a straight-up answer. Had they been upfront in February--had they said, "no, we don't fund everyone and there is a real chance that you will not get funding"--I would have proceeded accordingly (and I certainly wouldn't have blown through a vacation day). But their lack of transparency really pissed me off.

[pouic]

I had the same problem with another university. Just call them. That's the best way to get hold of them.

Edited April 6, 2010 by pouic

[hadunc]

hadunc, how did you find out--- email, letter, telepathy?

I've already accepted another offer too (a MA, but it's fully funded!), but now I'm just curious.

It was an email from someone named Sharon Logan. I've had the same communication problems with Temple as everyone else here. My transcripts and test scores were listed as missing until March 17th. I emailed them to ask what was going on and never got a reply. I could have put more effort into contacting them but after I got my first admit I was pretty sure I wouldn't be accepting an offer from them anyway. And from what other people are saying, it looks like I made the right decision.

[JackieW]

It was an email from someone named Sharon Logan. I've had the same communication problems with Temple as everyone else here. My transcripts and test scores were listed as missing until March 17th. I emailed them to ask what was going on and never got a reply. I could have put more effort into contacting them but after I got my first admit I was pretty sure I wouldn't be accepting an offer from them anyway. And from what other people are saying, it looks like I made the right decision.

Ah yes. Good ol' Sharon is the one who called me Bridgette.

[janehawley]

I also got an acceptance to the Temple PhD Lit program through an e-mail this week that also had the 2 weeks funding line, but I never got my hard copy letter. I wonder if I'd been accepted since February, but just never got the info??? I made a call to the director today, but he asked me to call back tomorrow so that he could actually spend time speaking with me. He sounded hurried, but like he still wanted to talk to prospective students.

I'm thinking maybe the English dept. doesn't even know what their funding is yet... Or maybe the graduate school decides who gets the fellowships/TAships?

Anyway, I'll post the information I find out.

[hopefulJ2010]

I also got an acceptance to the Temple PhD Lit program through an e-mail this week that also had the 2 weeks funding line, but I never got my hard copy letter. I wonder if I'd been accepted since February, but just never got the info??? I made a call to the director today, but he asked me to call back tomorrow so that he could actually spend time speaking with me. He sounded hurried, but like he still wanted to talk to prospective students.

I'm thinking maybe the English dept. doesn't even know what their funding is yet... Or maybe the graduate school decides who gets the fellowships/TAships?

Anyway, I'll post the information I find out.

I feel like a broken record but I'm trying to help everyone! Alan Singer told me all the funding decisions were already sent out-- I know I didn't receive one. I actually am one of the lucky ones who received a hard copy letter though!

[janehawley]

I feel like a broken record but I'm trying to help everyone! Alan Singer told me all the funding decisions were already sent out-- I know I didn't receive one. I actually am one of the lucky ones who received a hard copy letter though!

Thanks for the help. Do you think that they would have put the funding info. in the hard copy letter? I just don't understand why they would send out an e-mail saying that funding decisions were going to be made in 2 weeks. Do you think that they'll reassess funding after people accept/reject?

Or maybe they're just sending e-mails out like that for fun!

Edited April 8, 2010 by janehawley

[janehawley]

Say you didn't get funding anywhere. Should you go? Or wait another year and try again for funding the next year?

[lifealive]

Say you didn't get funding anywhere. Should you go? Or wait another year and try again for funding the next year?

I'd say wait another year. Going without funding--especially at a PhD program--shouldn't even be an option.