Application Materials by Deadline?

[osunflower]

A lot of the admissions pages for philosophy PhD programs say that all materials need to be received by the deadline in order for the application to be considered. One of the schools I am applying to is due on the 5th of this month. I just realized that they only accept hard copies of transcripts, not the instant electronic copies. This means there is the possibility that my transcript will not get there by the 5th as I am just ordering it today. Does anyone know if they just toss out your application if the transcript is not there on time? Is there anything I can do about this?

[Olórin]

Call the office of graduate studies or its equivalent and ask if your electronic copy can suffice until the hard copy arrives. It could help if you can give them a delivery date. And you probably aren’t the only one because who would have expected they only take hard copies when everyone else takes digitals/unofficial. 

[maxhgns]

Send in your electronic transcript, order a hard copy to be sent by mail, and make a note of what you're doing somewhere in the application (e.g. the cover letter listing all the materials). If it makes it in time, great. If not, well, they might just cut you some slack on the understanding that you had to rely on the mail system to deliver it, rather than doing it yourself. If the rest of your application is online, then I suspect the hard copy requirement comes from the university, not the department, in which case they'll probably be willing to cut you some slack, especially if the hard copy does arrive.

FWIW, departments do regularly give people some slack where letters are concerned, since they know that profs are flaky. 

[celestialzebra]

I had this issue with a school in CA, I would just tell them the hard copy is on its way (if it really is) and ask if an electronic version (especially if your school has official electronic transcripts!) will suffice in the interim. Based on conversations I had with admissions folks, in most cases where hard copies are required, there is a period between when materials are due and when they start reviewing the applications, during which time all the materials are sorted and files for applicants are cobbled together out of the various pieces of paper. I think you will not be punished for getting in touch with the department