Environmental Management and Policy 2020

[alaqua]

7 hours ago, tillyk said:

Michigan SEAS people, are we expecting decisions this week? (Obviously there’s no way to know for sure but I think this is when decisions came out last year)

 

6 hours ago, WatercolorPainter said:

I hope so! The sense I got from talking to admissions counselors and reviewing past results is that we should hear back from SEAS and NSOE this week. Can't stop refreshing my email! ?

I was expecting to hear back from SEAS this week, too. But when I wrote an email to ask about it, the admission staff replied “you will receive an email before March”. I was shocked. Didn’t expect them to set such a late(?) deadline for admission decisions.

However, I strong believe that we will receive the decision soon. Hope we can all get in!!

[WatercolorPainter]

51 minutes ago, alaqua said:

 

I was expecting to hear back from SEAS this week, too. But when I wrote an email to ask about it, the admission staff replied “you will receive an email before March”. I was shocked. Didn’t expect them to set such a late(?) deadline for admission decisions.

However, I strong believe that we will receive the decision soon. Hope we can all get in!!

Interesting - maybe they had a larger number of applicants this year... Hopefully results will come before the end of February, but I guess we'll have to wait and see!

[zuph123]

15 hours ago, alaqua said:

 

I was expecting to hear back from SEAS this week, too. But when I wrote an email to ask about it, the admission staff replied “you will receive an email before March”. I was shocked. Didn’t expect them to set such a late(?) deadline for admission decisions.

However, I strong believe that we will receive the decision soon. Hope we can all get in!!

That's really strange - when I spoke with the Admissions Director last month, he seemed really confident that decisions would be out mid-February. I really hope that's still true! If I am admitted, I'd like to plan travel arrangements sooner rather than later ugh

[tillyk]

The email that just came from Yale that said admissions notifications will go out in mid-March... ugh.

I have to accept or reject my spot at UCSD by March 9, so before I would have heard from Yale. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with that?

[monkeycat]

1 minute ago, tillyk said:

The email that just came from Yale that said admissions notifications will go out in mid-March... ugh.

I have to accept or reject my spot at UCSD by March 9, so before I would have heard from Yale. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with that?

That was my case for Hawaii (their registration date was end of Feb!!), which is why I was wondering if anyone else applied. I emailed the head of the graduate program and let her know that I wouldn't have heard back from a few of my schools/funding opportunities by that date and she said it was totally fine for me to extend the deadline! 

[tillyk]

1 minute ago, monkeycat said:

That was my case for Hawaii (their registration date was end of Feb!!), which is why I was wondering if anyone else applied. I emailed the head of the graduate program and let her know that I wouldn't have heard back from a few of my schools/funding opportunities by that date and she said it was totally fine for me to extend the deadline! 

Oh that's awesome, good to know! I'll definitely do the same for UCSD. Thanks!

[chaparralcountry]

On 2/10/2020 at 9:07 AM, kcovt said:

Slightly off topic, but I just saw it was announced that the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies will be renamed the Yale School of the Environment this summer! I like it, but that's a big change for a historic program. 

It is such a big change! On a personal note, I discovered the whole world of Environmental Management through F&ES when I was a senior in high school and frantically trying to discover career paths that weren't premed or engineering (I went to a high school like Stuyvesant where the parents were just as intense as the students, sigh). Stumbling across the Yale site on a blustery March afternoon and seeing the alternatives available changed the way I saw everything -- I feel like I owe the school a lot just for that. 

Hooray to the new Yale School of the Environment! Best wishes to all folks who are waiting on these decisions, and I definitely hope the timeline is closer to mid-February than March. 

Edited February 11, 2020 by chaparralcountry

[zuph123]

I was really hoping to hear back from SEAS yesterday or today because that seems to be the pattern for recent years. But haven't heard anything, so I'm thinking decisions might not be this week

[tillyk]

1 hour ago, sage1234 said:

I was really hoping to hear back from SEAS yesterday or today because that seems to be the pattern for recent years. But haven't heard anything, so I'm thinking decisions might not be this week

Yeah, I think you’re probably right. I just remembered that when I spoke to an admissions person in January, they told me late February. So I think they are on a later schedule than they have been in past years

[monkeycat]

20 hours ago, tillyk said:

Yeah, I think you’re probably right. I just remembered that when I spoke to an admissions person in January, they told me late February. So I think they are on a later schedule than they have been in past years

Do you think SEAS is taking so long because the application was free? I didn't apply but that's my first guess at why decisions are later this year???

 

ALSO DUKE!! AGHHH...I want to know!!! this is when decisions were sent out last year so i'm hoping for the best valentines ever from the Nicholas school

[LazarusRises]

1 hour ago, monkeycat said:

Do you think SEAS is taking so long because the application was free? I didn't apply but that's my first guess at why decisions are later this year???

 

ALSO DUKE!! AGHHH...I want to know!!! this is when decisions were sent out last year so i'm hoping for the best valentines ever from the Nicholas school

It's an endless cycle: refresh the Grad Cafe results page, refresh my email, refresh the Nic School application status page. Refresh Grad Cafe, refresh Gmail, refresh application. Refresh... refresh... refresh... refresh.......

[chaparralcountry]

Right?! Will they email us if decisions come out or are we supposed to check the status page ourselves? Are things taking longer because more folks applied this year or are they trying to standardize the decision timeline? Will funding information be included alongside (if we were to get in) or will that be sent separately? I have too many questions and no answers hahah

[LazarusRises]

Speculation based solely on info from this site: in previous years it seems like both successful and unsuccessful applicants are sent an email simultaneously telling them to check the portal, implying that the application page is updated and then an email is sent out. So if you're really quick/obsessive/lucky, you might catch the result on the Nic School page before you get the email. 

As for the timeline, last year seems like the most standardized of previous rounds, with all decisions coming out on Feb 15. In 2018 decisions were sent out between around Feb 6 and Feb 19, with a big cluster Feb 12/13, and years before that are even more all over the place. In my head that means they've gotten better about structuring things and will send out all results simultaneously. The fact that last year decisions came out at the end of the second full week of February makes me hopeful that we get them today, but the admissions email from last month said "mid-February," which we are definitely in right now, but which could feasibly include next week as well.

I really hope it's today, though. Going through a whole weekend and possibly another week without knowing would be torture. 

EDIT: As for funding, the pattern seems to be the acceptances/rejections go out first, and then funding information is sent a few weeks later. My guess is that's because they want to send out all the decisions (both priority and regular deadline) before sending financial info. 

Edited February 14, 2020 by LazarusRises

[alaqua]

I thought SEAS application fee was waived last year, too. So this year’s delay shouldn’t be the result of that.

What bothers me the most is that SEAS evaluate Priority and First Round applications together. I completed my application before December 15 and have waited more than 2 months since. Why they set two deadlines then evaluate all the applications together is what I don’t understand. But last year was the same so I shouldn’t be angry about it(?)

Not receiving decisions from SEAS is TORTURE indeed. I couldn’t fall asleep last night (Friday night my time). Now I’m starting to wonder if it’s worth it to go to Umich. The tuition is just too expensive!! Are any of you Michigan residents? If not, what do you think of the tuition at SEAS? 

Btw, does anyone know if there are research opportunities, or at SEAS it’s mostly course-based? 

Edited February 15, 2020 by alaqua

[realdoodlebob]

22 hours ago, alaqua said:

I thought SEAS application fee was waived last year, too. So this year’s delay shouldn’t be the result of that.

What bothers me the most is that SEAS evaluate Priority and First Round applications together. I completed my application before December 15 and have waited more than 2 months since. Why they set two deadlines then evaluate all the applications together is what I don’t understand. But last year was the same so I shouldn’t be angry about it(?)

Not receiving decisions from SEAS is TORTURE indeed. I couldn’t fall asleep last night (Friday night my time). Now I’m starting to wonder if it’s worth it to go to Umich. The tuition is just too expensive!! Are any of you Michigan residents? If not, what do you think of the tuition at SEAS? 

Btw, does anyone know if there are research opportunities, or at SEAS it’s mostly course-based? 

Yeah, it seems odd that they're taking so long with sending out decisions. It makes me think that the delay is just a higher volume in applicants this year for some reason. 

And agreed with the tuition! I really can't afford to go to Michigan if I don't get any financial support. I chatted with an admissions coach on the phone and she told me that in addition to being considered for scholarships, you can apply to be a graduate student assistant (GSA) where they waive your tuition, give you a stipend, and give you health insurance for that semester only. She said that getting those are a bit more competitive (only about ~50% of applicants get it) and students usually apply after their first semester after gaining experience. So if you're lucky enough to land a GSA position AND get some sort of scholarship, it's definitely it worth to go!

But until then, I guess all we can do is wait for these darn decisions to be sent out....

[alaqua]

 

1 hour ago, realdoodlebob said:

Yeah, it seems odd that they're taking so long with sending out decisions. It makes me think that the delay is just a higher volume in applicants this year for some reason. 

And agreed with the tuition! I really can't afford to go to Michigan if I don't get any financial support. I chatted with an admissions coach on the phone and she told me that in addition to being considered for scholarships, you can apply to be a graduate student assistant (GSA) where they waive your tuition, give you a stipend, and give you health insurance for that semester only. She said that getting those are a bit more competitive (only about ~50% of applicants get it) and students usually apply after their first semester after gaining experience. So if you're lucky enough to land a GSA position AND get some sort of scholarship, it's definitely it worth to go!

But until then, I guess all we can do is wait for these darn decisions to be sent out....

Thanks for the info!! It's really helpful.

If you don't mind my asking, what are some of the other programs you applied to and comparing to SEAS, how's their tuition? As an international student, I really don't know much about tuition in the US, but I guess Umich is on the expensive side...

[WatercolorPainter]

Fingers crossed that most of us hear back early next week! I was definitely bummed when Friday afternoon rolled around without any emails (despite refreshing my inbox about 700 times rip). It’s President’s Day on Monday, so I’m hoping either Duke or Michigan makes my Tuesday...

[LazarusRises]

Hope everyone managed to distract themselves over the weekend. And now for 24 hours of wondering whether Duke Admissions works on President's Day...

[annap510]

58 minutes ago, LazarusRises said:

Hope everyone managed to distract themselves over the weekend. And now for 24 hours of wondering whether Duke Admissions works on President's Day...

I feel like it's an automated process in which case we could hear today? *hopeful optimism* My shamefully cynical and outlandish theory: CollegeBoard wanted to squeeze as much money as they can from the CSS profile application for need-based aid and too many people had been waiting last minute to submit the $27 fee in case they didn't get in to the program of their choice. Since the deadline to submit is today, CollegeBoard has encouraged programs to delay their first-round decisions until after the 17th. There's my wild conspiracy for the week

[LazarusRises]

10 minutes ago, annap510 said:

I feel like it's an automated process in which case we could hear today? *hopeful optimism* My shamefully cynical and outlandish theory: CollegeBoard wanted to squeeze as much money as they can from the CSS profile application for need-based aid and too many people had been waiting last minute to submit the $27 fee in case they didn't get in to the program of their choice. Since the deadline to submit is today, CollegeBoard has encouraged programs to delay their first-round decisions until after the 17th. There's my wild conspiracy for the week

I'll take it! Anything to make the wait easier. 

[ch442]

From the Duke academic calendar, today isn’t a university holiday... Fingers crossed we find out soon!

[tillyk]

52 minutes ago, annap510 said:

I feel like it's an automated process in which case we could hear today? *hopeful optimism* My shamefully cynical and outlandish theory: CollegeBoard wanted to squeeze as much money as they can from the CSS profile application for need-based aid and too many people had been waiting last minute to submit the $27 fee in case they didn't get in to the program of their choice. Since the deadline to submit is today, CollegeBoard has encouraged programs to delay their first-round decisions until after the 17th. There's my wild conspiracy for the week

Quick possibly dumb question... is filling out CSS required for all programs? I thought for Yale all that was required was FAFSA and their institutional financial aid form. Is it required for Michigan and I just missed it somewhere, or are you guys talking about Duke?

[LazarusRises]

2 minutes ago, tillyk said:

Quick possibly dumb question... is filling out CSS required for all programs? I thought for Yale all that was required was FAFSA and their institutional financial aid form. Is it required for Michigan and I just missed it somewhere, or are you guys talking about Duke?

Definitely not required. I don't qualify for need-based aid, so I didn't fill it out. 

[annap510]

1 minute ago, tillyk said:

Quick possibly dumb question... is filling out CSS required for all programs? I thought for Yale all that was required was FAFSA and their institutional financial aid form. Is it required for Michigan and I just missed it somewhere, or are you guys talking about Duke?

Not dumb at all! I think it varies by state because Duke was the only school I had to submit for (I didn't apply to Michigan or Yale though) but I bet you're good and didn't miss it! It seems to be for a minority of schools/programs

[tillyk]

27 minutes ago, annap510 said:

Not dumb at all! I think it varies by state because Duke was the only school I had to submit for (I didn't apply to Michigan or Yale though) but I bet you're good and didn't miss it! It seems to be for a minority of schools/programs

 

29 minutes ago, LazarusRises said:

Definitely not required. I don't qualify for need-based aid, so I didn't fill it out. 

Okay, great! Thanks so much. I got very worried for a second that it was a requirement for my schools in addition to FAFSA.