Weird post 4/15 tales

[rtrgwnd]

Here's a strange one: I hadn't heard anything from this one program, so I called on the 15th to find out what the story was. The guy there told me I was the one outstanding candidate and that they didn't know what to do with me because they weren't sure they could take on a candidate in my area of interest. So I alone constituted the entire waitlist. He said to email him in a day or so, and he'd have more information. Shortly after this I got an email from the DGS confirming my precarious position on their waitlist of one and explaining that they weren't sure how they could help me as they only had one professor in my area of interest and that the committee was unsure from my statement of intent what I wanted to study with them and how they could foster that education. Odd, and very late in the game for all this -- but all around they were very polite about the whole situation. What I wanted to ask was why bother putting me on a waitlist? Just reject me. I can take it. Needless to say, I replied that I was probably just not the right fit and thanked them for their consideration.

[socialpsych]

Here's a strange one: I hadn't heard anything from this one program, so I called on the 15th to find out what the story was. The guy there told me I was the one outstanding candidate and that they didn't know what to do with me because they weren't sure they could take on a candidate in my area of interest. So I alone constituted the entire waitlist. He said to email him in a day or so, and he'd have more information. Shortly after this I got an email from the DGS confirming my precarious position on their waitlist of one and explaining that they weren't sure how they could help me as they only had one professor in my area of interest and that the committee was unsure from my statement of intent what I wanted to study with them and how they could foster that education. Odd, and very late in the game for all this -- but all around they were very polite about the whole situation. What I wanted to ask was why bother putting me on a waitlist? Just reject me. I can take it. Needless to say, I replied that I was probably just not the right fit and thanked them for their consideration.

I am in a small program that often has a one-person waitlist. And the waitlisted person often ends up getting an offer. It is weird that they didn't notify you of anything before you called, but a one-person waitlist is legit and not the same as a rejection, even after the 15th.

[rtrgwnd]

I wasn't really surprised by the one-person waitlist. I was suprised that the committee was confused by my statement of intent, arguably the most important component of the application, but still opted to put me on a waitlist -- and a waitlist that consists solely of me.