LiteratureMajor Posted April 22, 2010 Posted April 22, 2010 A few days ago a university that previously notified me that I have a high position on the waitlist sent me a rejection e-mail and updated my online app. status to rejected. Prior to this I was told that I could potentially remain on the waitlist throughout the summer. To add to my confusion, the department told me over the phone that despite the rejection e-mail, I am STILL on the department's waitlist and have a chance at being admitted for the fall. They mentioned having to comply with the law and notify all applicants of either accept or deny by a certain date. So my question is, am I waitlisted or rejected?
Riotbeard Posted April 22, 2010 Posted April 22, 2010 A few days ago a university that previously notified me that I have a high position on the waitlist sent me a rejection e-mail and updated my online app. status to rejected. Prior to this I was told that I could potentially remain on the waitlist throughout the summer. To add to my confusion, the department told me over the phone that despite the rejection e-mail, I am STILL on the department's waitlist and have a chance at being admitted for the fall. They mentioned having to comply with the law and notify all applicants of either accept or deny by a certain date. So my question is, am I waitlisted or rejected? No clue. Sounds fishy, if you have another offer, I would take it, but that is me.
fuzzylogician Posted April 23, 2010 Posted April 23, 2010 If the department says you're still wait-listed, then you're still wait-listed. Sounds like the university has some regulation forcing departments to make a definitive decision by some date (April 15?); for some reason the system doesn't allow the department to choose "wait-listed" as a decision, and they can't accept you yet, so they had to choose "rejected." If that was their only option and they made it clear to you that it's not a real status, I wouldn't take this as a fishy move on the part of the department, it simply sounds like a complication of university bureaucracy.
Bumblebee9 Posted April 23, 2010 Posted April 23, 2010 A few days ago a university that previously notified me that I have a high position on the waitlist sent me a rejection e-mail and updated my online app. status to rejected. Prior to this I was told that I could potentially remain on the waitlist throughout the summer. To add to my confusion, the department told me over the phone that despite the rejection e-mail, I am STILL on the department's waitlist and have a chance at being admitted for the fall. They mentioned having to comply with the law and notify all applicants of either accept or deny by a certain date. So my question is, am I waitlisted or rejected? I'm still wait listed at the program I applied to. My status, however, still says "sent to program." The program did not need to give me an answer before April 15th despite being a member of the CGS and whatever other committees/councils. My guess is that you are still wait listed. The program would know. And programs have switched applicants from "rejected" to "accepted" before. I do think that the chances of being admitted get slimmer with each day though . I have heard of people getting accepted into PhD programs in late August.
DariaIRL Posted April 27, 2010 Posted April 27, 2010 Do you have any of the wait list promises in writing? Your comments on being waitlisted were that they "told" you this, but your application online and an email reflect a denial, which is in writing/recorded. I recommend that you ask them to provide an email that says you are DEFINITELY on a wait list. (That is, they "had" to reject you because for some reason their policy requires a decision on all applicants by April 15 and their system only has accept/deny as the options.) <--no need to mention this part, but getting a written record that you are waitlisted despite your deny status is a simple request, especially if it's true. Not crazy about how this is being handled, but if you have nothing else to wait for, then may as well wait and see.
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