UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism 2022 COVID delay?

[kate789]

Just wondering if anyone has received a request to interview at for Berkeley's school of journalism yet. Seems like that fact that UC Berkeley extended the deadline to apply to March 6 and adjusted the admissions timeline on their website means everything is happening a little later. I guess I'm just getting kind of nervous because interview requests had mostly gone out by this time last year based on previous forums, but I haven't heard anything. 

[GradSchool2222]

Hi! I also have not received an interview request yet, so not sure if they have sent them out & I didn't get one or if they haven't sent them yet. Also wondering if anyone has heard anything. Fingers crossed! Good luck!

[kate789]

Thank you--that's helpful! I'll let you know if I hear anything. 

[kate789]

Just as an update, I got contacted last night for a 20-min interview on Tuesday. 

[GradSchool2222]

Same! Yay! Good luck! 

[kate789]

They told me decisions will be coming out in early March. If anyone gets a call or any news, I'd be eager to hear!

[GradSchool2222]

Also curious! No word yet - maybe this coming week?

[vars98]

I haven't heard yet either. Had my interview on Feb 22nd and they said I'd hear back in early March.

[GradSchool2222]

Has anyone heard anything? Sorry to be a broken record haha so anxious to know the results. 

[kate789]

@GradSchool2222Still nothing but will update here if I hear anything!

[Tes12]

I mailed them to ask for an update and they replied they will release decisions mid-march. I am hoping to hear from them this week, finger crossed!

[pinki]

Wait's a bit crazy this year. My third party scholarships needs me to submit an offer letter with my application, and that deadline is on the 21st! Hope the decision comes before that.

[kate789]

5 hours ago, pinki said:

Wait's a bit crazy this year. My third party scholarships needs me to submit an offer letter with my application, and that deadline is on the 21st! Hope the decision comes before that.

It's kinda frustrating, especially when they told us early March. I know it doesn't work like this, but I really feel like they owe us information at this point gah! I've called the admissions office twice and no one picked up, and after leaving a voicemail over a week ago, no one has returned my call. :// 

[GradKat]

Hello I've been lurking because I am in the same boat.

This may be pure speculation on my part, but I think what may be happening is the admissions staff from the grad program are being borrowed to deal with the undergrad mess. 

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-03-14/california-legislature-passes-bill-berkeley-enrollment

This year is a weird one for UC Berkeley.

[JournGrad2022]

Hey, I think the extended deadline is also playing a part? I applied with the extended deadline on March 6 and was scheduled very quickly for an interview today. Seems like they are trying to get interviews done from extended deadline applications and maybe will send out decisions next week? Not totally sure. 

[GradKat]

6 minutes ago, JournGrad2022 said:

Hey, I think the extended deadline is also playing a part? I applied with the extended deadline on March 6 and was scheduled very quickly for an interview today. Seems like they are trying to get interviews done from extended deadline applications and maybe will send out decisions next week? Not totally sure. 

You just got your interview? Wow, I had mine Feb. 21.  I didn't realize they were still interviewing people. It's been a long wait for some of us

[JournGrad2022]

Just now, GradKat said:

You just got your interview? Wow, I had mine Feb. 21.  I didn't realize they were still interviewing people. It's been a long wait for some of us

Yup, applied on March 6 and just heard back yesterday about interview. I'm sorry for the long wait all of y'all have had! It's strange, because even though CUNY also extended their deadline to March, I still received a response about my application (which I turned in in December) in February. Not sure if there are other factors at play here with Berkeley. 

[Mackmack]

3 hours ago, JournGrad2022 said:

Yup, applied on March 6 and just heard back yesterday about interview. I'm sorry for the long wait all of y'all have had! It's strange, because even though CUNY also extended their deadline to March, I still received a response about my application (which I turned in in December) in February. Not sure if there are other factors at play here with Berkeley. 

Did they happen tell you the updated decisions timeline? Thanks for the info

[Tes12]

I do feel the extended deadline was a weird move because they released the notice for it quite late. If I had that time, my application would have been definitely better ?

[kate789]

21 minutes ago, Tes12 said:

I do feel the extended deadline was a weird move because they released the notice for it quite late. If I had that time, my application would have been definitely better ?

Saaaame. I decided pretty last minute to submit and was really scrambling. Oh well! We did the best we could with the time we thought we had!

[JournGrad2022]

16 hours ago, Mackmack said:

Did they happen tell you the updated decisions timeline? Thanks for the info

They unfortunately didn't give any specifics, but they did say I would hear back from them "very soon." Sounded like they were trying to move through the last of the interviews pretty quickly!

[pinki]

I saw this file while doing a google search, and on opening it, it seems as though the announcement is imminent. I really really hope we get it tonight.

[GradSchool2222]

Thanks for all the little pieces of info^ fingers crossed it will be soon. Seems like in the past people have gotten phone calls does anyone know if it’s definitely a phone call or if they may just email? If it’s a call it seems unlikely it would be tonight…

[pinki]

Okay, if i don't get it tonight, i think i may have to start thinking more seriously about Columbia. I do have a couple of third party deadlines coming up and need to make a decision very quickly. If we don't get it today, it seems unlikely that we get it before Monday right?

[Mackmack]

5 hours ago, pinki said:

Okay, if i don't get it tonight, i think i may have to start thinking more seriously about Columbia. I do have a couple of third party deadlines coming up and need to make a decision very quickly. If we don't get it today, it seems unlikely that we get it before Monday right?

You should go with Columbia at this point. I'm in the same boat. Berkeley has also diluted their applicant pool with the extended deadline. No hard feelings to the later applicants but it's definitely not great news for earlier applicants both in terms of scholarship and admission chances but also in terms of quality of application-- we had much less time & experience with the application process. If they were going to extend the deadline, that should have been communicated from the start, not after they looked at the first applicants

Don't risk your scholarship applications! This whole mess has been hugely unprofessional on Berkeley's part

Edited March 18, 2022 by Mackmack