Unnerving Silence

[Antigone]

I feel nauseous all the time now because out of the 5 programs I applied to I have heard absolutely nothing. No rejections, nothing. It feels both statistically unlikely and getting a wee bit late for me to not have heard a peep.

Is it maybe because I'm applying for an MA and they tend to wait really late for those? How long after PhD decisions do they typically start handing out MA decisions?

[Philmajor]

Don't most, if not all, schools notify by March 15th unless you're wait-listed?

[Antigone]

I hope so, because otherwise I'm going to get an ulcer from all the fretting. The thought of them only postmarking stuff by the 15th seems worse though.

[stylefaxee]

I'm not sure...I applied to 8 schools and just heard from my fourth last night. I guess I'm in a better situation than you because I have some news ... but I am going absolutely crazy waiting for the other four, and am beginning to wonder if they are all rejections. I did talk to two programs last week and early this week, and they said that they were still deliberating until the end of this week. So don't lose hope! You might have just had the bad luck to apply to the five programs that like to drag the decisions out as long as humanly possible. Did you try calling the department (or e-mailing a faculty member if you had been in contact with them previously) to see what was going on?

[lxs]

stylefaxee - regarding your response - I've thought a lot about contacting faculty members to see what is going on with the programs I haven't heard anything from. have you done this yet, and if so, how did you word it? do you think it's kosher to do that at this point? i'm nervous about seeming like a nuisance but like the OP, i'm feeling pretty nerved up at the probability that i've been rejected all around.

is march 15 an unofficial notify by date? i'd only heard that april 15 was the date you had to decide by...

[Antigone]

I'm not sure...I applied to 8 schools and just heard from my fourth last night. I guess I'm in a better situation than you because I have some news ... but I am going absolutely crazy waiting for the other four, and am beginning to wonder if they are all rejections. I did talk to two programs last week and early this week, and they said that they were still deliberating until the end of this week. So don't lose hope! You might have just had the bad luck to apply to the five programs that like to drag the decisions out as long as humanly possible. Did you try calling the department (or e-mailing a faculty member if you had been in contact with them previously) to see what was going on?

Hah, well that's the funny thing, I used to work in the front lines admission office in my school for undergrad and because I hated when people called to prod us for information every four seconds I now have a morbid fear of being "that person," especially as everyone in the office joked about wishing they had the ability to reject "that person."

Basically I'm a weenie and need to get over it.

[stylefaxee]

stylefaxee - regarding your response - I've thought a lot about contacting faculty members to see what is going on with the programs I haven't heard anything from. have you done this yet, and if so, how did you word it? do you think it's kosher to do that at this point? i'm nervous about seeming like a nuisance but like the OP, i'm feeling pretty nerved up at the probability that i've been rejected all around.

I don't know...I actually haven't gotten up the guts to contact faculty members yet, mainly because there weren't any that I feel I had cultivated enough of an e-mail relationship with to bug --- so maybe I wasn't the best person to give this advice. But I know that people have been doing this, and have received responses that way. I would say - if you have previously corresponded with faculty who seemed reasonably friendly and understanding then go for it. They went through this whole process too and I'm sure they can sympathize. It's pretty late in the game -- it's not as if you are contacting them in early February. So go with your gut feeling.

And you are right about the April 15th deadline - I would imagine many programs do push it up to that point at least where their waiting list is concerned. Lots of people accepted to programs probably wait until the very last second to tell the program that they decided not to go there, which leaves the students on the waitlist in limbo until then.

Hah, well that's the funny thing, I used to work in the front lines admission office in my school for undergrad and because I hated when people called to prod us for information every four seconds I now have a morbid fear of being "that person," especially as everyone in the office joked about wishing they had the ability to reject "that person."

I totally understand where you're coming from, Antigone...I don't want to be that nuisance either. I would say -- definitely call once and only once. What I did is I just called the department and asked if they knew when decisions would be finalized. It was a general question, I didn't give them my name or make them look up my file. So even if they were annoyed by my question they wouldn't know who it was. And out of the two departments that I called, the people I spoked to were both really nice and even apologetic about the delay.

[historygirl]

MA decisions are done after PhD decisions. Sometimes they come later than March 15th if they aren't funded. Call the program and ask nicely when they will be releasing decisions. They won't blacklist you, I promise.

[rising_star]

MA decisions are done after PhD decisions. Sometimes they come later than March 15th if they aren't funded. Call the program and ask nicely when they will be releasing decisions. They won't blacklist you, I promise.

This isn't universally true. My department reviews both at the same time and releases decisions on both at the same time.

[sashababie]

I got tired of the unnerving silence too (as Antigone put it ) and emailed a program by which I've been waitlisted ever since Feb. 1, I did not receive any definite answers but at least the response was kind and encouraging enough to fuel me for another few weeks until the final verdict.

It's pretty late in the game -- it's not as if you are contacting them in early February.

I did this after careful evaluation of pros/cons and decided it wouldn't hurt, and moreover I hoped the email would remind them of my interest in the school, at least so that they wouldn't think I'd given up waiting and accepted another offer! But now I'm itching to start contacting all the programs I haven't heard from up to now, and not so sure if the gesture is appropriate in every case. :cry:

[engguy]

i don't think a brief, polite note of inquiry is inappropriate. let's not forget, we paid $50-90 just to apply to these suckers, not to mention the cost of sending scores and other materials. it's not too much to ask to know where they're at in the process. for the most part, i think they get that -- with one exception, every school i've contacted for whatever reason has been very gracious.

in fact, i'm shocked that some schools are notifying via web site. thank god none of mine were that way. i suppose it's the wave of the future, but it's terribly impersonal. like getting std test results or something.

[crossedfingers]

\ i suppose it's the wave of the future, but it's terribly impersonal. like getting std test results or something.

LMAO!!!!!

no kidding. I wish the admission staff would honor the fact that we paid $$$ for something and are not hungry undegrads in search of a free lunch!

one of the programs I applied to sent me an email two weeks ago telling me that my decision could be viewed online. well apparently, "MY" web application log on doesnt let me get past the prelim questions and onto the decision page. I have been trying for the past two weeks. The admission staff always directs my question to stupid 'support@embark' . i'm pretty sure its a rejection by now, but I feel frustrated by the fact that even though I meekly agreed to pay $75 for their application fee, they do not have the decency to tell me the decision or address a serious question. (especially when its already out there).

has any one thought of suing these people? :? !!!!!! i'm on the verge

[TMP]

i don't think a brief, polite note of inquiry is inappropriate. let's not forget, we paid $50-90 just to apply to these suckers, not to mention the cost of sending scores and other materials. it's not too much to ask to know where they're at in the process. for the most part, i think they get that -- with one exception, every school i've contacted for whatever reason has been very gracious.

in fact, i'm shocked that some schools are notifying via web site. thank god none of mine were that way. i suppose it's the wave of the future, but it's terribly impersonal. like getting std test results or something.

LOL that's almost exactly what a friend said when I told her how Fulbright was letting people know via e-mail! She wanted a hard copy letter... sounded so much more formal.

Yeah I'm getting all angsty too especially that this last school si my dream school and I'm being forced to apply for two MA programs (one app done, one to be sent int before bedtime if internet cooperates) as these programs had passed deadlines and they were doing me a BIGGGGG favor.... Oh Dream School, why are you dragging your feet? It's not that hard... Just call me up and ask me if I'd still accept their offer if it's a MA instead of PhD and I would absolutely say YES! I do have some kind of e-mail relationship with a potential advisor and another professor who I might be interested in. I e-mailed the latter about a new research idea (b/c an archive had just been opened that I want to check out) and well, he hasn't gotten back to me. Uh oh? I'd much rather e-mail the potential advisor... We did speak on the phone before... is it kosher in my situation? I mean this school has very close connections to some people writing the LORs.

[MebiggyNooby]

@Antigone

I feel your pain. Does it comfort you that there are thousands of us who havent heard from any program and are growing more and more desperate by the second??

I feel that the status has to be informed via the web site first. The hard copy can take its time coming.

[Minnesotan]

Website, email, smoke signals -- they can inform me however they want, as long as it's an acceptance.

Honestly, though, I would prefer to know the quickest way possible. Any snailmail letter is going to be just as impersonal, as well as being filled with patronizing platitudes (*HULK SMASH!*), so email or website is just fine with me. It's especially nice for people who are out of country, or in an area (like mine) where the mail is, shall we say, less than reliable.

[Antigone]

One school just emailed and said decisions will be available on the site after 3pm on Friday. Ugggggh I feel like I'm going to barf. I need at least one acceptance or a horse tranquilizer, plz.

[TMP]

Yes I agree... but am I the only one who feels paranoid that the e-mail might end up in my spam?! I always feel the need to check my spam on top of my regular inbox.... :oops:

[fizz]

Yes I agree... but am I the only one who feels paranoid that the e-mail might end up in my spam?! I always feel the need to check my spam on top of my regular inbox.... :oops:

I don't think it's completely paranoid. My acceptance email came from "Bob Smith"* and had the subject line "congratulations!!" I guessed what it was as soon as I saw it but as I clicked on it, I thought "great, you've fallen for spam, get ready for viruses".

That said, BE CAREFUL before you go opening everything that has the subject line "congratulations!!" in your spam box. Note that Gmail's spam filter put my acceptance in the inbox where it should be. But I definitely skim through my spam before deleting it, just in case.

*obviously not his real name

[stylefaxee]

Antigone,

I just saw your post on the "Make Everyone Jealous" thread and wanted to say CONGRATS for getting into U of C (!!!) - I guess all of the hyperventilating was worth it! Phew.

[Antigone]

Haha, thanks! And not a moment too soon, my nerves were reaching critical mass. I somehow knew that it would be very unusual for me to not get anything back around now.

[pointedears]

Yes I agree... but am I the only one who feels paranoid that the e-mail might end up in my spam?! I always feel the need to check my spam on top of my regular inbox.... :oops:

I hadn't even thought about that. Great, now I have another thing to worry about.

[commoner]

I only recently started checking my spam box. It only keeps mail for 10 days. Unnerving, indeed. Also, I haven't been looking for subjects like "congratulations!" at all. I guess I should scrutinize my spam a little more.

I got a snail mail rejection today. I'd have rather known a week ago.

Still, nothing but silence on 8 applications. I politely contacted a couple of them. They both said the same thing, that they are trying to get all decisions out by March 15. I expect us to all get flooded with notices by next week.

4 programs have web app status sites. All four show no decision yet. I'm trying to stay calm. It ain't easy, baby!

[sashababie]

I personally don't mind the impersonal emails of rejection schools have been sending us, I live half way across the globe and regular mail takes three weeks to reach me, I'd much rather be informed with a quick click first so as not to fret about "unnerving silence" :roll:

About mailbox/spam paranoia, I started having that ever since I received an offer that reads as follows:

Sender??????????Subject?????????Date

Mr. Such and Such?????(no subject)?????1, March 2008

!!!