Opinion, PLEASE! Should I Reach Out?

[DrMutt]

Hi everyone!

I've been keeping in contact with a super awesome individual through GradCafe who applied to one of the same programs I did. Last Thursday, they informed me that they got an acceptance for this program, but I still have not heard a peep nearly a week later. Now, I understand that this might be because their POI is brand new to campus and they are just starting to build their mentee list and were able to devote more time/energy to pushing the decision through, or perhaps that decision was in the first batch of decisions that went out. However, I didn't see any further updates on Reddit or GC about this program and I know I've seen others mention that they applied to this program, too. I'm airing on the side that hardly anyone has heard back from this program still.

This is my second time applying to this program, and last cycle (Fall 2021), they rejected me on March 3rd. It's a UC, so it may take them a bit more time than before because they're having to flesh out the fellowship amounts due to the UC-wide strike. Should I reach out to them by Friday morning if I haven't heard back? Or should I just let it go and only contact them if it's getting close to April with no update? I just find it very odd that it's been a week since the person I keep in contact with has had their decision and it's still crickets for me. It's the last school I'm waiting for. 

[FormerHarvardGradAdmin]

I think the answer to whether you should reach out sooner or later depends on what you perceive to be the quality of "relationship" (if any) you have with the person you are writing to.  Is it the professor/hoped-for-mentor, PI/lab-director?  Or is it an administrator?  Honestly (look at my profile name on here: "FormerHarvardGradAdmin") if the administrator is good at their job (not all of them are, and not all of them care) then they can be Really Good and Honest Brokers of information.  That's my advice: contact the program/grad administrator sooner rather than later, especially if they've in the past seemed like a straight-up kind of person.  Good luck out there!

[DrMutt]

On 3/6/2023 at 5:41 AM, FormerHarvardGradAdmin said:

I think the answer to whether you should reach out sooner or later depends on what you perceive to be the quality of "relationship" (if any) you have with the person you are writing to.  Is it the professor/hoped-for-mentor, PI/lab-director?  Or is it an administrator?  Honestly (look at my profile name on here: "FormerHarvardGradAdmin") if the administrator is good at their job (not all of them are, and not all of them care) then they can be Really Good and Honest Brokers of information.  That's my advice: contact the program/grad administrator sooner rather than later, especially if they've in the past seemed like a straight-up kind of person.  Good luck out there!

Thank you kindly for your response; I deeply appreciate it! I do not have a close relationship with my POI. I've only chatted with them for 40 minutes over Zoom during the summer to see if I was a good fit for them. Thus, I'd be reaching out to the grad program coordinator who, in the past, has been vague in their answers over email. They do have a phone number on their department profile, but I think that's a little too intrusive.  I still haven't heard from them, and it's been nearly two weeks after the person I've been chatting with on GC got their decision. I think if I don't hear from them by the end of this week I'll get in touch. Thanks!!

[FormerHarvardGradAdmin]

I don't think the phone is too intrusive at all.  I mean, I'm retired so that means I'm older and therefore -- I might be more used to get cold-called (I did NOT MIND AT ALL!) than more junior colleagues.  Even though the admin was vague in the past that could have been because it was over email.  I myself would say things on the phone that I would *never* say in email.  I honestly think the risk/reward equation -- in regards to phoning them -- is in your favor.  Best wishes.