Most Annoying Application?

[Bukharan]

I haven't seen Harvard mentioned yet. Asking me to enter in all of my courses, and then enter in all of my mathematics courses, unless of course I already listed them in the first section. They didn't have enough text boxes for my undergrad courses, so I went back and had to replace all of the meaningless courses from 1st and second year with my junior/senior classes.

Wow. I only wish. Coming from the British system, we don't take that many courses here (max 3 a semester) so I ended up with putting down all the courses I've ever taken at university level and still having the second page of the application almost completely blank. Oh dear.

[Alyanumbers]

Wow. I only wish. Coming from the British system, we don't take that many courses here (max 3 a semester) so I ended up with putting down all the courses I've ever taken at university level and still having the second page of the application almost completely blank. Oh dear.

Wow, is that the case in the States as well? In my faculty, you take 11-12 courses a year: 4 per semester, plus 3 or 4 year-long.

[katerific]

along the same lines: MIT has just done it for me. We have to list every college course we've taken (plus textbooks and grades and such) in the boxes they give us..... and I realized I just summarized the past four years in this little group of boxes on this one page of the application. I'm sitting here thinking... that was it!?

I feel so empty. Almost as empty as the application's stark format

[beanbagchairs]

love the thread! ...so here we go

worst:

1) Stanford, for the following reasons:

a) App fee ($125!) was a rip-off

b.) need to go through every single page of the app to edit one minuscule thing at the end of the app

c) finding where to login was not straightforward

d) after submitting 2 official transcripts and 1 scanned transcript, I still got an email that they want another set of scanned transcript!!

e) on top of that, my chance of admission is pretty dang small!.. arghhh

2) Purdue, for requiring me to list all my classes with their textbooks.. thank Goodness, they only want me to list *only* cs courses....

best

1) princeton. easy to navigate, received all of my supp materials with no fuss

2) u of washington, their cs admission advisor is just a very helpful woman!

Edited December 26, 2010 by shashakoe

[charles mingus]

Indiana's policy of sending requests to LOR-writers only after the entire app is submitted vexes me greatly.

UChicago's streamlined, functional system wins for my favorite, so far.

Edited December 26, 2010 by charles mingus

[hedgequant]

I can think of no better first post than a complaint, no? How very 'academic' of me

Anyway, having looked at (not necessarily applied to) about 30 applications, my 'worst' list is:

1- Ga Tech- 4 pages, terrible interface/navigation, and all the MBA essays (who would you invite to dinner, etc...) are in the same application, confusing the issue)

2- Stanford- although I have to assume they are laughing all the way to the bank

3- U Texas- I live in Austin, went to school for undergrad there, and it's still the biggest pain in the rear...different due dates for the grad school and the individual department, etc.

4- Boston College- I love the 'Apply Yourself' format, but BC will not allow .pdf uploads, which requires literally scanning a transcript, opening the file in MS Paint, saving as a .jpeg, pasting into word and then uploading the .docx file...not to mention the ridiculously TINY max file sizes...sheesh

[fbh]

Best:

The Embark platform is my favorite! Next, ApplyYourself, but it falls behind because of the random username they give you for your login. My favorite school specific platform is definitely Wisconsin's! So easy, especially if you're applying to multiple programs (I'm not, but I could tell). Cheaper app fee ($56), easy navigation, no annoying extras... The trick is, you have to pay extra close attention to program-specific requirements.

Worst:

I hated Michigan's! It was pretty simple, but you had to page through the entire thing (much like it seems Stanford's must have been). I thought Indiana's was great before I realized it was one of my only ones that emailed the recommendation links after you submit your app.

[wtncffts]

I can think of no better first post than a complaint, no? How very 'academic' of me

Anyway, having looked at (not necessarily applied to) about 30 applications, my 'worst' list is:

1- Ga Tech- 4 pages, terrible interface/navigation, and all the MBA essays (who would you invite to dinner, etc...) are in the same application, confusing the issue)

2- Stanford- although I have to assume they are laughing all the way to the bank

3- U Texas- I live in Austin, went to school for undergrad there, and it's still the biggest pain in the rear...different due dates for the grad school and the individual department, etc.

4- Boston College- I love the 'Apply Yourself' format, but BC will not allow .pdf uploads, which requires literally scanning a transcript, opening the file in MS Paint, saving as a .jpeg, pasting into word and then uploading the .docx file...not to mention the ridiculously TINY max file sizes...sheesh

Nothing to add on the topic, but do MBA applications really ask those kinds of questions? I actually think this might be an interesting approach in my field...

[Tex]

Harvard - For reasons listed above.

1) Wanted me to list every course I took directly AND slightly related to my field (including grade and Course number). Also had two separate sections wanting to know each math and foreign language course I took. (The last math course I took was during my first semester of college 7 years ago - ancient history).

2) The hilarious financial application.

AND, this one takes the cake

3) No status check - this for a $105 application!

[Alyanumbers]

Best:

The Embark platform is my favorite! Next, ApplyYourself, but it falls behind because of the random username they give you for your login. My favorite school specific platform is definitely Wisconsin's! So easy, especially if you're applying to multiple programs (I'm not, but I could tell). Cheaper app fee ($56), easy navigation, no annoying extras... The trick is, you have to pay extra close attention to program-specific requirements.

Embark is good, but it's very hard to locate stuff on it. If I want to upload my CV, for example, I have to page through it until I find the right page, unless I already know which page number it's at! At least AY lists everything by name in the sidebar.

[The Green Bean]

Indiana's policy of sending requests to LOR-writers only after the entire app is submitted vexes me greatly.

UChicago's streamlined, functional system wins for my favorite, so far.

I like UChicago's the best too. What's more is that they have a great staff who actually take the pain to update what they have received. I sent a package via courier which the got yesterday and within hours they had updated the page. That's very much unlike Utexas who still haven't updated their's after 15 days or Embark systems where you never get updated.

[hedgequant]

Nothing to add on the topic, but do MBA applications really ask those kinds of questions? I actually think this might be an interesting approach in my field...

I can only speak to the Georgia Tech application, as it was the only PhD app that was co-mingled with the MBA app. There were 3 or 4 additional essays, and one of them was "if you could invite any 4 people to dinner, who would you invite, and what would you want to discuss." I had a similar question on an undergrad app years ago, but have not seen one anywhere else.

[Gradoom]

a Virginia Tech application deadline of 31.12 with the grad secretary on vacation from 20.12-4.1. I did not even get a confirmation or anything. I am already a grad student and with research and all I turn it in close to the deadlines...also the VT applications do not allow to send out recommendation letter requests till they are submitted.

Edited December 29, 2010 by Etoby

[vigneshr]

Worst Yet: University of Waterloo.

The Quest App. Lets me upload my transcripts, CV. I could never see what was uploaded later, and had to mail them to upload a missing transcript, after backtracking and soul searching what file I clicked.

UMass: As someone had mentioned, Some stuff disappeared from my app after save n log off and the there is no way of seeing what I submitted later.

Worst Part: I submit my application, go to pick my credit card from living room, the session times out and i had to re-write my whole app, cos i knew that grad admissions office is great.

Alberta:

They have provided statutory warning in the site for Computer Science department applications.

"EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you "log out" in order to complete your session and to write your file to the database"

Goddamnit its, CS deparment.

My key learnings:

Never submit application before review. Never take a pee break while submitting an online application.

Edited December 29, 2010 by vigneshr

[vigneshr]

I'm adding UVA to the list because I am still working on the second writing sample. That's right, they can't take the 25 page article I'm sending to nearly every other school; instead they want 2 short papers that add up to 25 pages. What a ten page paper could tell them about a potential English Ph.D. candidate is beyond me (except perhaps that I have the mental fortitude to hack at my longer work unceremoniously until it fits--like Cinderella's step-sisters cutting their toes off to wear the glass slipper).

And I second the snarkiness toward the ApplyTexas system. A&M would somehow like me to print off their transcript form and attach it to the signed-across-the-seal, sent directly from the Registrar transcripts I've ordered from multiple states. It's like a really crap logic puzzle. I was on the phone with the Registrar's office at one of my past schools for 20 minutes, trying to talk the receptionist through the Texas website to get to the form herself (ok, see that grad menu? Hover your mouse on it, then click on the third item on the list. Click the second tab. You don't see it? Ok, go back one page. Then scroll to the bottom and click the link that says "click here." All right, you're almost there . . . ).

The second school listened to my request, said, "We don't do that," and hung up on me. Thanks, Texas, you've made this experience delightful.

I understand your agony with UVA. They have the same application specs for Engineering and English Ph.Ds. It is the application template they've got from some retards In my case I have to restructure my five hundred word S.O.P into research statement and career goals only for this school, and there are no specs specified in the site for the same. which is pretty difficult considering the number of reviews, I did for my S.O.P.

[neuropsych76]

I didn't end up applying to MIT but having to list all of the textbooks seemed quite annoying.

The applications I saw were fairly isomorphic. However, the most annoying applications were the ones were you could not notify your letter writers to upload their letters before you sent the application. Additionally, Johns Hopkins needed a cover letter with the submitted applicant ID to send my transcript.

[Gradoom]

I understand your agony with UVA. They have the same application specs for Engineering and English Ph.Ds. It is the application template they've got from some retards In my case I have to restructure my five hundred word S.O.P into research statement and career goals only for this school, and there are no specs specified in the site for the same. which is pretty difficult considering the number of reviews, I did for my S.O.P.

Haha, yeah I noticed that too. I found it especially annoying because I think that my research and what I want to do is so interconnected with why I want to continue grad school. Also some schools clearly say they want it to be double spaced, some dont. Some schools even wanted 3-4 pages statements - seriously I doubt that the admission committee will read 3-4 pages thoroughly. (esp. in Engineering)

I didn't end up applying to MIT but having to list all of the textbooks seemed quite annoying.

The applications I saw were fairly isomorphic. However, the most annoying applications were the ones were you could not notify your letter writers to upload their letters before you sent the application. Additionally, Johns Hopkin's needed a cover letter with the submitted applicant ID to send my transcript.

well I saw this AFTER I requested my transcripts to be sent to JHU. I hope it works without it - but I uploaded most my unofficial transcripts anyways. To make unofficial ones count is a good development and saves money and work.

[Ludwig von Dracula]

Alberta for me, multiple reasons:

-stupid confusing screen upon login: I'm not trying to edit a portal/domain! Just bring me to my application! Have to try about six links before I get to the right thing. Grr.

-you cannot upload anything online, including letters of recommendation. All have to be snail mailed.

-more confusing than usual to figure out what supplementary materials you need to send and where (you have to go to about five different places on the Graduate Studies and specific deparment's websites)

-no application check function (albeit the application is very short, given that you don't include ANYTHING other than basic information)

-$100 fee (not terrible, but in combination with everything else...)

-two transcripts from each institution?

-and the most annoying: each page gets reset and starts up back at the top every time you input a new piece of information from a drop-down menu. But it doesn't happen right away, so you might already be editing the next item only to suddenly have your screen refreshed and then need to scroll back down to where you were and possibly retype what you were just working on. Gets especially irritating on the pages with ten or fifteen of the little buggers.

Thank heaven that this is the last one. UChicago was the best for me as well. And I liked the waived application fee with early submission.

[dval]

I can only speak to the Georgia Tech application, as it was the only PhD app that was co-mingled with the MBA app. There were 3 or 4 additional essays, and one of them was "if you could invite any 4 people to dinner, who would you invite, and what would you want to discuss." I had a similar question on an undergrad app years ago, but have not seen one anywhere else.

Just to make things worse, NOW (around december 15) they updated their application form allowing to upload documents. As if getting and mailing transcripts were so easy and cheap... I also loathed their 2000 characters limit for the SoP.

My kudos for Minnesota. ApplyYourself made things easier and the secretary I contacted was most helpful.

[warpspeed]

UChicago got points for being great via email. I forgot to include a cover sheet and supplemental form in my mailed package and they let me email them in instead! Also very attentive about checking off what they had.

[brassgod]

Oh Lord. Between pages not loading and deleting all my data, one (Duke) which kept logging me off whenever I tried to upload anything, one (UC Irvine) that requires an extra personal history essay outside the SOP, and one (UCSB) which required me to physically send nearly everything (personal achievements, SOP, writing sample, resume, transcript, GREs)...I just can't choose.

I was not expecting the application process to be nearly this gruesome and frustrating. I admit - I was unprepared.

I thought I had to go through all that when I applied. Good thing the engineering department has an online document upload option.

My list of bad applications:

1. MIT: It's just depressing, and the list of all of the textbooks was too much. Also, there isn't a way to check if they received transcripts and GRE.

2. Stanford: No way to jump between sections. There are no way of checking supplemental document status, and the PDF copy of the application does not show the uploaded documents (i.e. SOP, CV, transcripts) so I was worried that there was an error and my documents were not uploaded.

3. UC Davis: Just because they had a word limit for the SOP so I ended up cutting out a good portion of my SOP.

[TheDude]

UConn because I couldn't do much online and had to chase professors around to amass all LORs, SOP, transcripts in one envelope and then rely on USPS.

The electronic process was a little tricky in that I had to remember log in info, remember to check certain portions of the system, but it was easier in the long run.

Aside from that everything was pretty easy.

Fordham's website sandbagged me a bit in terms of being vague in spots about whether or not the subject GRE was required. It looked like the answer was no in a couple different places within the program website. When I went to submit my application it turns out it was required. Eh. I guess I have to take it now when it is available should I get admitted.

[waddle]

The Embark platform's text-entry is terrible. "Please list your course history, including a description of the course content, whether it was an undergraduate or graduate course, and how many times your dog ate your homework. Oh, by the way, do this in 32 characters."