Status Checks

[KScrooge]

Anyone else really annoyed by some schools' application programs that won't show you what's been received or not? Or even confirm anything other than your application was submitted? Shaking my fist at Indiana!

[eklavya]

welcome to our lives

[qbtacoma]

I was curious about this. Are they going to courteously contact us if our applications are missing something, or do we have to just wait to be rejected for incompleteness? I'm sure it varies by program, but for those that don't have the online thing are they generally up on that?

Also: I submitted my last application today! I'm done!

[Jdealla]

Is there any way to inquire about LOR status at Indiana without calling. Seriously, why is their online application system horrible.

[natsteel]

I love the app pages that say "Just because a document shows as not having been received does not mean it was not received." I mean... seriously??

[history_PhD]

I love the app pages that say "Just because a document shows as not having been received does not mean it was not received." I mean... seriously??

I completely agree! I have had a few applications that say "not received" when in actuality it means "not processed" or, more accurately, "we have copious stacks of papers strewn across the desks and have not yet matched papers to their applications; check back later."

[Henry Hudson]

Is there any way to inquire about LOR status at Indiana without calling. Seriously, why is their online application system horrible.

if your LoR writers has the option to submit electronically, I'd ask them rather than ask the school.

[Riotbeard]

Word to the wise, call if you are worried! Last year, I applied somewhere and it individually said it had all my items but the final status said incomplete. Since everything had a check by it, I assumed it meant no decision yet. Instead, it meant that the grad school had not sent my transcript to the department. I called a month after letters had been sent and I got waitlisted, because they didn't have any more open spots. It was one of my top choices!

[MegMill]

If you have a missing transcript or a missing LOR, do they still forward all your materials to the department or do they just throw all your shit in the trash and forget it?

[TMP]

Don't worry about it. They forward things on. It's only if half of the application is missing that they'll throw it out.

[MegMill]

Don't worry about it. They forward things on. It's only if half of the application is missing that they'll throw it out.

Oh, good, thanks! Half of my applications say incomplete because of a transcript from summer school abroad. Uh, well, those courses are listed on my law school transcript. Gah. So thanks for reassuring me; i was paranoid that my applications wouldnt even be considered since that one transcript is non-existent.

[Melissa33]

I called Indiana a couple of weeks ago and they were super nice about telling me one of my LORs was not sent. They also resent the email reminder. No holds and no transfers.

Is there any way to inquire about LOR status at Indiana without calling. Seriously, why is their online application system horrible.

[KScrooge]

I called Indiana a couple of weeks ago and they were super nice about telling me one of my LORs was not sent. They also resent the email reminder. No holds and no transfers.

Did you call the history department or the graduate school?

[TMP]

Did you call the history department or the graduate school?

History department is the place to call.

[Melissa33]

I called the grad school. It is my understanding they collect everything and then send it along to history.

History department is the place to call.

[rsldonk]

Call the DEPARTMENT, not the grad school. The department is who approves things, not the grad school. The way the process works, they set a line for GPA/GRE scores, anyone under that line gets an automatic rejection, from the grad school. If you get past the first line, then the department gets your stuff. Assuming you get that far, that's really the important part. Most of the graduate advisors are the ones who are the points of contact, or the departmental secretaries. Call or even email them, they are generally nice, they generally have a clue about your status, etc. The graduate schools generally do not. Also, look at it this way, the graduate school gets applications for every department on campus, thousands. The departments, get a couple hundred at the best schools and at lower tier schools a handful. The departments will know your name and actually care, the grad schools won't.

When in doubt, make the call, or email. The first lesson of grad school is that there is really one 1 person who truly cares about you and your graduation, you. Everyone else is there to possibly help, but there is no guarantee that they will. Unfortunately, grad students are a dime a dozen, so why should anyone really be concerned about you? Ultimately, you are the one responsible and if your application is incomplete, you are the one who will not get accepted and you will be the only one to really care much about it. Make the call, it's not that hard.

[KScrooge]

I emailed Indiana's history department last night and they got back to me first thing this morning.

[gradwoes]

Has anyone's Columbia application status updated yet? Mine is still empty/not-filled-out (submitted my application on 12/15).

[TMP]

Not to be snarky, but you do realize that Columbia gets over 500 applications that it needs to process and the staff was on a holiday break for the last 3 weeks?

[gradwoes]

Not to be snarky, but you do realize that Columbia gets over 500 applications that it needs to process and the staff was on a holiday break for the last 3 weeks?

Yes. No need to be snarky in a thread dedicated to asking about status checks.

Edited January 4, 2011 by gradwoes

[Bukharan]

Columbia hasn't updated my status or that of my friends. I don't think we need to worry: it is still too early.

[EricaMarie]

I don't want to scare anybody here, but Columbia's status form states that my application is complete and at the department. I submitted my application on December 13th though, so I don't know if that has anything to do with the fact that the department has my application.

Not to be snarky, but you do realize that Columbia gets over 500 applications that it needs to process and the staff was on a holiday break for the last 3 weeks?

And I tend to agree with gradwoes. Honestly, this is a thread about status updates. We are all very aware that, since many applications were due on December 15th, the schools would have a backlog around the holidays, especially since most places have been on vacation. There's no need to be snarky about something that we are all worried about, and to be honest, it's kind of rude that you would say such a thing when we are all concerned about whether we are going to get into a program or not.

We are allowed to worry. It's not nice to be rude about it.

[TMP]

If anything you should learn in this process is to have faith in the whole system. You need to learn to trust the departments, the professors, and the schools to get everything together in order to make an appropriate decision. If a professor notices that a transcript is missing after reading a terrific SOP and several outstanding recommendations, you will be notified, because, obviously, they cannot make a decision without it. It's tough. I can relate, really, but I've just learned to accept this and let things take their course.

As my professors say, the only way to get through everything (in the admissions process and the rest of academia) is just to keep your faith. If you can't, then you are indeed going to worry endlessly.

[kotov]

I got a letter from the department at Indiana saying they were missing my transcript (thanks Auburn, great job) and two of my letters, one of which I know they have now.

[rsldonk]

If anything you should learn in this process is to have faith in the whole system. You need to learn to trust the departments, the professors, and the schools to get everything together in order to make an appropriate decision. If a professor notices that a transcript is missing after reading a terrific SOP and several outstanding recommendations, you will be notified, because, obviously, they cannot make a decision without it. It's tough. I can relate, really, but I've just learned to accept this and let things take their course.

As my professors say, the only way to get through everything (in the admissions process and the rest of academia) is just to keep your faith. If you can't, then you are indeed going to worry endlessly.

This is exactly the wrong advice. Departments lose things all the time and will often not even look at incomplete files. It is ultimately your responsibility to get everything in, before the deadline. It is your responsibility to make sure that your file is complete. Learn it now, NOBODY BUT YOU CARES!