Status Checks

[JustChill]

UPenn's history department is notoriously bad about losing documents. I always heard about this from others until they emailed me last year claiming that they never received my GRE scores. After two phone calls to the Grad School and the department, the scores magically appeared! Check, check, and then double-check everything!

[kotov]

I got a pleasantly surprising email from CMU earlier about how they didn't have my GRE scores, even though they were one of the schools I selected when I took the exam in September. Wonderful! Now I get to shell out $23 to fix a problem that shouldn't have happened. If it weren't for the fact that the deadline was Monday, I'd have called the GRE people and said some rather rude things. I could call CMU to check it out, I guess, but it's too late to today and I already sent the scores lest they be any more late. :/

[RDX]

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

Not to disappoint you but it's probably not. My materials were sent in for review by Christmas. You may wanna bug them.

Edited January 7, 2011 by RDX

[GeekGirl]

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!

One school was kind enough to ask for my Writing Sample, when I accidentally uploaded my Statement of Purpose . . . just depends I suppose.

[natsteel]

Not to disappoint you but it's probably not. My materials were sent in for review by Christmas. You may wanna bug them.

When I check my status at Columbia, it says that it's "COMPLETE" and "at the department," but doesn't show my uploaded transcripts nor GRE scores as having been received.

[TMP]

Fine, be a worrywort if you want to be. Since I am abroad, I cannot possibly worry about every single thing that I have little control of in the United States and have a good time outside of the United States.

Depends on your attitude towards the whole thing anyway.

[RDX]

When I check my status at Columbia, it says that it's "COMPLETE" and "at the department," but doesn't show my uploaded transcripts nor GRE scores as having been received.

I'm pretty sure this is the way the *lazy* admission office updates status. As long as it shows "COMPLETE," no worries, or I was so told.

[TMP]

Okay, I may actually have to eat my words about leaving things alone. Although I DID get confirmation e-mails for the submission of my applications and ALL of the LOR writers, the applyyourself site tells me that it's not submitted and 2 of my LOR writers have yet to submit their letters. What gives?! Anyone applying to Northwestern?

Um, yes, I e-mailed Northwestern. *shame-faced*

[marica]

Yes, I did! Did you email them about the status of your application materials?

Okay, I may actually have to eat my words about leaving things alone. Although I DID get confirmation e-mails for the submission of my applications and ALL of the LOR writers, the applyyourself site tells me that it's not submitted and 2 of my LOR writers have yet to submit their letters. What gives?! Anyone applying to Northwestern?

Um, yes, I e-mailed Northwestern. *shame-faced*

[natsteel]

I'm pretty sure this is the way the *lazy* admission office updates status. As long as it shows "COMPLETE," no worries, or I was so told.

I don't think I'd call the Admissions Office at Columbia lazy. I emailed them once on a Sunday evening not expecting a response for a couple of days and a woman emailed me back within in an hour. I wrote back to thank her for responding during "what I hope are not regular office hours," and she replied, "In an effort to process the applications and answer email in a timely fashion, our staff works 7 days a week and at all hours. Thanks, for noticing."

Edited January 7, 2011 by natsteel

[TMP]

I don't think I'd call the Admissions Office at Columbia lazy. I emailed them once on a Sunday evening not expecting a response for a couple of days and a woman emailed me back within in an hour. I wrote back to thank her for responding during "what I hope are not regular office hours," and she replied, "In an effort to process the applications and answer email in a timely fashion, our staff works 7 days a week and at all hours. Thanks, for noticing."

Yipes! I am sure that you are on the top of the pile for this!

marica- I did e-mail the department and got the answer within 2-3 hours. The department does actually have all of my application materials. Interestingly, the secretary couldn't print out one of my LORs and tried to e-mail her but the e-mail bounced, so she asked if I could e-mail my LOR writer... so nice! I checked the applyyourself site again to make sure I had typed in the right e-mail address and everything, as if by magic, said "submitted."

Panic attack over.

[RDX]

I don't think I'd call the Admissions Office at Columbia lazy. I emailed them once on a Sunday evening not expecting a response for a couple of days and a woman emailed me back within in an hour. I wrote back to thank her for responding during "what I hope are not regular office hours," and she replied, "In an effort to process the applications and answer email in a timely fashion, our staff works 7 days a week and at all hours. Thanks, for noticing."

WOW. I didn't know that. I haven't contacted them for a while. It seems they are really putting heroic efforts to get things gone. Much much better than what Columbia seems like probably a couple months ago.

[Bukharan]

I don't think I'd call the Admissions Office at Columbia lazy. I emailed them once on a Sunday evening not expecting a response for a couple of days and a woman emailed me back within in an hour. I wrote back to thank her for responding during "what I hope are not regular office hours," and she replied, "In an effort to process the applications and answer email in a timely fashion, our staff works 7 days a week and at all hours. Thanks, for noticing."

Did you send your e-mail to the regular 'gsas-admit' e-mail (the one they provide online)? Thanks.

[Bukharan]

I contacted Columbia and they told me that they only start processing applications for my programme now (alyanumbers, it may apply to you as well) and the status should be updated within a week.

[natsteel]

Did you send your e-mail to the regular 'gsas-admit' e-mail (the one they provide online)? Thanks.

Yes, I did. However, the replies were from the respondent's individual address. I must amend my statement above. I sent an initial inquiry on Dec. 17th and received a reply on the evening of Sunday, the 19th. However, I then sent a follow-up question which, as I said, was responded to in an hour. On an individual level for us, things seem to be moving at an incredibly slow pace, but the bigger programs are processing hundreds and hundreds of applications. I imagine that even the smaller schools that receive less applications have a smaller staff. It may feel to us like the Admissions offices aren't doing as much as they should, but they are.

[StrangeLight]

schools are also in the process of hiring new professors this time of year and that keeps staff and faculty pretty busy. keep in mind when you email departments, even the larger ones, that everyone you're talking to is really, really busy with many other important things this time of year.

[rsldonk]

schools are also in the process of hiring new professors this time of year and that keeps staff and faculty pretty busy. keep in mind when you email departments, even the larger ones, that everyone you're talking to is really, really busy with many other important things this time of year.

Yes, don't be a pain in their ass, but it is very appropriate to make sure that your packet is complete. Usually this can be done with one plus a followup phone call or email. Don't pester them, sure, but it is your sole responsibility to ensure that your application is complete. Don't be a petulant little whiner, but do be an adult about it and confirm that everything is in order.

[my future is history]

Just got an email from DGS at one of the schools I applied for, which states that the school was missing one of my letters of recommendation. The system confirmed that they received all my letters though. It looks like mixups do happen. I'm just grateful that the DGS went through the trouble to notify me...

But anyways, I can see why it would be a good idea to confirm, even if the online system okays your application.

Seeing an email with the subject: Grad Admissions sent my heart rate to 300 bpm for five minutes...