Recommendation for admission

[nyc_commuter]

Can anyone clarify the admissions process a bit for me? If someone is "recommended" for admission by the dept/area committee, does that ensure admission? Or is there still a chance you won't get in. Who are they recommending you to anyway - the dean of the graduate school? Just curious...

[Bison_PhD]

It does not guarantee admission, BUT unless you don't meet the minimum requirements for the program (GPA, GRE, etc.) you should be in. They are recommending you to the graduate school, and this is usually a formality. Good luck.

[lewin]

It can mean different things at different places, but it probably means the professor wants you but doesn't have the authority to make the final decision. Usually all admissions need to be approved (even nominally) by the department and faculty of arts. It's very good news, but you might still be rejected if, say, the department as a whole only gets 5 admissions but 10 profs want students. Then the decision might be out of your prof's hands. The faculty of grad studies usually just reviews to make sure you meet minimal criteria (e.g., gre, gpa) and that there is funding.