Carnegie Mellon

[the giaour]

Hey all--so I'm at the end of the alphabet and am convinced that's why I haven't gotten an email telling me I was rejected. Results board shows they only took 3 out of 150 (so... impossible odds... but what acceptance isn't a miracle in terms of odds?) and am just wondering whether people who HAVE gotten their emails were in the first half of the alphabet? Or does anybody know for a fact that alphabetical organization matters/doesn't matter in terms of response time? I'm totally aware that I am likely inventing things.

Also, is there a way to check the status online? I couldn't figure it out, if there is. Which might say something about whether I should be admitted to (a further) grad program.

[durkin65]

I'm in the same boat as you, and, maybe surprisingly, think similarly. The alphabet scenario is my concept, and, since my last name begins with a D, I'm not rejected. That's my plan, and I'm sticking to it.

Truthfully, I don't know what's going on. I applied to CMU last year and was placed on the waiting list, so I hope this year will be different. And they do not have an online source for checking up on your status.

Good luck!

Edit: Also wanted to say that they make a fairly large waiting list - 8 or 9? - so there's always the chance you are also on the waiting list, aside from being accepted. And that I applied for the PhD program, and I have my MA.

Edited February 11, 2011 by durkin65

[tortola23]

I applied to the Professional Writing MA program there; anyone else? I don't think we'll hear back until early March, though.

[the giaour]

Ha! Good to know I'm not the only one who thinks the alphabetical scheme is likely... and given that feeling I'd say you deserve to be cautiously optimistic, for sure! I would be. I wish MY last name started with something before "L."

Thanks for the info re: your experience last year, durkin! and much luck to you, too!

[gradgirlwannabe]

I haven't heard anything from them either. Results posted from last year show all rejections sent within a couple days. Acceptance? Wait-list? MA offer? At this point, I'd be fine with any of the above. I just want to hear something from someone (other than a rejection).

My last name starts with H, if you're curious...

[enggrad]

Hi,

I too am still waiting to hear back from CMU. My last name begins with an "F." I noticed a few new posted rejects via E-Mail so I am not exactly sure what that means. Has anyone heard back from them recently?

[gradgirlwannabe]

I just saw one new rejection posted, but it says they were notified on the 10th, the same day as the others. It's been nearly a week, though! I wonder when we'll see/hear more. CMU is the only one of my schools that seems to have notified any of its applicants.

[enggrad]

there are actually 6 rejections posted from CMU on the results board and it seems all emails were sent on the 10th or 11th. I just want to hear from them.

[tortola23]

Waiting on the Professional Writing program, too. When were the English applications due? The writing ones weren't officially due until today, so it'll be a while yet.

[the giaour]

PhD applications were due Jan 15... who knows what's going on.

[cread]

I just saw one new rejection posted, but it says they were notified on the 10th, the same day as the others. It's been nearly a week, though! I wonder when we'll see/hear more. CMU is the only one of my schools that seems to have notified any of its applicants.

I'm in the same boat. My last name starts with R, so I'm also thinking it might be a matter of alphabetization...

[durkin65]

Let's do away with the whole alphabetical order thing - even though I secretly continue to adhere to it - and I'm going assume that they've announced initial rejections. After that, they'll cut it down even more, and then announce who they've accepted, wait listed, and rejected. Now I'm speaking solely in terms of PhD in Lit. and Rhetoric. As for MA, I have no clue.

Granted, no one should take my word on this because I am also in the dark.

[tinycat]

Let's do away with the whole alphabetical order thing - even though I secretly continue to adhere to it - and I'm going assume that they've announced initial rejections. After that, they'll cut it down even more, and then announce who they've accepted, wait listed, and rejected. Now I'm speaking solely in terms of PhD in Lit. and Rhetoric. As for MA, I have no clue.

Granted, no one should take my word on this because I am also in the dark.

Yes, they have already made rejections. 150+ applications for 3 spots.

[gradgirlwannabe]

Yes, they have already made rejections. 150+ applications for 3 spots.

Are you surmising about this? I didn't see many posts. I'm hoping that if we haven't heard, we're either accepted, wait-listed, or receiving offers to their MA program.

[enggrad]

Those are my hopes as well. Looking back over the past 2 years of posts for CMU it looks as if all the rejections went out around the same time. Hopefully, this means something positive or semi-positive for us all.

[durkin65]

Those are my hopes as well. Looking back over the past 2 years of posts for CMU it looks as if all the rejections went out around the same time. Hopefully, this means something positive or semi-positive for us all.

I hope for this as well.

[tinycat]

Are you surmising about this? I didn't see many posts. I'm hoping that if we haven't heard, we're either accepted, wait-listed, or receiving offers to their MA program.

Yes I am surmising. I think their rejections have been made. As for other statuses (wait lists, MA, etc) I can't say.

[courtniep]

I'd like the revisit this post by saying what the fuuuuuck is going onnn. Decisions were steadily trickling out for a little while and now I'm just floating in wonderspace. Anybody heard anything this week?

[gradgirlwannabe]

Agreed. It's been two weeks since any results were posted! Frustrating...

[enggrad]

Hi All,

I emailed the coordinator there and she said the committee was hoping to have all final decisions made by March 2nd. What isn't clear is if they will be sending out decisions up until March 2nd or on March 2nd. Hope this helps.

[courtniep]

Thanks so much for the update enggrad!

Hi All,

I emailed the coordinator there and she said the committee was hoping to have all final decisions made by March 2nd. What isn't clear is if they will be sending out decisions up until March 2nd or on March 2nd. Hope this helps.

[enggrad]

I just saw an actual admit posted for CMU today. Would the person who was accepted care to elaborate on how the phone call went? Did they make it sound as if they had made their final decisions already?

[weatherwax]

I just saw an actual admit posted for CMU today. Would the person who was accepted care to elaborate on how the phone call went? Did they make it sound as if they had made their final decisions already?

And now, a wait-list notification.

Congratulations and good luck to the person wait-listed! Are you lurking about here, perhaps?

Also, anyone else hear anything yet?

[cread]

I just received an email that I'm on the wait list. No idea how long it is, but hoping I receive an offer of admission, as I think that this program is my best fit. Best of luck to everyone else--I hope you're accepted to much better programs so that I can go to CMU!

[weatherwax]

I just received an email that I'm on the wait list. No idea how long it is, but hoping I receive an offer of admission, as I think that this program is my best fit. Best of luck to everyone else--I hope you're accepted to much better programs so that I can go to CMU!

Ooh! That's still something. Congratulations, cread. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. I haven't heard a peep from them and I don't know what to make of it. Any statistics in the email that you got?