Timeline

[jblsmith]

So I've finished applying and waited around for about a month and all I've gotten are the form letters that read: "Thank you for applying to our program. Your application is complete and under review." My question is when should I expect to hear back from these institutions? Am I correct in my understanding that higher-ranked programs make their decisions first followed by the lower-tier programs? And what about decisions within tiers? Do they let the accepted ones know first then the rejects later? Any info would be much appreciated.

[GQCJ]

I applied to 3 programs and received a positive advice from the lowest ranked program approximately 1.5 months after the deadline. The second university took about 2.5 months and, 4 months after the deadline, I am still waiting for the final (highest ranked) decision.

It takes a long time. All you can do is wait patiently.