Requesting Explicit Rejection

[Lemonade]

Every school where I've applied has notified their accepted students, but there are 6 that from which I personally haven't heard squat. I assume these are rejections and am ready to move on with my life, but I would really like to know for sure. So my questions are: When it is acceptable to email a DGS and ask about the decision? Is it better to call? And if it's better to email, how should I word my request? Thanks!

[mityak]

Every school where I've applied has notified their accepted students, but there are 6 that from which I personally haven't heard squat. I assume these are rejections and am ready to move on with my life, but I would really like to know for sure. So my questions are: When it is acceptable to email a DGS and ask about the decision? Is it better to call? And if it's better to email, how should I word my request? Thanks!

That seems imprudent and little defeatist because at least a few schools out there have wait lists. I really take issue with Rutgers changing applicants's statuses on their website but not sending out emails for weeks afterward. They do it every year, and it's always in poor taste. Poor Cornell had that CC faux pas, too.

[truckbasket]

I think this a rough time for us all, but it's probably wise to stay out of the results. I have six schools that I still need to hear from, some of which I assume I'm on some unspecified wait-list limbo type thing. The problem with calling and asking this early in the game is that, chances are, the DGS simply doesn't know yet. And in this case you run the risk of coming across as impatient and pushy -- not the level-headed and humble scholar they are hoping you to be.

Wait-lists can extend all the way out past April 15th, so unless you have a plan B ready to be put into action and waiting a few more weeks will prevent you from implementing it, I'd sit on your hands and grind your teeth and let them make the decision for you rather than you unintentionally giving them a push in the wrong direction. Frustrating, I know... but hang in there. It'll all be over soon!

[Rhet Man]

I suppose an obvious factor is the application deadlines for each school.

[BrandNewName]

Are some of the schools quite a distance from where you currently live? I am based in Europe at the moment and most of my programs were centered on the East Coast/New England, so I called a few of the offices where I was still waiting to hear and told them that I would be traveling to the States for recruitment weekends at the end of March and I wanted to know if I should plan extra time to visit their program.

I was sure to point out that I wasn't trying to be presumptuous and that, instead, I was concerned about finances/time away from work and that their giving me a definitive answer would be extremely helpful. For programs where I felt relatively certain I had been rejected, I also made that clear when I called, pointing out that I knew most accepted students had been notified and that confirming my rejection over the phone would not upset or enrage me, but would, in fact, be very welcome as I muddle through the stress of traveling internationally. Letting the person on the other end know that you're not going to lose it on the other end of the line when they tell you it's a rejection goes a long way toward getting an answer out of someone.