"Implicit" Rejections and Wait-Lists

[Rhet Man]

Dear All:

(I hope this thread doesn't exist elsewhere. I just got a little tired of looking.)

I have read a lot about "implicit rejections" and "implicit waitlists" on this site and it prompted me to construct a few questions:

1. Do we agree that there is a time frame after which it is safe to assume one has been rejected from a given program?

2. Would this be three months after the deadline, perhaps? Four? Less than that doesn't seem reasonable to me, partly because I've only gotten two official notifications out of seven (the other two I lucked into over the phone). Maybe my experience is particularly messed up.

3. Accordingly, is it ever a good idea to assume rejection?

4. Do programs often construct waitlists, but notify applicants only if they make it in?

Obviously: Anyone with insight into typical selection committee behaviors would be particularly helpful in response to these questions.

[ofekjeioyoeu]

I would say that, if you know by chance that somebody else who applied to the same program has been accepted while you've heard nothing, you could assume that you have been rejected. especially when you find more than one admit.

Of course, I guess this applies only to small programs which accept only 1-3 people per year. Like mine, unfortunately.

[jmacnomad]

I would say that, if you know by chance that somebody else who applied to the same program has been accepted while you've heard nothing, you could assume that you have been rejected. especially when you find more than one admit.

Of course, I guess this applies only to small programs which accept only 1-3 people per year. Like mine, unfortunately.

I would say it means waitlist or rejection. I noticed on the results page that acceptances and rejections had gone out for one of the schools I applied to. I contacted the department and asked my status. They informed me that my application was still "active" and they were waiting to hear back from other candidates before they decided on my application. It's a waitlist essentially.

[Rhet Man]

OK, so that's something. No assumptions of any kind should be made until there's solid evidence that they've accepted someone.

Are we agreed on this?

[space-cat]

OK, so that's something. No assumptions of any kind should be made until there's solid evidence that they've accepted someone.

Are we agreed on this?

Yes, but even then you can only assume that you're not a first flight acceptance. In addition to the "unofficial waitlist," some schools will also offer "consolation" admission to their MA program for students who didn't quite make the cut for the PhD. From what I've seen, this notification generally comes a few weeks after acceptances and waitlists (if they have an official waitlist) have gone out. If that's an offer you'd be interested in, then you definitely don't want to assume rejection right away.

Edited March 7, 2011 by space-cat

[Rhet Man]

Yes, but even then you can only assume that you're not a first flight acceptance. In addition to the "unofficial waitlist," some schools will also offer "consolation" admission to their MA program for students who didn't quite make the cut for the PhD. From what I've seen, this notification generally comes a few weeks after acceptances and waitlists (if they have an official waitlist) have gone out. If that's an offer you'd be interested in, then you definitely don't want to assume rejection right away.

Fair point. The MA consolation prize option doesn't apply to my situation, just to share...got the MA already.

It looks like the conventional cliches w/r/t "assumption" fit well enough here. Might be food for thought for all the folks on this site with "implied rejection" in their signatures.

Clearly...at least in the case of rejection..."you don't know until you know."

[Rhet Man]

One other thought here: When drawing any conclusions...so we think that programs/areas-of-study/subfields should be taken into account?

For example: The big one I'm currently wondering about is Ohio State (English-Rhetoric, Composition, and Linguistics). I have seen acceptances into "English" (very few) on the Ohio State thread.

What's not clear is whether the Rhetoric people have made their selections. I'd have to assume that they're given a number of students they can take by the department on the whole, but then the decision-making process is left up to them beyond that. Therefore, I don't know whether any of my actual fellow applicants have been notified or not.

Oy...sorry folks...crazy Monday.

[GNC]

I wish programs would tell you that you are on the wait list instead of not saying anything, and what your odds are. I know my current undergrad program at least gives their top candidates on the wait list a call and lets them know.

Leaving me in limbo is torture.

[YooperLucy]

One other thought here: When drawing any conclusions...so we think that programs/areas-of-study/subfields should be taken into account?

For example: The big one I'm currently wondering about is Ohio State (English-Rhetoric, Composition, and Linguistics). I have seen acceptances into "English" (very few) on the Ohio State thread.

What's not clear is whether the Rhetoric people have made their selections. I'd have to assume that they're given a number of students they can take by the department on the whole, but then the decision-making process is left up to them beyond that. Therefore, I don't know whether any of my actual fellow applicants have been notified or not.

Oy...sorry folks...crazy Monday.

A colleauge in my department was was accepted by Ohio State for a PhD. in composition and rhetoric a few weeks ago. She declined the offer

[RomulusAugustulus]

I wish programs would tell you that you are on the wait list instead of not saying anything, and what your odds are. I know my current undergrad program at least gives their top candidates on the wait list a call and lets them know.

Leaving me in limbo is torture.

 

This would definitely be nice, I agree. Apparently some schools do not allow programs to keep wait-lists so they simply don't reject potential candidates until people they've accepted accept their offers. It's why so many people wait forever to hear without being told they are on a wait-list. Some schools don't reject anyone until offers have been accepted, others just keep a few in 'limbo' and reject everyone else. Some programs just accept more people than they expect to attend and reject everyone else at once.  It's actually amazing how much things vary from program to program. It's a bummer, but it's how this whole screwed-up process works.

[maelia8]

Yeah, after I got my two acceptances, my two wait list notifications, and my two rejections all within two weeks of each other, I was wondering why I still hadn't heard from the final program either way. The explanations posited here are enlightening, and I now suspect they are one of those programs that doesn't have an official wait list and just keeps everyone not in the first wave of acceptances in the dark as long as possible in order to keep their options open.