George Mason

[tj19]

Got sort of a strange e-mail from GMU's Financial Aid Office saying that the status of my financial aid application is available online, and directing me to a terribly designed website to retrieve a temporary user account. Which then directed me to another odd website to set my password. Then on to another website to use the temporary user account and password to access my financial aid application status. Which ultimately didn't contain much except to acknowledge they received my FAFSA a month ago. It does state that my "expected enrollment" for Fall 2011 is full-time.

Does any of this mean anything with respect to an actual acceptance? The acceptance website is still showing me as "in process". It's been a little over 8 weeks since my application was complete.

[yabanci]

Tj, I got the same e-mail this morning. I wondered as well if it meant anything about acceptance, but I'm not sure it does. I also turned in my application a little over a month ago, but I got an e-mail about a week ago saying that my application is under review. I'm not sure if you saw this website (I only just found it today), but you can log in and view your application status. Everything was added when I submitted my application a month ago, except for my transcripts, which, for some reason, were only added to my file last week (the same day I received the e-mail about my application being complete). The weird part is, I submitted my transcripts at the end of December, so I'm not really sure what took so long. The site also says they send out acceptances via postal service, so that's what I'm expecting. However, the e-mail I received last week said " Please allow at least four to six weeks from the published deadline for a decision to be made." I'm a little worried, because since the deadline is March 15, 4-6 weeks would put the decisions around April 15-May 1, which is well after I will hear back/be responding to other schools. Of course, we may hear back sooner anyway. Some of the other schools I'm applying to are starting/will start to send out decisions within the next week to two weeks, but I haven't heard anything regarding financial aid from any of them. Under Award Information-->Award Aid by Year-->Award Overview, it lists the aid that I would receive. Under expected enrollment, it says Fall 2011/Spring 2012: Full Time for me as well. Then again, this could just be the financial aid office getting everything done ahead of time; I'm not really familiar with how the process works. Did you receive an e-mail last week about your application being under review? Or did you get the e-mail when you submitted your application? Hopefully other people will chime in with their experiences; it's good to find other people applying to GMU as well.

Got sort of a strange e-mail from GMU's Financial Aid Office saying that the status of my financial aid application is available online, and directing me to a terribly designed website to retrieve a temporary user account. Which then directed me to another odd website to set my password. Then on to another website to use the temporary user account and password to access my financial aid application status. Which ultimately didn't contain much except to acknowledge they received my FAFSA a month ago. It does state that my "expected enrollment" for Fall 2011 is full-time.

Does any of this mean anything with respect to an actual acceptance? The acceptance website is still showing me as "in process". It's been a little over 8 weeks since my application was complete.

[tj19]

I got the application under review e-mail shortly after my application was complete, and this most recent e-mail was the first I've heard since. I had discovered the web page you sent a while back -- I have to say, GMU's website is not the most intuitive thing in the world. I'm beginning to think that this doesn't really mean anything with respect to admission. Maybe they just finally loaded the information in the financial aid system, so we got the weird e-mail today. Seems odd, but I'm still definitely listed as "still being processed" on their application status website. Guess we'll find out sooner or later.

[letsjustgo]

Got sort of a strange e-mail from GMU's Financial Aid Office saying that the status of my financial aid application is available online, and directing me to a terribly designed website to retrieve a temporary user account. Which then directed me to another odd website to set my password. Then on to another website to use the temporary user account and password to access my financial aid application status. Which ultimately didn't contain much except to acknowledge they received my FAFSA a month ago. It does state that my "expected enrollment" for Fall 2011 is full-time.

Does any of this mean anything with respect to an actual acceptance? The acceptance website is still showing me as "in process". It's been a little over 8 weeks since my application was complete.

Very odd. Could you post the link they sent to the finaid site? I submitted my app back in September, and although I had an email from Stephanie that they my app was complete and that they intended to review at the end of February, I did not receive any of the emails that you folks did. hmm...

EDIT: I just realized that maybe this link they sent was personalized so you could edit your account info.

Edited March 9, 2011 by letsjustgo

[tj19]

The link itself isn't personalized but you'll need your "G Number" that supposedly GMU admissions sent you. The problem is that I never got an email from admissions with any G Number. Luckily, the financial aid email also contained my G Number. The message was:

"The status of your George Mason University Student Financial Aid Application is available online. You will first need to create a temporary user account.

Please visit https://password.gmu.edu and select the click 'here' to option 1, to activate your Patriot Pass Account. Follow the instructions to get your Mason Access NetID and to create a secure password. To activate your account, you will need your university G number ID which was provided to you by the Office of Admissions and your PIN. If you've never used your PIN, it is initially set to your date of birth in mmddyy format. If you've previously used your PIN but have forgotten it, please contact ITU Support at 703-993-8870 to request a PIN reset.

Once you've created the temporary user account, please visit https://patriotweb.gmu.edu and login with the NetID and password that you created to check your application status. "

Just a very confusing email.

[Matthew Gemberling]

I also got this e-mail from Mason. I am wondering why it is taking them so long to respond with acceptance letters. I called the past week and asked what their time frame was on sending out letters and the lady that I spoke with in admissions was very unhelpful and vague. Did anyone else get a more finite time period other than "they start reviewing applications in March"? I am VERY surprised that George Washington, American and Pittsburgh sent out their acceptance letters before Mason.

[letsjustgo]

I got this email from GMU (after I emailed them) on March 10th, "We just recently began the fall 2011 review process, therefore, you can expect an admission decision within the next four to five weeks. Please let me know if you should have additional questions or if I can be of further assistance." That puts us into early-mid April.

[yabanci]

I'm not surprised that Mason is sending out its letters later, considering their deadline has just passed within the last hour. I was a little surprised, however, that their deadline is 2 months later than everyone else's. I'm a little worried about Mason too because they don't have funding for master's students, only for PhD. Hopefully this will change soon, although I'll probably have to look at outside sources for funding anyway.

[tj19]

Wow. Really? That's surprising to me as it bumps their decision timeline right up against some April 15 deadlines for submitting a deposit to other schools that have already sent out acceptances -- like American, a school that GMU directly competes with.

[letsjustgo]

I'm not surprised that Mason is sending out its letters later, considering their deadline has just passed within the last hour. I was a little surprised, however, that their deadline is 2 months later than everyone else's. I'm a little worried about Mason too because they don't have funding for master's students, only for PhD. Hopefully this will change soon, although I'll probably have to look at outside sources for funding anyway.

According to this page, they award merit-based funding for Master's students http://policy.gmu.edu/Home/Admissions/TuitionFinancialAssistance/MastersFinancialAssistance/tabid/126/Default.aspx

Hopefully it is correct!

[yabanci]

According to this page, they award merit-based funding for Master's students http://policy.gmu.ed...26/Default.aspx

Hopefully it is correct!

Hmm, ok I see now. I'm actually applying to the master's in political science, not public policy like you guys are. In that case, I can only speak for the political science program, which had a March 15 deadline and does not provide funding for master's students. The political science program falls under the "Public and International Affairs" department, which includes master's in public administration.

[Mal83]

Yes, everything you guys are saying has been true for me too, is anyone going for Global Affairs? I submitted my application in mid-January and my personal application page said it would take 4-6 weeks for processing, I was under the impression that meant 4-6 weeks from when I submitted, not from the deadline. At the 6 week mark I also emailed and was told simply that my application would be processed after the deadline. I don't understand why this has to be so painful, I submitted all that time ago and I still don't even know if they have all of my documents. And I also thought it was very odd about the financial aid thing, but even before being set up online, you're even assigned a financial aid counselor. I had a question so I emailed the financial aid office and they told me if I had any more questions to direct them to "my counselor." Strange. It is a very late deadline, don't quite get it, but my theory is that maybe because they're a bit less selective they will have a large number of accepted applicants and don't have to worry much about loosing a few to the more selective and competitive schools. I don't know, but they should have been at least processing as they came in if the deadline is so late or now that the deadline has passed update that message a little....sheesh.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Mal83

[tj19]

Yep, just like the above. Nice little e-mail today (2 days after their published deadline).

Thank you for submitting your graduate application to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at George Mason University.

Your application has been processed and will now be sent to the department for review. If the department requires further documentation they will contact you directly.

Please allow at least four to six weeks from the published deadline for a decision to be made.

We will notify you of the decision by mail.

They've had it for over two months. Really? Another 4-6 weeks for review?

[letsjustgo]

Just received admit packet. But no mention of funding. 0 for 4 in the money department.

[yabanci]

Just received admit packet. But no mention of funding. 0 for 4 in the money department.

Congrats on your acceptance! I suspect that other acceptances will be sent out before April. On other schools' websites that I've applied to they say late March to mid April for hearing back, but I've already heard back. I figure they do that because they don't want people calling them up and asking if decisions have been made already. Hopefully I'll be hearing from Mason soon as well for political science.

[fsmn36]

Just received admit packet. But no mention of funding. 0 for 4 in the money department.

Are you who posted acceptance to the MPP program on the results board? Or are you a PhD candidate (acceptee)?

Oh, lie. I just saw your program as MPP. Does anyone know about when PhD may be announced?

Edited March 18, 2011 by fsmn36

[oogabooga]

Off topic kinda: George Mason had a thrilling victory over Villanova today!

[Mal83]

Well my Global Affairs application has finally been processed, although they say they did not receive one of my documents. But luckily this can easily be rectified. It's been so long I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever hear from them. At this point I'll take the little progress that's been made.

[flyers29]

Are you who posted acceptance to the MPP program on the results board? Or are you a PhD candidate (acceptee)?

Oh, lie. I just saw your program as MPP. Does anyone know about when PhD may be announced?

Per the results page there were acceptances going out in the first week of April last year. Hope it's that quick this time too (I also applied for the PhD at GMU).

[fsmn36]

Per the results page there were acceptances going out in the first week of April last year. Hope it's that quick this time too (I also applied for the PhD at GMU).

Yes, you're the one with the interest in security and defense policy! I was seriously beginning to think I was alone in this world with that combination (IR/policy schools) and emphasis. So we could either be very competitive...or both accepted if they like that focus. Have you done (or are you currently) a masters or anything past undergrad in the field?

Sigh. I figured it'd be April, it's just very frustrating because everyone wants an answer from me now. Boo.

[flyers29]

Yes, you're the one with the interest in security and defense policy! I was seriously beginning to think I was alone in this world with that combination (IR/policy schools) and emphasis. So we could either be very competitive...or both accepted if they like that focus. Have you done (or are you currently) a masters or anything past undergrad in the field?

Sigh. I figured it'd be April, it's just very frustrating because everyone wants an answer from me now. Boo.

Yeah I have an MA from Denver-Korbel's International Security program. The other 2 programs I applied to had January deadlines and I still haven't heard from them--at this rate Mason might beat them to the punch!

[Weaves]

I was accepted yesterday to the MPP program, with some funding. Hope everyone hears sooner rather than later!

[Mal83]

I'm taking this as a good sign from the Global Affairs program coordinator:

"I hope you are doing well! We have just started making decisions and you should receive a very exciting letter in the mail sometime by next week!"

And this just after my application being processed 2 days ago! I only emailed to find out when I can expect to be notified of a decision and got that response. They move fast that's for sure, very refreshing.

[Matthew Gemberling]

I called George Mason yesterday just to make sure that all of my materials had made it to them and if so what the hold up on decisions were. The woman I spoke with told me that they had received all of my materials (over 2 months ago) and that my application has not been reviewed yet (but was in the pile to be reviewed).

This is kind of discouraging seeing that I need to let American and George Washington know by April 15. She told me that I could request and extension from these schools, however, I wondered why it wouldn't have been much easier for the students that applied to their program that they respond to applications in a timely fashion. I feel like they are going to lose out on a lot of quality students due to their late decision making.

[Mal83]

I called George Mason yesterday just to make sure that all of my materials had made it to them and if so what the hold up on decisions were. The woman I spoke with told me that they had received all of my materials (over 2 months ago) and that my application has not been reviewed yet (but was in the pile to be reviewed).

This is kind of discouraging seeing that I need to let American and George Washington know by April 15. She told me that I could request and extension from these schools, however, I wondered why it wouldn't have been much easier for the students that applied to their program that they respond to applications in a timely fashion. I feel like they are going to lose out on a lot of quality students due to their late decision making.

Just have to ask...would you really turn down both American and George Washington for George Mason? Don't get me wrong, I'm psyched to have finally gotten some good news and I'll be happy to attend should American turn me down, I was waitlisted for GW.

What was the deadline for your program? Mine was March 15, I submitted in the middle of January but was told a month and a half later that nothing would start happening until after the deadline, which I found discouraging. I think some departments over there do it on a rolling basis, but mine does not. I don't know if my application was just at the top of the pile or if it was because I was in touch with the coordinator about admissions claiming they didn't receive my letter from the Peace Corps about my foreign language ability (a requirement for global affairs) or what. It was just nice to be at the top this time, I got my waitlist notice from GW back on the 11th, which made for a pretty crappy day and waiting for American was until yesterday getting to be rather painful. I'm still really hoping for acceptance to American but the good news from Mason has certainly taken the edge off. But in your case I wouldn't be too discouraged if you've been accepted to both of those schools.