SO worth it to email DGS

[Amalia222]

I still hadn't heard from 8 programs so I decided to throw caution to the wind and email DGS for status inquiries. It was awesome. I got replies back from 4 schools within minutes, one rejection, one wait list, and a couple of "please be patient." But they told me when to expect letters and so finally I don't have to keep wondering when WHEN WHEN????? I think it's OK to send a quick, polite email asking for status. I explained that I had an offer and was eager to hear from the other schools I applied to before making a final decision.

[was1984]

At this point, sure. A month ago would have been too soon.

[Silent_Bobina]

I just e-mailed USC today and have heard nothing. Although I've seen on the boards they can be a bit snippy about e-mails, that was my first application in and I have an offer I'm seriously considering... I just want to know if I should wait it out...

Still I agree in general that now is the time it's alright to go asking. I'm giving Penn State another week before I bother them.

[everygirl]

I agree that now is the time to go asking, especially in the States.

I emailed the program administrator for my top choice, inquiring about my status as he had sent a message that my application had gone to the program admissions committee on Feb. 22nd, and we would be contacted 'soon'. It was March 14th -- he emailed back within 5 minutes saying that no decisions had been made on my application. Oh well. I wonder if it would have been better to email the DGS, but I suppose I can't email for another week.

My second choice emailed about a month ago saying we would be contacted after March 10. It's now five excruciating days after that. Since I have a concrete date to go by, I thought I'd wait until this Friday, a week later. This way, if there's no decision STILL, I'll drink. If it's an acceptance, I'll drink! If it's a rejection, I'll drink. Yay for Friday!

[Benzene]

I did the same! Granted, all I got were "We're still working on it, give it a couple more weeks" but now I know to expect a letter from one school, and that I will hear by the end of the month or so for 3 of 4. Also, the fact I didn't get a straight up "Sorry, you're rejected" makes me feel slightly optimistic. (Optimism is so dangerous though!!)

[NoMoreABD]

I think it IS time to go asking.

Well, I did get rejected.... However, in a very nice way.

After reading at another forum that the program had made all its decisions, and that rejections are on their way, and after waiting and waiting and waiting some more, I decided to email the Graduate Counselor and ask for an update on my application status.

Although she was previously not very nice and not very helpful, when I had a question at some point in the application process, this time she was very polite and wrote me a nice personal reply. Maybe she felt sorry for me because it was bad news.

Anyway, I could still be waiting, as their rejection is on its way by snail mail and I live on the other side of the world... Instead, I got a direct answer after a couple of hours, saying I had a very strong application but they only had one place for an international student this year and it wasn't me... I'm glad I found out.

[Neuronista]

I applied to 4 programs. I got a rejection e-mail from one of them on Feb 28.

I felt so down after that, and I was really worried about the other 3 applications left. But I was too scared to send e-mails inquiring about my admission status. I decided just to wait. When it became March 15, I couldn't take the suspense any more, so I sent e-mails to the top 2 of the 3 programs I'm waiting on. I got an instant automated reply from one of them saying:

"All DBS files are currently under review. U.S. applicants will be contacted if an interview is being offered. International applicants living outside of the U.S. will be notified by March 1st if an offer is forth-coming."

I am an American living outside the US, and I haven't received anything from them before, so does this mean I'm rejected? I'm trying not to think about it that way, especially that I've seen applicants to the same program on this forum saying that they were told they were "ranked" on a waiting list when they inquired about their status. So I'm trying to be optimistic and consider myself "on the waiting list" too, since I haven't received any explicit rejection so far. I dunno

The other program replied to my e-mail 10 days later and only when I sent them another e-mail. The program administrator apologized so politely for the delayed reply and told me I need to be phone-interviewed by a faculty member (this was my second interview with this program). The interview was yesterday. It went normal, except for something that kind of puzzled me. The interviewer asked me whether I have have received any offers yet and I replied no. He kind of laughed and said, "that's good!". WHAT DOES HE MEAN?

I so badly wanted to ask what he meant, but I didn't. I just asked him when should I expect a decision and he said, "very soon."

So here I am. Still waiting.

What do you think? Is there any hope for me?