Stringing me along??

[anxiouslyawaiting]

I interviewed at a school for their first of two interview weekends spaced two weeks apart. I was told that applicants would hear from the program two weeks after the final interview weekend. That two week marks comes and goes... So I e-mailed them the Thursday of that week, asking for an updated timeline. I received an e-mail the following Monday (exactly 1 week ago) saying they had a final meeting Tuesday and offers would be made "in the next few days." Awesome. But I still haven't heard from them!!

Why are they taking so long? I'd rather be rejected outright than strung along for 3 weeks!!! It's starting to affect my health thanks to the stress of waiting!

Also, someone posted a result saying they got accepted three weeks ago!! This makes me think I'm getting rejected, so why won't they just tell me already!?

[Neuronista]

I know what you mean. I've been interviewed only 10 days ago but I'm so stressed out as well. The interviewer told me I'll hear from them very soon. But how long is their "soon"? I have no idea. Just hang in there. Sooner or later we'll know. And it should be sooner rather than later actually. It's almost April!

[anxiouslyawaiting]

It's been 42 days since my interview. I started getting anxious at about 25 days. almost 20 days of anxiety is making me all sorts of crazy. I honestly don't want to wait any longer. I'm pretty much going to plan my life around me not getting in anymore and trying again in a few years.

[Neuronista]

Just hang in there. Remember that there are thousands of applicants who have not heard a word yet. And remember that the worst is over. You waited 42 days, in 15 more days MAX this will all be over and life will go on. Whatever the result will be (and hopefully it will be what you wish for), life will still go on. I really want you to feel better. Anxiety will not help at all.

Try talking to friends. Read posts on this forum. You will find that many people are in a very similar situation as yours. This is helping me a lot. I couldn't imagine how would I have ever kept my sanity without this website.

I'm also trying to read books, watch movies, exercise, do anything to keep myself busy and distract my mind from all this crazy process. Give it a try!

[jaxzwolf]

It's been 42 days since my interview. I started getting anxious at about 25 days. almost 20 days of anxiety is making me all sorts of crazy. I honestly don't want to wait any longer. I'm pretty much going to plan my life around me not getting in anymore and trying again in a few years.

If you applied with the intention of working under a specific professor and interviewed with this individual, than I suggest you contact the POI at that school and not graduate admissions or a department secretary. If you're looking to work in a specific lab, the delay in notification could be related to the professor, as opposed to the program. A few scenarios that come to mind are as follows: 1. The professor is uncertain which of the candidates he/she interviewed is the best for the available spot(s), and is thus having a difficult time deciding and is taking longer than usual; 2. The professor chose an individual to admit to the program for his/her lab, but did not want a runner-up to be rejected from the program in case the original student chosen for the spot declines (i.e., you've been waitlisted); 3. The professor chose an admit but did not inform the department about which student(s) to admit and which to reject; 4. The professor has gotten bogged down in work or is currently doing fieldwork, and thus has not had a chance to make his/her decisions.

Honestly, I feel for you, especially as it's been so long since you initially interviewed. My suggestion would be to call the department instead of writing an email-- often times you'll have better luck getting an answer if you get someone over the phone. If you were looking to work in a specific lab with someone, as opposed to just applying to the program in general, it would probably be worthwhile to email the specific POI, reiterate your interest, and politely inquire about when he/she might be able to inform you of admissions decisions.

[anxiouslyawaiting]

If you applied with the intention of working under a specific professor and interviewed with this individual, than I suggest you contact the POI at that school and not graduate admissions or a department secretary. If you're looking to work in a specific lab, the delay in notification could be related to the professor, as opposed to the program. A few scenarios that come to mind are as follows: 1. The professor is uncertain which of the candidates he/she interviewed is the best for the available spot(s), and is thus having a difficult time deciding and is taking longer than usual; 2. The professor chose an individual to admit to the program for his/her lab, but did not want a runner-up to be rejected from the program in case the original student chosen for the spot declines (i.e., you've been waitlisted); 3. The professor chose an admit but did not inform the department about which student(s) to admit and which to reject; 4. The professor has gotten bogged down in work or is currently doing fieldwork, and thus has not had a chance to make his/her decisions.

Honestly, I feel for you, especially as it's been so long since you initially interviewed. My suggestion would be to call the department instead of writing an email-- often times you'll have better luck getting an answer if you get someone over the phone. If you were looking to work in a specific lab with someone, as opposed to just applying to the program in general, it would probably be worthwhile to email the specific POI, reiterate your interest, and politely inquire about when he/she might be able to inform you of admissions decisions.

The program doesn't allow you to apply for a specific laboratory. They require lab rotations, so I actually interviewed with several faculty members. There is one POI that I really want to work with, but e-mailing him probably won't really help me out. The admissions committee is really who I am waiting on... And I've e-mailed the chair once already and he was the one who said I'd hear "within a few days." It has only been a week since I was told "a few days" so I feel like if I call or e-mail again I'll be considered pushy and maybe hurt my chances of getting in if decisions haven't been made yet.

[Mal83]

Just hang in there. Remember that there are thousands of applicants who have not heard a word yet. And remember that the worst is over. You waited 42 days, in 15 more days MAX this will all be over and life will go on. Whatever the result will be (and hopefully it will be what you wish for), life will still go on. I really want you to feel better. Anxiety will not help at all.

Try talking to friends. Read posts on this forum. You will find that many people are in a very similar situation as yours. This is helping me a lot. I couldn't imagine how would I have ever kept my sanity without this website.

I'm also trying to read books, watch movies, exercise, do anything to keep myself busy and distract my mind from all this crazy process. Give it a try!

This website is like my little sanctuary filled with people just like me, emotions flying, sick to death of waiting, wondering, and calculating scenarios. I just wished I had stumbled across it sooner, the information that I've gotten here as well as just reading the posts about the drudgery of waiting has been therapeutic to say the least. This process has been dreadful, there were a couple of highs after finishing with the GRE forever and actually completing the applications but mostly it's just been full of anxiety. I'm still waiting on my second choice school and I know at this point it's literally any day that I'll find out either way, which feels good on one hand but on the other when I came home to again nothing in the mail I was like "my god, when is this going to end?" It kind of feels like never. But getting into my safety school last week has been tremendous, so at least I know I'm going to grad school in the DC area. We just have to hang in there for a couple more weeks and we'll all know everything we need to know. It just feels like crap now more than ever because it just seems endless and on top of that there's post after post declaring acceptance to this or that school...which is great, but those of us who haven't heard yet can't help but think..."oh good, one less spot for me."

[Owlie]

I'm still waiting to hear back from two schools. One interview was in mid-February, and I've heard nothing since. (No results posted here, either.) The other was two weeks ago--I can understand that, since their deadline was Feb. 15th. The first one, though, is my top choice, and I'm starting to think I'm on the unofficial waitlist, so that potentially means I won't hear anything until April or May.

I'm a planner, and this is driving me crazy. Do I stay here? Move back in with my parents? Or am I going to have to organize a move across the country at the last minute? The suspense is killing me. And there hasn't been anything in the mail. (Except an electricity bill. Goody.)

[poliscijunkie]

every time i log onto the online systems and see ,thats right BLANKNESS a little part of me dies. also the return to my parents house would be a little bit easier to swallow if i knew i was leaving by sept. this process has definitely taught me a lot of life lessons!

[jmacnomad]

This website is like my little sanctuary filled with people just like me, emotions flying, sick to death of waiting, wondering, and calculating scenarios.

Well said! I'm right there with you. Thank goodness I can obsess on grad cafe because my SO and friends get really tired of hearing it!

[Mal83]

Well said! I'm right there with you. Thank goodness I can obsess on grad cafe because my SO and friends get really tired of hearing it!

Here Here!! This is what I'm doing before I go to work in the morning and after I get home at night. When I've gotten nothing in the mail yet again except my Amex bill my gut reaction is "grad cafe, stat." You know, quick, before it registers that I'm going to go through another 24 hour period of decision purgatory before I get to check the mail again.

[Owlie]

Here Here!! This is what I'm doing before I go to work in the morning and after I get home at night. When I've gotten nothing in the mail yet again except my Amex bill my gut reaction is "grad cafe, stat." You know, quick, before it registers that I'm going to go through another 24 hour period of decision purgatory before I get to check the mail again.

Pretty much my life. Mail carrier leaves, I rush out to check it, then I check my email (for the nth time), then run here to see if anyone's posted results...Then I realize that I have to wait another 24 hours. :/

Edited March 30, 2011 by Owlie

[Mal83]

Pretty much my life. Mail carrier leaves, I rush out to check it, then I check my email (for the nth time), then run here to see if anyone's posted results...Then I realize that I have to wait another 24 hours. :/

Exactly, I wish I were home in order to check the mail right when it comes, I have to trudge through work all day though.

[ep1181]

Exactly, I wish I were home in order to check the mail right when it comes, I have to trudge through work all day though.

haha Mal you sound like me, we're both waiting on AU. It's driving me insane.

[Mal83]

haha Mal you sound like me, we're both waiting on AU. It's driving me insane.

We're even waiting on the same program...I know, I've had it, absolutely had it with this dreadful process. As tired of my job as I am, I'm sort of glad to have a place to go Monday through Friday and be really busy, it's just about the only place/thing that takes my mind off of it for a while...a little while.

What I don't get is why was George Washington able to get all of their decisions made at the same time and out weeks ago when their deadline was later? Even if they sent them snail mail we all would know by now instead of still wondering if our applications have even been looked at yet.

So when did you submit/complete your application? The theory is that the batches correspond to that time. I submitted the very end of December but my 2nd LOR wasn't until 7 hours before the deadline. I was told that I would hear from them "by the first week in April." And also, they're still accepting applications according the website. I know they do that rolling thing, but what, they don't have enough applications already? Sheesh.

[Mal83]

Just got this from AU admissions:

All of the decisions will be have been sent by the end of this week. You should receive your decision by next week. If you do not hear anything by end of next week, please feel free to contact us.

Hmmm, I just get a bad vibe from this, I know it's not logical, but I don't know it seems like a way to let someone down easy. Ok, over thinking this as usual. At the very least I know I have at most another week and a half of this misery and that's it.

[anxiouslyawaiting]

I know for a fact that I will hear via e-mail, which means that I check my e-mail every 5-10 minutes (even though I KNOW this makes no sense and the e-mail will NOT get here faster if I check more). Every time I see that I have a new e-mail my heart skips a beat or two, even though I know it's probably random other e-mails (I get at least 3 or 4 a day related to work and 3 or 4 related to other stuff).

The longer I wait the worse feeling I get. I wish they'd just tell me already! I've considered calling, but I know I should just be patient and wait until at least the end of the week.

[Owlie]

I know for a fact that I will hear via e-mail, which means that I check my e-mail every 5-10 minutes (even though I KNOW this makes no sense and the e-mail will NOT get here faster if I check more). Every time I see that I have a new e-mail my heart skips a beat or two, even though I know it's probably random other e-mails (I get at least 3 or 4 a day related to work and 3 or 4 related to other stuff).

The longer I wait the worse feeling I get. I wish they'd just tell me already! I've considered calling, but I know I should just be patient and wait until at least the end of the week.

You too? I've got G-mail set up with a "grad school" filter and label. Every so often, something pops up in that category...and then it turns out that it's some school (that I didn't apply to) advertising their information sessions. I think the cumulative stress from these occurrences may have taken a year off my life.

[ep1181]

One of my recommendation letters was sent pretty close to the deadline, to the point where I was nervous if it was going to make it. So that might be true about applications sent close to the deadline taking longer. I really appreciate the emailed responses even if they are rejections because then at least you know right away. One school even emailed me to say I got in and then said the letter will come later, why couldn't AU do that? Thanks for stressing us all out!

[anxiouslyawaiting]

I suppose I'm glad that I know I'll hear via e-mail. Though, it doesn't help when I don't actually GET an e-mail.

I think what I hate is that I was told "oh 4 weeks" then after 4.5 weeks I e-mailed and didn't get a response for almost a week then got "oh a few more days" and it's been more than a week now. I'd rather they don't give me a specific time line and then not follow through.

[anxiouslyawaiting]

Well as of 6 pm EST I got official word! Didn't even have to open the e-mail, the subject said Accepted!

[Owlie]

Well as of 6 pm EST I got official word! Didn't even have to open the e-mail, the subject said Accepted!

Congratulations!

Still waiting here.

[Mal83]

One of my recommendation letters was sent pretty close to the deadline, to the point where I was nervous if it was going to make it. So that might be true about applications sent close to the deadline taking longer. I really appreciate the emailed responses even if they are rejections because then at least you know right away. One school even emailed me to say I got in and then said the letter will come later, why couldn't AU do that? Thanks for stressing us all out!

Yeah, well bottom line is that we will know by the end of next week, so basically within a week and a half. If not that's when I get to call them and end it either way. It would have been nice to be notified about the batch system and once they determined what batch you're in a little more narrowed down time frame would have also been nice. I saw that people were posting their acceptances as early as the 14th, so naturally that's when I started to go crazy...crazy waiting and expecting...like any day now...any day now. But no, not really. If I new that I was in the 3rd batch which meant NOT to expect a decision until the first week in April then I could have relaxed a little bit for the past few weeks. If I know there's no chance of hearing before then, then I would have allowed myself to not stress about it because there would be nothing I could do about it. And for me, just knowing what's going on is half the battle. With just a little courtesy towards us they could eliminate a lot of unnecessary "when am I going to get a decision?" emails and phone calls. And I could get through this process without loosing a year of my life to stress and anxiety. I'm just going to try really hard at not expecting anything the rest of the week.

[Neuronista]

Well as of 6 pm EST I got official word! Didn't even have to open the e-mail, the subject said Accepted!

OMG CONGRATULATIONS!!!

See! I told you everything will be fine

I'm so happy for you I nearly cried reading your post.

Now hopefully it's my turn to hear some good news! Good luck to everyone else still waiting too!

Congrats again :)

[anxiouslyawaiting]

OMG CONGRATULATIONS!!!

See! I told you everything will be fine

I'm so happy for you I nearly cried reading your post.

Now hopefully it's my turn to hear some good news! Good luck to everyone else still waiting too!

Congrats again :)

Thanks! That's so sweet of you to be so happy for me when we don't even really know each other!

To whomever said one of their LoR was cutting it close: One of my LoR was sent THE DAY it was due, mid-afternoon. She sent them to all my schools the same day, it actually didn't register at one school until 3 days later! However, I did get in despite my almost late LoR. I think that most adcomms are probably aware that you cannot control your LoR writers and that many profs are super busy. My fingers are crossed for you!