Prevented by School's Bureaucracy?

[sarmstrong]

My #1 choice (by far) told me on April 2nd that I'd been recommended for admission, but because my Junior / Senior GPA was too low, my application has to be approved by the Grad. Division. That very night I called both the Grad. Div. & my own department to try to help the process along, lest April 15th arrive and I still have no official decision. I got absolutely nowhere. I emailed everyone I could think of, then waited. Nothing - not even a response, even after telling them that I had to know by the 15th.

Tonight, I decided to call again. First I talked to my department, who assured me they'd sent my application to the Grad. Div. already. Then, I called the Grad. Div., who placed me on hold, came back in a few minutes and said,

"I just spoke with your department and they haven't sent over your application yet. Once they do it'll take 7 - 10 business days."

WHAT IN THE WORLD??? Besides being utterly amazed by the inefficiency of this system, I am now left wondering what in the world to do! Do I wait, knowing that I will almost certainly be approved (according to my department), passing up the April 15th deadline to accept one of my other offers? Or do I say, now way, this is ridiculous and too much of a risk?

It would be so sad to pass up my dream school, knowing that I would likely have been able to go. But it would be SO sad to miss out on ALL the schools.

Help!

By the way, there are so many other ridiculous aspects of how this school has handled my application, but I've left them out to keep this as short as possible. AHHH! They're driving me nuts!

[latte thunder]

Well, How do you feel about your other choices? Would you dread going to one of them? Or would you be ok with attending another school?

[jprufrock]

It's a pretty important thing, right?

Take a flight and visit the campus in person. People can't dismiss you easily when you're standing right in front of them.

EDIT: or ask your second choice for an extension so the April 15th deadline isn't as much of a concern.

Edited April 12, 2011 by jprufrock

[sarmstrong]

Latte - I wouldn't "dread" going there, I'm just worried that I'd always be wondering, "what if?" The other ones are also considerably more expensive.

Elliot - I would love to visit the campus, but I'm living overseas right now, so there's no way. All these phone calls to the school have been in the middle of the night for me .

[sarmstrong]

I may ask the 2nd choice school for an extension.