Didn't realize application deadlines weren't real...

[t_ruth]

So, with my business and babies I wasn't early on my applications. I got things in a week or so before the deadlines or right before the deadlines. Now I'm learning that my files won't be sent to the Departments until everything is processed by the graduate schools, which takes weeks after they receive everything. Since people are already starting to hear things, and I know the early bird seems to catch the worm, I am worried that I'm not going to even be in the running.

Has everyone who got in applied really early? Has anyone made it in just under the wire and still got an acceptance (and funding)?

Should I contact the departments and let them know my application is coming?

[IvyHope]

NO. Do not contact them. They are likely to get annoyed with you. YES, people get funding and acceptance at the deadline. Departments do not start reading through applications until after the deadline, unless they have a rolling admission policy. At my department, ad comm has been waiting to get the files from the graduate secretary for about a week now. Of course it takes them time to sort through all the paperwork and create a file for each applicant.

I keep trying to tell you this: YOU WILL NOT HEAR BACK FROM THEM BEFORE MID-FEB AT THE EARLIEST. It is very likely they haven't even begun looking through files yet. Keep in mind, this is not their only responsibility...they have courses to prep and semesters to begin (either this week or next). If you begin badgering them, you will get a reputation for being irritating and that might harm your admission chances. Just let them do their thing!

[IvyHope]

Yes, people are hearing things. They are all in Microbiology or whatever! The sciences do things differently- they interview their applicants for one thing. You shouldn't even begin to think about this until you start seeing education results and psychology results pop up on the boards.

[t_ruth]

I know that. I'm just worried that because I wasn't submitting weeks before the deadlines that I will be in a second pool of applicants looked at and therefore have a lower chance. I think (hope?) it's a reasonable question

The only contact I've had with departments since I submitted applications is to let the professors I have exchanged emails with or spoke to on the phone know that my application was submitted. I thought that would be ok and would be useful in case they wanted to look out for it (wishful thinking?).

Otherwise, two departments had contacted me to check on materials, which was encouraging.

[IvyHope]

Yep. One department contacted me to let me know they were missing a transcript, which turned out to be a good thing because all the transcripts were sent in one envelope. They then revealed they had a transcript on file for me for a school I never attended.

I'm just saying, the admissions folks don't sit around reading files for applicants before the deadline. Everyone gets the same shot- it doesn't matter if you apply in October or December, your file isn't read until after the deadline. UNLESS they have rolling admissions, which (from what you've told me) I'd guess your departments are not. Rolling admissions are more common in MA programs.

You're going to be FINE. You'll get into at least one, if not all of your programs. You'll have funding. But goodness, you are going to give yourself gray hair and a heart attack with all this worry!!!

[t_ruth]

my second baby took care of the gray hair - I had none until I got pregnant w/her and now have like eight

[Astaroth]

Although what IvyHope is saying is true for most departments, some do have an early "priority" deadline (sometimes without a later "hard" deadline) which means that if you apply before then, your application will be looked at before others. An example of this is UT. I'm sure it's the minority though.

[linden]

t_ruth:

This might make you feel better. I was ready to send in one of my applications last September, and the program coordinator told me it was not worth it to apply that early, because they wouldn't look at any applications until after the deadline. So, even if all my stuff got there before most of other applicants' materials, that did not give me a leg up. (Incidentally, the program that I heard back from has rolling admissions.)

I don't know about you, but I feel that my level of stress is because of my age. I know that being in my early 30s, I probably won't try again if I don't succeed this time. (And, yes, I'm already in at one school, but now I am defining success as getting into my top choice. ) I think younger students on this board might not have that added pressure.

Good luck!

Linden

[limeinthecoconut]

This is just my feeling, based on my applications. For the applications that arrived just before the deadline, I actually obtained some confirmation from the graduate coordinators that my materials have been received and will be looked at.

By contrast, for the applications that I sent in ahead of time, so far, I have heard zip from these schools, even though my last deadline was over more than 10 days ago.

I guess that's my long-winded way of saying, as long as there are no rolling admissions/priority deadlines, it is all crapshoot?

I am now fretting that some of these schools might not have received my documents and will just toss it aside, without informing me beforehand.

Time to figure out ways to demand back my application fee if that happens. :twisted:

But I won't implement that plan before May.

[rising_star]

I never got a graduate application in more than 3 days before the deadline. Between MA and PhD apps, I got into 11 out of the 13 programs I applied to, all with funding. Hope that helps, t_ruth.

[t_ruth]

that does, thank you! though you may be the super star that the committees would let in even late

[Dreams]

Be patient. I submitted some of my applications in September and October and read that all applications would be reviewed regardless of submission date. You would not believe the amount of applicants who submit right at the deadline - upwards of 75% for some programs. So relax and be happy that one program at least notified you of your application's progress

[misterpat]

that does, thank you! though you may be the super star that the committees would let in even late

I read somewhere that at least half of all applications submitted come in during the last week. Could be exaggerated, but I'm pretty sure a LOT of people use all of the time that they have given to them.

Perhaps my belief in the above statement reflects motivated reasoning on my part, since I submitted all my apps in the final week. But I highly doubt turning your application in BEFORE THE DEADLINE (even if its the day before!) is somehow going to affect your chances.

Take a Xanax, dude.

[t_ruth]

I don't think hitting submit on the e-app weeks before the deadline makes a difference, but I think making sure your transcripts and test scores are in well in advance to ensure they are processed might...

that's what is holding up my apps from moving on to the departments.

[mlle]

NO. Do not contact them. They are likely to get annoyed with you.

Oh, crap. Really? Even if it's been weeks? I just sent an email to the freakin GRAD COORDINATOR politely asking if my materials were received. I had emailed the grad school in general first but the grad school told me to ask the dept directly and the grad coordinator's info was the only contact information listed. I didn't want to bug the grad coordinator herself but like I said... One of my prof's sent a paper LOR 3 weeks ago and the status still says its missing, and the deadline is in 2 days. I was worried. I feel like such a jackass now.

I'm feeling the same way as you, T-Ruth. I didn't end up sending in most of my apps in until the deadline and am feeling so behind and nervous about that. My worries are warranted though, bc most of my schools actually do have rolling deadlines. Ugggghh. My applications have also been held up bc of transcripts even though I submitted the e-app. It's killing me.

[IvyHope]

Oh, crap. Really? Even if it's been weeks? I just sent an email to the freakin GRAD COORDINATOR politely asking if my materials were received. I had emailed the grad school in general first but the grad school told me to ask the dept directly and the grad coordinator's info was the only contact information listed. I didn't want to bug the grad coordinator herself but like I said... One of my prof's sent a paper LOR 3 weeks ago and the status still says its missing, and the deadline is in 2 days. I was worried. I feel like such a jackass now.

I'm feeling the same way as you, T-Ruth. I didn't end up sending in most of my apps in until the deadline and am feeling so behind and nervous about that. My worries are warranted though, bc most of my schools actually do have rolling deadlines. Ugggghh. My applications have also been held up bc of transcripts even though I submitted the e-app. It's killing me.

No, no, no. Sending an email to confirm they have received your information after several weeks has gone by is NOT the same as contacting them immediately, etc. If you don't know the status of your application (ie, the school doesn't provide that information on a website) then you should assume everything is ok until you hear otherwise. If something is amiss with your application, they will notify you. Some programs are more efficient about this than others.

But for heaven's sake, don't pester them repeatedly, don't call after one week has gone by, don't assume your status will be updated immediately, etc. You have to relax, folks. These people are professionals, they know what they are doing, and they do it all the time. It is their job to be sure your file is complete before it is forwarded to the admissions committee. If for some reason it is not, they will notify you.

I_D Here everyone, have a drink.

[lauras]

t-ruth,

Of course, every program is different, but I think most schools ask you to apply to the Grad School of Arts and Sciences, not the English Department or Philosophy Department etc. Small departments just don't have the staff to process everything, make phone calls, track down letters of rec so temporary staff do this work at the GSAS for all specific faculties. They use some kind of weighted scale and they score all the aspects of your application, then, if it makes the cut, they pass it on to the department for evaluations.

I really think they pass these on all together. Wouldn't the department want the best possible applicant pool? And wouldn't they want to sit down and discuss this only once or at least, as few times as possible?

I had heard the same rumor as you and I asked the department at Columbia, specifically, because my application was going to be held up because there was no school code for my school. Columbia, at least, assured me that this is just a rumor.

Unless the department specifies "rolling admissions" I would assume the deadline is the deadline.

[mlle]

No, no, no. Sending an email to confirm they have received your information after several weeks has gone by is NOT the same as contacting them immediately, etc. If you don't know the status of your application (ie, the school doesn't provide that information on a website) then you should assume everything is ok until you hear otherwise. If something is amiss with your application, they will notify you. Some programs are more efficient about this than others.

But for heaven's sake, don't pester them repeatedly, don't call after one week has gone by, don't assume your status will be updated immediately, etc. You have to relax, folks. These people are professionals, they know what they are doing, and they do it all the time. It is their job to be sure your file is complete before it is forwarded to the admissions committee. If for some reason it is not, they will notify you.

I_D Here everyone, have a drink.

.....Yeah, I realized what you meant after I posted that. I think that other poster was right. Need to take a xanax; I'm in an over-wired state and am reading into everything. Incidentally, the grad director has since replied to my query (and she replied after business hours) and it was, umm, pretty nasty. I haven't emailed the dept at all since e-submitting my application and that was in November (this was the one application I did submit early). I thought it would be valid to send a goddamn polite confirmation TWO MONTHS LATER, *2 days before the deadline,* but she was evidently petulant:

"Ms. _____-

Your application status is correct and updated every other day (including weekends). If the letter of recommendation and transcripts have been received, they are amongst MANY bags of mail at the graduate school waiting to be scanned. At busy times like this, it can take 3-4 weeks for the graduate school to open the mail and scan the materials."

Ouch--this can't be good. This is the only school I've applied to where the grad director is the one taking care of all the business. All the other schools actually have staff doing this . . .

Anyway, I see I'm taking this thread off topic . . .

[polumetis23]

There's nothing nasty or petulant about that director's response. She only capitalized "MANY," which seems like a good way to remind you that you're not the only one whose materials need to be processed. The other poster above is correct: if something is missing, they generally contact you. Leave 'em alone and let them do their work.

[mlle]

I haven't emailed the dept at all since e-submitting my application and that was in November . . .

Just to clarify, this is the first time I emailed the dept *at all.* The wording in my post made it sound like I also e-mailed them in Nov when I submitted my app; I didn't. But anyway, yeah, the e-mail I sent today was apparently unnecessary *gulp.*

[IvyHope]

The grad coordinator isn't making admissions decisions, so don't worry.

[mlle]

Oh, wait, that was a typo in my original post. It's not the grad coordinator, it's the actual DGS....I need a nap.

[linden]

Deleted

[coho]

this happened to me (suddenly my app. disappeared after i had submitted it), but what really happened was that my computer had saved the wrong password/username combo to automatically fill in areas (apparently the username/password was valid for an unsubmitted app. . . ???)

[linden]

Coho:

Thank you for the suggestion. I checked to see if that could be the problem, but it wasn't.

Nevertheless, the good news for me is that ApplyYourself's technical support already restored my account and application. The good news for all of us is that ApplyYourself's technical support responded very quickly to the problem ticket. It is good to know that they have a fast and able team, especially at this time.

Linden