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


t_ruth

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"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 . . .

I don't think there's anything rude about this response. The department has to wait to receive the materials from the graduate school. That goes for you and dozens, if not hundreds, of other applicants. As long as the grad school received it by the deadline, you're fine.

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I agree with rising_star. I work as a graduate coordinator in a top-ranked engineering program and most of the time, the material we receive is so overwhelming that it is very difficult to know the complete picture of your application this early in January.

Trust me, we are good at what we do. We will not let your file go incomplete unless it shows complete negligence on your part.

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some of you are seriously spazzing out here.

"i must have a horrible reputation in the department and i think i completely ruined my chances for getting accepted because i called up and asked about the status of my application and the grad secretary put me on hold for thirty seconds and sounded tired when she responded. also, i never heard her say "you're welcome" after i thanked her! I'M SO SCREWED!!!"

calm the hell down, people.

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Frank is correct, but I know my department keeps e-mail contact on file with the graduate application, so if you have been pestering or openly rude, the grad committee will see it.

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I trust them to do their jobs, but when I see my app languishing w/the grad school and not sent on to the dept. because of transcipts that haven't been matched I wonder if the dept. really does wait for everyone...

My main concern was that if the commts met in multiple meeting the ones in the first round might have an advantage.

I think I'm hearing here that they do wait for the files to all be complete before looking at any - is that right?

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t_ruth, they may review applications in more than one round but, that doesn't mean you have less of a chance of getting in. If they don't have your stuff and they review in more than one round, they'll hold off on a decision until they have all of your stuff. In my old program, they did admits in a couple of rounds and did funding all at once for everyone. So, getting admitted in the second (or even third) round of review didn't lessen chances of funding. And, current students reapplying for the PhD were always considered in the last round of applications.

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The only transcript you send is to the graduate school? That seems really inefficient.

yep, though some asked for two copies to the grad school, others did just ask for one.

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yep, though some asked for two copies to the grad school, others did just ask for one.

I find this unusual as well. Seems at most places to which I've applied, the materials go to the department and then are forwarded to the graduate school, if you've been accepted.

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some of you are seriously spazzing out here.

"i must have a horrible reputation in the department and i think i completely ruined my chances for getting accepted because i called up and asked about the status of my application and the grad secretary put me on hold for thirty seconds and sounded tired when she responded. also, i never heard her say "you're welcome" after i thanked her! I'M SO SCREWED!!!"

calm the hell down, people.

Okay, I guess I might've gotten a little hyper and read too deeply in between the lines (again). I mainly freaked out b/c the person I talked to was actually the grad director, not the grad coordinator/secretary. This program doesn't even appear to have a grad coordinator. I looked all over the website and stuff and couldn't find who that may be. That seems ridiculous.

But anyway, back to t_ruth, yeah--my apps are the same (one of them, at least). You send transcripts, scores, etc. to the grad school and they forward it to the dept. Then the dept makes the decision and forwards it back to the grad school.

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I find this unusual as well. Seems at most places to which I've applied, the materials go to the department and then are forwarded to the graduate school, if you've been accepted.

I have found this to be the case at a number of schools. In fact, I was turned off from applying to many schools because of the two transcript policy. For me, I could not have afforded to request such a large number of transcripts because of the number of schools I have attended in the past. I would be in the poor house!

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oh yes, the transcript cost is a killer! with one of my schools, the system wasn't working one day for me to order my transcripts, and by the time I could get it to work, the price had gone from $5 each to $10 each. My other undergrad school was $10 each from the start. My law school saved me as they were free if sent to me or only $3 if sent directly to a school.

All in all though, between app fees, transcripts and GRE score reports, this IS an expensive process!

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All in all though, between app fees, transcripts and GRE score reports, this IS an expensive process!

And a ridiculous one! In my corner of the world, a PhD application goes like this: identify potential supervisor whose work interests you. Write informal email, then have as many informal discussions as necessary to determine 1) that neither of you are psychos who will make the other person's life difficult, and 2) the parameters of the research project. Submit research proposal to department as many times as it takes them to sign off. Start work, and do enough that you don't get kicked out for lack of progress in the first year.

Of course, there isn't the same volume of aspiring PhD students here - the system would fall down if there were. There does seem to be the same number of PhD graduates relative to population though. I wonder if having a competitive system in place encourages people to compete in that system, who maybe otherwise wouldn't?

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by plisar on Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:33 pm

I agree with rising_star. I work as a graduate coordinator in a top-ranked engineering program and most of the time, the material we receive is so overwhelming that it is very difficult to know the complete picture of your application this early in January.

Trust me, we are good at what we do. We will not let your file go incomplete unless it shows complete negligence on your part.

Thanks, plisar...this is calming! Is anyone else out there who can confirm this is the case at other schools as well?

I understood the deadline to mean all docs should be received by that date, and I can verify that everything was delivered to the proper address or was submitted online in time, but I didn't consider the part where the school has to open and file the transcripts, GRE scores, etc...

When a school says it's my responsibility to make sure everything's received by the deadline, they're not expecting me to factor in their envelope-opening, document-matching time, are they?

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When a school says it's my responsibility to make sure everything's received by the deadline, they're not expecting me to factor in their envelope-opening, document-matching time, are they?

NO. You're thinking wayyyy too much about this. Just relax.

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