TICKED OFF

[CAPoliSciPhD]

Sorry for this small vent but I JUST got through to a school I applied to (they'd put me on hold for the past two days and forgotten about me) and they don't have one of my transcripts that I mailed in mid december!!!! So now what??

The guy was such a jerk. Anyway, I asked if I could overnight it and they'll get there on Monday - he said yeah but bc of the department mailing and stuff it'll get to us on Tuesday and THEN they have to forward it to the department.

So that's ANOTHER 30 bucks I jsut had to spend and I did it through my university's online system (bc I can't get there in person today) and I just have to hope they actually send it today - there's no confirmation or anything even though I'm using fedex.

I hate this whole stupid process, and this probably belongs on the feeling negative thread but it's just annoying to waste all this time and money when I don't even know if I have even a SMALL shot of being accepted anywhere. Argh!

[ohheygradschool]

I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I don't think one of my programs has all of my stuff yet... and they have a 12/15 deadline. Whoops.

[frankdux]

dont worry. many of us have experienced something similar. personally i blew at least $1200 total on apps, transcripts, test scores, post office costs, etc. and i've probably taken a few years off of my life with all the stress.

[Luckige]

As an international applicant, I must not only provide an official transcript, but translate it and, as Blanche Dubois, depend on the kindness of strangers in university bureaucracies to sign, seal, and return it to me, so I can ship both documents. For my grad school transcripts I had to come look for my course director in three different days. He just needed to say 'ok'.

The process is so tiresome that I actually gave up on applying to one school since for that I needed to go over the martyrdom all over again. If a transcript had been lost in mail, I would probably say 'the hell with it'. Why they just don't accept scanned transcripts? I would provide official copies if admitted, believe me. Some say it is a way to increase the opportunity cost of applying, but I find this view nonsensical. GRE's, TOEFL's, begging for LOR's, SoP, and more is a price no one would pay unless he/she is willing to get their PhDs.

[jackassjim]

Maybe you could submit a scanned copy or one by fax while they wait for the original to come. You know, as a good faith gesture.

[Tonights]

Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry to hear that you're having trouble. I'm at least glad that you weren't told that your application would be scrapped entirely. I can't even tell if all my stuff is in, because the online systems aren't updating and nobody's returning my emails.

THAT'S IT, I'M BECOMING A HERMIT.

[CAPoliSciPhD]

Yeah but I just talked to some guy in the grad office - I HOPE my file isn't scrapped completely or looked at differently - ugh

[Tonights]

When was the deadline? If it was 1/15, well... it's only 1/23. There's a very good possibility your file hasn't even been looked at yet.

[BigCheese]

anyone having trouble with Georgtown because they still haven't posted that they received my undergraduate transcript and i sent that out in NOV!!!

[BruBru]

anyone having trouble with Georgtown because they still haven't posted that they received my undergraduate transcript and i sent that out in NOV!!!

They posted that they had received my transcript in a timely fashion, you may want to contact them.

[miratrix]

Yeah, I just got home from work to a "we're missing a recommendation letter, please get it to us as quickly as possible" email for a school with a 1/15 deadline...of course, it's after business hours on a Friday night, so "as quickly as possible" will not be that quickly. I'll email the office back and ask how my professor can submit online, and hopefully it will be taken care of by Tuesday...it's just annoying, this is the second time I've had to ask my professor to do this and I have a lot of faith that she DID send in the paper form on time.

Transcripts are worse though, especially if you have to deal with university bureaucracy. Good luck :/

[adaptations]

CAPoliSciPhD -

Have you considered contacting the administration staff within the department you are applying to? I tend to find the staff within the departments to be very helpful, and depending on the hierarchy of the admissions process at the particular school, an administrative person may be able to slip an emailed copy into the file (just for the time being) until the official copy arrives. Personally, I had administrative people update my files at two schools well after the deadline, and they were happy to help (just be really appreciative!)